Page 22 of Harrison's Wedding

“A month?” Dad asks me.

“Well, we don’t know for sure, but we’ve all blocked out October to work on the album. No interviews, no business, just being out there and seeing what happens. It might take longer; it might take less time. The important thing is that we’re not tied to any timeframe.”

“It sounds very exciting, Harry,” Mom says with a proud smile on her face.

“Thanks, Mom.”

The conversation moves on to my dad’s business, and I join in, but I keep an eye on Heather over the rest of dinner. She’s very quiet, which is unusual for her. Normally, she’s the center of nearly every conversation, but she doesn’t say much at all this evening.

“You guys relax; we’ll clean up the dishes,” I offer our parents when everyone’s finished eating.

“Thanks, Harry,” Mom smiles at me.

Heather and I carry the dishes to the kitchen. I begin to rinse each dish before Heather stacks it in the dishwasher. She looks tired again, and I worry that she’s working too hard for Fashion Week. It’s over a month away, and I don’t think she can keep up this pace.

As I hand her a plate, I say, “You’ve been quiet tonight, angel.”

“I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“Anything you want to share with your fiancé?” I ask while smiling at her.

“Just stressing about Fashion Week and money and the like.”

I can see the worry painted across her face. When Heather was first invited to show at Fashion Week and she found out how much it would cost, she almost declined. Most new designers get loans or find sponsors for their shows. Heather was worried about Serenity being able to earn enough back or that her line might fail.

I had zero doubts, however. I told her that we could easily afford to pay the kind of sums she was talking about. At the end of the day, we have a joint bank account that she could pull the money from if she wanted to. Heather insists that it’s a loan, and Serenity will pay us back whatever the show ends up costing. I admire her tenacity, but I don’t like it adding to her stress levels right now.

I put the dish I was about to rinse down in the sink and walk over to Heather, pulling her into my arms and hugging her tightly to me. She relaxes into my embrace, and I rest my cheek against the top of her head.

“I’ve told you not to worry about the money, angel.”

“I know you have. It doesn’t stop me worrying, though,” she whispers.

I lift my head, keeping one arm around her as I put my other hand under her chin to turn her face up to mine. I look into her beautiful eyes, and I wish that I could take every worry and stress away from her, just to keep her safe and carefree forever.

“You’re going to be my wife soon. Even if you weren’t, I would still have invested in you. I believe in you, angel; you’re talented, and I’m proud to be the man who gets to place his bets on you.”

I mean every word because I love her so much, and she’s my beautiful angel.

I lower my mouth to hers, kissing her passionately and deeply. I can feel the curves of her soft body as she presses it against me while she winds her arms around my neck. I can feel the blood rushing to my crotch and I'm seconds away from getting an erection when she breaks our kiss and pulls away from me.

We look at each other for a few seconds while breathing heavily before she says in a husky voice, “Remind me to show you how grateful I am for your support when we get home.”

Images of her on her knees in front of me with her mouth wrapped around my cock spring to my mind, and I grin at her. “Don’t think I won’t.”

We finish cleaning up before going to say goodbye to our parents. It’s not long before we’re sitting in my Tesla as I drive home to our apartment. I place my right hand casually on Heather’s knee before slipping my fingers underneath the hem of her skirt and sliding my hand higher up to her thigh.

Heather gives a short, sharp intake of breath, and her body goes tense for a second before she relaxes, and I smile. I stroke her leg gently, and Heather leans back into the seat, looking out the window as we drive. She’s playing with the engagement ring on her finger, which she does a lot, I’ve noticed.

The streetlights passing by the car remind me of one of our songs, and I begin to sing “Playing Me” without thinking. Heather looks over at me when I start singing, and she smiles at me. She still looks tired, but just as beautiful as ever. She closes her eyes, and after about a minute, her breathing evens out and I realize she’s fallen asleep.

I take my hand off her thigh and pull her skirt back down before I put my hand back on the steering wheel. I’m so grateful to have Heather in my life. I hope that things settle down with her and Sebastian soon. I’m hoping that it’s just her fashion show that’s making her stressed. Maybe, when that’s over, she might be able to accept Ariana back into her life.

August

Cruise Control Celebrations

Harrison Fletcher and his fiancée, Heather York, are having their engagement party this month. Rumored to be held at an exclusive Chicago location, they will be celebrating with their closest friends and family.