Callum & Harper (Sleepless 1)

She leaned over the dresser mirror and undid her hair piece laying it gently on top of the dresser.

“I’ll run your bath,” I said, walking to the bathroom to hide my bruised ego.

I sat at the edge of the tub and turned on the water. On the countertop near the sink, sat a basket with a note that read, ‘To Mr. and Mrs. Tate’. I peeled the ribbon off the top and opened its lid. Inside, were candles, bubble bath, chocolate covered strawberries, a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

“Harper come here,” I said.

When she stood next to me, I showed her the basket. She picked up the card.

“‘To Mr. and Mrs. Tate’,” she repeated then turned the card over. “‘From Cherry, Kelly and Marty.’” Harper leaned against the counter top, facing me. “I love them,” she said simply. “They are extraordinary kind to me.”

“I think they love you too, Harper,” I said unexpectedly sad.

She walked over to the bath and felt the water.

“Perfect,” she murmured under her breath. She poured the bubble bath the girls had given us into the water and let the bubbles get ridiculously huge. She turned back my way. I picked up a chocolate covered strawberry and took a bite. “Turn around,” she said.

“What?”

“Turn around. I’m getting in.”

“But I’m in here.”

“You won’t look. I trust you,” she said, already slipping off the straps of her gown. I turned rapidly, finishing my strawberry. Did I hear tape?

“Is that...tape?”

“Don’t ask,” she laughed. “Okay, I’m in”.

I turned back around slowly and gawked at her, hidden beneath a sea of foam, she flirted with me by winking. I couldn't see a damn thing but it didn’t matter because I had never wanted to take a bath more in my life than I did in that moment and I didn’t even like baths. I had to get out of there.

“I’ll, uh, go put ice in the bucket to chill the champagne,” I said, grabbing the ice bucket as I left the bathroom.

I heard her giggle and shook my head at her cheekiness. Our entire marriage was going to be nothing but a painful flirtation, I could already tell. I filled the bucket with ice then sat in the little room with the ice maker for a second to cool off. It wasn’t working so I grabbed a few cubes and dragged them across the back of my neck. I’d been gone for awhile and decided to head back, hoping that I’d be able to just slip in and she wouldn’t notice but when I reached the door I realized, in my haste, I’d forgotten my key. DANG IT!

I didn’t want to but I had to knock. “Harper, I forgot my key!”

o;Oh, those old bats love it,” he teased. “Look what happens when they have creative freedom. They’re very talented!”

“As are you,” I winked.

He was gracious enough to accept with a nod and we were turned around by more guests. Martin and Rodrigo!

“Harper, you are sight! Aphrodite herself would cast you down in jealousy,” Martin said, hugging me tightly, then Callum. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Martin,” Callum said.

We heard the buzz of a microphone somewhere and Charlie’s complaining that no one could hear him.

“May I have your attention?” He said into the microphone. “I’m sure you’re all as hungry as I am but I’ve been told by that lovely red head over there,” he said, pointing at Cherry. She blushed and shook her head, “that I need to ‘suck it up’ because Callum and Harper’s first dance as a married couple must, and I quote, be while the sun completely sets.”

Everyone laughed and clapped as Callum drug me to the dance floor and swung me in a tight circle as Barcelona’s Please Don’t go began to play. He held me firmly and slowly guided me around the stone dance floor, my hand in the palm of his as he held it securely to his chest, my other hand around his neck. I leaned my face into the side of his neck as he sang softly into my ear the wonderfully delicious lyrics.

Suddenly, the strung lights Kelly had arranged for burst on over the dance floor. It was incredible and left us awestruck as we heard the ooh's of the guests around us.

Callum stopped and whispered in my ear, “I’ve never seen a woman look as beautiful as you do right now, Harper Tate.” My breath caught in my chest, striking me mute. “Shall we give them a little show?” He teased, a glint in his eye. I gulped, expecting him to kiss me but was disappointed only for a moment when he didn’t because my heart rate picked up as he lead me around the dance floor dramatically, like a professional dancer, making me forget all about my missed kiss.

“Kelly made me take lessons with her last year for a role she was trying to get. She didn’t, by the way,” he offered my dumbstruck expression as he effortlessly guided me around the stone.