The Challenge

43

“Gee! Everyone is going to be here soon and I have nothing to wear!” Tina screeched from the spare bedroom.

I finished the final touches of my make-up and hurried to meet her.

“You look fantastic,” she announced when I walked into the room. I looked in the mirror. I guess I kind of did. I wore the dress I had purchased earlier and put on some nylons underneath and added the pair of earrings Harry had given me. I had let my hair dry naturally so it had long waves and pinned the top back.

“We’ll find you something, doll.” I searched through the closet and pulled out a dark pink bondage dress with long sleeves.

“Perfect!” She announced and put it on. “Picture time!” She held out her camera and snapped a picture of us in the mirror. I knew it would instantly go on Instagram and went to say something to her but the door opened and I walked out to see Harry walking in.

“Wow,” he said. “You look.. amazing.”

I smirked. “You might want to pick your jaw off the floor.”

He smiled at me. “I love those earrings. Who gave them to you?”

“Oh, just one of my many suitors,” I joked and instantly regretted my choice of words when I saw hurt flash across his face.

“Harry, I’m-“

He cut me off. “Stop, Gee. Just forget it. Gemma should be here soon with the alcohol. Don’t you have anything right now?” He moved past me and went to raid my pretty scarce alcohol collection but managed to come up with a half a bottle of vodka and a bottle of wine.

“Hi, Harry!” Tina said when she joined us in the kitchen.

The buzzer rang and I went to let in whoever was the next person arriving. Gemma arrived with David and his brother in tow and Niall and Liam and a few of their other friends whose names escaped me at the current moment followed them. Tina loved every minute and spent her time bouncing back and forth between various groups, snapping pictures while I tried to do damage control after her.

“She’s sweet,” Someone commented. I turned around to see Louis.

“Hey! When did you get here?” I asked.

“Just now, I followed in these people,” he said. I glanced around and there were more people in my flat than there had been 15 minutes ago when I last did a headcount.

“Glad you came,” I said and pulled him in for a hug.

“You look gorgeous tonight, Gee,” he said in my ear.

I pulled back. “Thanks. You clean up pretty well yourself.”

He laughed. “That’s what all the ladies tell me. So what are you going to do with your sister while you’re at work this week?”

Shit. I hadn’t thought about that. “Uh, Good question, I guess take her to work with me,” I said.

“I could hang out with her if you like, I do have my fair share of experience with younger sisters.”

I recalled his interactions with his own sisters when I had been at his house the other day and it reminded me of how removed I really had been from Tina’s life the last few years when she probably had needed me the most. I didn’t even have an excuse for not being around, it’s not like I was on tour or anything. I lived a few hours away by train or by car.

“Thanks, but I should probably spend as much time with her as I can. I’ve kind of been neglecting her on the big sister front,” I said.

“No problem, Gee, but if she gets bored of you, I’ll be more than happy to show her around London.”