Edible Arrangements (The Hollens Book 6)

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.