How It's Going To Be [h.s.]

Chapter 39

"How have you been?" I asked.

"I could ask you the same thing!" She pulled me back and held me at arm's length. "I'm fine! Busy, but you know. And you?"

"Doing great!"

"I am beyond glad you're back," she giggled. "No one is as efficient as you. And we miss your stellar ideas."

I blushed, "I bet you were fine without me. Where is Laura?"

Ruby rolled her eyes bitterly, "Since we are equals as the heads of digital strategy, we split our time on tour. Julia assigned her the Latin America, Asia, and Oceania legs of tour. I was given Europe and North America as well as awards season and the holiday appearances."

"Ah," I smirked. "So you got the better deal."

She shrugged and feigned innocence, "Are you surprised?"

My time at work would breeze by, and then crawl by. I sat at my desk for hours furiously typing emails and crafting tweets to be sent out from different One Direction accounts. I went to meetings. I answered phone calls. I was given a task list to finish by the afternoon.

There were several times when time seemed to stand still. I was frustrated when people would come by and I didn't recognize them. I would be given vague instructions that people assumed I understood, but I had no clue what they meant. I escaped to the bathroom to fight back tears in privacy three times that afternoon.

I thought about taking Ruby and Alessandra aside and explaining to them why I was granted a leave of absence. They were two of my closest friends and I trusted them fully. All I would have to do is tell them I have amnesia and need a little help remembering certain things. They would understand, no doubt. They would be sympathetic and accommodating. Just as I was about to approach Ruby, my condition suddenly felt too personal to share. Sure, they knew about my headaches, but not about the amnesia. I felt my lip quiver and I rushed to the bathroom once more to dry my tears.

I subconsciously checked my phone every few minutes hoping to see a message from Harry. I was fully aware of his schedule. The band had sound check, pre-concert interviews, he would sleep, go to hair and makeup, dress, and perform. He hardly had the time to text me. Despite all this, I was still disheartened when I received no new messages.

____________

Since it was the tour launch, the office planned to live stream the concert and have a small party to celebrate the efforts of the team to prepare for the season. Ruby reminded me of the party and begged me to stay. I would have preferred to go home. I really didn't play a role in preparing the tour and had no reason to celebrate. I also didn't really feel ready to see Harry.

"It will be a ball," Ruby pressed. "It has already been catered. Please, just stay for a little bit."

I don't want to start crying when I see my boyfriend half a world away, I thought. "Sure," I said.

Trays of snacks and small desserts were set out among boxes of pizza. There was a chorus of soda bottles hissing as their caps were twisted off. The entire office gathered on a few sofas that were arranged in front of a large flat screen television. I sat between Ruby and Alessandra. Jill and Natalia giggled behind us. A plate of food I didn't really plan to eat balanced on my lap.

"It's starting!" Tory rushed in the room while talking on her cell phone. She ended the call and changed the channel on the television.

The screen was black as the room fell silent. After a few moments, thousands of lights dotted the screen. At first I didn't see, but then I realized there were lights being held by the fans at the concert. A chord rang out powerfully and the song started.