Everywhere: Book 3 of the Nowhere Trilogy

29. Play the Game

It's so easy when you know the rules. - Queen

11:47 PM, Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Anne's arms wrap around Chele, encircling her in a mist of love and acceptance. "I'm sorry we didn't get to spend time together today, but I heard the movie was fabulous." Her wink at the end indicates that Harry has already informed her that Mitch and Sarah know about their relationship. "We'll see you in D.C. in a couple of days." With a kiss to her cheek, Anne holds Chele at arm's length, her hands gripping the other woman's biceps. "Gemma will be there too!"

If this is supposed to comfort Chele, Anne has made a serious miscalculation. Meeting Harry's mom had been scary enough, but there is something about spending time with his sister that terrifies Chele more than a herd of elephants stampeding in her direction. Fear like she hasn't known before has gripped her. Yes, even worse than leaving Nowhere for Los Angeles. More consuming than interviewing for the blogger job. Twice as hefty as meeting Anne.

Across the room, Harry is entertaining the Obama family, and Chele is impressed with how calm he appears chatting with the former president, first lady, and their daughters. The contrast between her boyfriend's charm with important people and Chele's freakouts over normal people is Siberian winter and Gobi desert summer. She bites her lip, wishing the dignitaries would wrap it up so she can get a quick kiss before she climbs aboard the bus, unable to see Harry for something like 40 hours. Okay, 39 hours and -- she checks her watch -- 13 minutes. But who's counting?

She watches as Hélène takes a few discreet photos. Harry will want them for his personal scrapbook. One of these days, Chele hopes to be able to view the photos that he's decided are just for him. When the pang of jealousy arises that Hélène already knows all of his favorite pics, she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and reminds herself that jealousy has no place in her relationship with Harry. It's perfectly fine that the Frenchwoman got to share in the creation of some of those moments with Harry because now Chele is the one who will create future memories with him.

Taking another deep breath, Chele opens her eyes to find Harry shaking hands with Barack before the family exits the dressing room. Oh yay! Her calmness has rewarded her, and she waits and watches as he shakes hands with everyone while guiding them out of the dressing room door.

When the only other people remaining are Jeffrey, Anne, and Hélène, Harry locks the door. With a grin as wide as the ocean and his dimple nearly as deep, he approaches Chele, wrapping her in a hug. "You can't write about them, you know," he whispers.

Laughing, Chele brings her arms around his sweaty body. "Don't want to stir up the Hobama rumors again, eh?"

"Exactly." His rich warm giggle is her chamomile, and she melts in his arms as he continues to rock her from side to side. "I'm not going to miss you," he states baldly.

"Good. Cause I'm actually glad to be away from you for a little while." Her voice is every bit as lacking in humor as his, but they both know they're joking to hide their pain.

Jeffrey clears his throat. "Ahem. These two are going to miss the bus if you don't finish up, Hershel. Jesus."

When Harry frames her face in his hands, moving in for a kiss, everything else fades away. Chele forgets that they're in a space occupied by others as his tongue traces a line across her lips, begging for entry. When she opens, he tastes her as if this were his last meal before forty days and nights on a journey. Her arms cling to him as she cherishes him, trying to convey everything she's feeling through their locked lips.

Allowing him to ease away from her, she lightens the kiss. "This is going to be the longest two days of my life," she whispers.

"Same." He presses his forehead to hers, releasing his hands from her face.