17. Bartenders Love to Chat
“To Ava!”
I blushed as everyone at the table raised their glasses and ‘cheersed’. I’d just finished eating dinner with One Direction, Lou Teasdale, and a last minute addition to our night - an assistant from the stylist’s department named Hannah.
I felt the warmth of the champagne bubble up inside me, and I smiled as I took a sip from my glass. Tonight was already shaping up to be amazing. The restaurant we’d arrived at was beautiful. Decadent lampshades hung from the ceilings, illuminating each table in a warm, golden glow. A small jazz trio played softly in the corner of the restaurant, giving the place a cosy and intimate feel. I was pretty sure the boys knew the chef. Niall’s dinner portions were coming out triple the size they were supposed to be.
“So, how’s the life of fame treating you?” Hannah teased, sipping from her champagne flute.
So far, no fans had come up to the table. To be honest, it didn’t look like the kind of restaurant that tolerated screaming girls. Yet, although there were no visible fans, I could feel the stares of people following us; their eyes averting quickly, if I happened to glance up. I smiled back at Hannah and shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. Why don’t you ask the boys?”
Everyone at the table laughed.
“Ava, sweetheart,” Lou giggled. “The waiter’s eyes nearly fell out of his head when he saw you! Now, that may be because you look breathtaking tonight - after all, we all know there are no limits to my talent...”
Harry snorted as she continued.
“But it’s probably because this place is going to be swarming with diners after you leave!” Her eyes lit up. “Hey! Maybe they’ll name a dish after you!”
“Hava’s Ass Kicking Pasta’!” Louis cheered enthusiastically.
Hannah wrinkled her nose. “Hava?”
I felt my cheeks flame, and I watched as Harry shot Louis a warning look.
Oh. So he had seen the twitter posts.
“’H’ for ‘hero’.” Louis lied unconvincingly, his blue eyes twinkling. I watched Harry’s frown deepen.
I felt a pin prick of irritation. He clearly wasn’t happy about the press. I mean, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it either, but he didn’t have to look so annoyed.
Before I’d met ‘One Direction’, Harry’s face was the one I'd seen most often - emblazoned across tabloid covers daily... head down, eyes shaded; covering up a stunning new girl every week. More often than not, he was seen with high profile models and celebrities. Nowadays, you couldn’t flick open a magazine without being slapped in the face with his name.
I’m pretty sure he has a thing for blondes...
My eyes focused on the small candle in the middle of our table, as it flickered precariously. I knew that I didn’t measure up, but he didn’t have to make it so obvious.
The rest of the group chatted amiably around me, their voices culminating together in a low hum. Niall let out a loud burst of laughter, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glanced up, and Harry’s eyes caught mine. His expression was curious; a slight furrow in his brow, as if he was trying to figure something out. I averted my gaze quickly. Probably trying to think of a plan to squash the rumours.
Didn’t anyone ever tell him it was rude to stare?
Of course they hadn’t. He was Harry Styles. One look, and girls probably flung themselves at him on the street. In fact, I'd witnessed it at least three times now, first-hand. I sighed, irritated. The next time I looked up, Harry’s expression had melted into one of ease, the corners of his mouth quirked up in an amused smile.
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Chasing Blue Roses
Humor"He was the type of guy who would break your heart into thirty million pieces and make sure you had the time of your life while he was doing it. It was the kind of heartbreak where after he was done, you'd drag yourself up off the ground, compl...
