corporate affairs [Niall Horan AU]

E I G H T E E N

I drop my purse on the settee as Calinda pulls Gillian gently from the room, shooting me an annoyed look over her shoulder as the tugs Gillian along. 

"I'll be down the hall if you need me," Philip reports calmly before he slips through the door as well, leaving Niall and I alone for the first time in twenty-four hours.

"Do we have to keep Gillian?" I ask sarcastically as I flick through our itinerary. Our next meeting is in three hours with some British ambassadors and then the British-American Trade Orginization dinner party tonight. I just want to walk around the city like a cheesy American tourist but there'll be none of that on this trip.

"Yes, Elouise. She's very helpful and dedicated to her job." He snaps as he opens his laptop, making me flinch. 

"Really? I quite think she's more dedicated to you." I scoff, rising from my seat and taking my necklace off. I need a good shower and a break from Niall's frustrating attitude. He's been acting a lot like the Niall that used to push me away and snap unnecessarily.

"Wouldn't be the first person in this company more dedicated to me than her work." He mutters under his breath and I nearly drop the strand of pearls around my neck. 

I angrily spin around on my heels and stomp into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. It's a stupid, stress-fueled argument but his implications sting. I haven't been falling behind in my work. If anything, I've become even more helpful. We've been a business superhero team, the Wonder-Woman-Super-Man team of the business world if you will. Enough people have been waiting for me to fail, to mess up, and now he's acting like I have been. I feel a little foolish as I step under the hot water in the large shower. It's got gold shower heads and faucets and gorgeous gold detailing in the marble molding.  I wash away my anger with the lovely rose body wash and minty shampoo, trying to chalk Niall's surly attitude up to plain frustration. But there's a part of me that wonders if I've asked for too much, and he's getting tired of me. 

I dry off slowly and blow dry my hair, taking extra long to avoid him. I sing along loudly to my Wake Owls CD, hoping that the calming music will clear my head. I wonder as I brush a shimmer taupe color along my eyelids if I've done something irrevocably wrong by coming here. Once I'm done, I emerge from the bathroom in my robe, silently passing Niall to get my outfit for the meeting and tonight. Picking outfits has become an ordeal of a whole other level. The media's hawk eye follows me wherever we go, giving their unwanted opinions on everything from the color of my lipstick to the brand of purse I'm carrying. Calinda takes care of picking my outfits, as she's always been better at that sort've thing than me. Tonight she'd picked a black and white pantsuit. It's a bit edgy with it's black linen pants and white bandeau top. I grab it from the closet and walk back to the bathroom, hanging it up as I slip out of my robe.

 "Eloiuse," a low voice murmurs from the bathroom door. I roll my eyes and continue getting undressed as if he doesn't exist. "Elouise, please." He whines, placing his hands on mine and freezing me on the spot. 

"What?" I ask quietly, slowly meeting his eyes.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you. I'm just very stressed out." He wraps his arms around my waist hesitantly, and I allow him to nuzzle my neck. 

"I know," I nod, kissing his cheek. "But I'm doing everything I can to help."

"I'm aware of that. I have a lot to thank you for, love. I am sorry about snapping." 

"I guess I can forgive you," I mumur as I surpress a grin, letting his lips snake their way up my neck to the spot below my ear. 

"Maybe I should show you how sorry I am," he whispers breathlessly in my ear. I laugh as he scoops me off the ground and carries me to the bed, tossing me onto the silk sheets carelessly.