bambi. h.s ✔️

eleven.

My fingers tapped along my keyboard as I sat waiting for Michelle to come back from wherever she'd run off to; at this point I was starting to think she didn't actually ever do work.

But I couldn't really complain because this time alone gave me time to obsess over the fact I'd gotten another lift home with Mr Styles last Thursday.

But it wasn't like I hadn't spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday doing that as well.

Although, that was mostly because Mr Styles hadn't turned up to work on Friday and I was kind of spiralling that it was my fault. But I mean, why would it be? I didn't think it was and Niall hadn't mentioned the fact our boss was missing so I guessed I was overreacting.

But now he wasn't here today either.

I tried to rack my brain at what I could have done on the drive home that would cause Mr Styles to hate me and not come into work and face me but honestly?

It was all kind of a blur after I'd seen him smoking, and also maybe it was because I'd been thinking about him for three days and now my head was killing me and I was pretty sure I had a cough coming on.

I had no opinions on people smoking except obviously the usual, lung cancer is bad, you also kind of smell kinda gross but now I knew Mr Styles did it? Hot.

And he didn't smell bad.

Like that wasn't just my fuzzy rose-tinted brain convincing me of it either, he smelt good, and until he'd asked on Thursday if it was okay he smoked I had no idea he did it. He didn't look like a smoker either, like didn't they usually have gross fingernails and stuff?

The sound of the door opening to my right had my head shooting up and I tried to control my disappointment that it was Tyler and not Mr Styles.

"Jeez, don't look so disappointed to see me." Tyler laughed as he came to a stop in front of my desk and I hummed, guess I didn't do it very well then.

"Sorry, I was just expecting someone else."

"Michelle?" Tyler questioned as I lent back in my chair as he leant across the desk and I wondered if he understood personal space.

"Yeah," I lied. "She's usually in just after me."

That wasn't a lie, she usually was. In fact, we pretty much seemed to bump into each other in the lobby on our way, although granted there were days when she was late, she wasn't the best timekeeper sometimes.

"How have you been anyway? I feel like I never get to talk to you." Tyler ignored my statement and I tried not to click my tongue.

"Always behind the desk," I said easily before nodding slightly. "I'm good, you know work." I coughed slightly as my throat tickled. "What about you?"

"Work," Tyler said evenly and I nodded again. "What are you doing on Friday?"

"Working?"

Tyler rolled his eyes at me just as I spotted Michelle appearing from the kitchen.

"What are you doing after work?" Tyler asked and I watched as his eyes drifted to Michelle as she joined me behind the desk and placed a mug containing brown liquid in front of my keyboard and I smiled at her.

"Nothing, I don't think. Why?" I told Tyler before looking at Michelle again, "Thanks."

"Welcome, what are you two talking about?" Michelle asked as she crossed her legs, her eyes on her computer screen instead of either me or Tyler.

"Wanna go for a drink after work on Friday?" Tyler asked ignoring Michelle and I saw her head raise in my peripheral vision and I realised Tyler was really kind of rude sometimes.