A long road to happy

Chapter 2: Pools of green

"And 1 shot to calm your nerves, I know there's a lot of people here." He says softly as he wraps his hand around my shoulder in a side hug. I give him a loving smile as we both do the last shot. 

"Now that's over with. Here's to a great night, I guess." I say as I clink my cider with his beer bottle and take a swig. Just as I'm about to swallow, I look over Danny's shoulder and lock eyes with a familiar looking face as she makes her way over to us, a soft smile gracing her lips as her eyes dart from me to Danny and back again. I furrow my eyebrows for a second, trying to work out why I recognise her, just as I swallow, my brain catches up and makes the connection as my eyes widen 'Elizabeth Olsen' it screams at me, causing me to take a sharp breath in at the same time as swallowing. If you've ever done this, you know only 1 thing happens from here. . . . the inevitable coughing fit ensues. 

"You're meant to swallow it Har, not breathe it in, Jesus christ." He says whilst laughing at me and hitting my back for me, trying to help dislodge the cider from my lungs.

I just about manage to stop coughing and spluttering when I hear a silky voice float over from beside Danny. 

"Oh dear, what are you doing to the poor girl Danny? Are you're terrible chat up lines causing her to fake death just to get away from you?" She sasses him whilst eyeing me. The surprise is evident on his face as his eyebrows raise as he takes a nervous glance at me as he turns to his side. "Elizabeth, how nice to see you again!" He says, smiling. "I didn't know you'd be here tonight, you know, as you're not actually part of the cast or crew." He says as he gives her a warm hug. "Well Danny, when my date told me you'd promised to bring your girlfriend tonight, I couldn't turn down the opportunity of meeting her, you know, see if she's real and all." She says as she takes a sip of her drink, the smirk she's trying not so hard to hide very evident on her face as she shoots me a look and a wink. 

Oh god, I wish she'd stop looking at me like that. It's making me nervous. It's like she's telling me she knows I'm not really his girlfriend, like she's challenging me to prove her wrong. God, I'm going to need more shots to get through this. 

"Oh, of course, how rude of me. Elizabeth, meet my girlfriend Harley, Harley. This is Elizabeth." He says, pointing between us both as he snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me to his side.

"It's nice to meet you, Elizabeth." I say shyly. For God's sake, Harley, what are you doing? Be confident. She's just a woman. Yeah, a woman you're trying to deceive, along with every other person at this party. Oh, shut up, brain. . . . Great, I've been here less than 30 minutes, and I'm arguing with myself already, I huff at myself.

"Oh, please darling, call me Lizzie." She says, extending her hand out to me with a 'butter wouldn't melt' look on her face. I know better though, one look in her eyes and I can see it, she doesn't believe our little story. Why did I, someone with no acting skills, think I could deceive professional actors? What kind of stupid am I? Oh yeah, that's right, drunk stupid.

"Hey, why does she get to call you Lizzie, but I have to call you Elizabeth? That's not fair?" Danny says with a playful glint in his eye.

She scoffs and looks him up and down.

"Life isn't fair, Danny. Get used to it." Her eyes drift back to me, wait, no, they're looking behind me. Before I can turn around to see what she's looking at, I hear somebody chuckle, and a slightly deeper voice raps close to my ear. "So, you're the girlfriend we've been hearing about on set all the time then? This one sounds smitten." 

Shivers, thats the only way I can describe it, shivers straight down my spine, I haven't even seen her, I don't even know who she is, but that voice is heaven, and the way i can feel her hot breath on my neck. Oh god, get a hold of yourself, woman. i scold myself. I can feel the blush rush to my cheeks, and by the looks of it, Danny can see it, too. He tilts his head, furrowing his brows with the edge of his mouth tugging upwards slightly. An amused look on his face, he knows what that look means. He's seen it enough times in clubs to understand it. Then suddenly, as if he just remembered i'm supposed to be his girlfriend, he moves towards me, taking my hand. "Oh sweetheart, you know I'm smitten with you, no need to get all embarrassed about it." He coos, saving my blushing ass and his in front of these 2 intimidating women. He steps forward again to kiss my cheek. It takes everything in me not to wipe my cheek where he just kissed it, as I try my best to give him a loving look and a shy smile. I hope I pulled it off.

The owner of the voice that gave me shivers moves from behind me, stepping beside me instead, causing me to tense slightly. I refuse to look around just yet, but I catch Elizabeth giving me a weird look. I try to relax my body as much as possible as I pull Danny to my side. 

"Anyway, Scarlett, this is my girlfriend Harley, Harley. This is Scarlett. She actually is a part of the cast, unlike someone." He introduces us whilst side eyeing Elizabeth, who just holds her hands up whilst chuckling. 

I finally turn to my side, taking in Scarlett. As my eyes meet hers, I freeze. They're green, beautifully green, forest green. They look so shiny and warm, the deepest pools of green I've ever seen, I could look at them forever and never get bored.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I feel a finger poke me in the rib, making me squirm slightly. I snap my head around and glare at Danny, who widens his eyes at me, subtly nodding his head at Scarlett. I just ignored Scarlett completely. . . . Shit.

"Oh, um, hi Scarlett, it's a pleasure to meet you." I say, sticking my hand out as I turn around to look at her again. She's smirking. She's smirking a lot. She looks at me, then Danny, then my hand. As her eyes slowly return to my face, I can feel the heat in my cheeks start to rise again. Not now, cheeks, come on, give me a break here. 

"Nonsense darling." She says as she pulls me into a hug. I stand there awkwardly, hand still out straight, going past her waist, my arm slightly brushing her side from where she initiated the hug. I awkwardly pat her back a couple of times as I pull away, mumbling my apologies. "Sorry, I don't really do hugs, I find them very awkward, sorry." 

She looks at me with a guilty look across her face, which is quickly replaced with a sheepish grin. "No, I'm sorry, I should've asked first, I'm just a hugger, is all." At least it gives me a believable excuse for the blush, I think.

Danny slides his arm around my waist, pulling me in as the 3 of them start talking and laughing about things they've done on set, nad how Danny and i met. I zone out from their conversation as I scan the room some more. 

"I'm going to grab another drink. Would anyone like another?" I ask. Both Lizzie and Scarlett politely decline the offer.

"Can you get me another beer, please, babe? Here, take my card, we agreed that all drinks were on me tonight." He grins, handing me his card, whispering in my ear that I can get some shots for myself if I want. I chuckle at that, I was getting shots regardless. This girlfriend gig was harder than it seemed. I sigh as I make my way back over to the bar.