A Dreamers Dream

Confrontation. Sao Paulo, Brazil

Harry's perspective.

After knocking back a couple more shots, I finally come to my senses and go off in search of Maddie. The bar is pretty large and fairly crowded, though, and I can't seem to find her anywhere,. Eventually, I spot Clark on the dance floor, and he tells me that Sammy is in the toilets, he's not sure where Maddie is. I figure she's probably with Sammy though, those two rarely go anywhere without the other I've noticed, so I decide it's probably best to return to my table and wait until she reappears and try and talk to her then. I don't think me going and accosting her in the ladies would really be the right way to get my apology across convincingly somehow.

I really do feel awful for the way that I spoke to her tonight. She didn't deserve it at all, no one deserves to be spoken to that way. I could make excuses, blame the amount I've had to drink or the fact that she didn't just come out and tell me that she's not ready for everyone to know about us, but deep down, I know I overacted and that the only person to blame for our argument tonight is me. What was I thinking just trying to kiss her, without warning, in front of everyone? How would I have felt if she'd have done that to me? And then laying into her like that... My sister's always telling me that I'm an arsehole when I've had a few drinks and tonight I definitely proved her right.

"Julie! I didn't know you were coming tonight!" I say in surprise when I get back to our booth. My mood instantly lifted by the sight of the bubbly blonde record executive, who was the person I had planned for Maddie to have the meeting with at the record company back in April. Sitting next to Jeff, sipping from a bottle of Budweiser, she looks relaxed and happy as she always seems to be.

"H! It's good to see you! Yeah, I was in town so when I heard about this little get together so I thought I'd pop along." She replies as we embrace. It's been months since I've seen her, we spoke on the phone a few times after the whole incident with Novak in April, but that's not the same as getting to catch up with her in person, and until I can locate Maddie I could use a distraction.

"And you knew I'd be here of course, how could you possibly have stayed away?" I chuckle back at her, and we slip into a light-hearted conversation. I must admit at this point of the night, I am finding it kind of difficult to fully concentrate on anything, and I keep zoning out a bit and having to try and drag myself back into the present and concentrate on the voices chattering away around me. The copious amounts of shots I have knocked back have left me feeling fairly light-headed and away with the fairies, I'm not complaining though. It's my night off, why shouldn't I have a bit of fun?

"I'm really sorry that I didn't warn you that Novak was going to be here tonight Harry if I'd known I would have honestly, but I didn't even realise he was in Brazil until I got here." Julie suddenly says in a quieter voice so that only I can hear and my head snaps up to attention meeting her wide brown eyes, the drunken haze lifting in an instant. What the fuck, that arsehole is here? Tonight?

"What? He's here? Where?!" I practically scream in her face, causing her to lean away a little, taken aback by my outburst. I'm not normally a shouty person, but I guess I can add that to the list of things alcohol changes about me. After all, wasn't I shouting at Maddie just a few minutes ago? Fuck, Maddie! I glance around the bar quickly trying to catch sight of her, I spot Sammy back on the dance floor with Clark, but there's still no sign of Maddie.

"Yeah, he's over there, talking to Paul," Julie says and gestures over towards the far end of the bar where I can just about make out Paul talking to some slightly overweight guy in a suit, I can't see his face from here though.

"He's got some fucking nerve showing up here!" I exclaim and start to rise, all be it a bit unsteadily, off of my seat. I may not have gone to his office in London to call him out for what he did to my girl, but there is no way on earth I am going to let him get away with walking into this party, a party he knew without a doubt that I would be at, that Maddie might be at, without giving him a piece of my mind.