"I'm sorry dear, but if that guy was looking at you, he wanted more than your donuts." I chuckled as if it was funny. Atiya closed her eyes and she wished she could just disappear. Or maybe it's just Debbie. If Aquila found out about this, she would be humiliated. He received the tip in April . There was no need to fan the flames.
Debbie led them to an empty conference room with a table on the opposite wall. She waved at them. "You can leave the donuts here," she said. Atiya walked over and dropped the box on the table. Then she reached into the bag hanging from her arm and pulled out some of her napkins. They were new. April had her logo printed on it. Anything to raise her profile. "I think that's all." Atiya glanced at Debbie. "Oh wait." She searched her purse until she found a pen. On it she wrote, "Tomorrow's service starts at 10:00 am," and handed it to Debbie. "Could you take this to Aquila ?"
Debbie took a look and nodded. "Does he know what that means?"
"He should," said Atiya when Debbie took it. "Oh, but if that time doesn't work out, let him know. I'm flexible." Atiya suddenly realized that she might not be able to escape at this point. Debbie folded it up and put it in her suit pocket. "I'll try to make him understand it."
Atiya smiled. "Thank you very much."
"Do you think you can do it yourself? I have a million calls back and I need to call you back."
Atiya glanced at Detty scrolling through her phone. "Yeah, I think we'll be fine." She shook Debbie's hand and walked past Detty . "Ready?"
"Yes," said Detty , putting her phone back in her pocket. "Nice to meet you, Atiya ," said Debbie from behind. "You too," Atiya said, walking down the hall, followed by Detty . Detty smiled at her as they stepped into the elevator to descend. "You're in big trouble." Atiya stood in front of the bakery, looking up and down the street. Aquila was late. She looked at her watch and sighed. It was half past ten, and he was nowhere to be seen. She should have asked for his phone number, but she forgot. She looked pathetic now. She stands on the sidewalk and waits. As she turned to return to the store, a black sedan stopped beside her. Her heart thumped and she cursed it. She didn't know if it was him. But her stupid heart wanted it from her heart. The driver got out, but a second later the rear door opened. Aquila stepped onto the sidewalk. Looking up and down the street, he reached out and buttoned his jacket. Her cheeks blushed as his gaze fell on her. How could she be completely off balance? She hunched her shoulders and walked towards him. "You're late," she said in a scolding tone. His expression became one of bewilderment. "Okay. I'm sorry. Excuse me?" He glanced at her and her knees went limp. Man. She had to brace herself. She put his question on hold for a moment, then she nodded. "I guess."
He smiled. "Complete." Then he folded his hands. "So where are you going?"
Atiya leaned forward, picked up a white baking box, and nodded on the pavement. That's surprising.
"Are you going there?"
She nodded. "Are you afraid of a little exercise, Mr. Scott ?"
"No, I just have a screwdriver."
Atiya glanced back at the driver who was leaning against the outside of the car. "We have everything in the house, so you can come in. Just tell April you know Atiya ," she said, nodding at the bakery door. "Her name is Georgia," said Aquila . "Enjoy yourself, Georgia," Atiya said. Georgia waved at her and entered her store. "There it is. Let's go." Atiya walked down her street and Aquila followed her. She enjoyed walking with him in silence. It was comfortable. Not compulsory. There was something about him that calmed her down. A few minutes later Aquila also joined her. "You have no idea where you're going?" he asked, looking at her. Atiya pursed her lips and shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin it for you." It was the perfect idea. Well, she had to thank Detty . Detty called in a panic that morning because she had volunteered to help Maddox at school. However, she had just received a call from the mayor. She was so important that Atiya reluctantly said yes. Plus, it helped her solve the mystery of finding her charity. She tried her best to establish some kind of relationship with Aquila , but a golden opportunity presented itself. All she had to do was get him there and convince him it was a good idea. Aquila cleared his throat. "Let me guess?"
She smiled. "Safe." Aquila tapped his finger on the chin as they stopped at a traffic light. "Okay. Does it have anything to do with me waking up?"
Atiya glanced at him as the wandering light came on. "What do you mean?" she asked as they walked out onto the sidewalk and passed the butcher's shop. "Well, if that's the case, any desk work is out of the question."
"No. You don't have to sit behind a desk. Rather, it's a task of getting up and moving around." If he knew. Aquila sat back and smiled. "Good. I'm excited and a little nervous." He turned to her, "Can I carry this?" He nodded at the box in her hand.
He seemed desperate to help, so she handed it over to him. He took it, and a feeling of relief streamed down his face. "You really like doing something, don't you? Knock and shift," she nodded at his hand. He nodded and looked puzzled. "I can't stand being lazy. It's not good for me."
They turned left onto Sycamore Street and Atiya stopped in front of Itty Bitties Daycare. "Well, that's good, because you're not going to stay here very long." She nodded at the gate. Aquila stopped and glanced over her shoulder. "Itty Bit – Is this the nursery school?" He lowered her gaze to her. "Yes. Hmm. Either he hated kids or he liked them Never wasn't with me, he never was with them. Both options piqued her interest. "Don't she like her?"
Two three-year-olds sprinted past them. They wore coats and scarves fluttering behind them in the wind. "No, I don't know any children. I'm used to my colleagues in suits." He stepped over a tricycle blocking the road. "Well, you have a nice surprise, and you're lucky. It's a Halloween party, so it's going to be extra fun." She leaned forward and poked him on her shoulder. "Is that what the box is for?" he nodded at the box of cake pops she made. "That's a surprise, Mr. Scott , and you have to wait like everyone else." She couldn't help it. There was something about him A mystery I desperately wanted to solve. She wanted to see him smile and hear him laugh. And most of all, she wanted to know that. He pursed his lower lip but smiled as he opened the front door. "Is it true? Can I not?" she smiled at him. "Not even for you."