~~~~~~

I avoided Twitter the whole weekend as I had a feeling more people would have sussed who I was, and I just wanted to stick my head in the sand and not think about it all. I went round to Callie's on Friday night as planned and told her everything. She had guessed from my silence that something like this had gone on, and once again listened intently while I told her the story in all its glorious detail.

"There's just one thing I don't get, Jess," she said, after I had finished. "Why on earth would you brush him off? It sounds like he was going to ask you to meet up again when he's back! Don't you want to?"

"Of course I do," I sighed. "But I refuse to spend the next month counting down the days until he's back, in the vain hope he might still be interested. He's Harry Styles for God's sake. He's not exactly short of offers is he? By tonight there'll be someone prettier, sexier and more exciting than me just waiting to jump into his bed. I'm not stupid. He may not have been deliberately using me, but he's not going to keep it in his pants on tour is he? He's only human. And if I let myself get my hopes up that he genuinely likes me, I'll just be disappointed when the next story breaks on Twitter with the latest lucky fan."

Callie hadn't fully agreed, but she was impressed that I was able to be so calm and level headed about it. Sarah had texted me over the weekend demanding an explanation for Friday, but I had fobbed her off. So by the time Monday morning rolled around, I was feeling at peace with myself over Harry, but dreading the questions I was bound to face when I got into work.

On my way in I stopped at Costa for a Gingerbread Latte, and happened to catch sight of the magazine stand outside the newsagent by the tube station. On the front cover of Heat magazine was the story HARRY'S NEW GIRL in huge letters, along with a picture of us walking along the pavement looking at each other and smiling. I grabbed it in horror and thumbed to the right page. It was an entire double spread, with loads of pictures. I snapped it shut and hurried to the counter with it to pay. Once I was on the tube I squeezed myself into a corner and opened the magazine again.

LOVE INTEREST FOR HARRY STYLES?

Harry Styles, member of boyband pop sensation One Direction, has been breaking hearts left, right and centre this week by stepping out in public with his new lady friend. He spent the week relaxing with his family after being dumped by Victoria's Secret model Nadine Leopold in February, but headed back to London a day early to spend some time with new squeeze Jessica Bradshaw. The pair were spotted dining out at trendy C London, where according to fellow diners, they had eyes for no one but each other. "They were talking and laughing and gazing into each other's eyes, and were holding hands across the table," an insider told us.

They were photographed leaving together in Harry's black Range Rover Sport, and it is believed they spent the night at Jessica's home, before Harry dropped Jessica off in North London first thing in the morning.

They were spotted again later that day having coffee, looking extremely cosy, with Jessica appearing to reach across the table and lovingly stroke Harry's lips. Harry chatted to a few fans and posed for pictures, before they headed outside where a car was waiting to take Harry to the airport to begin the next leg of One Direction's world tour. He couldn't resist grabbing his latest love interest for a cheeky picture before he left, and while he didn't treat the audience to a full on PDA, the smile on his face tells us he's pretty loved up this time.

The couple were first pictured together last week leaving Harry's house early one morning after spending the night cosying up together at London nightspot Lagoon, and Jessica already boasts over 30,000 Twitter followers. Never underestimate the 1D fandom when it comes to solving the mysteries of the boys' dalliances with the ladies....

I looked through all the pictures with my mouth hanging open. There were loads - the first one of us in his car that had appeared on Sugarscape, us entering C London, leaving C London, in Harry's car that same night and also the following morning, which surprised me because I'd had no idea anyone had been watching us. Then there were the pictures of us in Costa, and me leaning forward looking into Harry's eyes and rubbing my finger over his bottom lip. I blushed as I remembered the conversation we'd been having when I'd done that, and blushed harder as I remembered him laying on his back on the bed on that first night, and me pulling his boxer shorts down and...

I took a deep breath and looked back at the article again. The last few pictures were of us standing by the car that came to pick him up, and him taking a picture of us. In every picture we were looking at each other and beaming; it was very clever editing. In the bottom corner of the page was a snapshot of my Twitter profile. Great. That was a sure way of guaranteeing more followers.

I closed the magazine and put it back in my bag. There was no point trying to ignore this situation anymore. This article had made sure of that. The train pulled up at my stop and I squeezed myself through the commuters and onto the platform. I hurried up the steps and onto the street, and kept my eyes on the pavement as I walked along the street to my office. I could hear my phone's text alert going off, but I didn't bother to look. I walked through reception and opened the door to the office. The conversation stopped immediately. Everybody looked up as I walked in, and as I drew level with Sarah's desk she looked up at me open-mouthed, a copy of Heat open on her desk. I sat down in my chair, trying to ignore the awkward silence, and switched my laptop on.

"Is it true Jess?" Gary asked, breaking the silence.

I looked over at him. "Is what true?"

"Are you going out with Harry Styles?"

You could have heard a pin drop in the room. "No!" I scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous."

Sarah held up the Heat article. "This says otherwise," she said.

"Yeah, well, don't believe everything you read," I muttered.

"Did you go to Lagoon with him a week ago?" she asked.

I cleared my throat. "No comment."

"Did you stay over at his house after Lagoon?"

"No comment."

"Did you shag him?"

"Definitely no comment!"

"Kitchen, now," she said, standing up and walking out of the office.

I sighed and followed her, thinking it would be better to get this over with. I closed the kitchen door behind me so no one would overhear. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," I said. "I couldn't."

She nodded. "I get it," she said. "Just tell me one thing. Is he as dreamy in real life?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Dreamier," I admitted.

"I knew it!" she squealed. She leaned closer to me. "Have you shagged him?"

I said nothing, but just smiled, and she cackled loudly and stamped her feet on the floor. "Oh my God I am so jealous it is untrue! Are you going to see him again?"

"I've no idea," I said, honestly. "I doubt it."

She stared at me. "But... the article said..."

"I told you, don't believe everything you read," I said. "It's all really well-edited. He only has to be seen out with a girl and the press assume they're a couple. This is no different. We're just friends. Maybe not even that."

"Have you met the others?" she asked, and by this I knew she meant the rest of One Direction.

"No," I said. "Although..." I smiled. "Zayn was at the house party where we met. And Louis called him while we were in his car and he was on speaker and Harry made him say hello to me. It was so embarrassing."

Sarah literally screamed. "THIS IS LIKE A FANFICTION!!!!!" she squealed.

"Shhhhhh keep your voice down!" I hissed, smiling. "Now stop interrogating me. I need to start work."

"Have you got his number?" she whispered as I opened the door to the kitchen to walk out.

"Yes," I whispered back and I heard her stamp her feet in excitement behind me.

"Can I see?" she begged.

I rolled my eyes and walked into the office. Everyone else fell silent again as Sarah followed me to my desk. I picked my phone up, went to my contacts and briefly held up my phone so she could see.

"Not a word to anyone," I warned, as she squeezed her eyes shut and screwed her face up in excitement.

"Put a password on your phone," she said as she walked back to her desk, grinning.

I hadn't even thought of that. I picked my phone up to put a password on it, and saw I had a new message from my brother, Calvin. It simply read:

Are you seriously going out with that loser Harry Styles? It's in fucking Heat magazine!

No I am not! I texted back quickly. Long story. Come down this weekend?

Lunch on Saturday? Maddie is going to freak.

Maddie is my 14 year old sister who I chaperoned to my first ever 1D concert. She claims to be a bigger fan than me. She's not.

Date I replied. Don't tell Maddie. I'll tell her myself. I hadn't seen Calvin in a few weeks, so I was excited at the thought of him coming down to London to see me. It was something to take my mind off the whole Harry Styles saga.

I threw my phone in my drawer, and caught Gary's eye across the room. "You're looking glum," I said. "What's up?"

"Another fight with Laura," he sighed.

"Oh no," I sympathised. "You'll work it out, though?"

He shrugged. "Hopefully. Who knows." He put his head back down behind his screen and I didn't ask any further questions.

I let my mind wander back to Harry again. I hadn't replied to the message he had sent me after he left on Friday, but I had contemplated texting him several times a day. The band were due to perform in Singapore on Wednesday, and in my head I was half thinking I might text him around then, either to say good luck or to ask how it went, but I was still in two minds. I shook my head and logged onto the network. I would never get any work done if I started daydreaming.