You and I | Harry Styles/1D Fanfic

Seven.

I stared at the sheets of paper piled all over my desk. It was the next day and already I was swamped with 1D work. Costume fittings, TV show appearances, tour dates? That one really got to me. They hadn't even started writing their album yet! How could I start drawing up tour schedules when I didn't even know when their album would be ready? I sighed. Managing One Direction was going to be a lot more difficult than I thought.

There was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I said, straightening the papers on my desk into a more professional looking style mess. It wouldn't do for Emmie to walk in and see me on the verge of having a meltdown because of the amount of work she'd sent over for me to start on. I know she'd said that she was there to help for the first few weeks while I was finding my feet or whatever but I didn't want to have to ask for help. I could do it on my own.

But when the door opened it wasn't Emmie, it was Niall.

"Hey there," he grinned as he bounced over to my desk. I couldn't help but grin back at him despite my panicked state.

"Hey there," I replied. I checked the clock on the wall. It was only one fifteen, the band weren't due here till three thirty. "What's up? You know our meeting isn't for another hour and fifteen minutes, don't you?"

"I know," Niall said, still grinning at me. My smile faltered a little, turning a little confused.

"O-kay? So why are you here already?" Niall plopped down into the seat opposite me.

"I thought we could grab some lunch beforehand," he explained. I couldn't help being a little surprised. A, because he'd gone out of his way to come in early for this and B, because I couldn't believe it was past twelve o'clock and I hadn't had lunch yet. I love food. It's basically the main reason I live my life. The fact that I'd been so busy that I'd forgotten it... Was this what my life was going to be now I was working with the lads? I'd be so busy that basic essential needs like lunch would escape my mind? I shook my head internally. No way! I'd have to get a grip on the workload because I'm telling you now, if it came down to it and I had to make a choice between my career and food? Well, let's just say I could endure being poor and jobless as long as my greasy burgers and cheesy snacks didn't go away anytime soon.

I grabbed my purse from my bag under my desk and shot up. Niall gazed up at me hopefully.

"Okay, Niall. Let's go get me a pizza."

Niall and I were splitting our sides laughing as we stepped out of the lift and back into the office after lunch. Niall was carrying a doggy bag of leftover pizza.

"I still can't believe you ate that whole thing," he laughed. "I couldn't manage it all."

"All?" I teased, "You couldn't even manage three quarters!"

"Well sorry I don't inhale my food! I actually like to taste what I'm eating." I shoved him playfully. Lunch out had definitely been what I'd needed. I was happily fed, relaxed, and more than ready to get back to work. We rounded the corner towards the boardroom, still laughing, to find the rest of the boys already there. I checked the time. They were early, it was only quarter past three. All three of them looked up as Niall and I approached; Louis and Liam looked curious while Harry looked a little irritated. What had gotten his goat this afternoon?

"What have you guys been up to then?" Louis asked, curiously. Niall shrugged.

"We just went to grab something to eat," he said. Then, turning to me, "Well I say 'eat', with this one is was more like absorb. Honestly, I've never seen food disappear so quick-"

I silenced him with a punch to the arm. Niall started laughing again and I grinned at him.

"Dating the artists, how very professional." I stopped laughing to glare over at Harry.

"Don't be ridiculous, it wasn't a date," I spat at him. "Niall just thought it'd be a good idea for us to start getting to know each other, and he's completely right. I'm going to need to start getting to know all of you pretty soon because I've been drawing up signings and PA schedules for the next few weeks and, trust me, we're going to be spending a lot of time together." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Oh joy." I ignored him.

"Right, do you lot want to make your way into the boardroom," I suggested. "We're a little bit early but if we're here we may as well start. Emmie will be along in a bit too." The boys started filing into the large room and I went to follow in last behind Harry. Just before he stepped inside, Harry spun around to face me. It was all I could do to not walk straight into him.

"So, can ours be next then?" he asked, looking down at me with a devilish grin on his face. I didn't trust his expression and knew that it would be better not to ask but I couldn't help my curiosity.

"Our what?" I asked, apprehensively.

"Date." He lowered his head to plant a swift kiss on my cheek before spinning back round and sauntering into the boardroom, chuckling quietly to himself as he went. I could feel my tanned skin begin to burn red. I don't know what his game was but Harry was already starting to get on my nerves and this was only day two of being assigned to work with them. One second he was trying to wind me up and questioning my professionalism, the next he was...what even was that? Flirting? Whatever it was, I knew he was doing it to push my buttons. He was obviously still pissed off about what he'd heard me say about the group the other day and while it seemed he'd kept his promise not to tell anyone else, it looked like he was going to try and get at me as much as he could but it wasn't going to work. I was a fiery person by nature, so I knew it was going to be difficult, but I wasn't going to let him get a rise out of me, I wouldn't let my temper flare. Harry could try all he wanted, but I was going to remain the perfect Icon employee. For now, anyway.