Stage Lights || H.S.

the business dinner

I bit my tongue as I push the front door of my parents' house open. I wish I could go anywhere else but there. I would've stayed at Paul's place but now I couldn't so there I was, making my way into the big Beverly Hills mansion once again, and regretting every life choice I've ever made. I pull the vans off my feet and leave them by the door so I didn't get yelled at my Renee, and slipped the leather jacket off my shoulders, leaving it on the table by the wall along with my keys and pack of cigarettes.

The house didn't smell like the usual lavender and cleaning products, it smelled like a dirty yet delicious Chinese meal from a restaurant in New York City. It smelled like fried food, rice, pork, soy sauce; some of my favorite things. I wondered why Renee wasn't freaking out, why I couldn't hear her screams about the smell and how it's stuck to her leather chairs, instead all I could hear was a laugh.

"Will?" I screamed, following the smell towards the kitchen.

"Right in here, honey."

I walked down the hall, past the chandelier, the long looped staircase, the tall green plant and into the large bright kitchen. For my surprise my father wasn't alone and the pair of green eyes that I was met with made me stop on my tracks. The lights were on shining on the bright tile and counter tops, and my dad and the other guy were sitting on the tall stools around the island in the middle of the room. His face went red, the food and air seemed to be crumbled on his throat as he almost choked. My face must've been the same shade of red as I tried to ignore his eyes.

"I tried to call you multiple times, Luna. Where were you?"

"A friend's house." I shrug my shoulders, crossing my arms in front of my chest, moving my weight from foot to foot uncomfortably.

"I got you some sesame chicken. Do you still like that?" I nodded.

I forced my body to move towards the island. The counter top was filled with papers, an open laptop, and multiple containers of food.

"This is Harry." I glanced over at the guy one more time. "Harry, this is..."

He looked much different than the first time I saw him. His hair was now more tamed on top of his head, they were a chestnut shade and pulled back loosely, instead of a floral short sleeved t-shirt he wore now a light pink button up and a dark suit over it. His thin lips pressed together as he watched me and I tried, at all costs, avoid his green gaze.

"Luna." He shook my hand, his long fingers and a couple calluses against my skin.

"Have we met?"

I look up to find a cocky smirk on his face. I pulled my hand away and turned around, getting a white big plate from the cabinet above my head.

"Maybe you have and I completely forgot." Will stated.

"No." I put the plate down on the counter, glancing at him before putting some sesame chicken and white rice on it. I could feel his stare burning onto me. "I don't think we have."

"You look quite familiar. Maybe I'm wrong."

"I think you are." Before he could say anything else my father's loud and obnoxious phone ring filled the room. He mumbled something before running out with the phone on his ear and speaking loudly something I didn't bother to pay attention to. "One Direction, huh?"

I recognized his crooked smile, the pair of dimples on his cheeks and the British accent from the first time I met him. One Direction, the boyband that could've gone right -and it did for a couple years, until it went wrong. Five good looking boys broke hearts all around the world, until one of them left and the rest didn't last much longer. They were Amy's favorite band. I was there when she was screaming the lyrics, watching the movies, crying over everything they did on the daily.

"So I reckon you're a fan?" His accent made me giggle. His voice was deep, raspy, husky and every other synonym of those adjectives. I shook my head negatively. "I didn't know you recognized me."

I played with the egg roll on my plate, avoiding at all costs the green retinas that watched me do so. Green. I was almost convinced I hated all green eyes, almost. I couldn't help but compare his eyes to Paul's. The pair in front of me were sparkly, with a hint of blue, they were bright and ambitious, excited. Paul's was usually deep, dark, mysterious, with a hint of hazel on them.

"Are you following me or something?"

"Or something." He laughed. "Not quite, love. Your dad and I are in a business dinner before you walked in and interrupted my next year's plans."

"This doesn't look like a business meeting to me. I mean, you're in a suit sitting here eating Chinese takeout."

"Oh this." He looked down at his fancy clothing. "I just got out of an interview about an hour ago." I bit my lip nodding, feeling stupid and also wanting to disappear. "And also, you walked on me at the party. Not the other way around."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right, because you were so fucked up ..." I rolled my eyes and he chuckled. "Will is worried about you, you know? So is your mom."

"Maybe you shouldn't stick up your nose into someone else's problems."

"Right." He licked his lips holding back a smile.

I felt his eyes run down my face, studying my body. I needed a shower, I needed to get the sweat off my body, the smell of sex off my skin and Paul's cologne off my messy hair. God, I only imagined what I looked like.

"That's a cool shirt." He pointed out.

Without thinking twice a slid the shirt off my body. His eyes glanced over my chest covered by the thin fabric of my lace bralette, down to the shirt in my hands, back to my face. He watched every move I made carefully, his eyes glued on my body making my fingertips shake. I pulled open the garbage disposal that was hidden on the lower cabinets and dropped the grey worn out shirt on the bag.

"If Will is, you know, too worried, tell him I'm eating upstairs."