The Adjacent Room [h.s]

Chapter 2

Totally disregarding our shared profanity, Harry walks into the room and sits down on the armchair in the corner. For someone so famous, Harry almost looks funny sitting in the smaller sized hotel room. We're both so lucky and very used staying in luxury suites larger than the size of my childhood home, so sitting in a generic hotel room, despite being a luxury hotel, seems strange. The room is plain, with one queen sized bed in the middle, facing a plain white wall with an average sized TV hanging in the middle. The far wall is made up of floor to ceiling windows displaying the Sydney skyline, with a large couch placed in front. The entryway extends to a large cupboard on the right side and an expansive bathroom on the left.

Once I take in the whole room, I look over at Harry, who is watching me with a look on his face I can't quite pick out.

'I know you're probably beginning to panic, but I promise you it will be fine. We're only here for a week anyway and I'm more than happy to sleep on the couch' Harry says, laying his long body on the piece of furniture. The couch may be long, but Harry's tall frame is doing him no favours, because he has to curl up his body to nearly match my petite height. I slowly feel myself waking up and with a laugh, I tell Harry,

'Don't be stupid, Harry. I'm fine. You can barely even stretch your big toe on that couch. I'll sleep there.' Harry, knowing our stubborn personalities both won't allow the other to take the couch, offers a solution.

'Alright then, fine. If that's how you feel I guess we'll have to share the bed. I know you won't be able to keep your hands to yourself though, so we're going to have to install a pillow barrier. If you weren't so stubborn it wouldn't have come to this!' Harry teases. I realise I have no option here but to agree. It's only a week, right? We're both professional 26 year olds and nothing has happened in the past 4 years to suggest this sleeping arrangement is going to cause any issues.

'Fine. As long as we put the proper precautions in place and the pillow barrier is permanently installed.' I joke. Harry agrees, and walks over to me with his hand outstretched, clearly waiting for a handshake of agreement. We shake hands, and I take my heels off and place them neatly in the closet, by the door.

By the time I turn back around, Harry is sprawled out on the bed looking through the room service menu. I realise that I'm no longer tired at all, and jump onto the bed beside Harry to look through the menu with him. Eventually, we decide on ordering vegetarian tacos.

After a short wait, the food arrives and it takes a lot longer to eat than it should because Harry is busy trying to take bites out of my meal, which happens to be the exact same as his. Even still, Harry finishes eating his tacos long before I finish mine, so when I'm not trying to protect my meal, I'm laughing at some dramatic story he's telling me. By the time we finish, it's already nearly 3am, and my exhaustion has returned.

It's my ritual every night to check Harry's schedule for the next day and despite my fatigue, tonight is no exception.

'Tomorrow you've got an interview. We need to be there by 8 for the segment to air live at 8:45'

'Yeah I know. Who's it for again?'

'It's for a morning show. I think it's called Sunrise.'

'Are you coming?'

'Of course I'm coming. You wouldn't make it out this door if it wasn't for me.' I point to the door of our hotel room, and Harry laughs. I love the sound of Harry's laugh much more than I would admit. Just before I fall flat on my face with exhaustion, I walk over to my pink suitcase and grab out my bag of toiletries. I make my way to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth.