"Now this is the time to close your eyes and invision yourself in your happy place." A chorus of soft, relaxed exhales crescendoed around the yoga room.

"I don't care if you have to grab him by the balls to get that money," I snapped into my Bluetooth in my ear as I went into position on my yoga mat, bending at the waist, butt raised stretching as every head in the class turned to look at me.

"I don't care if he's trying. Trying doesn't pay the bills." I scolded, getting so loud and passionate to the point that my voice overpowered the peaceful, nature ambience in the back as one hand moved animatedly while I spoke.

"Um, okay, keep the downward dog everyone-"

"My head is on the line here and if I don't get my payment soon, his head will be on the line too, and I'm not talking about the one on his shoulders." I continued before I felt a light tap on my head, causing me to raise it in confusion as I made eye contact with my yoga instructor Shesh in his neatly tucked turban and baggy orange flowered robe, peering down at me with a tight smile.

It was then I became aware of all the women who were staring at me, all of us aside from Shesh still in downward dog on our own mats as I looked around with  a slightly irritated frown, causing all the girls to look away with a quick drop of their heads in panicked unison.

I looked back up at Shesh, his fake, plastered smile twitching as he waved at me from above.

"Sorry, just another business deal- I'll, I'll turn it off now." I let him know with a forced smile of my own, pressing the pause button at the side of my Bluetooth as he closed his eyes, grinning and slowly inhaling before nodding.

"That would be most appreciated Ms. Coetzee." He said, his calm, melodic voice tinged with a thick Indian accent as I slowly nodded, looking away.

"Okay, I gotta go grandma. Tell grandpa he still owes me. Yeah, love you too, see you both on Christmas." I whispered, ending the call with a press of the button at the side of my ear before I sent Shesh a closed lip smile.

He sent one back, turning on his heel, his back facing me so I couldn't see when he would drop his grin as my own smile fell, my annoyed gaze lingering on my teacher for a moment before I closed my eyes, taking in a slow, deep breath thinking about my happy place.

Money, money, shoes, shoes, some dick, money, money.

The sound of rushed footsteps suddenly entered the room, followed with an urgent, apprehensive whisper.

"Noelle -sorry everyone, you're all doing great, I just- Noelle," A low masculine voice quietly beckoned me from the entrance before I heard someone from the front shush him.

I kept my eyes closed, already knowing who that deep, British, slow-like voice belonged to before Shesh spoke up again.

"And now, slink down into the cobra pose-"

"Noelle-"

"Shhh!"

"Right, sorry, sorry I just really-"

"I said shhh!"

I went to a cobra pose, no longer bending and letting my lower front touch the mat as I arched my back, head tilted back slightly while I kept my eyes closed, slowly inhaling and exhaling.

"Either you grab a mat and join us," Shesh began in a fake, overly cheery voice. "Or get out."

Someone took in a slow intake of breath, the room quiet for once before the sound of a mat dragging across the wood floor resonated near me until the noise paused.

"S'cuse me ladies, great form, really," I heard my secretary compliment the women next to me, earning him a couple flirtatious giggles his way and even with my eyes closed I could just see the dimpled smirk on his face as he pushed the mat next to mine.

"Noelle-" He whispered again, hearing him shuffle closer as my eyes remained closed.

"I'm in my happy place Harry." I calmly acknowledged my assistant.

"The creators of Dora the Explorer are still
waiting on your response on a cross over episode with Wuggles." He informed, keeping his voice low as I sighed.

"And now ease into a plow pose." Shesh's voice resonated from the front as I laid on my back, feeling Harry's gaze on me as I heard him shuffle a bit more, probably attempting to copy my pose from the bend of the hip joints to my toes that touched my mat above and beyond my head with extended legs.

"Like I said before, the answer is no." I said, face up to the ceiling with my legs over my face as I heard him struggle.

He didn't say anything for a few moments.

"So... I'll let them know it's like a, soft maybe."

"I'm sorry, do you not know the definition of no?" This time I opened my eyes and turned my head to my secretary with a frown, raising a sharp brow as I found him besides me on his own mat in his black suit and dark red tie, struggling with the yoga pose both due to his lanky, inflexible limbs and stiff, formal attire.

"Shhh!" Shesh shushed from the front with widened eyes, pointer finger against his pursed lips making Harry and I exchange looks before we quieted down.

"Boss if I could say something-" Harry whispered after a while, already panting trying to balance himself in his yoga pose.

"You can't."

"-I really think you should consider an episode with Wuggles and Dora." He finished, gazing at me from his own mat.

"I already told you, there is no way I am going to have my witty, charismatic Wuggles the pig to collaborate with some nine year old with no sense of direction who doesn't even know where a fucking mountain is when it's right behind her." I bitterly remarked, closing my eyes again, blocking Harry out.

I was the creator and CEO of Wuggles Enterprise, a popular kid's show surrounding the daily life of a puppet pig named Wuggles, airing on more than 25 million commercials and programs all over the world.

I hated kids though.

Hated animals too.

Loved money though.

"Dora the Explorer is still extremely popular with the kids-" Harry tried again right as Shesh instructed the class to bend their bodies like a pretzel in one extremely difficult pose, causing Harry to mutter a "you gotta be fucking kidding me" under his breath.

I went into the position without any delay while as Harry almost slipped on his mat, trying to keep his knees flat on the floor while arching his back, releasing a pained, high pitched whine through clamped lips as I opened my eyes and looked over at him.

"So you really think I should take the offer." I clarified, my dark eyes locking with his light ones as he nodded, unable to say anything due to the pain in his struggling limbs as his face turned a slight pink.

I pursed my lips in thought for a second.

"Alright, if you believe I should take the offer then I will." I simply said, looking back up at the ceiling, trying to keep it subtle and not wanting Harry to know how much I valued his opinion on these kind of things.

He may be my secretary but he's been with me for five years and has never disappointed me, in fact, he was a pretty smart kid.

Not like I was going to tell him that though.

"Oh and uh, one other thing." Harry huffed out, watching me close my eyes and relax against my mat again as I breathed in and out.

"Yes?"

"Your boyfriend is waiting for you in your office-"

Harry barely even finished his sentence before my eyes were opening on their own, my teeth grit tightly as I easily slipped out of my tangled position on my mat, walking towards the exit while Harry helplessly stayed on his mat, stuck like a pretzel, shifting his eyes around in a slight panic.

"Wait, wait Noelle I feel like my lungs are in my mouth so would you mind helping me out- and she's gone."

The last thing I saw walking out in the hallway past the class was a glimpse of Harry attempting to crawl to the exit to follow me, still stuck in his yoga pose.

                                        ◈ ☕︎ ◈

"Terrence." I acknowledged in a curt tone once I stepped foot into my office, watching my boyfriend stand from the leather couch near the bookshelves with a neutral expression.

"Noelle." His deep, baritone voice rumbled slightly as he sent me a handsome smile, white teeth emphasized by his flawless dark skin that was only a few shades lighter than mine.

Harry glanced up from the side where he was organizing a few of my papers at a small table near the window in my office, his green eyes looking between my boyfriend and I before he brought his gaze back down to the papers in his hand with a small, dimpled smirk.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as we approached one another, my hand going out to touch his broad shoulder, only for him to raise his arms up for me for a hug causing us both to pause in apprehension.

I then moved both my arms upwards instead for the hug he was seeking, only for him to drop his arms at the same time, sticking his hand out for mine before we awkwardly froze and looked at one another with unease, unsure of what to do before we just stared at one another, slowly -painfully slowly leaning into each other until our shoulders touched.

I then stiffly patted his shoulder, our chests not even touching as he did the same while Harry coughed in the back, trying to cover a chuckle making me focus my sharp gaze on him as he quickly looked down at his watch, pretending to be busy with his work.

"Just wanted to check on you. How is your day going?" Terrence pulled away with a polite grin, readjusting his Armani suit as I smiled.

"Good, yours?" I nodded, folding my hands in front of myself, shifting on my white high heels that matched my white blazer and pencil skirt, the color contrasting perfectly against my dark, ebony skin.

"Good." He responded, sending me a tight lipped smile that matched my own as we stood there in front of one another.

No one said anything for a moment.

Terrence made no move to speak, he just stared at me expectantly for me to continue the conversation when he was the one who visited me at my work.

"Would you like anything to drink?" I asked at the same time Harry notified me from behind Terrence and I, causing us to turn our attention to him.

"Sorry, don't mean to interrupt," Harry noticed our stares, his eyes connecting with mine a second longer as he held my office phone to his ear, lowering it and leaning back against my desk.

"But Ms. Noelle, you have an appointment waiting for you out in the lobby." My secretary informed, one large hand covering the lower part of the phone as he gave me a slight nod before my entire face brightened.

"Oh thank god. Great. Perfect." I quickly said, not even bothering to hide my relief as Terrence let out a just as grateful "I should really go then" the both of us releasing small sighs of content, now genuinely smiling at one another now that we didn't have to see each other's faces any longer.

"Alright. See you at dinner tonight then." I let him know as he nodded.

"Right. See you then."

"See you then." I echoed.

We stood there, slowly forcing ourselves to endure another awkward shoulder bump half hug with Harry watching from the side with a hidden smirk and a raised brow before we pulled back, Terrence giving the side of my arm a small rub causing my gaze to fall to the unpleasant action before he finally left the room, closing the door behind him.

It was silent for a few seconds after the click of the door faded through the room before I looked over at Harry who was still leaning against my desk with the phone in his hand, staring at the exit just like I had been doing.

His gaze shifted to me and a mischievous grin spread across his face.

"You guys are touching shoulders now Boss? There was so much love in the room I didn't know whether to leave to give you two privacy." He raised his brows suggestively, his words dripping with playful sarcasm as I pursed my lips to stop myself from smiling, nodding my head keeping silent.

"Just tell me who's waiting for me in the lobby this time Styles." I said, watching him with a skeptical expression when he brought the office phone back down onto the monitor with a sly smirk.

"No one." Harry simply shook his head, our eyes connecting for a moment as I sent him a grateful look to which he simply sent me a slight nod in response, the interaction brief but meaningful as I went behind my large desk, sitting on my leather chair.

"I'm going to break up with him tonight at dinner anyways." I casually spoke up, checking my emails, fingers busy typing over my keyboard as Harry made my coffee at the small mini bar in my office at the side.

"Poor guy, what was that like, a month since you two have been dating." He mused, putting some sugar into my mug.

"Three weeks." I corrected, my eyes glued to my computer screen as I leaned back and read through the new demands for this month.

I heard Harry let out a low whistle, stirring my drink and finishing it up as he walked over, handing it to my extended hand while I continued to read over my emails.

I tore my gaze away from my work to look down at my mug with a straight, unamused expression.

"Is this de-"

"Decaf yes." Harry cut me off.

"Non-fat four shot-"

"Non-fat four shots one pump no whip mocha with a tiny nickel sized drizzle of chocolate syrup at the top." He told me in one breath with a straight face.

I didn't say anything for a while, just watched him as I took a slow sip of my drink while he stared at me with a confident look in his eyes.

"I kind of miss when you used to mess up all my drinks." I admitted, causing Harry to force a smile at my words, scratching the side of his nose, shaking his head as he left my side.

"I don't." He bluntly stated, gathering the papers I instructed him to send downstairs as he lingered at the exit.

"Is there anything else you need Ms. Noelle?" He asked, leaning his head into the room peering at me as I drank the coffee he made me, waving my hand silently and shooing him away.

"Go, go." I dismissed him, not even bothering to look at him as I heard him mimic me under his breath in a high pitched voice before closing the door behind him.

I became absorbed with my work, signing and getting all the paperwork that Harry sorted out on my desk done throughout the morning to the afternoon.

When I took a quick break, relaxing back in my luxuriously soft leather chair I thought about Terrence and my sister's scolding about how I couldn't stay in any long lasting relationship ever since I was a teenager.

I just got bored easily.

I checked my phone, ignoring the other work I had to do as I rolled my eyes at all the dating apps my sister Nina downloaded for me, floating on my home screen with potential chances of "love."

Out of all the apps, my thumb seemed to hover over the dark, almost blood red app with an outline drawing of a faceless couple kissing, the side profiles of the faces morphed together as I stared down at with interest, reading the name Ero underneath.

I looked away, glancing around even though I was the only one in the room before I hesitantly pressed it.

This was ridiculous, what was I even doing on this app, this was stupid, I should stop.

I quickly made a username and account, kicking off my heels and bringing my legs up, scrunching my body in my big, over sized chair for comfort.

I named my username Bubbles.

Just in case anyone wanted to try and get with me my name itself would repel them away while I just stayed low and explored other people's profiles.

Before I could even look at anyone's profile there was a knock at my door, one of my employees alerting me about a new idea for an episode for Wuggles as I got out of the app, placing my phone face down on the table already forgetting about it.

                                ◈ ☕︎ ◈

I sat at our candle lit dinner at the five star Champs-Élysées restaurant down town in silence, thrumming my nails against the white table cloth waiting for Terrence to get back from the restroom when my phone suddenly buzzed.

I checked the notification on the screen, expecting it to be work related only to find that someone had messaged me on the Ero app.

From Sinner72:
Your username sucks.

I squinted down at my phone, wondering how a person named Sinner72 was judging my username.

No, don't do this Noelle, this is just some desperate person trying to get a rise out of you, I thought as I placed my phone down on the table, a few inches away from my hand.

They just want a response, ignore it.

I raised the glass of wine to my lips, not even thinking about the stupid message as I enjoyed my night.

After a few seconds I quickly grabbed my phone, opening the app with my thumbs rapidly flying across my screen in irritation and anger.

From: Bubbles
That's rich coming from you. Tell me, were all the other 71 Sinner names taken so you had to be Sinner72?

I sent my message with a satisfied smirk before Terrence finally approached the table, making me turn my phone off as we made some small talk, going back to eating our food until we both set our utensils down on our white plates in unison.

Alright, time to break our relationship, stuff the breadsticks in my Prada purse, and leave like I got my ass set on fire.

"I need to tell you something." We both said at the same time, blinking at one another in surprise, straightening our postures.

"Oh, you go first." Terrence sent me a supportive smile, folding his napkin in his lap.

"No, no you go first-"

"Noelle I'm breaking up with you."

The dumbfounded expression on my face didn't even begin to explain how utterly shocked I was at his words as I just sat there, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Wait take back what you said I'm going first." I quickly corrected him, already feeling my temper rise.

"Look, I think it's good that I went out and told you this before you told me more about your feelings. I can't just lead you on when I don't feel anything myself." He sent me a sympathetic look as I let my jaw drop.

I made a scoff, jaw still slack raising a pointer finger, then placing my hand over my chest looking around not understanding that this was actually happening.

"Leading me on? I was going to say that I was breaking up with you." I told him with a fierce yet calm look.

"Of course you were," Terrence placed his large hand over mine, giving me a pitying expression. "Whatever eases the heart break."

"Heart break." I almost laughed in his face but was too irritated to as I pulled my hand out from under his palm with a scrunched nose of disgust.

"Look, if it helps you can tell people you broke up with me-"

"But that's what I was going to do!"

"Right...." Terrence sent me a reassuring wink before I quickly stood from my seat, my chair screeching back catching people's attention.

"No, don't wink- there is no winking I was really going to break up with you. No one has ever dumped me, I am the dumper not the dumpee. You are the dumpee not me." I snapped, pointing at him as he peered up at me with parted lips, nervously looking around the restaurant at all the high class people watching us.

"Noelle, please lower your voice -she's dealing with the shock of our breakup." Terrence attempted to calm me, completely failing when he made the last side comment to the closest suited man seated at another table behind him before my blood boiled over.

With gritted teeth I suppressed the curses that were dying to come out of my mouth as I drew back, slowly inhaling and relaxing my stiff shoulders as I stared at a sympathetic Terrance.

Ooh, I was going to get him back, sooner or later. I wasn't going to make a fool out of myself in public because of him, I'll find a way to get back at him, there was no way I was letting this go.

"Have a good night Terrance." I remarked with the best smile I could muster, obviously surprised by my suddenly calm demeanor as I turned on my heel and walked out.

I had to vent out all my anger, I wasn't one to just bottle everything up but I didn't have any friends to rant to -not even my sister who would probably take Terrence's side rather than mine.

But I did have a secretary.

                                            ◈ ☕︎ ◈

The door of Harry's flat slammed against the wall with a loud bang as I stood at his entrance, causing Harry and the girl underneath him to scream, naked bodies hidden underneath a thin blanket, tangled together on his couch scrambling slightly as they gaped at me in shock.

When their screaming finally died down I stormed into the room pacing.

"He broke up with me, he actually broke up with me!" I began to rant, walking back and forth in my heels in front of the intimate looking couple on the couch who tried to cover themselves up with the flimsy excuse of a blanket.

"Boss? What- what are you even doing here. How'd you get in?" Harry finally spoke up, still frozen above the girl, brown, damp hair pushed up, cheeks flushed and broad tattooed chest sweaty and littered with hickies.

"Keeping your keys in the potted plant besides your door is very unoriginal Harry, I'm actually disappointed in you." I let him know, dangling his keys in my hand with an unimpressed look as he closed his eyes, dropping his forehead against the girl's bare chest and groaned, and not in the pleasurable way while the woman underneath him looked between Harry and I in shock and confusion.

"Boss?" She echoed, giving Harry a look when he raised his head back up.

"I was going to break up with him first, me. But then when I let him speak he broke up with me and now it looks like I'm just the bitter dumpee who couldn't take it." I continued my rant, walking around again, bringing my hands to my head in frustration.

"Noelle I'm kind of having sex right now." Harry commented from the side before I dismissed him with a wave of my hand.

"It's fine, doesn't bother me just listen," I instructed, not really caring as I proceeded with my venting, somewhere along the way Harry got off his one night stand, the both of them covering their assets with the blanket, sitting on the couch watching me.

Harry had his head lowered, elbows resting on his knees rubbing his face while the girl clutched the other side of the blanket to her body, watching me pace and ramble with wide eyes.

"Boss? So she's your boss?" She suddenly asked, turning to Harry as he slowly inhaled, bringing his head up, rubbing the back of his neck, before he looked up to the ceiling, mouthing a "why me."

"I'm exhausted," I sighed, going over to the other couch across from them, inspecting it to make sure it's clean before flopping down, kicking off my heels and resting my head on the arm chair as I placed the back of my palm over my forehead, gazing down at my phone in the other hand.

"Harry get me some coffee. You know how I like it." I demanded.

"I. Am. Naked."

"I. Don't. Care. Coffee now." I snapped my fingers, not even bothering to look up from my phone screen as I went through the schedules I made for my Wuggles program.

"Why should Harry get you coffee? I get that he works for you but he's not your secretary." The girl spoke up with a cross look as I glanced up from my device to look at her.

Harry quickly tried to shake his head rapidly,  waving his hand across his neck silently behind her, signaling me not to say anything but I was too annoyed with the girl to stop myself.

"He is my secretary." I told her with narrowed eyes before going back to my phone.

"Harry... you're a secretary?" She turned to him with an almost amused look as he shifted slightly.

"I'd like to think more like a right hand man, or assistant really-"

"He's a secretary." I cut him off, still typing on my phone as I felt his burning, frustrated, gaze on me.

I looked up, meeting his glare.

"What?" I blinked, shrugging.

"You're... a secretary. So you make coffee and take calls?" The girl laughed, hiding her smile behind her hand.

"Harry does much more than that." I spoke up in a defensive tone, lowering my phone to give her a scrutinizing glare as Harry silently gestured for me to leave it alone.

"He files my papers and organizes them, gets my dry cleaning, and waters my begonias. He also makes the perfect coffee." I told her.

"I'm sure he does." She bit her lip to stop from smiling as Harry buried his face in his hands again, shaking his head.

"He's a very valuable employee in the Wuggles Industry-"

"Wuggles. As in the kids show with the talking puppet frog that my kid likes to watch." The girl slowly began, turning to look at Harry who kept his face covered, raising one of his hands to give her a thumbs up.

She then burst into laughter, eyes tearing up with hysteria as she got up from the couch, grabbing her discarded clothes off the floor one by one, still laughing as she dressed herself.

"You're not only a secretary but- and she- and then Wuggles the frog- I can't." She pointed at him, then at me, then at him again as Harry and I exchanged looks while she continued to laugh and wheeze, buttoning her shirt before she grabbed her bag and left, her laughter continuing even when she closed the door behind her, her giggles fading out in the hallway.

Harry leaned back on his couch, resting both of his arms on the back of it with a completely done expression, the blanket still covering his crotch as he looked at me.

"Thanks for that." He blankly said, voice slightly deeper and huskier as I sent him a small smile with a tilt of my head.

"You're welcome. I'd thank you as well but I don't see my coffee anywhere near me." I feigned a look of confusion as I saw his jaw clench in annoyance while he glared at me.

"I only have sugar and milk for the coffee."

"Two lumps of sugar will do then. Go, go." I waved him off, his teeth gritting together as he looked away, muttering under his breath before he took the blanket, securing it around his waist before he rose off his couch and walked out of the room to his kitchen.

I rested on his couch, the sound of clinking in the kitchen carrying through to the living room where I was, my thumbs pausing as I looked back, thinking I might have heard Harry chuckle to himself back there for a second.

I shrugged, probably just imagining it when another message on the Ero's app popping up on my screen as I opened it.

From: Sinner72
Touché, I have to say, I needed that laugh tonight. Thank you.

And for some odd reason as I finished reading Sinner's response, a smile spread across my face as I placed my phone against my chest, not knowing what to say next- or if I should even bother to respond anymore.

One thing was for sure, that message made me feel better in some way as well.