In Another Life

The most public that Harry and I have been is to the cinemas and we’d snuck in at the last minute and escaped before the credits were rolling to avoid the crowds. Even then, he’d been hidden behind sunglasses and a hat and a hoodie and I’d been a nervous wreck the entire time as we sat in the back row. Quite honestly, I can’t remember anything of the film, and I’m not sure if Harry does either.

Will and Kate go out often. I’ve seen their photographs in tabloids and heard enough rumors and gossip about them from Amanda to know that. Though, to be quite honest, her royal commentary has died down in the past month or two and I think it has something to do with the fact that a prince now spends a lot of his free time with me. At any rate, I’m trusting Will and Harry to know what to do. And also that if something does happen, no one will care if I completely freak out, and embarrass myself horribly. Then afterwards I’ll just hide myself away, and never acknowledge their presence ever again.

It’s a completely logical plan of action, in my opinion.

As Harry rolls up the windows, I gather together my things and undo my seatbelt. Just as I make a move to unlock my door and climb out of the car, he grabs onto my arm lightly. I turn and look at him questioningly.

“You’re going to do brilliantly,” He says simply before leaning over and pecking my lips softly.

I smile at him before I get out of the car and straighten out my blazer and trousers. I swing my bag up onto my shoulder before I accept Harry’s outstretched hand and allow him to lead me up the narrow steps to the restaurant before us.

It looks as though it had been a house in another lifetime with a really lovely brick wall out front. The building is made of a combination of big, chunky stones and what looks like weathered clapboards that were once painted white, but have faded to a creamy yellow color. I have to wonder just who lived in here previously, especially someone notable enough to have a trendy, chic ‘hot spot’ built in their living space after they’ve gone. The thought that it must be incredibly old also darts across my mind, because I can’t think of any other residential area in London having this big of a garden.

We step up onto the porch, and as the wood creaks beneath my feet, I catch sight of gorgeous stained glass in the front windows. The lights are twinkling merrily from the inside, and I can only imagine that this place has a massive fire going in the grate inside, and big squashy sofas and armchairs that were simply meant for cuddling together with that special someone.

Harry holds the door open for me and I step inside, immediately overwhelmed by the smells from the kitchen. My stomach rumbles hungrily and I recognize the heady garlic scent of Italian cooking. Slowly, I pull my sunnies off and fold them into my bag as a heavy, gray-haired man comes towards us with a big smile on his face, and an apron that’s stained with bright red blotches and a few grease spots.

“Welcome to Polpo, we are very happy to have you here with us today,” He looks me up and down and speaks in a dodgy Italian accent before he turns to Harry and recognition dawns on his face. “Your Majesty,” He inclines his head slightly, fluttering his hands about anxiously. “Will you be requiring a table of your own, or perhaps you are here to join your brother?”

“That’ll be fine, thanks. I think I can manage to find them,” Harry grins and the man bows us into the dining room. I clutch at Harry’s hand tightly as I try to both see everywhere at once and be on the lookout for his brother at the same time. Of course, I fail miserably at both and my heart leaps up into my throat as I hear someone call out Harry’s name. It’s a voice that I’ve heard coming from my telly quite a few times.

My stomach drops down even further and I successfully hide behind Harry’s broad back as he greets his family. But then he tugs me forward and I nearly trip on my towering heels as I step up to the table with a bright smile on my face in what I can only hope is a cheerful and welcoming grin.

“Will, Kate, this is Bryn Matthews. Bry, this is Will and this is Kate,” Harry introduces us easily, pointing to everyone in turn. Though really, I don’t need any clues to know who’s who. Even if I were completely daft, it’d be fairly easy to make educated guesses based on their names alone.

God, I’m nervous. I’m even rambling in my mind, and I haven’t even spoken to them yet. They’re absolutely going to think I’m completely bonkers. I should just talk. Get it over with already.

I accept Will’s outstretched hand and smile timidly up at him as he shakes firmly. “Hello Bryn, it’s a pleasure to finally be able to put a face with the name. For a bit there, we were convinced Har was making you up.”

“Thanks, Will. Nothing like making a great first impression on the girlfriend by commenting on my mental health,” Harry does his best to sound annoyed, though the twinkle in his eyes is fairly recognizable.

Kate gives her husband a rather reproachful look before turning to me. “Don’t listen to him. It’s so nice to finally meet you,” She says in her clear, soft voice with a gentle smile.

I grin back as Harry pulls out my chair for me. “It’s so great to meet you, as well. Harry’s told me a lot about you,” I add as I settle myself in my chair and drape my purse across the back.

“All good things,” Will interjects with a twinkle in his eye that reminds me so much of Harry. “Otherwise, I must state that he’s lying about anything that is less than flattering to me or my wife.”

It’s a bit startling to be sitting at a table with the couple that I saw married on the telly over a year ago. I can recall, quite vividly, sitting on the couch with Amanda and sporting silly Union Jack hats. Jeanette and Amanda had gone mad ringing bells to celebrate the end of the ceremony, but that’s beside the point. I mean, quite obviously I knew Will and Kate are real, and I personally always thought that their marriage is one that would last, but to be a first-hand witness to it is remarkable. The cameras don’t catch the small glances they pass at each other, or the silent way they seem to communicate without words, or the intimate touches and caresses that seem to be second nature for them. It actually reminds me of Mum and Dad, and of how sickeningly sweet and in love with each other they can be.

“What’ll you have to drink, Bry?” Harry is speaking to me, and I come back to reality with a start. I’ve completely tuned out the last bit of that conversation, but no one seems to have noticed, luckily for me.

I reach for the drinks menu, and start to scan the listings hurriedly, realizing that everyone else must have already decided, because they’re waiting for me to make my decision. Nothing like a bit of pressure to make things even more uncomfortable for the odd one out in the group.

“Oh god, I don’t know. Uhm,” I make a noise in the back of my throat and wrinkle up my nose as I settle on the top of the cocktail list. “I’ll have a dark and stormy, please. Yeah,” I nod, as if reaffirming my decision. “Sorry, I’m not a big drinker.” I shrug my shoulders, and push the menu away.

Kate smiles at me from across the table. “It’s okay. I can’t even tell you the last time I went out socially for fun, and to be honest, I’m not a huge drinker either.”

This does make me feel better. A few moments pass as the waiter brings our various drinks out on a tray, and he passes them out with repeated bows and murmurs of ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’. Everyone at the table doesn’t seem to notice how tense he is, except for me. Maybe I’m just sympathetic because I’m just as anxious and full of nerves? Regardless, I flash him a toothy smile as he hands me my cocktail.

My drink comes in a highball glass with a thick lime slice for garnish. It’s filled to the brim with ice cubes, and the drink is two different shades at the top and bottom. It reminds me of toffee at the bottom, and dark chocolate at the top, but I can smell the rum and the faint hint of ginger fizz.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Will speaks up, looking up from his menu and addressing both Harry and me. “But we ordered a couple starters already.”

“They all sounded so good that I couldn’t decide,” Kate looks unapologetic as she grins. “So we’re sampling all of them.”

“Little known secret,” Harry leans over and stage whispers in my ear. “Kate eats like a fat kid.”

“Hey,” She laughs, her teeth flashing in the low light. “I do not! Okay, well I do sometimes, but everyone has those days. Bryn, don’t listen to a word he says about me.” She address me in a quiet voice, her eyes twinkling merrily.

“I promise to not put any substantial weight on Harry’s input this evening,” I vow solemnly, and Harry himself looks a bit surprised at my words before he realizes that I’m joking.

He grumbles something about Kate turning me against him, before Kate recaptures my attention just as the waiter appears bearing a tray full of steaming food that smells absolutely heavenly.

“So Bryn, tell me about school. Harry tells us you’re taking classes at University College of London?” She murmurs her thanks to the waiter, and waits as Will starts to fill up her their plates with a little bit of everything. “What’re you studying again?”

“I’m an art theory major,” I reply, taking a small sip of my drink. “I’m in my third year, so I hope to graduate next year.”

“That’s excellent. I’ve heard they have a good program,” Will comments, handing the serving fork over to Harry, who begins helping himself. “What are you wanting to do afterwards? I know that’s an irritating question to be asked, but I’m curious. Do forgive me, I know nothing of art theory.”

I shake my head, fidgeting with the straw in my glass absentmindedly. “No, it’s okay. I have a lot of people asking me about it actually. I guess art theory isn’t quite as popular as I imagined it to be,” Kate does smile at this as she takes a delicate bite of her bruschetta. “I want to work with children after I graduate. Art really is an amazing coping mechanism, and I want to help small children with whatever it is that they’re going through.”

“That’s quite selfless,” Kate observes, and I swear that Harry beams proudly next to me. “Have you always wanted to work in that particular field?”

I nod, and move my arm out of the way of Harry’s nudging fingers. I’m touched to see that he’s started to dish out some food for me, and he even remembers to skip over the stuffed mushrooms. No doubt he’s recalling the time we ordered takeout and our pizza somehow ended up with mushrooms on it, and I nearly had a heart attack before I spent ten minutes flicking the disgusting, slimy fungi onto his plate, punctuated with overly dramatic retching and hideous grimaces.

“Not necessarily art theory in particular,” I admit, accepting my plate back with a thankful smile directed at Harry. “I was always that kid with the paint on her clothes, and ink smudges on her hands. I knew that I wanted to work with art, but it wasn’t until later that I decided that I wanted to help others.”

“This is, like, the Spanish Inquisition,” Harry interjects, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Let Bry eat, Kate.”

Both Kate and I start to speak at the same time, but she waves at me to continue talking over her. I prod Harry under the table with my toe—a not so subtle reminder that I was doing my best to make a good impression on his family, and that I didn’t need him to save me from their curiosity. Not yet, anyway. I’m not making any guarantees about later on in the meal.

“Really, it’s fine.” I laugh and then look down at the food on my plate. “I don’t mind.” The tomato bruschetta looks relatively harmless, and so I pick the bit of bread up delicately with my index finger and my thumb. I take a small, hesitant bite and much to my surprise, a warm, sweet sensation fills my mouth.

Kate pauses with her own food halfway to her mouth. “Okay, one last question before we can change the topic. I promise!” She calls out over Harry’s feeble protests. “Believe me, I know what it’s like to be on the other end of the questions, so I’ll make it relatively painless. I’m just curious, is all. It’s actually refreshing to have a normal conversation, and not be bombarded with a hundred other things.”

I do have food in my mouth, but I cover my mouth with my napkin and wave with my free hand for her to continue on with her question. Honestly, I do hope that I’ve managed to make it clear that I don’t mind the questions. I understand that this part of the bargain belongs solely to me. I am, after all, the newcomer to the group. It’s only fair that the others get a firm grasp on who I am before they decide to accept me into their fold.

“Harry tells me you two met at a polo match,” Will speaks up suddenly, and I startle in my seat. I’d half forgotten that he was at the table with the way that the conversation had been flowing between Kate and myself. When I nod, he continues. “So you’re a big polo fan then?”

I genuinely can’t help myself. It starts out as an innocent smile, and a reflective thought with as to the first time Harry and I met, before Harry himself starts to laugh. It’s not even a quiet, discreet laugh—it’s a boisterous chortle that comes from the stomach.

“Bryn is a huge polo fan,” Harry begins earnestly. “Though, modest as she is, she’ll deny it endlessly, but she never misses a meeting. Honest.” His eyes are dancing merrily as he slyly glances over at me.

I’m sure I look an absolute fool with wide eyes and a frozen smile, but Will, who is so used to Harry’s innocent quips and jokes, doesn’t even bat an eye. Once he catches sight of the shocked look on my face, he starts to laugh and shake his head.

“So I’m going to go with a no on that one,” He smiles cheerfully at me from across the table.

Regaining my voice, I nod repeatedly. “I’m really not a huge fan of polo, but I don’t mind the matches. I really went more for the company,” I admit quietly as a huge blush blossoms on my cheeks.

Beneath the table, Harry nudges me lightly with the side of his shoe. When I look up at him out of the corner of my eye, I notice that he’s smiling widely at me. He scoots his chair closer to me in a seemingly nonchalant move, before I feel his hand taking up my own beneath the table. He squeezes tightly, and I have to duck my head to hide my red cheeks from the others.

It’s almost as if he has no idea what he really does to me. But then again… perhaps he does.

The rest of the dinner passes by in a blissful breeze. The four of us finished off two bottles of wine with our meal, and we ended the night with the most scrumptious dessert I have ever had in my life. Will took care of the bill, with minimal fuss on Harry’s part (though I did eye him imploringly to let me pay my bit, which Harry graciously ignored).

The clock was striking half past 11 by the time Kate glances at the clock and gasps at the time. It seems as though the evening had gotten away from us completely. I can’t even remember the last time I had such an enjoyable evening when out with a group of new people. And that’s saying something, especially considering how painful it is for me to meet and interact with strangers.

“Will, you do have to get up early tomorrow, remember?” She turns to her husband, and places a gentle hand on his arm.

Will smiles, and then rolls his eyes once he catches sight of me watching. “I guess that’s my cue to get the car ‘round.”

“No, it’s not!” Kate insists, her dimples popping out as she grins widely. “I was really only thinking that you’d probably be wanting to go to bed soon if you have to get up at 5 tomorrow. Believe you me, no one wants to hear your grouchy complaining as you make coffee without your contacts in.”

I start to laugh, and so I miss Will’s retort, but Kate waves him away and he excuses himself with the intention of bringing the car up to the door. Harry pops off to the loo, which leaves Kate and I by ourselves at the table.

Quite truthfully, I really can’t tell if I’m nervous about it, or if I’m completely okay with her because I’ve managed to become comfortable. Or maybe it’s just the wine that’s pleasantly buzzing through my blood at the moment. I did have quite a bit—I should have stopped after two glasses, but it was so yummy.

“You know,” Kate begins, not wasting a second as soon as Harry is out of earshot. “You’re the first girl that he’s brought around since Chelsy. And that’s a massive step for Harry, and for your relationship.”

I nod slowly, a bit unsure with as to where this conversation is heading. It could go in either direction, and I’m praying that I’ll walk away from this table with her blessing. Because I’m fairly certain that if I don’t make a good impression on Harry’s brother and sister, then this relationship is not going to last. And I do so want it to last. To last as long as Harry will have me around.

“There’s no need to look so frightened,” She laughs quietly, her dark eyes sparkling in the low light of the room. “I really enjoyed our evening together, and I know that Will did, as well. I can read him really well, and he definitely likes you. I think you and Harry go so well together, and I’m glad that he brought you around, and that, well, you weren’t too skittish and anxious about tonight.”

“I’m glad I came out tonight, too.” I admit quietly, a small half-smile dancing across my lips. “I really didn’t expect to enjoy myself so much—I imagined it to be quite the feat to impress both you and Will, and I was so worried that—”

“That we were both a pair of stodgy old pompous royals?” Kate finishes up for me in a joking voice. When I blanch at her words, she waves it all away with her slim hand. “I was where you were at one point, too. You have to remember that. I can remember exactly how awful it was meeting everyone for the first time, so I understand. Hopefully we didn’t come off like that.”

I shake my head hurriedly, my earrings brushing my cheeks lightly. “Oh no, not at all.”

She turns when she hears both Will and Harry’s voices carrying in from the entranceway. “Good, I’m glad.” When Harry appears in the doorway, she looks back at me. “Will has my mobile in his pocket, so I’ll get your number from Harry later—if you don’t mind, that is.” She adds upon realizing that she might have come off as rude. “I’d really like to spend more time with you. Perhaps we can grab a coffee, or have lunch sometime?”

I nod enthusiastically as Harry comes to a stop behind my chair. His touch on my shoulder is gentle and light, and it sends shivers racing down my spine. “Yes, absolutely. That sounds so lovely.”

“Excellent. Ready, darling?” Kate allows Will to help her out of her chair, and the two take hands before Will starts to steer them towards the exit.

It takes us only a few more moments to finish up with our goodbyes. Kate startles me a bit by grabbing me up in a short, tight hug, and Will departs with a cheerful joke at Harry’s expense and a wave before Harry drapes his arm heavily about my shoulders and we start the short stroll to his car.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He asks, bumping his hip into mine lightly.

I shake my head, and then lean into him and exhale softly. “No, it wasn’t. I had a really good time tonight. They’re both so nice and lovely.”

“I told you,” He replies happily as he squeezes me lightly. “So you aren’t mad at me for springing this up on you at the last moment?” When I shake my head, he grins widely. “Good. I’m not sure what I’d do if you were angry with me.”

“Well then I just wouldn’t invite you back to mine,” I look up at him with a mischievous gleam in my eye. “And you’d be devastated to know that there’s a new episode of Cheaters taped, and I could just watch it on my own.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Harry gasps dramatically. “You know I love Clark, and his ridiculous American accent.”

“Then come to mine?” I inquire softly, looking up at him from beneath my eyelashes.

Harry steals a soft kiss, and then rests his forehead against my own. “Yeah, okay then. I’d love to.”