Right Now

9. Are we friends or are we more?

When I walked into the dining room with Louis I was still in such a daze from being kissed so passionately by Harry that I felt like I was floating on air. I was brought back to reality sharply when at least half the people in there turned to look at us.

Judging by the looks on their faces, I decided they were either thinking,

1) Who is that girl and why is she wearing one of Harry's shirts again?

Or:

2) What is she doing with Louis?

It didn't help that Louis put his hand gently on my back to steer me towards the buffet table and whispered in my ear, "Don't freak out, they're probably looking at me. I bet my fly is open."

"I hope not," I muttered. "They'll think you and I have been up to something."

"Nothing can come between you and I," he crooned, and winked at me. "Nah, they know I'm devoted to Eleanor, don't worry about it."

"Where is Eleanor?" I murmured, scanning the room to see if I could spot her.

"She's not here, " said Louis, handing me a plate from the pile on the table. "She and Sophia have gone off on a girly spa weekend. El texted me a little while ago - they've just been pummelled by a masseuse who looked like a Russian weightlifter and neither of them can walk. I think they're getting stuck into the wine right about now."

That was a shame, I would have liked to have seen Eleanor and Sophia again. They had been so nice to me last week.

I was filling my plate with salmon and salad when two men approached the table. Both were extremely muscular, but one had close-cropped brown hair and the other one was completely bald.

"Are you Emma by any chance?" asked the one with hair.

"Yes," I replied.

"I'm Preston," he said.

Ah, the bodyguard who'd been kicked in the head by frenzied fans at the shopping mall last weekend.

"Oh, hi, how are you feeling?" I asked. "How's the head?"

"It's much better now, thanks. I just wanted to say thank you very much for what you did last week, for getting Harry out of that mall safely. I hear you did a brilliant job."

"You're welcome," I smiled at him.

"Things could have turned out badly if it wasn't for you, so thank you," he said.

"You don't want a job do you?" joked the man beside him, who had an American accent.

I blurted out, "Looking after Harry? Yes please!" before I realised how stupid that was. So much for keeping things under wraps.

Then I calmed down a little. Surely the security team would have to be in on any hush-hush relationships. If anyone could keep things quiet, it would be them.

They both laughed. "Actually, if I'd been there, there wouldn't have been a problem," said the bald guy. "I'm Dale, by the way, Harry's usual bodyguard. I was away last week - if I'd been there we wouldn't have been in that situation."

Preston rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say mate, you didn't see those girls. They were feral, I'm telling you."

"Well, I'm glad I could help," I said. Actually, I was glad Dale hadn't been there. If he had, I might never have got to meet Harry, and come to his rescue.

"I'll be seeing you around no doubt," said Dale, smiling at me.

Hmmm, maybe Harry had mentioned Operation Secret Squirrel to him.