Fantasy and Putts - t.h. series [18+]

Meta-Fore of Love - part eight

"Where the eff did you bring me?" you whisper once a waiter shows you to your table.

"I think it is less upscale than it looks," Harrison says with a grin, failing to keep it downscale with the way he helps you into your seat.

You check that your purse is steady between your thigh and the side of the chair and admit, "I feel so improper with all these people in suits and frills."

"Hmm, that guy is wearing trainers with what I assume is a very cheap suit," Harrison says, leaning closer to whisper in your ear, "which looks two sizes too big for them, oh my god."

You roll your eyes at him but laugh, and thank him for the kind gesture of reassurement. "Thanks for helping me feel less inadequate."

"You're absolutely welcome. I'm a pro at upscale."

"Clearly, if you know people who work here," you joke. He smiles in response.

After you order and receive your food, you finally ask, "So. What's the real reason why we're here, H?"

"I have an invitation for you," he replies with a soft smile.

"You're getting married?!"

"No..." he says with a what the fuck hands gesture. "When was the last time you saw me with a romantic partner?"

"I don't remember," you say honestly, "But a person wonders, y'know?"

"What does that mean?"

You grin at the way his frown deepens every single trait of his face. "Nothing. But I mean, last I remember, you'd been spending a lot of time with a certain someone. Oh, what's his name? Ermmm, Derry?" You trail off into silence pretending to be thinking about it by propping your elbow on the table and resting your chin on the tips of two fingers. "No. Oh wait— Harry!"

"You're out of your mind," Harrison laughs into his food.

It's nothing new that you always had a thought in the back of your mind that whatever project he'd been doing with Harry was too secret for their own sake. If anything, your suspicion only grew when, one morning, you found a watch in the bathroom that you swore you'd only seen Harry wear and he had not been in the flat at all the previous day, but perhaps Harrison had borrowed it. You didn't know, you didn't ask. Prying is not your style, and you're only slightly curious.

"So it's really just work then?" you ask, making a small pause so he'll finish hiding his laugh into his mouthful. Before he answers, you add, "All right, then, my bad. I apologize. I had to ask!"

"That's okay," he says, "and it's actually why I wanted to talk to you today."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Harry and I, we're ready to share what the project is about—"

"Finally!"

"Yes, I know," he laughs, clearly amused by how much everybody around them has tried to extract any information about this damn project from them.

"So what is it then?" you ask excitedly. Harrison shakes his head and takes a sip of his drink.

"Actually, we're going to do this sort of official announcement so we can tell everybody." He swallows in dry a couple of times, his really wide, engaging eyes staring into yours. "Before this small—ish—dinner party at the new house. Tomorrow. In the evening. Uh, yeah. That's all I can say at the moment."

Fuck.

You see where this is going. You see exactly where it's going.

"And you want me to be there?"