Criminal

2.

On Wednesday morning Con was seated at the table, hunched over a cuppa, nerves surging through her body. It was early, but not too early. Niall and Liam were seated across from her, eyes shifting to and from each other, to Con. They weren’t directly meeting her eyes; it was like they were checking to make sure she had a vagina. Liam coughed, pulling Con from the steam of the cups. Niall leaned into his husband, smiling a bit too wide. “Um, Con, can we, um, oh dear this is more difficult than expected-“

“Just say it Liam!” Con snapped.

Niall took a breath as his husband began to talk. “We know that you are a woman and have functioning reproductive organs due to you monthly bitchiness,”

“You are treading on incredibly thin ice my friend.” Con warned her shy demeanor vanishing.

“Would you, we will compensate you greatly, be our surrogate?”

This would have been the perfect time for her to dramatically spew out her tea and make a big deal about abusing the powers of the roommate agreement and willingness of a desperate woman, but, quite fortunately, the phone rang. Silence hung over the kitchen as Niall sprang, running to catch it.

“’Ello? Yeah, I’m her roommate, uh huh, yes, okay, alright, I’ll let her know, thanks, yeah you too, bye.” And Con was raging with hope.

“Well?” she squeaked.

Niall hung his head, sighing. “Con, I, I don’t know how else to put this, but, well, it looks like...”

“Looks like what Niall?” her nailed were scratching the mug making an awful noise that Liam desperately wanted to stop.

“You have an interview, with Malik, at eleven.”

It took a second for her to process what all was being said, but she managed to catch it. In a euphoric sprint, she raced to her room to look presentable. Liam turned to Niall, and Niall turned to Liam. “She’s really meeting with Z?”

“That’s what Lou said.” Niall sighed, slumping into the chair. “You do think he’s going to have her, you know,”

“No, why would he, Harry’s the best around.” Liam dismissed Niall’s worry.

“That’s not what I meant moron,” which in Liam’s defense, well, there’s not defense, “I mean use her as one of his kittens.”

Liam coughed, blushed and looked rather worried at Niall. “God I hope not. I’d hate to see her go through all that.”

“Yeah, but you gotta admit, we all used some sexual persuasion against him.”

“Not Harry, but then again, the boy is sex on a stick.” Liam nodded in agreement. The degrading of their employer and fellow employees continued until Con appeared in the kitchen looking just shy of sexy.

Her main of curls was pinned carefully back, exposing her face; her tight curves were hugged in a pencil skirt with a white blouse and black blazer.

“Do I look okay?” she asked staring the two down.

Both nodded, knowing Zayn was going to have a field day. “Okay, well, wish me luck. Are you guys working nights this week?”

“I am.” Liam piped up. “Ni’s not, he doesn’t go back until next week. Best of luck love.” He pecked her cheek and sent her on her way.

Liam watched from the window as she pulled her car out of the flats garage and drove off. “Niall, what’s she going to do when she finds out? We work for him. She’ll figure it out and her entire life will be over.”

Niall hadn’t thought of this, he just figured she’d stick to the office part and they wouldn’t come in contact with each other. But they would. If they worked days, she’d be there. Niall knew better than to worry though, instead offering a back rub to Liam, kneading at his broad shoulders. “C’mon Daddy.” He whispered, tugging at the gruff skin of Liam’s cheek. “Niall can make you feel better.”

So while Con was over analyzing what to and not to say, her flat mates were breaking the kitchenette table.