After a long and thorough search, he eventually found her home. Apparently it took him that long because Zara did not put her real or current home address in her file. Devon's pulse was racing as he stood outside the tiny apartment complex. In an effort to locate Zara, he had devoted days to his quest, following tips and compiling data.
And now, as he stood in front of her door, he was unable to get rid of his anxiety. He inhaled deeply before raising his hand and knocking. She appeared when the door opened, looking lovely as always but obviously surprised by his sudden entrance.
"Devon, what are you doing here? In my house?" Zara's voice emitted a mix of astonishment and trepidation.
"Please can I come in? I've gone through the entire city searching for you," Devon said.
Zara opened the door wider and let Devon in. Devon strolled into Zara's house and stood until she offered him a seat.
"What can I offer you?" Zara asked.
"Just a glass of water, please," Devon replied.
Zara disappeared from the living room and reappeared with a glass of water that appeared chilly. She gave it to him and he thanked her before accepting it from her. He took a quick gulp of water and placed the glass on the saucer that Zara brought along with the water.
"Once again Devon, what are you doing here and how did you find my house?" Zara asked, still confused.
"Let me go straight to why I'm here," Devon said.
There was a brief moment of silence before he continued.
"There's something that I failed to admit to myself and the more I try to deny it, the more I felt myself being consumed by it. Zara, I think…no, I don't think, I have fallen for you," Devon admitted.
There was another pause which was interrupted by Zara's laughter. Her laughter made Devon confused. He couldn't understand why she was laughing but taking a few seconds to think, he realized why.
"Ok, I know why you're laughing and I don't blame you. You're probably thinking about how impossible it is for a playboy like me to fall in love. I understand but it is what it is. I'm in love with you and I can't help it," he said.
Zara's face changed to that of seriousness.
"Don't say what you don't mean, Devon. Love is a big thing and you shouldn't throw that word around carelessly. Besides, you're incapable of falling in love with anyone. Have you forgotten your reputation?" She said.
"I know what I'm saying; I'm not joking around. I won't say the word if I don't mean it. And about my reputation, there's a story behind that," Devon said, drawing Zara's attention.
Devon told her about his parents and how his mother left them – him and his father – when he was a little boy. He told her about how he watched his father suffered as a result of his mother's departure. He told her that he grew up believing that women were heartless. As if that wasn't enough, he told her about his ex-fiancée who also broke his heart by sleeping with one of his best friends.
Zara sat back and watched him while he spoke. She had never seen him so broken; she felt pity for him and what he had been through, especially with the sudden departure and abandonment by his mother. She also opened up about her family's problems.
She spoke about her father who also left her mother, older sister and herself to be with another woman but told him that before her father left them, he had been going out with several different women. She also told him about her older sister's husband who did the same thing.
She confessed that she vowed not to have anything to do with men, especially playboys, after seeing the damage it did to her mother and sister. Devon now understood why she built those walls around herself and he felt sorry for her.
"Why did you leave the company?" Devon asked curiously.
Zara smiled before answering.
"Despite all my efforts to keep my walls up, they crumbled when I found myself falling for the kind of man I promised myself never to get involved with. I had to leave when I found out that being around you wasn't helping me keep my vows," she said.
Devon moved closer to her, making Zara's heartbeat increase rapidly.
"You don't have to hide your feelings; we both love each other. I think we should start a romantic relationship and see where this leads us," Devon said.
"I don't think we should start any relationship given your reputation," Zara said, still scared.
"I promise you on my late father's grave that I will not play with your heart; I promise you," Devon said, all seriousness etched on his face.
"How do I know that you truly are in love with me and you're not just looking for a way to play with my heart?" Zara asked, feeling vulnerable.
"This," Devon, said as he leaned all the way in towards Zara whose heart was beating really fast.
He placed a warm kiss on her lips and it was like they were both floating in the skies. It was nothing like they've ever experienced. There were butterflies in their stomachs and the feelings were strong. After what seemed like hours, they broke apart and looked intensely into each other's eyes.
"I love you Zara and I would never do anything to hurt you," Devon said.
Zara looked in his eyes and all she could see was the sincerity in his eyes and voice – the same sincerity she had seen in his eyes since he walked into her house. She believed him and leaned in for a hug and it was the best feeling in the world. After what seemed like minutes, they broke up the hug and went back to staring intensely at each other eyes.
They slowly leaned in for a kiss but they were interrupted by the opening of the door. Zara's eyes flew wide open when she saw who had just walked in.