Honey Smiles // Harry Styles Series #3 - Jamaica

Port Antonio 10

The breeze of the night before had risen by morning into a steady wind. Our towels were in the pool and palmetto fronds tapped the downstairs windows. We had just emerged from the shower when Harry's phone rang.

"Hi... yes, she's here... really? When?... What do we need to do about it?"... a long silence as the muffled tones of someone's voice came from the phone... "Yes, I think so, absolutely... ok, I'll let you know."

I was very curious about the conversation, but Harry just stood, looking out at the scudding clouds, white and fluffy on top, grey and slightly ominous below.

"Harry?"

He came back to me. "Yes, sorry. That was George. Evidently there's a storm coming. A hurricane that's suddenly changed course. Did you know?"

"I'd heard there was one, but that it was expected to track northeast of us. That's not good. I'm sure the Schuster's people will help me batten down the bungalow, but I won't be able to stay there; it's much too close to the beach. I'll see if any of the inland hotels has a room."

"Don't be ridiculous." He actually looked angry. "You'll stay with me."

"Won't you just fly out before the storm?"

"We're going to stay. We'd lose time if we flew out and back again. This way we'll work through the storm if we can. Maybe it'll inspire us."

I shook my head. "Harry, look at this place, at the other villas. The front walls are entirely glass, and high enough that they'll get all the wind. You won't be staying here, that's for sure." I knew my tone was sharp, but I was concerned that he and his crew weren't taking the situation seriously.

I had experienced two hurricanes in my life; one in my parents' vacation home on Cape Cod and one at Phillip's parents' house in Palm Beach. Neither was a direct hit, but they were scary enough to make me worried as this seemingly rogue storm approached Jamaica.

"Caroline, we'll be safe. Geejam wouldn't let us stay up here even if we wanted to. We're all going to move into the original hotel building. There's no one staying there at the moment, and it's lower on the hill and sheltered from the wind. George said they even have shutters to close over the doors and windows to protect them.

"The hotel has a generator for the kitchen and a fully stocked bar. We could booze our way through Pauline, if you'd like."

"Pauline? I had no idea we'd made it to the letter P this season. Ok, you've put my mind at ease... well, as at ease as it could be with a storm looming." I'd been pulling up info on the hurricane while he was talking. "It looks like tonight through tomorrow will be rough.

"I need to go home and make sure my things are safe. I'll call the Schusters and Mom, too. I guess I should bring a bag for a few days, just in case."

"I'd like to have George drive you. It'll be easier with your bag, and he can help if there's anything that needs doing at your house."

"You're very thoughtful." I kissed him quickly. "Now let's get ready for Pauline."

~

It was late afternoon before we were settled in our new digs, a perfectly nice suite in the slightly time-worn original hotel building. Harry came back from meeting with the hotel manager just as I was filling the tub; the ice bucket sat next to me on the vanity.

"You're having a cold bath?" He looked confused.

"No, we'll use the ice bucket to fill the toilet tank with bath water, so we can flush if we lose electricity. My dad taught me this when I was eleven and there were power outages on the Upper East Side. Trust me, it's important." I smiled and closed the tap when the tub was as full as possible.

"Do you have any other survival skills?" An eyebrow raised in his signature questioning look.

"A few, but hopefully we won't need to start a fire or use any basic first aid."

The rain started just after dinner, which we ate all together in the hotel dining room. Although gusting from time to time, the winds weren't quite strong enough to keep us out of Bushbar afterwards. We were only a drink or two in, however, when a sudden blast of wind and rain blew over a table by the door of the bar. It was time to hunker down.

In our rooms, we closed the windows and shutters. The sound of the rising wind and heavy rain was muffled, but we could still hear it on the tin roof overhead. The worst of the storm wasn't expected until after midnight, so we had Mitch and Tom, a songwriter working with them, in for drinks.

The impromptu gathering quickly turned into a brainstorming session. I think they forgot I was there as Mitch and Harry played guitar, and Tom wrote music and lyrics on hotel stationery.

I wasn't really paying attention, just enjoying the scene, when I heard Mitch say "Well, I bet Caroline could tell us."

"Tell you what?" I sat up from my slouchy position on the sofa.

"About sex toys. What's the oddest one you've seen? Oddest, but real. Something a girl would actually use."

Not a question I would have expected from those three, but I had an easy answer.

"My friend has one that looks like a cactus. I've seen it with my own eyes, and she says it's her go-to. Is that helpful?"

Harry and Tom nodded absentmindedly; Mitch took the time to say "Yes, thank you."

They were muttering among themselves, words like 'actress,' 'black dress,' 'cactus,' and 'crazy."

And then the power went out.

Mitch and Tom used the flashlights on their cell phones to find their rooms, while Harry and I stripped down and snuggled in bed. It was hard to sleep, as the wind howled and the rain pounded the building, so we found a way to occupy ourselves in the storm-tossed, pitch black room.

We stayed close, cheek to cheek or mouths molded, bodies pressed together from head to toe. We were slow, deliberate, and it lasted longer than ever before. After, we lay close, in our usual positions for sleep. It still didn't come.

"Do you think this is the worst of it?" he asked as something clattered against the shutters. "I don't know what to expect." He sounded anxious.

"Maybe. This old building is tough; I'm sure it's come through its fair share of storms." I held him tight. "Try to sleep. It'll be over faster that way."

Not long after that I heard his breathing deepen and his body relax. Knowing that he was ok now, I fell asleep too.