Liam couldn't focus.
He glanced up from his laptop, to look at Zayn who was sitting directly opposite to him on the conference table. He looked absolutely determined, with his reading glasses on, and a stoic expression on his face.
It was now Friday, and they had been working together for over an hour now. When they got to the room, Liam asked him what was on the agenda for the day, and Zayn simply told him that he had already emailed Liam what to do. That was the only bit of conversation they had, and after five days of this, Liam finally had enough.
"Okay, you know what? I've let this slide for days now, but I can't anymore. Why have you been treating me like you cannot be in the same room as me?" Liam spoke up.
"Excuse me?" Zayn seemed taken aback, as he looked up from his screen to Liam.
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"You know what I'm talking about" Liam said, "you've been cold and dismissive since monday. And it clearly has to do with me because you're fine with the others!"
"Mr. Payne, I apologise if that's how I've made you feel, butI can assure you that"
"This is exactly what I mean," Liam sighed, "I know you're my boss, but you've always called me James. And I know this is our first time working alone together but I've seen you work with others. This is not how you act around them. So tell me, what did I do?"
"You've done nothing, I've just been focused on the work so I'm sorry if I don't have the time and energy to chit chat with you. I'm your boss, not your friend" Zayn snapped.
Liam was taken aback at this, he had never in his history of working at Zayn's company, seen him lose his temper even in the slightest. But Liam was not the type to back down or be intimidated, even by his own boss.
"You know, I really respected you until now," Liam retorted, "because I thought you were an honest man. But now I see that's just a facade since you cannot be straight with me and tell me what the fucking problem is."
"You want to know the fucking problem?"
Zayn let out a dry laugh, as he took off his glasses and kept them on the table, "I have a problem with lying, cheating scumbags."
"What?" Liam had no clue what Zayn meant.
"You heard me."
"I did but... What does that have to do with me? How the fuck am I a lying, cheating scumbag?"
"Friday night? You with that guy? Ring any bells?" Zayn rose a brow, and Liam just blinked at him in confusion.
"Yeah, I fucked him. I did it outside work and I didn't cheat on anyone. What are you even on about?" Liam questioned.
"Didn't cheat on anyone? What about you boyfriend?"
"My what? I don't have a boyfriend," Liam replied, and Zayn's face visibly paled at his statement.
"What about... What about that curly haired guy that drops you off at work? Who called you on Monday?" Zayn asked, now looking equally as confused as Liam.
"That's my best friend," Liam deadpanned, "my very happily married best friend that just returned from his honeymoon."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Oh."
"Okay. Fuck," Zayn sighed, as he massaged his temples with his thumb and middle finger, "I cannot even begin to- I apologise. I assumed things, and... And well, even if you were cheating on anyone, it's none of my business. It's your personal life and you're free to do whatever-"
