" Thank you so much for the support there, buddy... " He said and walked down the stairs with Liam in his arms.
" So you are a baby sitter now?" Sam said and came out from nowhere and unhappy as always. Zac turned around to face in.
"MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS !" He yelled right in Sam's face.
"excuse me?" Sam answered with a arrogant yet angry look.
"I am doing my best ! Okay ? If you could just stop following every move I make, I will make sure I get the job done properly but I can't do my job with you sneaking over my shoulder !" Zac said.
"I'm looking out for you , man !"
"DON'T! I can handle a distraction!" Zac yelled.
"so that is all that she is ?" Sam said as if there was more to it.
"YES ! she is only a tiny distraction! I don't care for her more than I care for a job! She is my job right now, please let me work alone ! " Zac said and with that he made a dramatic exit towards the basement. Sam stood there shocked from Zac's outburst .
Before Sam followed Zac to the basement he turned to the stairs and smiled.
" can I help you with anything miss?" He said.
"No sir... " I said simply.
Sadness... That's what I felt. I was actually sad about those words.. but he was right... I was only his job and I had tried to seduce him .. with no right at all.. then another emotion attacked me: Ashamed... I felt ashamed for trying to seduce a man that didn't think of me like that at all.. I'm his job assignment and I took advantage of that … Right now I just want to fall through the ground. I walked towards the back door and grabbed my purse.
" Miss, where are you going ?"
"my name is Vanessa, not miss... and I am going to the mall " I said as I turned to the door. Sam pulled up his tiny police radio and said:
"Zachary, Your rose is leaving the house."
" and you just had to gossip, didn't you!" I said irritated. I just wanted to leave! Out of nowhere Sam walked up to me and started lecturing me .
"Miss, this isn't some drama tv show you see on TV. I didn't gossip , I told information that's needed to keep you alive. You live here raising 3 kids not to be spoil. Maybe you should look in the mirror and be a little thankful , how does that sound? " He yelled right in my face and I just stood there speechless. Zac had walked up the stairs and heard the last words.
"That's enough, Sam! You tell me to stay within the rules, what about you?... That was uncalled for." he said and received a angry glare from Sam.
Wow , that was awkward.. but not as awkward as in the car to the mall o meet ashley. That was even worse! He didn't say anything and I was too ashamed to even open my mouth!
That was 20 minutes of silence until he parked the car.
" I'll be 8 meters away at all time." he said while taking the ignition key out of the car.
"okay... and I am sorry for earlier.." I said, leading up to the conversation I rather skip..
"huh ?" he said confused. Why did he have to make me spell it out for him ?
" I am sorry for getting you into trouble. I shouldn't have told them you helped me cook and I shouldn't have done what I did up in the pool room.."
Zac didn't know what to say.. she was right, she shouldn't have done those things... but he couldn't say that because he wanted her to do that.. he wanted to help her that night and he didn't honestly mind what she did... he liked that too...
"It's okay... no biggy" he said and shrugged his shoulders.
"You fight with your colleagues because of me and I am sorry about that. I don't want to be a distraction even if you say you can handle it" I said and looked up at him to see how he would react.
Zac looked up.. Oh no... she had heard.. he didn't mean for her to hear, he just wanted Sam to back off.. He enjoyed vanessa's company he just wanted Sam to leave him alone...
"I didn't mean it like that... I mean... I said it to Sam because -"
" It's fine ! I understand. Like you said, this is your work chance. I'll make sure not to be in your way." I said , grabbed my purse and stepped out of the car. I heard him sigh as he followed me.
"For god sake, I didn't mean it like that. You are not in the way. I wanted to help you cook, you said no and I didn't listen. I want that. I don't want to go and act like a robot just because I'm a body guard..."
"maybe you should listen to your boss and keep distance.. like you said, it's your chance now.. your only chance" I said and avoided to look at him.
" you are upset..."
"I am not upset"I said and even I knew that was a lie.
"I can see when someone is upset"
"clearly not, because I am NOT upset !" I said, clearly upset.
" See ! You are clearly upset"
" YES ! I AM UPSET NOW! BUT I WASN'T BEFORE YOU STARTED TO ANNOY ME !" I said, feeling like I lost control there for a tiny tiny moment...
"you are clearly upset about what I said..."
" I AM FUCKING UPSET BECAUSE YOU ….."
" yes?" he said curious
"never mind..."
" tell me"
" no. "
"Tell me !"
"no ! " I yelled.
"why not ?"
"You are working. I'm your work assignment. What I was going to say has nothing to do with work at all so I don't see a reason to mention it again. " I said and I was proud about how I ended that conversation!
We were in a parking house and the mall was on the first floor and Zac had parked on the second floor so I walked into the elevator. A part of me hoped that Zac would be to late but ofc he wasn't. he reached out a arm , stopped the elevator and walked in.
" Okay fine. Now all of a sudden you want to make my job easy and of course I want that too, but if you are upset with me you will try to avoid me and THAT makes my job IMPOSSIBLE !"
" stop annoy me and I won't feel the need to avoid you" I said like a child.
" oh really ? So if I don't talk to you, you will be happy ?" he said, now standing in front of me so I had to face him.
Since that's not true I couldn't answer.
" that's what I thought..." he said with a big smirk on his face.
"what do you want then? How do you want it? " I said, this time looking in his eyes.
" I don't know... but I don't want you to be upset with me..." he said, and I could hear that he meant it, which only made the situation harder.
The doors of the elevators opened and people walked into the elevator. I stepped out of the elevator to turn around and face him.
"I am not upset with you. I am upset with …. I don't know .. but it's not you"
"you are upset with the situation..." he said with a slight smile.
"stop profiling me ! " I said. It was meaning to come out strong but it came out with a giggle.
"it's my job." he said simply.
"you are doing a good job. Don't care what Sam says about being personal. It works for you. I trust you, I don't trust Sam.." I said.
" you should.. he's a good agent."
" maybe... but I prefer people being true and personal to me.. you are and that's why I feel safe
around you. Sam just freaks me out"
" you live in Paul's house and Sam freaks you out?" he said and laughed.
"I know but that's the way it is."
" I can be okay with that"
" you don't have a choice" I said teasingly and winked at him.
" go ahead now, I'll stay 8 meters away" he said and we started walking
It felt so odd to just leave like that and have someone following but he was damn good at it, if no one knew they wouldn't think I knew him.. from time to time I looked over my shoulder to see if he was there and he was. He simply winked at me and I had to turn away so he wouldn't see my silly smile and red cheeks.
"what are you giggling about ?" Ashley said , who was standing right in front of me.
"Nothing" I said secretly while trying to look away.
"Tell me ! Who did you meet ?" She said excited. There was no way to fool Ashley.
" no one ! " I giggled and pushed her lightly.
"oh come on! I know you Nessa, spit it out ! "
"No! Now let's go, I need shoes !"I said with a smirk
" You're so mean, you distract me with shoes, that's so low" she said but to my relief she immediately dropped the subject.
I discreetly turned my head around to find Zac with a teasingly smirk on his face. How the hell can he hear what we are talking about ?
I quickly dragged Ashley into the shoe store so Zac wouldn't see me blush. He walked back and forth outside. After many stores we decided to rest at Starbucks. Zac followed and I could see he liked the idea of sitting down.
Ashley sipped at her coffee before leaning forward me with a silly but serious smile.
"Are you going to tell me who this guy is now? "
" what do you mean ?" I said and acted clueless.
"You smile and I can see that you are thinking of someone, don't forget I know you too well" she said, almost a bit disappointed I refused to open up.
I looked over Ashley's shoulder discreet to see if Zac was so near that he could hear me but he kept his eyes on his paper. It looked like he couldn't hear. I took a deep breathe and leaned closer to Ashley.
"fine.. yes, there is this guy I met... but it is very complicated and I am NOT in love with anyone !"
" whatever you say .. how did you meet " She said, now VERY happy.
"at the airplane.. I sat next to him and leaned on him when I fell asleep and it was so weird because I
have never wanted to kiss a stranger that badly but I just couldn't help my emotions and-"
"YOU KISSED HIM `?"
" SCHH! " now he was definitely listening .. great ! ..
"you kissed him ?" Ashley repeated but this now a lot lower.
"NO! But damn I wanted to... ofc I didn't! Does that sound like me?
" I guess not.. and was that all ?" she said a bit disappointed again .
" No... I have met him after that'" I said , desperately trying to come up with a story similar to the truth but without mentioning FBI.
"Where? How? When ?"
" uhm... at the restaurant.. he sort of stalked me there." That's not a complete lie. He is kinda stalking me wherever I go.
That's when I heard a small sudden laughter from the other side of Starbucks. I knew that the laughter belonged to Zac. It was impossible to say something that he wouldn't find out so I might as well just stop trying.
"aww ! I hope it works out to the best. But you are working tomorrow right? Do you know if he will come?" she said. I couldn't help but laugh to myself. I'm there so he kinda has to be there. but I didn't say that, instead I said:
"I think soo.."
"OH ! He won't be able to keep his eyes of you with your voice" She said extremely excited now.
" I don't know if I will sing tomorrow... at least not with Jack.. I can't stand there with him... " I said and my smile was now long gone.
"then don't! I know Simon would LOVE to sing with you. He is really crushing on you!" Ashley said.
" he is not!"
"he is ! He's the shy guy in love with the popular girl! So typical !"
" you are totally overreacting! I would have known if he was interested in me !"
"are you sure? You were pretty isolated when you were with Jack.."
"well, now I dumped his ass so... "
" and now you have your eyes on - "
"forbidden candy! He is definitely not a option" I said quickly before Ashley would call Zac something like ''Mr sexy'' or something like that.
" why not ?" she asked. Why did she have to ask all the right questions? How was I going to leave FBI out of this now..
" he doesn't live here.." I heard myself say. Hmm. That was good, I didn't really lie.
"so what ? What if you fall in love, and he is ready to move here? That would solve it"
" 1. No one would move for me. 2. he.. I don't know what he does for a living. He said it was
classified " I said, not believing how easily I lied to my best friend.
"what ? Is he some sort of halick ?" she asked , shocked.
Now Zac was offended. He is not someone who sells prostitutes ! He is a AGENT!
" I don't know..but what ever he works as .. It's complicated." I said with a fake laughter.
At another table Zac was pretending to read the paper.. He had heard every word and her conversation made him realize they were too close. Soon it would be to hard to stay away and once that happens it would complicate everything. It can't continue any longer, he knew that now.