Mia

True to his word, Mia woke the next morning to a text from Zayn.

Z: Good morning, beautiful!

M: Good morning! You're up early.

Z: I was too excited to sleep after meeting you yesterday lol.

Z: Plus, I really hope I hear something about the audition today.

Z: The suspense is killing me!

M: I bet. I hope you hear something soon.

Z: With you in my corner, I feel like I can't lose.

Z: What are your plans for today?

M: First, coffee. Then, doing the things.

Z: I understand. I'm not really a morning person either.

Z: Go on and have your coffee. Text me later?

M: Yup.

Mia staggered out of bed and into the kitchen, where the coffee maker stood ready. She flipped it on and scrolled through her social media while she waited for it to brew. The chat room dinged a notification and she opened the app.

Liam: Good morning, Mia!

Mia: Hey Liam! You're up early.

Liam: Yup! I'm getting ready for school. From today, I'm going to try harder!

Mia: Good for you! I believe in you!

-Jonathan entered chat-

Jonathan: Good morning.

Mia: Good morning. Late start for you this morning?

Jonathan: I canceled my morning meetings because I have an early lunch appointment with my father.

Mia: That's nice

Jonathan: Not really. I'm sure he just wants to show off his newest girlfriend.

Liam: Isn't your father still married to your mother?

Jonathan: She's my stepmother. And technically, they're separated. But yes, they're still married.

Mia: Oof. That sounds complicated.

-Seven entered chat-

Seven: Oh! We're talking about Mr. Harris Sr's new girlfriend? I saw in the tabloids he's dating Misty Moors.

Mia: Misty Moors? That's a real person?

Seven: You don't know Misty Moors? She's a porn star!

Mia: …

Liam: Your father is dating a porn star?

Jonathan: I didn't know she was a porn star, but I can't say I'm surprised.

-Julie entered chat-

Seven: The senior Mr. Harris is quite a playboy. Unlike his son.

Seven: Have you ever even dated a woman, Jonathan?

Jonathan: I don't see how that's any of your business.

Seven: How about a man? Julie, have you ever seen Jonathan go on a date?

Julie: I don't think it's appropriate for me to divulge private details of my boss' life.

Seven: So, that's a "no" then?

Mia: Seven, aren't you getting a little personal?

Liam: Yeah. It's not like anyone else in this group is in a relationship, either.

Liam: Why are you picking on Jonathan?

Seven: I'm not picking on him. But he is rich and handsome. He could have a girlfriend, if he wanted one.

Jonathan: But I don't want one.

Seven: Because you'd prefer a boyfriend?

Mia: Seven, knock it off.

Julie: Mr. Harris, will you be in the office after your lunch?

Jonathan: Yes.

Julie: Okay. I will hold your messages until then.

-Julie left chat-

Jonathan: I must go, also. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Mia: Good luck with your lunch, Jonathan.

Jonathan: Yes, thank you.

-Jonathan left chat-

Liam: I gotta go catch the bus.

Mia: Don't be late! Study hard today!

Liam: Yep! Talk to you later.

-Liam left chat-

There were no further messages, but Mia could see that Seven was still logged into the chat. Finally, he typed:

Seven: You mad at me?

Mia: I think you were being an ass.

Seven: I was just teasing.

Mia: Teasing him about his sexuality? In front of his employee?

Mia: No one deserves to be outed in a chatroom.

Seven: It was a joke. I don't actually think he's gay.

Mia: That's not really the point, is it?

Seven: Sorry.

Mia: I'm not the one who you owe an apology.

Seven: Okay.

Seven: Well, I guess I should get back to work.

-Seven left chat-

Still irritated, Mia was about to put her phone down when it rang. It was an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Hello. This is Jonathan." There was a short, awkward pause. "Harris."

"Oh my gosh. The Jonathan Harris? Really? But wait…I thought you said the other day that you didn't want to call me?"

"Hmm. Did I? I suppose I changed my mind. Is that okay?"

"Sure. I was just teasing."

"Guess I am the butt of all the jokes this morning."

"I'm sorry," Mia said. "I didn't mean…"

"Don't apologize. And thank you for defending me in the chat, although it wasn't necessary. There are always rumors about me in the press. I don't let them bother me."

"Well, that's good, I guess. Not that there are rumors, of course, but that they don't upset you. But isn't it different when you read something in the press, and when a friend is speculating about you?"

"I don't know. I never thought about it that way. I'm too anxious about meeting my father and his girlfriend to worry about it right now."

"I understand. I have some experience with those kinds of meals. They're not fun."

"You do?"

"Yeah. After my dad died, my mom dated half of the rich losers in this city looking for victim number two. She would trot me out when she was trying to play the devoted mother. Hell, she might have even dated your dad!"

There was a horrified silence as they both pondered that possibility.

"Luckily, the one she ended up with has no interest in being a stepdad," Mia finally continued, "so they leave me alone now."

"I suppose I'm fortunate," Jonathan mused. "My father has always treated women like disposable items, but he's never treated me that way."

"That's good. It sounds like although your father has his faults, he loves you."

"Yes. And I love him, as well."

"I can tell."

This was followed by another uncomfortable hesitation. Mia eventually inquired, "So, tell me...do you hate it more when the girlfriend is overly attentive towards you, or when they completely ignore you?"

"Truthfully? I think the worst is when they flirt with you."

Mia burst out in appalled laughter. "Oh, god, yes! Especially when they're younger than you are!"

"My father once dated a woman who was a year behind me in high school. She told me privately that she wished that I had asked her to the prom."

"No way! Okay, you win," Mia said, and they both laughed. Jonathan had a nice laugh, deep and resonant.

"Well, I should get going. I need to respond to some emails before lunch."

"Okay. If you get too bored during lunch, text me, and I'll send you cute cat memes. Oh, and don't forget your mace. Just in case!"

Jonathan chuckled. "Yes. Thank you. This was a good conversation. Perhaps I could call you again sometime?"

"Of course. Whenever you want."

"Good, then. Have a nice day."

"You too."

Mia spent the rest of the morning composing the email introducing herself as the new fundraising coordinator for the RFA. She was about to send it when she hesitated. "Can you please review and advise?" she typed, before sending a draft to Julie. The administrative assistant might be uptight and particular, but those same qualities made her a perfect proofreader. Knowing how busy Julie was, Mia didn't expect an immediate response. Instead, she took advantage of the down time to start brainstorming ideas for the next party. For some reason, the idea of a masquerade ball stuck out to her - perhaps because the guests were so recognizable. Maybe they would enjoy being anonymous for an evening? Masquerade balls just seemed mysterious and elegant to her. She would have to see what the other members of the RFA thought. Mia also jotted down some possible venues to host the party, and the names of some vendors she had worked with in her past jobs who might come in handy.

It was almost one o'clock by the time she took a break. She texted Jonathan.

M: How did lunch go?

J: Still going.

M: Sorry! Didn't mean to interrupt.

J: Glad you did. Bored.

M: Ugh. I have those cat memes ready to go, if necessary, meow.

J: Thanks, meow. I'll let you know.

Next up was Zayn.

M: Yo.

Z: Yo yourself. What are you doing?

M: Just finished working.

Z: Did you eat?

M: Not yet.

Z: Want to meet for lunch? I'm going crazy waiting around for the phone to ring.

M: Sure. What did you have in mind?

Z: Ivar's?

M: K. Half an hour?

Z: See you there!

As Mia was preparing to leave, her inbox notified her of a new message. To her surprise, Julie had already perused the email and suggested some helpful changes. Mia texted her in response.

M: Thanks for the quick reply. I wasn't expecting it so soon.

J: I had some free time since Mr. Harris is out of the office.

M: Ah, right.

Mia wasn't sure what else to add to the awkward exchange, but she could see the bubbles indicating that Julie was typing.

J: I know we haven't gotten off to the best start, but if you have any questions about the RFA, or need any other assistance, please feel free to ask me.

M: Okay. Thanks again.

When Mia arrived at the waterfront on foot, Zayn was waiting for her. The Ducati was parked at the curb, and he was leaning on it as he waited. He looked sexy as hell in faded jeans and leather jacket, but his handsome face was brooding. Still, he dredged up a smile when he saw her.

"Thanks for meeting me. I'm going nuts waiting to hear about the audition."

"It's only been three days. Didn't they say within the week?"

"Yeah. But there's so much riding on this." Zayn hesitated, clearly torn. "I wish I could explain all the details, but some of it has to remain confidential for now."

"I understand. It must be hard, waiting for someone else to decide your fate. Like, when it's completely out of your control." Mia squirmed under Zayn's intense gaze. "What?"

"Nothing. You just…get it. You get me. No one really has, before now. People usually think I'm crazy for pursuing a career in music and putting myself through all of this."

"You're chasing your dreams. Nothing crazy about it."

"Maybe a little crazy," Zayn admitted. "But also brave, right?" Zayn grinned, clearly pleased by her previous characterization of him.

"Right." Mia grinned back. "So, should we eat?"

They walked together to the restaurant. Mia ordered fish and chips to go, but Zayn hesitated.

"I don't usually eat fried food."

"The restaurant was your choice! Plus, we're going to feed most of the fries to the gulls anyway."

"Fine," Zayn surrendered with a chuckle. "Two fish and chips, please. And two beers."

Zayn paid, over Mia's protests, and they took their bags of greasy food and plastic cups outside, as they leisurely strolled along the waterfront. It was overcast and cool, but it wasn't raining. Mia stood at the railing and raised a fry above her head, and a gull immediately swooped down and snatched it from her hand. Zayn shook his head in amusement.

"What?" Mia demanded. "You don't like feeding the gulls?"

"Not since I was a kid."

"It's fun."

"Yeah, until a bird poops on your head."

They alternated eating their fish and feeding the fries to the birds, and by the time they were done, Zayn appeared much more relaxed. As they walked back towards his bike, thoughts of Jonathan popped into Mia's head.

"I wonder how Jonathan's lunch with his father went?"

Zayn snorted. "Who cares?"

"I care," Mia bristled. "What's up with you two, anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Zayn was all innocent sincerity, but Mia wasn't buying it for a minute.

"You're always arguing. Why all the hostility?"

"I don't know. I just don't like him." When Mia didn't respond, Zayn confessed, "He reminds me of someone."

"Who?"

"Remember I told you about my brother? How he changed, and only cared about success and money?"

"Oh." Mia considered. "Do you think maybe it's possible you're projecting some of your resentment towards your brother onto Jonathan? I mean, obviously he has a different perspective because of the way that he was raised, but I don't think he's a snob. He's been really nice to me from the start."

Beside her, Zayn tensed, and Mia realized that maybe that had been the exact wrong thing to say. "Oh, really? Nice to you, how?"

"Not in the same way that you're nice to me," Mia assured, bumping him with her hip in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I could be much nicer to you, if only you'd let me," Zayn purred, pinning her with a look that set her ovaries on fire.

Mia quickly glanced away before saying, "Seven was teasing Jonathan earlier about his lack of a personal life. I know that guys like to give their friends a hard time, but it seemed a little mean to me. I don't think Jonathan is a bad person. And I think that besides his cat and his dad, he doesn't really have anyone he can talk to. That must be kinda lonely."

"Maybe if he wasn't such a dick all the time, he wouldn't be so lonely," Zayn replied, with a complete lack of sympathy. They arrived at the bike and came to a stop, facing each other. Zayn took her hand in his, his long fingers interlacing with her more petite ones. Heat spread from the warmth of his palm throughout Mia's body as he gazed into her eyes. "Why are we even talking about him?" Zayn murmured, pulling her closer to him. "Do you have to be so sweet, even to that cat-loving jerk?"

"You don't want me to be sweet?" Mia inquired, peeking up at him innocently from under her lashes.

"Only to me," Zayn murmured, resting his other hand lightly on her hip. They were standing very close now, so that Mia had to tilt her chin up to look up at him. People were walking past on the sidewalk, and a constant stream of traffic flowed by on the street, but for Mia, the world had shrunk to just the two of them…the heat from Zayn's body, his spicy scent, his towering presence. The longing in his eyes was both thrilling and terrifying. "Can I please kiss you now?" he breathed, leaning down, and all of Mia's objections from the previous day evaporated as his lips found hers.

The kiss was soft and gentle - definitely PG-13, as their location dictated - but Mia still felt it in every cell of her body. Zayn's grip on her waist tightened as the kiss lingered, but he didn't try to take it further. She clung to the front of his jacket, literally weak in the knees; which, up until this moment, she had thought was a thing that only happened in romance novels.

Finally, Zayn pulled away, his face just mere inches from hers. "Thank you."

"No, thank you," Mia said, and they both laughed.

"Definitely the most polite kiss I've ever had," Zayn quipped, straightening to his full height with a slight wince.

"You're going to become a hunchback if we keep doing that," Mia teased.

"Totally worth it," Zayn declared, still holding her hand. "I'd do it again right now if I could."

"Who says you can't?" Mia asked, feeling bold. Zayn responded by immediately leaning down to brush his lips over hers again.

"I can do this all day," he warned, and Mia surrendered with another laugh. She loved his playful side, and how he made potentially awkward moments feel comfortable.

Mia suddenly realized something. "You don't taste like cigarettes."

Zayn blushed and stammered, "Yeah, um…well, you said you didn't like it, so I got some of the gum. And the patch."

"You're really trying to quit?" Mia was surprised, and touched. "For me?"

Zayn shrugged. "Not just for you. It's a bad habit, I know. I may not be able to quit for good," he warned, "but I can at least try not to smoke around you."

Mia went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. That's very thoughtful."

"I'm a thoughtful guy," Zayn affirmed, in his usual modest fashion, grabbing his helmet from the bike. "Do you want to come hang out at the house for a while?"

Mia considered briefly, before shaking her head. Everything about this afternoon had been perfect. Her resolve to rebuff Zayn's advances had utterly failed, but she could still attempt to ensure that they took things slow. Or slow-ish, anyway. "Not today."

"Okay." Zayn buckled the helmet before throwing his leg over the bike. "Soon, though. Promise?"

"Promise."

"Thanks for meeting me. You were just the distraction that I needed."

"Glad to be of assistance."

Zayn leaned forward and gave her one last quick peck on the lips. "One for the road. I'll call you later, k?"

"Yep."

Mia stood back as he started up the bike. Zayn pushed back from the curb, put the bike in gear, and gave her a wave before riding off. Mia headed up the hill to the apartment, already thinking about how happy Izzy would be to hear that her BFF wasn't ready for the convent quite yet.

When the phone rang later that evening, Mia gave a guilty start. Out of curiosity, she had Googled Zayn, and that had led her down an illuminating, but sometimes disturbing, rabbit hole. There were reviews in local zines and music industry rags from his stint last year as an opening act for Atonal, and listings from some of his old club gigs littering the internet graveyard. There was also an unofficial fan club that was overwhelmingly populated with rabid females. That wasn't necessarily surprising, but some of the things the women said about Zayn and what they'd like to do to him were pretty explicit. Mia couldn't deny having her own impure thoughts about the singer, but for one thing, she actually knew Zayn in real life; and for another, she would never have posted such erotic fantasies in a public forum. She remembered what he had said about how he never dated fans, and Mia believed him - but it certainly wasn't for lack of willingness on their part. Mia wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to date someone that hundreds - or even thousands - of other women desired. Probably not easy.

Expecting that the phone call was from the heartbreaker himself, Mia picked up without looking at the caller ID. "Hi."

"Hi, hi."

"Seven?"

"In the flesh. Or…voice, I guess? Are you still mad at me?"

Mia sighed, closing out of the fan club website. Enough torture for one evening. "I wasn't mad. Just disappointed."

"Argh! No! Everyone knows that's even worse." Seven yawned loudly. "Sorry, sorry. So tired."

"Why are you so tired?"

"Been up for days, trying to track that damn hacker."

"What did you find?"

"Nothing that makes any sense. I traced them back to some kind of religious organization, but it doesn't seem to have any connection to you, or to the RFA."

"Definitely not to me."

"I didn't think so. But I wanted to make sure. I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen. And that you're somehow in the middle of it."

That made Mia feel bad for reprimanding him earlier. He could be insensitive and prone to taking a joke too far, but Seven was working hard to protect everyone, including her. "Go get some sleep. We can talk later."

"Even though I'm exhausted, when I lay down, I can't sleep. My brain just keeps spinning in circles. Does that ever happen to you?"

"Sure, sometimes."

"Tell me a bedtime story, Mia." Another loud yawn, and Mia heard rustling as Seven laid down.

"What kind of story?"

"Any kind. 'Once upon a time…'"

"I don't know any fairy tales by heart."

"So? Make one up." Seven's voice was already fading, and Mia knew it probably wouldn't be long until he drifted off. It didn't matter what she said, because he wouldn't hear most of it, anyway.

Putting the phone on speaker, Mia set it down next to the computer keyboard. "Once upon a time, there was a princess.

The princess wasn't the fairest maiden in the land. She wasn't the smartest, or the most beautiful. But she was the king's only daughter, and he loved her more than anything - or anyone - else in the kingdom. Of course, this made the queen very angry and jealous, and she took her unhappiness out on the princess. But the princess didn't mind, because she had the love of the king, and that was all that she needed.

Then one day, the unthinkable happened. The king grew ill and passed away. The queen, finally free from her familial bonds, quickly moved on, leaving the princess behind. The princess was left alone with only her grief for company."

Mia heard Seven stir on the other end, but he didn't say anything, so she continued.

"For many years, the princess wandered the land, lost and lonely. But then one day, a fairy godmother sent her a mysterious message that led her to a secret castle. Much to her surprise, when the princess arrived, she discovered four marvelous princes. One was generous, one was brilliant, one was charming and one was earnest - but they all accepted the princess into their midst without hesitation. They made her feel safe, and welcome. For the first time in a very long time, the princess had a family, and a place where she belonged.

And she lived happily ever after.

The End."

A long silence followed the end of Mia's recitation, and she was about to hang up when Seven mumbled sleepily, "That was a good story. But you forgot one thing."

"I did?"

"The princess was honest, and good, and kind. That's why all the princes loved her right away. And when the dorky-but-lovable prince promised her lady-in-waiting that he would watch out for her, he meant every word."

Tears sprang to Mia's eyes. "Thanks, Prince Seven. Sweet dreams."

"You're welcome, Princess Mia." There was one final, jaw-cracking yawn from the other end of the phone. "I think I can sleep now. Good night."