Serendipity is for Suckers | h.s. *EDITING*

1 // ❀611 days before❀

[POSTED SONG: New York State of Mind by Billy Joel]

A/N: i honestly expect this story to get like 2 views hahah thanks mom and dad for the support

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📍New York City, New York📍

"Mom! I'm fiineeee," I whine into my phone. "Look, Mom, I love you. But you're suffocating me by calling every five minutes!"

"I am not suffocating you. I'm worried. You're in one of the busiest cities in the world and I'm willing to bet you've already been pick pocketed sometime in the last ten minutes," she flatly states.

"I have not!" I defend myself with a half-confident tone as I quickly dig my hands through the pockets of my jeans, making sure its contents are still there. "Anyways, I've gotta go! I'm here already." My eyes scale up the gigantic building in front of me and my neck even starts to cramp at the slow pan up.

"Okay, sweetie, just call me tonight and let me know how your first day went. And say hello to your aunt for me!" she squeals. We exchange quick goodbyes before finally hanging up.

I let out a deep breath before finally walking into the intimidating skyscraper with my heels click-clacking on the wet surface of New York City's pedestrian filled sidewalk. There's just something about that sweet and fresh smell of the pavement and the trees after it rains, it's almost calming. And it's not the gross smell that reeks of wet trash or sewer, it's earthy.

Okay, focus Ria, you've been standing in the middle of the sidewalk creeping on about smells and wet pavement for a good five wasted minutes now. You're just nervous and that's okay. You're about to enter one of the most high-pressured and vigorous entertainment management companies in the world. A-List celebrities and grammy nominated musicians roam the office casually. Really, it's no big deal.

Ha...

Okay, get it together. There's no time for a mental breakdown.

I let out one last deep breath before finally walking into the intimidating skyscraper. Once I reach the lobby I'm overawed with how cramped it is with businessmen and -women rushing their paths to make it on time for work.

Despite the smell of nervous sweat and the sound of urgent footsteps, the lobby has a serene kind of vibe going on. Pillars are spread out through the entrance hall and the intricate designs on the walls have an old style theme to it. The walls are plastered with middle age styled paintings and looking up the high ceiling gives me that same neck cramp I had just a few minutes ago.

I'm too busy gaping at its complex designs, completely losing myself in the art of the lobby, that I don't even notice that I've been standing in the middle of a morning rush until I'm bumped from behind, causing me to lurch forward a few inches. I look behind me, prepared to mouth off the distracted man whose eyes are still glued to his phone.

"Excuse me," he lowly mutters; his eyes never leaving his phone. With his height, my eyes are only level up to his collarbone and as I slowly pan up to identify the male, I instantly recognize and fawn over the dreamy aura of his famous rockstar self. Seeing him in person, I'm able to really assess how dark his brunette curls are or how soft his skin gleams. God, he's beautiful.

It's overwhelming.

I'm speechless, paralyzed even, that he's standing there right in front of me. Good thing he's still preoccupied frowning down at the screen in his hand to even notice I'm still staring. Is this what it feels like to be starstruck? But stepping my foot into the entertainment industry, meeting celebrities shouldn't even be this big of a deal so I'd better get used to it.

Compose yourself, Ria. Be nice and tell him that everything's fine. This is your networking opportunity! Maybe even ask if he's in the building for Meila Management to spark some sort of conversation.

Dummy, of course he is! The only other offices in this building are law offices and book publishers.

"Oh my God," I unintentionally breathe out with my hand shooting up instantly to cover up my mouth before I start to spew on something embarrassing. He lets his gaze leave his phone momentarily before returning it back to his phone.

"Sorry. I don't have any time for pictures," he rudely remarks and begins to push past me.

Aanndd I'm immediately turned off. Putang ina mo, it's not like I even wanted a picture anyways, dickhead. And to think, I was hanging on to every bit of hope that he'd be at least a decent person and not the stereotypical stuck-up celebrity type.

"It's fine." I smile half-heartedly. "I'm not a fan anyways," I turn back to face him. He stops for a second, confusion etched over his face with his brows knitted together but before I could even get some sort of response form him, I push past him and make my way towards the elevator.

Harry Styles. I do have to admit, though, that he is as gorgeous in real life as he appears to be in those pictures that do him absolutely no justice. However, his self-centered ego is such a turn-off. I'm sure there's more where that came from.

My thoughts are concluded when the elevator doors finally open to one of the top floors. I step out along with a few other office people and take a look around the office space. It looks a lot more modern with the glass window conference rooms, dark grey carpets, steel desks, and the sun beaming through from every direction thanks to the gigantic clear windows.

There's a huge lit up sign that reads Meila Management mounted on the wall opposite of me. In front of the sign is a small reception desk and the woman behind it notices me stalking towards her like a lost child. She promptly presses some sort of button on her headset then offers me a warm welcoming smile. Even as a receptionist she looks like she gets her hair and makeup professionally done by celebrity groomers.

"Hi.. uhm, it's my first day," I awkwardly stammer, "I don't really know where to go from here."

She looks down at her computer. "Miss Victoria Grey?" she asks. I slowly nod and she lightly laughs before saying, "Mr. Andersen just arrived in the building so he'll be up any second now."

"Perfect," I respond and she gestures towards the seating area just a few feet away.

I never expected to move out here to New York, all the way from Hawaii, in such a short amount of time. All because I'm starting my new internship at one of the biggest leading management companies in the world. Granted, I didn't get here all on my own with my aunt being Amy Meila and all.

When she found out that I've been struggling to get back up on my feet after my year long break from school, with absolutely no motivation to continue on, she offered me this internship in hopes of helping me find some sort of passion. I'm still a little bit adamant that working in the entertainment industry is something I even want to do. But it's a first step.

It's definitely a step up from handling smelly fish at a fish market all day, I can tell you that.

My thoughts are concluded once again when I hear the elevators ding open. I look up to find a familiar tall, lean man clad in a navy blue business suit walk out. His black hair, with a little bit of grey at the roots, tamed back with gel and from ten feet away I can smell his strong and prominent cologne. He ends his phone call when he spots me standing awkwardly in the middle of the office lobby, clutching onto my crossbody purse with clammy hands.

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A/N: contextually, "putang ina mo" means "fuck you" but it literally translates to "your mother is a whore" hahahah

anywayyys, i decided to make the main character half-filipina and half-hawaiian just to add a lil culture to the fanfiction game ya know

but you of course can imagine her anyway you want

i just love using filipino slang bc it's funny

i'm a filipina but i don't speak tagalog so growing up my mom would yell shit like putang ina mo when she's mad and i'd have no idea what she's saying hahaha