Sequins & Zippers

Part 14 | Birthdays, Flares & Sequins

Aurora's birthday starts with a knock on the door of her hotel room waking her up. She rolls out of bed and is met with a hotel employee when she opens the door. She moves out of the way and can barely get out a 'good morning" from the shock she's in when she sees the cart the employee wheels in.

"Happy Birthday, Miss Del Gatto!" He greets her as he lifts off the silver lid to the plate. "Enjoy your breakfast."

Aurora rushes out a thank you and quickly grabs a few bills from her bag to tip him. Once he leaves she goes to investigate. A golden Belgium waffle, fruit, bacon and a french press full of coffee. There's a vase of coral coloured roses and bursts of baby's-breath and a note that's propped up against said vase. She recognizes the handwriting as well as her own. "Rory" is scribbled across the envelope. A blush rises to her cheeks.

Typically, Aurora's birthday is uneventful. She likes it lowkey. If it's lowkey, there's no expectations to be met. There's never a let down. There was 1 birthday where she tried to plan a night, dinner with her closest friends and then back to her apartment for a party. During that dinner she got text after text with some lame excuse or another that yet another person couldn't come to the party. Aurora hated that birthday and ever since she just didn't put a big effort in. She kept things small, dinner with family, movie night with Issac.

It's not even 10am and Aurora's birthday is already better than any other year. She hadn't even reminded Harry that her birthday was coming up. She did assume he had someone that kept him on top of it though. He never missed a crew member's birthday. Cake and singing on stage if it was a show day and always a massive cake for everyone at craft services. Aurora didn't expect this; flowers, breakfast, a handwritten note. The more she thought about it, the more rosy her cheeks turned.

She sent Harry a photo of the cart before she ate with a short thank you text and he responded with a phone call. He cheered over the phone from his hotel room, or maybe a business coffee meeting, she wasn't sure, but he didn't hold back. He was loud and excited and now Aurora's cheeks weren't just bright red, they hurt too, from smiling so big.

Aurora ate the breakfast Harry sent to her while on the phone with her parents and then Leila and responded to a handful of texts from college friends as she got ready. Harry had told her to meet her later that afternoon. With the Chicago show happening the next day, they had a wide open schedule. Aurora told him she wanted a chill day, to enjoy the summer weather in the city. So they planned to spend the day at the pool deck at Harry's hotel and he shared that he had reservations for dinner later that evening.

Aurora truly cannot complain a single bit about the afternoon. Her and Harry share a blue and white striped chaise on the pool deck and spend their time in and out of the pool, reading, and playing a few games of gin rummy when Mitch and Sara join them for a bit. It's much later in the afternoon when they decide a nap is much needed. The sun is exhausting and frankly, it's their 1st day off in a while.

They're tired.

But that doesn't stop them from showering off the chlorine together when they go back to Harry's room. The pair linger under the steady stream of water in the obnoxiously (but thankfully) large shower. They don't remember how tired they are until they get out of and Harry is lazily kissing Aurora's skin as he dries her off. Harry tosses her a t-shirt of his to wear while they nap. They don't sleep for long, but they do stay in the crisp white sheets, tangled together for longer.

"Ope, your nose is a little burnt," Harry practically whispers to Aurora while tapping the tip of her nose with his pointer finger. They're laying so close that when Aurora scrunches her nose at the gesture he not only instantly feels the tightness of her skin there but the brush of Harry's nose against her own. She reaches up to rub at it for a second.