Styles.

Comin' Home

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Canada.

My eyes burn as I stare at my laptop screen, my head throbbing with each moment that passes by that I have to stare at the bright fucking screen. I heavily sigh while my fingers move across the keyboard, composing yet another draft proposal for the client that I am trying to win over. Unfortunately, they have not agreed to my last two proposals, and I am on my last chance to make the draft work for everybody. I am not sure why this client is so damn irritating, but I pray that this pays off. I have spent hours on this draft, doing everything to make ends meet, making phone calls and finding ways around the issues the client composes. I think the client is scared of making such a significant step forward.

I move my left hand to the tie that has been wrapped around my neck, and I tug on it, loosening the damn thing despite knowing that it will not fix the fact I have not slept.

A knock at the door distracts me, and I push myself off the hotel bed and walk towards the door. I look through the peephole before I open the door. "Jamie, it is midnight?" I am unsure why he is standing at my hotel room at this hour. He should be asleep.

Jamie nods his head, "Yes, you need to get some sleep."

Blinking owlishly at Jamie, I respond, "How do you know I wasn't asleep?" I softly question, struggling to focus entirely on him. Unfortunately, all the lights in the hallway are making the headache worse.

Jamie chuckles, "Son, I know you, plus I can see you logged into the office account. You need to get some sleep."

I shake my head, "I am not finished with the proposal."

"Harry, I pushed the meeting to the afternoon. So we can work on it after we have both slept. We deserve it." Jamie informs me.

Getting some sleep does sound like a beautiful approach, sleep has been scarce as Jamie, and I have been operating endless hours attempting to pull the deals off.

I nod my head, "We are as bad as each other, huh?" I softly joke.

Jamie smiles, "Jus' a bit, but before I take myself to my hotel room, I wanted to give you something," Jamie reaches his hand into his breast pocket of his blazer, "You have earned this," Jamie hands me a piece of thin paper.

I take the paper from his hand and glance down at the check. I inhale a deep breath and blow out slowly, buying myself a moment to focus on what is in my hands. "Jamie," I whisper, my eyes growing wide at the amount that is written in cursive writing on the check. "Is this for the rest of the upcoming year?" I ask.

"No," Jamie shakes his head, "That's for December only."

"This is too much. It isn't what we had agreed on." I bring to his attention that we had agreed on two-hundred and fifty thousand for the entire three months. The amount in my hands is far more than I should be paid, according to our contract. The last two months payments from Jamie I put towards my mother's house. I want to pay the house off so that I don't need to make monthly payments to keep my mother afloat.

"You have earned it for this business deal."

I thread a hand through my thick hair, unable to wrap my head around what is happening. "But we... I... haven't succeeded yet. They haven't signed yet." I stutter, grappling to find the right words that need to be said. There isn't much to be said at this moment. I haven't fully deserved this payout yet.

"I have enough faith in you that you will settle the deal. You deserve it."

"I-I uh, this is a lot." I breathe out softly, my heart racing with my thoughts.