{Kate's Point of View}
I watched snow falling gently outside coating the streets of London in a white powder. Store windows were decorated for Christmas with red and green. Christmas lights were wound tightly around lampposts and trees that lined the streets. Bells were attached to nearly every shop door. The air outside smelled of sugar and caramel from Christmas sweets. I couldn't remember London at Christmastime before. It was truly magical.
The bus stopped with a hiss as it lowered slightly. The doors opened and a few people armed with shopping bags climbed on. They took seats near the front as the bus pulled forward to continue its route.
I leaned my head against the cold window. I watched as my breath fogged up a small section of glass then disappeared. I blew softly on the glass and created a larger circle of fog. Using my fingertip, I carefully drew a heart. Without even thinking, I drew the letter H in the center. I quickly wiped my hand over the image and sighed. I missed Harry. I really wanted to be with him during the holidays. I fantasized about how happy we would be together doing festive things.
The bus hit the brakes suddenly and I jolted forward. My phone fell from my lap and clattered to the ground loudly. I closed my eyes and sighed. I had not owned a car in the city. When I first moved the London, I relied on public transportation. It was easy to ride the bus to work and wherever else I needed to go. Most of the places I frequented were near my flat anyway. Days like this, however, it was annoying to not have a car.
I was on my way to the Hendrix and Carter office Christmas party. It was ten days to Christmas, but Mr. Hendrix and Mr. Carter had kindly given us the holidays off. We had been working tirelessly on Zayn's launch party along with all of the other smaller projects we had accumulated during the quarter. I was looking forward to having time off. I had already booked a flight back home for Christmas.
The bus driver braked hard again and my phone slid forward along the floor out of my reach. I groaned. I would have to wait until the next stop to retrieve it. I really, really hate buses, I thought to myself. I should just buy a car.
As the thought of shopping for a car began to enter my mind, it was quickly overshadowed by a bigger, more familiar thought. It wasn't just any thought; it was another memory. I quieted my mind to let it come back to me.
____________
I rushed up the front steps of Harry's townhouse. Ice melt had been sprinkled on his front walkway. A late autumn rain had fallen over the city and a cold front froze much of the rain. The streets had turned into an ice rink. I had been given explicit instructions to just walk into the house. When I got inside, I carefully unwrapped my scarf and unbuttoned my coat. I kicked off my boots and left my handbag on the entryway table.
I could hear noises coming from Harry's kitchen. I quietly crept down the corridor and paused in the doorway when I saw him. Harry was leaned with his backside against the countertop. His arms were folded across his chest and his face looked bored. The phone was sitting in the center of the kitchen island. It was on speaker and the person calling Harry was going on and on.
"Your morning is all GQ. You have an interview with one of their writers. I'll send you the details. They'll be asking specifically about balance; they want to know how you balance work and a personal life. After GQ Magazine, you have twenty minutes with USA Today. They're doing a short feature on the whole band. Then you have a forty minute shoot for Getty Images. Lastly, you have a fifteen minute taped interview with E! News."
Harry looked up and saw me waiting in the doorway. A soft smile spread across his lips. He pushed himself away from the counter and began slowly walking toward me. The voice over the phone kept rattling off details of some busy weekend Harry would have in the future, but for now he was focused on me.
Harry stopped in front of me and wrapped one hand around my waist. He gently pulled me until I put my hands on his chest to keep my balance. He pressed a finger to my lips and whispered, "Keep quiet."
The voice on the phone kept going as Harry leaned down. He replaced his finger with his lips and started slowly kissing me. His hands cupped my face. He gently bit my bottom lip then released with a quiet chuckle. Harry gave me one last chaste kiss on the lips before taking my hand and pulling me into the kitchen. He gripped my hips and lifted me effortlessly until I sat on the edge of the counter beside the phone. Harry leaned in and pressed a kiss between my collarbones. My fingers tangled in his hair.
"Still there, Harry?" the voice asked.
"Still here, Tabitha."
"Good. I'll be sending you texts with updated information as well."
"Thank you," Harry mumbled with his lips still against my skin.
"You're welcome. I'll be in touch. Goodbye, Harry."
"Bye, Tabitha."
Harry pressed a button on the phone and the call ended. He gripped the backs of my knees and pulled closer to the edge of the counter. He kissed me hard for several moments before his kiss softened and his lips formed a smile. "I missed you," he breathed.
"Missed you, too."
"Sorry about the call." Harry pulled away. He began sorting his hair with his fingers after my intrusion.
"Is that your other girlfriend?" I teased.
"I can barely keep up with one girlfriend," he winked. "Tabitha is my personal assistant who insists on calling me to tell me my schedule and then text the same schedule to me afterward."
"So she's thorough?"
"Annoying is more the term I'd use."
"Be nice," I admonished jokingly.
"You took so long getting here, love."
"Sorry," I smiled weakly. "The bus was running late."
"The bus," Harry scoffed. "Why is my girlfriend riding the bus?"
"Because she doesn't have a car."
"Which reminds me," Harry turned around. I remained on the counter as he crossed the kitchen to grab his laptop. He brought it to me and opened it up to a website. "Take a look."
The site was for a car dealership in London. The selection of cars on the screen was all brand new Audis. There were different models, different colors, and different prices. "Thinking of buying another new car?"
"Yes, but not for me," Harry smiled.
"No," I said in disbelief.
"I want to buy you a car. I want you to have a car that is yours entirely. I don't want you to have to ride the bus or take a cab. I want you to be able to get to and from work safely. I don't like the thought of you standing at a bus stop late at night, love. I want you safe."
"Harry, I can't let you buy me a car."
"You're not letting me buy you a car. I'm buying you a car. I just want you to pick one out."
"You want me to pick an Audi for you to buy me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Harry teased. "Did you want to look at Lamborghinis?"
"If you're offering," I smirked.
"Love, please let me do this. It can be your Christmas present if you feel badly about me buying it. I just want you to have access to a car."
"Harry, I really appreciate you being willing to do something like that for me, but I don't need you to buy me a car. I don't like the idea of you financially supporting me. I want to be your girlfriend, not your burden."
"You are never a burden to me. Except for when I'm worried about how you're getting home from the office at midnight."
"Buy me a pair of earrings for Christmas. Don't buy me an Audi."
"Are you saying no to the Lamborghini as well?" he smirked.
"Yes, unless it's all black. In that case, you are free to buy me a car."
Harry laughed lightheartedly. "You're so stubborn. But if you don't want me to buy you a car, I wont. Please know that if at any point you change your mind, I want to buy it. I am more than willing."
"Thank you, Harry," I smiled.
"I can't believe we're spending Christmas apart," he rested his forehead against mine.
"It was your idea," I reminded him.
"Because I think you should see your family."
"And I agree."
"But I'd also like to see you on Christmas morning."
"I'd love nothing more, but I also think you should spend the holidays with your family, Harry. They never get to see you."
"You're right," he sighed. "But I'm going to miss seeing your reaction when you walk out of your house and see a new Audi parked with a massive bow on it."
"You better not," I warned through a giggle.
_____________
The bus driver hit the brakes hard again and I jolted forward, nearly hitting my head on the seat in front of me. I snapped out of my memory and looked around. The buildings outside the bus were very familiar; it was my stop. I stood up and began walking down the aisle to the front of the bus. When the doors opened and a cold wintery breeze whipped in, I regretted saying no to the Audi Harry offered.
I wasn't quite three steps down the street when I remembered I dropped my phone on the bus and never grabbed it. Losing my phone was a big deal because I had a lot of numbers in it that were private. Strangers getting ahold of my phone would have access to Harry's number in addition to Louis', Liam's, Niall's, Zayn's and a few other high-profile people. I turned to see the bus beginning to pull away from the curb.
"Oh no," I whispered. I could feel a lump forming in my throat. I hadn't backed my phone up to the Cloud because there was a risk of someone hacking into my accounts when I was still Harry's girlfriend. All of my information was missing.
I looked around and realized I was not the only person who had stepped off the bus at the stop. There was a man standing a short distance from me. He wore all black and had a red knit hat pulled low over his head. His facial features were hard, but his eyes were gentle.
"Eli?"
"Kate."
"What are you doing here?"
Eli cleared his throat and pulled his hand from his pocket. "Here's your phone. You left this on the bus."
I took my phone from him and put it in my pocket. I couldn't pull my eyes from him. I had convinced myself that I would never see him again. Eli let me stare at him for a few moments before he coughed awkwardly.
"Sorry," I muttered. "Thank you."
"It's fine," he shrugged. "And you're welcome."
"What are you doing here?"
Eli looked around as if an excuse would show up for him to use. "My job," he finally answered.
"Not this again," I groaned. "You were following me."
"I'm doing my job."
"I fired you."
"Kate, I don't work for you."
I rolled my eyes. "Eli, I don't need a babysitter."
"You just left you phone on a public bus. I think you may require some supervision." He nearly smiled.
"Fair enough," I sighed. "How long has this been going on?"
"Since you tried to fire me," he said plainly.
"How come I haven't noticed you?"
"I'm very good at my job, Kate. I'm very discrete. I get on the bus one stop before yours and sit in the back where you don't see me. I get off on your stops and walk behind you. I sit outside your office. I follow you home."
"Stalker," I accused.
"I don't need to stalk you. I'm comfortable enough to approach you. I'm just doing my job. You didn't want my protection, but I don't work for you. I was asked to do my job."
"Professional as ever," I muttered.
"I try to be, yes."
"Are you going to leave me alone now?"
Eli walked up close to me and leaned down so his face was in front of mine. "Kate, you could stand here and scream at the top of your lungs. You could unravel before me. You could threaten me. You could even get physical, but it won't deter me. I have been given a job and I owe it to you and Harry to finish it. I want to put Harry's mind at ease. I want to ensure your safety."
"Eli, this is out of hand." I stepped backward.
"It isn't. You need protection."
"From what?" I nearly yelled.
"From the guy that works on the fourth floor of your office. The one with the black hair and wire-rimmed glasses. Did you know he follows you back to your building at night three nights a week? Did you know he has been taking photos of you? That's who you need protected from. The girls who sat behind you on the bus last week and were talking about how they planned to steal something from you and sell it online. That's who you need protected from. The young man working at Ted Baker who wouldn't stop talking about how fit you are and told his coworker he was going to set up a camera in the fitting room. That's who you need protected from."
I felt sick. I had no idea so many threats were in my life. I had been oblivious. "I didn't know," I said helplessly.
"I know that, Kate. But Harry knows these threats exist. That's why he wouldn't let you fire me."
"I guess I owe you an apology," I said quietly. Eli shrugged indifferently. "I'm sorry I took everything personally. I'm sorry I pushed you away when you were only doing what was right. Thank you for watching out for me, Eli."
"I'm only—"
"Yeah, yeah. You're only doing your job."
"Exactly," Eli laughed.
"I have an office Christmas party to go to." I looked over my shoulder at my office building just half a block down the street.
"Let's go," Eli said.
____________
The entire office of Hendrix and Carter was decorated in red and gold for the holidays. Christmas music played in the background as servers from a catering company wandered around in Santa hats while serving glasses of white wine. Tables of delicious smelling foods were set up. My coworkers were mingling and laughing in a cheerful atmosphere as I entered.
"Happy holidays," a smooth voice parted from the crowd and sounded from my left.
"Happy holidays, Mr. Carter."
"I just wanted to take the time to actually tell you how pleased I am with the work you're doing on Zayn's project. When I hired you, I had it on good authority that you were talented and hardworking. I am thrilled to see that those compliments are the truth."
"Thank you, Mr. Carter. It's my pleasure to be part of the team."
"Keep up the good work. Have a drink! The bar is over there. And stick around, we're giving away gifts at eight."
"Thank you."
Mr. Carter walked away toward a small group of employees. I was relieved to hear he was happy with my effort. I had been feeling hardly present the last few weeks, but my work apparently didn't show it at all.
"There you are!" Jessa appeared at my side with two glasses of wine.
"Here I am," I replied halfheartedly. Jessa held up one of the glasses of white wine for me. "None for me, thanks."
"Suit yourself," she winked. Jessa turned and set the glass of white wine on a nearby table. "Who is that?"
"Who?"
"The guy in the corner that is watching you?"
"Oh, he's a friend. His name is Eli."
"Why is he standing so far away?"
"He's waiting for a phone call," I lied.
Jessa leaned in and smiled, "To be honest, some of the other girls and I were hoping Harry would show up as your date. We sort of had a little bet going."
It still surprised me how many people held onto the idea that we were together when Harry and I hadn't been seen together in nearly five months. I thought the natural assumption would be that we had split.
"Sorry to disappoint," I mumbled.
"Why haven't I seen your boyfriend?" Jessa pressed. "Aren't we friends?"
Jessa and I had bonded since I started working at Hendrix and Carter. We had been placed on some of the same projects and had worked closely on the Zayn launch. She was fun and upbeat, but she was never a replacement for my One Direction friends.
"Of course we're friends," I smiled. "Harry is actually in California for a bit. He's working on something there."
"He'll be back for Christmas, right?"
"Not sure. We weren't planning on spending it together."
Mr. Hendrix and Mr. Carter appeared in the center of the office with a Santa hat turned upside down. Everyone quieted and gathered in a semicircle around the bosses. Mr. Hendrix grabbed a microphone and flashed a massive smile to all of us.
"Thank you for coming tonight, everyone. Mr. Carter and I are very satisfied with the work that has been going on here the last few months. We have taken on some large projects, but you all have been focused and it looks like everything is going well. That being said, we wanted to reward our superior staff with some gifts this year. In the Santa Claus hat, we have slips of paper with every person's name. We'll announce a gift, draw a name, and you'll come up and claim it."
Everyone clapped and began talking excitedly about what the gifts would be. Jessa had told me a week earlier that last year everyone had been given a small cash bonus. The prospect of getting a larger ticket item had everyone buzzing.
"Our first gift is a flat screen television."
I listened as gifts were read out and employees made it to the front to get their gift. Everyone was so happy and for a moment, it actually felt like Christmas. Some of the gifts given out were spa trips for two, a hotel stay in Paris, gift cards to high-end restaurants, a new bicycle, a new set of golf clubs, a cocktail ring from a local jeweler, and an iPad.
I looked around the room to notice that most people had already been given their gift. There could only be one or two names left in the Santa hat. I felt a nervous kind of excitement as I waited for my name to be called. I tried to imagine what gift I could possibly receive.
"This next gift we have to give away was actually quite difficult to get. We have two tickets to the New Year's Ball."
The New Year's Ball was a brand new event being hosted in London. Musical acts from all over the world were invited to perform at the Ball just before midnight. Radio stations and television news programs had been giving away tickets. There had been no official ticket sales. Everything was so exclusive.
"Some of the performers that have been announced for the New Year's Ball are Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Fifth Harmony, George Ezra, Nicki Minaj, Calvin Harris, and One Direction," Mr. Carter beamed.
Oh no.
"Tickets to the New Year's Ball go to...Kate Wright."
No.