The Other Man [Book One]

Chapter 2 - Hangover

"No, I'm here with some friends," he said, pointing to a table of people who were all young and famous in one way or another: a DJ, a model, and an It-girl. I felt even more like I should have passers-by throwing change at me. "I needed coffee and breakfast after last night."

He wore sunglasses so I couldn't see his eyes but the rueful, lopsided smile said everything: he'd had too much to drink and was mortified by the old bird he'd tried to pull.

"Same here. It's a bad hangover when even I need coffee." On cue, my name was called and my order arrived. "I'm taking soup to a friend. That's why I look like crap," I added a little too quickly.

Grabbing my things from the counter and paying for the order, I expected Harry to say goodbye and rejoin his friends, but he remained next to me - all hair, skinny jeans, and tattoos.

"You don't, at all. You look lovely," he said, biting his bottom lip gently which sent an almighty jolt through my body. Before I could stop myself, I suddenly pictured myself biting that bottom lip, and the urge to run grew stronger. What on earth had come over me?! What was in that wine?

"Well, Harry, it was nice seeing you again. I better get these things to my friend before they get cold. Bye!"

Dodging past him and heading straight for the door, I heard him say goodbye, his voice as cheerful as his low tone allowed.

Despite knowing Harry was not following me, I practically ran from the deli, desperate to get away from whatever had just happened to me in there. Imagining myself biting the lip of someone I'd met just the night before was not the behaviour of a respectable wife. I was not about to go gaga over a nineteen year old pop star.

-

Luckily, when I arrived at Rose's, I had a key to let myself into her flat, so I didn't have to wait for her to drag herself from her sick bed.

"I'm surprised you don't have a red 'X' on the door, and a sign saying 'Unclean,'" I teased, finding my best friend wrapped up in bed wearing a cow onesie with the hood up, looking like death warmed over. "I got you soup and a hot chocolate."

"You are literally the best person I know, thank you so much," she whined, turning up the patheticness up a notch and throwing in a little cough for good measure.

"I also got you a bunch of magazines; fashion ones, the ones where the mum is married to her daughter's ex boyfriend, and some gossip ones, too. I ticked all the boxes! Uh, what else..." Throwing the highbrow reading selection I'd picked up the day before onto the bed, I spotted Harry's face on one of the covers that questioned if he was still secretly dating some American pop singer. I was reminded that it would be stupid to think he was attempting to flirt with me. I also realised it was stupid that I even cared for a second. "There's also a ton of fruit, chocolate, milk, and tissues."

"You're amazing!" Rose's gratitude was somewhat half-hearted as she'd noticed the magazine too. "You should have asked him! I think they're still dating. Look;" She pointed at a picture of Harry and the pretty, petite blonde having dinner in a restaurant I knew well and often visited with Will for business dinners. "That was last week! They say they're friends, but I dunno."

I rolled my eyes, feigning disgust at the whole thing. "I'm going to let you off for caring about such drivel because you're sick! Who cares?!"

Suddenly remembering how rubbish she felt, Rose rolled herself back up in her quilt and let the magazine fall to one side. "I'm sooo sick!"

"Right, what first? 'Dirty Dancing' or 'Pretty in Pink'?"

"I feel sick enough without having to see what Molly Ringwald does to that dress. Not even for Annie Potts," she grimaced, fluffing her pillows before leaning back, looking every part the pampered princess. "So let's go for 'Dirty Dancing',"