Bad Habits

Chapter 4

A few days later, I greeted the driver with a smile and slid into the waiting car on my way to a photo shoot. Instinctively, I checked my reflection in the mirror and my eyes instantly went to a pimple that had just popped up on my forehead. Ugh. Of course it appeared before a day full of shoots. I rolled my eyes and after messing with my hair a bit, put the mirror away before I could nitpick all my imperfections.

As I perused my social media mentions, I saw a string of fan comments saying something about me needing to watch an interview.

@enews: What does @arivega think about this little revelation?

Intrigued, I clicked the video link that E! News tagged me in and my eyebrows raised when I saw the title.

Niall Horan talks celebrity crush, new album and 1D memories

I'll bite.

I pushed play and the interviewer introduced Niall as if the whole world didn't already know who he is. It started off with the usual Q&A bullshit I hated, but was used to being subjected to. By the time they asked about his celebrity crush I was less than an inch from closing out the video before I heard my name.

I froze.

Excuse me?!

I backed it up and played it again. There, sitting in a weird maroon velour chair, Niall Horan was telling the world that I was his celebrity crush.

Hell yes!

With a newfound eagerness I returned to my mentions.

@enews all he has to do is ask 😘

Knowing that would cause a stir in my mentions, I closed the app as the car stopped in front of the building for my first shoot today.

I honestly didn't think anything would come of that bit of social media flirting which is probably why I choked on my smoothie when a couple days later I saw a DM waiting from everyone's favorite Irishman.

"Oh heavens! Ari, are you ok?" Gigi rushed over to me.

Yes, everyone loves inhaling a smoothie and having a coughing attack in the middle of a workplace, especially when they're someone who's expected to be graceful all the time.

I shook my head and waved her off.

"I'll be fine," I got out before another cough. "Can you get me a water, please?"

I felt the burn of acid from the fruit in the back of my nose. Fantastic. Gigi was back with water so quickly I wasn't entirely sure she had left.

"Thanks"

"What on earth caused that?" She asked while I made faces in an attempt to clear the feeling in my throat.

I turned my phone to her and her eyes grew as wide as I had ever seen them. We had fangirled together over One Direction in the past. Louis was her favorite and I was partial to Liam myself, but who was I to be picky?

"Did you answer him?!?"

I narrowed my eyes at her and I saw the lightbulb in her eyes before I said a word.

"Of course not, because that's an unread message," she calmed down a bit as she talked, explaining to herself more than me.