The Weeks Between • HS

Week 25 • Harry *

----- Call from Jeff -----

"Are you really sure about this, H?" he asks me. He's told me that he's looking at the VOGUE cover and now that it's in print I think he's not so sure about my choice anymore. We are currently talking about my social media posts covering it and the media shit storm it will definitely unleash.

"It's not like we can do anything about it now," I say, somewhat joking, but there is a tiny bit of anxiety laced in my laughter. "All I'm doing is letting the world know that it's coming." When the images came in, we went back and forth about what outfit to choose for the cover, but I like to push the envelope and the dress was the most stunning choice. "Critics be damned."

"Have you told Nola that the media presence around you, and your house, is going to be insane?" Of course I hadn't thought about that until now. Of course it has to come out a week before they are set to leave.

"You know that I support you and we have a team ready to deploy when the trolls inevitably come out of the woodwork. I just want to make sure you know what's coming before you post this." Surely now he's the one who's joking. This is not my first rodeo.

"I do know and I'll talk to her."

----- End of call -----

I'm not posting the announcement until after we get back home from shopping tomorrow night, or I should say it's not scheduled to go live until then. VOGUE has already announced that I am the December cover model, which is huge because they've never had a man on the cover. I did the photo shoot while Nola was in New Castle and it just never occurred to me that I should warn her about my final choice in wardrobe for the cover. Not that she's going to care what it is, but it will change our ability to move around unnoticed for our last week together.

I walk back into the kitchen, where Nola is sitting at the island with the screen of her laptop illuminating her in a soft blue light. "Harry, the group is only seven people," she says as I walk towards her.

"No, it's eight with Paddy."

"Still. That leaves space for two more customers. I'm not so concerned about Covid, but I am concerned about someone else being allowed in with our group for thirty minutes."

"What. You can't keep you hands off me for thirty minutes?" I ask her, wrapping my arms around her as soon as I am in close enough proximity to do so.

"Excuse me? WHO can't keep their hands to themselves?"

"Fair point. Not even going to argue that one," I answer, attaching my lips to the sweet smelling skin on her neck. She used the Citron and Sage soap today, with the tangerine lotion.

Nol pulls away, swatting at me. "Enough of that. Stop distracting me or I'll lose our spot."

"I mean, technically there are nine people," I say. Nola counts out loud while holding up fingers; me, you, Mitch, Sarah, Mia, Charlotte, Hattie and Paddy."

"Sarah is technically two people right now."

"Fine. So, I'll list their unborn child. It still leaves one spot."

I really wish she would just let me use the connections I have. For all the times I have to walk around knowing that people are literally recording me because I exist, I'm should be afforded the occasional benefit of private shopping access. "Darling, please just let me have Jeff call."

"If they know you're coming, the paps will be tipped off. Even the best of shop owners can't deny the kind of business seeing you coming or going from their store will bring." She's not wrong, but I still don't like giving up control to her. What I love about her is that she doesn't care what I like, and doesn't bend to do what I say. "I'm just going to add two more and we will tell them when we get there that the last person couldn't come. What should we name Sarah and Mitch's baby?"