No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

Just Two Hearts In One Home

July 2019

The sharp tap at the door interrupted the excited chatter drifting through the hotel suite.

"That'll be Lou and Lottie!" Maddie exclaimed, leaping off the bed in her dressing gown and hurrying to open it.

"Morning darlings," Lou Teasdale sang, as she entered the room pulling a small suitcase on wheels behind her; two smaller makeup cases tucked under her arms. "How are we feeling?"

"Excited!" Maddie squealed as Lottie Tomlinson entered the room behind Lou, carrying two small bags.

"Tearful," my mum answered, her voice trembling.

"Sick with nerves," I added, as I stood up and embraced first Lou who was beaming at me, and then Lottie.

"Well, you have nothing to be nervous about," Lou assured me, patting me on the back gently. "I'm going to make you look like a princess, although to be honest, that won't exactly be difficult. But first - bridesmaids and mother of the bride." 

She gestured to the dressing table by the window, and pulled a couple of chairs in front of it. "Come on, all of you - take a seat in a line, and we'll get started straight away."

She began unpacking her various bags and cases, pulling out her hair and makeup equipment and spreading it all out methodically over the surfaces.

"Champagne?" I offered, crossing over to the ice bucket containing the bottle of Dom Perignon that had been delivered to the room only ten minutes earlier, and grinning excitedly at Gemma who was taking a seat in front of Lottie. "Courtesy of Harry?"

"Just a small one," Lou answered. "I need to keep a clear head. I don't want Harry sacking me for messing up his bride's hair and makeup on the biggest day of their lives now do I?!" 

We all laughed as I poured out two small glasses for Lou and Lottie, topped up everyone else, and then sat down on the bed and watched as they began to work their magic. 

I had been checking Twitter periodically that morning, searching my name and Harry's name, to see if anyone had guessed that today was our wedding day (or even worse, had discovered the venue) but it seemed that for once all our well-laid diversions had worked. Harry and I had deliberately let ourselves be papped entering Departures at Heathrow airport only the day before, at the exact time we would have been there if catching a flight to LA, and Jeff Azoff, Harry's manager (and best man), had "leaked" a couple of fake interview appointments which made it look as though we were flying over there for promo ahead of Harry's next album release, which would be in the coming weeks. However, this wasn't the case. We had been ushered straight through the airport and out of the private exit to a plain car that took us immediately up to Holmes Chapel, where Harry had gone to his mum's and I had joined my family and friends at the nearby hotel and spa that we had solely booked out as our reception venue.

"Ready for you Jess," Lou called, interrupting my thoughts, and I looked up to see her indicating to the chair in front of the mirror. "We'll do your hair first, then makeup," she said as I sat down, and I watched as she began combing my hair back from my face, and then pinned it to the side with a large clip and switched on her curling tongs. "Are we still going wavy, with the sides pinned back?" she asked.

"Yes please - exactly how you did it last week," I nodded, and she stuck the comb between her lips and began sectioning my hair, ready to curl. 

By the time my makeup was finished, I had polished off my glass of Champagne and my hands had started trembling with nerves. I locked myself in the dressing room to manoeuvre myself into my dress, and then called my mum in to help fasten the ties at the back to pull it all into place. I stepped into my shoes, and when I was ready I opened the dressing room door and walked into the main suite.