THE DATE

“Miss Ava Taylor?”

Ava blinked at the man in awe and then nodded off slowly.

“Here,” he held out the big box to her, “Mr. Zachary Gonzalez had sent this to you,”

“Oh, my gee! I knew it,” Freya exclaimed behind Ava and before Ava could turn around, she had scampered forward and collected the box from the man.


“Thank you, thank you,” she said gleefully and hurried back inside.


Ava stared after her only returning to her senses when the man said something.


“Please sign here,”


Ava did as she was instructed to and then went back inside.


“This is absolutely the most gorgeous dress I’ve ever seen,” Freya beamed, standing before the dressing mirror and checking out the velvet blue dress.


Hazel too was busy admiring the glittery silver heels and she could no longer help it as she sat at the edge of the bed and fixed her feet in them.


“This is so fine, Freya. Look,” she grinned, pacing the length of the room.


Freya’s glistened with hilarity, “Oh my God, Hazel. I bet this would cost a fortune,”


All this time, Ava was just staring at them at the door with amused eyes.


Freya then raised her head to the door and grinned the more while she scooted toward Ava and pulled her completely into the room.


“You need to start getting ready now, Ava,” she notified, “Who knows? Zachary Gonzalez might take you out of the country tonight,”


Ava’s brows furrowed, “It’s a date, Freya, and not a trip,” she reminded plainly.


“Of course, I know that. But have you forgotten that someone like Zachary Gonzalez is very well capable of flying you to Japan in his private jet for just a date?”


Ava had no words after hearing this, so she just stared at her face.


“Alright. That’s enough, girls. Let’s start preparing you for the date already, Ava,” Hazel interjected, walking nearer to them with her hands up.


In a matter of twenty minutes, Ava was all dressed up in the velvet blue dress; the neckline of the dress was extremely low and was revealing the top of her breasts and even the furrows between them.


Ava was extremely uncomfortable in the dress as she kept pulling the breast area up to her chest so that it could cover her exposed breasts but to no avail.


“Oh my, Ava. This dress actually fits you like a second skin. Right, Hazel?” Freya said with all smiles, her gaze sweeping back and forth on Ava’s figure.


“You look so beautiful, Ava. How I wish I was a man then I would have…” Hazel trailed off with a broad wink and then touched Ava's bare thigh seductively.


Ava wasn’t paying attention to them wholeheartedly as she was so concerned about the dress.


“What happened, Ava? Don’t you like the dress?” Hazel asked.


Ava raised her head to look at them, “No, yes,” she shut her eyes briefly and continued, “I mean, not really. Zac had warned me not to wear this kind of dress again,” she explained with a soft sigh.


“So what, Ava? He had sent this, right?” Freya quizzed, looking at Hazel’s face.


Ava shook her head repeatedly, “I’m just confused,”


Right after her words, her phone started buzzing on the dressing table and she moved to it and picked it up at once.


“I’m outside, Tinker bell,”


The call got disconnected immediately after she listened to his few words.


“Your driver is here?” Hazel asked with a beam and rushed to grab the clutch on the bed.


“No, Hazel. He is here himself,” Ava responded in a small voice.


“What?!” Both Freya and Hazel shrieked in unison.


“You mean Zachary Gonzalez is outside your apartment as we speak and I’ll be… I’ll be meeting him for the first time in my whole life?” Freya emphasized in a high-pitched voice, blinking all the time.


A small laugh escaped Ava’s mouth as she nodded her head.


Just for confirmation, Freya sauntered out of the doorway to the living room window and then yanked the curtain recklessly.


And correctly, there was a tiny black eye-catching car under the streetlight outside the house.


“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. Ava!” she cried out elatedly on her way back to Ava’s room but bumped into her and Hazel in the hallway.


“You are leaving already?” she asked edgily.


“Do you want her to keep him waiting?” Hazel answered her question with a playful eye roll.


“Yeah, I get it. Hold on, do I look good enough to meet him?” Freya questioned while smoothing out her hair.


“Sure, Freya,” Ava assured and her face wreathed in smiles immediately. She then hooked her arm around Ava’s and propelled her out of the room.


Hazel just shook her head as she walked behind them.


Zac’s penetrating eyes had been staying on the apartment’s front door from the moment he had called and informed Ava of his arrival.


He was so eager to meet her again and the only wish he had at that moment was for the door to open and revealed her already.


His wish was granted directly, his eyes flashed endearingly as he watched Ava climb down the small staircase with Hazel and Freya.


She was smiling at her friend’s words, and Zac thought in his heart that Ava obviously didn’t know the great effect her smile was doing on him.


He prepared to exit his car when something suddenly caught his attention in Ava’s dress. His full brows crinkled in a line but he got off the vehicle nonetheless.


However, this time, Ava and her friends had come out and were literally waiting for him to come down.


Zac stared at Ava’s naked breasts with an annoyed look over the top of the car from where he was standing at the driver’s side, the outline of his face and his temple were tightened into a line.


Ava and the rest exchanged a glance and instinctively retreated in fear.


“Jeez,” Zac muttered through clenched teeth and then sat back inside the car.


He retrieved his phone and placed a call through his assistant, Blake, who answered the call immediately.


“Mr. Zachary_”


“Listen to me, Blake. Right now, I want you to fire whoever in the hell who chose that dress for her, do you understand?” Zac exploded with rage, shocking the person at the other end of the line.


“Definitely, sir. Right away,” Blake responded quickly and the line went off proximately.


Gradually, Zac’s darkened expression lessened. He found himself drawing in a deep breath before unlocking the door and coming out.


He had a minor smile gracing his handsome face while he walked closer to the girls. He knew that his expression from earlier would have scared them so bad.


“Hi,” his eyes were overflowed with tenderness as he waved a hand at them in greeting.


“Oh my goodness, it’s really Zachary Gonzalez,” Freya grinned, clapping her hands happily.


“I’m Freya, Ava’s friend from college,” she introduced and stretched her hand forth for a handshake, “If you wouldn’t mind, sir,” her voice grew small as it occurred that she was wary of rejection.


Zac shook hands with her, “It’s nice to meet you, Freya,”


Freya’s eyes dilated and she swiftly turned to face Ava and Hazel, “Did I just shake hands with Zachary Gonzalez? I’m not dreaming, right?”


Ava smiled amiably at her childlike attitude and even Zac too couldn’t help the smile that was forming on his thin lips.


“Pull yourself together now, Freya,” Hazel cautioned before taking a step forward.


“Actually, it’s not my first time meeting you but it’s my first time meeting you one on one, all thanks to my cousin,” Hazel enlightened with a friendly smile.


“I’m Hazel,”


Zac nodded twice and shook hands with her, “It’s my pleasure, Hazel,”


Right then, a red car pulled up a few inches away from them and Charlotte came down first from it, looking a bit drunk as she staggered toward the little gathering.


Ava looked at her with troubled eyes while Hazel and Freya frowned at her coldly.


“Watch your step, Charlotte,” Cole said worriedly, reaching out to hold her, and just as he got a grip of her, it was then he noticed the presence of the people standing at the entrance.


Not just people, he soon recognized Ava amid others, for she was dressed up elegantly among the rest as if going on a date.


Also, the only man standing with them was known other than the popular Zachary Gonzalez.


He scowled and thought inside his heart, what’s going on?


“Holly molly, isn’t that Zachary Gonzalez?” Charlotte quipped in a slurry tone.


“It’s good to know you can still identify people in your state. Yes, it’s Zachary Gonzalez” Hazel affirmed, interlinking her hands beneath her chest.


“Oh, God. Why do I have to be like this on my lucky night?”

Charlotte bemoaned and began to free herself from Cole’s grip but Cole tightened his hands around her waist instead, afraid that she might create a scene.


“Hello, Zachary. I’m one of your die-hard fans. Can we go out some other time? I love you so so much, please love me back,” Charlotte confessed, throwing her hands up in the air.


By this time, Freya was just glaring at her as if her eyes could murder her right in that spot while Ava was biting on her bottom lip and rubbing her sweaty palms together.


“Well, it’s so bad that I don’t even recognize you as a lady let alone love you back,” Zac enunciated as sharp as it could sound, and Hazel and Freya couldn't help their laughter.


With this, Zac gently took Ava’s hand and wrapped his arm around her tiny waist, “Can we start going now? The night is getting cold and I wouldn’t like my girl to be affected by it,”


“Oh my God, I’m blushing now,”


“Of course, of course. Take her away and don’t bring her back,”


Hazel and Freya said simultaneously, earning a playful glare from Ava.


“I’ll meet you guys some other time,” Zac guaranteed and bid them a bye.


He thereafter opened the passenger door for Ava and made sure she had settled in before he veered around to the driver’s door.


All this time, Freya was practically jumping in excitement while Hazel waved at the car until it was out of sight.