No Control (Book 1)

3. Happily

James was standing by a vintage-style baby blue fridge, resting his arm casually on the top of it as we entered the kitchen. "Hey girls," he grinned. "You look flushed, Jess."

"Oh-em-gee Jess," Callie breathed. "Harry Styles just said hello to you!"

My smile couldn't have been any wider at that moment. "Yeah, I think he did, didn't he!" I grinned, feeling recklessly giddy and ready to take on the world. "I will die a happy woman!"

"Why don't you ask him for a selfie?" James suggested.

"No way!" I said, frowning disapprovingly. "He'll get that all the time from his crazy fans." (Callie raised an eyebrow at me). "Let the poor guy relax without any hysteria," I continued.

"Listen to her, acting like they're best mates," Callie teased, exchanging another look with James and then smiling affectionately at me. "Well done babe; you played it so cool just then. I was a bit worried you'd scream in his face, to be honest."

"I'm not gonna lie. So was I," I confessed. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly and dramatically. "I need another drink after that."

"Wine?" James suggested, turning to the fridge. "Or a cocktail?"

"Better make it a weak cocktail," I said. "I'll be on the floor if I have any more wine too soon. You know what a lightweight I am."

James chuckled, and he and Callie chatted as he began to make cocktails using some Amaretto, cherry brandy and lemonade.

Behind me, some guys were laughing and being rowdy, but I wasn't paying any attention.

I let my mind wander back to my encounter with Harry Styles. My face flushed as I recalled his gaze meeting mine, the corners of his mouth turning up lazily, almost in slow motion. The lingering memory of his deep, gravelly voice addressing me made my insides shiver with nervous anticipation. The whole experience couldn't have been more than about four seconds from start to finish, but I had a feeling I would dream of that moment for many years to come. I gratefully accepted the drink James held out to me, and took a sip. The icy liquid cooled the heat in my face, and I exhaled again, deeply. My heart rate was just calming back down.

"Do you want another drink, Harry?" a male voice said, about two feet away from my right ear.

"No thanks, I really should be getting off."

My heart lurched and I snapped my head up and looked panickingly at Callie, whose eyes were just as wide as mine. I knew the sound of that voice, especially as I had heard it only a minute before. I didn't dare turn around but I could sense him standing just behind me to my right. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, a tingle ran down my spine, and I felt goosebumps break out on my arms.

"Already?" said the voice by my ear, that then walked in front of me and reached for a beer. "You only just got here." It belonged to Nick Grimshaw, who nodded at me, presumably to acknowledge that he had just come right in between me, Callie and James.

"Yeah I know but I'm pretty tired after the flight. I only dropped in to say hi," Harry's was now the voice by my right ear. I felt a flush threatening to creep up my face. I gritted my teeth and prayed I wouldn't turn crimson. "I already called a car."

"Cancel it!" Nick laughed. "Come on, I haven't seen you in months, we need a good night out."

Over Nick's shoulder I saw Callie grinning in delight at me and my proximity to Harry. The look on her face made me grin back, and I quickly looked down at the drink in my hand, trying desperately hard to conceal my excitement and not look like a weirdo. Harry crossed in front of me, and I saw him look at me out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head, and our eyes locked again. My whole body flushed this time, and my heart began hammering. It was as if someone had connected me to a live power cable and cranked it up to the max. "Hi again," he said, that slow, sexy smile spreading across his face.