TEA$ERS

Chapter 39

Chapter 39

I can feel my palms sweat as the petite woman leads me inside.

My entire presence in the lobby was filled with awkward shared glances around the room with the receptionist.

She seemed sweet enough, with her friendly smile and jar of cookies that she offered me as I walked in, but the woman was only doing her job and couldn't really distract me with small talk.

Now, she is calling me back to meet with Mr. Styles who's office smells strangely of peaches. He is talking on the phone, standing up beside his chair with his body turned towards the window behind his desk. When he hears me walk in, he ushers us inside as he speaks to the person over the phone.

"What?...Well, how long will that take?...It'll probably be quicker going through Toronto." He sighs, and I notice him tug on his curly brown hair. He looks slightly familiar, but I can't put my finger on where I've seen him from..

"Just get back to me when you have figured out the details." He states, abruptly ending the call.

"I'm so sorry about that, I'm not usually this stressed out." Mr. Styles tells me as he shakes my hand.

His face surprises me because he's a lot more attractive than what I had expected. A lot younger, too.

"Anything I can do to help?" I offer, feeling slightly uncomfortable with this man.

"No, I'll be fine. Tammy, can you bring me some peach tea?" He asks, apparently referring to the receptionist who nods and shuffles out of the office.

Well, that explains the smell.

I look around the place, noticing the fact that there are dozens of books covering the walls with titles that I don't even recognize.

"You like to read?" I murmur, my eyes capturing the man in front of me.

"Sometimes, yes. If I can find the time." He smiles a secretive smile, and I notice the small dimples above his full lips.

"So, why would you like to work h-"

"Harry?" I say, my eyes widening in surprise. He was the guy that was flirting with me at Lighters. The night that Zayn and I only found yet another problem in our complicated relationship-the fact that we cannot discuss anything without sex.

"Excuse me?" He asks, looking slightly offended that I called him by his first name.

I flush. "I mean, I met you before. At Lighters. We played pool together."

"Did we now?" He says quietly, that same secretive smile forming as he licks his already moist lips.

"Yes."

"Were you any good?"

"You thought I was."

"Hmm.." He looks thoughtful for a moment as he studies me, and I suddenly feel very uncomfortable again as he does.

My hands fumble with each other for a minute or two, before Harry, or rather, Mr. Styles, snaps his fingers.

"That's right! You're Rylee, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Styles." I say, trying my best to be polite. Even if we had met once before, it didn't make it okay for me to completely throw all of my manners out the window.

"You're the one that had Zayn hanging around you like a lost puppy." He chuckles to himself, and I flush again.

Just in time, Tammy walks back in with a cup of steaming tea in hand. She gives it to Mr. Styles, who thanks her and turns to me.