No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

21 - Messing With My Head

Friday night wasn't a late one, or a particularly drunk one, and I managed to swing by the office and pick up my flowers, mug and wine on the way back to the tube. The others tried to convince me to stay out, but I knew I had a date with Adam planned for Saturday and I didn't want to be hungover.

I woke up on Saturday morning feeling fairly perky, and spent the day cleaning my flat from top to bottom so I wouldn't have to do it on Sunday before I left.

As evening drew near I hung up my rubber gloves and went to get ready for my date, picking out a pair of black skinny jeans and the silk camisole I had worn to meet Harry's family in Holmes Chapel. I got on the tube and met Adam outside Salvatore's, a local Italian restaurant a couple of stops away.

As soon as we walked in there was a loud cheer, and I jumped and saw Callie, James, Calvin and a handful of my close friends sitting at a table together.

"Surprise!" Callie beamed. "You didn't think we'd let you go half way round the world without a send off, did you?!"

"Half way round the world?" I repeated, grinning as she jumped up and hugged me. "It's Cardiff, not Australia!"

I broke away from Callie, and Calvin enveloped me in a hug.

"Did you plan this?" I murmured in his ear but he chuckled.

"Nope, it was all Callie's doing," he replied, letting go of me and sitting back down. "I'm just here for the beer."

Adam pulled out a chair for me and I sat down, and he took the seat next to me.

"I take it you knew about this?" I asked him, with one eyebrow raised, and he gave me a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, sorry. Callie's had it planned since the moment you said you were going to Cardiff."

"It's fine," I smiled. "I'm touched that you all went to this much trouble."

As the waiter came over to take our drinks order and I said hello to everyone seated around the table, I breathed a sigh of relief that Nick Grimshaw wasn't there. Not that we were particularly close friends, but knowing my recent luck, coupled with sod's law, it wouldn't have surprised me if he had been.

Callie and I shared a bottle of Prosecco while we waited for our food to arrive, and just as the waitress appeared with some plates my phone pinged with a text.

"You look fantastic tonight," Adam said in my ear as I reached for it, and I smiled.

"Thanks," I said, shyly.

I looked down at my phone and saw a picture message from an unsaved number. The possibility of who it might be didn't occur to me at first, as I opened the picture, but my heart gave a jolt as I realised by the content who it was.

It was a slightly blurry photo of a sign, presumably made by a One Direction fan, being held up in a crowd. It read: NIALL HAS MORE TATTOOS THAN NAUGHTY BOY HAS FANS.

I giggled as I read it, and looked at the message underneath it.

From: Unknown: This was at our show last night. Does it have anything to do with you? ;) x

I smirked in spite of myself and before I knew what I was doing I had sent a reply.

To: Unknown: Nice! No it doesn't, but I'd be proud if it did x

Damn! What the hell was I thinking? He'd blatantly caught me off guard, when I had forgotten to be outraged.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding and my face serious.

"Are you OK?" Adam asked, and I jumped guiltily and quickly locked my phone.

"Fine," I smiled, trying not to let my face give away that I was far from fine.