For Fair Love
nine
“Harry, what’s taking so long?” she demands.
She drops her Balenciaga handbag in the sofa. She looks around the house as a grimace runs on her face. I listen to the clacking of her high heels against the floor as she advances to Harry. I stay by the door. She looks expensive. I feel as though I’m losing money by looking at her.
“We were just talking about going to London,” he casually answers.
“I’m not going to London,” I say, frowning.
The lady pivots and looks at me from head to toe before looking to Harry.
“That’s… the girl?” she says, not seeming impressed.
“Hello,” Grans chimes, “Can I help you?”
The lady falls into the chair and crosses her legs, making herself more comfortably at home than me.
“If you have coffee. And please make it strong. No sugar,” she says and stitches a smile on her face.
Grans tries to run the place like a Starbucks. The lady looks at me again.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” I ask, feeling offended by her gaze.
“Karen,” she answers, pointedly, “You must be Chas. I’ve heard little and lots about you. As you can see, we don’t have much time to chitchat. I need you to pack your belongings. Nothing heavy. Don’t bring clothes. We’ll provide you a new wardrobe. And hurry it up. We have a plane to catch by tonight.”
I gulp at her intimidating attitude.
“What makes you think I’m going anywhere with you? I don’t even know you,” I say as I tighten my shoulders.
Karen makes a long sigh.
“Don’t you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused Harry?” she asks me, making me frown more.
“Karen, none of this is her fault,” Harry interrupts her.
Karen surrenders, “Doesn’t matter now whose fault it is. The result is out of hand.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, so confused at these people vague terms.
“The night Harry brought you into his hotel, paparazzi got a good shot of it all. You’re on front cover of magazines and they are selling. And Harry here has a habit of finding himself in these kinds of situations with different girls,” Karen explains, eyeing Harry. “We need you to come to London so we can fix this before the whole world trashes Harry.”
“But, nothing even happened… What do you expect me do?”
Karen taps her nails on the table and says, “You’re basically going to be Harry’s girlfriend.”
“No,” I say lowly.
“Yes, you are. Everything’s already been prepared,” Karen replies.
“Eh! You’re kidding.”
“I wouldn’t have come all the way here, miss Chas, just to kid,” Karen says with tight lips.
I look over to Harry and back to Karen.
“Just find him another girlfriend,” I say almost laughing.
“See, that would seem rather easy. We would have done that already if we could. But, it’s more complicated than that,” Karen talks and stands up, “I won’t lie to you, dear. Trying to get a model, or an actress, or even a signer to date Harry, after his past short relationships and his tinted image of being a ladies man, is too difficult. We’d have to go through their management and all. You are an ordinary girl. We don’t need management approval or discuss image standards. Besides, you’re the girl on the cover. No one knows who you are yet. It would be nice for a change to be the ones to give the media the information they want. Plus, you don’t have any bad back-story that can harm Harry’s image. It’s for this reason we came to get you. So, I need you to pack your things and come with us.”
Grans comes back with the coffee.
I shake my head, “I can’t believe this.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“What’s going on?” Grans asks.
“Chas is coming to London with us,” Karen smiles.
“Well, Chas isn’t that great news? You always wanted to go to London,” Grans says.
“I’m not going with them,” I say.
“Yes, you are and we need to catch the plane,” Karen says.
“You can’t make me.”
“If you don’t agree with me, I can send your name to the media. I am obligated by management policy to give names of people affiliated with any of the boys. Not only will you be harassed by the media, but your whole life will be ruined by this.”
“I’m not coming,” I cross my arms.
“Ha!” Karen laughs, haughtily, “Listen here! I like my job and I don’t intend to lose it! So you are coming whether you like it or not!”
I raise my voice, “I’m not going to London!”
And with that I stomp into my room and slam the door.
She drops her Balenciaga handbag in the sofa. She looks around the house as a grimace runs on her face. I listen to the clacking of her high heels against the floor as she advances to Harry. I stay by the door. She looks expensive. I feel as though I’m losing money by looking at her.
“We were just talking about going to London,” he casually answers.
“I’m not going to London,” I say, frowning.
The lady pivots and looks at me from head to toe before looking to Harry.
“That’s… the girl?” she says, not seeming impressed.
“Hello,” Grans chimes, “Can I help you?”
The lady falls into the chair and crosses her legs, making herself more comfortably at home than me.
“If you have coffee. And please make it strong. No sugar,” she says and stitches a smile on her face.
Grans tries to run the place like a Starbucks. The lady looks at me again.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” I ask, feeling offended by her gaze.
“Karen,” she answers, pointedly, “You must be Chas. I’ve heard little and lots about you. As you can see, we don’t have much time to chitchat. I need you to pack your belongings. Nothing heavy. Don’t bring clothes. We’ll provide you a new wardrobe. And hurry it up. We have a plane to catch by tonight.”
I gulp at her intimidating attitude.
“What makes you think I’m going anywhere with you? I don’t even know you,” I say as I tighten my shoulders.
Karen makes a long sigh.
“Don’t you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused Harry?” she asks me, making me frown more.
“Karen, none of this is her fault,” Harry interrupts her.
Karen surrenders, “Doesn’t matter now whose fault it is. The result is out of hand.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, so confused at these people vague terms.
“The night Harry brought you into his hotel, paparazzi got a good shot of it all. You’re on front cover of magazines and they are selling. And Harry here has a habit of finding himself in these kinds of situations with different girls,” Karen explains, eyeing Harry. “We need you to come to London so we can fix this before the whole world trashes Harry.”
“But, nothing even happened… What do you expect me do?”
Karen taps her nails on the table and says, “You’re basically going to be Harry’s girlfriend.”
“No,” I say lowly.
“Yes, you are. Everything’s already been prepared,” Karen replies.
“Eh! You’re kidding.”
“I wouldn’t have come all the way here, miss Chas, just to kid,” Karen says with tight lips.
I look over to Harry and back to Karen.
“Just find him another girlfriend,” I say almost laughing.
“See, that would seem rather easy. We would have done that already if we could. But, it’s more complicated than that,” Karen talks and stands up, “I won’t lie to you, dear. Trying to get a model, or an actress, or even a signer to date Harry, after his past short relationships and his tinted image of being a ladies man, is too difficult. We’d have to go through their management and all. You are an ordinary girl. We don’t need management approval or discuss image standards. Besides, you’re the girl on the cover. No one knows who you are yet. It would be nice for a change to be the ones to give the media the information they want. Plus, you don’t have any bad back-story that can harm Harry’s image. It’s for this reason we came to get you. So, I need you to pack your things and come with us.”
Grans comes back with the coffee.
I shake my head, “I can’t believe this.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“What’s going on?” Grans asks.
“Chas is coming to London with us,” Karen smiles.
“Well, Chas isn’t that great news? You always wanted to go to London,” Grans says.
“I’m not going with them,” I say.
“Yes, you are and we need to catch the plane,” Karen says.
“You can’t make me.”
“If you don’t agree with me, I can send your name to the media. I am obligated by management policy to give names of people affiliated with any of the boys. Not only will you be harassed by the media, but your whole life will be ruined by this.”
“I’m not coming,” I cross my arms.
“Ha!” Karen laughs, haughtily, “Listen here! I like my job and I don’t intend to lose it! So you are coming whether you like it or not!”
I raise my voice, “I’m not going to London!”
And with that I stomp into my room and slam the door.