CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: pieces
1524 Words
“Why do you look so nervous?”
Zephyr asked not getting why she seemed so nervous as they drove they sat in the car while driving to the mall where her mother was waiting. After a great breakfast with the Hernandez brothers, she decided to go and drive to the mall where her Mom was already waiting for her. She knew she had a bodyguard but not that the name.
“Do I look nervous?” She retorted, straightening up on the passenger seat while raising a brow at Zephyr. “Is there a reason to be nervous?” Wow, she sounded so calm and confident as if her heart was not beating so fast.
She was nervous, but she did not she was that obvious. She did not get why Zephyr could read her easily like that. It was because Zephyr looked so handsome in jeans and plain shirts. This time, it was a plain black shirt and faded blue jeans. Wait, what?
Ava’s eyes widened as she realized their outfits.
“Are you serious?!” She boomed, almost shaking the roof of the car.
“I’m driving. Please don’t distract me.” Zephyr answered nonchalantly, making her want to pull at his hair.
“You’re kidding me. You are doing this on purpose. Why are we matching outfits?” She cried.
Oh, come on. You’re being overdramatic over not so dramatic things.
“Oh, we are. I did not notice that.” He glanced at her shortly before keeping his eyes back on the road.
“You want me to get flustered in front of my Mom.” Ava could not help but sigh just sigh in defeat and leaned back on her seat. There was no point she was winning this. She could not just ask him to make a U-turn and get back to his place so he could change into something that would not match what he was wearing. That would be insane. She could not just do that.
“I’m sorry.” Zephyr finally apologized. “I did not know this would upset you this much.”
“I am not upset. I’m cool with it.” She sighed and looked out the window. Well, it looked like she was trying not to be by thinking how great breakfast with them. She remembered Xavier’s face of satisfaction when he took a bite of the omelet roll she made for him. The exact words he said while his mouth was full of it was, “Holy cow, this is the best breakfast I’ve ever tasted”. After that, she smiled at Zephyr which she did not know why and he smiled back at her which she did not know why too.
“You surely are upset. Look at this face.”
Can he just stop commenting about it?
Ava sighed and turned her head to look at him. “I am not upset.” She repeated. “We can do nothing about it anymore.”
“I can buy a shirt there when we get there.”
“No! You don’t have to.” She did not why her voice raised.
Surprised, Zephyr frowned at her before slowing down when they got stuck in traffic. “Okay.” He told her. “I won’t then.”
“Good.” She smiled at him but they both knew it was fake. She sighed and looked out the window again. The New York streets as always busy. People were already moving so fast in the morning. The sidewalks were filled with people with a cup of coffee in their hands.
“Why won’t you tell me about your mother? I mean what I should expect from her.”
She heard him ask. “She might look shy or innocent but she’s really loud.”
“Like mother like daughter.”
His voice was low, but she heard him.
“I’m loud?” She could not help, but ask because she thought it was a bad thing.
“Sometimes?”
“Why are you not sure?” She scowled at him.
Zephyr pursed his lips as he put the car on gear and continued driving. “Sometimes, indeed.” Most of the time. Zephyr thought. He needed not to let her know that.
“Is that bad?” Sometimes, she wanted to slap herself for being so curious. Being curious was a strength, but she felt like she felt stupid sometimes when she kept asking questions.
I can’t help it. It’s my nature.
No one is arguing with you about that.
“No, not at all. Serious is boring, remember?”
Ava sighed. “I didn’t mean to offend you when I said you were boring.”
“No worries. Not offended at all.” He smiled at her. “We’re here.”
She did not even realize that they had already parked in the parking space of the mall. Zephyr stepped out of and rounded the car to open the door for her. Ava got out and he closed the door. Putting her shades on, she started walking towards the entrance of the mall with Zephyr following closely behind her. It was just cute that Zephyr decided to put his shades on too and she did not know that yet.
Ava got in the elevator. Of course, Zephyr walked in after her. She pressed the third floor where her mother might already be shopping at Victoria’s Secret. Ava did not want to lie. She loved it there too. It was their favorite shop.
The lift finally stopped. Ava walked out and headed straight to the shop. Her guess was not wrong when she saw him inside already looking for lingerie that she might want to buy.
You’re going to me follow me around?” Ava’s eyes widened when she was about to walk into the store.
“Of course. Is there a problem? Coz it’s a really feminine shop filled with bikinis, bras, panties, negligee, tho—”
“Yeah. Stop it.” She cut him off.
“What? Don’t you want my perceptions?”
Her eyes widened and she almost jumped at him to stop him from talking more. “I don’t need your perceptions.” She hissed. She hated that she could feel her cheeks heating up as blood rose to her face. “I know what I want.”
“I’m your bodyguard.”
“Yes, and you don’t have to follow me around.” She argued.
Zephyr did not say anything. Silence lingered between them and Ava gave up in the end. She sighed and defeat, telling him, “Fine. Don’t follow me around. You can get inside but just stand there.”
“Wouldn’t be rude that you won’t introduce me to your mother first?”
“I will. Don’t worry.” She rolled her eyes and finally walked into the store.
Smirking, Zephyr followed closely behind her. When he looked ahead, he realized they were walking towards a woman in her early fifties by the perfume rack. That must be her mother. The woman turned around just in time they reached her.
“Sweetheart!” She greeted happily as she acknowledged her daughter and hugged Ava. “I missed you, my baby girl.”
“Mom, I’m not a baby girl,” Ava complained but nevertheless hugged her mother back.
Zephyr felt envy as he just stood there and watch the scene unfolding before him. He felt something in his heart as he watched Ava shared the moment with her mother. They were smiling at each other and talking about how they missed each other. He also realized that Ava did not really get her mother’s features because she looked more like her father. Her mother was shorter than her too.
She seems like a kind woman.
It looked like she was completely the opposite of her husband. She looked as innocent and pure as her daughter. There was just something in their faces that could make a person conclude that they were great people.
“Oh, who is this lovely man right here?”
This is it.
“Oh, yeah. Zephyr, this is my Mom, Julia. Mom, this is Zephyr, my bodyguard.”
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you, Mister.” Julia’s smile was so wide as she shook hands with ‘Mister’.
“My pleasure, Ma’am.” Zephyr smiled, shaking her hand very professionally.
“It starts with a “B”, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. Too bad.”
“Mom!”
Zephyr did not get what she meant by that until he processed it his head. “Oh, no. Just a bodyguard.” He laughed but it came out awkward.
“Yeah, too bad.” Julia laughed and patted her daughter’s arm.
Zephyr looked at Ava who had an annoyed and uncomfortable expression on her face. He almost voiced that she looked cute right there. She was right. Her mother was quite a talker.
“Come on. Choose whatever you want. I’m paying.” Julia told her daughter and turned to him. “Zephyr, why don’t you help my daughter while I shop on my own?”
“Sure, Ma’am. I’d love to.” Zephyr smiled at her. He watched her patted her daughter’s shoulder before she went back to shopping for items.
“Pick and I’ll rate it.” Zephyr playfully said after creating a good distance from Ava. He almost burst out laughing when she saw her looking at him with a really angry face.
Really cute.
- Writer
