Renleigh Kensington

Interviews were weird.

I always thought they were set out for celebrities so that they could interact with their fans, promote their movies or songs and whatever else. I didn't fit into any of those categories as a CEO of a company. What did I have to promote? I didn't have the clothes with me that I designed or worked on with other people. That wasn't the way I did business.

I wasn't a celebrity. I was a normal person, working, sometimes nine till five, other times for only an hour a day.

Nah, I'm messing.

I was a proper head in the game boss. I never slacked. If I found myself in that situation, I went harder on myself – I did extra work: I stayed later, I planned further into the future. There was no way my company would ever go downhill.

Well, unless an unexpected death wanted to crawl up my back and decided to take me. Then again, there was little to no chance of that happening with Danielle always being around. She would scare it right away.

But like I mentioned – interviews were weird.

For me, anyway.

It was stupid as well. No one told me – or my assistant – who would be on the show with me so I couldn't even prepare my facial expressions that would look appropriate for when I'd have to look interested. All that they sent through was that I wasn't going to be on my own with the interviewer.

"Are you going to keep the blazer on?" one of the makeup people who worked at the studio asked. I just sat there and minded my business as my finger scrolled through the social media app that was opened. My eyes slowly glanced up the person, her all black outfit made mine seem very out there and rich in colour.

"Yes," I replied simply. There was barely any emotion behind my voice which made me seem like a cold bitch although that was not my intention at all. She quickly nodded then hurried away so with a small sigh straight out of my lips, my head turned back down.

"Renleigh, they said the show is about to start," my assistant popped up this time. My right leg was crossed over my left as I picked off the fluff of my yellow-y-mustard-y dress pants. They were high waisted so they hid most of my stomach which was covered by a black bodysuit. It had a very daring V cut, it went down all the way to the band of my trousers and they showed a bit of my boobs. The two buttons on the blazer were black so those matched my top and my nails. And my clutch.

"Alright. Let's get on with it," I placed my phone in the bag then gave it to Danielle. I placed my feet on the floor as my hands pushed me up from the seat then I turned around to look in the mirror. My hair was in a low-bun, I had a middle parting and two strands of hair framed my face. The makeup – that I didn't do myself because I was a useless piece of shit when it came to this part of getting ready – was much more than what was piled on my face on a day to day basis but it still looked snatched. With all the camera and studio lights and whatsoever it was crucial they hid all my undereye bags and blemishes.

I didn't wish to see them again on social media outlets and in newspapers. Well, that is if they ever made it out there. I never looked for that kind of stuff.

Like mentioned before, I wasn't a celebrity. I didn't think of myself as one. Therefore, there was no need for me to be all over social media. Unless my business was promoted.

"How do I look?" I questioned.

"Show your teeth," Danielle asked so I did. "Look up," she instructed so I moved my head back a little. "Ok. You're in the clear, Miss Kensington."

"Thank you, Danielle."

And so, the interview began. It was all basic questions – when was my next line coming, what plans did I have for the future, how did I find dealing with competitors. The interviewer even managed to fit in a question about the charity ball I threw a while back and how nice it was to see people like me doing things like that.

"...And we'll be right back with a special guest after the break," the man smiled in the camera and then they cut. "God, these things never get easier," he told me with a breathy chuckle. Tell me about it.

"Haha," was all I said. It was awkward and forced but I had nothing else to say. He wanted to make conversation and I would have loved to carry on with it but it was impossible. I was out of my comfort zone. "Who the fuck is the special guest?" I asked my assistant in a hurried voice when I walked off of set and next to her. She stood on the side and watched everything as it happened.

"Rumour has it it's the devil," she stated and my eyes fluttered closed as I inhaled deeply. The devil meant one person and one person only... "Harry Styles."

"When will I catch a break from the wanker?"

"Once you get rid of him and his company," she shrugged and it caused me to smirk. She knew my intentions and that was to succeed. To be the only one in the industry. To be known and wanted. I was doing pretty good already, my business was sky-rocketing and bringing in money from left, right and centre.

But Harry was in the way.

Massively.

"That day cannot come quick enough," I sighed. That was such a nice dream. A life without Harry Styles and his company. A life where all his customers became mine. A life where Kensington and Co. ran the fashion industry. Whew. The world wasn't quite ready for me.

"Ah, so they didn't lie," his voice caused my skin to feel irritated and itchy, much like if it had gotten stung by nettle. The hair on my body stood right up as the sound travelled through me, a forced smile spread across my lips as I slowly turned around.

"I, myself, was hoping your attendance was nothing but a bunch of words but here you are," I commented.

"Eh, have to keep my eyes on the competition," he shrugged and a smirk played on his lips. His hands were in his trouser pockets – he wore a brown suit with a white shirt, the top three buttons undone – as he kept his stare on me. His eyes never left mine. Perhaps he wanted to intimidate me but he picked the wrong person to experiment on. "Bold look you've got going on."

"Boring look you've got going on," I said without even thinking twice about it. He had better looks. He wasn't one to shy away from colour or designs, I had seen his lines and he wore them himself before. So, for him to turn up in this one, a very calm and collected fit, was a step back from the brand he had created for himself.

"Thought I would give you the respect. Didn't want to outshine you or anything like that," I nodded along his explanation as I crossed my arms over my body. My weight was placed on one of my legs which made my hips stick out a little more whilst my free leg was slightly bent.

"Trust me, there's not much a man can outshine when a woman wears a suit."

My comment shut him up, he hummed in return and it caused the smirk on my lips to grow wider. Nothing satisfied me more than catching him – or any men, really – off guard. Well... maybe when my work finally came to an end and the finished product was right in front of me. That feeling was pretty fucking nice.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," I smiled at him contently and walked past his right side. The smell of his cologne mixed with the gust of wind that crawled up my nose and made my stomach turn, my heart fluttered a little bit then I cursed at myself in my head for letting something as little as his scent make me feel attracted to him.

That happened in general. Whenever someone smelled nice around me, they instantly became ten times more attractive. Just because Styles was my competition and I wanted him gone, didn't mean he was ugly. For the contrary, he was one of the sexiest men I have had the pleasure of – slowly but surely – getting rid of.

It was a shame, really. In any other circumstances, I would have been down to make gorgeous babies with him because trust me – with a personality and beauty like mine plus his sexiness could create some pretty stunning creatures.

But I didn't need him, or any man for that matter. Or babies. I had no time for either of those. Essentially, the only baby I needed and wanted was my company and I was fine with that.

"Welcome back, everyone!" the interviewer said in an overly excited voice as the show began again. "Before the break, we talked business everything with the CEO of Kensington and Co., Miss Renleigh Kensington, someone who you all had been dying to see on my show! Now, let's welcome our special guest, Mister Harry Styles! CEO of STYLES!"

Everyone – which unfortunately included me as well – began to clap for the man as he walked down in his boring ass attire. I had to force myself to stand up and shake his hand after he said hello to the host. He still held my hand as he leaned closer and gave me two kisses on each cheek, his cologne, once again, filled up my nose entirely and made me want to throw him across the studio.

He smirked down at me after he pulled back. It was difficult to hold my eyes back from turning around in their sockets at his smugness and actions. In any other situation, I would have cut his arms off for even thinking it was ok to give me kisses on the cheek.

"Would you look at that! England's two finest bosses, sitting on my couch!" the man stated with an excited facial expression which caused the audience to erupt in a loud laughter. "Harry, tell me. How does it feel to share the couch with someone as talented and wonderful as Renleigh?"

"It's just hard to tell, you know," he laughed as his comment escaped his lips. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to hide my smirk. I liked this interviewer a hell of a lot more. "Obviously, it is great to know that our industry is filled with many talented people. Afterall, the people do rely on us to make them look and feel good."

"Renleigh, what are your thoughts on this?"

"Yeah, I mean, the fashion industry has always been something so important in not just my life, but obviously in others as well. It is wonderful to see how it is growing and allowing people to truly become and show who they really are, you know. The fact that I have the power to give them an outlet, something to work with, is indescribable," I nodded along my explanation. I went off on a completely different road but there was no way in hell I would compliment the man sat next to me.

"How does that responsibility sit on you two? Does it ever get overwhelming? To come out with new pieces, ideas, themes? How does it go down with you as people who run the business?"

"I don't think too much about it. I do what I think is right, what I think will do well, what I enjoy," I spoke up right away. "I don't let it overwhelm me to the point where something I enjoy becomes stress," that was bullshit. I constantly overwhelmed myself with work but no one needed to know that apart from me.

"Definitely," Harry added onto my comment. His voice was deep and slow as the one-word answer rolled out of his mouth. "Once you let your work consume you, it is difficult to come out of it thinking positively. Thankfully, the people who I am working with make this easier. Very talented people, they are."

"Interesting," the man commented. "I'm assuming both of you are dealing very well with the upcoming Horan and Rose event, then?"

Hold the fuck up.

He was to be there?

"Personally, I am very excited," Harry stated happily. His voice was cheerful and he beamed as the topic came up. "Niall, the man who put this project together, and I are very good friends. I instantly told him I would be there to help him out."

"Have you worked with him before?" he questioned him. I leaned forward to grab my mug and took a sip of my drink. Niall and Harry were friends, I had no idea but it would explain why his company was listed under Niall's investors.

"I have, yes."

"What about you, Renleigh?" he aimed his words at me. With that, I also felt Harry's attention turn towards me, his eyes burned a hole in the side of my face. Then, he slowly blazed the rest of my body with his intense stare.

"Horan and Rose are a company I have worked with before, yes. They have always been reliable and very welcoming."

"How did you hear about the event he's throwing? Are you friends, as well?"

"No, we are definitely not friends," I chuckled. "Business partners, more like. He found me with his upcoming event and wondered if I'd like to participate. I, of course, couldn't turn down the opportunity as it sounded like a fantastic idea. I knew it would work in his and my benefit, too."

"Could you elaborate on that, please? What do you mean by it working in both of your benefits?"

"His company is relatively new however it is one of the greatest I have worked with," I gave him the boost he needed so much. I didn't mind helping him out. Niall was a genuine man who did work for his success. If I could help, I wanted to because he deserved it. "I believe he deserves to have his name out there."

Perhaps the interviewer looked for a more in-depth answer, I didn't give anymore explanation. That seemed enough. But then he got onto one of the most dreaded topics – private life. Which then entailed love life. There was nothing more I despised than talking about my life outside of work.

Why did people want to know? What satisfaction did it bring to them? Don't get me wrong, I was a nosy person myself. But I didn't want to know who shagged who. Unless, it was a very juicy gossip. Then, I was all ears. However, when it came to me and my life, I liked to keep everyone who didn't belong in it, out.

"So, Harry. How's that girlfriend of yours?" the man asked him. I wanted to zone out because it wasn't my business. I really wasn't interested in Harry's happy little life.

"My, uh, girlfriend?" he repeated the question in a confused tone which made everyone chuckle. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"These photos say otherwise," the interviewer smirked as photos of him and that woman he always turned up with to events – like he did to mine – popped up on the screen behind us. It was actually from the night of my charity ball. I sipped on my drink as I watched him stare at the photos, a smug smile on his lips as he sighed.

"We're really good friends," he said which was very anticlimactic. Someone in the audience showed their relieved reaction as they let out a loud 'woo' and it made all three of us turn our heads.

"Someone seems very pleased with that answer," the man laughed and Harry shrugged. I didn't believe him. "How about you, Renleigh?"

"How about me?" I asked back with a smirk.

"Any new lover on the scene?"

"I'm afraid I only have love for myself and my company right now," I replied.

"Ah, CEO's never have time for love, do they?" he asked ironically.

The conversation went on after that and it was mainly aimed at Harry. I had the first part of the show, he had the second. I couldn't wait to get out of there, however. I needed to get back to work as I had a meeting if I wasn't mistaken. Then, after that, I was to hit the gym but whether that was happening or not, I didn't know.

"Niall never mentioned you'd be at his event," Harry stopped me from leaving as he sparked up a conversation. I sighed and crossed my arms over my body.

"That wouldn't have been very professional of him to disclose that information, don't you think?" my left eyebrow arched up as the question rolled off my tongue and into the air. I have had the chance to learn over the years that Harry never broke eye contact. Once someone locked eyes with him, that was it until both parties left. I found that amusing and loved to challenge him every time.

"When you said all that stuff about him... you don't really want to help him get his name out there, do you?" he asked and I felt offended. Who the hell did he think he was? "We all know you only accepted his offer to attend and help out because he is paying you to be there."

"That's how business deals work, do they not?" I looked at him curiously. He really thought he did something with that. "You get paid for whatever you do. It's how you keep your company alive and kicking."

"If you so badly wanted to help him... for genuine reasons... you wouldn't have accepted his offer. You would have offered," he carried on with the argument. It seemed fucking silly to me. Why did he keep going on about it as if I had time to waste on him?

"Listen. Him and I are not friends. We are business partners. I had no idea he was throwing his event because unlike some I have more important things to do than keeping tabs on everyone else in and outside of the industry. Niall approached me with his idea – which just so happened to include me getting paid for it – and I agreed," I explained in almost one breath. Harry Styles frustrated me. "If you don't like the fact that I am getting something in return and you are not, that's your own fault for giving an arm for nothing."

"Friends help each other out."

"Great," I smiled sweetly. "Then go and help your friend out. But whilst you do that, I'm going to go and make some more money. Bye, now."

• • •

a.n.
umm so ren is a bad bitch ain't she luv her a lot although sometimes i'm scared in case i step over the line and her confidence comes off as more so something annoying

but anygays let's keep hitting these massive milestones cos it makes my puthy pop whenever i see the number of comments and votes go higher 🥵 i love seeing feedback but if you've been reading my shit for a while now you know that about me lol

aight peace out xoxo