Illicit [Harry Styles]

Chapter 20

I spent the afternoon eating my sandwich and watching TV, that was until there was a knock on the door and before I even had a chance to blink Mckenzie was sauntering into my house like she lived here. She kicked off her shoes by the door and fell onto the sofa beside me.

"I could've been naked in here. Or worse - Niall could've been naked in here."

"Meh, nothing I haven't seen before," she shrugged coolly and we both giggled.

"So, Louis invited me to a party tomorrow night and said to ask if you wanted to come."

"He wants me to come?" I asked, amazed that for once I'd actually gotten an invite and not been dragged along by Mckenzie without her even checking it was okay.

"Yeah. See, you're making friends already this year. Progress!"

"I think you'll find I was friends with Louis before you came along and sucked him off the other week."

Mckenzie rolled her eyes at me and helped herself to a crisp from the bag in my lap. "So are you coming or not?"

"I don't know..."

"For God's sake, Jess!"

"You'll only go off with him and leave me like last time!" I defended myself in a high pitched, accusing voice.

"I didn't leave you last time, you left us and disappeared with Harry," a metaphorical lightbulb seemed to appear above her head at this point, "Is that why you don't wanna come, because he'll be there?"

"No, no. We talked and according to him we're fine," I told her.

"You talked to him? When?"

"Today," I said casually, biting into my sandwich and paying more attention to the TV.

"What exactly did you talk about?" she pressed.

"It doesn't matter!"

"Okay... well, what's the problem then? Just come!"

"You know these parties aren't exactly my thing. I'll just end up sitting by myself again!"

"You won't, I promise! I'll make sure of it," she was practically begging now, her eyelashes fluttering elegantly as she gave me her best puppy-dog eyes. "Pleeeaaaassssseeeee!"

"Ugh, fine! I don't know why you're so desperate for me to come, but fine," I gave in. I was a sucker for puppy-dog eyes, I suppose. And I guess I should make the most of the invite since it's something that happens rarely, and my mum always told me the more you turn down an invite the less likely you are to be invited again.

"Yes!" she squealed. "Do you want to go shopping? We need to get you a hot outfit!"

"Right now? It's like-" I checked the clock hanging on the wall, "-two PM."

"Yes right now. Come on, lazy, let's go! The shops are open 'til late on Fridays."

I wasn't sure that was strictly true and I grunted and groaned as usual, finally letting her force me up off the sofa and into town. We made it there in twenty minutes and Mckenzie was dragging me around from shop to shop, making me try on what felt like one hundred different outfits. I felt like a doll being made to play dress up, and Mckenzie was the excited little girl tugging at my limbs and admiring me with a sparkle in her eye.

Eventually, after an hour of shopping, she insisted I buy what I was sure was the very first outfit I tried on; which was a pair of black, high waisted skinny jeans and a cream, spaghetti strap crop top with a halter neck. She insisted that this party wasn't going to be anything fancy or dressy and that everyone was going with casual, comfy outfits so this look was perfect. However, we did stop and get some chunky high-heeled boots to spruce it up a bit.