Aquila nodded at her. Her uncomfortable feeling enveloped her. Wanting to change her subject, she took a deep breath and started asking him about the flight to Baton Rouge. What did it look like there? Kind of people. Aquila answered their questions as they made their way to the Central Park Zoo. After 20 minutes they walked us to the entrance which was good as no further questions were asked. Or maybe she was running out of questions to really get him to know. When she got to the door, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She texted Jordan that she was waiting. It was only a few minutes before he opened the door. "Hi Atiya ," he nodded at Aquila . "Jordan," he said, holding out his hand. They were shaking. "Aquila , this is Jordan," Atiya said, lowering his hand. "He's Detty 's friend."
Aquila nodded. "Oh, she's quite a girl."
Jordan nodded. "Yes, I think so. That extra £20 isn't because she's a bad cook," he said, beckoning them to follow him and usher them to the entrance. "So are we here to donate to the zoo? Told. "It's like that." She smiled at him. He narrowed his eyes. "Hmm, you look like a zookeeper." He stopped and reached out to grab her arm. "Wait. You're not going to vaccinate animals, are you?" His skin turned pale. Afraid of blood "
She reached out her hand and stroked his hand. "I don't think they trust us to operate on animals. What I have planned is a lot less stressful."
Ms. Jordan took her to the petting zoo and cut her back. He handed them a dustpan with a handle and a broom and signaled them to go to the sheepshed. Aquila took one in each hand of him and turned to Atiya . "Are we cleaning the stalls?" he asked, following her through her gate. She smiled and nodded. "Yes." "Cool," he said. She watched as he began sweeping small pellets of sheep into the dustpan. "Why are you staring at me?" he asked as he walked around the enclosure. The sheep didn't mind and happily ate their dinner. "I think they're just surprised."
He stopped and stared at her. "Don't you think it's okay for a millionaire to get her hands dirty?"
She bent down and swept up the pile of sheep dung. "No, it's not. I'm just surprised at how well you handled it."
"You'll be surprised how easy I am," he laughed. They kept working. It was nice to be able to clean next to him. Once in the groove it wouldn't stop until the entire pin was clean. She smiled at Aquila . His cheeks were pink and his eyes had a sparkle. The sun was setting and the street lamps were shining in the darkness. "Wow, we're a good team," he said, waving at them as he opened the gate. "Yes," she said, waiting for him to close the gate, leaning her broom and dustpan against the fence. Atiya did the same. She put her hands in front of her face and breathed on her. "It suddenly got cold."
He nodded. "It's my favorite time of the year. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the best holidays."
She looked up at the sky and nodded. It was also her father's favorite time. It will be her first Christmas away from her father. It was as if all of a sudden it hit her. She was so busy setting up and running a bakery that she didn't have time to think about what this time of year might mean. "What did I say?" he asked, leaning over to catch her eye. A thought crossed her mind and she shook her head. It weighed on her heart and made her stomach sour. "I'm sorry. I just realize this will be our first Christmas without Dad." She winced and turned away, praying he didn't see the pain etched all over her face.
When she looked at him again, he was studying her. "Well, the first year without my sister was the hardest. It was the first year without my sister." I opened it for him and my sister went inside. "I'd like to say it's getting easier, but it's not," he said soulfully. She leaned forward and began sweeping more pellets into the dustpan. Tears streamed down her cheeks. The stress of her bakery and her realization that she was all alone except for her crazy aunt came over her. Her warm hand grabbed her elbow and turned her over. Two arms wrapped around her as Aquila pulled her to his chest. She sobbed as he held him in the sheep pen at her zoo. "I'm fine," he whispered. His warm breath tickled her ears. She would be lying if I said this wasn't exactly what she needed. He had the power to attract her. The world felt right when she was with him. And she didn't want him to let go. "Aquila , I. She stepped back and looked at him. When she looked into his dark eyes, she lost all thoughts. His expression as he looked at her was serious. He took off his glove and held out his hand. He caressed her cheek with her fingertips. A tingle spread through her skin and heart. It accelerated as she watched him lean over her. His lips were inches away from hers. Deep down in her heart, she wanted him to hug her. To relieve her of all the pain that afflicts her soul. She wanted to be able to say that she could trust him. So that she can feel something for him. But in the corner of her mind, there was a troubling thought. The day that took root in her heart was the day her father came home after the charter company closed. And she couldn't ignore it. So instead of tiptoeing and pressing her lips against his, she took a step back. "Aquila , I… can't," she whispered. The words felt like cold air on her lips. A look of disappointment appeared on his face as she let go of the hand that was holding her. "I'm sorry," he said. She took a few more steps back and shook her head. They needed more distance between them. As she felt, she was able to throw her guard down and throw herself into his arms again. For reasons of her self-preservation, it was best never to touch Aquila Scott again. She turned her around and put all her frustrations into cleaning the pen. Her heart raced and her emotions felt like fireworks in her chest. She didn't want to admit it, but her depressive thoughts kept running through her head. Maybe, maybe she fell in love with a billionaire.