Friends With Benefits

Chapter 8

Harry's POV

I adjusted the cuffs of my black suit jacket in the hall mirror as I waited, inspecting my well polished reflection.  I looked ‘smart’, as my mum had so kindly put it, but I felt uncomfortable as fuck, tugging harshly at the collar of my dress shirt – I could barely breath with the top button scratching at my throat tightly.  This penguin suit was killing me.  To be honest, I would have been much more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, but the evening called for something more formal, and I had to admit I looked pretty classy. 

“You ready, Harry?” Mum asked as she swooped by me into the sitting room, her red dress billowing behind her as she rushed around.  Her sophisticated outfit was topped off pretty hilariously with a red, velvet Santa hat.  Very Stylish.

I nodded, running my fingers through my curls.  “Yup, just waiting for Tammy.”

My mother rushed past again into the kitchen, doing errands, wrapping up all the loose ends.  She stepped out of the kitchen and I looked up at her as she moved to my position, standing in front of me.  She smiled warmly as she smoothed her fingers over the lapels of my tux.  “Oh, Harry, you look so handsome!”

I grinned, laughing lightly.  “Thanks, mum, you look beautiful.”

She giggled despite how her eyes began to cloud up with tears.  I could sense the emotion coming on.  I sighed, waiting for the waterworks to begin.

“Harry, you’re growing up so fast…you’re not my little boy anymore!”

I nodded, rolling my eyes tiredly.  “Okay, mum, don’t start blubbering, I’ll always be your baby boy!”

She paused to look at me and I felt a little sad.  She was right…once again I got the sense that time was passing. Their lives were moving on in such a different direction to mine.  It was hard to keep up sometimes, but they were still the most important things to me.  They always would be.

I sighed, defeated.  “Mum, I love you.”

A beam broke out across her face as she pulled me into a tight hug.  “Oh, Harry, I love you too!  My little boy, you’ll always be my baby!”

I chuckled at her sentimental nature, hugging her back tightly.  No matter how big a star you are, how many albums you sell, nothing can compare to a hug from your mum.

“Are you all nearly ready?” Gemma’s voice rang out from the kitchen, ruining the moment. “It starts in fifteen minutes, we’ll have to leave now if we don’t want to be late!  And mum, do you know where the wrapping paper is?”

“Yes, I’ll get it out, hold on a second,” Mum called back.  She let go of me, sighing tiredly before giving me a knowing look, then dashed off into the kitchen again. Christmas was so busy for her; I felt a little bad at how lazy my break was so far.

I watched her leave, dress billowing out once again, before taking a final glance at myself in the mirror.  “Tamara, did you fall into the toilet or something?” I yelled up the stairs, chuckling to myself at my own joke. 

“I’m coming…”

I stared at my reflection, chuckling darkly at the innuendo I took from her words.  I ran my palm along my jaw, checking for any harsh stubble as I heard her descent down the stairs behind me begin, her heels clicking loudly on each step.

“Finally, thought you’d never be done…” I said, trailing off as I turned to meet her form.

My heartbeat stopped as my gaze met hers.

I could not breathe. My eyes scanned her frame, taking in every inch of the stunning beauty before me, this classy, sophisticated Goddess that I had seemingly never encountered before.  She looked perfect – there was nothing on this earth that matched her beauty right now.  From the delicate, sparkling shoes on her dainty feet to the diamond encrusted hair band that graced her head.  The glitzy, silver dress that fell just above her knee at the front - the hem dropping slightly lower to her calves at the back – complimented her figure astonishingly, cinching in her waist with a tight bodice that showed off her cleavage beautifully, much to my satisfaction.