Stay

Thursday Afternoon
17 August 2017

I had no idea how damn expensive it was going to be to live in London. My internship was paid but it was nothing more than to get me 100 square feet without plumbing, at least until Jeremy and Liz had stepped in. Liz had said she needed a roommate for bills but considering she was living in her grandmother's old obnoxiously painted brownstone I think she just wanted the company.

However, attempting to lug the boxes my mother had mailed me not only up the front steps of Liz's bright pink home but then up three flights of stairs to my third floor bedroom was exhausted. She'd offered me the ground floor room but I'd taken one look at the windows that peeked out merely a foot above the sidewalk and respectfully declined.

"Need any help?"

I peered over the top of the box to find Liz look positively domestic with her long dark hair piled on her head and a kiss the cook apron cockeyed across her t-shirt.

“Do you want to help or just say you offered?” I teased setting the box with a loud thud on the concrete of her porch steps.
Liz just grinned like a vixen which was answer enough before heading back through the door. I just shook my head knowing I probably should have just said yes instead of asking. The boxes that my mom had kindly ‘packed’ were heavier or lighter than I expected making me think she really didn’t believe is packing things together.

“I’m making cookies in the kitchen when you’re done.”

“Can’t Jeremy come help?”
“He’s setting everything up with Harry.”
“Oh, like he set everything up with me?” I asked with a scoff.

Liz just winked before sashaying back into the kitchen which was unfairly placed on the first floor. Her and Jeremy were quite a pair. Apparently, Liz had been a year below us in school but considering Jeremy and I had spent school split between studying and getting into as much trouble as we could I hadn’t really had time to pay attention to those not in our year. But between the cow in the kitchen and the school van on the roof he’d managed to seduce her (at least that’s what Jeremy claims) after I’d gone back to the states for university.

However, I’d always had reason to believe that it was likely Liz that had managed to catch Jeremy cause while he was hopeless with girls and matchmaking all Liz had to do was flash her vixen smile to terrify me.
Harry's POV

Thank god for spinning chairs. They were currently the only thing standing between me and insanity. I had no idea how I’d ever let anyone talk me into working for Imperical I still had to idea. After we went on hiatus I suppose I was just lost and not sure what to do. The idea of being on the other side of things thus sounded appealing but being in management was fucking boring.

My life had turned into an endless cycle of phone calls, press releases and dealing with bratty musician who were (at least I hoped) way worse than we used to be. I was getting really sick of having people look at me like just because I had lived that life I knew how to fix everything. Maybe I was the most sympathetic because I knew about how the long hours and travelling put a strain on you but that didn’t mean I needed the most difficult clients.

“Imperical productions, how can I help you?” I answered in a monotone as my phone went off yet again. We had long agreed in the company that I should never answer with my name.

“Is that actually how they make you answer your phone?” Jeremy chortled on the other end making me wonder why the hell he was calling from an office number.

“Unfortunately,” I stated my feet finding their way back up onto my desk much to the disapproving glances of my co-workers from the other end of the glass of my office.

“Well I’m actually standing in the lobby of your very fine building but the lady won’t actually let me up. Apparently, I might be a crazy fan so you want to get a drink?”

My eyes travelled to the oversized clock that stated it was close to closing time, at least close enough. So, putting down the phone my jacket and keys were quickly in my hand. I ignored my phone that was once again ringing off the hook knowing it would probably earn me yet another reprimand in the morning. It wasn’t like they were actually worth anything everyone knew I was mostly hired and still around for my name.

“Thank god you saved me.” I stated once I was in the lobby sending a slight finger wave to the receptionist that was watching us suspiciously.

“That bad?” Jeremy asked.

I just gave him a shake of the head in response as we headed down the street to one of our usual haunts. I’d met Jeremy when we were on break several years earlier in a bar apparently he did care that he was talking to a drunk popstar and it had been refreshing. Once we were sat in the bar though Jeremy got a horrible grin on his face that was enough to make me shift uncomfortably.

“So Harry I have a proposition for you.”

“Beer first,” I stated gesturing at the bartender then at him to continue.

“Liz has been bugging me about going on a double date I think mostly cause she wants to try and play matchmaker again. But I’m in charge of getting you there.”

I nearly spit my beer across the bar. It was honestly the last thing I had expected him to ask me. The whole idea of going out on a date, even a double date, with a stranger was odd and to be honest I didn’t know what to think about it.

“I swear Pipes is totally chill, in fact she’s one of the most brilliant girls I know.”
Turning to Jeremy I saw the careful but steely determination in his face. I knew exactly how stubborn Liz could be and I knew that I probably wasn’t going to get out of this one no matter how hard I tried.

“Text me the details?” I stated in consenting. “This girl better be worth it.”

Jeremy just grinned and ordered us yet another round.

Notes

I'm so sorry y'all this is literally one of the first breaks I've had where I didn't have homework, a doctors appointment or sorority event. I do have the next few chapters written though I had just realized that what I had originally as chapters one and two needed to be one and three. Because of y'all's patience there should be another chapter up over the weekend :)

I hope y'all liked it and I get to hear from you,
Sorry again,
-A

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