Claire felt her heart stop when she heard what Lily said. She was afraid of turning around to look in the direction the little girl in her arms was pointing at. 'She only saw him once. She must be mistaking him with somebody else.' Claire thought to herself.
However, her fear regarding who was behind her came true when she saw Cameron bow his head. She felt like crying. What was he doing here!? Her conversation with Lily was cut short before, not giving her enough time to explain that this wasn't some fairy-tale where a prince was after her or that she was some kind of protagonist from one of her movies. Real life was never that simple. Especially if it involved Aiden Villan!
'That's right! He won't understand her even if she asks me in front of him. Good, this is good. I can relax.' Having thought that, Claire turned around and was met with a godlike figure.
Aiden was wearing a long sleeved black button down shirt with plaid print, slim-fit dress pants that matched his long overcoat. The morning sun made his hazel eyes look like they had specks of gold swirling inside them and his hair was manly swept back, making his face the center of attention. He looked like a model walking on the runway of a fashion show instead of a sidewalk.
"Good morning Boss." Cameron's voice broke Claire out of her daze.
"Good morning. You ladies mind if I join you for breakfast?" Aiden's rich dark chocolate voice asked as he looked down at Claire and Lily.
He felt his heart flutter when he saw she was wearing the dress he had sent her. It was a modest but refined look. The color of the dress made her fair skin look even more soft and touchable. The way she put her hair up gave him clear access to look at her beautiful face and having the little version of herself in her arms made her look all the more adorable in his eyes.
Lily had already hid herself in the crook of Claire's neck. A stranger was a stranger no matter how prince like he was.
"Mr. Villan. Fancy meeting you here." Claire said sarcastically as she looked at Cameron. The silent message between them let her know he wasn't aware if this sudden visit either.
"I still owe you a proper meal out so I figured I'd tag along." Looking at Lily he continued. "Only if the lovely little lady you're holding allows me to of course."
After hearing him address her in such a way, Lily couldn't help but look up at Aiden. Studying his face, she saw what felt like kindness in his eyes. For some reason it reminded her of the way Claire made her feel whenever their eyes met. It was a familiar warm sensation that made her feel safe. After looking at him for a few seconds, she gave him a thumbs up agreeing with his wanting to join them. She wanted to be near him a while longer now that she was curious about him.
"You just made my day." Aiden replied to Lily's gesture as he looked back at Claire who was completely baffled by their interaction. "Shall we?"
"Sure." Although it didn't show on Claire's face, she felt strange having people around while Lily was present. She had already prepared herself for Cameron, but adding Aiden into the mix was more than she had bargained for.
Lily was always kept hidden away from unnecessary interactions because to her shy nature. And more importantly, due to the possibility of being mistreated because of her complications with communicating with others. So having her around so many new people in one day was something Claire didn't prepare for.
They all made their way inside the small cafe named 'Jardin De Fleurs'. It had an oak brown and faded red color scheme. The wooden floors and decorative flowers made it feel like a cottage. It had no more than ten tables which allowed it's natural homey charm be appreciated even more. A waitress approached them and seated them at a booth at the far back.
"It's been a while Cece." The young woman who was in charge of taking their orders greeted them. "And I haven't seen you in a while either Lily. What are we having? The usual?"
"Yes. And add some chamomile tea too." Claire used to frequently come to the cafe when she had spare time. Since it was small and somewhat far from heavily transited areas, it made it the perfect place to take Lily without having to risk her safety or expose her to crowds.
"Stressed are we? I'll make it a big one then. And what about you sir? What will you be having?" She asked as she looked at Aiden.
"French toast and coffee." Aiden replied as he gave her the menu. As soon as the waitress walked away to place their order, he felt stares directed towards him. He looked in front of him and the two girls that sat on the other side of the booth were looking at him with the same surprised expression on their faces. "What?"
"Nothing." Claire said before she and Lily looked at each other. A second later, they both started to giggle. The sound making Aiden feel like he was listening to the most beautiful orchestra ever known to man. "We just didn't expect such a fierce looking guy to have such a sweet tooth."
'Mommy, you're prince charming likes french toast just like me.' Lily signed to Claire while she smiled. Right as she did, choking and coughing sounds were heard. Both girls looked at Aiden who was now putting down his glass of water and tapping his chest.
Claire passed him a cloth napkin without much thought until their eyes met. He looked at her with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. It took her her a second, but once she connected the dots her face immediately turned bright red.
"Y-you...." Her eyes widened as she felt heat rush to her face. "D-don't tell me you...."
Seeing how she was reacting made Aiden smirk after he managed to compose himself. He looked at Lily while Claire sat there looking like a tomato.
"French toast are my favorite. Doesn't really match my image does it?" He spoke to Lily with a gentle smile on his face.
Lily's eyes widened after she heard him answer her question to her directly. She looked at Claire and then back at Aiden in disbelief. She decided to make sure he really understood her.
'You understand sign language?' She nervously asked him.
'Is it bad if I do?' Aiden signed back to her in response.
Lily's eyes widened even more as the largest smile she could muster spread on her adorable little face. Her eyes sparkled with joy as she looked at Aiden. All the contrary to Claire who was currently wishing for a hole to appear next to her so she could jump in it and disappear.