Vorfreude

Chapter 36

"The point is nothing will ever outdo the need or the want to eat Chinese food," Harry's voice echoes in the small confinement of my hotel room as we bicker back and forth. He leans against the headboard of my bed with a smirk of confidence plastered on his lips, wearing his signature black skinny jeans and a loose short sleeve blue button-down shirt. He twists his chopsticks around and around until he scoops up and shoves a giant bite of noodles into his mouth from his cardboard box.

"But what if someone doesn't like Chinese food?" I utter back, laughing as I take a bite of my sweet and sour chicken. I sit not even three feet away on the foot of the bed with my legs crossed, facing him. The dress I'm wearing covers me entirely and reminds me of a potato sack, which is crazy because it even makes my boobs seem conservative, but I don't mind it considering I feel 100% okay with my body covered. Sarah, which I've learned is my stylist's name, thought I should be completely covered in lace for the first Sacramento signing this morning, even though it's almost 100 degrees. She told me it is the new trend even though I begged to differ. Lace has been "in" for years now. Maybe she was just talking about the part of it consuming me whole. Lace is supposed to be cute and extravagant in small places, not bombarding your entire body. Armani did my makeup in a natural element because I told him how oily my face gets when I start sweating and let me tell you, Texas heat and California heat are two separate things. I used to think I was dying back home. This is no comparison.

Harry's plane landed two hours ago and since then we've been arguing about the best types of takeout foods until I caved and let him win on ordering Chinese. We were going to go out for a late lunch, per his request, but after my signing, a large storm came in and I've just been lounging around in my hotel room, not really wanting to go outside since. Harry didn't object to my laziness. In fact, he encouraged it.

Within the gap of this morning adventures and now, I got a pretty decent amount of writing done. I knew Harry was to arrive after 3 pm and Oliver went out to meet up with one of his old clients who lives here that he used to be a bodyguard for, therefore it was easy to get lost in my work. For the hours I was left seldom, I finally felt at ease in my element.

"You can't live in America and not like Chinese food," he counters, holding up his chopstick to prove his point.

"Yes, but quite contrary, you can," I pursue.

He sucks in a deep breath and drops his chopstick. His hands slap against his thigh as he fights his smile.

"Fine!" he basically shouts, laughter transparent across his face. "Nothing will ever outdo the need or the want I have for Chinese food."

"There you go. Much better wording," I tell him and pick up my napkin, wiping my face.

"You and your precise wording," he chuckles, keeping his eyes on mine as he takes a sip of water. I giggle and set my carton next to me.

Is it strange to admit that I'm actually liking Harry more and more as a person? I get the whole cliché that most people conclude: famous people are ordinary people too, but Harry isn't ordinary. He's practically the opposite. He doesn't discuss sitcoms on TV because he watches them; He discusses directing them because he was a special guest on them. He doesn't talk about his favorite restaurants because he never really goes to the same place twice, but instead, he talks about how gua bao in Taiwan doesn't come close to the amateurs that try to recreate it here. He speaks of literature not for its meaning, but for its charisma in words. He would rather have the most adequate novel on the shelves than the ones that teach you something. Harry is someone I've never pictured myself able to get along with so smoothly, yet at the same time be completely terrified of his world.

"This is still a little weird," I add, making note that I'm not 100% comfortable just yet. It's fun texting and face timing all the time, but having him here, in my room, seems a little off in modern worlds.