That Summer Feeling: SUMMER 4EVER [H.S.]

ENDLESS SUMMER II

'hot summer nights...when you and I were forever wild'

TWO YEARS LATER
Los Angeles, CA

My eyes immediately land on the silver sparkling beauty. My heart almost explodes at the sight of it and its existence. I'm in awe immediately, wondering how every intricate detail can look this incredible. It's crafted with such care and expertise that I could cry if I stared at it enough.

"It's perfect," I squeal out, my hands reaching for it with delicateness. "Oh, it's so perfect! Thank you so much."

"So it's a yes, I take it?"

"Of course, it's a yes!"

Zayn smiles at me and moves the white jacket embellished with beautiful silver sequins on a hanger towards me. When I take it from him, I almost buckle to the floor from the weight of it.

"Shit, this is heavier than it looks." I chuckle and carefully touch it.

Zayn grins. "Yeah, the Swarovski crystals are no joke."

I widen my eyes at the word and tighten my grip on the hanger, not wanting to accidentally drop it because it's made out of Swarovski crystals.

He laughs at my reaction. "Want me to put it back in the garment bag?"

"Yeah, thanks." I carefully hand it back to him and watch him add it to the bag filled with the rest of the look. "He's going to love it. Thanks again, Zayn."

"Of course. Anything for my brother-in-law."

"Right," I softly mutter and eye the glossy black ring proudly wrapped in his left hand as Zayn zips up the black bag. I somehow forgot for a second he and Gigi had been married for two years now. They would complete a third year in the fall.

It was not as nearly as a grand wedding as I always expected Gigi would want, but it was just as special as we all knew it would be. The intimate ceremony took place at a lush garden venue three hours away from our hometown. It turned into a small road trip and weekend getaway. They also hosted another one in London where Zayn's extended family lives. Their closest friends and family were able to go to both. They decided to live in California for a while and have Arlo attend school here, but tend to go back to England every other holiday break.

It's still hard to gauge how much has changed over the last few years when time has been going by so fast. We're truly grown up now— or at least we're far more grown up than we were when we all first met.

Which leads us to now. It's been mostly overcast and rainy all year long, but on the weekend Harry is coming to visit, the sun has magically reappeared. It is also the same weekend that his surprise 30th birthday party will be taking place here in Los Angeles.

I've been planning it since we watched The Great Gatsby when I visited him in Ojai on a random November night last year. Naturally, I couldn't get the idea out of my head— a Gatsby party/roaring 20s theme. Last year he only asked that whatever we do on his day, we do it alone in a quiet, relaxing space. So we stayed in a little cabin in Yosemite for his 29th birthday weekend. But this year, he hasn't given me any direction or leads of what he wants to do and I want a chance to surprise him with all his friends and family. I want to go big. It's his 30th birthday after all.

That is why I asked Zayn to be in charge of making a custom outfit for him. We spent a few calls and texts bouncing off ideas and wanting to do something more interesting than a plain black and white suit. Ultimately, I gave him all creative control because I trusted his vision. He was the true designer and I had tons of other details to plan and execute for the party. It's been months since I first asked him and holy shit, did he deliver.