Together

She's Happy

Hi I miss London so much. I can't believe that it's been almost a year since I was there. This book takes me back in a way. <3 anyway, I like this chapter and think you all will too. Enjoy/comment/vote xxx
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March 1, 2026

Harper

Nessa: If you're free, come on over at 18:00 tonight for dinner. Patrick can come too, if he would like. Gabe wants to meet you, Kath, and Emmie.

"Patrick?" I say to my husband. "Nessa just texted me. She's having a bit of a dinner party tonight and wants to know if you and I would like to go. I'm going for sure. Do you want to join?"

"Is it just going to be you girls?"

"No," I say. "Nessa's boyfriend is going to be there, and I'm not sure if anyone else will be."

"I'll go. Why not," he shrugs. "I didn't know that she was seeing somebody.

"Neither did I, until about a week ago, but she's quite smitten," I admit. "They were keeping it secret until they got their relationship going, I guess, but it seems that they're moving quite quickly, and at this rate, they're going to be married in two more weeks."

Patrick lets out a noise that is somewhere between a chuckle and a grunt, causing me to burst into giggles.

"So, I'll tell her that we are both coming, then?"

"Sure," he replies.

Harper: Patrick and I will both be there. Thank you so much for the invite xxxx.

Nessa: No problem. I can't wait to see you and I can't wait for you to meet Gabe. I hope you like him.

Harper: I'm sure that I will, if he truly makes you as happy as you're saying that he does.

Nessa: Thank you. Love you x

Harper: Love you too x

I set my phone down on the coffee table next to me, then position myself so that I'm all snuggled up with Patrick, who is next to me on the sofa.

We have a nice, relaxing day, where I recharge and sip singer's tea, until it's time to get ready to go to Nessa's.

"Is this going to be a formal thing?" he asks.

"I'd doubt it. It isn't a joggers thing, particularly, but you'll be fine in jeans."

"Cool," he replies. "Are you wearing that?"

I'm dressed in a pink and white striped jumper and ripped jeans, but the classy kind.

"Yeah," I nod. "Probably with my strappy, black ballerina flats."

Patrick ends up dressing himself in denim trousers, a fitted white tee, and a brown, faux leather jacket.

It isn't too long before we find ourselves on the tube to Hampstead.

"So, we need to have an important discussion, now that it's March," Patrick tells me.

"Oh?"

"Well, my love, your birthday is in just two weeks. What do you want to plan to celebrate?"

"I don't know. I'm really quite fine with a quiet morning in, then going to do my shows that afternoon and evening."

"It's your special day. Name something- anything."

"I guess that it might be fun to have a little brunch party with some friends," I shrug. "If we could smuggle Taylor in, she'd love to get out of the house, too."

"That sounds perfect," Patrick says. "I'll get on planning that."

"Seriously, Patrick. Nothing too big. Don't invite more than... say, ten people."

"Alright," he replies. "Your wish is my command."

When we arrive at Nessa and Katherine's flat, I'm surprised to see that it is Emmie who is letting me in.

"Hey," I say, giving her a small smile. I really don't know her very well at all, only that she is a great friend to Katherine. In spite of that, I always make an effort to treat her like a friend, becuase a friend of my friends' is a friend of mine.

"Hey. Nessa's just finishing up dinner, and Katherine is in the shower. She was at the gym."

"That girl..." I roll my eyes. "It's not like she doesn't get enough exercise in the show. This is her day off."

"You don't have to tell me that," Emmie laughs. "She's like an artist version of a workaholic."

I know that Emmie has a point to what she is saying.

"Oh, and that's Ben," she adds, pointing to a man sitting on the sofa. "He's my boyfriend."

"Patrick, my husband." I motion to the man standing next to me.

"It's nice to meet you," Emmie says, shaking Patrick's hand. "Gabe isn't here yet, in case you were wondering. Nessa wanted to get everyone else here before he is unveiled, so he will be here in about fifteen minutes."

"Unveiled? A mystery man," I laugh.

"He sure is," Emmie replies. "But she's done nothing but gush about him since she admitted to being in the relationship last week."

In a few minutes, after everyone has convened in the living room, we all hear a knock on the door.

"Well, Ness," Katherine says, "I don't know who that could be other than your man, so go answer him and let us meet that boy."

She smiles and runs to the door, suddenly all giddy.

I love seeing her so happy.

"Guys," she says, coming back in with a tall, nicely dressed, brunette guy on her arm, "this is Gabe."

We all give him a collective wave.

"Gabe, this is Katherine, Harper, Patrick, Ben, and Emmie." She goes around the room and points to each of us.

"I've heard so much about all of you," he laughs. "It's nice to finally put names to faces."

The rest of the night consists of mostly small talk.

"So, you're Harper, the big West End star?" Gabe says to me, at one point. He is making an effort to talk to all of us, while still spending time with Nessa, of course.

"Well, that's debatable," I chuckle, "but I suppose that's how Nessa described me, because she has a tendency to do that."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. You're playing the lead in Anastasia right now, from what I hear."

"That would be correct," I smile.

"Nessa keeps talking about wanting to come see you and Kath again."

"I could totally hook you guys up with tickets."

"That would be great. I could surprise her."

I smile. "My husband is quite fond of surprising me in fun little ways like that. Nessa will love. Thank you so much for treating her so well. She's had a bad track record with some guys in the past, but I don't think that I've ever seen her so happy."

"I'm glad that she has amazing friends, like you, who watch out for her," Gabe replies. "And I'm so glad that she's happy, because I love her so much. I really, truly do."