Spanish lessons

8. (Un-)tying the bow

Almost falling over two times, Charlotte rushed up the stairs to her room. She needed to get changed. But what on earth do you wear to dinner with Harry Styles?!

Rummaging through her suitcase, Charlotte managed to pick out two outfits.

Option 1: A simple black dress, her go-to for both casual walks around town and iced lemonade in a café on a Tuesday afternoon as well as formal get-togethers at university with her professors. The second outfit was a top and pants combination: Long black wide-legged pants and a dark red silk top with lace details. She had actually never worn those two pieces together, but when she found the top at a second-hand-shop, the pants were the first piece to pop into her mind.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Charlotte pondered the two options. Play safe with the dress or try to impress with the more stylish top-and-pants combination (for Charlotte's wardrobe it could be considered stylish). What exactly was her intention for this dinner, she wondered. Having a nice time. With a hint of showing a different side of herself.

A rumble in her stomach reminded Charlotte of the clock ticking, and her hunger. She hadn't even taken a look in the mirror to see what her hair and face were doing. In a tangling of limbs, she managed to change out of the shorts, top and bikini and put on the pants and the silk top. She slid into black sandals and rushed in front of the mirror in the bathroom. A few quick strokes with her fingers through her now dry hair, a quick touch-up of her mascara and the quite frankly insane impulse to add eyeliner (her hand was not very cooperative in being steady) resulted in a final look in the mirror only ten minutes later.

Giving herself a smirk, Charlotte had to compliment herself for the speedy glow-up. The pants and the top did go well together and were just on the edge of stylish and too sexy. The french tuck of the top allowed for the bow-tied belt of the pants to show. Her hair and make-up were just up a notch from her day look. Literal beach waves falling over her shoulders. The eyeliner was the right amount of dramatic. Perfect.

Purse, wallet, phone, key card and Charlotte left her hotel room just in time.

Having just put Aria to sleep, of course not missing out on reading her a very quick bedtime story, Harry panicked when he looked at his phone. Only 20 minutes left till he had to meet Charlotte in the lobby. He was neither changed nor had he done his hair. Rushing to the closet, he almost fell from the slippery combination of his feet on the carpet. Pulling out a dozen different shirts, he threw them on the bed and sat down in front of it. Okay, calm down, Styles. It's just dinner. Don't dress like you're going to an award show.

Harry closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm down his nerves. Take your daughter as an example, H. She is not even remotely nervous around Charlotte.

Looking at his options, Harry settled on a simple black dress shirt. Nothing as classy as an all-black-outfit, he thought when he pulled out the corresponding bespoke Gucci pants from his closet. They fit his bum quite nicely, since he had taken up training for the tour - he hoped Charlotte would like them. She seemed to be a fan of classic, with a twist. They had a velvet vertical stripe on the outer side of each leg, so they were not all that boring.

His gold boots added just the right touch of eccentric. With ten minutes left, Harry took a quick trip to the bathroom. A little product will do, he judged when checking out his hair situation. Hands washed, the perfume bottle almost slipped out of his fingers.

Harry gave Aria a little kiss to the cheek and checked the percentage of his phone battery. He was sure he wouldn't need the baby monitor app, as Aria was a deep sleeper once put in bed. And Louise from staff would be here in a few minutes to look after her. Harry was always grateful for friendly hotel staff, and he had known Louise for years from his time in the band. She had been there every time they would come to Barcelona. He wouldn't just let anybody from staff watch his daughter.