The Challenge

04

Three days. That was all I had left. I had wokne up after Harry left with the worst hangover of my life and carried an IV drip in the form of six coffee cups to get me through the day. I sent him a text wishing he felt as shitty as I did and he sent back a picture of all darkness meaning he did.

My weekend was swamped with work and I had to cancel dinner and drinks with Gemma and the rest of our friends over the weekend in order to accommodate a few extra clients I had acquired before the gala on Saturday evening. Sunday I played catch up at home, cleaning and grocery shopping and planning for the week ahead which was busy as well.

I had exchanged a few texts here and there with Harry but we both had been so busy we barely had time for a conversation. Finally, by Wednesday evening I was free and found myself sat across a table at an exclusive restaurant in Hyde Park having just come from a play in the West End with the most gorgeous Irish man. He had wined and dined his way into my heart and would surely be getting into my bed tonight.

Thursday, I had a free day and spent the morning in bed with the Irish man, whose name was Ronan, before he had to catch a flight to Paris. I caught up with Gemma for our weekly lunch date that afternoon and filled her in on work and my lack of sex except for the last night.

“You’re so crass,” she huffed when I told her about his amazing tongue. “And we are in public so lower your voice.”

“Oh, Gem, I know! But I’m going to die not having sex for six months.” I took a bite of my salad in front of me.

“I know. I keep hearing the same from Harry. I still think you two are insane for doing this but whatever floats your boat.” She finished the wine in her glass and ordered another bottle for the both of us.

I raised an eyebrow.

“What?” She exclaimed. “We’re both off this afternoon and we haven’t had a proper chance to hang out much lately. If you’re lucky, maybe I’ll get drunk enough to convince you to arrange a double online date for the both of us.”

I laughed, already feeling the effects of the three glasses of wine I had. “Let’s get this party started then.”

We clinked glasses together when the waiter brought out our new bottle and refilled both of our glasses.

“So you’ve never told me what you get out of this whole challenge thing. Harry gets to sleep with you if he wins. I don’t know why he wants to do that, you two are practically like brother and sister.”

Are we? Brothers don’t kiss their sisters. My mind argued with itself. Yes, but there was more to that kiss than just a kiss. You felt it. Surely he felt it too. The battle raged back and forth and I severely contemplated telling Gemma.

“I get the wonderful Lord Style’s permission to hook up with Louis.”

She looked at me with a confused look. “Louis Tomlinson? He’s always been so into you. Harry always told me you thought he was gay and Eleanor was just his cover or something like that.”

What? Why would Harry tell Gemma that? “Really? He always said it would create weirdness if I hooked up with him and something bad came out of it, you know with me being friends with Harry first and all.”

Gemma burst out laughing. “Do you know how many girls have been passed around that band and it hasn’t created any drama yet? They’re worse than the American frat boys with how they share girls. It’s gross.”

Hmm. The plot thickens. It’s almost as if Harry didn’t want me to be hooking up with Louis from the beginning. But if Harry wasn’t into me, why would he do something like that? Maybe he is into you, my mind said. I snapped out of the conversation in my head.