Olivia // l.t.

Chapter 6

"Should I tell him you're busy instead?" her eyes lingered over to Louis, who gave her an awkward wave. I shook my head. "No i'm not busy at all." I stood to my feet smoothing out my skirt.

"I'm Caileigh, I don't think we've officially met." she walked into my office extending her hand. 

Louis took it shaking it loosely. "Louis." he smirked "I know who you are." she blushed furiously, clutching her folder to her chest.

"Louis if you would kindly see yourself out." I smiled gesturing dramatically to the door, and he hopped off of my desk smiling brightly. 

He gave my office a once over, then gave me one as well. "You still are in dyer need of decoration."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not worried about it." I ushered him and Caileigh out of my office closing the door behind us.

"Would you like me to hold your calls?" she asked me, and I nodded. "Yes, I'm tired of complaints today." I joked, and she gave me a 'we have so much to talk about' look that I returned.

Louis was still here, and I gave him a confused look. "Are you waiting on something?" I asked, and he shrugged. "I was going to walk with you." he offered and I rolled my eyes.

Harry's office was nowhere near the IT department, and I was honestly tired of arguing with him and turning down his advances.

"So you let me know when you treat Lola to a nice night out." I teased, and he raised his eyebrows. "Jealousy is not a good look on you." he bumped his shoulder with mine. "Oh trust me, if I was jealous you would know." I argued.

"You sound just like her, it is incredible." he stated and I just rolled my eyes, something I was accustomed to doing around him.

We stopped just short of Harry's office, and I told Louis a quick goodbye. "I'll see you later." I dismissed. 

"Later as in like today, or this week?" he fumbled with his words, which led to a quick and awkward side hug. "Never mind, good luck."

I giggled when he gave me two thumbs up, and began walking backwards down the hall. 

I watched with second hand embarrassment as he ran into someone making them drop their papers, and began vigorously apologizing.

"Olivia, don't torture the poor guy, just tell him you're not interested." I jumped at Harry's deep monotone voice. He was leaning against his doorframe, he must have watched the entire exchange.

"You requested to see me?" I changed the subject keeping my personal life out of conversation for as long as possible.

He gestured for me to step into his office which I obliged. I took a seat and folded my hands in my lap. "Yes, I've given this a lot of thought." he started and I sighed, I knew how this was going to go.

Usually when Harry gives anything "a lot of thought" it means that it probably hasn't crossed his mind at all. "I think you should stay in the position you're in until you can prove to me that your articles won't cause as many complaints."

I groaned. "Listen, I've cut back on all the bitterness, and I've apologized to more than enough people." He sighed resting his face inside his hands. 

"I know Olivia, but you're the best at what you do, and I can't afford to hire someone else right now I'm sorry."

I sighed, Harry and I were friends, which made interactions like this bearable, but I really did want that promotion. "Okay Harry." I agreed, and he smiled relaxed.

"How's Mrs. Styles?" I asked changing the subject before I got upset thinking about my lack of promotion.

"Very Pregnant." he ran his fingers through his hair and I smiled. "Are you nervous?" I asked genuinely curious. "Nervous is an understatement." he chuckled, and I nodded. "Well I can babysit whenever." I offered and he smiled.

"Thank you, that won't be necessary, my mother has practically begged to move in with us, I'm not quite thrilled about that one." he leaned back in his chair.

"So who's the poor guy? He is obviously an article waiting to be written." I knew he was going to ask sooner or later.

"He's a friend, and I don't intend to write an article about him." I argued and he threw his hands up in surrender. 

"He seemed pretty smitten by you." I bit the inside of my cheek. "He'll get over it." I said and meant it, I expected it.

We continued to chat about things going on, both of us obviously avoiding work until he finally ushered me out of his office. "Thank you Olivia, truly I appreciate your professionalism." he thanked me, and I made my way back to my floor.

***

"So he tells me I have pretty eyes, and I thought I was going to die." Caileigh continued gushing about Niall, and I was half listening. "Hello earth to Liv." she snapped in my face, and I snapped out of my trance.

"I'm sorry Cails, I'm just a bit tired." I lied, knowing good and well I was wondering where Louis was and why I hadn't heard from him the past four days.

I mean I assumed he would give up, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. "You are such a liar, you like him." she accused and I groaned. "He is not terrible." I admitted softly, and she squealed in victory.

"I knew it, I could totally tell by your face you were thinking about him." I put my hand up gesturing for her to quiet her voice, I didn't want everyone around to hear our conversation.

"Liv why is it so awful for you to just admit that you like him." she complained and I sighed. I knew that it was unfair that I had kept my past with Zayn so quiet from her, she was one of my best friends after all.

"Caileigh if I promise to tell you something, will you please leave this alone?" I asked and she nodded, her eyes widening giving me her undivided attention.

So I told her. I made a long story short, but I promised that I would answer her questions if she had them later. I told her all about Zayn, and how he had hurt me.

"What a scumbag." she insulted, and I bit my lip. Saying his name out loud had given me a headache, and physically talking about him drained me.

"I'm really sorry Liv." she apologized, and I was glad that she genuinely cared. "It was a long time ago." I looked at my hands. "I really should be over it by now." I sounded pitiful.

She reached across the table taking my hands in hers. "Heartbreak takes time."

After a more than long enough lunch break the two of us went back to our offices.

"So anyway then after he walked me home we—"Caileigh stopped mid sentence, when I opened the door to my office.

There in the middle of my desk was a large bouquet of flowers. No color was missing, and the arrangement was extremely large and ridiculous.

"Did you get the promotion?!" Calls squeezed my arm, and I shook my head. "No, I already told you I didn't."

She furrowed her eyebrows, walking over to examine the arrangement thoroughly . "Johannah's Florist" she read the card, and I walked over taking it from her.

I flipped it over, and there in messy handwriting read "Your office is now less boring. xx Louis"

I cringed at the overly cliche gesture, and handed the card back to Caileigh. "He didn't." she squealed. "He did." I held a straight face on the outside, however inside I was beginning to soften to the idea of him.