The Bachelorette
Fire On Ice
If you can make a woman laugh, you can make her do anything
Harry’s POV
It was now down to the top 10. The mansion had gotten quieter and us bachelors had more room to ourselves since the number had dwindled each rose ceremony. The tension in the house had risen since the group date. Many of the guys saw me and Louis as threats because it seemed like we had the deepest connections with Clara. Louis hadn’t revealed if he kissed Clara on their single date but he didn’t have to. I knew he had. When he said her name, I could just tell. But it made me nervous that she had kissed Louis. I had to make a move. And soon.
We waited all day for Mark to come in with a date card. Usually, he came in the morning but this time, it was nearing 5 o’clock in the evening when he walked into the room, dressed in a plain black button down and jeans.
“Evening, gentlemen.” He said. My God, the testosterone in the room was overwhelming. We all knew Mark was here for a reason. To give us a date card. It’s what we all wanted.
“I’m pretty sure you were expecting a date card this morning but it’s a little different this time around.” Mark said vaguely as he revealed a dark red envelope from behind his back. The guys cheered and so did I. Finally!
“I’ll just leave this here. Have a good night, gentlemen.” Then he left after we said “thank you”. It was Niall who jumped up, volunteering to open the envelope. I knew it was a single date and I wanted my name to be on that card. From what happened between Clara and I on the group date, I felt the need to explore what we had, what we could be. I needed to spend more time with her and show her who I truly was.
“OK, it’s a single date and the clue is…Let’s break the ice!”
“Well, it’s got something to do with ice.” Angelo said.
“No shit.” Louis whispered under his breath and I covered my mouth with my hand to suppress my chuckle.
“Ice-skating!” Liam shouted from beside me. We all looked at him like he was the smartest person we had ever laid eyes on. I liked to think I was good at ice-skating. I normally acted like a complete doofus and tried to show off but everything went downhill for me if I did that. But if I was with Clara, of course I would show off. Doesn’t every man show off to a beautiful woman?
“And the bachelor going on this date is…”
This was always the most frustrating part about dates. Having to just sit or stand there and wait for your name to be called. It was like being chosen for football teams to win the final. But in this situation, the prize wasn’t winning a golden trophy. It was Clara’s golden heart. I prayed in my head that I hoped it was me going on this date. Please say my name. Please let it be me. I repeated in my head over and over again. I pressed my clasped hands against my mouth and waited for Niall to say the lucky guy’s name. Then his blue eyes rested on me.
“Harry!”
I couldn’t stop the smile spreading across my face. I was going to see Clara. I was going to spend more time with her. I couldn’t wait to see her pretty green eyes and glorious smile again. I felt Liam wrapped his tattooed arms around me and I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow.
“Let go of me, Liam.” I grumbled and he laughed as he released his hold on me, ruffling my curls, which only made me grumble again. I hated it when people touched my hair, especially the other guys. I already touched it enough myself. I didn’t need more pairs of hands in my long locks.
Niall came over to me and handed the envelope and card to me. I took it from him and once I had told the guys to stop looking over my shoulders, I read what Clara had written on the card.
Meet me at 7:30pm at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium
Hopefully, you can ice-skate! If you can’t, I’ll teach you and we can have some fun
See you soon, Harry
Clara x
I smiled. So Liam was right. Of course I could ice-skate. And Clara had no idea what she was about to unleash.
0*0
Clara’s POV
The night was a little cool so I had dressed appropriately in white skinny jeans with a long-sleeved beige sweater and a nude-coloured coat over the top. To finish off my look, I had put a loose beanie on, letting my long dark hair fall around my shoulders.
I waited for Harry outside the stadium, tapping my heeled boots on the concrete ground. I knew I liked Harry. I mean, who wouldn’t? He was a gorgeous man, inside and out, and I wanted to get to know him more. We hadn’t had that heart-to-heart conversation yet. Sure, we had talked privately at the cocktail party but it had only been basic stuff. I wanted to get deeper and see if the spark we had on the group date could burn brighter into a flame.
A black car pulled up on the road in front of me and I stood up, smiling as it came to the halt. The back door opened and Harry stepped out on the pavement. Wow, he looked so good! Dressed completely in black apart from a long maroon printed scarf that was draped around his neck. He shut the door and grinned as he walked over to me.
“Hey.” I said.
“Good evening, love.” Harry whispered and kissed my cheek, wrapping me in his strong arms. I was still a great deal shorter than him in my boots but I didn’t care. His height made me feel protected. I felt safe when I was with him. I heard the car drive off and it was just us together.
“You ready to ice-skate?” I asked him when he released the hug.
“Yes! Let’s go.” He smiled enthusiastically and I took his hand, weaving my fingers with his long ones. His skin was warm and my heartbeat sped up at the feeling of our palms touching. And together, we walked inside.
There were rows and rows of ice-skates in the room around us, in all different sizes and colours. We prowled down the lanes, me following the curly-haired beauty. He stopped and turned around to face me, holding up a pair of white ice-skates in my hands, his eyebrows raised.
They matched my attire so I nodded and smiled as I took them from him. Harry picked out a pair of black ice-skates and we left the room together, heading out to the ice rink.
It was deserted. Nobody was skating on the ice, no kids playing, just us. I smiled up at Harry when I saw the shocked expression on his face. His youthful eyes widened as he stared around at the empty ice rink.
“Clara! Are we the only ones here?”
“Yep. This whole place is booked for just the two of us tonight.” I explained. Harry laughed loudly and it made me smile. I sat down on the bench beside the rink and pulled one skate onto my right foot. I then went to grab the left one but Harry beat me to it.
“Here, I’ll put it on.”
Surprised at his chivalry, I stuck my sock-covered foot out and he slid the ice skate on. He looked up at me with a smile as he tied the laces up, his green eyes boring into my soul.
Harry already had his ice-skates on so he took my hands in his own and pulled me to my feet. He led me over to the edge of the ice rink and I took the first step onto the ice. I gripped his fingers a little tighter as I placed my other skate onto the ice. Once I got my balance, I let go of Harry’s hand and zoomed off, moving my legs from side-to-side as I skated across the ice effortlessly. I spun around, my long hair flying out behind me. I glanced at Harry who was making his way towards me with a smile, his long scarf moving around his neck as he came over to me.
“Show-off.” He muttered.
“Alright. Show me what you can do then.” I folded my arms and cocked my eyebrow at him. Harry came to stand in front of me and smiled as he began to skate backwards, the hem of his coat grazing his legs.
The sight of his dimples sent tremors within me. He turned into a child when he smiled and his young spirit glowed from the inside like a bright star. He did a crap spin on his skates and almost fell over, his arms flailing about the place. I laughed and skated after him, holding out my hands. Harry took them in his own and I led him across the ice rink, both of us getting our balance correctly.
I totally forgot we were on a reality TV dating show. Tonight felt like a real date to me. We were having fun, laughing, as we spun around the ice together. It was like we were dancing, causing a metaphorical fire to burn around us as our bodies moved together. I forgot about the other bachelors back at the mansion. I focused on Harry and how much fun we were having together.
0*0
Harry’s POV
Her hands were soft and warm in mine as we zoomed across the ice together. Our laughter echoed around the empty stadium, bouncing all the walls. The coolness of the ice rose up as the sound of our skates rung in our ears while we danced on the rink in each other’s arms. To see Clara happy with me was wonderful. To see her laugh at me when I almost tripped on the ice made me smile.
There was nothing better than making a woman laugh. And Clara’s laugh was a gift from the heavens. She was an angel in my presence, full of kindness and love, and she was going to give her love to someone at the end of this journey. I badly wanted to be that someone. I wanted to be the bachelor standing at the very end, her saying it was me she wanted to be with. I was so caught up in the colour of Clara’s bright green eyes that I didn’t pay attention to where I put my feet. I came crashing backwards, my back hitting the ice hard. Unfortunately, my hands were locked with Clara’s so I pulled her down with me and she collapsed onto my chest.
“Crap!” I shouted as I felt the burning ice sear through my coat and my shirt, making my skin turn cold. It was freezing and it hurt. The landing was tame to the coldness of the ice.
“Harry!” Clara gasped from above me and gripped my hands tightly. She managed to get to her feet quite quickly and slowly pulled me to mine so I wouldn’t fall over again. She brushed the ice off my shoulders and around the back of my coat. I rubbed my hands together and she laid her palms over them.
“Are you OK?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, just took a tumble.” I said.
“You sure?” She genuinely looked worried for me. I smiled at her and let go of her hands, opening my arms wide and spun around on my skates effortlessly.
“See? I’m OK.” I reassured her. Clara breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped her fingers around my hand. I slid my palm into hers and locked my fingers with hers. Something pulled at my heart every time our skin made contact. It was a feeling I couldn’t get enough of.
“Not letting you fall over again.” She smiled at me as we skated over to the edge of the ice rink, hand-in-hand.
We took our ice-skates off and put them back on the racks we had found them before slipping our own shoes back on. Clara linked her arm through mine and led me through a back door, heading down a brightly-lit corridor. I asked her where we were going but she told me it was a surprise. I kept quite as we walked out of another door and suddenly, we were outside. She pulled me around the corner where there was a small garden and in the centre was a picnic blanket with an assortment of fruits, cheeses and crackers on top, along with a bottle of red wine.
“Thought we’d have a picnic under the stars.” Clara whispered. I looked down at her and smiled, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.
“This is beautiful, Clara!”
She placed her arm around my waist as we walked over to the small picnic she had set up and sat down. I removed her coat from her body, as I was a gentleman, before taking off my own, folding it neatly next to me. She took her beanie off, popped open the wine and poured the liquid into two glasses; one for me and one for her.
“Are you sure you’re OK? You’re not hurt?”
“Clara, I am fine. Don’t you worry about me. I’ve had worse tumbles than that.” I said.
“Like what?” She asked, sipping her wine. I smiled as I told her about the time I fractured my arm from falling out of a tree. She laughed as the conversation continued. We talked about what our childhoods were like and what our aspirations were. I found out Clara was a bridal stylist, loved art and music, and her family. I got lost in the sound of her voice and the way her lips moved when she spoke.
“So how old were you when you had your first kiss?” Clara asked. I swallowed my wine too quickly and coughed, staring at me.
“Uh…I was 10.”
“10?! Ha, I was 16.” She said.
“Lucky you then.”
“You going to tell me how it happened?” She insisted. I tucked a few strands of my hair behind my ear and sighed, feeling a little blush creep along my cheeks.
“It’s sort of…embarrassing.” I said.
“All the more reason to tell me, Harry.” Clara smirked. So I reluctantly told her. The girl had been taller than me so I had to stand on a brick to reach her face. That alone was awkward. And it had been really steamy. I think she had wanted to kiss me more than I wanted to kiss her.
“Way too much tongue.” I shook my head as I tasted my wine again. Clara giggled and popped a grape in her mouth. Just that move made my heart shiver.
“So what’s been the best kiss for you?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I haven’t kissed all the girls I would like to.”
“What girls would you like to kiss?” She smirked at me. I knew she was on the same page as me. She was starting to tease me. I sat up comfortably and put my wine glass down. I leaned closer to her and smiled.
“Well, there’s this one girl I really like but those are just words. Actions speak louder, don’t you think?”
Clara nodded and licked her lips, stained red from the wine. I tucked my left hand underneath her hair, my fingers touching the soft flesh of her neck. This was my chance. I had to take the opportunity. It was just me and Clara. None of the other guys could interrupt us. None of them could take her away from me. I treasured the proximity between us and I leaned even closer, smelling the alcohol on her breath. My forehead brushed hers as our noses touched and then, finally, I kissed her.
Her lips were extremely smooth and tasted so sweet, with a hint of wine. My hand tightened on her neck as she opened her mouth for another kiss. I gently took the wine glass of her hand and placed it on the blanket in between us, all with my eyes closed. Her hand, which was free now, moved into my curls, pressing her lips harder against mine. Her other arm circled my shoulders, holding me closer to her. The wait for this moment was worth it. My arm went around her waist, gripping the hem of her beige-knit sweater. Our lips disconnected and connected one last time before we stopped. Clara rested her forehead against mine and she laughed. I smiled and opened my eyes as we both pulled back at the same time.
“Well…” I said.
“Goodness gracious.” Clara murmured, touching her bottom lip with her fingertips. I don’t think either of us expected for the kissing between us to be so…passionate. I sure was surprised at the warmth of her tongue and the desire of her lips to be pressed so ardently against mine. But in saying that, it made me feel confident. I had kissed The Bachelorette. She had kissed me back. All I wanted now was a red rose.
0*0
Clara’s POV
Wow.
My stomach did backflips when I thought of Harry’s kisses. I had pashed two of the bachelors now but I wasn’t going to compare Louis’s kiss to Harry’s. Both had been pretty extraordinary and I felt something for both men. I liked two guys but I couldn’t choose both. There had to be only one bachelor remaining at the end. Whether it would be Louis or Harry or any of the other guys, I would just have to wait and see. My journey for love had only just begun. I had a fair way to go before I found the perfect man for me.
I bit my lip as I stared at Harry and smiled at him. I reached underneath a large napkin on the fruit and cheese platter, pulling out a red rose. I saw the look of delight of Harry’s face when he realised what was in my hands. The fragrance of the rose hit my nostrils, sweet and beautiful, much like the taste of Harry’s lips.
“I have had a wonderful time tonight. It’s a joy to spend time with you and I am genuinely attracted to you. I want to see where this relationship can go. So Harry…will you accept this rose?”
“Absolutely.” Harry grinned widely. I pinned it carefully to his black dress shirt, making sure it was secure and would not fall off. My eyes glittered as Harry leaned over to kiss me again. I placed my hand on his chest and kissed him back, smiling a little bit. I locked my arms around his neck and hugged him while he buried his face in my shoulder, running his fingers through my locks. We were in an intimate moment, captured by microphones and cameras but I didn’t care. All I cared about right now was Harry and the feeling of having him in my arms. He made me feel special and I loved a man who made me laugh. Harry made me laugh. But so did Niall. And Liam and Niall. Even Zayn and Jake. All of these men knew how to make me smile and laugh in their own way. How am I going to choose which one is right for me?
Harry and I farewelled each other outside the stadium. Filming had stopped so there weren’t cameras shoved in our faces, asking us how the date went. Before Harry got in the car, he left a sweet kiss on my lips. That let me know his attraction towards me wasn’t just for the show. It was real. He flashed me that dimpled smile I adored and I waved goodbye as the black car disappeared down the road.
It was 11 o’clock at night when I made it back to my bachelorette pad. I draped my coat and beanie on the back of the couch and opened the sliding door, stepping out onto the patio. There was a pool below the dozen steps and beyond the edge of the pool was a lush open forest. Stars glittered above me in the sky and the moon peeked through the gentle clouds. I took a deep breath of fresh air and sat down on the steps, placing my hands underneath my thighs as memories of tonight’s date flashed before my very eyes.
Harry had been an utter goofball on the ice but that made it all the more enjoyable. I was so worried when he fell over, pulling me with him. I had landed on his chest and the back of his coat had been freezing, covered in flecks of ice. I thought he’d bruised himself because he didn’t land exactly gently. We were like a normal couple, going on a causal sweet date, ice-skating together. Then came the picnic under the stars. The deep conversation we had about our pasts, how we grew up, what we wanted to be if the opportunity called for it. I had connected with Harry on a deeper level, just like I had done with Louis on his single date. Then came the kiss. It had been warm and passionate yet gentle and emotional. I had felt something tingling over my heart from the pressure of Harry’s lips. His hair had been soft in between my fingers, the curls freshly washed. His laugh sent my heart racing, his green eyes made my skin crawl with delight, his smile made my cheeks flush. I felt so happy around him and I hadn’t even known him for a fortnight. But that didn’t stop me from falling for Harry. Because I was.
However, I was falling for Louis too. And I had to spend time with the other guys as well to see if they had a chance. I needed to plan the group date for this week and decide who was going to go on it. Who do I want to see again? I was all on my own, making these decisions. It was all down to me. It was going to be hard. But falling in love was never that easy, was it?
Harry’s POV
It was now down to the top 10. The mansion had gotten quieter and us bachelors had more room to ourselves since the number had dwindled each rose ceremony. The tension in the house had risen since the group date. Many of the guys saw me and Louis as threats because it seemed like we had the deepest connections with Clara. Louis hadn’t revealed if he kissed Clara on their single date but he didn’t have to. I knew he had. When he said her name, I could just tell. But it made me nervous that she had kissed Louis. I had to make a move. And soon.
We waited all day for Mark to come in with a date card. Usually, he came in the morning but this time, it was nearing 5 o’clock in the evening when he walked into the room, dressed in a plain black button down and jeans.
“Evening, gentlemen.” He said. My God, the testosterone in the room was overwhelming. We all knew Mark was here for a reason. To give us a date card. It’s what we all wanted.
“I’m pretty sure you were expecting a date card this morning but it’s a little different this time around.” Mark said vaguely as he revealed a dark red envelope from behind his back. The guys cheered and so did I. Finally!
“I’ll just leave this here. Have a good night, gentlemen.” Then he left after we said “thank you”. It was Niall who jumped up, volunteering to open the envelope. I knew it was a single date and I wanted my name to be on that card. From what happened between Clara and I on the group date, I felt the need to explore what we had, what we could be. I needed to spend more time with her and show her who I truly was.
“OK, it’s a single date and the clue is…Let’s break the ice!”
“Well, it’s got something to do with ice.” Angelo said.
“No shit.” Louis whispered under his breath and I covered my mouth with my hand to suppress my chuckle.
“Ice-skating!” Liam shouted from beside me. We all looked at him like he was the smartest person we had ever laid eyes on. I liked to think I was good at ice-skating. I normally acted like a complete doofus and tried to show off but everything went downhill for me if I did that. But if I was with Clara, of course I would show off. Doesn’t every man show off to a beautiful woman?
“And the bachelor going on this date is…”
This was always the most frustrating part about dates. Having to just sit or stand there and wait for your name to be called. It was like being chosen for football teams to win the final. But in this situation, the prize wasn’t winning a golden trophy. It was Clara’s golden heart. I prayed in my head that I hoped it was me going on this date. Please say my name. Please let it be me. I repeated in my head over and over again. I pressed my clasped hands against my mouth and waited for Niall to say the lucky guy’s name. Then his blue eyes rested on me.
“Harry!”
I couldn’t stop the smile spreading across my face. I was going to see Clara. I was going to spend more time with her. I couldn’t wait to see her pretty green eyes and glorious smile again. I felt Liam wrapped his tattooed arms around me and I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow.
“Let go of me, Liam.” I grumbled and he laughed as he released his hold on me, ruffling my curls, which only made me grumble again. I hated it when people touched my hair, especially the other guys. I already touched it enough myself. I didn’t need more pairs of hands in my long locks.
Niall came over to me and handed the envelope and card to me. I took it from him and once I had told the guys to stop looking over my shoulders, I read what Clara had written on the card.
Meet me at 7:30pm at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium
Hopefully, you can ice-skate! If you can’t, I’ll teach you and we can have some fun
See you soon, Harry
Clara x
I smiled. So Liam was right. Of course I could ice-skate. And Clara had no idea what she was about to unleash.
0*0
Clara’s POV
The night was a little cool so I had dressed appropriately in white skinny jeans with a long-sleeved beige sweater and a nude-coloured coat over the top. To finish off my look, I had put a loose beanie on, letting my long dark hair fall around my shoulders.
I waited for Harry outside the stadium, tapping my heeled boots on the concrete ground. I knew I liked Harry. I mean, who wouldn’t? He was a gorgeous man, inside and out, and I wanted to get to know him more. We hadn’t had that heart-to-heart conversation yet. Sure, we had talked privately at the cocktail party but it had only been basic stuff. I wanted to get deeper and see if the spark we had on the group date could burn brighter into a flame.
A black car pulled up on the road in front of me and I stood up, smiling as it came to the halt. The back door opened and Harry stepped out on the pavement. Wow, he looked so good! Dressed completely in black apart from a long maroon printed scarf that was draped around his neck. He shut the door and grinned as he walked over to me.
“Hey.” I said.
“Good evening, love.” Harry whispered and kissed my cheek, wrapping me in his strong arms. I was still a great deal shorter than him in my boots but I didn’t care. His height made me feel protected. I felt safe when I was with him. I heard the car drive off and it was just us together.
“You ready to ice-skate?” I asked him when he released the hug.
“Yes! Let’s go.” He smiled enthusiastically and I took his hand, weaving my fingers with his long ones. His skin was warm and my heartbeat sped up at the feeling of our palms touching. And together, we walked inside.
There were rows and rows of ice-skates in the room around us, in all different sizes and colours. We prowled down the lanes, me following the curly-haired beauty. He stopped and turned around to face me, holding up a pair of white ice-skates in my hands, his eyebrows raised.
They matched my attire so I nodded and smiled as I took them from him. Harry picked out a pair of black ice-skates and we left the room together, heading out to the ice rink.
It was deserted. Nobody was skating on the ice, no kids playing, just us. I smiled up at Harry when I saw the shocked expression on his face. His youthful eyes widened as he stared around at the empty ice rink.
“Clara! Are we the only ones here?”
“Yep. This whole place is booked for just the two of us tonight.” I explained. Harry laughed loudly and it made me smile. I sat down on the bench beside the rink and pulled one skate onto my right foot. I then went to grab the left one but Harry beat me to it.
“Here, I’ll put it on.”
Surprised at his chivalry, I stuck my sock-covered foot out and he slid the ice skate on. He looked up at me with a smile as he tied the laces up, his green eyes boring into my soul.
Harry already had his ice-skates on so he took my hands in his own and pulled me to my feet. He led me over to the edge of the ice rink and I took the first step onto the ice. I gripped his fingers a little tighter as I placed my other skate onto the ice. Once I got my balance, I let go of Harry’s hand and zoomed off, moving my legs from side-to-side as I skated across the ice effortlessly. I spun around, my long hair flying out behind me. I glanced at Harry who was making his way towards me with a smile, his long scarf moving around his neck as he came over to me.
“Show-off.” He muttered.
“Alright. Show me what you can do then.” I folded my arms and cocked my eyebrow at him. Harry came to stand in front of me and smiled as he began to skate backwards, the hem of his coat grazing his legs.
The sight of his dimples sent tremors within me. He turned into a child when he smiled and his young spirit glowed from the inside like a bright star. He did a crap spin on his skates and almost fell over, his arms flailing about the place. I laughed and skated after him, holding out my hands. Harry took them in his own and I led him across the ice rink, both of us getting our balance correctly.
I totally forgot we were on a reality TV dating show. Tonight felt like a real date to me. We were having fun, laughing, as we spun around the ice together. It was like we were dancing, causing a metaphorical fire to burn around us as our bodies moved together. I forgot about the other bachelors back at the mansion. I focused on Harry and how much fun we were having together.
0*0
Harry’s POV
Her hands were soft and warm in mine as we zoomed across the ice together. Our laughter echoed around the empty stadium, bouncing all the walls. The coolness of the ice rose up as the sound of our skates rung in our ears while we danced on the rink in each other’s arms. To see Clara happy with me was wonderful. To see her laugh at me when I almost tripped on the ice made me smile.
There was nothing better than making a woman laugh. And Clara’s laugh was a gift from the heavens. She was an angel in my presence, full of kindness and love, and she was going to give her love to someone at the end of this journey. I badly wanted to be that someone. I wanted to be the bachelor standing at the very end, her saying it was me she wanted to be with. I was so caught up in the colour of Clara’s bright green eyes that I didn’t pay attention to where I put my feet. I came crashing backwards, my back hitting the ice hard. Unfortunately, my hands were locked with Clara’s so I pulled her down with me and she collapsed onto my chest.
“Crap!” I shouted as I felt the burning ice sear through my coat and my shirt, making my skin turn cold. It was freezing and it hurt. The landing was tame to the coldness of the ice.
“Harry!” Clara gasped from above me and gripped my hands tightly. She managed to get to her feet quite quickly and slowly pulled me to mine so I wouldn’t fall over again. She brushed the ice off my shoulders and around the back of my coat. I rubbed my hands together and she laid her palms over them.
“Are you OK?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, just took a tumble.” I said.
“You sure?” She genuinely looked worried for me. I smiled at her and let go of her hands, opening my arms wide and spun around on my skates effortlessly.
“See? I’m OK.” I reassured her. Clara breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped her fingers around my hand. I slid my palm into hers and locked my fingers with hers. Something pulled at my heart every time our skin made contact. It was a feeling I couldn’t get enough of.
“Not letting you fall over again.” She smiled at me as we skated over to the edge of the ice rink, hand-in-hand.
We took our ice-skates off and put them back on the racks we had found them before slipping our own shoes back on. Clara linked her arm through mine and led me through a back door, heading down a brightly-lit corridor. I asked her where we were going but she told me it was a surprise. I kept quite as we walked out of another door and suddenly, we were outside. She pulled me around the corner where there was a small garden and in the centre was a picnic blanket with an assortment of fruits, cheeses and crackers on top, along with a bottle of red wine.
“Thought we’d have a picnic under the stars.” Clara whispered. I looked down at her and smiled, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.
“This is beautiful, Clara!”
She placed her arm around my waist as we walked over to the small picnic she had set up and sat down. I removed her coat from her body, as I was a gentleman, before taking off my own, folding it neatly next to me. She took her beanie off, popped open the wine and poured the liquid into two glasses; one for me and one for her.
“Are you sure you’re OK? You’re not hurt?”
“Clara, I am fine. Don’t you worry about me. I’ve had worse tumbles than that.” I said.
“Like what?” She asked, sipping her wine. I smiled as I told her about the time I fractured my arm from falling out of a tree. She laughed as the conversation continued. We talked about what our childhoods were like and what our aspirations were. I found out Clara was a bridal stylist, loved art and music, and her family. I got lost in the sound of her voice and the way her lips moved when she spoke.
“So how old were you when you had your first kiss?” Clara asked. I swallowed my wine too quickly and coughed, staring at me.
“Uh…I was 10.”
“10?! Ha, I was 16.” She said.
“Lucky you then.”
“You going to tell me how it happened?” She insisted. I tucked a few strands of my hair behind my ear and sighed, feeling a little blush creep along my cheeks.
“It’s sort of…embarrassing.” I said.
“All the more reason to tell me, Harry.” Clara smirked. So I reluctantly told her. The girl had been taller than me so I had to stand on a brick to reach her face. That alone was awkward. And it had been really steamy. I think she had wanted to kiss me more than I wanted to kiss her.
“Way too much tongue.” I shook my head as I tasted my wine again. Clara giggled and popped a grape in her mouth. Just that move made my heart shiver.
“So what’s been the best kiss for you?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I haven’t kissed all the girls I would like to.”
“What girls would you like to kiss?” She smirked at me. I knew she was on the same page as me. She was starting to tease me. I sat up comfortably and put my wine glass down. I leaned closer to her and smiled.
“Well, there’s this one girl I really like but those are just words. Actions speak louder, don’t you think?”
Clara nodded and licked her lips, stained red from the wine. I tucked my left hand underneath her hair, my fingers touching the soft flesh of her neck. This was my chance. I had to take the opportunity. It was just me and Clara. None of the other guys could interrupt us. None of them could take her away from me. I treasured the proximity between us and I leaned even closer, smelling the alcohol on her breath. My forehead brushed hers as our noses touched and then, finally, I kissed her.
Her lips were extremely smooth and tasted so sweet, with a hint of wine. My hand tightened on her neck as she opened her mouth for another kiss. I gently took the wine glass of her hand and placed it on the blanket in between us, all with my eyes closed. Her hand, which was free now, moved into my curls, pressing her lips harder against mine. Her other arm circled my shoulders, holding me closer to her. The wait for this moment was worth it. My arm went around her waist, gripping the hem of her beige-knit sweater. Our lips disconnected and connected one last time before we stopped. Clara rested her forehead against mine and she laughed. I smiled and opened my eyes as we both pulled back at the same time.
“Well…” I said.
“Goodness gracious.” Clara murmured, touching her bottom lip with her fingertips. I don’t think either of us expected for the kissing between us to be so…passionate. I sure was surprised at the warmth of her tongue and the desire of her lips to be pressed so ardently against mine. But in saying that, it made me feel confident. I had kissed The Bachelorette. She had kissed me back. All I wanted now was a red rose.
0*0
Clara’s POV
Wow.
My stomach did backflips when I thought of Harry’s kisses. I had pashed two of the bachelors now but I wasn’t going to compare Louis’s kiss to Harry’s. Both had been pretty extraordinary and I felt something for both men. I liked two guys but I couldn’t choose both. There had to be only one bachelor remaining at the end. Whether it would be Louis or Harry or any of the other guys, I would just have to wait and see. My journey for love had only just begun. I had a fair way to go before I found the perfect man for me.
I bit my lip as I stared at Harry and smiled at him. I reached underneath a large napkin on the fruit and cheese platter, pulling out a red rose. I saw the look of delight of Harry’s face when he realised what was in my hands. The fragrance of the rose hit my nostrils, sweet and beautiful, much like the taste of Harry’s lips.
“I have had a wonderful time tonight. It’s a joy to spend time with you and I am genuinely attracted to you. I want to see where this relationship can go. So Harry…will you accept this rose?”
“Absolutely.” Harry grinned widely. I pinned it carefully to his black dress shirt, making sure it was secure and would not fall off. My eyes glittered as Harry leaned over to kiss me again. I placed my hand on his chest and kissed him back, smiling a little bit. I locked my arms around his neck and hugged him while he buried his face in my shoulder, running his fingers through my locks. We were in an intimate moment, captured by microphones and cameras but I didn’t care. All I cared about right now was Harry and the feeling of having him in my arms. He made me feel special and I loved a man who made me laugh. Harry made me laugh. But so did Niall. And Liam and Niall. Even Zayn and Jake. All of these men knew how to make me smile and laugh in their own way. How am I going to choose which one is right for me?
Harry and I farewelled each other outside the stadium. Filming had stopped so there weren’t cameras shoved in our faces, asking us how the date went. Before Harry got in the car, he left a sweet kiss on my lips. That let me know his attraction towards me wasn’t just for the show. It was real. He flashed me that dimpled smile I adored and I waved goodbye as the black car disappeared down the road.
It was 11 o’clock at night when I made it back to my bachelorette pad. I draped my coat and beanie on the back of the couch and opened the sliding door, stepping out onto the patio. There was a pool below the dozen steps and beyond the edge of the pool was a lush open forest. Stars glittered above me in the sky and the moon peeked through the gentle clouds. I took a deep breath of fresh air and sat down on the steps, placing my hands underneath my thighs as memories of tonight’s date flashed before my very eyes.
Harry had been an utter goofball on the ice but that made it all the more enjoyable. I was so worried when he fell over, pulling me with him. I had landed on his chest and the back of his coat had been freezing, covered in flecks of ice. I thought he’d bruised himself because he didn’t land exactly gently. We were like a normal couple, going on a causal sweet date, ice-skating together. Then came the picnic under the stars. The deep conversation we had about our pasts, how we grew up, what we wanted to be if the opportunity called for it. I had connected with Harry on a deeper level, just like I had done with Louis on his single date. Then came the kiss. It had been warm and passionate yet gentle and emotional. I had felt something tingling over my heart from the pressure of Harry’s lips. His hair had been soft in between my fingers, the curls freshly washed. His laugh sent my heart racing, his green eyes made my skin crawl with delight, his smile made my cheeks flush. I felt so happy around him and I hadn’t even known him for a fortnight. But that didn’t stop me from falling for Harry. Because I was.
However, I was falling for Louis too. And I had to spend time with the other guys as well to see if they had a chance. I needed to plan the group date for this week and decide who was going to go on it. Who do I want to see again? I was all on my own, making these decisions. It was all down to me. It was going to be hard. But falling in love was never that easy, was it?
Notes
Harry’s on the board now! Thoughts on his date? Any suggestions for the group date? I welcome any feedback :)
blankspace1 xx
Can't wait!!
10/15/16