Chapter 5

The name read 'The Zailey's'.

It was fancy looking from the outside, with lights glistening up it's surroundings. The glass windows revealed its beauty, from the inside, each booth designated by the windows side.

The car went into Park, and the way he had done earlier, he reached over to the Passenger's side and held it open, while she stepped out. One glowing leg first, before the other.

Locking the doors behind her, he reached for her arm. In an elbow lock.

Her heart could have missed five beats in a row.

"Shall we?"

She nodded curtly.

Stepping inside the building, she glanced around, hoping she would see a nice spot.

But no, he didn't head towards there. He walked briskly to an elevator and they both stepped inside.

The mirrors in the lift couldn't have been a good idea for Heritage, because no, she was standing so close to this man, slightly infront. And by blistering barnacles, she felt his skin on hers. Not arms this time.

Not that she only felt it, she saw it.

Through the mirrors, she observed his figure, one thing she knew, the heels added to her height. But sadly, it wasn't still enough. He had broad shoulders and she could even run her fingers on his bisceps. They looked good, they'll sure feel good.

The bell dinged, and she stepped out first.

Surely, she hadn't been expecting to meet the place empty, not in this classy restaurant.

A table for two stood in the centre, illuminated by the candle lights that stood on the table.

He nudged her arm and her wide eyes came back to normal, while she trudged along.

He had her chair out, pushing her back in after she sat.

He did the same and smiled.

"Where's everybody?" She whispered over the table?

"Nobody's supposed to be here. It's a reservation"

"What?!" She whispered again.

"It'll cost a grand" Her eyes travelled round and round, adoring it's magnificiency.

"Indeed, it will" he smiled to her. "But what happens when you own it?"

Now her mouth opened. "You own here?"

She looked around one more time. "You own this place!?"

He nodded paley, and looked away. "My wife did"

Then he faced her "until she passed away last year" he tried to smile.

She appreciated the fact that he smiled to hide his pain. He did a great job keeping his face expressionless even when he talked about his pain. But this kind of pain shouldn't be hidden, it needs comfort. The way she needed it three years ago, when she lost her parents in an auto crash.

She reached out to hold his hand, not sure if that was the right thing to do for this man, but she did hold his hand, and gave it a brush.

He smiled at that "You know I'm pretty over that. I have a daughter that holds my heart, pretty much like her mother. Hazel eyes, like yours"

She smiled, he got his coated tongue ready, even in situations like this.

"What's she like?"

He smiled. And signalled to a waiter. The waiter returned with a champagne.

"Well, she's eleven, blonde," He laughed, turned his gaze to her glass " She has so much energy in her and sometimes she might not just be contained, she's everything like her mother" He laughed again, his eyes glistening at the brim.

"What's her name?" Her voice was as low as a whisper.

"Emily. Em." He laughed distantly again.

"Sorry I'm a bit nosy, Where is she?" She asked searching his blue eyes.

"Her aunt's, Not in this city. You know like her mother's sister." His hand went down to his serviette "I miss her so much, she'll miss me too, I know." His smile had gone.

"If you miss her this much, why isn't she with you?"

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it really. I just feel I might not be enough for her, She needs a mother figure regardless. Besides, I thought I might need space to move on."

"Have you moved on?"

He shot a surprised look at her. Had he moved on? It's been a year. He gave her another look that had no expression. She shifted in her seat. She hadn't expected her own words to come out that way. Who was she even to ask that question?

"I think I have, I don't know" His fingers were dancing on his serviette again.

She sighed.

The waiter returned back.

Herit picked up her menu and scanned it. None of the items there were familiar, except for one she had had one time with her ex, which happened to be an appetizer.

Three course meal, fancy.

"I'll take this," she said, pointing to one that had sushi. "It'll do"

Looking back at her date's face, she found out he had his eyes on her. She only smiled and turned her head.

"Tell me 'bout you" Her head snapped back to him. The waiter had left and it was his blue eyes on hers now.

"Me?" She gave a gentle laugh. "I'm everything."

"Like what?" His gaze didn't move.

"Okay, You know my name already, my full name, and you know I have a brother, in juvenile. He's 15. And my best friend too, Ava. You've met her twice, what else about me?" She asked smiling.

"Also, I used to be a teacher at an elementary school, till I met my ex, he made me stop. Yeah, that was one thing I enjoyed doing but he made me stop. He said being his woman, I shouldn't settle for a low class job. And yeah,I was stupid enough to have agreed." She paused. "I think about it so much now and I realized, I've made so much mistakes, mostly in my choice of relationships. Either way, they've all affected me."

She didn't know whether to be embarrassed now or pride herself for this.

The waiter came in carrying two trays, one with an Italian bruschetta bar and the other had scallion and chive flatbread.

"His name is Zach," she continued. "A couple of people who knew him thought he was calm and nice,yet he was so abusive. He did so much favors for people, me included, and my brother too." she trailed off.

"And the one before my recent ex, was a zach too" she laughed. But it was scanty. Her eyes met his. He nodded.

"The night you met me, he proposed and I said no. I already prepared myself for it, and fancy, he thought doing it in the mall was nice." She shrugged. "He never knew anything about me all along! Everything had to suit himself first, and his Thoughts were always right."

"I'm not a public person, that, even my blanket can confirm. I'd avoid any crowd that centered me as much as possible. I only recall doing it once, after my first breakup. I was really drunk" she laughed.

"And the night I met you too" he smirked, and reached to touch her cheek.

He watched her eyes glow, till her laugher died down.

"So, now you have him out of your life, what do you intend doing?" His face grew a bit serious.

And so did hers, " I don't know yet, A nanny perhaps, it has been on my mind lately"

He smiled and squeezed her hand. "You got this, Herit"

She smiled in return. His words were comforting even though most times Ava had said it and it had no effect on her. This was different, like he meant it.

"So your turn! Tell me about yourself and this Em that looks like me" Her smile glowed more as each word came out.

He dropped his fork he didn't realize he had been holding the entire time, even when he was done with his dish.

The waiter came and cleared the plates, and less than 10 minutes they were replaced with different meals.

"What else about me don't you know?. I'm a neurologist, actually, not just a doctor. And I have a boring life"

"What's your definition of boring?, I think doctors are more annoying than boring. They have set of rules to do and avoid."

He cocked his head, trying to subtle his laughter.

"I'm serious, Ava's a nurse and even though she never takes her job seriously, she's the most annoying thing I ever met, with a tiny sweet part of herself she's trying to dominate with her evil"

By now he couldn't control his laughter and she joined him too.

"What about Em?"

"Em, eh?" He smirked at her.

"What? That's what you called her" she raised her hands in defeat.

"She's sweet and hyper. No, no, you'll need two hands and a score go hold her down. And dealing with her questions...ugh" he laughed again.

Heritage watched in amusement how much he adored the person in question. His eyes glistened as he spoke and toyed with his food.

Each time, he laughed, his jawline seemed to get more chiseled. And his dimples, heaven.

"I need to ask you something"

"Sure, go on" she forked a mouthful.

He went mute for a while, searching her eyes.

"Can I be your friend?"

She seemed to be taken aback by his request. What a cheesy request.

"We're friends already," smiled, "I mean, I wouldn't be sitting here if I wasn't a friend to you"

"And I can trust you?"

Her smile faded. Now this was deep. Just for one time she's meeting this man, and he's asking for trust already.

"Sure." She was confused, and it clearly spread across her face.

"Thank you." He squeezed her hand, and pulled back.

He focused on his meal while she watched in amusement. If he was really a doctor, he was too cheesy for one. They were always serious even with their smiles for patients. Serious smiles.

She smiled within.

The rest of the course was smooth, with Zach being the gentleman she never expected, and her, dodging his teases by proving tough.

After their dessert, they made to leave. The time was 9:42, pretty much later than she predicted and the restaurant below was already filled with more people twice the amount she saw when she first entered.

He took her hand and led her outside, to where he had parked.

He reached to open the door for her, but she seized his hand.

"You know, if we're just friends, you don't have to keep opening the door"

"I'm still trying to make a first impression" His dimples flashed and an eye winked.

"And that, don't."

"What?" He shot back.

"Nothing. I got this" she opened the car and hoped in. She sure hope she didn't blush after he winked at her. This man would end her, definitely.

She watched his silhouette turn over to the other side, moving gracefully.

He started the ignition and geared, all she did was watch his muscles oblige to his actions.

The urge to run her fingers through them shot through her head. They were so beautiful, her fingers were twitching.

She needed to get a hold of herself around this man. This Zach.

He pulled right infront of her apartment in less than thirty minutes.

"Thank you for the ride" she said getting out.

"You're welcome"

She was already inserting a key inside, when she turned around to say goodbye.

But no, he was standing right behind her, with less than 2 inches apart.

"When I said I needed to ask you for something, I was going to ask if you could babysit my daughter if I brought her back" His eyes was everywhere but her face

"Uh sure, why not. I'd gladly"

"Do you mean it?"

She chuckled "Of course, that's what I plan doing now"

"Thank you"

Now she smiled. Not because of what he said but because she couldn't find a good response. He was so close she could smell him, so manly. Her eyes was on his, the way they burned into hers.

Now this is the moment we kiss, she told herself within. Wait for it, Herit.

And much to her expectations, there was an entanglement. Not for her mouth or tongue this time, but her body.

His hard torso pressed on her breasts, seizing her faster than she calculated. She felt his arms wrapped around her, encircling warmth around her.

"Thank you, Herit."

She didn't know whether to hug back or just absorb the warmth the way it came.

"It's so relaxing, talking to you" He pulled himself out. "I appreciate your time tonight"

She chuckled. "It's mutual. Thank you too"

With that, he turned around. "Goodnight"

And he headed for his car. A

nd soon, the car was no longer in sight. She entered her home and slammed the door.

The lights flicked on and Heritage jumped in fright.

"Well, well, well. Look who's having another date already just barely one week of rejecting my proposal."

She paused.