The groceries came in and I was excited to start cooking as soon as possible. I stocked up my fridge and placed each ingredient carefully. I wore an apron and picked an onion.
Suddenly, my phone rang and it was my Father requesting a video chat. A sneaky smile emerged on my face. I answered the call and saw their frowned faces. I set the phone on the counter and continued dicing the onion. "Hello, Mother and Father. Have you been well?". I said with a wide grin. "I thought we raised you better than this". My father remarked.
"What do you mean, Father?".
"You're at Wrightwood. Care to explain why?". My mother inquired.
"There's nothing to explain, my lovely Parents. I'm just at the new location for my next restaurant. Take care now". I ended the call. It felt good to do that. Oddly satisfying.
I got another video chat request, and this time, it was from Roberto. Fernando was with him too. "Hey, guys!". I said cheerfully.
"Hey, Diana! What are you up to?". Fernando asked with a broad smile.
"How's the sunny town of Wrightwood?". Roberto added.
"I'm good. This town is really beautiful. And oh, you'll never guess who I met yesterday ".
They looked at each other and said in unison. "Damian!".
That caught me off guard. They guessed so well.
"Yes". I rolled my eyes.
"So, did you grab him by the collar and kiss your long-lost friend?". Roberto teased.
"As if. He was so mean to me. But he made it clear that he remembered me. Then today, he told me that he found me sexually attractive, right after I told him I wanted the land he owned". I started with a sigh.
"All these in barely two days?". Fernando asked with a raised brow.
"That punk. What a gutsy move. How dare he approach you with such nonsense?". Roberto responded angrily.
" Make sure to take the necessary precautions if he tries to force anything. You can use that pepper spray I bought you". Fernando suggested.
"I don't think I would need it. He may be straight with his words but I don't think he would want to hurt his pride by forcing anything ". I responded
"Men these days". Roberto scoffed.
"Roberto, how's your girlfriend?". I asked with a sly smile.
"Which one of them?". He responded and Fernando and I laughed.
We ended the call soon and I continued with my cooking. I was done with it in no time and sat to eat. I prepared Treasure's favorite too. Another call came in from my restaurant in Canada.
"Good evening Miss Diana".
"Good evening Mr. Xavier. What is it?"
"I just called to inform you that I've mailed the documents of the sales report and menu reviews. It's scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning".
"Oh perfect! You do know the hotel I'm staying at right?"
" Yes. You stay at Genesis".
"Yes. Keep up the good work bye".
I turned on the TV and my face was the first thing that popped up on the screen. It was news about my visit to Wrightwood. I turned it off instantly. "Don't these people have anything better to do?". I hissed. "Come on Treasure, let's go for a walk. Treasure ran up to me and led the way.
As I walked down the stairs, I realized that I didn't know much about the three other people who lived in the building. A man was coming up the stairs as we were going down and he almost bumped into Treasure. "Oh!. Easy there girl.". He said as he carried her up in his arms and handed her over to me. "She's beautiful". He gazed at her. "Oh Thank you".I responded as I looked up at him.
I found him adorable for someone of his height. 'Adorable' was the only word I could use to describe him. He was tall and lean but as cute as a puppy. He had a face that reminded you of one. He was dressed in comfortable clothes so I assumed he lived in the building too. He had full hair and I marveled at its length.
His gaze on me lingered for an uncomfortable amount of time. I coughed to break it. "Oh. Sorry about that. It's just that you're so beautiful. I'm Peter Phillips". He introduced himself. I wasn't moved. Not even an inch. I stifled a chuckle as I thought of his initials. "Thanks for the compliment". I turned to go down the stairs. "Wait! You haven't told me your name yet".
I was aghast. Did he not know me or was he trying to feign ignorance? Either way, I wasn't letting him know. "You don't need to know that. Bye then". I walked down the stairs and mumbled "Weirdo" under my breath.
I wasn't going to be childish and give him a fake name. I wasn't there to make friends. I was there to secure the land for my new restaurant and that, I must do.
Treasure and I walked around the yard till it was nighttime. She dived into the pool and so did I. We left for our rooms later on and fell asleep.
I was woken by a phone call the next day. "Damn it! Who the heck is it? Does the person have a death wish?". I picked up the phone and it was an unknown caller. I answered the call, clenching my teeth.
"Hello".
"Princess Diana. How are you? It's your future husband, Trevor".
"Do you want to die!!!?". I yelled out.
"Calm down. What is it?".
"How dare you interrupt my sleep? Who calls by 6 am?".
"I just called to see how my darling is doing".
"Screw you!".
'I can't believe that punk. At this rate, I'm not going to get any sleep". I sighed as I lay back on the bed.
I opened my eyes and looked out the window. It was sunny. I checked the clock and it was noon. "Already? When did I sleep?". I looked around. "Oh my, where's Treasure? Suddenly, I heard a noise from the kitchen. I stood for a bit and watched her.
She stood on a stool, pouring her dog treats into two plates. My heart melted. She was trying to prepare a meal for the both of us, but since she couldn't cook, she had to use what she could. I watched as she carried the plates to the table. She used her teeth to pick up the cup on the counter and turned the tap on. After filling the cup with water, she set it on the table beside my plate of food.
She turned and caught me looking at her. She ran up to me. I crouched down to hug her. "Thank you so much for trying to care for me, mama. You mean the world to me". I told her as she nestled closer. "What do you say we go pay a visit to Mr. Grumpy Pants today". She barked in approval.
I wasn't going to risk revealing my legs again so this time, I settled for a sleeveless long white dress. My hair was let down fully and I was proud of my genes. I still looked fashionable, regardless. I wore sandals which were perfect for the sandy beachside Damian lived. Then it hit me. "The files!".
I immediately called Mr. Xavier.
"Hello, Mr. Xavier. Did you mail the files already ?".
" I did mail them but the delivery date was rescheduled for later this evening ".
"Great thanks". I respired.
As we drove on, I blasted our favorite tunes and we moved to the music. Particularly Treasure with her tail wagging. "Mr. Grumpy Pants must be home". I said to myself as I caught a glimpse of his truck.
I walked up to where his truck was parked and flinched when I heard a sound from below. "Who's there?". He inquired as he came out from underneath. My eyes widened. He was shirtless. Oh my! He was shirtless. His perfect body glistened in the sun. And the grey sweatpants. I tried not to let my eyes wander down as I took in all that was before me. I almost reached out and...
"What are you staring at?".
"Huh? Nothing. I just came to discuss something with you". I managed.
" If it's about...
"Can't you just invite us in so we can talk like mature adults? At least away from the sun?".
He shifted his gaze from me to Treasure. Once again, it was a prolonged gaze.
"Okay. Fine follow me".
I held on for my dear life as we went up the cliff. It wasn't steep but every step felt like death to me. Treasure was scared, I was terrified and Damian was apathetic. He was used to it, I guessed. I held on to Treasure while trying to watch my steps and at the same time, stop myself from being distracted by the shirtless man in front of me.
We finally got to his house and I heaved a sigh of ease. He opened the door to his house and I was stupefied. I expected a guy like him to live an edgy lifestyle, but his home was neat, decent, and chic. Everything was just set perfectly. From the windows to the living room with grand furnishings. The dining room was artsy and everything just seemed to be perfect. Like a portrait. The small kitchen was the only thing that threw me off. Treasure sat on the couch and made herself comfortable.
I anticipated seeing the rest of the house, especially the bedrooms. 'Gosh, why did I think of that?". I murmured. "I know it's no castle but do you have to keep gaping at it like that?". He inquired
"That's not what I... Whatever just go get a shirt on so we can talk business". His countenance changed immediately and his eyes darkened.
"A shirt on? Are you uncomfortable seeing me like this Diana?".He asked, slowly walking up to me. I started taking steps back.
"What are you doing? ". I asked as I grew uneasy.
"I'm giving you what you want. Don't you find me sexy right now?". My back was already against the wall. He was now close enough that I could feel his hot breath on my face. My heart thudded as he tilted his head and planted a kiss on my lips.