ummmm. please look at the picture of harry attached. when these pictures from his rolling stones interview were released, i legitimately SCREAMED because of how prince-like he looks. like... it's like they KNEW i was writing this fic and needed some pics/inspiration. harry styles is absolutely the most royally stunning human being there is to exist. i am so blessed.
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Chapter 7
Prince's POV:
I stared at the phone, sitting on the couch with my elbows propped on my knees and chin resting on my interlaced hands, wondering when it was going to ring. If it was going to ring. Surely, the owner of it must have realized by now that it was missing and wondering where the hell it could be. But it just sat there on my glass coffee table, not making a sound. If I could, I would use it to call a number that could get me to reach the owner of the device, but there was a password on it which I couldn't hope to crack.
The more I stared at the phone, the more I thought about how I came to obtain it. How last night I had gone to a bar after calling up one of my father's contacts to get me a security detail. How I had gone around midnight and left not an hour later, unused to the feeling of being in a pub without my usual mates. How I had stepped outside, only for some poor girl who had been pissed out of her mind and had thrown up all over my shoes. And how her friend, a remarkably cute girl who had been stumbling over her words endearingly, only to flee the scene with her cell phone on the ground.
It was now eleven in the morning. My soiled shoes were in the trash and I had the phone of the cute girl on my coffee table. Not only was she missing her phone, but also the Dunkin Donuts gift card she had trapped between her cell and clear phone case. Surely, she'd be in need of one or both those things.
As I waited for the impending phone call, I turned on the unnecessarily big TV and tried to find something to watch, although my mind kept flickering back to last night. Of course, having a girl get sick all over my shoes was not something I'd rather remember, rather than the admittedly beautiful friend of hers that had taken all of her embarrassment upon herself. She had been mortified over her friend's drunken antics, only for that to clearly multiply when she realized who I was.
A smile spread on my lips as I recalled her unintentionally begging me not to behead her. She had absolutely no idea how to deal with the situation, and took the first escape that came her way. It was all rather funny, if I was being honest, except for when I later remembered I had puke all over my shoes. Even the security detail who had come out a bit too late couldn't help his laughter.
My thoughts were suddenly cut off when the shrill ringing of a phone reached my ears, and I was pleased to see it was the phone resting on the table. Picking it up, I saw the words home on the screen and answered the call, bringing the phone next to my ear as I greeted with an innocently amused tone, "Hello, prince of beheading speaking."
The sound of a startled gasp was my reply, prompting my smile to only widen as I could just tell this girl knew immediately who she was speaking to. It was silent on the other line for a few moments, yet I patiently waited until I heard a familiar voice mutter a soft, "Oh, shit." My eyebrows raised, and as if she could sense this, the girl immediately backtracked in a hasty tone. "I mean, hi, I'm sorry. Hello. Hi, this is Vera."
My smile turned into a whole grin, partly because she was once again endearingly stammering over her words and partly because I now knew her name. "Hello, Vera. This is Harry," I returned, keeping my tone casual and light as I leaned back on the plush couch, left arm folded across my torso as my right hand held the phone. "But I'm guessing you already knew that."
"I—Yes, I did," she replied, clearing her throat briefly. "You, um, you found my phone?"
"That I did," I confirmed, tilting my head back a bit as I stared up at the high ceiling of my flat. "You dropped it when you were helping your friend, I suppose. I only realized you left it behind until after you were gone." Despite myself, I couldn't help but say with a breezy tone, "Is my company that horrid?"
"No, of course not," Vera squeaked in response, and really, I should stop teasing her so much because she was already so nervous. But it was, in all honesty, refreshing. "I just—I really had to get Zoe home," she added, finally giving a name to the plastered friend from last night.
"No worries," I assured, lifting my feet to rest on the—no doubt expensive—coffee table. "Anyway, I'm assuming you need your phone back. How about you come up to my flat and we can make the small exchange?"
True, it would be a bit more wise to not give away my location to some girl I had barely even met last night outside of some bar, but this was change. I had gotten thrown up on and a girl practically ran away from me, and that was something that had never happened to me before. Sure, it was tedious and nothing spectacular at all, but it was different and I found the whole situation so amusing. Besides, I felt the need to comfort this girl, Vera, after she practically exploded with nerves in front of me. Kind of had to reassure her that I wouldn't behead her or anything of the sorts.
"Uh," Vera breathed, pausing momentarily, no doubt thinking it all over and wondering if this was actually reality, before giving in, "Okay, um, sure."
"Brilliant!" I grinned before proceeding to give her my address. "Just tell the receptionist your name and she'll tell you where to go when you get here. I look forward to properly meeting you, Vera."
"Okay," was her reply, her tone clearly dazed and a little bit confused. "Goodbye," she added before the line went dead.
The smile remained on my face as I put the phone down, chuckling to myself as I reached up to ruffle the brown hair sat atop my head. This was only my second day in New York, and it was already shaping up to be more amusing than my life back in the palace. Now, I was aware normal people wouldn't be, in a word, thrilled to have been thrown up on and all, and although I didn't particularly enjoy the act, it still turned out to be quite humorous. So after calling the front desk and telling the receptionist about the guest I was expecting, I returned my attention to the television to pass some time until Vera's arrival.
About an hour or so later, a couple of knocks sounded on my door and I stood from the couch, knowing exactly who it was as I made my way over. As I approached the door, I cleared my throat and tugged at the hem of my floral printed button down, before grasping the doorknob and pulling it open to reveal the anxious woman standing on the other side.
Vera stood there, dressed in jeans and a dark purple blouse under her coat, right hand clutching the strap of her purse that hung from her shoulder as an evidently uneasy close lipped smile rested upon her lips. Long dark hair fell into waves past her shoulders, even darker eyes staring at me apprehensively, nervously, and if I was someone else I would've outwardly laughed at her almost sheepishness. But I wasn't a bastard, and didn't want to embarrass her any more than she maybe already felt.
So instead, I offered a friendly grin as I stepped aside, opening the door wider as I greeted, "Afternoon, Vera. Come on in."
She stared at me for a brief moment, eyes flickering over my form briefly, before widening her smile just a little and stepping inside the threshold. The short heels of her boots clicked on the floors as she walked inside, pausing as I closed the door and waited for me to lead the way. Offering a smile, I led her towards the admittedly large living room, the tapping of her boots letting me know she was following behind as we got to the other room.
"Can I get you anything?" I questioned once realizing proper etiquette. "Tea? Coffee?"
Vera shook her head, still smiling dimply as she waved her hand briefly. "Oh, no, thank you, I'm fine," she assured, nodding once as if it emphasize her point. She was fidgeting on her feet, very barely, but I could still notice. Truthfully I felt a bit bad she was so uneasy at the moment, but then again I understood why she felt like that.
So, to reassure her, I smiled encouragingly and quirked my brow a little. "Vera, I hope you don't feel uncomfortable around me. I promise I'm not that bad," I added, unable to keep the teasing tone in my voice.
She blinked, staring at me with wide, doe eyes for a couple of seconds before releasing a small, breathy laugh. "No, it's not you," Vera reflexively denied, but one look at my raised brows got her pausing as she let out another nervous chuckle. "Okay, maybe it is you." She ran a hand through her hair, biting her lip before speaking up again after gathering her wits. "It's just—you're a prince. The prince. You're the Prince of England and I'm standing in front of you in your living room the day after my best friend threw up on your shoes. It's all kind of very surreal and very ridiculous and unrealistic."
Her words caused me to laugh, finding them comical as she stood in front of me, wringing her fingers and twisting the rings that encircled them. Truthfully, I did feel a bit guilty for Vera feeling the way she did; it was a mixture of nervousness and intimidation, I assume, and I had no idea how to properly assure her that she had no reason to feel that way with me.
Chuckling lightly, I rested my hands in the back pockets of my jeans as I lightly replied, "Well, I can assure you, it's very realistic. You can tell your friend there's no hard feelings about my destroyed shoes."
Vera rolled her lower lip into her mouth, prompting for a dimple to hint in her right cheek, before sheepishly admitting, "I didn't exactly, uh, tell her about what happened. She doesn't remember anything."
Unable to help myself, I let a smirk tug at my lips as I joked, "Tell her that I'm not asking for any money for the three thousand dollar shoes she got sick all over."
At that, Vera's brown eyes widened and jaw slackened, stunned beyond belief as she choked out, "T-Three thousand dollars?! Are you serious?"
My brows shot up, the grin returning to my face as Vera stared at me in complete shock, clearly not believing the fact that that's exactly how much those shoes from last night had cost. Knowing that amount of money for shoes was excessive for any sane person, I merely chortled as I teased, "Like you said, I am the prince."
I watched as Vera's shoulders, thankfully, relaxed a little as she let out a giggle, reaching up to push back a lock of hair behind her ear. "That's very true," she nodded in agreement, pressing her lips together, although they were still shaped in a smile, before she asked, "So is the prince going to be kind enough to return my phone?"
Realization struck me as my eyes widened a little, snapping my fingers as I exclaimed, "Oh, yes! I'm sorry, it completely slipped my mind," before swiveling on my heel and approaching the coffee table where the small device lay. Picking it up, I walked back to Vera and handed it to her, who happily took the cell, clearly glad to be reunited with it.
"Thank you so much for holding on to it and waiting for me to call," Vera gratified in a silvery tone, holding the phone in one hand and lightly tapping it against the palm of the other. She breathed out a sigh of relief, shaking her head as she added, "Don't know what I would've done if I'd lost it."
"Always happy to help a lady," I easily responded, arms crossing over my chest loosely and never losing the small smile from my face.
Vera rolled her lower lip into her mouth briefly, staring at me for a moment before speaking up. "Well I should, uh, get going now," she slowly said, lightly gesturing towards the door she had walked through from.
I nodded, and although I wanted her to stay and talk to her some more, I decided against it in an effort to not make her any more uncomfortable and uneasy as she looked. Vera seemed ready to dash out of here, and I couldn't help but wonder why so. Was it really just because of my status, or was there something else that made her look like she wanted to run for the hills?
Following Vera to the door, I watched as she paused after opening it, turning to offer me another smile as her left hand remained on the doorknob. "Thank you, again, for getting my phone," she said, her tone soft-spoken all of a sudden, as a light pink color dusted on her cheekbones, much to my delight. "I really appreciate it."
Sensing an opening, I couldn't help but reply, "Enough to join me for lunch sometime?"
Assuming that I caught her completely off-guard, I watched as Vera's dark eyes widened, lips parting slightly as she stared at me openly, disbelievingly. Yet I stood there, calm and collected and waiting for a response, trying to keep the amused expression off my face. It'd be terribly rude of me to give her the impression that I found her reaction hilarious, when really it was all just very endearing.
She was frozen for a few seconds, before gathering her wits and blinking in confusion, finally uttering out a bewildered, "I—I'm sorry?"
"Join me for lunch," I repeated casually, coolly, as I kept my gaze focused on her. Then, I added truthfully with a shrug, "I could use a friend in this big city and you're about the first person I've talked to that isn't a bodyguard or bartender."
As I had expected, Vera was stunned into silence as she stared at me, probably wondering if I was being serious—which I was—or if I was playing some sort of joke on her, which would be rude of me, really. I wondered if she wanted to make a run for it just now, but refrained from saying anything as her lips parted to speak. "I. . . Uh, s-sure. . ." she stammered out a reply, still looking incredibly puzzled.
I would be lying if I thought she would give in, but once hearing her agreement, I grinned happily. "Brilliant," I enthused, "could I get your number, then? To set up the details, of course."
Vera licked her lips, nodding slowly because she seemed to be in some sort of daze, the poor thing, as she took my phone after I unlocked it and handed it over to her. I gazed on silently, watching as she tapped the screen on my phone to put in her number and name, before handing it back to me with a close lipped smile.
Glancing down at the screen, my brows raised when I caught sight of the contact name, and I looked back at Vera, asking with an amused tone, "Your last name is Queen?"
She nodded, a bashful smile on her lips as she nodded, releasing a small laugh when she figured the mirth of it. "Guilty."
I scoffed out a laugh, pocketing my phone whilst shaking my head in slight disbelief. "Just when I thought I had escaped all the royalty." It was quite funny, really; the one girl I found myself wanting to hang out with having a last name that reminded me of my background and where I came from. It was like the universe was laughing at me in this very moment.
Vera released a light giggle, cheeks hinting at dimples as she did so. "Sorry to bring it all back to you," she replied, a teasing tone in her voice, and I momentarily wondered if she was starting to relax around me. "But is being royalty that bad?"
My green eyes flickered to her dark brown ones, staring at her intently, which I assumed made her feel somewhat anxious because she began fidgeting on her feet, so I grinned and couldn't help but wink and say, "I'll tell you about it over lunch."
She nodded, biting the corner of her lip briefly before saying, "Sure; I, uh, look forward to it." Glancing back at the door, Vera then subtly nodded towards it as she began, "I should, um, getting going."
"Oh, of course!" I agreed, realizing that she had just come here to retrieve her phone but was now leaving with a lot more than she both bargained for or expected. Leading her towards the door, I opened it and stepped aside, letting her walk out.
To my mild surprise, Vera paused outside the door, turning to face me with a small smile teetering at her lips. "It was really nice meeting you, um. . ." Her smile diminished a bit, quirking her brow in what seemed like a mixture of confusion and sheepishness. "What should I, uh, call you. . .?"
I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled past my lips, feeling both amused and guilty for darkening the blush that spread on her cheeks. Waving my hand lightly, I told her, "Just call me Harry, please."
Vera nodded once. "Harry," she repeated, as if testing the word on her mouth before smiling, the blush still evident on her cheeks—quite adorably, I might add. "I'll, um, see you, then."
Grinning, I nodded as Vera began to turn and walk away, raising my hand as I reminded her, "I'll let you know about lunch." She nodded, chuckling breathily as I added, "Pleasure to meet you, Vera."
With one last smile, Vera nodded once more before disappearing around the corner, and I smiled to myself as I shut the door behind me. Asking Vera out for lunch was a spontaneous decision, not at all premeditated. The idea had just struck me suddenly, and I found myself asking her before I could fully process the thought. However, even after it registering in my mind, I don't regret it. It would certainly be nice to be able to get out of this flat and hang out with someone that isn't a security detail or some poor bastard drunk in a bar. Plus, it didn't hurt that Vera was particularly beautiful. Just a bonus, really.