Veto

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

From Monday to Wednesday I'm lucky enough to not run into Harry at work. Though I know I'll have to face him at some point. The rest of our camping trip had been incredibly awkward. We didn't speak after he brought me a tea and I watched as Erika continued to try worm her way in for his attention. He seemed polite enough to give it to her though, which made avoiding conversation between us easy until we packed up and Niall and Charlotte could take me back home.

I could see the questions in my best friends face. I knew she knew Harry and I had shared the tent. And she witnessed our awkwardly avoidant behaviour the next morning. But she kept quiet and I can only assume that was because of Niall's presence, which I was grateful for. The last thing I needed was for Niall to get wind of any of this mess and tease me every moment he got about it.

Charlotte had been a little busy to catch up to debrief in person and the more days that had passed the more reluctant I became to even think about what happened in that tent. No one really needed to know, in fact it was probably best no one other than ourselves knew. I had gone over my contract and the company policies that could cause immediate disciplinary action - in other words get me fired on the spot, and a big one is inter workplace relations.

Between the two of us I can predict who would be taking the disciplinary and getting chucked out if anyone ever found out. So I did my best to avoid him, to not think of last weekend or him at all really.

Until today.

I'd decided to eat lunch in my office as I continued work for my fortnightly report when the phone on my desk began to ring.

"Hello?" I need to figure out what everyone else says when they answer these damn phones. I always feel like I'm meant to sound off some kind of formal answering.

"Miss Hassinger, you have someone here to see you. They're waiting at front desk. Did you want me to send them in?" Morgan from the top floor reception politely says.

I glance at my open planner on my desk, seeing the time slot completely empty of any scribblings I usually make when I have a meeting planned or deadline for something.

"Uh, sure." I agree, closing a couple of confidential clients files on my desk and shoving them in the draws. Someone is here to see me? Who? What for? I don't usually get any unscheduled visits so this is something different.

A light tap on my door sounds before Morgan opens it, "Miss Hassinger." She nods in greeting before stepping aside and allowing my visitor entry. I stand immediately at his presence out of pure shock.

"Liam?"

"Hey." His brown eyes crinkle with his smile. He's wearing his glasses today, the tortoise shell framed ones that I gifted him one Christmas. Liam awkwardly glances sideways as Morgan still standing to the side of my door and he brings his brown leather document bag as if to signal to me that he's here on offical business. I have no idea what business that would be.

"Uh, thank you Morgan. I'll take it from here." I smile at the receptionist and she nods before leaving. Liam lingers awkwardly at my office entry.

"Come in." I motion to the seat near my desk. "So-"

"I'm sorry for barging in like this." Liam interrupts me as he sits down and I take my own seat.

"It's just you weren't exactly replying to my emails or answering whenever I called." Those brown eyes turn soft in that pitiful puppy dog way and I have to look away from him.

"Uh, yeah I've been super busy lately." I lie. Well it's not really a lie - I have been busy. But I've also been actively avoiding his communication, and with good reason.