Temporary [H.S. || A.U.]

Chapter 7

It's Wednesday night and the event is Thursday around supper time. So, I'm really glad I was able to get these Wednesday flights so that we won't have to rush tomorrow when getting to the event or for getting ready.

"Excuse me, miss, would you like anything to drink?" A flight attendant asks me quietly to avoid waking up anyone sleeping in the nearby seats.

"You know what, a glass of wine sounds great." I say with a smile. I'm scared of heights. And flying is an activity that doesn't always go best for me. So a glass of wine to take the edge off doesn't sound too shabby.

"And what about you, sir?" She speaks to Harry now who is in the seat next to me, against the window.

"Oh uhm yeah I'll just take a water, please. If that's okay? I don't want to be a bother." Harry stammers in response.

The flight attendant smiles and clearly tries to hold back a laugh. "A water and a glass of wine. I'll be right back with that."

When the flight attendant walks off to get our drinks, I turn to look at Harry. "Have you ever flown before? They're supposed to get you drinks you know."

"No, when I moved to America I traveled by boat."

"Wait, really?"

"No, I'm kidding." He laughs. I've never seen him laugh or smile before. He has dimples, that's kind of cute. "I don't fly too often, though. And I definitely haven't ever flown first class. But I never ask the flight attendants for drinks or anything because I hate being an inconvenience."

"You wouldn't be an inconvenience. They would just be doing their job." I respond simply.

"Yeah, but it doesn't really matter." He is quick to try and change the topic. "So, what should I be uhm expecting on this trip?"

This feels extremely awkward, but I guess we do need to discuss some things. Now is as good a time as ever. "Well, we have the business event and then we are going to be staying in a house with my family for two weeks."

"Got it." He gulps, showing his usual nervousness. "And you uhm want me to uhm, pretend to be your boyfriend?"

"I know it's kind of weird, but yeah." I reply with a weak unsure smile.

"So, how do you act in relationships so I know what to do?"

"Just do whatever you're comfortable with." I assure him. I don't want to make him more uncomfortable than he probably already is.

"Well, I don't want to do something that makes you uncomfortable or do something without your consent. So take your time to think about it and let me know." He speaks clear and sincerely so I know he means what he is saying.

Honestly, it's sad that a man talking about consent has turned into something that's a turn on. Consent should be expected. 

The bar really is so low at this point. It's unfortunate. Women everywhere are settling for the bare minimum because of how shitty they have been treated by men in the past. Damn travesty.

But, none the less, I really appreciate and respect Harry for saying that.

"Hand holding is good, pet names are nice if you want, and my kind of ex used to kiss me on the cheek sometimes. So those are all okay with me." I ramble off the first things that come to mind.

"Your kind of ex?" He questions with furrowed brows, a little crease in his forehead now appearing between them.

I should not have let that slip. There I go again with my big mouth that forgets to have a filter. "Yeah. He was supposed to come with me on this trip but bailed. Said he wanted to take a break, whatever that means."

"He shouldn't have ditched you so last minute." Harry quips, looking somewhat hurt for me over hearing that Eddie did that to me. "How long were you two together?"

I'm a pretty open person. So this conversation really isn't one that I'm afraid to have with Harry. Plus, he deserves to know the reason I asked him to come in the first place. "Just a few months. Relationships don't always work out for me because people get frustrated with how much I work." I reply truthfully. But then my eyebrows raise when I realize something I probably should have asked him a long while ago. "Oh my gosh, I should have checked to make sure you're single before I asked you to come!"

His face falls slightly. Enough for only me to notice because of how observant I am as a person and because we are sitting next to eachother. But I can tell he was trying to fight it. It must be a sore topic for him. "Single. Don't worry." He says plainly, probably the fastest I've ever heard him talk.

"Well, consider yourself temporarily not single for the next two and a half weeks, boyfriend." I quip with a smile to try and cheer up his sudden somewhat somber mood. I then extend my hand out in gesture of him to hold it.

His eyes flicker between mine and my hand, seeming hesitant, before he reaches his hand over to intertwine with mine. "Okay, girlfriend."

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A/N:

Well, friends, to San Francisco we go!