Call Me a Thief

Work had went by quickly and I found myself loving how busy it was for once. It was at the perfect pace to keep my mind off of Niall and my own stupidity. Four days had gone by since my first and last encounter with him and I was anticipating Monday's arrival, when I knew he'd be gone for good. Back to his fame and riches while I stayed and waited for word from my agent about new Broadway auditions.

Being back to my own, struggling life was a lot nicer now that I had come to terms with the fact that I would be alone forever, working my ass off to make it big in the theatre world. I didn't need any man anyways, when all my focus should be on my future career.

I wrapped things up with my final customer before clocking out and getting my paycheck. Putting the paper in my purse, I said bye to my coworkers before slipping out into the night. The streets were still packed with lights, sounds, and people, and I never felt more at home with where I was. I soaked in my chaotic surroundings as I walked a few blocks to the nearest bank.

"Cassidy?"

The voice caused a chill to run down my spine. Of all the odds, how on earth could that possibly happen?

Shaking my head, I pretended to not hear it as I walked faster ahead, my eyes on the bank doors. I heard a girl shout, "Niall!" from behind me and thanked my lucky stars for the distraction. Going into the bank, I stood in line to cash my check, hoping that the fan had kept Niall occupied enough to not see where I had went into.

The bank line moved slowly. Tourists struggling to squeeze a few more bucks out of their checking accounts normally made the wait longer than necessary. I browsed instagram on my phone as I waited patiently, wanting to just get home.

"I thought I saw you..." I heard the thick Irish accent from beside me, "I just wanted to see how you were."

I looked up and met his stunning gaze, instantly hating how weak my knees got when he grinned down at me. He looked gorgeous. Flushed cheeks, perfectly styled hair, a navy blue blazer hugging his shoulders.

"Oh, hi, Niall," I said hurriedly, attempting to remain casual and looking away before I lost myself entirely in his eyes.

"I, um, was hoping you'd text me," he said sheepishly, looking at the ground, "When I saw you on the sidewalk, I just kinda had this feeling like... what're the odds?"

Yeah. No kidding.

Nodding my head slowly, I tucked a loose tuft of my brown hair behind my ear before stepping forward in line, "I've just, um, been really busy. With work and auditions and everything."

"Oh," Niall said softly, still remaining by my side. Now that I knew he was a celebrity, the whole situation was not only surreal, but overly upsetting. "Well I'm still here for another few days... Are you busy now? We could go see a movie."

With a deep sigh I just looked at the ground, "Why? I hate to sound like a prissy idiot, but why, Niall?"

A bewildered look on his face, Niall blurted out, "Because I like your company. I know you may think I'm just some guy who's looking for a rebound, but--"

"A rebound!" I laughed, "Niall, you're famous! You can have any girl on the planet, and yet you've chased me down on the street like I'm special. Don't get my hopes up, please. I know I'm not that important."

"So you... know who I am?" Niall asked, following me as I moved forward in the line, "You didn't seem like you did when we first met."

"I didn't know then..." I responded, clearing my throat, "But my friends wanted to look you up on Facebook and everything just kind of came together then."

"So that's why you haven't texted? Just because I'm famous, you think I'm too good for you or something?" Niall looked hurt. "I wouldn't give my number to just any girl. It was nice to have someone who would just sit and talk to me. Not some person who just liked the fact that I was from One Direction."

I looked up at Niall and met his gaze for a few moments. His words made me feel a bit sick to my stomach with guilt. After all, he couldn't even walk down the street without a camera finding his face, or a teenage girl swarming him. So for him to even want to talk to me was a big deal.

A part of me was still heartbroken and mad, but I began to understand him a little better.

Niall took the time of silence to glance down at my lips and back up to my eyes, something a guy hadn't done to me in years. As I noticed what he was trying to hint at, Niall began leaning into me, his pale face getting closer to mine by the second. My mind began moving at a swift pace, and a harsh heat rose onto my cheeks, causing my heart to beat vigorously. I was attempting to process the fact that he was trying to kiss me, after I completely made an ass of myself and hurt his feelings, after his girlfriend of over a year broke up with him, and after I ran away from him and ignored him.

He was actually interested in me even after the little spat we just had and even though he now knows that I know who he really is. I felt like a small child again, melting at the feet of the God who stood before me, the man whose touch was was only a few breaths away. As our lips got close, I let my eyes flutter shut.

"Next!" The bank teller called out and I jumped, quickly turning away from Niall and stepping forward to cash my paycheck, feeling the heat burn my cheeks as I blushed fervently.

I handed the paycheck over to the teller alongside my ID and felt Niall tugging at my purse. I glanced over in time to see him with my phone, going through it. He pulled out his own phone and punched a few things into his keypad before giving my phone back. I watched as he placed it into my purse and winked at me, before walking away coolly and out of the building without so much as a goodbye.

From almost kissing me, to ditching me. What a catch.

Standing in disbelief, I could hardly hear the teller say to me that my paycheck had been cashed into my account. I just took my ID from her old hands and walked carefully back towards the entrance, unaware of if what just happened was real or a figment of my imagination. As I struggled to process it, my phone began ringing. I reached into my purse and yanked it out, staring at an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" I answered, stopping in my tracks.

"I'm outside with a cab. We're going back to your place so you can change, and then we're going to get a late dinner and see a movie." Niall's voice told me matter-of-factly. He hung up the second he let out the last word and a huge grin formed on my face.

The smallest part of me was still bitter, but there was no way to deny how happy I was that he showed such interest in me and my pathetic life.

Rushing outside, I saw him with a sly smirk on his flawless face, his arms crossed as he leaned against a cab with the backdoor already opened. It was like a scene out of an old fashioned movie and my thoughts were so jumbled I couldn't even react.

With as much dignity as I could muster up, I walked forward to meet him and slid into the back of the car where he climbed in next to me. I told the cab driver my apartment complex and eyed Niall suspiciously, wishing that I could read his thoughts. He just looked entirely pleased with himself, his eyes set forward out through the dash and onto the street before us.

"Are you going to break the silence or do I have to?" I asked, wanting to smack the smug look off of his face and at the same time wanting it to remain there forever.

Niall glanced at me through the corner of his eye and chuckled lightly, "Miss Attitude, you're still full of it."

"I'm sorry, I don't melt into a submissive puddle until at least the fifth date," I responded curtly, sitting back in my seat and crossing my arms, "Even if you are some teen idol."

"Who said anything about a date?" Niall teased back, turning to face me and looking me fully in the eyes this time.

"Oh, so it's normal for celebrities to try and kiss a girl and then set up dinner and a movie plans casually?"

"Yup," Niall answered with a nod, "that's the first rule in the handbook."

A laugh escaped my mouth before I could stop it and Niall began laughing as well. He placed his hand on top of mine and squeezed it, letting his fingers brush over my knuckles. I couldn't help but feel weak at his touch, even a gesture as small as that one and I found myself wanting more. I quieted that voice in my head and told it to stuff a sock in it. There was no way I was going to give in to Niall that easily.

The cab stopped at my building and I got out, half expecting Niall to follow me, but he stayed behind. I hurried up to my room and thanked the fact that Maureen and Mackenzie were at work as I changed out of my work uniform and pulled on a little navy dress that could pass as both casual and formal, if need be. I pulled my hair from its ponytail and ran a brush through the awkward waves. Sliding on a pair of short heels, I grabbed a breath mint and left the apartment, but not before bumping directly into Collin.

He had his jacket on, clearly ready to leave as well, and looked at me puzzled. "It's almost eleven and you're going out? Don't you have an audition tomorrow?"

"I could say the same to you," I accused as we began walking to the elevator.

Collin shrugged, "I just need to pick up some cat litter."

"Yeah, me too," I joked, making an obvious lie to cover up the fact that I was seeing Niall. After my long rant to Maureen and Collin last night about how I was going to kill Niall if I saw him again, I decided to try and joke my way out of the truth.

Collin rolled his eyes as the elevator stopped at the ground floor, "Whatever."

We walked out of the building in sync and Collin stopped in his tracks when he saw Niall leaning against the taxi. I laughed and hurried to the cab, pushing Niall inside.

"Hurry! Get in!" I said through a fit of giggles as I dove in behind Niall, landing uncomfortably on his lap.

"You lying bitch!" I heard Collin yell after me as the cab drove away. I looked back to see his amused and shocked expression and gave a small wave.

Niall laughed before clearing his throat, hinting at the fact that I was still half on top of him. I blushed as I moved to sit beside him and felt my phone vibrate repeatedly with new text messages. I pulled it out to see fifteen unread messages from Collin, all with the word "LIAR" spelled out with about ten million exclamation points, but the last message saying "but you're still SO LUCKY".

Niall looked down at the messages and back up at me, a confused smile on his face. "Is that your boyfriend?"

A loud laugh escaped my mouth at the question that I tended to get a lot, "No, no... He's like a little brother to me. That was Collin."

"So, not your boyfriend?"

"Most definitely not. He's just like my best friend," I explained, laughing at how concerned Niall was. "Don't ask about the whole 'liar' thing. It's kind of a long story..."

Niall just nodded slowly before accepting what I had said. He put his hand on top of mine again, his index finger drawing circles across my knuckles. I felt heat rise to my skin at the contact, a sign of how long it had been since a guy had done something as simple play with my hand. I looked up at him with a small smile, feeling the grin grow as he made eye contact with me.

The car ride was mostly silent, other than me asking where we were going and Niall refusing to answer. I accepted the fact he wanted it to be a surprise and watched out the window, trying to guess where we were headed by what buildings we passed.

When the cab stopped in front of Daniel, one of the nicest restaurants in the city, I turned to Niall and shook my head, "Absolutely not."

"Why not?" He asked, handing the cab driver the fare and looking at me. "I've heard it's one of the best."

"Yeah and one of the most expensive," I said, knowing the cheapest thing on the menu was still well over one hundred dollars, "I can't eat here."

"But I'm paying," Niall said, getting out of the cab and walking around to my side. He opened to door and waited for me to get out. I didn't.

"I can't let you pay for me to eat here," I said firmly, looking him in the eye.

Niall grabbed my hand an pulled me out of the car, "We already have reservations and you look beautiful in that dress."

Grudgingly, I followed him inside the regal restaurant and felt sick. It was much too nice and much more than I deserved, even from a celebrity like him who could probably afford to eat here daily.

"How do we already have reservations?" I asked nervously as Niall told the hostess his last name.

He held my hand as we walked behind her to a more private table in the corner of the room. "I know how to pull some strings," he whispered to me with that smirk on his lips.

There was no way to deny how his words and face made me feel weak.

The hostess sat us down with our menus and wished us an excellent meal. The meal had better be excellent, I thought bitterly, because the food is priced beyond reason. I looked at the menu with a frown. Even the water here was over ten dollars, and I could bet it came from a tap just like it would've anywhere else. As I gawked at the menu in attempt to find something cheaper than a hundred dollars, a waitress gracefully glided over to us.

"Compliments of the chef," she said with a large smile, mostly aimed at Niall, and placed a bottle of champagne down on our table, accompanied with two glasses.

"Tell him thank you," Niall responded with a wide smile, taking the champagne and pouring me a glass.

Looking at the bottle, I read aloud, "Krug Clos du Mesnil." I tried to keep the name locked in my memory to google later to see how much it cost. As Niall poured himself a glass, I grimaced.

"I'm not 21," I said, looking at the glass, "And you don't strike me as a champagne drinker."

Niall laughed and shrugged his shoulders, "When in Rome..." he said in a goofy voice, looking at me with a cheeky grin.

"They don't ID here? The chef just says 'who cares, he's famous' and moves on?" I asked, amused at the fact that the restaurant cares so much about impressing celebrities that they break the law.

Taking a sip of the champagne, Niall looked at me, "It's also in the celebrity handbook... And you're right, I'm definitely not a champagne person. It's good, but a bit too bubbly."

I took a sip of the expensive stuff before me and enjoyed the taste, "I think it's pretty great for being free."

With a laugh, Niall rolled his eyes and looked at the menu. I glanced at it also, noting the French cuisine and hoping for something reasonably priced, although I was starving. The fact that Niall liked me enough to bring me to such an elegant restaurant made me feel like I was elevated on cloud nine, but at the same time I was afraid that I was just some distracting endeavor for him before he flew back to Ireland.

A small part of me wondered if I was just some game to him, just a little bet with his buddies to see how far he could get with a girl before leaving for good. If that was the case, I told myself, then I would sell his cellphone number to the highest bidder on eBay. With a satisfied smile, I looked up at his face. If this was a game to him, I'd make it a game for me too.

How much could I make a celebrity fall for me in just three nights?

"I think I'm going to do the five course meal," Niall said, pointing on my menu, "You want the same?"

"Sure," I grinned, my eyes lingering on his before I glanced away. Out of my peripherals, I saw him smile lightly to himself as he called for the waitress.

He placed our order in and we made small talk while we waited. He told me about his life since One Direction and I told him about my big audition tomorrow morning for a touring production of Les Miserables. Much to my surprise, he seemed highly interested in hearing me talk about theatre. Most guys got bored after the word "musical" left my lips, but Niall asked question after question about what auditions were like and if I'd ever gotten a callback.

In heavy embarrassment, I explained that I'd never been booked for a show yet, but he was in disbelief.

"If I were a director, I'd cast you as the lead in everything," Niall told me with a large grin, "People would pay thousands to see such a beautiful face up on stage."

Trying to hide my smile was an attempt in vain; I just hid my face behind my napkin and looked down at the table. Maybe it was all the champagne, but I was feeling a bit more relaxed and loose than usual. Niall noticed because when I reached to pour another glass, he grabbed my hand and stopped me.

The waitress came with the final course and Niall told me about his band mates while we finished off desert. I tried concentrating on his words, but it was pointless. My mind was too scattered to even comprehend that Niall was helping me up and had already payed the bill. I scolded myself silently for not checking how much it was. Niall led me outside where he had called for a driver to be waiting for us. I got in the backseat, smiling when Niall slid in beside me.

I rested my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes, clinging to his arm as exhaustion swept over me. An extended shift at work and intensive music and dance lessons before that were beginning to have their effect and I found myself drifting to sleep with my hand intertwined with Niall's.

••••••••••

It was my shrill alarm on my cellphone that woke me up, and I shot straight up, aware of the fact that I wasn't in my own bed. I struggled to remember last night and finally recalled falling asleep in the car next to Niall. Getting out of bed, I looked down the see my dress from last night still on me, and my shoes and purse neatly beside the elevated mattress.

I reached for my phone and shut the alarm off, noting that I had five hours before my audition today. I looked around the room I was in, aware that it was a hotel, and felt relieved that I ended up somewhere safe, although I wondered how on earth I got here.

A light knock sounded from the door and the words, "room service" followed after it. Instead of the usual woman saying it, the words came from a man with a thick Irish accent. Pulling my hair up into a bun, I walked to the front door and looked out the peephole, seeing Niall with a cart of breakfast foods at his side.

A smile effortlessly formed onto my face.

I opened the door and let him in, laughing as he acted the part of a waiter, carrying the food fancifully to the small table in one corner of the room. He pulled out a chair for me and bowed as I sat down, saying the words "Bon appetite" with a horrible French accent.

He grinned at me and sat across from me, offering me a fork. "I looked up foods that were good for your voice, so there's no dairy here. I want your audition to go well today."

"That's very sweet of you," I said with a mouthful of food, "but why am I here?"

"Oh," Niall blushed, "You fell asleep, and I forgot what your building was, and I didn't want to wake you, and--"

"Okay, I understand now," I cut him off; he was obviously flustered at the question, "Sorry I fell asleep before the other half of our date..."

As I tried to sound cool and casual, my mind danced over the thought of Niall handling a sleeping me. Did he carry me to my room bridal style? I giggled as I let the thought entertain me.

Niall just gave his signature smirk. "No big deal, this just means we have to finish it tonight."

"That is, if I'm not completely humiliated by a horrible audition," I answered, knowing that if things went badly in a few hours, I'd just lay in bed and cry for a week straight.

"Nonsense," Niall shook his head and grimaced, "I know that this time you'll make it."

I smiled lightly and finished my breakfast, before telling Niall that I had to leave. He stood up instantly, and nodded, pulling out his phone and calling a driver.

"I can just get a cab--"

"Not if I'm going with you." Niall stated, walking to the other side of the bed and grabbing my purse and shoes for me. He held my hand as I stepped into them and put my purse on my shoulder.

The thought of Niall being right outside of the building as I auditioned frightened me entirely. I knew that if things didn't go perfectly, I'd leave in an awful mood and scare him off for good. At the same time, though, it would be nice to spend the entire day with him and have a shoulder to cry on if I needed to. My mind battled back and forth on whether or not I should just tell him to do his own thing, but I knew that what I said didn't matter if Niall had already made up his mind.

No matter what words I spoke, I knew he'd be waiting for me after my audition. Whether or not that scared me, I had no clue. My brain hadn't fully come to terms with the fact that I was spending so much time with a celebrity, and the fact that I was falling for him way too quickly for my liking. We had only known each other for a few days and yet it's as if we'd been friends for years.

And none of that matters when he leaves and goes back to his famous lifestyle of touring, interviewing, award shows, press conferences, and everything else that goes into being in One Direction. Can it be that I only have two more days with Niall? And what if I do land this acting gig, and I do go on a national tour? Niall certainly can't come with me, because he'll be overseas doing his own thing.

And he'll meet another celebrity worth his while and he'll forget about me. I'll just be some distant memory while to me, he was the best thing to happen in years. I stood, staring into his eyes and wanted to cry

Why did I ever give him that second chance? I was okay with deleting his number and forgetting about our night at the bakery. Now I'd have to forget that, and I'd have to forget how his hand feels on mine, how he took me out to the most expensive restaurant in the city, how we could talk for hours on end without getting bored, how he tucked me into a hotel bed and brought me breakfast, how he'd be with me after my audition, and how he smells, and his laugh, and his eyes when they look into mine.

I was a mess. I was an idiot and I was a mess.

"What're you thinking about?" Niall asked me, breaking the growing silence as I simply stared into his eyes.

"Just nerves," I lied and shrugged my shoulders, turning away from him and leaving the room.

The silence continued as we walked downstairs and into the waiting car. I told the driver my address and stared out the window until the scenery became familiar and I knew I was home. Niall tipped the driver and stepped outside with me, grabbing my hand as we walked up to the elevator and rode up to the eleventh floor. Not one word was uttered as I got into my apartment and moved straight to my room.

I was a disaster. I knew there'd be no way in hell that I could focus on my audition when all my focus was on Niall. He would be torn out of my life just as quickly as he came into it. I pulled an outfit from my closet and went to the shower, leaving Niall to awkwardly fend for himself in my apartment. I figured Maureen or Mackenzie would come back from their dance lesson and find him and keep him company while I got ready.

In the shower I continued to rot away in my negative thoughts, thinking about what I would do with myself when he was gone. Go back to auditioning and working and lessons and loneliness all over again, I imagined. The hot water stung my skin as I washed myself thoroughly.

I blamed the fact that I was already attached to Niall on my nagging loneliness. Surely a sane person wouldn't be so smitten after two days?

Well, if I was insane, then he must be too. A celebrity spending so much time around a typical lowlife like me?

A light sigh escaping my lips, I turned off the shower and decided to try and focus on making today an excellent one. After all, a spiteful heart won't win over Niall's wonderful one.