When you tell the world you're mine

Chapter 3: Workaholic

Carolina arrived at the Intercontinental's penthouse at 4:55 in the morning. With a tired and sleepy face, she bought a coffee at the nearby Starbucks. Coffee would be the only thing that would be able to keep her awake in that ungodly hour of the day. She hated waking up early. And she almost broke her alarm when it rang that morning (middle of the night, really). She took advantage of the office quietness to take a deep breath and accept that she barely had slept the night before until she had to be up again. Edward arrived a few minutes later and soon both of them started working together.

At 6:50, Harry entered the office and saw the three people there working. And they all had done so much in a little time.

"Good morning, Carolina.", he said after running a few things with Edward.
"Morning, Harry", she said happily without taking her eyes off the computer in front of her.
"Wow... are you an early riser?", he asked and she noticed his sleepy voice.
"Want my honest answer?"
"Yes?"
"No. I don't like waking up early. But I had to be here, so I did.", she offered with a simple shrug and a smile to the prince looking at him for the first time that morning.
"Well, that makes two of us. But you handle it so much better than I do. I'd never be able to produce this much in so short time... in the morning."
"Edward and I were discussing about making the statement a little bit more fun. Not the writing, but the layout. Using the Invictus logo and the like."
"That's a good idea. Instead of just giving them a plain white piece of paper."
"Yeah. But I'd like to ask you if you would accept the layout I did"
"You are making layouts now? What about the translating?", he asked startled already thinking that the material wasn't ready.
"Oh. That's done and checked.", she laughed at his reaction. "I just didn't print them because, you know, you need to approve the layout.", she had a smug smile on her face.
"Let me see it then", he turned around and stood behind her in front of the computer and saw all the visual design for the material he would use in the meetings of the day. And as she said, it was much more fun than serious. Quite like him.
"Well. I like it. You can print on this layout you've made."
"On it.", she hit some keyboard keys and soon the printer started working.
"You're good at it, Carolina. Lots of experience?"
"I have worked in offices since I started working at 16. And in college we learned about visual designing and layouts and programming.", she answered looking at him while he sat on the chair in front of her desk again.
"Where do you work now?", he seemed curious.
"I am unemployed right now.", she had a deep breath and then looked at him again.
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright. I am trying though."
"I am sure to give the best recommendations ever. You deserve it.",
"Well, thank you. I'd love to have the recommendations but I'd hate to be only asked to have interviews just because I worked with Prince Harry."

He was stunned by her words. She didn't want to get a job only because she had worked with him. She clearly wanted to get a job by her own means and skills. Which she totally could and in that moment Harry wondered how in the hell was this girl unemployed.
"Well.. in that case I'm gonna have to ask Edward to write you a recommendation letter that doesn't tell that you worked for me, only the amazing job you have been doing."

He could actually see when she blushed at his compliment. This girl was getting more and more interesting by the minute. They stared at each other for a few seconds that lasted like hours, before she snapped out of it and got up to get the printed files, before they even came out of the machine, just to have an excuse to be a little farther away from him for a few minutes. The way he was looking at her as if he was reading or studying her made her insecurities come rushing to the front of her mind and she didn't like it at all. She started to organize the files in folders and separating them to handle them to Edward.

"Thank you, Harry", she said after a few minutes not really looking him in the eye.

Harry wanted to push his luck a little bit. It was strange for him for someone as intelligent as Carolina to be as insecure as she was. But since it was work place and that he'd probably never see her again after he came back home, he opted for a change in subject.