Bethany's POV
"Harry, we have to go!" I scream up the stairs. He's rummaging around his room, looking for his matching boot, making me extremely late for this cover shoot.
"I'm hurrying!" He screams back.
I check the time on my phone to see it's 7:30, and I was to be at the studio at 8. Harry was my ride there and I was about ready to just hail a taxi. He was taking so long to find one damn boot, and I didn't even understand why he was getting dressed up. He wasn't even staying at the shoot.
"I'm coming!" He yelled as he started to put on his missing boot while at the top of the stairs. He was bouncing around like crazy, trying to get the boot on.
"Harry, maybe you shouldn't-"
It was too late.
The clumsy boy slipped, fell onto his butt, and began to fall down each and every stair with a thud. I watched his face contort into absolute pain, and I didn't know if it was okay to laugh or not so I stayed silent and just stared at him.
"Ouch my bum." He pouted as he stood up slowly, gripping onto the wall for support.
"Are you okay?" I bit my lips because I knew I was about to laugh, but I knew if I did I'd feel horrible.
"M'fine. Happens a lot. Pretty sure that's why my arse is as flat as a pancake."
I couldn't hold it in at that point. Loud cackles were escaping my lips. My body was hunched over as I looked at my clumsy ass boyfriend. His eyebrows were furrowed together as he rubbed his butt. I was completely astonished he actually fell, but it was quite entertaining.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I kept apologizing for laughing, because honestly I did feel bad, but he was just making the situation so much more funny.
"Oh shut up." He grumbled as he made his way past me and out the front door.
I grabbed my bags and began to walk down the stairs with him. The only thing, I couldn't get the images of him falling down the stairs the way he did out of my head. So I started to laugh again, and again, and again. He muttered "it was an accident" under his breath before grabbing my bags out of my hands and rushing his way down the stairs.
When I had finally gotten to the car, I was giggling. It wasn't as bad as before, just a few light chuckles here and there. Luckily he was starting to make light of the situation and he began to laugh just as loud as I was before. It was 7:40 in the morning, and I think we both were so tired that everything was making us laugh hysterically. No matter what situation it was or who was in the middle of it, we were both completely light at heart about it. It was refreshing.
"Now do I just drop you off in front?" He asks as we drive down the some what busy streets.
There were lots of people passing by us on the sidewalks, and more than a few cars out. But it was calm... calmer than when it gets to be the middle of the day and the early evening. It was nice out for winter in London. It was cold as shit, but it was relatively sunny and it wasn't the coldest weather I'd experienced since we'd gotten here.
"Yea... in front should be fine." I nod my head, letting us sit back in our silence that had overcome our laughing fit.
"I'm hanging out with my friend Grimmy... Dunno if I told you that or not. Think we're going shopping then to a restaurant. Should be able to pick you up if you'd like." He offers again as we get closer and closer to the destination.
"No, it's okay. I'm doing the same thing with Leighton after the shoot, so maybe we can meet up for dinner? It's our last night in London before we go see your family."
"It is isn't it?" His eyebrows furrow together, and his hand squeezes the steering wheel.
"Better make it one hell of a night." I joke, only I think he takes it a bit more seriously than me.
"Don't worry, I will."
*************************************
"You're late!" Leighton exclaims as I walk through the door of the make up and hair room and take a seat in the chair with my name on it.
"I know! Harry fell down the stairs this morning so we got kind of behind on the time frame..."
She stares at me as if I'd lost my mind, but all I do is give her a look that says, 'I know... my boyfriends an idiot'.
She looks way further ahead than I thought she'd be, but she was also really pretty naturally, so that probably helped the make up artists a lot. She had her eye make up done and her face was now being painted with foundation and concealer. Her body was covered in a white robe, something I probably should be wearing. I look over to her, motioning to her robe and mouthing 'should I be wearing one of those?'. She nods her head, rolling her lips together to stop herself from laughing.
I push off the chair and make my rounds around the room to find a white robe to wear. It's laying on the back of the chair the entire time, and I can feel myself dying from annoyance. How had I missed that?
I stripped down to my underwear awkwardly, feeling weird that everyone was staring at me, waiting for me to finish. They were in a rush, and I was taking forever to get my damn skinny jeans off.
"So how was the video shoots?" Leighton asks as they begin to add bronzer under her cheek bones.
"It was good... Really tiring. I missed the entire New York part of it though because I fell asleep in the hotel room. Apparently they didn't need me though, so that's why they let me sleep."
"Get all of the filming done though?"
"Yeah, mostly. They have to do some filming sections when they're touring, but I can't do that. I have too much with work and all."
"Yeah, I really don't know how you do it all..." She gives me a concerned look, and I give her a confused one back.
"I just mean, you're always busy. You're always doing something... Like, I never see you just sit back and relax. Take time for yourself." She sucks her cheeks in, cutting her off from talking as they continue to pile more bronzer on.
"I guess I just have a lot on my plate at the moment. It's fine though. I like keeping busy. I feel like if I don't, I'll start thinking and thinking and thinking. Like, I have to be doing something all the time or I'm just going to let my mind wander through some dark shit."
"Your parents?" She asks tentatively, and I nod my head.
"Yeah. Their death gets to me a lot, and sometimes I think about how if I had just done something different that morning, something would have changed what happened." I sink back in my chair, letting the make up artist press eyeshadow onto my lids.
"What happened anyways... The press never released details."
"We can talk about it later... It's kind of a private thing." I hint, not wanting to share an expose on my parents death in front of people I barely knew.
"That's true. We have all afternoon once this photoshoot is over."
I sighed in contentment. My hair was being played with, and it was soothing. I was still on American time, and it felt like 2 in the morning. I was beyond tired and having someone play with my hair like this wasn't helping me stay awake. As I shut my eyes and waited for them to finished doing whatever it was that they were doing to me, I listened to Leighton ramble on to her stylist about how dry her hair got in the winter and if they had any tips for her.
It was quite dreary in the room, and I thought Vogue people would be more energetic, but then again, it was a Sunday morning... and who would want to be awake this early anyways?
"Ms. Smith, the editor is here to talk to you. Can they come in?" I hear someone say from the door. I turn to see a short stubby woman, frantically writing things down across a clipboard.
"Of Course."
I was expecting to see woman enter the room, but was completely surprised as I saw a man in a grayish-blue suit. His eyes were a dark brown, just like his hair. He was tall, and he was built up top, extremely attractive to the preppy business world... but he was no Harry.
"Ms. Smith, a pleasure to meet you." He reaches his hand out, and I give it a firm shake.
"As it is to meet you. Thank you for having us." I reply politely, setting my hand back in my lap after I feel he holds it for a bit too long.
I felt awkward. He wasn't gay... I could just tell by the way his eyes lit up when he walked into the room. He had this confidence that radiated off of him though... It was annoying.
"I'm here to simply talk about the shoot with you two." I watch his muscular hands motion between Leighton and I. Her jaw is parted, and I try my best not to roll my eyes at her obviousness.
"Sure."
"Great, well. Today we will be taking two types of shoots... The reasoning behind this months issue is business and pleasure. We're trying to show the world that there are women in the world who do live a high class business life, but do enjoy going out partying."
"So, what are we doing in the pictures?" Leighton asks.
"Well, we'll start off sophisticated. That seems to be the main portion of the entire magazine. Your cover photo will be from the sophisticated part of the shoot, and a later spread will come out, showing of the party side of you two."
My stomach dropped at the words 'party side'. What did he mean by that...?
"Are we like... what are we doing for that...?" I asks after stumbling over my words a few times. He smiles at me, a small sexy wink coming my way.
"That'll be a surprise... but don't worry, you'll like it."
If I had been any other girl, I probably would have dropped dead right there. I couldn't though. I didn't have it in me. If anything, he creeped me out by winking at me. I know he didn't get the point that I didn't approve, because even after I sent him a gross grimace, he still acted like his cocky self.
He left the room after that, swiftly turning the corner after he walked out of the room.
"Oh my fuck, he's so into you!" my make up artist exclaims. I nod my head at first, trying to figure out what had just happened.
"Did you see that wink!?" Another one exclaims. I nod my head again.
"She has a boyfriend ladies." Leighton breaks me out of my misery... but I still nod my head.
"Oh right! You're dating that Styles guy right?" Leighton's make up artist asks.
"yeah."
"Oh, better watch out for him." She warns me, and I furrow my eyebrows.
"Why's that?" Leighton asks.
"He just gets around a lot. Fucked two of my best friends a couple months ago, all in the same night." She shrugs her shoulders as if I want to hear about Harry's sex life. Like it is no big deal at all that the guy I'm seeing was a complete man w.hore.
"Oh my God that's horrible!" My make up artist gasps and I roll my eyes.
"That's in the past." I say simply.
"Yes, but don't forget the past seems to repeat itself now. Doesn't it?"
*******************************************************
I walked onto background that was surrounding us. Leighton was next to me, standing tall, and standing proud. I on the other hand was feeling the exact opposite. Everywhere I go, someone has connections to people Harry's slept with. It's awkward to encounter these people. It's awkward to know how bad it used to be. I shouldn't care because I'm happy, but I feel judged. I'm dating one of the biggest 'get arounds' out there.
"Alright ladies, we want some relaxed shots so just let it all come to you." The photographer tells us as we are placed in position.
"Leighton, move in close to Bethany."
"Good good."
"Yes I like it."
"Serious!"
"Smile!"
"Bethany look alive! You look like the walking dead!"
I sighed. I wasn't trying to look dead or feel dead but I did. I felt weird smiling in front of all these people. I was known as some amazing business, and I didn't give two shits about it. I felt like there were more people that deserved this and yet, here I was, taking it from them.
Another thing was the Harry topic. I couldn't get it out of my head. Another fucking girl that somehow has connections to him and his sex filled past. It sucked. It sucked knowing I was 'that girl' that was giving him a chance.
"You alright babe?" Leighton's voice was full of concern, but I nodded my head anyways. I didn't want to talk about it simply because it was a stupid and useless conversation. I'd still have the same conclusion in the end. I wanted to be with Harry, there was no doubt about it. I just wished I'd stop caring about what everyone always thought about us. I wish people could just keep their opinions to themselves.
"You're lying, but I'll let it go." She tells me as she begins to change into our next and final outfit.
I was so excited for this photoshoot, and I'm so sick of being upset about everything else going on outside of it. I'm going to focus on me and I'm going to make these next pictures the best ones I've taken so far.
And so, I find myself pulling the black dress with a baby-pink skirt over my head and down onto my body. Make up and hair was smudging eyeliner on my eyes and teasing my hair to no end. I looked absolutely crazy- crazy hot.
"I'm gonna need some fuckin' vodka for this one." I hear Leighton scream over to me.
"Feelin' the same way right about now." I nod my head in agreement.
"Well, look what I may or may not have snuck into to studio in my purse." She smirks at me, pulling out a bottle of cheap vodka.
"I say we chug." She smiles at my words.
"That, is what I like to hear."
The lid is screwed off, and the chugging begins. We had only finished it to about half way, so we were only a little drunk, but I could feel it. I could feel everything in my body becoming less tense. My smiles were becoming wider and my laughs louder.
"LET'S GET THEM ON SET!" The photographer starts to scream at everyone, and Leighton and I find ourselves trudging towards the white background again.
"Alright now, girls." He begins and I bite my lip to stifle the laugh bubbling in my throat.
"We're trying to get some sexy pictures... Touchy to the point that it leads a statement, but nothing to graphic that will give the readers the wrong impressions. We want sexy, not slutty." He reminds us over again.
And so we pose, and we pose, and we pose. So many people were watching us, if I hadn't had the vodka before hand, this photoshoot would have never come to an end.
"I think some props would be nice." I hear the same voice that spoke to us in the dressing room earlier this morning. He was staring at us. His eyes were darker than before. His body more tense.
"Like what?!" The photographer sounded annoyed. "We have such amazing shots."
"Get them licking an ice cream cone together."
"This is suppose to be classy; not some sort of whore magazine!" The photographer yells.
"It's suppose to show them having fun. They're young women enjoying an ice cream cone together. Just do it."
He steps back, sitting down in the chair with his name on it. If it weren't for the vodka, I would have called it a day with the shoot and put it to an end. This was starting to get beyond ridiculous, but I was too out of it to care.
Within minutes an ice cream cone was somehow placed in my hand and we were beginning to eat it. I could feel everyone staring at us in the room. I could feel the awkwardness radiating off Leighton's and my bodies. There was this tension in both of us that didn't seem to go away.
Something felt like this was more for the pleasure of the man with the pretty eyes, rather than for the magazine. Even with the vodka running through my system, I still felt weird having him look at me. I wanted Harry here so the man would fuck off, but sadly he wasn't. It was good though. I wanted him to go out and see his friends while he was still in England.
"These shots are actually turning out very well, keep it up ladies!" The photographer calls out to us.
My eyes widen as I feel Leighton's mouth cover over my thumb. I was completely and utterly shocked that she had done it, I couldn't keep the surprise off my face.
"Bethany, relax! Go with it." I get yelled at again to relax, and this time I listen. I don't know why, I felt uncomfortable but I'm just not used to things like this. I'm used to conservative photos in conservative clothes. Nothing like this.
"Beautiful ladies! I think we've gotten more than enough shots."
*****************************************************************
"I can't believe we did that photoshoot drunk." She exclaims as we sit down in our booth at the crowded sports bar. I shake my head, letting out a small laugh.
"I don't think I would have been able to do what he wanted us to do with everyone watching like that without the vodka." I admit sheepishly.
"I agree... There were some weird ass men in that room, gay or not. I think we could have changed them." She sounds cocky, but I knew she was only joking, making me let out a small laugh.
"It feels good to be in jeans again. Those dresses were horrible and itchy." I complain.
"Oh I know! And the colors... What the hell? Teal is not my color... No ma'am."
"I thought teal looked great on you." I'm being honest. I don't think there was a color that Leighton couldn't rock.
"That's your opinion."
"Alright, alright." I lift my arms up in defense.
"So what's up with you and Harry?"
"What do you mean?"
I pretend to pay her no attention, my eyes cast downwards at the menu infront of me. Sure, I wasn't actually reading the menu, but it was a good excuse as to why I wasn't looking at her. I could feel her glaring at me, telling me she knew I was hiding something, but I just didn't want to talk about it.
"Bethany. Come on." She whines and I peak over the menu in front of my face.
"Nothing's wrong. We're good right now. Like, really good. Kinda got in a tiff yesterday about him thinking I was giving my number to randoms, but it wasn't. And then he met my grandpa who declared his hate for Harry... But rather than that everything's great."
"I'm gonna get the cheeseburger What about you?" I ask hoping to change subjects.
I watch as her eyes roll around in her head. She was scowling at me like I was a bad child and she was my mother. The weirdest part: I was actually kind of scared.
"So is that why you were so upset this morning at the shoot?" She presses again. I huffed out a large amount of air.
"No-" I'm thankfully cut off.
"Hi, my names Chris and I'll be your waiter." There was a sixteen year old boy staring down at Leighton and I in shock. Guess he hadn't recognized us till just now.
"Hi! I'd love to start with some water." Leighton's voice breaks the silence and I ask for the same thing, letting the shocked boy walk away with a red face.
"He was so embarrassed!" She exclaims, chuckling a bit under her breath.
"His face turned the color of a tomato." I comment, skimming through the menu slowly.
"Yeah and yours was turning the color of a tomato before he interrupted us. So spill already!" Her whining voice makes me close my eyes. I hated talking about it. I didn't want to at all.
"I really don't want to have this conversation."
"Well, I do. I'm worried about you. You just seem to look more and more sad as the days go on. When I first met you, you just seemed a lot more bubbly than you do now."
"That's weird because honestly I feel the best that I have in years right now." And it's the truth. I've been happier lately. There was no doubts about it. I just felt more free. I felt more.... Me.
"Well, as long as you feel like it, I guess that's the most important aspect of it all." She gives me a reassuring smile before Chris comes back and sets our waters on our table.
I look up at him, his face turning beat red as I do so. His teenage acne was there, and the braces that lines his teeth were shining brightly against the reflection of the dim lights in the bar. His hair was a dark golden brown, but the little highlights stood out greatly. He was going to be cute eventually; he was just really young.
"Now what can I get you to eat?" He asks politely, looking over at Leighton.
I order myself a burger. I'd been craving them lately it seemed. I don't know why but everything else just wasn't my taste.
"You're going to tell me about this morning now.... Yeah?" Those were the first words I heard as Chris walked quickly away from the table.
"This is going to make me sound like such a crazy, clingy girlfriend." I couldn't stop the whine that came out as I spoke. She smiled sympathetically at me, trying to encourage me to talk.
"I feel like everyone I meet has some connection to Harry's past sex life. This morning, that girl was like, the fourth girl in the past two weeks that's talked about Harry's sex life on a first person point of view. It's horrible and it makes me feel so uncomfortable."
Although I hated to admit it, I felt like a small weight had been lifted from my chest. I was scared as hell about all this. I was nervous that all this would end so badly. If I didn't love him the way that I did, then my heart would be in absolute pieces just thinking about him right now.
"Does he know you meet these girls?" She's intrigued and my stomach kinda feels nauseous.
"Yeah. He does."
"Are you going to tell him about today?" I think about it. I don't answer for a few seconds, wondering what to say and how to say it.
"We're in a really, really good place right now, and I think if I say anything, I'm just going to make it worse. Like I've terrified that this entire relationship had been moving really fast, but I love him." I can't believe I actually said the words I've only said to Harry.
"What!?" Her hands smack down on the table and her body hunches over towards me. She really has gained the attention in the bar, because there are a lot of men in here watching American football.... Weird.
"I love him." My shoulders shrug and my head rests on one of my hands.
"You guys already said 'I love you'?"
"Yeah..."
"It took Colton and I two months! We had known each other for months before that! You guys have known each other for what? Four weeks? A month maybe!?" She was yelling and there were phones being taken out. I didn't need this, especially after all the other bad press I had been getting.
"Leighton calm the fuck down. There are cameras pointing in our direction. Neither of us needs people making this look like it something else rather than what it is." I tell her calmly, Taking a sip of my water.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Her hands raise up in defeat. "But how can you say it so soon when you barely know each other?"
"We do know each other. I know him better than anyone and the same goes for him knowing me. It's just how it is. I don't think there's a time restriction on telling someone you love them. I think it's either you do or you don't. And when you do, you just know."
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AN: hey guys! They finally had their vogue photoshoot. I actually really do like this chapter a lot so I hope you guys do as well!
Vote comment and share please :)