Get a grip Emma, I told myself. The photo of Ilona with Harry was probably completely innocent. Knowing him and what a friendly person he was, he'd probably just given her a hug that looked more intimate than it really was. That was bound to be it.
As I reassured myself, I tried to focus on the conversation Abby, Gemma and Lottie were having next to me but didn't manage to take in anything they said. Instead my attention was drawn across the green room to Ilona and Harry. I studied them as they talked to Ewan McGregor, looking for any sign that there was something between them.
Ilona was leaning towards Ewan, twirling her hair around her finger and smiling seductively at him. She seemed very taken with him and barely glanced at Harry. The tension slid away from my shoulders. I was getting all worked up over nothing.
But then, Ilona turned to Harry, put her hand on his bicep and leaned in to him, laughing heartily and laying her head against his shoulder as if they were sharing a hilarious moment together.
My blood boiled for a moment until I saw Harry's reaction. He didn't look at all comfortable with the way she was cosying up to him, and after a few seconds, he discreetly shuffled a few inches away from her. I breathed a big sigh of relief.
The moment was broken by Abby.
"Is that OK Ems?" she asked.
I turned my attention back to the other girls – well, to Abby and Lottie; Gemma had wandered off, chatting on her phone.
"What?"
"Do you mind if Lottie and I pop off for a moment so she can show me how to do my lips properly?"
"Yep, no problem," I said.
I hoped Harry might join me again soon. But I quickly realised his time in the green room before the show was going to be taken up with being sociable to the invited guests. As he was talking to Ewan and Ilona, a young guy who I was pretty sure was an Olympic athlete of some sort, although I couldn't remember his name, tapped Harry on the shoulder and they began a conversation. Then two girls I recognised from a TV soap came over and joined in.
I watched as Harry stepped away from Ilona and began talking to this other group, who were then joined by two middle-aged men who seemed anxious to speak to him. I guess that's what happened when you were famous, everyone wanted a piece of you.
It felt a little bit awkward, standing there on my own and staring at him across the room, so I pulled out my phone and checked my messages.
Both my mum and my gran had responded to the video message I'd sent them from Liam Neeson.
"OMG Emma!!!" wrote Mum. "Thanks for that! LOL! You're sooooooo lucky! I'm sooooo jealous!"
She soooooo needed to give up trying to sound like she was 14.
And then there was Gran's reply.
"Oh my gosh Emma, what a lovely surprise. When I saw who it was, I nearly wet my knickers. Tell Liam he's made an old lady very happy and let him know I'm single, please love. Maybe he's into older women!"
That's my gran for you.
I sent both Mum and Gran laughing emojis in response and then checked Instagram and Twitter. Loads of people had responded to my post, clearly very happy for me that I'd got to meet One Direction yet again and that I was going to their party.
"Your mission is to get off with Harry," Sinead had written.
Underneath her comment, some random guy I'd gone to primary school with had added, "Mission Impossible – isn't he gay?"
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Right Now
قصص الهواةSo here we are, me and Harry Styles, kissing in a broom cupboard. He says he likes me. He says he wants to get to know me better. But he thinks we should keep this thing between us secret right now, to spare me the stress of being thrust into the li...
