Just Another Stunt

5- Gentle Touch

Louis held the door open allowing Harry to walk in front of him.

"Ah, just the men we were talking about," an older grey-headed man addressed them, standing from his chair.

"Good things I hope," Harry said with a smile, trying to be charming. He wanted to throw up, but he was holding it in quite well.

Louis lent forward to shake the man's hand, while putting a hand on Harry's back, trying to calm the younger man's nerves.

Harry understood the gentle touch was probably supposed to make him feel better, but it did the exact opposite.

"Hi, I'm Louis, and I'm sorry, but I don't think I know your name," Louis held a strong grip on the man's cold hand.

Harry might not know this Louis, but he knows the old Louis and he can see through his nice act. Even if they can't. He was never good at playing nice. Or faking it.

The man chuckled. "I'm afraid I forgot to introduce myself. I'm James Thompson," the man, James, said.

"I've been working here for a good few years now. I'm afraid we just didn't have the pleasure to meet until now," James explained.

Louis didn't like how he pronounced pleasure. An odd thing not to like, but he emphasized it oddly.

"Pleasure," Louis repeated. "Yes, I'm sure," Louis continued, putting an emphasis on sure just how the man had said pleasure.

And there was the Louis Harry had once knew.

Harry had yet to speak, but instead, he was looking down at his feet lightly laughing at Louis.

Harry looked up to see Louis smirking at him and everyone else staring at him.

Harry cleared his throat before stick out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mr Thompson, I'm Harry," Harry introduced himself.

Mr Thompson grabbed his hand, squeezing tight, almost painfully. But Harry squeezed right back, giving the man a tight smile.

Louis reached out a hand and knocked their hands, making them turn loose.

"Should we sit and get this meeting started boys?" A younger woman in a pantsuit Louis knew by the name of Kate, asked.

"Yes, I think that's a lovely idea," Mr Thompson said, sitting down and nodding to the seats in front of him, silently telling the boys to sit.

Louis sat down first, Harry following milliseconds later.

"I don't want to waste much of your time boys, so I think we should get straight to the point," Mr Thompson said.

Harry nodded while Louis looked around the room unamused.

They were sat at a half-circle table. It was an orange colour. And not a pretty orange. A puke orange.

There were 6 other people in the room other than Mr Thompson and Harry.

Kate, Chandler and Brigitte being the only ones he knew the names of.

There was a young blonde at the end of the table that Louis recognized, but couldn't place.

"Mr Tomlinson, are you listening?" questioned Thompson, noticing his absents in the conversation.

"No," Louis answered bluntly.

Harry covered his mouth discreetly with his knuckles to not laugh; he did however hear Brigitte laugh.

They had always gotten on well. Her being the only decent human-being on the modest team.

Mr Thompson stared at him before he started back talking.

"As I was saying, Mr Tomlinson, the band is back in less than 6 months and you have less than half the fans you had before," Mr Thompson explained. "So, we need to give them something that will draw them and others in," He continued.

"But shouldn't the whole band be here to figure this out," Harry cut in, not quite understanding.

"My thoughts exactly," Louis said, smiling largely just to irritate Mr Thompson.

He wasn't too sure what it was about the man yet, but there was something he couldn't stand.

"We'll have a meeting later with them all, but we thought you'd like some privacy when we told you this," Brigitte explained.

"Told us what?" Louis asked, thoroughly confused.

"We've thought this through and through and we think it'd be best for the band and for you as individuals. It would help work out your," Mr Thompson stopped, thinking about how he would word his next statement, "problems with one another before the band is back full time," he continued.

"And we hope you agree with us," Brigitte cut in, trying to soften the blow.

"Although there is really nothing you can do to stop it," Mr Thompson shrugged.

And there it was. The one thing Louis was waiting for to confirm his suspensions. He thought he owned them. Which wasn't far from the truth if you stood back and looked at it.

Brigitte was glaring into the side of Thompson's head. And there was the reason the boys liked her.

"We've decided to give the people what they want. Larry Stylinson," Mr Thompson declared abruptly.

Harry began laughing. He didn't know why. He knew they were serious, but it was just so absurd.

For the first 6 years, all they had tried to do was make sure the world knew Larry Stylinson wasn't real.

They told the boys that their friendship was 'destroying the band' and now it was the one thing that could save it. Oh, the irony.

"So let me get this straight," Louis started. "You want us to 'date' to gain publicity" Louis questioned, using air quotes around the word date.

Mr Thompson only nodded. Harry was no longer laughing.

"So when you told me you can't have two gay members, it would completely ruin all our careers, you were just what? Fucking with me?" Louis yelled, standing up, slamming his hands down on the table hard, making everyone in the room jump.

"You let me ruin everything for what?" Louis was furious.

He walked out of the room fast before he could heard anyones response. He could hear someone yell Mr Tomlinson in the background, but he was only seeing red and he had to leave. They had made him completely cut Harry out of his life because he thought he was saving him in the long run and now they were saying their friendship actually helped the band.

What was he meant to do with that information?

Back in the meeting room, Harry was very very confused.

What was Louis talking about when he barged out? How was this going to work if Louis didn't want to be around Harry anymore?

"Harry, dear we'll email you with more details later this afternoon. I think it's best if you go after Louis right now," Brigitte said.

Harry only nodded walking out of the room leaving behind some very confused employees.

When Louis said let me get this straight I was like... ain't nothing straight about the sentence about to come out yo mouth😂 Anygay, idk if I like this chapter. I knew what I wanted in it, I just didn't know how to incorporate it. But I hope you enjoyed it. Vote? Comment?

- R xx💛