PARKER | Dark H.S. AU

xviii. hmm

Copyright © zylgnagnaba 2014

Heart thumping a thousand beats a minute, temperature raised, sweat dripping at the hidden corners of his temples; Harry has never felt this nerve-wracked before. The feeling is nothing compared to when he was presenting his thesis when he was in College, neither when he's proposing a project resolution to their company. Because then, he was in his comfort zone. He was confident.

On his defense, he has never considered modeling before. He had never have the slightest inkling that he'd somehow be forced to do so. Sure he has ideas on how it goes from the few advertising deals he attended for their aviation company, but it's different.

He knows he doesn't have to overanalyze things for certainly, he can find a way out of the whole ordeal; but as he walks next to Charlie, who has her enthusiastic smile plastered on her face as she glances up at him and back to her steps, all he could do is gulp down the nerves and suck it up because he knows helping him means something to the blonde girl.

The idea of Harry Styles, a once cold-hearted player who didn't give a flying fück about anyone's feelings, falling head over heels towards a girl (worse, the girl whom he accused as being a fame-whore) he barely knew is so unfathomable. He can hardly believe it...and he isn't even aware of that. Doing something that makes him happy for the first time is just how far Harry can decipher, following the urges of his inner desire to see the blonde beauty.

Friendly smiles and sweet 'hellos' or 'good mornings' are sent in Charlie's way as she walks along the long hallway of the building. Harry, walking next to her, finds amusement at the number of people recognising the cheerful blonde girl. It makes him wonder if the whole building literally knows her, and then he remembers the tabloids, the rumors, their hoax relationship.

But then again, it isn't impossible for the girl to win them over without making up sap stories about her dating a famous English business tycon. Her unique personality just says it all.

If only he knows...

"So here we are." Charlie says through a breath as she stops, her back turned at the white door as she motions her hand towards it.

Harry smiles at her in a subtle attempt to hide the nerves, gulping slightly.

Charlie turns towards the door, curling her hand to a fist and knocks against the door. A faint 'come in' is heard before Charlie looks over her shoulder and gives Harry an encouraging smile. The click sound of the knob triggers Harry to take a few tentative steps forward, following Charlie as she enters the unfamiliar room.

"Charlie, hi darling. Lovely to see you." Harry hears a squeaky voice with a gruff undertone to it when he steps in, watching as the stranger halts in front of Charlie after sliding out of his desk to hug the blonde.

"Greggy. Nice to see you too," is Charlie's simple answer when they pull away to look at each other. She giggles but it's evident to Harry how she feels uneasy about the unsolicited gesture.

Harry shrugs it off as he stands behind the door, waiting to be recognised...too soon, when the stranger catch a sight of him through his perepheral vision.

Like a hungry dog to a crunchy bone, the stranger leers maliciously once his eyes land to Harry to rake his entire physic. Charlie feels the sudden change in the atmosphere, awkward and uncomfortable. She clears her throat, which is the first sound heard inside the suffocating room after they fell in a tensed silence.

Harry couldn't be any more thankful about Charlie's interruption. If anything, he felt a little harassed even though the man was just gawking at his exhuding sexiness hidden beneath the casual jeans and plain shirt.