ZARRY | 𝑊𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟

Chapter 6. | On my mind

ZAYN

I rub my eyes and massage my temples. I've been looking at this computer screen for two hours straight and it's starting to blur. I yawn as I try to make out the words again. I feel like I haven't done jack shit since I sat down. The door opening woke me up a little, all the noise from the barbershop came shooting in before vanishing again once the door shut. The noise cancellation was pretty good in this room.

"Sleeping on the job again?" Niall shook his head. He walked in with a gift bag.

I ignored him. He tossed my jacket that was lying on a seat aside and sat in it in front of me.

"I haven't seen you this tired since we were sharing dorms. You'd be up 20 hours straight and that was on a good day." He picked up the old coffee cups on my desk one by one and started chucking them in the trash.

"That for me?" I nod my head at the bag.

He smiled and presented it in front of me. "Open it."

I placed it in my lap, it was heavy, I pull the tissue paper out from the top which revealed something gold. "Shit." I laughed and pulled it out excitedly and balanced it in my palms. It was a brand new name plate with ZAYN MALIK in all caps. The first one I got was made of glass, my goal was to get one when we officially opened. It lasted two days before Niall bumped into it and shattered it. After I forgot about getting a new one.

"This is really sick man thank-" My hand immediately stuck up to block my face from the light. Jesus that's fucking bright.

"What?" He had gotten up from his seat and tugged the curtains opened. I had no use for that window. "Maybe if you got more sun you'd be more energized. Plus you wouldn't be able to see it shine." He grabbed the name plate and set it on the far corner of the surface, it gleamed.

"You sound like my mum." I massage my eyes, adjusting to the sun.

"I mean your office is already black how much darker can it get, you're like a tatted Dracula."

That's so lame. "That's something Harry would say." It slipped from me.

"Who?" Niall was slumped in his chair. Guess I wasn't the only tired one, he yawned and stretched. His extended arm almost knocked over the new plate.

I caught it and glared at him. "Hey at least this one won't break."

I slid the plate to the center of the desk instead of the corner. "Yeah thankfully."

He updated me on how both sides of the business were doing and things we should try differently with clients. We were thinking about a possible renovation, but we're still pretty content with the place. I love it. And I never stopped loving it. I remember being so psyched to design the whole building when we bought it. It wasn't too much of a fixer upper so it was manageable getting into shape. I wanted to decorate everything but it was fair for Niall to decide on half of the building, the barber shop.

"Hmm and how's work on the other side?"

"Pretty jam packed I actually.... the other day.... and get this! ...."

I spun side to side in my chair. I wonder what the curly mess is doing right now. I could really use one of his stupid puns right now.

"I mean I am a gentleman so I couldn't deny. So I fucked her right there in the chair."

"Mmhm." I hummed in response.

"Yeah I mean those barber chairs are comfy."

"Wha- what?" I hiccup. "On the chair!"

"You dickhead. So you weren't listening then."
He rolled his eyes. "Why would I fuck someone at our job?"

"Yeah. Right."

He narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute, have you and Gigi- do you guys!?"

"No! No we don't! I've never done that here!"

"The office is one thing, our work space is another." He pointed.

"You have sex your office?"

"That's besides the point." He leaned back and his hands collapsed on to the armrests. "What's going on? We're in full motion, everything's going great but if somethings up we need to address it. I mean you know I'm here for you."

Oh god the last thing I want is for him to be worried. "I don't know- it's like you said everything is going great. And I'm happy! I am, but it's like we have to try so hard for things to be okay. And you know one slip up and the old thing goes to shit. Just a little tired is all. Happy, but tired."

It's true. This is the highest rate of clients we've ever gotten, our popularity has really grown. I guess the pressure of keeping up got to me.

Niall was understanding. I didn't have to say anything verbally for him to get it. All he said was that I was in an early stage of stress so I should take the day off. Which I thought was too dramatic but he insisted.

I told him I wouldn't do any work and just chill in the office for a little. I thanked him again for the name plate and he went back to work.

I pull up iMessages and pick Harry's name on my phone.

I miss you. Send.

I rise up from my desk to close the fucking curtains, that was my first intent, but I started to stare out the window. The view distracted me, the cars on the streets and the shops across. Then I started wonder off. And just like that, they come flowing back. Snippets that come either vivid or blurry. The memories of that night, the night that Harry doesn't recall at all. Pink lips, messy hair, skin to skin. His hand down my pants, him on his knees, his mouth down there. All of it reciprocated. I gave back all that he gave to me. I only know the beginning and middle. 

I woke up that morning confused and conflicted. I left not knowing if I should feel guilty or not. It'd been so long since I've been with a- I don't know. 

I thought maybe this was a slipup that could pass as a one night stand, but I really liked him as a mate. Another fucking thing that's been bothering me. If he was a friend why hadn't I introduced him to Niall yet? Why do we distance ourselves from the rest of the people at parties? Why don't we go on double dates with our wiv- 

I shook my head. No. I'm not thinking about that right now. He scares me, but I don't know it yet. I just feel it. I have this connection with him. Its probably jealousy or possessiveness, but I like being with him just us two. 

The morning after, I could've forgotten about the whole thing or at least tried to. I could've pretended like it didn't happen. But instead I, felt stupid as I did it, thought about how nice he looks sleeping. Before leaving his house I looked back to him sleeping peacefully in the living room.