Ace (HS)

King of London

"Are you sure you don't want me to pick you up?" Harry asked into the phone, which was pressed up against Carmen's ear and between her shoulder. She barely registered his words as she shoved her Gucci bag in the back seat of the cab and told the driver the address of Harry's apartment.

"Yes. I'm already in the taxi," she responded after a few moments, sitting down and not bothering to buckle her seat belt. She let out a breath, digging into her purse and pulling out her cosmetic mirror. Her makeup had been rushed, unfortunately, since Harry had called her relentlessly for the past hour. She wanted to fit a nice nap in before they went out shopping, but it seemed Harry didn't understand the concept of beauty sleep.

"Hello? You still there, babe?" his voice rang through the speaker as she one-handedly applied some powder to her face.

"Yes, I'm here. I'm doing my makeup now since you were being so impatient," she mumbled, finally pleased with her reflection in the compact mirror. Her look was simple, casual; a trip to the fashion district was going to be something out of her comfort zone, since she preferred to dress up and go all out with her hair and makeup. Instead, she had tugged on a slim, navy blue skirt that stopped about mid-thigh, along with a cream blouse that accentuated her already large bust. It was classy yet alluring, and very much her.

"I wasn't being impatient. Most of the stores close at eight and it's already six," he spoke informatively. She rolled her eyes, knowing very well he wasn't able to see her, and held her hand out in front of her as she examined her nails. The black polish on them was starting to chip off. She made a mental note to complain about this in front of Harry; he would surely pay for her to get them redone.

"You're annoying," she smiled against the phone, looking out the window as they passed through the streets. The sky was tinted orange from the setting sun, a dull glow filling the city. The shops were still open and bustling with people, dressed in their designer clothes and smiling too wide for her comfort. It was all so familiar too her; she cringed in boredom.

"I'm not annoying," he snapped in response, his voice notching down an octave or two. Carmen bit her lip and rubbed her thighs together; she loved when he got angry, which seemed to be often. She could just picture the way his brows were knitted together in offense, that one bulging vein in his neck ticking with every breath he took.

"Yes you are," she sang teasingly, taking one of her long strands of hair and twirling it between her fingers. "I don't know why I even gave you my number. You're probably going to pester me all the time now, hm?"

"Pester you?" Harry gaped. "If you think I'm pestering you, then why are you still on the phone with me, princess?" His anger seemed to have been replaced with playfulness. He was hard to keep up with at times.

"Hmm, I like the sound of your voice," she practically purred. It was true, his deep gravelly voice was very attractive to her, making her blood thicken and her heart beat just the slightest bit faster. It reminded her of Stephan's, only slower and more drawled out, adding to Mr. Styles's seductive aura.

"Really?" She could hear the smug smile in his voice. "What else do you like about me?"

Your money.

"Well," she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I suppose I like when you smile really wide and your dimples pop out," she giggled faintly to herself at the thought of how much younger he looked when he smiled like that. "And I like the way you tuck your hair behind your ear when it starts to get in your face and irritate you. It's cute."

It was cute. She could admit that. She had noticed these small things about him over the short period of their relationship, things that she liked to take note of. Stephan was similar; he had cute little habits that made him entertaining to be around. Carmen was always very observant of her surroundings and of the people she allowed herself to be around. She found that noticing the small details of life made everything a tad more interesting.