Laced

Laced - Chapter 39 (Rules, Fears, & Jealousy)

  

"Clear, Sir.'

  

"Good. You are dismissed." Zayn flicks his head, motioning for him to leave the room.

  

I glance over at Harry, noticing that he's hesitating, as if he wants to say something. Then he just nods his head slowly, and walks out of the small conference room.

  

Zayn pulls out a chair from the conference table, and then motions for me to sit down. I take a seat quickly and quietly, interlacing my fingers together and setting my hands down on the table.

  

He then crosses his arms, and exhales. "Niall..."

  

"Are you alright, Sir?"

  

He nods curtly, and then looks at me. "I need to ask you a few things."

  

"Go ahead, I'm all ears."

  

"Okay, so you'll be doing most of the announcing. The sing-off, and everything else. Also, I need you to keep an eye out for someone - a special guest. His name is...his name is Caleb." He says hesitantly.

  

"Caleb?" I ask, the name unfamiliar on my tongue.

  

"Yes, Caleb. I need you to find him, single him out for me, and lead him to me. I need it to be very inconspicuous - no one can know about this."

  

I twiddle my thumbs, my mind in a hundred different places. "Okay, Sir. But can you give me a description of what he looks like? I really don't know who I'm looking for."

  

Zayn smirks, setting his hands down on the table and leaning onto them. "You'll know who he is when he walks in. He's...different."

  

I raise an eyebrow, and frown at his lack of description. "Alright. Is that all?"

  

He wants to tell me something else - I am sure of it - but he just shakes his head and gives me a half-hearted smile. "That's all. You're free to go."

  

I stand up, and as I'm about to leave the room, Zayn speaks up.

  

"Niall?"

  

I turn my head. "Yes, Sir?"

  

"Tell your Amber to stay out of the spotlights tonight. Those...guests won't hesitate to get all over her if she catches their eye." He warns me, and then a completely warm feeling washes over me, and I can't help but smile.

  

"Alright, Sir. Thank you."

  

He nods, and turns away.

  

When I exit the room, I'm still smiling. Because no matter how much of a dick Zayn acts like, and tries to deny it, he really does care about us, and it bothers him to see us upset or messed with.