Call Girl

It was three days since Harry and Ariana – she didn’t even know what to call it – since they started seeing eye-to-eye, maybe? They weren’t able to actually see each other again during those days, but Harry made sure to call and text when he could. Apparently he was really busy with work – which meant he was in the studio recording or doing something that famous recording artists do. She didn’t even know. All she knew was his job was at the high end of the spectrum, whereas hers was at the low.

Ariana only received one call for a hook-up on her business phone and spent the entire ringing of the call debating on whether or not to answer. In the end, she missed the call – missing an opportunity for some much needed cash. She almost felt like she shouldn’t do her job because of Harry, even though they weren’t exclusive in any way, shape, or form. And having that kind of reluctance on her brain really bothered her. She still needed to do her job. She still had a family to take care of. She knew she would have to bring it up with Harry when he picked her up that night for their very first date. He was making her dinner at his apartment. She never had any sort of adult relationship, so it was all so new to her. But she was entirely excited for it. The butterflies danced in her stomach as she got ready for their evening.

“Are you going to work?” Robin asked her big sister as she came into their room and plopped down on her bed.

“Uh, no. Actually I’m, uh… I’m going out with a friend tonight,” Ariana said as she sat cross-legged on the floor of their room, applying mascara in front of the floor length mirror.

“A boy friend?” She asked, giving Ari a girly smile.

“Uh… he’s a boy and yes, he’s just a friend,” Ari told her.

“With potential for more?” She giggled.

“Maybe,” Ariana smiled bashfully at her through the mirror.

“I’m glad, Ari,” Robin sighed.

“What are you glad about?” Ariana asked, turning to smirk at her.

“I’m glad you’re doing something for yourself for once,” she said honestly.

Ariana had to look away from her. She had to look away because her words brought tears to her eyes. With the way Ariana fussed and worried about Robin, she never even stopped to think that Robin worried about her too.

“Thanks, Rob,” she said quietly.

Once she was done with her makeup, Ariana pulled herself up off the floor, running her hands over the white lace sundress that she wore. She wanted to make sure she didn’t look like a hooker on this date. She wanted to look like a girl that would actually be worthy of Harry’s company. Her hair was up in a tight ponytail and she had very light makeup on.

“Do I get to meet him?” Robin asked her as Ari grabbed her purse from her bed.

“Maybe another time,” Ari told her.

“But… but… I’m your sister. I should get to meet him,” she whined as she followed Ari out of their bedroom.

“Maybe another time,” Ariana told her again.

“You’re no fun,” Robin pouted.

“Mother, I am leaving. You better be here when I get back,” Ariana called to her from the front door.

“That’s enough, Ariana. That was one time,” her mom shot at her.

“One time was enough,” Ari retorted.

“She’s got a date, Mom,” Robin told their mother.

“It’s not a date,” Ariana lied.

“It’s with a boy,” Robin cooed.

“Shut up,” Ariana snapped, shoving her lightly.

“Good for you, Ar,” her mom said, smiling at her.

“Yeah,” Ari sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Be good. Keep an eye on your mother,” Ari told Robin.

“Seriously!?” Her mother scoffed.

“I am serious,” Ariana said as she opened the front door. Her mother scoffed again.

“Please, just have fun,” Robin told her, ignoring their mom.

“I plan to,” Ari said, gripping her into a hug before she said goodbye.

As Ariana waited for Harry outside, she was about to light a cigarette, like she usually did, but she stopped herself. She didn’t want to smell like that when he picked her up. She just stood against the apartment wall, biting at her fingernails until she saw him pull up in his Range Rover.

She couldn’t help but smile as she got into the car before Harry even had the chance to get out and open the door for her. She knew he would, which would only make her feel even more awkward than she already did. So she beat him to it. Harry’s smile was a million miles wide as she got into the vehicle. She couldn’t help but smile back.

“You look absolutely amazing,” he told her, gently wrapping his hand behind her neck.

“Thank you,” she blushed as he leaned in, leaving a light kiss on her lips.

“Are you ready for my culinary master skills?” He asked, smirking at her as he put the car in drive.

“That good, huh?” She asked, smirking at him.

“So good,” he chuckled.

“I can’t wait,” she told him.

“You can be my little helper. Usually it’s my dog, Hemingway. But all he really helps with is eating things that fall on the floor as I am cooking,” Harry chuckled. Ariana giggled thinking about it.

“I can’t wait to meet him,” she told him.

Ariana never told Harry that she saw him take his dog out to go to the bathroom the night he found out about her being a prostitute. She was only at his apartment that one time – which barely counted, really.

“He’s going to love you,” Harry smiled over at her.

“Oh, yeah?” Ariana asked.

“Yeah. But that’s really not saying much because he loves everyone,” he laughed.

“I’ll try not to be offended by his lack of self-control,” Ari giggled.

“Try not to be offend when he tries to kiss you either, because that’s gonna happen. I’m warning you right now,” Harry laughed.

“I’ll have to tell him about my rule,” Ari joked.

“Yeah,” Harry said, letting his laughter die out.

She immediately felt the tension that he felt and she hated it. She took a breath in and turned her head to look out the side window before exhaling slowly. Ohh-kay, no more hooker jokes. Hooker jokes are definitely out. He really wasn’t going to like it when she told him she couldn’t take any more of his money and that her job still stood. She couldn’t just quit.

After a few minutes of silence, Harry reached over and intertwined his fingers with hers. She bit at her bottom lip trying to hold back her smile. He was so sweet.

Harry wasn’t kidding when he said he was a master in the kitchen. He was seriously mesmerizing, moving fluidly around preparing their meal.

“Do you mind turning off the burner and straining these noodles?” Harry smirked up at her as he went between sautéing the shrimp and stirring the homemade Alfredo sauce for the pasta.

“Do you think I can handle it, Chef Styles?” Aria asked sarcastically as she got off the bar stool and walked around the center island to help him out.

“I think you can’t screw it up,” he said with a smirk.

“Should I take that as a negative comment because my culinary skills are inferior to yours?” She giggled as she grabbed the oven mitts off the counter and picked up the pot of noodles to dump it.

“Please don’t,” he smiled, leaning in to kiss her lips.

“Okay, then,” she giggled as she dumped the long noodles into a colander that he already had ready in the sink.

It didn’t take very long before the whole meal was done and they were sitting across from each other at his table, enjoying the food and each other’s company. And seriously, oh god, it was amazing. She felt like she was eating out at a restaurant or something. It was so good. Harry even had wine and bread sticks to go along with it. It was just amazing. She had never been, quite literally, wined and dined.

“So, I have a question for you,” Ariana said after she took a sip of her wine.

“Okay, go for it,” he said, smirking up at her as he wiped his face with his napkin.

“What… uh, let me think of how I want to phrase this…” Ariana started and Harry just smirked at him.

“What made you… what was it about me that made you trust me? I mean, I stripped for you. Why would you even bother? What was it that made you not disregard me as some sort of bad girl?” Ariana asked curiously, wanting to know the truth. Harry chuckled at her question.

“What made you stop me from leaving and ask me to stay on your birthday?” She added.

Harry smiled at her, looking her straight in the eye, before he let his smile fade completely. Her heart was beating so fast, just with the way he was looking at her.

“I saw it in your eyes. You’re a good person, Ariana,” he told her, sounding incredibly sincere.

She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She was speechless. She just stared at him, hoping he’d elaborate.

“When you first came in to the room, you almost looked scared. And then when… when we were uh, dancing… I just, I saw it in the way you looked at me. I think… I think that was when I fell for you,” he told her. She couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Well, you know… when I wasn’t thinking with my penis,” he laughed. Ariana laughed out loud, loving that he cracked a joke – which really wasn’t a joke.

“I think I knew knew I really liked you when we started talking that night. So, I am incredibly happy with myself that I stopped you and asked you to stay,” Harry smiled at her.

“I’m happy you did too,” she said as he leaned in, kissing her lips.

Ariana really liked kissing him. He made her feel so good. For a moment or two, they let themselves get a little carried away with the kissing, before she pulled away.

“We should probably clean up,” she told him.

“I can clean up later,” he told her.

“No. I want to help. You did so amazing on this meal—” She started to argue.

“You helped,” he smirked.

“Barely,” she laughed.

“If you hadn’t strained the noodles, it would have thrown off the whole dish,” he joked, smirking widely at her.

“You’re sweet. But I want to help clean up,” she told him, holding her hand to his cheek.

“Fine,” he said before kissing her again.

With the two of them working together, they knocked out the dishes in no time and the kitchen was left looking as pristine as it did when Harry started the dinner.

“Oh my god. I’m still so full,” Ariana groaned as she let herself sat down on Harry’s couch as he finished up in the kitchen.

“Me too,” he laughed as he wiped his hands on a towel and walked over to her. He sat down next to her on the couch, not leaving much room between the two of them.

“I’m so happy you’re here with me,” Harry smiled sweetly at her as he let his hand rest on the top of her thigh.

“I’m happy to be here,” Ariana said, smiling over at him. His smiled widened before he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.

She leaned her body toward his and he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, pulling her against his body. Their kissing didn’t lapse or slow down. If anything, it only grew more heated, more passionate.

They were in Harry’s house – just the two of them. They weren’t surrounded by other people and they weren’t in some sleazy hotel. Not some hotel room bed with sheets that thousands of people had said goodnight on. They were in his home. Something in that just felt so real to Ari, so amazing.

She whimpered against his lips, feelings as if he wasn’t close enough to her. She pulled him even tighter to her body, hugging him to her – touching him with every part of her that she could. She wanted to feel the security of his arms like she felt it the night she slept wrapped up in them and woke up feeling peaceful. She wanted that peace. She wanted Harry.

But, as if the forces were aligning from keeping her and Harry from going further than kissing, her cell phone started ringing in her purse. She pulled away quickly, noticing the ringtone right away.

“That’s not your… your business phone is it?” Harry choked out as Ariana got up from the couch and dashed across the room to get her phone from her purse.

“No. That’s Robin,” she told him, digging for it.

“Hey, Rob,” Ariana answered immediately.

As soon as the sound hit her eardrums, her heart stopped. Robin was crying. No, she was sobbing.

“Robin! Robin, what’s the matter?” Ariana choked out, feeling horrified.

“Ari…” She cried.

“Please, calm down. Please. I need you to talk to me,” Ari begged her. Harry got up from the couch, coming to stand by her with a worried look on his face.

“Ari, can you come get me? I’m scared,” Robin said, her sobs dying down.

“Robin, where are you? What happened?” Ariana asked, panicked.

“Mom— she went crazy. She-she was screaming about pills… about how I took her pills. But I didn’t. I swear, I didn’t. And… and she hit me. She hit me so hard. And I just ran. I ran to Dad’s, but he isn’t home and I’m sitting outside and it’s scary out here,” she explained.

Ariana was livid. Her entire body was shaking with anger. She hit her. Her mother hit her fourteen year old daughter.

“Robin, stay there. I’m coming to get you,” Ari told her.

“Okay,” she whimpered.

“If you see anything scary though… if you feel scared at all, then find a place to hide, okay. I will call you when I get there,” Ari told her.

“O-okay,” she sniffled.

“I’m coming,” Ariana reassured her as she grabbed her purse, ready to run out the door.

“Okay,” Robin said again.

When they hung up, Ari just looked up at Harry, feeling completely defeated.

“I-I have to go,” she choked out.

“What happened?” Harry asked, looking more than a little concerned.

“My mother. She-she hit Robin. She hit Robin because she thought she stole her pills,” Ariana explained, still unable to control the anger inside of her.

“Christ,” Harry said under his breath.

Tears welled in Ariana’s eyes, knowing it was her fault.

“I took my mother’s pills, Harry. I did. I-I hide them from her. And now Robin—” Ariana choked out.

“It’s okay,” Harry said, pulling her to his chest.

“I have to go,” she told him again, turning swiftly toward the door.

“Ari!” Harry called after her.

“What?” She replied, turned her head quickly toward him.

“I picked you up. I’ll drive you,” Harry said, grabbing his keys off the counter.

Ariana nodded and he followed her out of the apartment. The drive was frustrating. She just wanted to be there already. She needed to be there. She sat in the passenger seat biting at her nails as Harry drove as quickly as he could without completely breaking every driving law.

“She’ll be okay,” Harry said, rubbing his hand on her knee.

“I just… I feel so guilty. It was me,” Ari choked out.

“It wasn’t you, Ariana. Your mum—she has a problem. This is not your fault,” he said, letting his hand settle on her thigh.

Ari nodded as he pulled into the parking lot of her father’s apartment complex. The anxiety bubbled up inside her as she sat forward, scanning the grounds for her baby sister.

“There! She’s right there,” Ariana said, pointing ahead.

Robin was sitting on a small retaining wall with her knees pulled up to her chest, hugging them tightly to her. Harry pulled up, bringing the car to a stop as Ariana pushed open her door.

“Robin!” She called out her.

Her head shot up, looking relieved that she made it. Ariana walked quickly to her as Robin stood up.

“Are you okay? Let me see you. Where did she—” Ariana’s speech cut off when she saw the huge welt on Robin’s right cheek. It was already turning black and blue. Her mother was lucky she was nowhere in sight because Ariana was ready to kill.

“Ari, I’m-I’m okay,” Robin said, trying to pry Ari’s hands off of her cheeks.

“No. She’s— oh my god,” Ariana growled, letting Robin pull her hands away. She was so angry.

“Ari?” Robin asked.

“What, baby girl?” Ari asked.

“Harry Styles is standing behind you,” she said wide-eyed, looking shocked.

Ariana turned her head to see Harry, in fact, standing behind her looking at the two of them. Ari turned back to Robin, unsure of what to really say.

“Harry Styles is standing behind you!” Robin said more demanding this time.

“I know, Rob,” Ari told her.

“But… but…” She stammered.

“Hi,” Harry said in his deep-as-the-ocean voice.

“H-hi…” Robin choked out, her eyes meeting with Ariana’s again.

“He was your date?” She asked, looking entirely overwhelmed with astonishment.

“Uh, yeah,” Ariana said reluctantly, looking back at Harry again who had a goofy grin on his face.

“Oh my god,” Robin shrieked, trying to contain herself, but wasn’t able to.

“Calm down, Rob,” Ariana laughed, feeling light-hearted for the first time since Robin called her.

“Oh my god. Just, oh my god,” Robin said, stepping around Ariana to walk toward Harry.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Harry Styles,” Robin giggled as she shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you too, Robin,” he chuckled.

“Wow,” she breathed, turning to Ari with a giddy grin on her face, before she looked back at Harry.

“Are you okay there, champ? You’ve got a nice shiner,” Harry said to her as he ran his finger down her cheek lightly.

“I’m-I’m good,” she stammered.

“Good,” he chuckled.

“Rob, why don’t you get in the car? I need to talk to Harry quickly,” Ariana told her.

“You want me to get into Harry Styles’ car?” She asked, looking at Ariana with wide eyes.

“Stop calling him that. And yes,” Ari giggled.

“Okay!” She said, practically skipping toward the SUV.

Ariana waited until Robin was safely in the back seat before she spoke.

“I-I need to go to my apartment,” Ari told Harry.

“You can’t bring her—” He choked out, looking worried.

“No, no. Absolutely not. I need to go. I need to get some stuff for her. I need to pack some stuff,” Ari told him.

“And your mother?” He asked.

“If she’s there, I swear to god—” Ariana growled.

“Please, don’t do anything stupid, Ari,” Harry said, running his hands up and down her arms to calm her.

“I won’t. No,” she said, shaking her head.

“Okay,” he said, pulling her into a hug.

Harry drove the girls over to their mother’s apartment and waited in the car with Robin as Ariana went inside.

Ari took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger that was vibrating through her as she unlocked the apartment. She wanted nothing more than to hit her mother just as she hit Robin. But that wouldn’t be good for either her or Robin.

“Mother!” She growled as she turned on the lights.

When she didn’t get a response, she stalked to hers and Robin’s bedroom, grabbing the first bags she could find as she opened Robin’s drawers and started filling them. Robin would not be back. Over Ariana’s dead body would she be placed under their mother’s care ever again. When she filled the bags with Robin’s belongings, she started gathering her own.

“Ari—” She heard her mother choke out.

She spun quickly toward the doorway where she stood, her eyes narrowing immediately.

“I’m-I’m sorry, Ari…” She sniffled.

“I hope those fucking pills help you sleep at night. I hope they were worth it,” Ariana growled at her.

“Ari—” She said, letting out a sob.

“Don’t! Do not cry to me, mother. Don’t even fucking do it,” she shot at her.

“I-I didn’t mean it,” she cried.

“But you did it. That’s what’s so fucked up. Your fourteen-year-old daughter! She didn’t even steal your god damn pills, mother. It was me,” Ariana spat at her.

Her eyes shot quickly up to Ari’s. She could see the anger and addiction swirling in them. She was fiening for a fix – maybe even going through withdrawal.

“I took those stupid pills, because you know what, Mother? They made you into a monster,” Ari scowled at her.

Her mother took a deep breath in and Ari knew she was fighting herself from saying something wicked to knock her down a peg or two, but lucky for her, she had enough self-control to bite her tongue.

“I know you stole my money, Mother. What? Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” Ariana snapped, narrowing her eyes at her.

“Where did you get that kind of money, Ariana?” She barked at her.

“It’s none of your business! I am an adult. It was my money and you stole it!” Ariana yelled at her.

“I am still your mother and if you’re doing something illegal—” She started to argue.

“What? Like popping pills to numb myself from my poor, miserable life?” Ari shot at her.

“Like, like selling drugs or… or… selling yourself!” She growled. Ari scoffed as she began packing her bag again.

“Ariana!” She shrieked, stalking forward toward her, grabbing her arm.

“Do not touch me!” Ariana screamed at her, wrenching her arm from her grasp.

“Are you—do you… are you selling… are you sleeping with men for money?” She choked out.

“It’s none of your fucking business!” Ariana shouted in her face.

“You—” She choked out, looking entirely horrified. But Ariana could tell she knew – she knew.

“I have taken care of this family for a year, Mother. When you couldn’t, I had to. But you know what? You don’t have to pretend anymore. You don’t have to pretend like nothing’s the matter or that you’re not a drug addict, because guess what? We’re done. You don’t have a family anymore,” Ariana shot at her before grabbing the bags she just packed.

She pushed passed her mother to go out the bedroom door – to leave the god forsaken apartment.

“ARIANA!” Her mother shouted after her. She continued to the front door and threw it open before spinning back to face her.

“You have hit rock bottom, Mother. And so help me God, you are about to feel it,” she spat at her before slamming the apartment door.

Notes