woman: so we could connect
Iris gets called in for a shift, but it doesn’t go as she expected.
(part 2)
woman series // part 2 teaser
word count: 7.4k
warnings/tags: sugar daddy h, harry x fem, alcohol use
On top of working her day shifts at a doctor’s office running the receptionist desk, she had worked almost every night at the club this past week. Despite believing she had screwed her chances up last weekend, she managed to keep her job. But that nine to five followed by several hours at the club has drained her. It was a necessary thing though. She needed the extra money. The tip the boss left her that night was a huge benefit.
Iris was laid over her couch with the television playing a movie she had stopped watching not long after it started. Her arm was under her cheek, drool covering her skin as she soaked up the much needed rest. It wasn’t her intention to go to sleep this early, but she was worn out from the week. Saturday was usually a busy night for her, but Melanie gave her the night off. It allowed her to sleep in and then handle her errands throughout the day. She planned on doing absolutely nothing that evening.
Everything was going according to that plan, until her phone began blaring right next to her ear. It jolted her awake. She snatched the phone up and squinted her eyes to read the name on the bright screen.
“Hello?” She answered with a huff, not very pleased with being woken up.
Melanie’s voice began to talk on the other end. “Are you doing anything tonight?”
She rubbed her fist into her eye as her brain processed the question. She was definitely not fully awake and alert right now. She exhaled slowly, shaking her head in disbelief. Of course, the one day she gets to relax, she would get an interrupting call like this.
“I didn’t plan on it, no.”
“Well, you need to come in.”
Iris moved her legs off the couch, her feet hitting the rug. “I really don’t want to do that.”
The last thing she wanted to do was put clothes on and leave. Today was supposed to be a useless, relaxing day full of rest and laziness. She didn’t even cook herself any meals today because she refused to do any real work.
“Well, Mr. Styles is coming later and he asked specifically for you to be here.” Melanie said with a sigh.
As soon as the name was said, her heart began to race and her stomach filled with bubbles. She held her breath for a moment as she thought about what was just spoken to her. Who wanted her to do what? She pinched the bridge of her nose and fought through the worrying, confusing thoughts.
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know.”
Iris checked the time on her phone. If she were to go in tonight, they’d want her there at seven - which happened to be ten minutes ago.
“I mean.. it’s.. very last minute.”
“He said he’ll pay you double for the night.” Melanie revealed, rolling her eyes to herself.
Iris jumped up. “I’m on my way.”
Like every night she’s had to work here, the parking situation was troubling. She struggled to find a spot when she arrived, but since she was called in and not on a strict shift time, she assumed being a few extra minutes behind wouldn’t be a problem. Before she got out of her car, she pulled her visor down to check her appearance. She had to rush to put her makeup on. It wasn’t much - just a bit of concealer to cover a few blemishes and a bit of mascara to make herself look alive. She was satisfied with what she saw.
As she made her way through the back entrance into the break room, she was met with a very frazzled Melanie.
“Iris, please clock in now. Mr. Styles just got here.”
She couldn’t recall a time when she saw Melanie so stressed out. She furrowed her brows, but chose not to ask, and quickly clocked in. Maybe it was just a hectic night and things were a little crazy on the floor.
“You’re only working his table.” Melanie said just as she was wrapped her hand around the door knob.
“Why?”
“Because that’s what he said.”
It was confusing. Why on earth did he want her to be his waitress for the night? He specifically requested she be here. He didn’t want her to tend to anyone else. She couldn’t stop her mind from filling with thoughts, most of which were just jumbled up, confused strings of words. She seemed very distracted tonight, and she hadn’t even started working yet.
When she made it out on the floor, she sucked in a deep breath. The table Mr. Styles was seated at was the same one as last time, but there were more people sitting around it tonight. She adjusted her apron as she approached the table, a smile shaping to her lips.
“Hi, everyone. What can I start you off with, Mr. Styles?”
She knew to direct her attention to him first. He was in charge, after all. The moment he lifted his gaze to meet hers, her fingers started to fumble with each other. She wasn’t fully aware of the impact he had on her. The anxiety was easy to feel, but she had no clue what was really happening.
“Iris.” He spoke her name like he was fluent in only that word.
She gulped softly and smiled again. “Good evening. Would you like the usual?”
A smirk covered his lips as he heard the words leave her mouth. She must be a quick learner. It was only her second time serving him and she remembered what she was told last time.
“Yes, please.” He nodded lightly, never taking his eyes off her. “Did Melanie tell you about your pay for the night?”
Her eyes glanced around to the people seated closest to him. She wasn’t comfortable with discussing this in front of these strangers, but she knew she had no choice. She kept her forced smile and gave him a nod.
“Um, yes, sir.”
“You’ll get your full shift’s pay.. doubled.” He told her anyway.
Her eyes widened at his words as she remembered he only wanted her to wait on his table tonight. It didn’t seem like a good business decision to pay someone double for only working a few hours for one table. But who was she to judge? She had no say so in this. If anything, she was grateful for the idea. However, it seemed like her mouth wasn’t up to date on her thoughts. Before she could stop herself, the words were flowing out.
“Just.. just for working your table?”
A chuckle rolled past his lips. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir.” She was quick to reply.
“Go get the drinks.” He gave her a gentle wave of his hand, gesturing for her to do her job.
She pushed down the confusion and worry and reminded herself to stay focused. She was here to do a job. The situation would just have to solve itself. She couldn’t waste any mental space debating and contemplating with herself on why he made the choice he did for the night. To keep herself motivated, she kept repeating the same thing in her mind: full shift’s pay.. doubled.
When she approached the bar, she kept her confidence high and asked for the boss’s usual. While waiting, she glanced around to see if Melanie was near by or watching her from a distance, but she didn’t see her. It was nerve wracking to have all of this pressure on her. If she messed up at any point tonight, it would be inexcusable. He might have let her off easy last time, but what if he was testing her? What if he wanted to make sure she could work under a high level of stress? And if she couldn’t do that, he could easily decide to fire her.
Carrying the tray of liquor bottles was straining her wrist, but she fought the pain and headed to the table. Mr. Styles always had a single glass of whiskey for himself that was different from what the tray offered. She wasn’t sure why, and she didn’t intend on asking, but she made sure to keep it in the middle of the tray so it wouldn’t splash out.
“Alright, here you go.” Iris said politely as she rested the edge of the tray on the table and began grabbing each bottle.
She could feel the eyes of her boss staring through her, watching her every move as she picked up each bottle and sat it in the middle of the table. His colleagues and guests were quickly treating themselves by snatching the bottles and opening them, filling their own glasses. Iris kept her eyes down as she carefully grabbed the whiskey glass. She sat it down in front of Mr. Styles and nervously lifted her gaze.
“Thank you.” He said with a light smile, his fingers wrapping around the glass.
“Is there anything I can get you?” She asked him directly, not really caring about anyone else.
He shook his head, then looked around the table. “You can go ahead and take the food orders. I’ll handle my own.”
She was disappointed when he stood up and excused himself from the table, leaving his whiskey behind. It was less stressful to have him gone, but she couldn't help but wonder why he left. Wasn’t he supposed to be observing her? She was sure the whole point he called her in tonight was to make sure she could handle this job. If that were the case, wouldn't he want to stay and watch her every move? She shook it off and took a deep breath, a smile covering her lips as she started with the person closest to her.
“What can I get you tonight?”
Mr. Styles lead himself to the break room. He wasn’t concerned with anything else at the moment. There was something he needed to do. It was a relief that nobody was in the room. He didn’t feel like dealing with any awkward conversations with frightened employees. He tried the handle for the office door, and when it didn’t open, he reached into his pocket to grab a set of keys. He figured the door would be locked - it was supposed to be locked at all times anyway.
Once he got in, he shut the door behind him and immediately went to the bookshelf. His eyes scanned over the spines of the binders until he found the one filled with employee information. While he could just simply ask Melanie for what he wanted, he didn’t want anyone to know he was planning on directly contacting a certain employee. It was nobody’s business, of course, since he was literally in charge, but he didn’t care to entertain anyone else’s curiosity.
He flicked through the divided sections until he found the one belonging to the girl currently rushing to the kitchen to get his table’s orders in. His interest in her quickly became a distraction, and he realized that early on in the week. There was a solution to this problem. After taking out his phone to create a contact for her, he put the binder away. Although he was the owner of the establishment, he didn’t deal with hiring or managing the employees. Having their personal information has never been a priority of his, until now.
Just as he turned the key in the door to assure himself it was locked, he heard a crashing sound just outside of the break room door. He sighed to himself and pushed the door open, ready to yell at whoever just broke the dishware. Before he could get angry, his eyes fell down to the person on the floor picking up the pieces of glass.
“I’m sorry!” Iris was apologizing to one of the bartenders, who was on her way to the bar with the cleaned glasses.
The bartender did not reply, because her eyes were glued to Mr. Styles. It was a common thing for the employees to be absolutely terrified to say anything or do anything wrong in front of him. Iris looked up, not knowing he was standing there. The second she saw him, her cheeks went red and she shot up.
“I accidentally ran into her.” She quickly said.
“We’ll clean it up right away.” The bartender nodded, dashing into the kitchen to grab whatever broom she could find first.
Iris was not happy about being left alone with the mess and Mr. Styles, but she knew there was nothing she could do now. She knelt back down and started to collect the larger pieces into her palm.
“You’re going to cut yourself.” He said as his arms crossed over his chest. “Stand up.”
There was no hesitation. She sat the pieces down on the ground and stood up, her hands shaking as anxiety flooded her veins.
“Go on. I’ll get someone to clean it up.”
“You can take it out of my pay. It was my fault.” Iris said with a gulp.
“I can afford to replace a few glasses.” He told her with a light chuckle. “Go on, now.”
Although she wanted to clean up the mess in any way possible, she knew she had to listen to him. She nodded and turned away, not sure where she was headed but she was going to get away from him while she could. He was extremely intimidating and it made her more nervous than she’s ever been.
Iris wasn’t sure what else she was supposed to be doing, since he only wanted her to work his table. So, she stayed close by and kept an eye on his guests. Mr. Styles returned to the table after a few more minutes. She watched him rest his hand on the table as he sat down, his charisma naturally glowing as his smile beamed. His presence was impactful.
She shifted her hands behind her back, holding onto her wrist as she watched from a safe distance. He was talking, that smile still wide on his face. Whatever he said caused an uproar of laughter from the people surrounding the table. Usually, she liked the fact the loud music drowned out the noise of the patrons, but right now she envied those close enough to hear him.
Maybe it was solely because he was her boss that made her so fascinated by him. He was a rich man with obvious influence and power. On top of that, he was handsome and had a way of making himself known. He was just the whole package deal. Or perhaps it was more complicated than that. A part of her brain kept cycling back to the possibility she might be infatuated by him, that she might be attracted to him. No, she couldn’t be. He was a handsome man, that’s the only reason why she thought he was attractive.. His appearance was literally appealing to her eyes.
Some time ticked by as she stood there quietly stalking the table. She thought she was being incognito, but that was quickly proven wrong when Mr. Styles turned his head in her direction. Her stomach fell as his eyes locked on hers. He lifted his hand and motioned with his fingers. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes as it came out. Her anxiety needed to hold off for a few minutes.
He was satisfied with her attentiveness as she quickly walked over to him. There was something very intriguing about her that he just couldn’t figure out or forget about. He needed to decipher it, he needed to know her.
“Is there anything I can get you?” She asked kindly.
“Another glass of whiskey f’me.. and check on the food.” He said, sliding his empty glass across the table out of his way.
“Yes, sir.”
She hurried to the kitchen, not waiting for any more instructions. The kitchen staff were usually rude when asked about wait time, but when she mentioned that it was for the boss’s table, they didn’t give her any attitude. She asked them to hurry up before heading to the bar for the drink. The entire time, she couldn’t stop thinking about the drink she spilled on him last weekend. She wondered how much worse it could get, how much more embarrassing and humiliating.
When the bartender gave her the glass, she swallowed the lump forming in her throat and went back to the table. That same overly polite smile shaped to her lips as she sat the glass down in front of him.
“Thank you.” He said, picking it up in a swift move to bring the glass to his lips.
She looked away, towards one of the strangers. “Is everyone alright?”
“We’ve been waiting on our food.” One of them said, checking their flashy watch for the time.
“It should be coming right out.” She nodded.
“Iris.” Mr. Styles saying her name was a jump scare each time.
“Yes, sir?”
“Do you mind getting a few of these empty bottles out of the way?”
The man beside him, who’s name she didn’t know, gave him a funny look and rolled his eyes. “Does she mind? It’s her job.”
Her heart nervously fluttered as she saw the glare given by Mr. Styles. He didn’t seem very pleased by that man’s words. She chose to just listen to the command, even if it wasn't from the man she knew she had to listen to. She tried to grab two bottles with one hand, but they were bulkier than she expected. As she picked them up, one of them knocked over a glass that was half filled. The contents were now on the table. Thankfully, the liquid didn’t end up in anyone’s lap this time.
“Oh my god, no, no, no!” She practically whined, ashamed of her actions. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Styles!”
“It’s fine.” He reached for the glass, getting to it before she did.
“No, I-I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry.” She tried to take it from him but he moved it away from her reach.
“Well, I hope you didn’t mean to.” His gentle laugh made butterflies erupt in her stomach. “It’s not a problem.”
She rapidly shook her head as she collected the other empty bottle. “Yes, it is. I.. I can’t believe I-“
“Iris, I said it was fine.” His tone was more stern than just seconds ago.
“But, sir-“ Iris shot her eyes to him, they were wide and pleading for forgiveness.
“It’s fine.” He sat his whiskey glass down, his eyes falling down her height before darting back to her flustered face.
“I.. I’ll go, um, check on the food.”
Mr. Styles was slightly amused as she ran off, going right back to the kitchen that she just came from. He thought her nervous behavior was rather cute and innocent. It proved that she was human, that she cared too much about the little things like impressing her boss. He admired her nature, thought she was quite precious. It wasn’t usually something he found appealing - that innocent, naive, gentle personality. He liked it on her.
“She’s got a pretty face, but there’s nothing inside her head.” Someone at the table spoke out.
“Keep your opinions to yourself.” He snarled his lip, then shot his eyes back over in the direction she walked. He didn’t see her anymore, maybe she made it to the kitchen.
She was hidden away in the break room, her hands covering her face as she groaned. She was beyond embarrassed at this point. Not only had she broken the glasses earlier, but she spilled another drink in front of him. She felt useless. Waitressing had never been this challenging for her before, never been this intense. She can’t blame the boss’s presence - this was happening before she met him. Maybe she just wasn’t cut out for this place.
“What are you doing?” Melanie appeared in the doorway, her brows furrowed.
“I’m just.. taking a break.” She huffed out.
If it were a regular shift, she would’ve come up with a lie or probably just not have been back here to begin with, but right now she doesn't care. Mr. Styles made it clear she had one task tonight, one table to work - she could spare a minute to catch her breath.
“You haven’t done anything stupid have you?”
Iris felt a pinch in her chest. She wasn’t stupid, and she certainly didn’t like being called that or anything similiar. Making a mistake does not make you stupid, no matter how bad she might feel about it.
“It’s none of your business.”
Melanie scoffed. “I’m your boss. It is my business.”
Ever since her first shift, Iris was given such a hard time. She was treated with high expectations from Melanie that sometimes seemed unreachable. Sure, a spilled drink and a wrong order are mistakes, but not everything she did was wrong. She’s gotten great feedback from customers, gotten wonderful tips, been treated nicely - she wasn’t a bad waitress. Hearing the word “boss” come from Melanie’s mouth irritated her more than she ever thought it could. Iris fixed her apron as she leaned off the wall, her eyes landing on Melanie.
“You’re the manager.. not the boss.”
Iris left the break room to go tend to her table. Mr. Styles was the only person she knew she had to impress tonight, the only person that mattered. If he thought the service he received was excellent, then she’d be alright. Her goal was to stay motivated.
For almost an hour, she would check in on the table every fifteen minutes. She didn’t want to intrude too much. They were enjoying their meals and drinking, seemingly having a good time. Mr. Styles was on his fifth glass of whiskey, and she noticed when she came up to the table how red his cheeks were.
“Iris.. I need t’talk t’you.” He slurred out, standing up before she could say anything.
“Yes, sir.”
“C’mere.” He gestured for her to follow him, and she didn’t hesitate.
He guided her to the break room away from the noise and the people. He shut the door behind them and took out his wallet. She held her breath as she watched his fingers flick through the bills.
“No bill tonight.. so I wanna make sure y’get y’tip.” He sighed, his head aching from the alcohol but he tried to ignore it.
Iris couldn’t stop her eyes from widening as he pulled four bills out of his wallet. It was more than the tip he left her last time. He extended his hand out, the money limp between his fingers.
“Mr. Styles, I-“
“Shh.” He lightly shook his head. “Take it.”
There was no point in arguing with him. She accepted the money and carefully folded it before sticking it in her apron pocket. Her eyes nervously looked up to meet his. They were red and squinty, the alcohol affecting him. He gave her a smirk, lifting just one corner of his mouth.
“You can go home now.”
“Are.. are you sure? You don’t need anything else?” She asked, lifting her brows as she fumbled with her own fingers - anything to ease the nerves.
“Not tonight.”
The night seemed like a blur once she was at home in her bed. Her eyes were glued to the dark ceiling as she thought about the money he gave her. That was a lot for a tip, and she honestly didn’t know how to process it. There was no complaining, though, she needed the money. Maybe she could keep this job. If working for Mr. Styles meant occasionally serving him, perhaps she would be able to make more money than she anticipated. Sure, the other tips are great, too, but they’re even better when you add such a big one to the pile.
- - -
That Monday, she was scheduled to be off at the club that night. Her day job didn’t end, though. She was stuck behind the receptionist desk all morning. Monday’s were a busy day for the doctor’s office. Her lunch break seemed ages away, but when it was finally time to go, she didn’t waste a single second. On Monday’s, she usually treated herself to some sort of fast food just to make up for the stress. She chose the place closest by the office and opted to eat in her car in the parking lot.
The food was actually delightful, and she was enjoying her alone time. That is, until her phone started to ring. She looked down at the screen and made a confused face. She didn’t recognize the number, so she ignored it.
Her attention returned to the fries she was popping in her mouth one by one, enjoying each one like she’d never have them again. A few minutes ticked by before the phone rang again. She huffed, rolling her eyes as she saw the same number appear. Maybe it wasn’t a spam call if they’re calling back.
With a mouth full of fries, she answered. “Hello?”
“Iris.”
A harsh cough made her struggle to get the food down. She quickly grabbed her drink and sucked up a good bit to wash everything down. She did not expect to hear her name when she picked up the phone and she certainly didn’t expect to hear it in that voice.
“Uh, Mr-Mr. Styles. Hello.” She tried to catch her breath without sounding like she was struggling.
He could tell he caught her off guard. “Are you busy right now?”
“I’m.. I’m on my lunch break, but that’s all.”
“Well, listen.. I know you aren’t supposed to work tonight.” He paused.
She squeezed her eyes shut and silently begged for him to not ask her to come in. She was grateful for the money, but she was so tired. She just wanted to go home and rot away for the night.
“But, if you have time.. after your job.. I’d like to see you in my office. My real office, not at the club.” He continued.
“Um.. okay. I can do that.”
He smiled lightly. “Perfect. What time does your shift end?”
She gulped as she quickly debated whethe to lie or not. She could give herself some time to prepare, maybe run home and freshen up. But what if he found out she was lying?
“I get off at five.” She told the truth.
“I’ll send you the address.”
He was going to just end the call, but her soft voice stopped him.
“Um, Mr. Styles.”
“Yes?”
She cleared her throat, hoping it wasn’t too loud of a sound. “May I.. ask what.. what it’s about?”
He thought for a moment, a silence grew between them. There was a chance she wouldn’t give it any consideration, so he chose to keep it secretive. Iris was hoping for an explanation, but she didn’t press any further when he spoke.
“I just need to talk to you in person. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.” She muttered back, not sure if he had hung up the phone yet. He hadn’t.
The rest of her shift drug by slowly. The office was packed full of people, but even the constant action didn’t make things move quickly. Whenever she had a few seconds to herself, her mind slipped into a worrying spiral. What if he was finally going to fire her? She made it obvious that she was anxious and unable to do things perfectly at the club. Perhaps he was tired of her performance and wanted her out. Melanie would probably just fire her over the phone, maybe Mr. Styles wanted it to be more professional.
That was all she thought about for the rest of the day. It consumed her. She wasn’t completely aware of what the anxiety was causing. She would continuously mess up spelling when she typed, misclicking things on the computer, and saying names incorrectly. Her brain was normally jumbled, but she was always able to shut it off at work and do her job - at least, at this job.
The directions he sent her brought her to a building she had only driven by, never entered before. Her senses were heightened as she made her way to the lobby. Everything was so overwhelming. What if he ended the polite attitude he’s given her so far and completely chews into her? Her mistakes at the club can’t be inexcusable forever. He was going to get sick of it eventually, if he hadn’t already.
She was greeted by a security guard at the door. It was sort of scary to be in such a nice place. She crossed the lobby to get to the elevator, still following the instructions he sent to her. The top floor was her destination. Apparently that’s where his office was. Her curiosity grew as she took in the sights around her. What exactly did Mr. Styles do?
The ding of the elevator made her flinch. She wasn’t on the top floor just yet. When the doors opened, someone was standing on the other side with a briefcase in their hand. She stepped to the side, allowing them access to the buttons. Iris kept her gaze down on her feet as she waited to reach the top floor. Mr. Styles was close by, and knowing she was about to be face to face with him again was making her stomach churn. She feared the absolute worst. He was going to tear her to shreds and take her job away.
This time when the elevator stopped, it was on the top floor. She licked her lips and took a deep breath before stepping out. Her phone was displaying his message, his instructions on how to find him. When she looked up from the screen, her eyes grew. This lobby was bigger than she expected. There were reception desks and multiple doors and hallways, all leading to more doors. The last part of his text told her to go to the desk to check in.
“Um, hi.” She said in a kind voice as she approached one of the desks.
A man, who was probably closer to her age than Mr. Styles’, looked up at her. He furrowed his brows lightly, like he was waiting for her to continue. She wasn’t sure what she needed to say or how nice she had to be.
“I’m here to see Mr. Styles.”
“Are you his five thirty appointment?” He asked carelessly, his eyes moving to the computer screen.
“Um, yes.”
She wasn’t sure exactly if that was her title, but she knew what time it was. The man nodded, then stood up from the desk. Without saying anything, he started to walk away. Iris assumed she needed to follow him. He led her down one of the hallways, and at the end she could see a pair of big wooden doors. She tried to look around at the other doors, maybe catch a glimpse of the signs, but they were walking entirely too fast.
“Wait here.” The man said, looking over his shoulder as they approached the door.
She watched him open it just enough for him to step inside. She couldn't see anything past the door. Her arms instinctively came up to cover her chest, a sense of nervousness creeping through her body. The uncertainty of it all was very hard for her to deal with. She wanted it to be over with. Hopefully she could find another part time job within a few days to quickly recover from losing this job. She didn’t know how long she could go without the extra money.
“Alright, you can go in.” The man suddenly came out of the office, this time leaving the door open for her.
When she stepped over the threshold, she wasn’t sure what to expect but what she saw was shocking. The entire back wall was lined with large windows, showing off a nice view of the city. On the left side of the room sat a huge bookcase full of books and a few decorations. On the right was a large desk with a computer, two comfortable arm chairs placed in front of it. It was a beautiful, elegant space. Mr. Styles stood up from behind the desk, gesturing towards the chairs.
“Have a seat, Iris.”
She was taken aback by his suit. She knew he dressed nicely, but she had never seen him with the complete look. His jacket was tailored perfectly to his body, as were the rest of the items. His hair was perfectly sculpted and a watch sat comfortably on his wrist. He adjusted his unbuttoned jacket when he sat back down. She felt extremely underdressed. Her job required her to dress nice, but the simple dark blue blouse and pants didn’t seem acceptable compared to him.
“I want to talk to you about your job.” He said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair.
The flood gates inside of her burst open. Iris felt like everything was crumbling to her feet. One day, she had things figured out and life seemed to go alright, and the next she was losing a really good job that she would kill to get back.
“I’m so sorry about spilling the drinks and breaking the glasses.” She blurted out, sitting straight up in the chair, her hands squeezing her own legs.
“I didn’t ask you to come here to talk about a spilled drink.” He kept his tone calm, his expression baselined.
“I-I figured I’d lose this job. I.. I’m sorry.” She continued, almost like she didn’t comprehend what he said.
He chuckled lightly, shaking his head at her. “What are you talking about?”
She could feel the heat coating her cheeks. He had a glimmer in his eye, a sort of sparkle that made her heart flutter. Was he not going to fire her? Was he actually being nice and just wanted to discuss something else? She was more confused than ever.
“I.. I thought you.. you were going to fire me.”
He lifted a brow slightly. “Why would I fire you?”
Iris swallowed, trying to process all of this in her mind. Any sane business owner wouldn’t want an employee who messes up constantly and breaks their items. Why would he want to keep her? He’s witnessed her mistakes with his own eyes. It wasn’t just some manager complaining about her. He’s seen it first hand.
“The.. the drinks, the glasses, I.. I mess up orders and I.. I’m almost late every shift.” She felt like she was digging the hole even deeper for herself. Did he even know about her being late?
“According to your timesheet, you aren’t late. And you aren’t losing your job.. sort of.” He sat up, not wanting to appear too relaxed as if he wasn’t interested in the conversation or the topic.
Iris moved her hands to rest on top of each other, only so she could pinch the back of her hand. She did that often as a way to cope with her anxiety. Right now, she was struggling.
“Sort of?”
He gave her a nod, keeping his eyes glued to her face despite her looking around anxiously. “I have another job opportunity for you.. if you're interested.”
She wasn’t sure what to say, but she shifted her eyes to meet his permanently this time. He saw the confusion mixed with the curiosity on her face. It was rather intriguing.
“I know you have another job during the day, but.. I’m willing to offer you more pay if you’d like to take this job.” He started, not really giving her the vital information just yet. “I do a lot of things.. I run a lot of businesses. It makes everything chaotic.”
She tensed up as he stood, his arms folding over his chest as he slowly walked towards the windows. He kept his eyes lost somewhere in the city as he carried on.
“I need a personal assistant. I have multiple people who do similar things for me, but I need somewhere to work in here with me. Answer calls, reply to emails, forward things to me, manage my meeting schedule, among other things.”
Iris snapped her head down when he suddenly turned towards her. He didn’t move, though. Even in the privacy of his office, away from other people and not in the middle of the club, he could see how nervous she was. Maybe she was just afraid of him, or maybe this job offer seemed too intense. His goal wasn’t to frighten her.
“You wouldn’t have to run errands or arrange travel or whatever. I have people that do that.” He added, trying to relieve the pressure.
She started to pick at the freshly painted light pink polish on her thumbnail. There were many things to consider. Though her job was stressful, she liked the laidback days when there weren’t many clients in the office. She liked being able to sit and work quietly at the computer. What if this job he’s suggesting is too much? If she took this job then got fired from it or had to quit, that secure job at the doctor’s office would be gone.
“I don’t want it to seem too scary.” He eased his voice, sighing gently as he walked back to the desk.
But when she saw his shoes appear in front of her, she felt her heart begin to race. He was leaning on the front of the desk, his hands bracing over the edge as he looked down at her. She was too afraid to pick up her head.
“It wouldn’t all be thrown at you at once. You’d be trained and shown how to do everything. And..” He took a second to take a deep breath. “..I’ll be in here if you have any questions.”
“Mr. Styles, I.. I really.. appreciate the offer, but I.. I, um.” She squeezed her eyes shut and dug her nail into the side of her thumb.
“You what?” His persistence was intimidating.
How could someone be so confident and sure of themselves, of their power? He was her boss, she couldn’t just dart out of here without answering him or at least trying to explain herself. She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, her head tilting back to make eye contact with him. If anything, she could at least be respectful and pay attention.
“I don’t know why you’d want me to do it.”
He appreciated her honesty, but it made him smile. “Because, I think you’d be a good fit.”
She wanted to laugh, but it seemed highly inappropriate. “Have.. have you seen me work? I mean, I.. I can’t even.. sit a glass down on a table.”
“I have seen you work. I’ve seen you run between ten tables. You don’t spill every drink you sit down and you don’t disappoint the customers.” He brought his hand up to his chin, his index finger and thumb gently taking hold of it. “You’re a great worker. Everyone makes mistakes.”
She shook her head, unable to believe any of this was real. “But.. but a spilled drink is a lot different than messing up an email or a.. a call.. or something. I.. What if I mess up something that actually matters?”
He liked the way she rambled her thoughts out without thinking, just let her anxiety pour over her lips. He pushed himself off the desk and walked around it, returning to his chair. She took the chance to look back down at her lap, not wanting to see his hard stare. It wasn’t callous or rude, it was just very tense.
“Then I’ll fix it.” He said through a breath. “You don’t have to take the job.. I just wanted to offer it to you.”
The thought of him having to fix a mistake she made was sickening. The mistake itself would be enough to drive her insane, to break her to pieces. Making a vital mistake with his business would be extremely upsetting. Sure, a spilled drink is disappointing, but it’s not that big of a deal compared to other possibilities.
“I.. I appreciate it.. but.. I don’t know.”
“What would it take for you to accept the job?” He asked, placing his clasped hands on the desk.
Iris shrugged. “I’m not sure. I get paid well where I’m at now and.. and I can’t afford a pay cut. I like working at the club, and it helps me financially. But.. but I can’t risk my other job.. the money, I mean.”
He listened closely to every word she spoke with full intention of understanding where she was coming from. He hasn’t had to worry about money in a very long time, but he still knows the reality most people face. If a pay cut is something she’s afraid of, and money is something she needs, then he would offer her more. He opened one of the drawers of the desk and pulled out a small notebook. She jumped slightly at the sound of it landing on the desk, followed by the click of a pen in his hand.
She had no idea what he was jotting down, but she watched him run the tip of the pen over the paper. He was doing a quick calculation, just an assumption that could easily be changed at a later point. When he dropped the pen and moved his eyes back to her, she bit down on her cheek.
“This is what I’ll offer you. There’s a salary and it’s broken down to per hour and per month.” He slid the notebook across the desk, leaning back in his chair to watch her.
Iris hesitated at first to move her hand, but she soon reached for the small book. When she read over the numbers he listed down, her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. That was definitely more than she was making at the doctor’s office. She read it again, trying to convince herself she read it incorrectly the first time. The numbers didn’t change.
“It can be negotiated more if needed. I can guarantee you six months of employment in case you change your mind. That gives you time to find something else.” His offer was sounding more and more reasonable and tempting as he went on.
“Would.. would you expect me to.. quit the club?”
“Not unless you want to. I don’t care what you do with your evenings.” He felt a bit of relief - she was considering it.
“And.. and are you sure.. it would be okay if.. if I ever made a mistake? I.. make a lot of mistakes.” She sat the notebook back down and shifted in the chair, her eyes still connected with his.
“Yes, it would be perfectly okay. Everyone makes mistakes.” He assured her with a slow nod, tossing the notebook back into the drawer.
Her mind was contemplating every single thing about this decision. While she was doing that, she was also obsessing over the fact he had the prettiest shade of green coating his eyes that she’s ever seen. She tore her eyes away from him so she could focus on what was important.
Mr. Styles was observant of her behavior. She was staring at the floor, her hands slowly moving together, fingers messing around as she thought through everything. He wondered what she was thinking about. Was she scared to make such a big change? Was this something she thought she couldn’t do well? He was sure she could handle it. It wasn’t that intense, even though how he explained it might have been scary.
“Okay.” She chirped.
“Is that a yes?”
Iris took a deep breath and smiled at him. “Yes, sir. That’s a yes.”
“Perfect.” His own lips shaped to a smile as he heard her say it. “When can you start?”
“Well.. I probably need to give a notice to my boss. Is next Monday okay?” She rolled in her lips to bite down on them as she waited for his response.
“That’s fine with me.”
“Okay. Is.. is there anything I need to do? Any, um, paperwork?” Iris was more invested in this than he initially thought.
“No, not right now. I’ll get everything ready for you by Monday.” He stood up, gesturing her to follow him.
She did, without hesitation of course. He grabbed the door handle, but stopped before opening it.
“I hate to run you off, but I have an important phone call to make.”
“That’s fine. Thank you for the, um, job.” Her cheeks caught flames as she realized how tall he was - she knew, but noticing it was always a shocker.
“Thank you for accepting.”
[a/n: ahhh im so proud of this part!! hope you enjoyed it! Remember, i love to “world build” and create a story before diving into the “good” stuff.. hehehe :) the response has been so positive! I hope you love the series. see you soon! stay on the look out for teasers!!] — reblog banner #cafekitsune
title: bed chem - sabrina carpenter
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