𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐃 // 𝐇.𝐒.

17.

Chapter 17

I had convinced Niall that a fancy dinner at one of his favorite upscale restaurants wasn't necessary. I was a bit underdressed, I pointed out. When I suggested Chinese food takeout instead, Niall gave in and invited me to dine at his home.

Now, he's pulling up to his private estate as I sit in the passenger seat of his Rolls Royce SUV. I shouldn't have been surprised to see Niall lives in an excessively large and beautiful home in Hollywood Hills.

The Seattle home I grew up in looked similar in size but it was far less modern and a bit out-dated than Niall's. I unbuckle the moment his car comes to a stop.

"Your home is beautiful," I compliment as Niall takes our tightly bagged food from my lap. I then open the door to get out. I take my bag with me.

"You think so? Well, thanks." He chuckles, joining my side once we were out of his car. He's then leading the way up the steps to his front door. He then glances at me. "Don't let the fact that some Hollywood actress died here, years ago, scare you."

My eyes widen from the little fun fact he gave me. "An actress died... here?"

Niall chuckles, typing in a code on the panel attached to his door. He's alerted with a chime when the door unlocks. "Murdered, I should say," he adds as he pushed his door open. He steps right in.

I step foot into his home when he lets me. With an interior design straight off a picture from Pinterest, it all looked like a dream. His spacious floor plan, white walls, and high ceilings were incredible to look at. I almost miss what he had said from struggling to decide on what to appreciate first. "Wait, what?" I look at him. "An actress was murdered here?!"

"Unfortunate, isn't it?" He laughs, shutting the door behind us as he then begins to walk.

I follow him into the large living area with multiple high french doors that overlook a grand pool. I then turn when Niall sets the takeout down onto his glass coffee table.

"Why don't I grab us a bottle of wine from my cellar? Please, get comfortable," Niall says and then leaves.

He didn't give me time to tell him I'd be fine with a glass of water. I watch him leave and disappear into a hall.

What do I do now?

I rest my bag on the floor and decide on taking a seat on his white sectional couch to wait for him. With hands clasped and knees together, I take another look around his home and I bite down on my bottom lip.

I'm an intern sitting on my boss's couch. I had no ill intentions the moment I accepted his invitation to dine at his home—and I still don't. I doubt he brought me here for anything more than just dinner.

As a colleague, he's just being kind. He's being a friend and I could really use a friend right now.

I smile when Niall comes back quicker than I expected. He's without his blazer. Niall wears his white and tight-fitted dress shirt well as the ends are tucked into his blue pants. "Are you a wine drinker, Jo?" He comes around to sit next to me. He sets two glasses of wine down as he begins to open the bottle with a corkscrew.

"I enjoy an occasional sip here and there," I answer him with a small laugh. I watch his hands, the way he tightly grabs the neck of the bottle.

Niall hums as he uses slight force to pop the cork off. Once he successfully pulls it off, he begins to pour. "I have a feeling you'd like this Chateau Latour."

I only smile when I have no clue what that means. I drink wine, but the cheapest bottles from Trader Joe's. Though, I don't think it's necessary to share that. "Well, thank you," I say, taking the glass from his hands as he offers it to me. Carefully, I hold it between my fingers. I would hate to spill red wine on his white couch.