How It's Going To Be [h.s.]

Chapter 80

{Kate's Point of View}

California felt like paradise compared to the chaos and cold weather of London. Under the sun, I couldn't feel the pressure of work and I was distracted from missing Harry. I felt free as I wore a sandals and sunglasses instead of gloves and scarves. It was nice to be with my friends after so many of months of barely seeing them.

Alessandra's planning had not disappointed; we stayed at The Peninsula Beverly Hills. Tory, Natalia, and Jill shared a suite, and Alessandra and I shared a second one. The hotel was gorgeous. High quality amenities, beautiful rooms, and top-tier guest service were the bottom line. We were treated like royalty. Apparently Alessandra's uni boyfriend had moved to Beverly Hills and worked as the property manager. Alessandra had called in a favor and the hotel had rolled out the red carpet for us.

The girls were on edge while we were there. None of them would clue me in on what exactly they were anxious about. As we walked across the hotel property, they would look over their shoulders. They peeked around corners before we rounded them. As we lay poolside, they would glance over their sunglasses and scan the immediate area. Any time I asked about the strange behavior over the course of the week, they would shrug it off. 

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The sun was directly overhead in the cloudless sky. It was an exceptionally warm day for the time of year as the temperature climbed with each hour. We sat out on the patio of the hotel's restaurant for lunch. The server had taken our order and we were left to sweat in the sun and drain our glasses of ice water. Our table was circular so I had a view of each of my friends. We all wore sunglasses, but I could tell that all of them were looking in different directions.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Hmm?" Natalia pushed her glasses up on her head to reveal her guilty eyes.

"What's everyone looking at?"

"Nothing, babe. Just checking out the area." Alessandra gave a weak, unconvincing smile.

"Oh," I nodded. They were lying. Their eyes scanned the immediate area as if they were looking for something or someone.

My skin felt sticky and the exhaustion of being out in the sun was beginning to irritate me. I shook my empty glass and listened to the echo of the ice clinking on the sides. The plate of hummus on the center of the table had been thoroughly attended to by each of us.

"I'm dying to go shopping," Alessandra sighed.

"Me too!" Tory gushed.

"Let's go after lunch. I want to shop Rodeo Drive."

"Yes!" Natalia clapped. "I need a dress for my sister's wedding in January. That will be the perfect place to look."

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As we walked Rodeo Drive, my friends and I began accumulating armfuls of shopping bags. We swiped our credit cards until we felt guilty simply pulling them from our wallets. A mixture of warm weather and being so far removed from home made us lose our ability to think rationally as we left Chanel with multiple pairs of shoes.

For a time, I didn't feel like I had left the lifestyle Harry had provided me. Though some memories were blurry, I understood that we would shop together all over the world. Harry cared about fashion and style and perception both personally and professionally. Being in his world had introduced me to a mindset I never before had when it came to dressing myself and being willing to spend money on such material items.