Annihilation - h.s.

Chapter Five.

"Yes, hi. This is Christine Lewis," Her voice is full of air, almost rushed. "I have a booking next week that I would like to cancel."

"Sure. One moment." I open the calendar application and check the schedule for next week. Just as the woman said, there is a reservation for a birthday party under her name.

"Of course, we have you booked here for Friday, June 20th. Is there any particular reason for this cancelation?" Though this is a rare occurrence, it's company policy to understand why someone's cancelling to see if we're able to persuade them to reschedule for another date.

"Umm. No reason. Sorry, I must go - just make sure it's cancelled." The line goes dead almost immediately after she finishes speaking and I am left in a brief state of confusion. I decide to forget about it, though, deeming myself too over worked to care. My shift is over, anyway.

I hang up the phone and reach for the mouse of the computer, only to be interrupted by another phone call.

"Jesus Christ, how many people feel the need to contact a catering company at ten o'clock at night?" I mumble in frustration to nobody in particular. My patience is at it's lowest.

I drag my fingers down my face in attempt to calm myself, only to be more agitated by the alarm of the phone. I pick it up, and not so kindly this time, I repeat the CIC standard greeting. "Chicago Illuminating Company. What do you want?"

"The royal Head Bitch's attitude deteriorates as the night gets later, doesn't it?" A familiar voice hums in my ear. It's been a long night, and on a normal occasion I wouldn't have even remembered him, but his British intonation seems to add heat to the boiling irritation in my chest.

"Does this phone call have a purpose, or do you just piss people off as a hobby? Either way, you'd better make this quick. I don't easily make time for bullshit."

I can almost hear him smirk. "Is it my lucky day, Sweetheart?"

"What?" I'm tired, I'm sore, and I do not feel like working over time just to listen to this nonsensical man.

He's pulling all of the right strings for me to release every ounce of pent up anger inside me. He's made himself the perfect target, too: anonymous, arrogant and an asshole. If only I could see his face while I exploded.

Too soon, his voice pulls me from my fantasies. "I believe you told me that if today was my lucky day, you would have an opening sooner than three months from now. Sweetheart, is today my lucky day?"

I grumble, silently cursing the woman who just cancelled. "Next Friday. Take it or leave it, Sweetheart."

"Friday of next week." He says, I assume to himself at first, but I'm corrected by a faint mumble in the background. "Good. I will have the building booked, then."

I click the open slot to fill out the form as I speak. "I have to fill some things out in order to do that, so I'm going to ask you a series of questions. I'm working overtime for you, so if you fail to answer my exact question or if you piss me off in any way, I'm hanging up and you're finding a new venue. Deal?"

"Seems simple enough."

I take note of the slight growl in his tone before I begin my brief interrogation.

"First name?"

"Harry."

"Last name?"

"Styles."

"How is it spelled?"

"It's spelled how it sounds, Sweetheart."

I'm tempted to hang up at this comment, but decide that I would prefer to have his money instead, so I continue.

"Event?"

"A formal meeting." His words are slow and precisely articulated.

"Personal or Corporate?"

He pauses for a moment, and when he does answer, he says the word just as slowly as his previous statement. "Both."

"How are you paying?"

"Cash. Is that all?"

"Y-"

The line goes dead.

"Are you kidding me? How many times can someone be hung up on in one night? I mean, really." I grumble to the same nobody as before.

I save the event booking, finish signing out, grab my bag, and leave the building furious that I had to stay half hour later than intended.

Once I'm sitting alone in my car with the doors working as a barrier from the world around me, I close my eyes and listen to my breath. I'm searching desperately for my 'Zen Place', as my mother calls it. After I've grasped my sanity once again, I reach into my bag, flicking my fingertips through the miscellaneous objects in search of my phone.

Once I find it, I pull it out and click the center button to relight the screen. I am immediately informed of a text from Jade waiting in my messages. I swipe the pad of my thumb across the screen to open the conversation.

Hey Hun, how was work without me? Just letting you know I'm picking you up tomorrow to go shopping.

I smile at her message before I type a message of my own.

For the most part, it was absolute hell. I'll tell you about it tomorrow. Xo.

I carelessly toss my phone back into my bag, start the car, and then begin my drive home.

****

Author's Note:

Okay bare with us, Harry's going to be in the story soon, but you'll have to wait a couple of chapters (until chapter eight) because once he's in it, he's going to be the center of attention seeing as he's broken and dark and what not.

For the sake of character developement and so you guys can see what August's life is like before him, there are going to be a few chapters of her interacting with her friends and living her normal life. We're going to make it as interesting as possible, but please just bare with us until the story actually starts.

This is also to give you guys a break from her work because she was at work for like a full four chapters lol

Thanks (and sorry for the super long author's note)

- Steph and Meg