LifeStyles

Fifty-Five

Harry's POV

"Well, you took your time to call me back." Indignation is seeping through his gritted teeth. He is clearly angry but then I didn't expect anything less.

"Hello to you too." I respond sarcastically, partly due to his attitude but mainly because I am tired.

"Don't hello me! Where the FUCK are you and what the HELL was that at LAX?" Oh, he is more than angry; he is seething and his voice is uncharacteristically raised to an almost shouting pitch.

I don't think in all the years I have known my best friend he has ever been so annoyed at me; it feels disconcerting. "I am only going to speak with you Jeffrey if you are calm, otherwise I will hang up." I stress seriously.

"Hell you will! My phone hasn't stopped ringing trying to fend off the Press who weren't present to witness 'live' your mini-psychotic episode at the airport. Noelle and I haven't slept in 24 hours. You've got some explaining to do Harry, I'm all ears."

"Ok." I respond matter-of-factly. If he wants the truth he can have it with no holds barred. "You overstepped the mark the night we dined at Ysabel."

"What? What are you talking about?" He stutters incomprehensibly.

The sudden surprise in Jeff's voice suggests I've caught him off guard. I know him better than he knows himself. I can visualise the scene; his back straight and arms folded across his chest. In his worried pondering, his phone will be trapped between his left ear and shoulder as his fingers stroke his stubbly beard and a deep burrowing frown line streaks across his forehead.

"You tipped Kenny off that we, or should I say I, was going to be at the restaurant that night."

Continued silence at the other end suggests I have rendered him speechless.

"I said low-key dinner Jeff, just you and I, so why did you invite her?"  Quiet determination is in my voice, after all, he is my best friend first and my manager second. I know on both counts he only ever has my absolute best interests at heart.

He sighs before launching into his spiel. An unruffled demeanour is now evident though his tone.

"Look, you know that I didn't warm much to your going away idea. Before you left, you and Kendall were the closest you've ever been. I was shocked when you then announced your intention was to still go ahead with your disappearing plans. I really thought you'd change your mind and stay in LA."

"You keep bringing this up. I knew your thoughts Jeff, you made them clear enough, but following through with my plans was my decision and something I needed to do. I make no apologies for that."

"If you let me finish. When you came back to LA two weeks ago, I noticed a big difference in you. You seem, I don't know, happier in yourself, more at ease than you were before you went away. The alone break seems to have done you good so I hold my hands up and concede defeat on that one decision. You were right and I was wrong on this occasion."

"Okay, thank you because that is exactly how I feel and more to be honest but what's that got to do with Kenny and Saturday night?" I am totally confused at the tangent he is following.

"I thought once you were back in LA you'd realise how much you'd missed the place and would decide to stay longer. When you were adamant it was only a fleeting visit, I was disappointed. I had hoped you would pick up where you left off with K but with her working out of town, the timing of your return couldn't have been worse."

"Jeff, please understand, I didn't come back to see her; I came back for work purposes only. I told you that the first night when you asked me."

"That's as may be but it had been over three months since you'd seen each other. I thought getting you together again might reignite those feelings."