Under The Lights (One Direction Affection: Book 3)

6: Shoot Me, Please?

☾ 6: Shoot Me, Please? ☾

Why do I have a feeling that Chloe somehow planned this? 

Somehow, someway that girl has something to do with all this craziness. It's like she wakes up thinking, How should I mess with Hailey today? Oh I know, I'll force her to be alone with Zayn Malik for an hour or two! She's the best.

When I left work two hours ago, this was the last thing I expected. In fact, this is the furthest thing to what I had actually expected. After work, I had planned to visit Mason at his family's firm, stop by the store to pick up some dinner because I know Amy won't be up for cooking, and then finish the night watching some ballroom dancing videos that Ricky told me to search up.

But this? Not even something I'd consider. Ever.

Instead of doing what I had planned, I'm here. Walking aimlessly around the Claridge hotel. With Zayn Malik. 

Shoot me now. 

We've been playing Chloe's little game for more than thirty minutes and Zayn and I have yet to find a single item. Whereas all the other groups have found multiple, if not one, item on the list. Of course, Chloe and Liam are in the lead, which makes sense since this is her freaking game. 

A familiar beep goes off as Zayn and I walk around the back halls of the tenth floor. Zayn takes out his phone, pulling up what I assume is a text message from one of the other teams. 

"Chloe again?" I ask with a sigh. "What did they find this time?"

"Hold up, let me send this tweet," Zayn says holding up a finger to me. I clench my jaw. "It's a link to this hilarious video I found of a girl running into a glass door. You want to see it?"

"No thanks," I say slowly, not even sure if I should bother answering him.

This is what I get stuck with. Zayn Malik, the boy who can't tear his eyes away from his phone long enough to help me look for items. Why is this world so cruel?

"Okay, but can you just tell me what the text says? We are in a competition, you know." I ask, a bit impatiently.

Zayn looks up at me, his head cocked to the side for a moment before straightening it. "Calm down, babe. The worst we can get is punishment from Lou, which is his laundry. Even that isn't so horrible."

I try to take in what he says, but right now all I can think about it one thing, "Don't call me that."

"Huh?"

"Babe," I continue. "I'm not comfortable with you calling me that. I have a boyfriend, you know?."

"So I've been told," Zayn says with a smirk, not hurt at all. "But don't flatter yourself though. I call every girl babe."

"Well, not me," I say firmly. 

"Alright, I'll just call you Hailey," Zayn says, "Or Hay. Or Lee. Or maybe even Leelee. Are these better?"

I purse my lips at those god awful nicknames. "Hailey sounds good to me."

"I would've chosen Leelee myself," He says with a laugh. "But I won't judge."

I resist the urge to comment, deciding that if I don't get us back on track now, we will never be finished with this game.

"Okay, come on," I ask, trying to get back on topic. "What item is it?"

"The-," He squints his eyes at his smartphone, his dark lashes creating an even darker aura around his eyes. "Saluting Man."

I look at my phone, which contains the scavenger list. Yup, there it is. Saluting man. Right under A Pot of Golf and above Old Lady with a Walker. I cross the found item off the list and sigh.