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

6 // ❀

A/N: The start of Harry and Ria's platonic friendship :')

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I dramatically burst through the door with Harry hot on my tail. There are a few people occupying the chairs at the end of the long table, remaining in conversation as we walk in. I recognize Graham and he has his hands waving in the air as he explains a recent trip he had in the Bahamas and the unruly and loud child who sat behind him on the plane.

Then I notice a girl, the youngest out of all of them, who seems to be deep in thought as she dazedly stares at the mahogany table in front of her.

She looks like a literal angel, it's sort of irritating. Her portfolio's picture did no justice in displaying how bright her eyes are and how the color of her hair is so full of life. Her skin is naturally bronzed, her lips are plump and pink, and she has this kind of glow on the top of her cheekbones. I compare her gorgeous off the shoulder crop top and high waisted shorts to my lazy outfit and suddenly start to feel extremely insecure and intimidated.

I look over at Harry and he seems to share the exact same thoughts as me when he holds a shocked expression with his eyes wide and fixated on the impossibly gorgeous specimen across the room. Oh please.

Harry and I are both kind of just standing awkwardly at the front of the door, not moving an inch, when an unfamiliar woman brings her head up and notices our presence. She clears her throat and everyone else follows suit to looking at where we are standing.

Graham speaks first, asking why we were late, and I struggle to make up an excuse for our tardiness, mumbling something about getting stuck in an elevator the same time Harry mumbles something about my desk being set on fire.

I take a seat next to Graham as he introduces me to Elise. I shake her hand and smile and she politely returns the gesture. He then introduces Elise to Harry, who never breaks eye contact with her as he extends his arm out for her to shake.

He still has that same love whipped expression from when he first laid eyes on her and I feel a small pang of jealousy course through my chest. I don't know why, really. Maybe it's because I had all of his attention within the past couple of hours and it's unsettling to know it's being stripped away from me in a matter of a few seconds. Okay, Ria, you really need to stop.

"'Ello! I'm Harry, it's a pleasure to meet you," Harry slowly announces. He has a somewhat seductive and deep tone in his voice this time. Is this how he lures girls into his trap of good looks and charming personality? Because if so, it's working. It's working well.

"Elise," she sweetly responds and accepts Harry's hand before returning the wide smile. Harry is still staring and she ends up breaking eye contact with him when her manager interrupts them by commencing the meeting.

Seriously, Harry, have you seen a girl before? Wipe that drool off your face before it dries up.

Graham and Elise's manager and publicist talk the whole meeting, discussing public outings and possible dates for her and Harry. It turns out that Elise is also trying to break out of her modeling career to pursue the acting route. So the publicity would also benefit her by getting her own name more out there.

It's honestly crazy how elaborate this whole thing is. Down to the scheduled hand touches and romantic gestures, they have this shit down with details.

Throughout the meeting, I find myself trying to find small reasons for me to hate Elise. But I just can't. I thought she would be some stereotypical ditzy model with no personality but she's actually far from that. She's cracked a few jokes, implying her humor, and she's on her last year of college studying Philosophy abroad in France. I don't sense a single hint of narcissism in her voice and she's making it very difficult to hate her.

This is exactly why I don't affiliate with any emotions of affection or infatuation. Because the feeling of jealousy is a waste of my time and it's very unnecessary. Why am I even jealous of her? Is it because of Harry? Well if it is, I need to stop thinking about it immediately or I'll become crazy obsessed.

I've been too busy arguing with myself about the intricacies involving romance to notice that Graham had already concluded the meeting. He, as well as Elise's manager and publicists, stand up and start making their way out of the room while still engaging in small talk conversation.

Harry, Elise, and I are still sitting down and I'm not sure if I should leave or not. I should leave.

"I love your necklace! Is that an alexandrite gemstone?" Elise stares in wonder at my letter "V" pendant I'm mindlessly pinching in between my fingers. Wow. Who the fuck just identifies an alexandrite gemstone?

"Uhh... yeah, it's my birthstone," I say in a slightly rushed tone so that I could leave and not stay back to converse.

"No way! Really? I was born in June as well!" Now she's really making it hard for me to dislike her. I glance at Harry and he looks just as confused as I am because she sure was not as talkative before as she is now.

"My birthday is June 28th," she randomly adds.

"June 24th," I respond with a forced and uncomfortable smile. Seriously, can I leave now?

She gasps somewhat dramatically and her eyes go wide. "So you're a Cancer then?" I smile weakly in response. She seems a bit too hippy dippy discussing birthstones and astrological signs with me. But other than that, she's pretty down to earth as well.

The three of us stand up and start making our way out of the conference room. Harry and Elise are flirting grossly on the slow walk down the hallway and I'm stuck trailing behind them knowing that they're walking in the exact same direction to where I need to be. How long is this fucking hallway?

We finally reach a crossroad and I start to walk the other way when Elise stops and calls after me.

"Hey, Ria! What are you doing tonight?" she yells. I turn to face where they're standing and find a shocked Harry who also looks like he's about to burst into laughter any second now.

"I don't know. Probably order takeout and catch up on Grey's Anatomy." I shrug.

"We should go to that night club, Lavo, tonight! It's just a few blocks from here and I think you'd really like it." She beams. I'm finally caught up with them and the three of us are standing right in the middle of the office lobby, looking as if we were conspiring something secretive.

"Uhm..."

"She's not a very—how do I put this lightly—social person," Harry interrupts. I glare at him and just out of spite I agree to go to the club with Elise tonight, hushing and dismissively waving my hand in front of Harry's face when he tries to stutter a response.

Honestly, as much as I'd like to stay home and live the crab life, I've been doing that for too many years now. I think it's time for me to venture out a bit and I am in New York after all.

"Great! I'll pick you up at ten!" She smiles and we exchange phone numbers. Almost on cue, the elevator door opens and she awkwardly hugs Harry goodbye before disappearing behind the shiny, chrome-finished doors with her manager and publicist.

Harry and I watch as the doors slowly come to a complete close and we stand in silence for a few long moments.

"What... the... fuck?" we both mumble simultaneously. I spin on my heels and start to walk away but Harry annoyingly follows.

"What are you doing with my girlfriend?" he asks from behind me, genuinely curious as to what just happened.

"Apparently getting more action than you." I wink and try to hold back my laughter at his look of defeat.