Chapter 37: A Moment

Zenobia's POV

"I don't need an assigned bodyguard," I said to my father for the umpteenth time, "It always ends up disastrous."

"There's no way I'm allowing my daughter to walk around without a bodyguard any longer. It's been a month since Living..," he responded.

"Please don't say his name!" I huffed as we sat down together in the conference room. I opened the folder and looked over the spreadsheets in front of me.

"Dad, I'm not a baby. I can take care of myself."

My uncle and cousin entered the room and took their respective seats. Jevan turned the Air Conditioner to a colder setting.

"Do you usually have hot flashes?" I asked him. My uncle and my dad couldn't contain their laughs and Jevan eyed me dangerously.

I snickered as I readied myself for the meeting my father basically dragged me into.

~
After an hour and a half, the meeting was over and I exited quickly before my father's concern grew even more. I bumped into Tiffany.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry, was the meeting that bad?" she asked with a small laugh.

"Let's take an early lunch," I told her. I took her hand and led her to the elevator before she can protest.

~

"You look like yourself again," she said as we found a table in the small restaurant.

"Thanks," I replied, "Time does heal the hurt."

"I knew you were going to be okay. You're a Hollen."

We laughed as a waitress came up to our table and took our orders. Several minutes later, our food arrived and I started eating right away.

"O.M.G.. Is that...is that Kyle?" Tiff asked, her eyes locked on someone behind me. I turned around and there he was, at the cashier ordering food with the same woman I saw at his apartment.

"That's the woman I was telling you about. That's her," I whispered to Tiff.

"You know, I can't help but see a resemblance between them," she said.

I looked at her as she stood next to Kyle. Comparing them both side to side, they could practically be twins.

"Perfect match," I said. I watched as they laughed about something and I felt sick and lost my appetite.

"Tiff, let's just go," I said.

"Hell nah. I'm enjoying this food. Don't you dare come between me and my food."

"Well, I'm going to the washroom," I said. I picked myself up and headed to the ladies room. I opened the door without watching my step and the next thing I knew, my feet went in different directions and I was on my face, on the wet floor.

"Damn it!" I cussed as I attempted to pick myself up.

"Oh my, are you okay?" a voice asked behind me. I turned around and saw the woman who was with Kyle, behind me.

"I'm fine," I answered and picked myself up. She assisted by holding my arm and steadying me back to my feet. It was a miracle I didn't break a heel.

Alexander McQueen for the win!

"Glad to see you're okay. You could've really hurt yourself though it's not your fault. Some careless person wet the tiles," she added in as she watched the water on the floor.

"It's fine. I'm fine," I said. I reached for the liquid soap and cleaned my hands before going into the stall. I heard her went into one too.

We did our business and met at the sink.

"I hope I'm not being too forward but you're extremely pretty. Wow," she complimented.

"Thank you.. ahh.."

"I'm Kate, Kyle is my b..."

"Hey, no need.. I'm well aware," I said holding up my hands to stop her sentence.

"For the record, I told him he was foolish to leave," she said again.

" Well thank you, Kate," I responded. I washed and dried my hands, fixed my hair, dusted my skirt and walked out.

Tiff was now in conversation with Kyle when I got back to our table.

"There she is," she said as I approached.

Kyle turned towards me, a small smile formed on his lips.

Those familiar kissable lips. He looked extra handsome with his fitted burgundy shirt and dark grey pair of pants.

"Hi, Zenobia," he greeted me. The beats to my heart immediately took up speed as his eyes pierced into my soul, causing a firm hold.

"Hi, Kyle," I managed to answer.

"It's good seeing you again."

"You too. Hope you've been okay."

"Yeah. I have."

I nodded and his eyes landed on Kate. "Well, looks like Kate is ready and I need to head back to work. It was great seeing you both. Take care of yourselves ladies," he said and departed.

"I'm disappointed," Tiff said, folding her arms and looking at me.

"Wait, at me, I didn't do anything."

"Exactly. You. Didn't. Do. Anything!"

We watched as they both walked out of the restaurant with their meals 'to-go'. "What the hell you wanted me to do, huh, throw myself at him and act like a damn fool?"

"Zen, you know good and well you miss that boy and you still love him. It's written all over your pretty face."

"Yeah well, what I've felt and what I'm feeling is too little, too late. Can't you see he's happy?"

"He's low-key just as miserable as you are. I watched him eyed you on the way to the ladies room. He didn't stop looking until you were out of sight. I thought he would have followed you in there."

"He would have seen me fall," I said with a laugh.

"Oh?"

I got up and went over to the waitress and informed her of the water on the tiles before someone else hurt themselves. She acted on it immediately and informed the manager of my accident. He apologized and offered me dinner for two for a full weekend.

"Please don't sue me," he begged as he handed me the tickets.

"I wouldn't. I'm not as petty. Accidents happen. I wouldn't like it if someone threw water at the ground at HT and someone else slipped and decided to sue us," I told him, comforting his panicking.

"Thank you so much Miss. Hollen. I hope to see you here with your partner this weekend."

"About that, I'll give these to my best friend."

I handed the dinner tickets to Tiff who was hesitant on accepting it.

"How about this, it would be our date nights," she said, "Just you and I."

We hugged and walked out of the restaurant.

~
Friday evening, Tiff and I met for the free dinner on behalf of the restaurant. We laughed, chatted and had a great time.

On Saturday, she was late and she wasn't answering her phone. I sat down at the table, praying she was alright. I would hate myself even more if she was hurt on her way to meet me but then a texted came through.

Hey Zen, sorry I couldn't make it but enjoy the food.

The appetizers were on the way to me when someone else walked up to the table with a ticket.

"Excuse me, waitress, I received this ticket stating I've won it became I bought lunch here during the week," he said.

The waitress looked at the ticket and I looked at the guy with my mouth open.

"Please sit," she said to him and she pulled out the chair across from me.

"Zen?"

"Kyle?"

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Having my free dinner."

"Oh, you won a dinner too, and they sat us at the same table. What a coincidence."

Coincidence?
I watched the ticket in the waitress' hand.

I shook my head as it sink in. Tiffany had her ticket sent to Kyle's job, stating he won a free dinner because he purchased a meal few days ago.

I pulled out my phone and sent her a quick text.

Me: You're dead.

Bestie: Hahahahaha she responded with laughing emoji. I can't believe that worked. He's there?

Me: Yes!

Bestie: Enjoy the night. Get your man back!