Trouble. (niall horan au)

chapter 17 - slumber parties

"So is that guy your bodyguard or something?"

I looked up from the change I was counting to find one of the bus boys, whose name was either Jim or Jerry, standing in front of me with a tray piled with dirty dishes balanced on his hip.

"I don't have a bodyguard." I replied, ladling the coins into the register.

Jim or Jerry nods his head towards the parking lot. "Then who's that guy that's been sitting in the car for a while watching you? Real scary looking- got some weird ass purple hair. I was suppossed to tell him he was loitering, but he told me to fuck off because he was checking up on you."

I slammed the register shut, causing all the change to rattle together as I peered out the front windows, immediatly spotting Niall himself sitting complacently in his car, ratty sneakers kicked up on the dashboard. He calmly blew a stream of smoke out the window and grinned when he caught my eye.

"Oh hell." I said quickly, "Hey- I'm taking my break right now. Gotta talk to my bodyguard."

The bell on the front door chimed as I sped out of the building, struggling to untie my apron as I walked over. After Niall had inadvertently gotten me fired from my last job, he had vowed to find me new one, saying a buddy of his owed him a couple favors. So here I was on the second day as a waitress, already causing a scene.

"Sweetheart." Niall greeted, "I must admire that impressive speed walk over here."

I paused beside his open door, my hands still working behind my back to untangle the impressive knot. Niall grabbed my waist calmly, spun me around, and began to untie the work apron. I felt his slender fingers brush against my lower back before the fabric fell free.

"There you go." he said, handing it to me. I immediatly threw it into his face.

"God damn it, Niall." I fumed, "I was trying to make a grand gesture of throwing an apron at you, but the stupid knot was too tight." I bent down and began to slide off my sneakers.

Niall sighed, "Oh come on, don't throw a shoe at-" I threw my shoe at him.

He caught it too easily, turning it around in his hands for a moment of examination. "You've got small feet." he observed, before setting it down and scooping up the fallen apron as I moved for my other shoe. He stopped my movement halfway, looping the ties of the apron around my wrists before I could react and tightening it.

"Now we can all can all calm down." he said, "And you can tell me why you're throwing things at me." I stared in shock at the ties that held my arms together and attempted to pull them apart. Standing with one shoe on in a parking lot, caught by my own apron, it was a sight to see.

"I'm practicing my aim for archery." I snapped back, "Niall, you just tied my apron around my wrists. Who does that? Oh my god- untie this right now. I'm at work."

Niall watched as I tried to undo the knot by using my teeth. "They won't fire you, remember, I know the guy that owns this please. Besides, it's kind of hot seeing you like that. Also I don't want a black eye from your shoe."

"I'm vulnerable to attack like this."

"Then tell me why you're mad."

"Look, I can't even do the Macarena. How will I dance at weddings."

"Abbey!" Niall demanded, but he was laughing as I continued to struggle. I slid into the passengers side and sank down into the seat, casting a nervous glance towards the diner to make sure we didn't have a crowd of spectators watching from booths.

"You keep following me around." I exclaimed angrily, flicking hair out of my face. "Why do you keep checking up on me at random moments? I'm fine. I don't need you to be my bodyguard. I've survived eighteen years without being killed, and I plan on continuing."