Kiwis | Harry Styles

Forty-Four

"Jess, are you busy?" Tommy asks as I type out an email on my keyboard.

I swivel in my chair to find him awkwardly lingering in the doorway, as if there's a physical barrier stopping him.

"No more than usual. What's up?" I prepare myself for whatever insane thing Harry has asked him to do. Maybe he wants one of my bodyguards to carry around a neon sign flashing my location tonight. Although my husband rarely uses his manager as a go between, which must be why he's still lingering in the doorway.

"Uhm."

"Come in, Tommy." I smile, and when he does so, I feel my body relax slightly.

"River has requested a meeting with you. Today. Says it's important." He leans against the side of the van, careful not to bump the lighting rig which is strapped in place there.

"With me? What for?"

"She won't say, other than, 'it's important'." He rolls his eyes and chuckles, but I can tell he's not his usual happy self. His glasses don't hide the bags under his eyes and I can see evidence he's been biting his nails.

I glance at my phone. I have half an hour before I have to be in the canteen for dinner. "Fine, if you get her here now, then she can have her meeting - but - I am gone by four, deal?" I agree so I can hopefully alleviate some of his stress.

"Thanks Jess, I can't imagine it'll take long." His smile is a little brighter this time.

"No problem. I'm gonna go pee. Won't be long." I am thankful to my husband or whoever it is that makes sure my van is parked near a toilet at each venue.

I quicken my pace. The sooner I find out what this little charade is all about, the better.

-----

"O.K. Can we get on with -" I pause when I walk into my little office on wheels and spot not only Tommy and River in person but also Jeffrey on the screen of my computer.

"Hi Jess, how are you doing?" The new father smiles at me. I can tell from the bags under his eyes that Willow is keeping him up at night, but his smile is probably wider than I've ever seen it so clearly he doesn't mind.

"Uhm... tired, you know?" I grin while placing a hand over my ever-growing bump.

River coughs loudly, interrupting our conversation.

"Sorry, River asked me to call Jeffrey for this meeting." Tommy shrugs. Great, it seems my friend forgot to mention that part earlier.

"Is this going to take long? Like I said, I have to meet Harry and the kids for dinner." Both hands move to my bump and I slowly rub circles there.

"I shouldn't think so. Do you want Jess to take -"

River waves a dismissive hand in front of Tommy, and I feel my body tense on his behalf. What a disrespectful move. "No. I want her fired." Her statement is so ludicrous I almost burst into laughter. First, we've barely had any interaction since the tour started. And second, I one hundred percent do not work for her.

"Sorry. You want Jess fired from what exactly?" Tommy says and as I glance from him to Jeffrey, I see two equally confused faces.

"Yeah, she is hired by Harry, well, Erskine Touring to be -"

"Uh huh. And we all know how she -"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Tommy cuts her off before I can. "Jess is one of the most in demand photographers in this business, and we are extremely lucky to have her. Right now, she is working harder than anyone else on this tour. I'd like to see you do your job while 32 weeks pregnant. And besides that, you don't get to speculate why anybody is here. Got it?"