euphoric (n.s. AU)

t h r e e

I walk through the halls of the building with Niall close behind me like a lost puppy, annoying me slightly.

"Okay, so since you're a high school student, you're going to be working in my office with me." I say, turning down another hallway.

"Shouldn't I get my own office, or like a cubical, you know, so I don't have to bother you all of the time?" He mutters as we make our way to the front office to introduce him to Stacey, our secretary.

"If you want one, I can get you a cubical. But with you being my intern and all, it would be hard to learn from me if you're not observing me constantly." I explain, and he doesn't seem to like my answer. "Plus, it gets kind of lonely in the office." I add, just as we arrive at the front of the building.

"Hey Stacey, this is my new intern, Niall. Niall, this is Stacey, our secretary." I introduce them. 

"Hi again! We met the last time I was here." He proclaims, a big goofy smile plastered on his face. I mentally slap myself; of course they've met before. My mind has been jumbled the past few days.

"We did! Hello again, Niall." She smiles back, seemingly enjoying the short break from work. I'm glad she doesn't mind that we interrupted her.

"Would you like to go meet the owner now, Niall?" I ask, breaking the awkward silence made from my silly mistake. He nods, waving Stacey goodbye before following me towards the elevator. I press the 'up' button at the same time Niall joins me, and I shoot him a friendly grin before turning my attention back towards the elevator doors. We stand in silence while we wait, besides the sound of the bustling business behind us. The elevator finally arrives, and we wait for it to empty of people before stepping in ourselves. There are a few people that join us, and I ask them what floor they're going to before pressing the one needed for us. Niall's eyes grow wide when he notices the amount of floor numbers on the wall. 

"Wow, this building is huge." He murmurs to no one in particular, and I let out a small chuckle in response. While we ascend closer towards our destination, Niall's anxiety seems to increase drastically, his foot tapping on the marble floor. The sound reminds me of something - however I can't seem to remember what exactly. I know I've heard that sound before, but thinking about it causes a slight headache to arise, gaining an eyeroll from me. The elevator dings, and I shake my head to rid my thoughts before stepping out of the open doors and inviting Niall to join me. I walk across the freshly cleaned floors, Niall right behind me as we make our way towards the office at the end of the hallway. The sound of people typing on their computers and clicking their mouses fills our ears, along with employees making business phone calls. We arrive at our destination, the door decorated with a placard that reads "Devon Adams - CEO". 

"You ready?" I ask Niall, who has been quiet during our journey. He nods softly, not taking his eyes off the door. I turn my attention towards Devon's office, knocking thrice on the door before putting my hand back at my side. We wait for a few moments, before the door swings open, scaring Niall slightly. I step towards him slightly in hopes that it will provide him with some sense of security.

"Come on in, I've been expecting you two!" Devon sings cheerily, stepping to the side to allow us entry. We both walk in, and I watch as Niall examines the large office, looking at all of the expensive furniture and equipment. He makes his way to the set of chairs placed in front of the large desk and takes a seat, still eyeing all of Devon's possessions.

"Wow, his office is much bigger than yours, Mr. Styles." He whispers to me, earning a chuckle from both Devon and I.

"Well, it wouldn't be right if he had a bigger office than the CEO, would it?" Devon chortles, and returns to his spinning chair behind his desk. Niall nods in response as I take a seat next to him.