By the time the five minutes was up, Harry was wary, but sold all the same. She didn't look like the type he'd usually hire – her outfit was fun, with a butterfly blouse and white tights that had 3D Swallowtails decorated around the ankle. Fresh faced and an innocent gleam to her features, she looked rather young and it wouldn't take a genius to figure she's inexperienced.
But Harry likes her. Sees that determination and drive he had himself at that age, and figures if anything he could start her somewhere and let her work her way up to the top. If she is like him then she'll claw her way there, and he is almost excited to see it.
"One last question," he begins, leaning forward, "Why do you want this job?"
She's quiet for a moment, tilting her head a bit, "Can I be honest with you, Mr. Styles?" Harry nods expectantly, "I need the money. I'm in a lot of debt from UNI and I'm a bit behind on my bills, and I – well, I've seen so many people struggle with money in my life I just want to be able to live comfortably and happily."
And there is something about how she says it – the raw candor of her words – that doesn't make him hesitate in his next words.
"I expect you here tomorrow at 8AM. Not a minute more nor less. You'll start as an assistant secretary and see where it goes from there, okay?"
Her eyes widen, mouth dropping open, "I got the job?" then continuing after he nods, "Holy shit!"
Harry's eyebrows raise, saying a stern warning, "Language" but ultimately he's amused. Likes that he can practically feel the excitement jittering in her bones, radiating from her like the glow of that smile she's got and he feels...weird. A good weird, but weird none the less when he reads her face so easily and can see nothing but pure admiration towards him in that moment, "I'm taking a chance on you, Miss. Y/N. Don't make me look like a fool."
"Definitely not, Mr. Styles!" She chirps brightly, and Harry raises to a stand, walking around the table so he can shake her hand but when he thought he was going to feel a soft grip in his own, he feels soft arms around his neck. A squeeze around him that is quick and harmless, before she giggles happily and draws back, "Thank you so much. I won't let you down!" Then she's out of his office, more or less skipping and Harry is left standing alone, in the middle of his floor, feeling warm all over and a fondness sinking in his stomach.
This girl, he thinks, might be a mistake.
He doesn't really care though.
+
Y/N shows up on time today, which is nice, but his secretary calls in sick, which is not so nice. He figures this is probably a sign that he should've gotten an assistant secretary a long while back but there was nothing he could do about the past, and Y/N was here now with wide eyes following him pace a mechanically across his office. "I told him," Harry grumbles low, "Told him that he'd have to orientate you and the bleeding bastard decides just now to tell me he's got nobody to watch his kids?" He looks up to Y/N, "Once you know how to do this, he's fired."
It was a bit of an empty threat – he can be mean, but not heartless – so he pinches at the bridge of his nose and breathes in deep, "Okay...okay, we're fine, you're..." he pointed at her, moving over to the side of his office besides his bookcase, "...you'll be right here. I'll snatch up my calendar, I'll give you a list of my appointments, and you'll sketch out a draft of my week for me, okay? That was due today, but god knows Chris didn't fucking do it."
Chris was – in his own – trying his best. He had a lot of kids and not the best paying job for them, so Harry keeps him around because again, he's not a bleeding monster. Though he was sort of shit at being a secretary, he got everything done in somewhat of a timely manor at least.
Harry is Y/N's boss
Start from the beginning
