Cliché || H.S.

Chapter 17

A/N: The picture above is a concept drawing of what Harry would have worn to this years Met Gala! Lilian's outfit will be posted later in the chapter :) Enjoy!

The sound of a door softly opening then closing wakes me the next morning. As I open my eyes it takes me a moment to adjust, to remember where I am. The blinds over the large window to my right are open, flooding the room with light, the sounds of early morning traffic barely filtering through.

I sit up yawning when I notice Harry on the other side of the bedroom. He just got out of the shower, a towel hanging low on his hips, water dripping out of his hair. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No you're good. What time is it?" I feel around for my phone, not sure where I left it.

"Almost seven, the car will be here in thirty. Your phone is on the table, I woke up before my alarm and turned yours off so you could get some sleep."

I quickly hop out of bed in a sudden rush and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. After getting dressed I put my bag together, triple checking that I have everything I need; chargers, wallet, second form of ID, paperwork for the hotel, and an extra toothbrush.

The car ride to the hotel feels like the calm before the storm. Harry and I sit in the back of the black Escalade and I enjoy the silence. I think he can tell I'm nervous because he's been drawing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb the entire drive. It's either that or this is his way of calming his own nerves.

As expected, the second we arrive at the hotel chaos ensues. Cameras flash at us as we make the short walk from the Escalade to the hotel doors. I keep my head down until we enter the well lit lobby. A Vogue representative finds Harry and I right away, giving me the room key and all of the details for my ride to the event and what to expect once I get there. 

When we finally get up to the room, the suite is already filled with a team of people getting me ready for the day. A table has been set up full of hair and makeup products being set out by my hairdresser Mario's assistant. My makeup artist, Josh, is briefing two girls shadowing him on what's going to happen today. Annabelle is there as well, unpacking a suitcase filled with the dresses and anything we might need to do some last minute repairs. Her assistant, Natalie, is setting up the steamer to get out all of the wrinkles. There are also two representatives from Vogue to tape the entire process. For such a large a room, it feels like there's no space to move.

Mario spots me first and comes running to me, wrapping me in the biggest hug he can, "Lilian, darling, it's so good to see you!" He pulls me at an arm's length and gets a good look at me before taking down my ponytail and fluffing my hair, "what are we going to do with all of this? And who is this?" once he spots Harry he abandons me and goes to introduce himself, absolutely gushing over my boyfriend.

After I make my rounds giving hugs and introducing everyone to Harry, I'm shoved into the chair to begin prepping. Mario stands behind me with his hands on my shoulders, making eye contact through the mirror, "Here's the plan," he starts, "we're just going to do some messy waves that won't take much time to touch up for the after party because we're going with the wig."

He snaps for his assistant and she brings him a jet black wig, more than twice the length of my actual hair. I run my hands through the fake hair and it's soft underneath my touch. I've never seen myself with dark hair before and I can't wait.

"So now I'm a bit confused," Harry speaks from his spot on the couch, "can you please tell me what you're wearing now?" I had been keeping the outfit a secret but now there's no use as the dresses are soon to be pulled from the garment bags.

"To fit the Time and Duration theme each person wearing Versace will be wearing an iconic moment in fashion history. I'm wearing an exact replica of Cher's dress from the 1974 Met Gala," I explain. The seventies is one of my favorite eras in fashion so I was thrilled when I found out I had been assigned to wear Cher's dress. The only difference in the dress is the length of the train, which is about twice the length of the original.