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clumsily

According to Sally and Tracy, Zayn is even more beautiful up close. They "accidentally" ran into him four times in the break room, where he was in search of a missing case for a video game. Sally may or may not have stolen it, just to keep him busy and distract him while Tracy snapped photos of his jaw and shoulders from every angle possible. 

"He's absolutely gorgeous," Sally gushed, her entire body shaking with excitement. "He was on the phone, but he still smiled at us when we waved. How nice is that?"

"He's taller than I thought he'd be, too," Tracy added. Her eyes locked on someone behind me and she leapt out ofher seat. "Michelle! There you are! Have you met him yet?"

Michelle sat down ever-so-carefully in the chair next to mine and sent me a huge grin. "Met who?"

"Zayn Malik," Sally sighed, staring off dreamily into the distance, as though she was replaying the only memory the two of them shared; breathing the air in the break room.

Michelle raised her eyebrows. "Is he in the building?"

My heart sort of sank at that. Another celebrity Michelle was undoubtedly going to sleep with. While Sally, Tracy, and I were stuck on the editing floor, Michelle was on the top floor: Features. That was where the celebrities were all the time. Interviews, photo shoots, they all happened in features, and Michelle is assistant to the director of the Features department, Chelsea Gippa. Being in Features gave Michelle prime access to all the prettiest people, and I for some reason didn't particularly want her messing around in the relationship of an engaged bloke with millions of crazy teenage fans.

"The whole band are in Features, but Zayn took a call in the break room, so Tracy and I checked it out."

"Is he still there?" Michelle asked, tugging not-so-discretely at her bra straps. I knew what that meant; Michelle was playing dirty. No bra.

"Yeah, he was three minutes and forty seven seconds ago," Tracy said, twirling her spoon around in her yoghurt. I didn't tell her so, but a fly had landed in it in her abscence. 

"Should I go for it?" Michelle asked, turning to me, as though I was the overlord of all things sexual. News flash to her; I'm a virgin. I've given out fewer handjobs than I have piercings on my body, and I've never been fully naked in front of a guy. ("Cellulite is so unattractive. You might as well be inviting people to note how huge your thighs are.")

"Don't look at me," I said, averting my gaze as Diamond entered the room in all her News Staff glory. Our magazine's version of news, however, was more gossip than anything else.

"You'll never guess what my story this week is about," Diamond grinned, plopping down into the only available chair at the table. "And, by the way, I thought we were eating in the break room."

"It's too crowded," I said, trying my hardest not to sound complacent. "Zayn Malik is making phone calls in there."

"Seriously? How absolutely lush is he?" Diamond said. 

"The most lush ever," Michelle agreed. "I'm probably going to shag him in Chelsea's office."

"Probably," Diamond agreed, making grabby hands for my lunch. "You're not going to eat all of that, are you, babe?"

I was planning on it... That's why I brought it. "No," I said, offering her the bag of carrots. She took the pudding instead. I suppressed the sigh that was forming in the back on my throat.

"Oh, I was thinking we could all go for a jog on the boardwalk today! They're putting up those ridiculous Valentine's hearts already."

"It's January," Tracy deadpanned. "Why in the world would they do that?"