Imagine Niall is your co-worker and one day he's engrossed in his work and you're just staring at him like the picture above.
I'd probably shift my home to my work place just to see him everyday lol.
_
Niall's POV
THE SAME DAY.
As I plonked myself on my couch after a long shower, I glanced at the wall clock in front of me.
8:47 p.m.
The thought of calling Carina immediately flooded my mind.
I unlocked my phone and dialled her contact number.
I lazily lay on the couch, hoping I wasn't disturbing her.
She answered on the sixth ring, "Hey Niall."
"Hey, Carina. Am I disturbing you?" I asked.
"Nope, I was just making myself a mug of coffee. I'm done," she replied.
"Oh, the specialist makes coffee for herself," I chucked, and she did too on the other end.
"Listen, Niall, there's something you need to know," she said in a rush.
"Okay, calm down first, and then tell me."
"Um, you remember the guy you bumped into today just when you were exiting my cafe?"
"Yeah, that tower of a guy," I said as I remembered bumping into a walking Eiffel Tower.
"Yeah, right, that was Mike," she said in one breath.
"Mike who? Hold on, Mike, your ex?" I asked as realisation struck me.
"Yup," she said.
"Man, I wouldn't apologise if I knew it were him," I said, anger suddenly taking over.
"Damn, you should've punched his already broken nose," she laughed at the other end.
This girl is obsessed with breaking his nose.
"I wouldn't mind doing it if I really had to," I said honestly.
"I'm glad I have support," she said, making me laugh along with her.
"Yeah, so he walked up to me and said he hoped it was the last time I saw you. I asked him to mind his damn business, but he wouldn't. He tried to act all crazy in love with me with his broken nose, and I just couldn't take it..." she said before I interrupted her.
"You punched his eye?" I asked, worried.
"No. Oh my goodness, do you really think I'm that dangerous, Niall?" she asked as she fell into a fit of laughter.
The way she said my name did something to me.
I mean it when I say she's the best thing I've ever heard.
"Yeah, so tell me, what did my brave girl do to the guy with the broken nose?" I asked, and she chuckled.
"I told him that it would be the last time I saw him rather than the last time I saw you. I told him if he didn't get out, I'd break every damn bone in his body, and you know what? The coward actually left before he passed me a death glare," she said as she giggled.
"My goodness, you're such a gangster. I'm scared," I said, and we laughed.
"Carina," I said seriously, once the laughter had died down.
"Niall," she replied back.
"Um, there's something I've been wanting to ask you," I said nervously.
"Yes?"
"Alright, I'm going to keep you in suspense. I'll ask you when I meet you tomorrow," I said as I chuckled, and she groaned.
"Niall, you're not doing this. You're asking me whatever you want to ask me right now," she whined like a kid.
"Nope, it can wait until tomorrow," I said in amusement.
"Look, I'm threatening you. I'm going to break your door and hunt you down if you don't ask me your question right now," she said seriously.
There was a moment of silence.
We both burst out into a fit of laughter at the same time.
"My goodness, Gangster Carina just threatened to hunt me down, and what?, break my nose too?" I laughed, unable to contain my laughter.
"Hell no," she laughed back.
There was another moment of silence between us.
"Niall?"
"Carina?" we both said at the same time and giggled again.
Gosh, we're like some high school teenagers.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Carina. Take care and sleep well," I said with a smile, even though she couldn't see me.
"Take care, Niall. Good night," she said with such tenderness.
"Yeah, it's a good night already," I mumbled, and she chuckled.
"I heard that," she said.
"Oops, you got me."
"Yeah, I got you," she said with a mischievous tone.
"Alright, if I don't hang up now, I'll probably end up talking to you until I meet you tomorrow," I said as she giggled on the other end.
"Bye Niall."
"Bye, Carina," I said and hung up.
A smile was plastered on my face. I wondered if she was smiling too.
I can't wait to meet her tomorrow and ask her something I've been thinking about for the past few days.
.
.
.
I woke up to the sound of traffic and slowly opened my eyes as the bright sunlight made its way into my room through the large windows.
I looked at my alarm. I had another fifteen minutes before I woke up to do my usual routine.
I closed my eyes for a minute and was soon woken up fifteen minutes later by the blaring of my alarm.
Unwillingly, I woke up, went to the bathroom, and did my business. I walked back into my bedroom and ruffled through my closet for my day's outfit.
I settled for a blue and white button-down and black jeans, which went well with my Converse.
I walked into my kitchen and prepared myself some porridge with fine slices of strawberries.
Once I was done with my breakfast, I put the used utensils in the dishwasher and left for work.
It's going to be such a long day.
.
.
Midway through work, all I could do was think about meeting Carina this evening and asking her what I wanted to do.
It's been just three days since I've had this thought, but it's crazy how I didn't think of it earlier.
"If you're done zoning out, I need you to go and check if everything's ready for the next recording," Edward, my senior colleague, said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
Stop thinking about her so much, I thought as I continued with my work.
.
.
I walked into her cafe, feeling slightly nervous.
She wasn't anywhere in sight.
I continued towards the counter as I noticed the purple-haired girl taking an order and a boy preparing the orders.
The woman who finished paying for her order moved to a table at the farther end of the cafe, and I walked closer to the counter.
"Hi, sir. What can I do for you?" The purple-haired girl spoke as she batted her long lashes, which didn't even look real.
The guy who was preparing the order stopped to look at her, then me. He rolled his eyes and got back to doing his stuff.
"Hi. Where's Carina?" I asked the girl, and she looked confused.
"Hold on," she said as she walked towards a door at the back of the counter.
She knocked on it, and Carina emerged out of it and looked at her, bewildered.
"Niall's here to see you," the purple-haired girl said.
How did she know my name?
Carina's eyes lit up, and a huge grin replaced the bewildered look on her face.
She half skipped and walked out of the door towards the counter, where I stood.
"Hello there!" she exclaimed.
"Well, hello, my chirpy girl," I said as I chuckled.
The purple-haired girl awkwardly cleared her throat and excused herself.
"Alright, here's your coffee," Carina said as she handed it to me.
"Excuse me, Carina. I'll serve this to the woman at the farther end of the cafe." The boy who was preparing the orders spoke and hurried away with a tray, leaving Carina and me alone at the counter.
"Okay, so there's something I've been wanting to ask you," I said nervously.
"Yeah, go on," she replied as she narrowed her eyes.
"Um, I, um. Will you go out on a date with me?" I asked nervously as I looked at her.
She gave me her most blank look and blinked her eyes a few seconds later.
Oh shit, I messed up. She doesn't like me enough to go out on a date with me.
"It's okay if you don't want to. I mean, I just..."
"Yes, of course. I'd love to," she squealed as she interrupted me.
Okay, she likes me enough to go out on a date with me.
Score one for Niall.
"Wow, that's amazing. I mean, like, seriously amazing," I said happily.
She blushed, and I just couldn't ignore how beautiful she looked.
"This weekend. I'll see you at eight p.m."
"Perfect," she said with a huge grin on her face.
"Perfect," I whispered as I looked at her.