Loving Henry

24 March, Thursday

It was a week later that I had to say goodbye to Henry, since he was leaving to go back to England for his brother’s stag party. Henry, as the best man had been planning a water-themed celebration with high-speed boats and water skiing in Exmouth, Devon, but he changed plans at the last minute after someone leaked the details. He was terribly upset when he found out and I’d never seen him so mad.

Then he was in constant contact with the party planner to arrange something else. He told me that they were just going to have a low-key party at an estate in Norfolk. I was pleasantly surprised when he told me this. I couldn’t believe that he trusted me that much.

I mean; it’s not like I’m saying that he shouldn’t trust me, because honestly, what the hell am I going to do with the information? I’m not some gossip hungry idiot.

We greeted at the hotel - we didn’t want to do it at the airport, since there could’ve been reporters - and spent about fifteen minutes making out on the couch. Henry is an absolutely amazing kisser. Not that I have that much experience to go on, since I’ve only been kissed a handful of times in my life, but I assure you that Henry definitely knows what he’s doing.

He would be returning on Monday, but I was still sad to see him go. Henry had become such a constant in my life that even the thought of spending a few days apart was making me depressed. I was going to spend the entire time that he was gone, just being a complete couch potato.

About half an hour after Henry’s plane had taken off, I decided to stop sitting on the couch and staring at the wall. I got up, grabbed my keys and a coat and headed to the lift. From there I got my car and went to the nearest supermarket. The hotel obviously had room service, but I needed lots and lots of junk food for my four days of laziness. I saw a bookstore on my way back to the hotel and thought that I could do with a good book.

I got some Highlander book, by Karen Marie Moning and paid the cute looking guy behind the counter - who tried to flirt with me. I wasn’t rude to him, but I didn’t really encourage him either. Henry’s kisses were still too fresh in my mind. And besides, I wouldn’t want to betray Henry.

That thought made me stop and think. Would I really be betraying Henry? I wasn’t planning on snogging every guy that I could get my hands on, but it’s not like Henry and I were actually an item, or were we? All the dates and kissing on the side, how did I know that what Henry and I were doing wasn’t just some summer fling? For all I know, he could be bored and decided to have some fun with me.

That thought made me feel guilty. Henry wasn’t like that. But it still didn’t take away the problem of me not knowing where our “relationship” was going. We never talked about having a future or anything like that. It’s only been two weeks, but I was already falling in love with the man and I just wasn’t sure if he was truly that serious about pursuing a proper relationship with me.

There was no way to know for certain. Even if I did somehow manage to scrape the courage together to talk to him about it, I certainly wasn’t about to do it over the phone. I’d have to wait for him to come back, so that gives me four days to brood over this.

Now, I’m even more bloody depressed. When I was back in my suite, I went to my room to get dressed in comfortable clothes and then I settled in front of the couch, flipping through the channels aimlessly.

~**~

The next day around noon, I had started on my novel and was already halfway through it when my phone starting ringing. I put my book down and ran to my room to snatch it off the bedside table, before it could go to voicemail.

“Hello,” I answered a bit breathlessly and without looking at the caller ID.

“Li?” A concerned voice asked and I felt all the worries of the last day roll off me, like they were never there.

“Henry! I’m so glad you called. Are you at the estate yet? Is it beautiful? Does your brother like it? Henry, I really hope there isn’t going to be strippers or anything like that… I know that we aren’t married but I-” I broke off when I heard Henry laughing and I realised that I’d been asking a million questions an hour and I doubted Henry heard a word that I said.

“I’m glad I called you too, Li. Yes, we just arrived and it’s very beautiful here. William loves it and he was very happy to hear that there are not going to be any strippers. Apparently Kate was very adamant about it. In any case, I knew that William wouldn’t like it, since he generally doesn’t go for that type of stuff. I also know that we aren’t married, but I really do like you, Li and I would’ve been worried if you didn’t care that there was going to be strippers. I’m missing you already,” I could hear the smile in his voice and I found that I was grinning like an idiot again.

Henry knew how to alleviate all my fears with just a few words.

“Thank you, Henry,” I said softly, “I miss you too.”

“That’s good to hear. So, what are you up to?”

“Oh, I’m reading a book.”

“Yeah, what about?”

“This highlander who’s possessed by demons and he meets the heroine and they can barely keep their hands off each other. It’s quite good. I rather like these romance novels, especially since they make up for my lack of a sex life.” Henry laughed.

“You do realise that that could be easily remedied? Unless you’re planning on entering a convent?”

“Heavens no! No nunneries for me. I think I’d rather like sex, but I want to wait for marriage. I know it’s a bit old fashioned and I don’t really get where the idea came from or why it’s sticking to me so vehemently, but it’s there and I’m done arguing with myself over it.”

“Arguing, eh?” he asked, “do you do that a lot? Because I don’t know if I can be with a nutter…”

I laughed, “Henry! You’re supposed to like me, despite my psychological problems.”

“I do, Li. Trust me, I really do like you. Although, I do agree that you must suffer from many psychological problems. But, I’m willing to overlook them, if you can accept the fact that I snore.”

I gasped in mock outrage, “I’m sorry, but I can’t. That’s a deal breaker right there. I simply cannot listen to you putting gravel in a blender every night for the rest of our lives. I might go insane.”

“That hurts, Li. It really does. I think I’ll have to invite strippers to console my breaking heart.”

I was about to reply when I heard some guy talking to Henry in the background.

“Harry,” the guy shouted, “are you inviting strippers? Awesome man!”

“I’m sorry, Li, could you hang on for a minute?” Henry requested of me and then he started talking to the guy. “No, Thomas, I’m not inviting strippers. You know that Kate said no.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like William has to participate. He can go to bed and we can enjoy the strippers,” the Thomas guy said. “Come on, you know you want to.”

“Actually, no I don’t want to and in any case, my lady said no as well, so suck it up and find some other way to amuse yourself,” Henry replied.

He called me his “Lady!!!” I thought I might faint.

“Lady? I didn’t know you were seeing someone,” Thomas said.

“Not that it has anything to do with anyone, but yes, I am seeing someone. Look, can we talk about this later? I’m on the phone with her and I’m not going to waste my chance to hear her voice, by arguing with you about my love life.”

“I’m sorry, Li. Guy doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut,” Henry said, talking to me again.

“It’s okay. He did sound like a meddlesome bastard.”

Henry laughed and then broke off when he listened to someone calling him again.

He sighed, “I can’t believe that idiot wasted my time with you and now I have to go. I’m really sorry,” he sighed again.

“Henry, it’s fine. We can talk again tomorrow or even later today if you get the chance.”

“I really do miss you, Gabrielli.”

“I miss you too, my Prince. Have fun, bye.”

He said goodbye and I took the phone with me back to the living room. Just in case he called me again.

Henry calling instantly had me in a better mood and I settled down to finish my book.