{Harry's Point of View}
Days after Kate's emotional breakdown in at the club, I knew it was time for a change. It was time to come clean about what the secret phone call was about and where I had really gone when I told her I was with Louis and Niall checking out venues. I was still nervous about how she was going to handle the truth.
I started the day by telling Kate I needed to go out. She offered to come with me, but I told her to stay in and relax because I was planning something for her. She agreed and stayed at my townhouse all morning.
Final arrangements were made and all I had to do was pick up the last item before the surprise. I picked up my phone and dialed her number. "Hello?" Kate's voice came through the phone.
"Hi, love. I'm just about finished. My driver, Peter, is going to be by to pick you up in fifteen minutes. He will take you to a place downtown. He will wait outside while you go in and then when you're finished, he will bring you to me."
"Where is Peter taking me?" she asked.
"Can't tell you. It's a surprise."
"And where will I be meeting you?"
"Can't tell you that either."
"Harry," Kate groaned. "Come on."
"I can't wait to see you later. Text me if you need something."
"Bye," she mumbled.
"Bye!"
____________
{Kate's Point of View}
Peter pulled up and I walked out of Harry's house to greet him. He opened the door for me and I got in the backseat. It was strange to be driven around without Harry. I felt like I was living someone else's life. I wasn't used to having a driver and being whisked away by a loving boyfriend in the middle of the day.
We drove for thirty minutes and I had no idea where we were going. Peter took a number of turns and parked along the street. Stylish women were walking up and down the street carrying shopping bags bearing the labels of expensive brands. Peter got out of the car and came around to open my door.
"Peter, where am I going?" I asked nervously.
"Harry asked me to take you to this address," Peter nodded to the store behind him. It was a high-end boutique. "I'll be waiting out here for you."
"Wait," I tried to stop Peter. "What am I supposed to do in there?"
"Harry set it all up. Go inside to find out."
"Harry is unbelievable," I shook my head as I turned to walk into the shop.
The boutique was small and decorated with trendy chandeliers and silvery walls. The floors were black tiles and there were black and white photos of thin models wearing vintage dresses hanging on the walls. I stopped in the doorway and wanted to turn and walk out. As much as I loved fashion, this store wasn't somewhere I would have normally shopped—at least that I could remember.
An effortlessly chic woman with a warm smile approached me and called me by name, "Kate, I'm Sasha. You are right on time."
I took a deep breath, "Hello, Sasha."
"How are you?"
"I am well," I replied nervously. "How are you?"
"Absolutely marvelous! And we are so thrilled you came back to our boutique. We love whenever someone of your status wears our dresses."
"Your dresses are lovely," I managed. I had no idea what my "status" was. I supposed being the girlfriend of Harry Styles made people slightly interested in what I wore. Apparently I had been to the shop before and wore one of their dresses.
"Harry called in this morning and said you would need a dress for tonight. He explained it was a black tie event. He gave me a few more details, but I'm not supposed to disclose them because of the surprise," she winked. "So we've pulled a few samples for you to try on."
"Great," I smiled.
"Follow me!" she turned around and started toward the back of the store.
The fitting room Sasha took me to had three dresses hanging on the wall. She explained each dress and named the designer. Each designer was a familiar London Fashion Week frequenter. Sasha left me alone with the dresses to select the one for the surprise.
The three dresses were all beautiful, but I picked the one I liked best. The dress was black and sophisticated with short sleeves. It had a high neckline and low back. It was a fit and flare style that stopped above my knee. There was a single blood orange horizontal stripe in the skirt of the dress. It was exactly my style.
"Is that the dress?" Sasha asked excitedly.
"I think so."
"Brilliant! Let's find you a pair of heels to wear."
Sasha helped me find the perfect pair of black heels to wear with the dress. As I stood in front of the mirror looking at my reflection, I felt pretty. Harry's surprise, whatever it might be, was off to a good start.
"You are so gorgeous," Sasha blurted. "Harry is so lucky to be with you."
"Thank you," I blushed. I was used to having people tell me I'm lucky to be with Harry. Hearing it the other way around was flattering.
We walked to the front of the store and Sasha went behind the counter to retrieve a pair of scissors. She cut the tags off the dress I was wearing and threw them in the bin. Another one of the women working at the store came from the fitting room with a bag. She had neatly folded the clothes I had arrived to the boutique in and placed them in the bag with my shoes.
"Harry's credit card information is on file here at the store and he's taking care of the dress and shoes. We had instructions to charge a dress, shoes, and whatever else you wanted to his card. Is there anything else you want to try on or look at?"
I was a taken aback by Harry's generosity toward me. I simply shook my head, "These are fine."
"It was so great to have you in again," Sasha smiled. "I hope the dress works for you. Have fun tonight with Harry!"
"Thank you, I will."
I exited the store to find Peter leaning against the side of the car waiting for me. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and then he opened the door for me. "You look great."
"Thank you, Peter." I smiled and got into the backseat of the car.
____________
Peter took me out of London and into the beautiful countryside. The drive was not without stunning views. Snow was no longer covering the ground and the temperature that afternoon had felt more like early spring than late winter. An unobstructed sun was shining down and illuminating the scenery.
The drive took nearly two hours from the center of the city to somewhere in the country. I began to grow anxious as we continued to pass small towns that looked frozen in a time long before the current century. There were stone buildings covered in ivy and nearly every person we passed stared at the car. I repeatedly asked Peter if he was sure of where we were going. Each time, he would look at me through the rearview mirror with smiling eyes and assure me we were getting closer.
The car pulled onto a gravel road that appeared to lead to nothing but a rotting barn in the center of an overgrown field warped by freezing temperatures and lack of sunlight beneath snow during the winter. The sight was gray and unimpressive. Certainly there had been a mistake. Just when I was about to ask Peter if he wanted me to call Harry to confirm directions, I saw it. At the top of the drive near the barn was a familiar black SUV with a tall figure dressed in black waiting.
"You made it," Harry beamed as he opened the door for me.
"Where are we?" I asked. He took my hand as I carefully climbed from the car. I looked around at the surrounding barn and field. They were just as lifeless outside of the car as they had appeared from inside.
"You'll see." Harry leaned into the car, "Thank you for driving her, Peter. You can go home for the night."
"Have fun," Peter waved. Harry waited to speak until the car disappeared back down the gravel road and turned left to head back to London
"Harry," I turned back to him once the dust from the gravel road settled. "What's going on?"
"I love the dress you picked." He ignored the question and took my hand instead. He slowly turned me so he could see the dress properly. "Was Sasha helpful?"
"Yes she was."
"Good," he nodded. "And did you only buy the dress and shoes?"
"Yes."
"You didn't want anything else? I told them you could have anything and everything you wanted."
"I can't make you buy me expensive things, Harry." I looked down at my feet and blushed.
Harry lifted my chin with his hand and looked into my eyes. "You wouldn't have been making me. I love buying you things."
"Good to know," I nearly whispered. Thinking about Harry buying me such expensive items made me feel a little strange. I wasn't used to having someone so willing to please me.
"I lied to you," he said slowly.
"What? When?" I instantly looked up to meet his gaze. He was staring at me, intently reading my emotions.
"The night after our Valentine's date, when you woke up in the night and came to find me, when I was on the phone. Remember that?"
"Yes," I furrowed my eyebrows.
"I wasn't on the phone to work."
I knew it. "Who were you speaking to?"
"A woman named Brooke Dahl."
"I don't understand." I took a half step away from Harry. What was he getting at? Certainly he didn't have me get all dressed up and have me driven to the middle of nowhere to admit his lie and tell me he was speaking to another woman. Who was she?
"Kiersten Waters from the tour management team got married last June. You and I both attended. That's where you and I officially met. I had seen you in the office before, but we didn't really speak until the wedding." Harry stopped talking and took both my hands in his. He walked backward and pulled me along to the doors to the barn. His eyes were filled with excitement.
While I couldn't remember going to the wedding, I could remember reading about it in my journal the day I returned to my flat after my concussion. I had read about a few of my experiences with Harry from the journal. The wedding entry had been particularly interesting because I could feel my elation through the words I had used to describe talking and dancing with Harry at the celebration.
Harry turned and opened the two doors for us. I stepped into the old barn and was completely surprised by the interior. It had been renovated with sleek wooden floors and an iron chandelier dangling from the high ceiling. It still retained a musty, wooden smell that sparked something inside me. It was more like déjà vu than a returned memory, but something about the smell of the barn made it familiar. Near the top of the barn were a number of windows letting in the late afternoon sunlight and flooding the space with a deep yellow glow. The barn was completely empty except for a single table in the corner with an old record player.
"Brooke was Kiersten's wedding planner. I contacted her to help me set this up."
"What is 'this?'" I questioned.
"Dr. Monahan, your concussion specialist, said that smells and sounds and sights could help you remember things. I was planning to bring you here and recreate the first time we actually talked to test that theory. If you remember anything, that would be amazing. If not, I would be more than happy to share this experience with you again so you could remember it as well. This wedding was one of my favorite times we've had together."
"Harry," I reached out and took his hand.
"I hope you aren't angry about the lie. I just really wanted this to be a surprise. I started planning it just before you returned from London."
"I'm not angry." I was relieved, but I didn't lead him onto that. I was happy he finally told me the truth. I knew I could trust him fully.
"Good," he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my temple. He pulled away and started walking toward the table with the record player. "So the night you saw me on the phone to Brooke, I was having her get this for me."
"Get what?"
Harry held up a vinyl record. "The bride and groom were given a copy of the playlist from their wedding in the form of a record. I asked Brooke if she could get me a copy. This is a replica of the copy the bride and groom got. This is the exact music that played as you and I officially met."
"I can't wait to hear it."
Harry turned his back to me and when he faced me again, the music was playing. The record player had good volume that filled the expanse of the old barn. The slow music reverberated around the wooden room and enveloped us in the soft melody.
"Shall we?" Harry offered his hand.
"Yes," I smiled.
We went to the center of the barn. Harry put his hand on my waist and I put my hand on his upper arm. Our free hands connected as Harry began to sway back and forth pulling me with him. Harry led our dance like a gentleman and patterned our movements with the timing of the music.
"You look nice," I commented. Harry wore a black suit that had been tightly tailored to fit his slim frame. He wore a white shirt beneath the jacket that had more buttons unfastened than fastened. The edges of the shirt were separated and revealed the intricate tattoos adorning his smooth chest.
"Thank you, love. But of the pair of us, you're the sight."
His words still had the power to make me blush and steal any response from my mouth. Instead of shooting a witty comeback, I dropped my stare to the sparrow and butterfly tattoos in front of me. I couldn't remember him telling me their meaning. They were beautiful pieces of artwork he could carry with him wherever he went. They were a reflection of him and I liked them.
"Do you ever have your shirt buttoned properly?" I smirked.
Harry looked down at his mostly exposed chest with an innocent smile, "Never heard you complain about it before."
The song changed and we kept dancing. Harry made me laugh by doing overzealous dips and spins. His eyes would widen and his smile would open up into a wide grin as he watched the skirt of my dress twirl around me and I would give a girlish shriek as he abruptly dipped me low to the floor and effortlessly raised me back up.
"The wedding ceremony was held in the field," Harry said. With another song change, we were dancing slowly as the singer gave long, droning notes. "I saw you arrive with Alessandra. I was with Liam and Niall talking. You walked up and I couldn't take my eyes off you."
"Really?"
He gave a hum in confirmation. He drew me closer to him and moved his hand from my waist and wrapped it around my back. We stood chest-to-chest and swayed leisurely to the music. "I didn't even watch the bride when she walked down the aisle. I was watching you."
I stared into his green eyes carefully. "Why me?"
"Because you were one of the few girls not watching me."
I giggled at his feigned cockiness. "No, really!"
"When you were in that meeting at the management office when I very first heard you speak your ideas, I noticed how clever you really are. You were so sharp and confident with yourself. You were being so professional. And you didn't seem bothered about being in the room with the band. I found that intriguing." I remembered reading about the meeting in my journal as well. I had been thrilled he had spoken to me. "Then at the wedding, you were laughing and having fun with Alessandra and a few of the other girls from work. I saw you letting loose and being yourself. Maybe that's what attracted me to you. You could be just be yourself."
"Are you not used to having people be themselves around you?"
"Not really," he said sadly. "I'm in a position to be taken advantage of by people. I've had to find out friends were only around me because I could get them into clubs or they could have their fifteen minutes of fame. It's all a bit unsettling. People also tend to just say what they think I want to hear instead of being honest about how they really feel. It's rare for someone to be completely genuine around me. So when I saw how you were completely unfazed by me, I knew I needed to meet you."
"So what did you do?"
"After the ceremony, guests came into the barn for the dinner and reception. I followed you inside and made Niall stand around with me as I thought of how to approach you. I was so nervous about talking to you for some reason."
"Harry Styles was nervous to speak to me?" I said in mock-surprise.
"The guests were asked to take their seats for dinner and I made Liam sit on the other side of the table so I could be in a position to see you. I was acting like a proper stalker!" We both let out a burst of laugher. "When dinner had finished, people took to the dance floor, but you stood on the side with Alessandra. I tried to make it seem like I was getting a drink. A guy took Alessandra to dance and I watched as another guy began crossing the barn to ask you to dance. I slammed the drink down on the table and nearly sprinted over to where you were."
"Was I shocked?"
"You looked like you had seen a ghost. I'm sure I looked like I'd lost my mind! All I said was, 'Care to dance?' Luckily, you agreed."
The song suddenly changed. From the corner of the room where the record player rested on the table, a fast-paced song with a catchy beat began to play. Harry let go of me and got a teasing smirk on his face. He began dancing ridiculously. He was a shameless dancer! His whole body was engaged with dancing as his feet moved, his hips swayed, and his arms pumped around him wildly. He was laughing as he urged me to dance. I succumbed to his pleas and started dancing with him. He sang the words to the song in a high-pitched voice and we were capable of nothing but laughing and dancing the entire song.
"You followed me onto the dance floor and we started to dance. The music was loud and people were talking so I leaned down to introduce myself. You said your name into my ear and I remember thinking it suited you well. We started talking and I was so impressed with you. We danced for one whole song and when it ended, you sort of stepped back like you were going to walk away. I wasn't finished dancing with you. I asked you for a second dance and you didn't even act like it was weird."
"That's because I probably wanted to keep dancing with you!"
The song changed yet again and it was another slow song. Harry didn't even blink as he pulled me flush against him and took my hand to resume our slow dance from earlier. This time, his footwork was more precise. He led a strong movement and I wondered where he learned to dance.
"After the second dance, a girl walked up to me and asked if I would dance with her. I told her I owed you another dance and I would find her later. Song after song after song, I just kept asking you to dance. You were so sweet! At one point, you asked if I should go dance with one of the other girls who had asked and I told you I didn't want to dance with anyone else."
"Were we talking as we danced like we are now?"
"Yeah we talked the entire time. You teased me about how many girls kept asking for a dance. We talked about the wedding and bride and groom. I asked you about working for management and you asked me about traveling all over the world for performances. We kept things simple, but I could already tell you were special."
"Did you really not dance with any other girls all night?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Just you," he said boldly. "Actually, one other girl."
"Who was it?"
"Lux, Lou Teasdale's daughter."
"That's really sweet," I cooed.
"I couldn't say no to Lux, but I was terrified some other guy would ask you to dance and I wouldn't get you back."
Harry paused the story as the song changed. It was a song that instantly seemed familiar, but I didn't know the words. Harry pulled me closer to him and gently swayed us back and forth. I could feel something building in my head. The scent of Harry's cologne filled my senses in conjunction with the faint smell of sawdust that came from the barn. The feeling of dancing, the song that was playing, and the smell of Harry and the barn all caused a stir in my mind. Suddenly, it clicked.
"So you asked Louis to dance with me."
"That's right," Harry said slowly.
"You grabbed Louis away from the bar and asked him to dance with me while you danced with Lux."
"You remember," he whispered.
"It just came back to me."
"No way." Harry's leaned his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. In the quietest whisper possible he uttered, "It worked. Dr. Monahan was right."
I giggled. "Dr. Monahan was right! A little of my memory came back! I don't know, Harry. It was the smell of the barn and your cologne and this song! This song!" I listened in awe as the slow song that had brought some of my memory back filled the barn.
"Incredible." Harry was speaking more to himself than to me.
____________
I could see the memory playing in my mind. A song ended and Harry gave a nervous smile. It was the smile he had been giving me all night long. Though I hadn't spent much time around Harry, I had always assumed he was exceptionally self-assured. As we danced at the wedding, he seemed cautious.
A new song started playing and he took his hold on my waist to start another dance. He had stopped asking for another dance between songs. At this point, it was like we never stopped dancing and songs just changed.
"Are you going to dance with the same girl all night long, Harry?" The voice was high and feminine. I looked over Harry's shoulder to see a petite woman with candy-colored hair and a jeering smile.
"If she'll let me." His eyes never left mine.
Lou Teasdale was the one speaking to Harry. She was holding the hand of her small daughter, Lux. Lou spoke with a loose accent that caused her words to bleed together. She had a way about her that was free-spirited and relaxed. "Your biggest fan would like to cut in."
Harry turned and smiled when he saw Lux. He then turned back to me with a small panicked look. "Hold on, Lux!"
Louis Tomlinson was standing at the bar. Harry broke away from me and took quick steps to Louis. I watched as Harry whispered something to him and Louis nodded. That's when I realized Louis was already walking to me.
"Care to dance, love?" Louis smiled at me.
I looked at Harry. "Dance with Louis while I dance with Lux. We'll meet up when the song is over."
"I'd love to," I smiled to Louis.
Louis was much more confident around me. His hand held my waist firmly and his dancing was deliberate, controlled. I tried to not make eye contact to avoid any awkward conversation. I had seen Louis around the office from time to time, but I had never spoken with him.
"Do you fancy my mate Harry?" Louis' voice was drenched in curiosity and humor.
"We've only just met," I responded.
"He's only been dancing with you. He's turned down every girl at this wedding for a dance. Do you reckon he fancies you?"
"You know him better than I do."
Louis smirked, apparently pleased by my quick responses. I knew Louis was just trying to get me to crack under pressure. He would probably have liked to see me crumble and admit that I, like millions of their fans, loved Harry. I wasn't like their fans and I wasn't about to give Louis the satisfaction he sought after.
I looked over Louis' shoulder to see Harry dancing with Lux. She was very small, so Harry had to hold Lux in his arms to dance with her. Her legs were wrapped around his torso and he held one of her hands as he swayed her back and forth. His mouth was close to her ear and I could see he was whispering something to her. Lux tossed her head back in the adorable laughter only little girls can muster up. She peppered his cheek with small kisses and he spun her around to get her to laugh again. He was being really sweet with her.
The music stopped and one of the groomsmen raised his glass to offer a toast. Louis let go of me and gave a wink, "Better go find Harry. Wouldn't want him to worry about you."
____________
I looked back up to Harry as we continued dancing. I was unsure of how many songs had played or how long we had been at the barn. At some point, I had taken off my heels and continued dancing with the cold wood beneath my feet. The sun had faded from a steady source of golden light to a flickering red as sunset approached. The moment was perfect with music softly playing and being so close to Harry. I was so glad he had thought to do this for me.
"I can't tell you how happy I am you didn't up and leave me after your concussion." Harry pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "I would have been so lost without you."
"Really?"
"Without a doubt," he whispered. "I know it's been so hard for you."
"You've made it easier. You've been so tolerant and caring."
"You are so strong. You have these walls built up that no one can break down. Not even I could break them down, but you let me in. You showed me that you could be vulnerable. I'm going to do everything in my power to get in again."
"I'm going to do everything in my power to let you in."
"I can be patient. I can wait."
I wanted to thank him for that, but it seemed like an out of place thing to say in the moment. Instead, I squeezed his hand and gave him a smile I hoped conveyed the gratitude I felt.
Our dancing eventually slowed immensely. What had once been nearly formal footwork complete with elaborate dips and spins had worn down to nothing more than me leaning completely against Harry's chest while he slowly rocked us both from side to side. He hummed along to the love ballad that played for us. When the chorus came up, he would softly sing the words to me. We were both tired from our evening of dancing.
Harry abruptly pulled back from me and let go of my hand. His face contorted for a moment before he raised his arm and coughed into the crook of his elbow. It was a heavy cough; not likely induced by the musty air of the old barn. He cleared his throat and looked a bit surprised by the coughing fit.
"Had enough yet, dancing queen?" His teasing smile forced his cough from my mind.
"I think I have."
Harry packed up the record player and the vinyl record while I put my heels back on. We walked out of the barn and into the darkened night. I held onto Harry as we walked across the gravel road because I didn't trust the stiletto heels I wore on the shifting rocks. He opened the back door of his SUV and placed the record player inside. He coughed again and I frowned.
"Here," he pulled the jacket from his arms and wrapped it around my shoulders. It was warm and smelled of his cologne.
"Thanks, Harry."
His eyes scanned the immediate surroundings and it looked like he was contemplating something. "Do you remember what happened after the wedding?"
"You offered to walk me to my car."
"That's right," he smiled.
"And when we got to my car, I still had to wait for Alessandra because we drove together, so you waited with me."
"And do you remember what we talked about?"
"I remember you telling me that you wanted to see me again. You asked for my phone and typed your number in and then texted yourself so we had each other's numbers."
"That's right," he said again. He was clearly amused that I could recall details from the night.
"And you said you don't normally give your phone number out. I asked you if you thought I should feel special."
"And I said, 'No, but you shouldn't feel like you should give my number out to anyone else.'"