HARRY

As I walk toward Splash to meet Wayne, I hear my name float across the air.

"Quit staring!" a brunette says sharply.

I glance up. Two girls are standing on the pier by the speed boats and jet skis. The blonde is giving me a look I know all too well—undressing me with her eyes, shameless and unbothered.

I'm used to being stared at. Comes with the job. People are curious. I get it. And girls—women, really—eye-fucking me? That's not exactly new either. I don't crave it, but it's flattering... sometimes.

I lower my gaze, pretending not to notice, and keep walking. Still, I can't help sneaking another look. The brunette—I've seen her before. She's the one with the bandana at the hotel lobby yesterday.

Damn. She's fit. That kind of fit that doesn't just happen—you earn it. Gym hours. Discipline. All tone, soft curves, long brown hair, confidence in the way she moves. They're on the jet skis now, unbothered by my presence, laughing as they pull away from the dock.

They don't seem to care who I am. They're not even looking at me anymore.
Which means I get to look.
And that is rare. And weirdly... kind of precious.

She adjusts her bandana, flicks her sunglasses into place, and doesn't glance back. That—oddly—is hotter than all the stares I usually get.

"Mr. Styles?" Wayne clears his throat, clearly trying not to laugh.

"It's Harry, Wayne. Thought we settled that last time," I grin, catching him watching the girls too.

"Yeah, Harry... you ready to go?" he asks, nodding toward the water, but his eyes linger on the pier.

He gets it. He totally gets it. I smirk.

"I know, man. I know," he says with a knowing shake of the head, handing me my gear as we head toward the boat.

ASHLEY

"Mr. Davy, nice to meet you. I'm Ashley Cameron. This is Elizabeth Byles, my associate," I say, extending a hand. Liz, still slightly sun-struck from our morning on the jet skis and water skis, manages a polite smile.

"Pleasure," he says warmly, shaking both our hands.

"This way." He leads us to a sleek conference room where two men are already seated—Nick and... Patrick? I think? Both are from Action1D.

Liz sets up the computer while I begin explaining the structure of the upcoming speech. They're engaged, nodding along as I run through key points, especially once I mention we've integrated U.S.-specific statistics into the messaging.

"These are the numbers," I say, turning the laptop toward myself. Liz has connected it to the large screen, and the room dims slightly as the slideshow begins. I remain standing, pointer in hand.

"In New York alone, 28% of students have reported—"

The door swings open mid-sentence.

"Sorry to interrupt," says a tall, polite-looking young man. "I'm Liam."

Nick and Patrick immediately rise, offering their seats, but the newcomers wave them off. The one Liz referred to as Louis yesterday drags extra chairs into the room, handing one to Liam and another to a blond guy who hasn't stopped grinning since he entered.

I can feel Liz vibrating beside me, but she's playing it cool—barely. I want to laugh, but I keep it together.

"Apologies for being late," Liam says. "We got held up by—never mind. Please, go ahead."

"Right," I nod, smiling despite myself. There's something surprisingly warm about their presence—no arrogance, just curiosity and easy charm.

"As I was saying, the state of New York alone reports that 28% of students have experienced—"

Another interruption. The door creaks open again and in walks the last of them. The one. The one from the pier.

"Sorry... sorry I'm late," he says, breathless but self-possessed. "Please forgive the interruption. You were saying..."

He smiles. It's effortless—and annoyingly effective.

"Sit down and shut up, Harry," Louis says with a smirk.

"No, it's okay," I reply. "I can repeat—"

"She just mentioned that 28% of New York students have experienced bullying at some point," Liam chimes in.

"Someone's been paying attention," I say, grateful for the assist.

"Of course," Liam answers seriously. There's something calm and focused about him I really appreciate.

Harry watches me closely, probably still a bit embarrassed for barging in. He looks... different than he did earlier. Not just the clothes. Something else.

"As Liam said—Liam, right?" He nods. "I'm afraid I haven't really—"

"That's okay!" the blond boy cuts in with an almost painfully sunny grin.

"Thanks. As Liam said," I continue, "New York's 28% figure is among the highest in the U.S. This makes the campaign's expansion here even more crucial."

I continue for another twenty minutes, outlining the speech, the schedule, and the broader message we're aiming to convey.

As I finish, Nick rises to speak. Louis motions for me to sit and even pulls out the chair for me. His gesture takes me off guard. I expected distance—maybe even disinterest. But instead, they're attentive. Kind.
Present.

Nick outlines the video plan and promises to send the draft script to my email for revisions. He also confirms that Liam will give the first speech after mine tomorrow, followed by Harry for the second session. The video shoot will take place once we've reviewed the final content together.

"That's everything, I think," Liz says, gathering our materials.

"Thank you for coming," I say, rising. Mr. Davy quickly moves to open the door for us.

As Liz packs up, I'm halfway out the room when I hear Liam's voice behind me.

"Um... Miss?"

I turn. "Ashley. Ashley Cameron."

"Liam Payne," he says, offering a handshake.

"Ashley... would you mind if I showed you the draft of my speech? Just to get some feedback, maybe?" His voice is polite. Nervous, even.

"Of course, Liam. I'd love to."

"Ash, you can't," Liz cuts in from behind. "You're meeting Leo tonight. Leo DiCaprio."

She says it like I've forgotten. I haven't. Leo and I worked on an environmental campaign a few years back, and he's one of the few celebrities I've kept in touch with. He's down-to-earth. Committed. No frills.

"He's a friend," Liam mutters.

"Then maybe you should join us," I offer, surprising even myself.

He blinks. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Nonsense. The more the merrier," I say lightly, trying to put him at ease.

"Then... can we come along?" Louis chimes in with a smirk, eyes twinkling.

"Sure," I say, almost laughing. "Why not?"

"I'm Louis, by the way," he says, stepping forward. I reach out to shake his hand, but instead, he pulls me into a warm, unexpected hug.

"I'm Niall," the blond one says with a grin. His energy is infectious—completely different from the others. Pure sunshine.

Niall. Right. I finally remember. Why can't I ever keep his name in my head?

As Louis lets go, Harry steps up.

"I'm—" he begins.

"I know who you are," I cut in, deliberately cool.

"You do?" He looks surprised—maybe even a little flustered.

"You're the guy who stole our diving session this morning," I say, finally cracking a smile.

He exhales with a grin, relieved. "Wait... what?"

"I'm Liz," my partner waves from the back, looking more amused than star-struck now.

"They canceled our slot," I explain. "Booked the entire day out for you."

His brows furrow. "They canceled your session... for me?"

"Don't worry about it," I say with a shrug. "We'll go another day. I was just teasing."

"Besides, we got jet skis for free," Liz chimes in, clearly proud of the trade-off.

Harry chuckles. "So technically, you owe me."

I don't respond—just smile and turn to Liam as we walk out of the conference room.

"So," I say, easing back into work mode, "what kinds of things did you include in your speech?"

Liam lights up, starting to explain, and I listen attentively. But out of the corner of my eye, I catch Harry watching us. His expression has changed—subtle, but unmistakable.

There's a flicker of something behind his calm. Jealousy? Annoyance? Curiosity?

I don't know. And I don't care.

This is why I'm here. This is what matters. The speeches. The message. The work.

Still... I feel that look linger long after we leave the room.