Stage Lights || H.S.

the margaritas

Harry

I sipped on my white wine hoping the alcohol would calm me down. 9:10, still no sight of the girl I was waiting for. I put the glass down on the low table in front of me and lean on the brown leather couch I was sitting on. The room was loud around me, the bar wasn't too small, I was sitting in the back where I could go unnoticed but still have a view of the door. It was a hidden gem downtown, expensive enough to not be packed all of the time by NYU students around. The music played filling the room, some people crowded the bar, tables were filled. I was sitting in the lounge kind of area, it was more casual and relaxed. Though I was sitting alone. I check my phone one more time. 9:12. I put it down contemplating if I should give her eight more minutes before asking for my tab to be closed, that's when I saw her.

She pulled the glass door open, the wind made her hair blow. Her neck stretched and, although she had a pair of black heels on, she got on her tip toes as she scanned the room, letting the door close behind her, her hair fell back perfectly again down on her back. Luna's eyes met mine and I could see them light up, her eyebrows raised almost as if she was surprised, like she wasn't expecting to see me here. I lightly waved at her before she started to make her way around people, towards me. Her long legs moving slowly, her hand delicately putting her fair hair behind her ear, a simple black dress dancing on her body, a small Burberry patterned bag hanging from her shoulder hitting almost down to her hip. Most eyes in the room at least glanced -if not stared her down- and she made her way towards me, her feet moved towards me, and I felt my stomach looping and goosebumps on my arms.

The clicking of her heels against the wooden floor got louder and louder, soon her lean figure was standing in front of me. I got up quickly, wrapped an arm around her waist and let our cheeks touch for a second. She smelled like fruits.

"To be quite honest, I thought you'd bailed on me."

I sat back down and she made her way next to me, putting her bag on the table in front of us. Her lips opened up on a large smile, her eyes almost squeezed together, I couldn't tell if it was in a flirty way.

"I wish I could say I tried to me fashionably late, but the subway was late, there was an accident uptown apparently." She replied, her voice was soft.

"Why didn't you tell me? I could've given you a lift."

"Why drive in big black cars when you can really experience New York?" She pressed her back against the back of the couch, forcing me to move sideways to face her. "And you haven't fully experienced New York until you have to take the subway on hells, I'll tell you that."

The waitress walked towards us, she stood there with a block and a pencil on her hands, glancing over the two of us, holding her breath, she looked like she was about to explode.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked under her breath.

"Can we both have margaritas? Mine with raspberry syrup?"

"Of course. Anything else?" Luna turned her face to me and I shook my head.

"That's all, love. Thank you very much." With that she turned on her heels and walked away.

Luna's eyebrows furrowed, her lips pressed together in a smirk, her eyelashes brushing her skin every time she blinked.

"Do you do that with everyone?" She asked.

"Do what?"

"This thing..." She nervously put a strand of hair that fell in front of her face behind her ear. "The British accent, the eyes, love..."

"I wasn't trying to flirt with her if that's what you're asking."

"If that's not flirty I wonder what your flirty is." Her cheeks instantly brushed pink. I got caught unexpectedly, speechless. She took my half empty glass of wine from the table and drank what was left. "Wine? Boring." She slightly wet her lips with the tip of her tongue.

I knew I was putting myself in trouble.

*********

Luna

"So what else?" He asked.

Harry was sitting right next to me, his body shifted and he could face me. The tattoos on his chest peaked out of the black button up he wore, the sleeves rolled up showed off the rest of them that took over his arm, his black skinny jeans had rips on the knees and his shoes, I could tell, were Gucci.

"What else what?"

"What else is there about New York?" The way the name of the city sounded on his heavy accent made my heart pound against my ribcage.

"Haven't you been here countless times, rockstar?"

The waitress came back and placed two large cups of margaritas in front of us. She looked at Harry one more time before asking if there was anything else she could get us, turning around and leaving us alone again. I could feel his eyes heavy on me as I took my cup and drank from the back straw, the drink was kind of strong, I could taste the tequila on my tongue.

"Well, I have. But I think everyone experiences New York City differently." He said, his husky voice close to me. I crossed my legs letting my knee brush against his.

"I like to see the New York only a few see, if that makes sense." He sipped on his drink while listening to me. "I like to sit on the grass in Central Park until the sun starts to go down, and take the subway to Brooklyn, and walk from Dumbo to Williamsburg, walk from the Financial District to Columbus Circle, and find some good ice cream, or the cheapest margarita."

"So you like margaritas, yeah?"

"Anything tequila. I mean, I could go for some wine, but that's more of a 'staying at home' drink, don't you think?"

"I guess you're right."

"What about you, Harry?" His look shifted from eye to eye not sure where to focus on my face.

"New York City to me..." I nodded. "Let's see..." Harry chuckled. "A lot of screaming, a lot of running, chasing, mobbing, lights, trouble, rules being broken, partying in hotel rooms, over expensive things."

"Sounds like a fabulous life." I said sarcastically.

"It used to be a bit chaotic, it has chilled out a bit for now. It's still my favorite place in the world tho. Have you ever thought about how every..."

"Window holds a story." I completed. "Yes"

"It took me quite a bit to really think about that. At first I was too focused on myself to look around. I mean, there was so much attention on me and the other guys that we got too self absorbed to see the city for what it really is."

"Self absorbed, huh?"

"Don't worry, I'm not like that anymore, I grew out of that."

"I wasn't worried." I smiled at him.

Harry's face softened, his flirtatious smirk shot at me, his bright green eyes sparkling under the little light. I didn't know why he invited me out, why he had waited for me, why I agreed and why I was dressed up sitting on a couch at a bar with a world wide famous British celebrity sipping on margaritas, but I was out to play this game.