corporate affairs [Niall Horan AU]

T H R E E

T H R E E

"Elouise..." His blue eyes were sweeping over my chestnut hair, my loose red dress, and then landing on my face.

"Yeah?" I manage, my heart racing. I was extremely uncomfortable, as if that wasn't already obvious.

"Well... what do you think?"

I push myself out of my chair and join him at the window, the busy city below us somewhat calming me down. I stare out at the tops of the trees in Central Park, my eyes following the slope of the park down, down, down, and then up, rocketing up, across the tops of skyscrapers and the Empire State Building, and the green Victorian roof of the Plaza. I press my hands to the glass of the window, feeling the cool glass under my palms and wondering how different things will be in six months, or two, or two weeks, or even two days.

"I think that this is a lot..."

"That's true. But you want this company to succeed as much as I do." I'm surprised by his words, as I'd expected something along the lines of "we're in this together" or "take your time", but instead, he seems to be approaching this from an entirely different angle.

"What do you mean?" I ask hesitantly, sweeping my eyes to his blonde hair and then to his grey-blue eyes.

"I just mean that think of all that this could do for you." He moves from his place beside me, leaning against the window on my left side, his voice low.

"Do for me? You mean, like, media-wise?"

"Oh, Elouise, I didn't hire you for your small town girl ambition." He steps closer to me, his lips by my ear. "Doors will open at every company in the world for you. You'll have influence you've never even dreamed of."

"Why are you telling me this? Do you want to... do this?" I ask, turning sharply so I can face him.

"We don't have much of a choice."

"Yes, we do. This isn't that bad. The media will forget about it the next time Kim Kardashian puts on lipgloss."

"It's already effecting investors. It's going to effect every event we do. People will quit."

"Then you should've been more careful." I say lowly, the anger boiling inside of me. How could he ask me to do this? How could he lay out everything I've ever wanted on a table and then ask me to abandon any sense of morality I've ever had to get it.

"C'mon Elouise. We don't have much time here."

"This isn't my problem!" I shout angrily, my hands waving in front of my face wildly.

"Yes it is!" He seethes, the top button of his white shirt coming undone. "We are in this together! You're my number two! That woman, the First Lady, that's you, Elouise. It has to be."

"Why?" I ask slowly, my hand tightening around the Tiffany necklace my father had given me on my tenth birthday.

"Because you're the only one who has the ambition. I've seen you run our project meetings. I've seen how you thrive in control...how you gleam under the praise of the investors... how smoothly you handle their wives, how you lure them in. You're the velvet glove." He's moved dangerously close to me now, a certain inexplicable bubble as deblitated me, and I'm frozen on the spot, considering his lustful words.

"And...and what do I get in return?"

"Didn't I tell you?" He asks, his eyebrows raised.

I roll my eyes, and shift my weight to my other leg. "I want something tangible. A new title."

"Personal Assistant is a big deal."

"I want CFO." I can tell my words take him off guard, as he visibly tenses, his eyes flashing.

"What?"

"Robert is a shit CFO and you know that. I've brought in more investors annually than he does in a three year period." I turn around from him and walk to the empty meeting table, thinking of the risks I'd just taken. I lean against the desk, trying to look confident. "Well? Do we have a deal."

He strides over to me, his shoulders swaying over so slightly as he approaches me, straight poker face, our eyes locked. He doesn't stop until he's uncomfortably close to me, reaching behind me to pick up the phone in the center of the table.

"Calinda, call the board and our attorney. We have a contract to draw up."

I smile brilliantly, cheering at myself. This wouldn't be that bad. I'd suffer as Niall's "fiance" for a few months, then by the whole time this little affair became old, forgotten news, I'd be sitting in an office equal to Niall's, with a six digit paycheck, and a fancy new title.

It would all be worth it in the end.

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will it elouise? will it really?