How Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
“Harry, they think you’re lying about the work you do. There are theories that you are using the office job as a cover-up and partying it up with me in all these different vacation spots. They’re tearing down your image!”
“So let them,” Harry simply stated, tossing his keys in the bowl on the side table. He stalked to the kitchen, switching the mobile to his other ear to tuck it between the side of his head and shoulder.
“What?! No!” Anna cried, clutching the phone in anger. “You work your fucking ass off to be where you are today! You should get recognition for it!”
“Anna,” he said, sighing as he grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator. “It doesn’t matter all the good I do. It doesn’t matter how many charities I become patron of, how hard I work on anything. They will always write rubbish.”
“But-”
“No,” Harry interjected in a hard tone, slamming the unopened bottle on the kitchen counter with his brows furrowed together. “I don’t give a flying fuck what they say about me or what they think of me. This,” he gestured to the space in front of him, acting as if she were there. ”Us is what matters to me. You matter to me. Everything else is just bullshit that’s never going to go away.”
She bit the inside of her cheek until he was done spitting his mini rant. “Harry.. I don’t like lying.”
“I know you don’t. But…” Harry inhaled deeply then released the breath in one small puff of air. “Listen, take this time right now to be with your family without the glare of the public and the media attention. Mags is getting in in a couple days.. enjoy the visit and have fun. The last thing I want for you right now is to be hassled while at the cinema with your mum or picking up Sarah and Benny from school or.. whatever.”
He paused, feeling the agitation rise up again at the harsh truth of what he knew she was going to go through once their relationship progressed. He had to protect her before that all happened. He had to give her time and privacy before they ripped that away from her.
“They may pretend to care about your loss, but they’re fucking vultures that will tear you apart.”
Anna sighed, nodding even though he couldn’t see her. He was right. Of course he was right. He had more experience than she did when it came to this. Shit, she thought. There was so much yet she had to learn. So many things she was still in the dark about.
“You’re right,” she muttered, reluctantly. “Ugh, I hate it when you’re right.“
“Ha!” He laughed, feeling a little lighter at the anger in her tone subsiding, causing his to do the same. “Why is that? I happen to enjoy it.“
“That’s why! You get all smug and gloat for hours. It’s annoying…and infuriatingly sexy.”
Harry smirked, tossing the bottle up before catching it easily with one hand. ”How badly do you want to ravish me right now?”
“So fucking bad,” she groaned. “But I’m still upset with you for not telling me first. Can I just tell you how awkward and embarrassing it was for me to find out from my grandma that people are saying they spotted us on holiday? In Switzerland. I’m pretty pissed about that, Har.”
“Okay, you got me there,” he winced, peeling off the label of the bottle out of nervous habit to keep his hands busy. “I should’ve told you. But, Anna. This is something you’ll have to get used to. The paps are always searching around, looking for the slightest sighting that’s tweeted or on Facebook—wherever—to fly upon demand.” Harry paused to take another deep breath through his nose and then added. ”We have a few tricks up our sleeve, too. You’ll learn that soon enough. It’s the only way we can get some privacy during times like this.. When privacy is a necessity.”
“I know.” Her chest ached from just how much the two words she had uttered rang true. She could see the tormented little boy who had to grieve for his mother with millions and millions of eyes on him, picking apart every frown, every bow of his head…every tear. She couldn’t imagine, couldn’t fathom how he got through something like that with his every move being scrutinized.
“I’m here to protect you,” Harry said pointedly. “This is me protecting you, Annalisa.”
“I don’t need protection,” Anna stubbornly protested.
Harry’s lips curved up. He knew just how much she valued her independence from being on her own for so long, letting her stubborn nature that drove him mad shine through. He wouldn’t trade it for the world.
“You protect the ones you love. You protect the relationships that shape you to be a better person.”
Her heart melted, softening her hard features. ”Aw, baby..”
“Sickly sweet, right?”
“I love you.” She breathed, a big urge to hug him creating a dip in her lower belly.. an ache that she had felt ever since they parted. ”You make me a better person, too.”
“You mean I corrupted you.. I’m a bad influence.. I-”
“Hey,” Anna interrupted as he bitterly listed off all the untrue garbage reporters had written up after their relationship went public. “None of that is true. We work together. We are a team. You know better than I do how much shit they fabricate. All of that is nonsense.” Harry was silent; not because he believed them over her, but because he wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms and swing her around while her giggles filled his heart. “Are you listening to me, Wales?”
“I am, Caro. You have my undivided attention.”
“Good. Now about your previous statement on protecting the one you love… I don’t protect you so how does that make sense? Shouldn’t we protect each other?”
“We do, peaches,” he grinned, chuckling to himself. ”Otherwise your brothers would’ve killed me by now.”
“Ha! Touche.”
——
“I think I freaked Maggie out. She may think I’m a lesbian now.”
Harry choked on the burger he was scarfing down in between meetings that would last for the remainder of the day. “W-what?”
“You alright there, captain?” Anna chortled, picturing him taking big gulps of water in between the coughing fit as he fought for his airways to cooperate.
“Don’t say something like that while I’m eating! Jesus, woman. Are you trying to choke me to death?”
“I’ve thought of it once or twice,” she lied lightheartedly.
“Cute.” Harry choked out and took another long drink from his bottle of water. He swallowed and cleared his throat repeatedly, ignoring her chuckles and politely waving off assistance from security. “Now what’s this about me turning you off from men completely?”
“Ha! One thing is true: you have ruined me for any other man.”
“Good, except now I’m afraid I’ve also lost you to another team entirely.”
“I nearly suffocated her when she arrived.” Anna explained with a laugh. “Literally held onto her for dear life for much longer than I should have.” She lowered her voice. “People were staring.”
“Does she know it’s because she reminds you of home and what it’s like being with me? Not because you actually missed her, obviously.”
She giggled. ”I’m not gonna lie…I did pretend it was you for about five seconds.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “Did you cop a feel?”
“Oh my god, Henry Wales. You would like that, wouldn’t you?” A long pause of silence followed and his lack of response made Anna laugh loudly, switching the phone to the other ear. “You pig.“
“Oink, oink..”
——-
“Gooooood eeeeevening, Hennnryyy.” Maggie drunkenly sang in his ear as he settled on the sofa. “It is I, your lover and mother of your unborn.”
Harry guffawed at her poor attempt at an American accent. Fits of giggles and screeches could be heard in the background, along with the unmistakeable sound of glasses clinking together. There was no doubt they were enjoying a girl’s night out.
“Called to say how I miss yooou terribly, big boy-”
“No, no, no! He’s a god in bed, not big boy! Oh shit, wait! Didn’t she say he’s well endowed, too?” Kathie’s voice called out. Harry’s body shook from amusement, saving that valuable piece of information for later. Any form of blackmail was gold in his book.
“Right! Yes, helloooo…” She broke character and snickered loudly, pulling the phone away to address the tipsy women he was sure she was with. “W-what? Hahaha! Yaaaaaas!“ Then he heard her more clearly as she turned back to the stolen mobile. “Oh, hey..you still there? Hello? Harryyyyy.. I think I’ve lost him.”
“Is that my pho-”
End of message.
——
“What are you up to?” Harry asked as he got comfortable under the covers of his cool bed and switched the telly on to catch the sports recap.
“Watching the country music awards,” she answered, reaching inside the bag of Doritos.
He wrinkled his nose and refrained from calling her boring, taking note of the gloomy tone she took right from when she answered his call. ”Is your mum with you?”
“Nope.” Crunch. “She went to bed awhile ago.” Crunch. “Said she was too tired after seeing Daniel and Gabe off.” Crunch.
“They’ve gone back to New York?”
“Yep.” Crunch.
He chortled. ”What are you munching on over there? Rocks?”
“Doritos,” she answered with a suppressed laugh.
“Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese?”
A teasing smile played on her lips as she looked down at the family value sized blue bag that was perched on her lap for easy access. “Ummm…Guess.”
“Hmm..” He hummed in deep thought. “Give me a hint.“
“No,” Anna giggled, Harry’s chest constricting at the sound. It was exactly what he had needed to hear after an endless day of meeting after meeting that contained nothing but disheartening news. When she had answered the phone, his stomach dropped at how sad she sounded. But now, after just a minute or two of speaking, he could hear her coming back to herself. “I’m awful at handing out clues.”
He chuckled in agreement. ”I was so sure you were going to give me a ‘blue’ or ‘red’ answer.”
“Oh my god!” She exclaimed, throwing the bag of chips on the coffee table and sitting up straight, eyes fixated on the television.
Harry’s brows lifted in anticipation. “What?”
“Stevie Nicks is performing with Lady A right now. This is fucking amazing.”
He rolled his eyes and mumbled under his breath, preparing himself to hear her go on and on about a measly three minute performance. What she didn’t know was that he was only half listening while his attention was more on the scoreboard of the rugby game he had missed.
——-
“Do you know how much I love you?”
Harry pulled a face, scanning the shelves of different pasta sauces. “Do I have to guess an actual figure? I’m terrible at Math.”
“Ha! But you have no problem estimating the number of times we’ve had sex,” Anna commented, pausing to dip the brush in the palette of different shades.
Harry groaned, sounding almost pained. “Please don’t mention sex right now..” His voice deepened as it lowered an octave, allowing him to speak darkly as he paid no mind to the other shoppers that could easily eavesdrop on the conversation; he had had to worry about that with Dave around. “I miss you…”
The grip she had on the paintbrush loosened from the way his gravelly voice sent ripples of pleasure down to her most sensitive area. She missed him, too. His hands on her soft skin, his mouth on hers and his scent intoxicating her. God, she really, really missed him.
“Miss you, too.” She bit her lip when his breath hitched, easily affecting him with her own sultry voice.
Harry glanced around, his rosy cheeks turning a darker shade from being aroused. The only person he saw was Dave standing back a few feet, chatting on his mobile. “I need to see you later.”
Anna heart thumped loudly in her chest, the ache in her core so intense and demanding it made her toes curl involuntarily. ”What time will you be home?”
Harry groaned at her purred inquiry, an important meeting with his private secretary coming to mind to go over his upcoming tour in South America. ”Not until late. Like…11ish my time. What’s that there? Seven or eight?”
“Six,” she corrected with a frown. “But I have dinner plans with Kathie and Maggie before she flies off tomorrow.“
“Fuck,” Harry cursed, threading his fingers through his hair and sighing in frustration. “I’m so horny.“
Anna would have laughed if she didn’t feel the same desperate need to see him too. If she didn’t have the same sex deprived sigh fall from her lips. “I know, baby. Me too…me too.”
“Call me after dinner?”
She quirked a brow. “You’ll be up?”
“Hm, in more ways than one.”
“Jesus Christ,” Anna snickered, squirming in her seat. She wracked her brain for a witty comeback but came up empty handed, her muscles tense from sexual frustration. “Yeah, I got nothing for that one.”
“I beg to differ…You got exactly what I need..”
“Good God,” She laughed. “You’re on a roll today.”
“I need sex,” Harry complained in a whine. He was just about to stomp his foot like a spoiled rotten kid in the middle of the grocery store. It wouldn’t have been the first time.
“Soon, baby.. Soon.”
———
“Forever and Ever, Amen.”
“You’re fucking cheating,” Harry accused, shaking the bag of popcorn as the remaining kernels popped.
“I’m not cheating! I’m gonna love you forever and ever…As long as old men sit and talk about the weather.. as long as old women sit and talk about old men… It’s my favorite song from Randy Travis!”
His brows knitted together. “Who?”
“Randy Travis! Honey, I don’t care.. I ain’t in love with your hair.. and if it all fell out, I’d love you anyway…”
“You bitch. You know how I feel about the bald jokes.”
Anna giggled. “Shut up! It’s a sweet song.”
“I can’t play this game with you if all you name are country songs. All I know are the ones that you sneakily added to my iPod. That’s like.. five.”
“More like fifty, but tough shit. You’re up, grouch.”
“Hang on,” Harry growled while peeling the bag open with his free hand and teeth, cursing when the steam burned his skin. After managing dumping the contents into a bowl without second degree burns, he made his way to the sofa and plopped down. “Alright.. I’m ready. Christ, I don’t even know what letter we’re on.”
“G.”
“Wake up, kids.. we got the dreamers disease.. Can’t forget we only get what we give!”
“Oooh.. good one, Wales,” she cooed. “Okay.. H…Ha! Ready?”
“When I was a young boooy!” He guessed correctly.
“How did you know?!”
“Oh, please.. Like I could forget that night you practically mauled me in front of the guys and girls to that song.”
Anna gasped. “I did no such thing!”
“You did!” He argued with a grin that was sure to make her heart stop if she saw it. It always did. “Hurt so good.. come on baby, make it hurt so good!”
“Sometimes love don’t feel like it should you make it.. Hurt so good.”
“Mmm…I think we should forget this game and—”
Anna jumped up at the suggestion before he finished, picking up on the sexual need in his tone. “Turning my computer on right now..”
Harry smirked devilishly. “I have corrupted you.”
———
“Stupid.”
“What?!” Anna cried, pressing the phone to her ear and peering down at the DVD she held in her hand. “Bullshit! This movie is gold.”
“Stupidly gold.”
“Ugh, I can’t win with you.”
“That’s right.. Don’t you forget it.”
“How can you not love Overboard? Hilariously done and so sweet! It’s brilliantly casted if anything, too. I would think you would appreciate that.”
“Yawn,” he said in a deadpan. “Even if I let you win this round, we wouldn’t be able to watch it as I don’t own that film.“
“I need to do a serious revamp of your movie collection,” Anna murmured, rummaging through the DVD shelf in search of another film.
“I give you full permission to do so…”
“Is this some sort of trick?”
“Nope,” Harry snorted. “Unless you consider marrying me as some sort of trick.“
“Of course not, darling!” She denied in a mock gasp, Harry chuckling in reply. “Don’t be alarmed if that’s the first thing I do after saying I do.”
“Technically, you’ll be saying I will.”
“Same difference. Well, what kind of movie do you want to watch?”
“Erm..I don’t know. Something decent and stimulating.”
“Hocus Pocus, it is.”
“Anna..” Harry groaned, exasperated.
——
“What are you eating?”
“Chocolate chip cookies, Cheetos, Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream… Oh, peach rings and a Reeses.”
“Got enough snacks there, love?” She huffed in reply, deliberately chewing louder into the speaker. “Do you got the munchies?“
“Shut up,” she grumbled miserably. “I got my period last night.“ Harry pulled a face. “I saw that, asshole.”
He laughed despite the moans and groans that came from her. ”You’re good… Scary, but good. That explains why you’re so grumpy tonight.”
“I’m not grumpy.” Anna grumbled before licking the spoon clean before dipping it back into the tub of Ben & Jerry’s.
“Mm..then what are you?” Harry asked, unconvinced.
“Pissed off at the entire male population.”
“Even the one that gives you the most amazing orgasms?”
“Especially that asshole.”
“Bahaha! I love you, too, precious.”
“Bleh.”
——-
“Sing me to sleep.”
Harry growled into his pillow, too exhausted to peel his eyes open to check the time. It had to be late if Anna’s voice sounded sleepy, as if it were late in her part of the timezone. It had been the third night in a row that he had been disturbed awake by the annoying ring of his mobile, Anna complaining of insomnia from not having him by her side.
“Sing what?”
“Anything.”
Harry sighed loudly and rolled over onto his back, his phone still pressed to his ear. ”I can’t think clearly right now, Anna,” he snapped.
“Sorry..”
“I’m sorry, baby.. I’m just..tired.”
She felt bad. She knew of his busy schedule, knew how he was always on the go from early morning to late at night. Meetings, engagements, and keeping tabs on various projects took up his entire days; and then he would have to listen to her ramblings of the happenings where she was instead of taking a hot shower and enjoying the quiet.
Normally, she would read on her kindle or listen to her iPod on shuffle to help her sleep. She would hug the pillow—his pillow—and dream up all the exciting things that were ahead for them. It had worked for a period of time, but now it had been weeks since she had him in her arms, since she felt his body warmth beside her. She needed his deep voice to lull her to sleep. She needed him.
“I know, I know.. Hey, I’ll let you go.. Get some sleep, okay?”
Harry forced his eyes to open when he heard the emotion in her voice and blinked when nothing but darkness greeted him. And then he cleared his throat and began to sing something he had heard from her many times before. “Come a little closer baby, I feel like laying you doooown…”
Tears sprang to her sleepy eyes as his groggy voice created butterflies in her belly. She snuggled further under the blankets, hugging his pillow to her chest and let out a happy sigh as he fulfilled her request. It took her five or so minutes before her eyelids fluttered and her mind drifted into oblivion.
——-
It had taken the couple a solid month before growing accustomed to the new stage of their relationship, carrying on a long distance love affair. Anna spent every evening before drifting off to sleep sending him a good morning text for him to wake up to, while Harry sent her a goodnight text before doing the same—even after hanging up with her. They fell into normalcy, working together to keep the contact as much as they could. After a long day, the thing Harry looked most forward to as he unwound was always the same: kick up his feet, take a swig of an ice cold ale, and listen to the song of the day Anna would leave on his voicemail before he would call her.
“My oh my you’re so good looking…”
“You don’t know! Oh, oh! You don’t know you’re beautiful!”
“I’m a bitch! I’m a lover, I’m a child, I’m a mother…I’m a sinner, I’m a saint..I do not feel ashamed!”
“Sweet, sweet baby… I go crazy.. Crazy when I think of yooou..”
”’Til the day my life is throooough, this I prooomise yoooou..”
Her soulful voice calmed the raging storm of each and every day. It made his heart beat wildly, it made him love him so much more than he thought was humanly possible. She gave him purpose. She gave him unconditional love. She gave him everything.
“Hello, lover.” His lips pulled into a wide smile at her cheery answer, his heart skipping a beat and a flutter in his belly awakening his spirit. “How was your day?”
“Better now.”
Wild Winter's Day 