If I Let You Know... [N.H.]

14. In Case You Didn't Know

Zayn is lying on one of them, with his phone in his hands.

"Hey" I say.

"Hi" he answers still looking at the screen.

When he realises it wasn't just a polite greeting, he chuckles and puts the phone down.

"So I'm taking it all went well?" he asks lowering his voice.

I nod smiling.

"Good" he says.

"I'll leave you alone now. Thank you very much, Zayn" I say, returning with the rest of the boys.

"That's okay. Be with you in two" he smiles back.

It's a four hour drive to Charlotte, during which we chat and watch a movie. We stop along the way to pick Lottie and Sophia up from the airport.

Apparently Sophia has some kind of event in Los Angeles in four days but has decided to pay us a visit before; and Lottie will join us for the rest of the tour. After picking them up, the bus starts again and we go to the hotel.

"So..." I say leaving my suitcase in one of the bedrooms' sofas, "What's the plan for today?"

"I'm staying here" Niall answers sitting on the other sofa and turning the TV on.

"Really? Is that what you're gonna do all day?"

"If you want a visit around the city, talk to Harold. He's the one into sightseeing"

I nod and leave the room, heading over to Harry's. I gently knock on the door and wait.

"Yeah?" he says half-opening the door; "Oh, Victoria!" he exclaims when he sees me; "Come in, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go sightseeing?"

He looks at me, surprised by the request, and then smiles.

"I'd love to. Let me check if Sam lets us and we can visit the wonderful city of Charlotte"

Sam does let us, but thousands of fans camp outside the hotel, not even giving us a chance to leave the lobby.

"That was a quick visit" Niall sarcastically chuckles when he sees me enter again ten minutes later.

"Fans won't let us go out"

"Comes with the territory" Niall says shrugging his shoulders; "wanna watch telly?"

"Yeah, fine" I answer sitting next to him.

So watching telly is what we do during the whole day.

I join Harry for dinner because Niall prefers to order from room service. A couple of fans who are staying at the hotel interrupt our meal in order to ask for a photo and all of them ask me where Niall is; but apart from that, we have quite a calm time.

After dinner, I return to the bedroom where Niall awaits me, still watching TV.

"I'm gonna take a shower" I say.

"K"

When I exit the bathroom ten minutes later, Niall is on the bed and he has turned on the room TV. I lie next to him and stare at the screen without saying a word.

"Victoria" Niall's voice interrupts my thoughts a couple of minutes later.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"What?" I ask, blinking; "What do you mean?"

"In Spain; Do you have a boyfriend back home?"

"No!" I exclaim, "No," I repeat, calmer this time; "I wouldn't be doing this if I had a boyfriend. I'm not that kind of girl at all"

"Sorry, it was just a question that popped in my head"

"That's all right" I answer, turning around and falling asleep without being aware of it.

Niall's voice wakes me up the next morning.

"Victoria, we're going to the interview" he says gently shaking me.

"Good luck" I manage to mumble before dozing off again.

"You have to come with us" he insists.

"Why?"

"You won't be able to leave the hotel otherwise"

Seems legit. I stand up and have breakfast with Niall, get dressed and meet the others at the lobby.

It takes us quite a lot of time to exit the hotel because all the screaming girls that wouldn't let us go out yesterday surround the cars and start whacking the windows. I can feel my stomach shrinking and Harry, who is sitting next to me, puts his hand on my knee.

"It's okay" he says with a smile, "it's scary, but it's okay"

"They can't get to you" Basil adds, also smiling.

Finally we arrive to where the interviews will take place and the boys are taken to a room so Lou gets them ready.

I stand still, looking everywhere; not really knowing what to do or where to go.

"Hi, Victoria?" I hear a feminine voice behind me.

I turn around and look at a middle-age woman with lots of makeup on.

"Sally Timpson, management" she says shaking my hand; "may I have a word?"

"Sure" I answer following her.

"I just wanted to talk to you about next week's schedule. It's a bit crazy so I wanted to make sure that you had it all clear"

Next week's schedule? What?

Apparently my 'I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about' expression gives her the answer.

"Haven't you read the e-mail we sent you?"

"I... I haven't checked my laptop since Tampa"

She rolls her eyes and sighs. I stare at her with a confused look: Why sending me an e-mail when we're together?

"Next week is the New York Premiere of the movie"

"What?"

"Please, honey, you have to pay attention. The boys are doing a second premiere in New York in six days. Once we're done in New Orleans we'll fly to New York for two days and a half; before continuing the tour in Tulsa. Sophia won't be attending the premiere; but because everybody knows you're with them on tour..."

I say nothing, not really knowing what she's trying to tell me.

"Do you know someone in New York? Someone you can hang out with while the boys are doing the premiere?"

Oh! So that's what is all about: Me staying away from the spotlight during the event.

"I have a friend who is studying there"

"Perfect" Sally answers with a huge grin; "Then call him and tell him you'll be in NYC the 20th, and you can grab a coffee together"

She shakes my hand and walks away, leaving me alone again.

Some minutes later, a gentle tap on my shoulder makes me jump.