Chapter 12 – Is This A Date?

Harmoni

“Won’t my dad be pissed that I’m not surrounded by... well, more people?” I chuckled, turning around on myself to point out the lack of bodyguards.

“Do you trust me?” he asked, looking straight into my eyes. The deeper meaning of this question wasn’t hard to notice. I pondered his question in my head for a few minutes.

After the way he had protected me at the Gala and how he had rescued me at the party. That physical protection he had demonstrated was important, but what tilted the scale was the emotional support he had provided since the night of the party.

“I do,” I finally answered. I could see his mouth twitch, preventing a smile from appearing.

“Then let’s go,” and for the fourth time that day, he exited the car. I opened my door and followed him.

“Not opening my door this time?” I teased.

“Wouldn’t want you to get used to it, Princess,” he teased back. I rolled my eyes at the nickname he had given me. I had heard the other night but had been too distracted to call him out on it. ‘Princess’ seriously was that what they were calling me these days.

I crossed my hands across my chest. “I hate it.” I did, that nickname made me feel like I was an entitled, pretentious, arrogant snob. ~Fitting don’t you think?~ That voice in my head said. Honestly, I was starting to despise that voice.

“What is it that you hate?” he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Princess. It’s a horrible nickname.” William didn’t bother answering me but shook his head while chuckling. Why did I have a feeling he wasn’t going to let the nickname slide anytime soon. I groaned internally at the thought but still followed him through the only shop around.

Upon entering, I immediately noticed the different flavored buckets, licking my lips I approached the glass window staring at the different ice creams.

I looked at William, smiling like a kid on Christmas day. Without thinking, I lunged forward and hugged his waist. “You brought me to get ice cream!” How did he know? He stiffened under my touch, making me back away immediately.

~Shit, what the fuck did I just do? Gosh, this is so embarrassing.~ I felt my cheeks heat up and let my hair slide slightly on my face to attempt to cover my beetroot red face. It might have only lasted a few seconds, but it left me wondering what it would feel like to be hugged back by William.

I blamed the ice cream for my impulsive action. I loved ice cream, I love the cold and refreshing feeling it always gave me. I would even go as far as to say it was my favorite dessert. Simple but delicious.

“How can I help you?” the lady behind the counter said. I rolled my eyes at her when she bent down to put her breast in full display. I glanced at William to discern his reaction, only to find him already looking at me with an intrigued look.

“Do you know what you want?” he asked.

I opened my mouth to answer him when I came to the horrific realization that I didn’t have my wallet with me. ~How was I supposed to know I would need it when I went to the police station?~

“I didn’t bring my wallet,” I admitted.

“So?” He was looking at me with a ‘so what?’ expression. “It’s my treat anyways,”

Is it just me or did this suddenly feel a whole lot more like a date? I pushed these thoughts away, they were way too far-fetched. I mean I had only just accepted that he was a friend.

“Mango and Lemon please,” I said to the lady. She turned her attention to me for the first time since we had entered the shop. She looked me up and down with disbelief, only then did I recall my choice of attire for the day. No wonder she was surprised I was hanging out with mister hottie here. If looks could kill I would be dead. What was her problem? Ignoring her, I turned back to Will “I’ll pay you back later,” I told William only for him to wave me off.

“How about you, handsome? What can I get you?” she flirted shamelessly.

“Caramel and Chocolate,” he answered, still clearly unaware of the lady’s attempts.

After we collected our order, we made our way out of the shop. I accompanied William to the back of the shop.

“For a bodyguard, you can be quite oblivious to the people around you, you know?” I teased. I still found it hard to believe. I mean, she could hardly have been more direct with her intentions. Yet again, girls tend to notice these things more than guys.

“You mean the lady at the counter who was shoving her breast in my face?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Yeah, I saw, I’m just not interested.”

I chuckle at his bluntness, surprised I had misread him. Well, that explains it. I wasn’t expecting that from Will, but I guess there were still a lot of things I didn’t know about him.

~What’s the point in finding out? In a few months’ time, he’s just going to leave and move on with his life~. That voice in my head resonated. She did have a valid point.

“Where are you taking me by the way? Cause I can spot the woods from here. So if your plan was to lure me with ice cream, I’m already one step ahead of you,” I teased.

“Believe me, ~Princess~, if I wanted you dead, you would already be,” he answered playfully, using once again that dreadful nickname.

“Why do I have the feeling that this nickname is here to stay?” I groaned.

“Maybe because it is,” he smirked.

If he was going to call me princess, I sure as hell was going to call him something too. I’ll keep testing out a few until I find the one that fits.

I nudged him, trying to knock him off his balance, only to realize at the last second that I missed the little crack in the street. My right foot bumped into it, making me lose my balance. Crap. I was going to kiss the floor. ~Again.~

Before I could make my descent to what would have been quite a painful fall, William grabbed onto my elbow and pulled me back onto my own two feet.

“Thanks,” I said, relieved. He released my arm once I was stable again, and I couldn’t help but notice how the area he had previously held now felt colder, making me miss the warmth he provided.

“You have got to be the clumsiest person I have met in my life,” he said, shaking his head, but he didn’t hide the amusement from his face. “Two times in less than two weeks. Looks like you want to start a lasting relationship with the floor,” he teased.

~Why do I keep embarrassing myself?~

“I usually sit here. The view is nicer, and fewer people are walking around,” he explained, pointing to the wooden picnic table ahead.

Looking around for the first time, I was taken aback by the breathtaking scenery. The ice cream shop was slightly elevated, giving a panoramic view of the city.

“It looks amazing!” I admitted out loud, taking in the panorama. I sat down in front of him and quickly licked the melted parts of my ice cream. Despite my love for this dessert, I despised having my fingers sticking together because of it.

“Do you come here often?” I asked curiously. I lived all my life in this city, but I had never known about this place. And believe me, I know most of the sites that sell this delicious sweetness. I’d be surprised if I hadn’t marked down at least ninety percent of them on Google Maps.

Something about my question seemed to dim his mood. I could see his emotionless mask come on, but I could still decipher the dominating sadness swirling in his eyes.

“I used to,” he looked far ahead as if lost in memories.

After that, we kept the topics lighthearted. Chuckling and laughing at times, I told him about my horrible history teacher, and he shared stories about his colleagues and high school experiences. I would have thought he was the jock type, but he had surprisingly described himself as a quiet kid.

It was nice to think of something other than what had happened last night. He didn't try to pry into my life, and I gratefully returned that favor. I hadn't felt this comfortable talking to someone other than Emily and my father in a long time, making me wonder if I would have in turn answered more personal questions.

“So do you plan on taking over the Pearson Enterprise once you graduate?” I've been asked this question more times than I can count, yet the difference here was that Will didn't have any ulterior motive. I could tell he was simply curious about the path I would take in the future.

I ran my hand through my hair, pensive about the answer I would give him.

“I've thought about it a lot. In a way, I feel lucky that dad isn't pressuring me into taking over, but at the same time, I wonder if it would have made it easier. The uncertainty of where my future lies is terrifying. I'm lucky to be good in school and have choices, but it's hard to choose, you know?” he nodded, understanding that I truly didn't know.

“Make sure that when you do make that choice, that you make it for yourself,” he kindly advised me. He offered me an encouraging smile, reassuring me that regardless of the choice I would make, everything was going to be alright.

It was hard to believe I had just poured out some of my fears to him. There was something about him that made me want to share my secrets and trust that he would keep them safe.

“Do you think I'm in any real danger?” I asked, changing the subject. He immediately understood what I was referring to.

“Honestly, you don't seem to fit the profile at the moment,” I started to feel relieved because although I would never admit it, I was still slightly concerned with the situation. However, my relief was short-lived when he continued.

“But it doesn't mean the profile won't change, we still don't know exactly what they want, so it's hard to rule anything out. We're here for you, so you don't have to worry, but it wouldn't help for you to be more vigilant as well,” he explained.

The hint to my recent late-night escapade did not go unnoticed.

“I'll try,” I answered sincerely. It wouldn't hurt to try and be more cooperative and careful.

“Let's make a deal,” he beamed, looking at me. I raised both eyebrows, intrigued by the offer he would make. “Next time you feel like ditching us, you come and talk to me. I promise to consider it, and we can discuss how we can make it safer for you. If you want us out of sight, we can try to arrange that as well. We won't have to tell your dad, but if I say 'no' then it means 'no',” he added, giving me a pointed look. Message received.

I thought about it for a few seconds. It wasn't such a bad idea. I mean, I hadn't even noticed them at the party, and they did let me go. Perhaps I shouldn't keep thinking of them as my jailers and more as my bodyguards. I guess one could be without the other.

“So do we have a deal?” he asked, raising his hand in front of me.

“Deal,” I said, placing my hand into his to seal our deal. The moment our hands touched, I couldn't help but feel a shiver run through me. I looked up into his eyes to see if he had felt it too and the look on his face told me he did, but he quickly covered it with his emotionless mask.

“Oh no,” I suddenly said, removing my hand from his as I realized neither of us had let go yet. As if a switch had been turned on, Will was on high alert.

“What?” he asked rapidly.

“I think it's about to rain,” he visibly relaxed at my words. Yet, before I had even finished my sentence, the rain started pouring over us.

“Seriously, I think the weatherman is the only one that can completely screw up every single day and still have his job the next,” I exclaimed exasperated as we both got out of our seats.

William threw his head back laughing. I hadn't expected that and turned around to watch him. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. I wished he would laugh this openly more often.

“Run faster, Will! The rain's getting heavier by the minute,” I said, sprinting towards the car. He quickly caught up with me.

“Why the fuck did you choose the furthest table from the parking lot?!” I screamed as the rain became louder.

Without thinking about it, he grabbed onto my hand and pulled me to run faster.

Once the doors were closed, we looked at each other. We were both drenched from head to toe. As if on cue, we both broke down laughing. It felt good to laugh again.