Mixed Up // Harry Styles

Nine

                                                 CHAPTER NINE

     “Are you going to spend our whole lunch break on that thing?” Felicity says, gesturing towards my phone held loosely between my fingers.

     “It’s Aaron.” I sigh and slip my phone into my coat pocket.

     “Look, tell him to do one and that you’re not interested,” She sighs also and takes a sip of her coffee.

     “I can’t, I told him I’d go somewhere with him next week.” I tell her, avoiding her eyes.

     “You what?”

     “I told I wou-“

     “Yes, I know, I heard that,” She interrupts. “Why did you do such a foolish thing for?”

     “Why not? Nothing is going to go on between me and Harry so I need a distraction and I’m starting to move on.” I take a sip of my hot chocolate and still avoid her eyes, looking everywhere but her.

     “Holly, look at me.” Felicity demands and waves her hand in front of my face.

     I peer up at her and her eyes scan over my face a few times. “You’re in love with Harry, you don’t want me to go into facts and details now do you?”

     I shake my head and look down at my half full cup of hot chocolate in front of me, the steam seeping out of the air holes.

     “We best get back, don’t want Kerry screaming at us.”

     We collect our stuff and order another drink to take back to the office with us, taking a calm stroll along the back streets of London on route to the office as we had fifteen minutes still to waste of our lunch break.

     “What’s with all the commotion?” I question, slightly puzzled by the amount of paparazzi swarming the entrance to the office block with their cameras prepped and waiting in one hand.

     “Probably some superstar has turned up for an interview,” Felicity shrugs it off, grabbing my hand and yanking me through the paparazzi and into the building.

     “I’ve never seen it like this before,” I comment, taking another glance in their direction where they all stand chatting to one another.

     “Maybe it’s One Direction, who knows?” She jokes around, pressing the button for the lift and dragging me into the one that arrives at the bottom the quickest, my view of the pesky pap’s rapidly disappearing as the lift doors close shut.

     “Don’t even joke about that.” I sigh and lean up against the lifts back wall, pressing the back of my head against it.

     “So what happened at the party last night?” Felicity now asks, changing the topic completely like she usually does.

     “Nothing much, I left after half hour,” I inform her.

     The bell on the lift dings and the doors glide open allowing us out. We walk into the office, all eyes switching to us, only one co-worker being brave enough to tell us of the scene unfolding behind the closed office door.

     “Modest management are in there, Harry Styles wants to sue the journalist who wrote the story about him and the mystery girl because the journalist is ruining his healthy relationship,” Vicky one of the middle age journalists tell me. “Kerry wants you in there.”

     Me and Felicity exchange worried glances between one another and I give her my things before making my way towards the office door, carefully pushing it open slightly and tapping my first against it.

     “Ah, Holly,” Kerry sighs with relief. “Come take a seat.”

     I walk in and take a seat across from some of the Modest! Management members that was only at dinner a few nights ago, all of them glaring in my direction and staring me up and down with disgust. It’s only when my eyes run along the different faces, I recognise one of them the most.

     “Harry,” I whisper to myself and look down at the floor.

     “This is the journalist?” Steven from management questions Kerry.

     “Yes.” She replies calmly and simply, tapping her finger nails against her wooden desk, clearly not amused.

     “I withdraw,” Harry announces and holds his hands up, also standing up at the same time and pushing his chair back and away from the desk.

     “What?” Steven looks up at him, as does Judith too.

     “I mean, she’s only trying to do her job. She’s young; I shouldn’t be such a drama queen about it, should I?” He continues and heads for the door. “Sorry for wasting your time.”

     Steven, Judith and Mary stand up, shaking Kerry and I’s hand before leaving the room, Harry flashing me a warning look before leaving the office and shutting the door behind him. Kerry turns to look at me with a smirk on her face.

     “Seems to have a soft spot for you, he was already to press charges before you walked in,” She chuckles and pats me on the back, retaking a seat behind her desk again.

     “Yeah? I wish.” I mumble quietly and walk towards the door.

     “Holly?”

     I pivot on the spot to look at her again, this time she has a grin on her face.

     “Well done on the article,” She congratulates.

     “Thanks,” I whisper in response and hurriedly leave the room.