“What do you mean ‘nope’?”
“It's my job to keep you safe, not make you feel safe. Big difference,” Dylan elaborated. In her opinion, his job should include both.
“Okay, let’s compromise. Walk on my left side. The inside of the sidewalk,” Dylan said, moving to the right side of the sidewalk. Huffing, Flora agreed and moved to the building's side of the sidewalk. She was meeting the girls at Clothes Before Bros for lunch.
Pouting, Flora glared up at Dylan.
“It’s not the same,” she grumbled.
“Well, what if someone attacks from the front?” Dylan asked, raising his arms in question.
“What about from the back?” Flora shot back with a roll of her eyes. Pulling her purse closer to her shoulder, she pulled down her fitted tank top. As Dylan pulled open the door for her, she stormed in and headed straight to the back room, where Dylan once again opened the door for her. As much as he liked to argue with her, he always remained a gentleman, which further pissed Flora off.
“Hello there, Flora. How are you, sweetie?” Willow asked, a smirk on her face as she stared down at her tablet.
“I’m doing okay, darling. Why don’t you ask my shadow?” Flora snidely answered. Dylan just grinned as he pulled out her chair. But before Flora took her seat, she swirled around, grabbed another fold-up chair from the back of the room, and set it behind her own.
“Aww, that is so sweet, Flora. Seems like you really care for your shadow,” Luxe teased, sliding into her own chair.
“Just because he’s working on my last nerve doesn’t mean he has to stand for lunch,” Flora justified. Leaning forward, she laid her head on her crossed arms.
“Tired?” Willow asked. Flora was exhausted, mentally and physically. Her body had been running since she got up that morning, and between the many meetings she led, her legs began to ache. The stiletto heels she insisted on wearing did not help the pain in her calf.
“She hasn’t had much sleep lately,” Dylan claimed, taking his seat behind Flora.
“Neither have you, Mr. I’m Fine Sleeping in My Car Like a Damn Weirdo."
“How would you know?” Luxe urged Dylan. “Is that a bodyguard skill, to be able to tell from your car what your client’s sleeping patterns are?”
“I can just tell,” he answered.
“That’s all we get? ‘I can just tell,’” Luxe mimicked.
“Sluggish behavior, rushed and slurred speech, shaking, irritation, you know, the works,” Dylan explained with a shrug.
“Ohh, so you’ve been keeping a real close eye on my good friend Flora, hun,” Luxe said.
Instead of correcting her, Flora just winked her way before laying her head back down.
“How is juggling two jobs in a new field going?” Willow asked. The reminder brought an uneasy feeling in the pity of Flora’s stomach. The few hours a week she was left alone or with the girls was a blessing as much as it was frightening. She was getting used to Dylan being there, and she was afraid that she’d forget how to look out for herself.
“It is what it is.”
“Welp, okay then, it’s time to talk about the trip coming up,” Willow mentioned, finally making some eye contact with Flora.
“Trip?” Dylan questioned, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair.
“I didn’t think you’d be my bodyguard this long.” As things were looking now, he’d have to go with her to Moonlight City, where she had a confirmation meeting with her lead production duo, Cassandra and Romeo Bray.
His eyes found Flora's, looking for an answer he probably should’ve been aware of way before this point. She could admit things weren’t going to plan.
Distractedly swishing side to side in her chair, she was avoiding talking about the future with him. It made the fact that she wasn’t safe anymore too real.
“What do you mean 'this long'?” His forehead creased with stress lines and his eyes narrowed slightly. “Until your stalker is dealt with, I am going to be here. Until my job is completed, I am going to be here. I'm confused why you would think otherwise.”
“I mean, I thought having you around for a week would scare off my stalker, and life would return to normal,” Flora said.
“No, that’s not how this works. Where is this meeting?” Dylan asked.
