“Zara, how are you doing?” Kace asks, and I glance at him. He lifts the drink to his mouth, gulping it down before sitting on the stool. At his height, he doesn’t even need to climb.
“Not bad. How about you?”
“I’m hungry,” he says, eyeing my mom, who chuckles. I redirect my attention to my babies to distract myself. The kitchen falls silent, with only the bubbling pots on the stove and the fridge humming in the background. It feels awkward.
“What’s your job?” I inquire.
“I’m an Orthopedic doctor,” he replies with a smug grin.
“You specialize in the musculoskeletal system? That’s cool,” I smile. That really is impressive.
“I’ve never met one,” I add.
He grabs an apple and hands it to my mom. “Wash this for me, please.” She takes it, washes it, and returns it to him.
“Thank you, love,” he says, biting into the apple while I focus on my nails, tapping them on the counter.
“Yes, I have a passion for bones, ligaments, and tendons,” he continues in a goofy tone, minus the smile. He doesn’t seem to smile in person.
I guess.
“Cool,” I respond.
What’s with this sudden use of the word ‘cool’ that you never used before?
As he chews his apple, I watch my mother concentrating on the pots in front of her. “You teach Literature too, aside from English Language?” he asks, surprising me. This man is full of surprises.
“Yes, I do, mostly English Language. Many students didn’t choose Literature this year,” I explain, and he nods. Mommy must have told him a lot about me since he already knows the subjects I teach.
I smile at her.
She beams back at me, checking the steak while humming a tune. She seems especially happy. Is it because I’m getting along with my ‘stepfather’?
“Zara, your husband… Nickoi, what’s his occupation?” Kace asks with an odd tone. Is he judging him? Why is he asking about him? Anyway, let me brag about my knight in shining armor.
I smile proudly, “He’s an entrepreneur. He owns a club, a car mart, and he’s working on starting something new soon.” I’m not entirely sure what babe is up to, but I assume it’s another business. Kace’s expression shifts; he seems impressed yet surprised.
“Wow, that’s a lot! I didn’t see that in him,” he remarks.
Yeah, because you’re judging him.
“Oh,” I respond simply.
“He’s like 22? How is he so successful?” he asks. His questions are a bit strange.
“He’s 25 and he’s the heir,” I clarify.
“Oh, so how did you meet him?” he probes. I wonder what project he’s working on.
Why so many questions?
I notice how engaged he is while asking about my man, and it feels weird.
“How we met?” I repeat, my mind drifting back to that night. We thought we wouldn’t make it through. It was an eventful evening, from being chased and shot at to Nickoi calling my phone to see me again. Then denying the fact that he wanted me.
This is a sensitive topic, especially with a man who seems highly critical, like the 21-year-old Zara.
“We met in a taxi,” I say with an innocent smile. It’s partly true; I was in Mr. Perry’s taxi.
