The Challenge

07

The boys had concerts Tuesday and Wednesday nights so they were busy during the afternoon with sound checks and last minute runs. I occupied myself with exploring the city on Tuesday and acquiring some pieces to bring back to London for the shop. Wednesday I rented a cycle and explored the city a different way. Harry had offered me tickets to both shows but I declined telling them I would just meet up with them on Wednesday evening after the show.

“Hurry up, woman! You have no one to impress aside from me and you’ve already done a fantastic job at that!” He called to me from the bedroom.

I peered out from the bathroom at him. He was lounging on the bed, scrolling through his phone. He was dressed in all black as per usual but had decided to forego the bandana tonight at my pleading. “Is Louis going to be there?” I called playfully.

“Probably not. He wasn’t feeling well earlier.” He came into the bathroom and watched me as I applied a coat of dark burgundy lipstick. I had finally decided upon a short black dress and high black heels. I knew Amsterdam wasn’t the best city for clubbing having been here before but Harry assured me we were going to a fun place. He looked me over.

“You might want to put on different shoes,” he commented before leaving the bathroom.

I sighed. If Louis wasn’t going to be there what was the point in being all dolled up? I didn’t care though and kept my heels on. Over the past two days I had decided to push all sexual thoughts of Harry out of my mind. That had been hard considering we slept mere inches away from one another and were confined to a tiny hotel room. I chalked what Louis and Zayn had told me the other day to nothing more than a simple conspiracy theory. Harry had never really done much to make me think he was interested in me at all and it was silly to start messing up a friendship just because of some off hand comments his friends and sister had made.

“Okay! Ready!” I announced after I had donned a dark blue denim jacket.

He sighed and put his phone in his pocket. “Finally. Jesus, you always take so long to get ready.”

“It takes a lot to look this good!”

“Good? I wouldn’t say good.” A cheeky grin was on his face and he turned and opened the door to the hotel room with his back to me. I kicked the back of his knee and he fell down. I stepped over the mess of him on the floor and gave him a dirty look.

“Want to say that again?”

He huffed and stood up, pushing past me and knocking me into the wall as we walked down the hallway. When we got in the lift and entered the lobby, turning to enter the hotel bar I had an overwhelming desire to keep messing with him. I punched his shoulder and elbowed me back knocking me into a tall man with blonde hair who spilled his drink all over himself as we entered the bar.

“I’m so sorry!” I exclaimed. I glanced at Harry who was laughing as he sidled up to the bar and ordered drinks. I grabbed some napkins off of the bar and handed them to him.

“It’s okay,” he said. His accent was flat and American, I think. “It’s not every day I have a drink spilled on me by a beautiful woman. Usually it’s me doing that. Sorry, I ramble when I get nervous. Here I go again.” He laughed sheepishly.