A One Direction Christmas

Chapter 17 | Ava

Ava was in a great mood this morning. She had woken up a few minutes before her alarm, finished a great workout at the gym, and had a picture-perfect breakfast of french toast and a berry smoothie. After getting ready for the day (she was rocking killer pleated black pants and a baby blue sweater), Ava had decided she would treat herself to a beverage on her way to work.

Pleasant Valley only had one coffee shop, but luckily for her, they made a decent chai latte. Ava noticed as she stepped inside that the line to order was a bit longer than usual, but she wasn't deterred. She didn't have to be at the law firm until 8:00am, and her boss was much more lenient around the holidays. And besides, she was having a fantastic morning. Nothing could bring her down.

A long sigh came from behind her. "Well...we seem to keep on running into each other, now don't we?"

Ava spun around to see a very amused-looking Harry standing in the coffee shop doorway, little snowflakes sparkling delicately in his shoulder-length hair. She shot him a petulant look. "What, are you following me now?"

He held his hands up in defense. "Whoa, I thought we were supposed to be cool. I believe your exact words were–" he pitched his voice up high and screwed his face into a mocking scowl. "'–We're even now.'"

She scoffed. "I said we're even, not that we had to be friends. Now, if you excuse me–"

Harry ignored her and stepped forward so that they were standing side-by-side, waiting in line together. "So, Ava. What is it exactly that you do? It must be something fancy, based on your very chic outfits."

Ava opened her mouth to argue, but paused, remembering Harry's reasoning for their "getting even." She might as well try to get along with him for her mother's sake. Sighing, she answered, "I'm a lawyer."

His eyebrows shot up, seemingly impressed at her answer. "Wow. That explains a lot... the stylish, very put-together outfits, your seemingly irrepressible need to disagree and argue with everyone..."

Ignoring the compliment, Ava turned on him. "I do not disagree and argue with everyone!"

Harry's lips lifted into a smirk, and she glowered at him. "You know what, fine. With you, maybe I do. But that's only because you're incredibly annoying."

Unphased, he continued, "So what kind of lawyer are you? Do you specialize in hot drink accidents?"

She restrained her urge to punch him and gave him a forced smile. "No, Harry. I'm a criminal defense lawyer, I work as a public defender."

"Oh." Some of the mischief in Harry's eyes faded and was replaced with genuine interest. "That's actually quite cool. Do you like it?"

"It pays the bills," Ava shrugged. They had started to move up in line, ever so slowly. "Can't complain."

"Did you always want to be a lawyer?"

"Did you always want to be a lead singer in a boy band?"

"Touché," Harry laughed. "I always liked to sing, but I wouldn't say I had dreamt about being in a boy band, that's for sure. Nevermind one that became quite so famous." He shoved his hands in the pockets of his winter coat, looking thoughtful. "Now that I'm doing it though, I can't imagine being happier doing anything else. I'm pretty lucky."

Surprised by his candor, Ava was even more surprised to hear herself say, "I didn't always want to be a lawyer."

He seemed just as taken aback by her sharing as she was, and blinked at her for a moment. "What made you become one then?"

Ava sighed. "My grandfather was a pretty well known public defender around here. And out of all of my sisters, I was the one with a real knack for, well, arguing," she admitted, giving him the side eye as he suppressed a grin. "So, he began to foster that skill and started mentoring me from a young age. Nothing crazy, of course – he would bring me to any trials that he could, explain some of his secret tips and tricks to winning, and show me how a great public defender could really help people. It really interested me as a kid, and I loved the attention he gave me."

"Your grandfather sounds like a very law-enthusiastic man," Harry observed.

"Oh, he was," Ava laughed. "He even sent me to a law-themed summer camp once."

They finally made their way to the counter and their conversation was interrupted as Ava ordered her drink. Before she could pay, Harry had stepped in front of her, ordered a drink for himself, and paid for both of them. When she tried to protest, he simply offered, "You can get them next time." She very much doubted there would be a next time, but didn't correct him.

The two of them made their way over to sit at a table while they waited for their beverages, and Ava had a brief realization of how bizarre it was that she was casually sitting with Harry Styles in her hometown coffee shop. Especially when she had been so hostile to him – it was almost laughable.

"So," Harry said, leaning forward. "Did you ever want to be something other than a lawyer?"

She glanced up at him. His green eyes were genuine as he patiently waited for an answer.

"I always loved photography," Ava admitted. "And music. At one point I had thought about trying to go at it full-time, maybe even become a concert photographer, but it didn't really make sense. I mean, I have a full-time job as a public defender, a job where I'm not only helping others but getting consistent pay." She shrugged. "It felt like too big of a risk to take."

Ava didn't know when the tide had shifted from begrudgingly dealing with his presence to suddenly spilling her guts to him, but she wasn't a fan. Before he could ask her another question, she quickly changed the subject. "So, what do you think of Pleasant Valley?"

Harry graciously accepted the abrupt shift in conversation. "Being here for so long has been unexpected, to say the least. We were supposed to be in Portland for one night, and now we're been in Pleasant Valley for nearly a week. It didn't feel great, knowing that we were letting down the fans like that. But, to be completely honest..." he paused. "It feels bloody amazing to have a break like this."

"Do you not normally get a break around the holidays?" Ava asked, perplexed.

"We do, but it's usually just Christmas Eve and Christmas," he sighed. "And during that time, we're still getting messages from our team about what's coming up on our schedule – you know, magazine shoots, interviews, PR things like that."

Ava was aghast. "Are you kidding me? That's not nearly enough time to be with your family. You deserve a longer break than two measly days. Besides, that's not even a break if you're getting bombarded with work messages." Her brows furrowed deeply. "That's not right, Harry. Isn't there someone you can talk to about this, someone you can complain to and say 'Yeah sorry, that is not happening.'"

Harry chuckled. "I appreciate you being upset on my behalf, but it's really not that terrible."

She smacked his arm. "Don't be dumb. You should be able to ask for time off, especially at Christmastime. I mean, you're Harry Styles. Just threaten to leave the band and I'm sure they'll wisen up and gain some human decency."

"Is this official lawyer advice?" Harry asked, his eyes twinkling.

Ava felt her lips quirk. "Yes. Tell them that your lawyer demanded you be given at least four weeks off. Or else."

The barista called out their drinks, and the two of them stood.

"Well, Ava, it's been a pleasure," Harry said. "Thanks for giving me a lovely morning."

She scoffed, trying to ignore the faint blush that had appeared on her cheeks. "Whatever,

Styles. I'll see you later. Go take a nap or something."