CHAPTER 15

He shot to his feet, walked around the counter and into the backroom where he found her frozen, the tap still running with water spilling from the full sink. He took a quick step to her and turned the tap off. "Hey," he called, touching her arm, then took the glass she was holding from her.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed in a whisper as he placed the glass on the workspace next to the sink.

"Are you okay?" He held both her hands, looking into her eyes. Something was definitely wrong.

Ammika had not noticed that he was standing so close to her. She felt she couldn't breathe. She looked back into his eyes that were dangerously close, closer than they had ever been, eyes that were filled will care and concern. She felt hot, her pulse rose, and she took a step back, pulling away from him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He turned to the full sink, pulling back the sleeve on his right arm, dipped his hand in and pulled out the sink plug and the water rushed down the drain.

He turned to look at her and she immediately looked away. He was about to speak but decided otherwise. He then started walking towards her and her pulse rose again, the thought of him being so close to her made her get goosebumps. He walked past her and reached for the mop at the corner which he used to dry the water that had overflowed from the sink.

"It's my fault, let me do it." She took a step towards him, stretching her hand for the mop.

"No, I got it Ammika. Just take a minute and catch your breath."

She nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. As she watched him mop, she couldn't help but smile; she greatly admired him for his good and pure heart.

"Anything else left to do?" He asked, returning the mop to the corner it was on.

"Um, no. Just closing up," She answered, breaking from her thoughts.

"How do I go about that?"

"No, you've done plenty. I can handle that, I'm fine," She retorted.

"I believe you Ammie, but I still won't let you. I am capable of doing things you know." He added a chuckle.

"I never said or implied that you aren't." She shot and his silence and the look on his face made her quickly realize how harsh that had been. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." She admitted.

"I'm just trying to help Ammika."

She knew there was no fighting him on this, she gave in, and told him what he needed to do."

"Thank you." She whispered, taking the keys from him after he locked the main entrance.

"Let me take you home." He suddenly said, and her heart missed a beat.

She looked up into his eyes to see if he was joking. Surely he had to be joking, right?

He wasn't.

"Thank you, but you've done so much already. I'll find my way home." She argued.

"It would be wrong of me to let you go home alone after what happened back there. What if something happens to you? I'd never forgive myself Ammika." He cried.

Damn him! Why on earth did he have to be such a gentleman? Why couldn't he be like the other whack jobs who came to drink their miserable lives away at the bar? Why did he have to be so good to her?

She wanted to put up an argument but thought better of it. It was not a fight he was going to let her win.

He led her to his car which was the only one left in the parking lot. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yeah, I am," came her answer. "I don't know what happened back there. I just…have so much on my mind."

Yes, she had told him she was okay, he didn't entirely believe her but chose not to push any further into the matter. He got the door for her and hopped into the driver's seat.

They drove in silence in the deserted streets of lower Malibu which contrasted greatly from what he was used to in Los Angeles.

"Why are you doing all this?" She suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" He asked eyes still on the road.

"Why are you being nice to me?"

He believed he didn't have an answer to that. But he did, he just couldn't admit it to her, not under their current circumstances.

"Because I…" he broke of and sighed. "I don't really know Ammika. I just feel like I need to."

She didn't know what to think of that answer, but I her heart, she was almost sure that wasn't the honest truth.

"Have you been to neighborhoods like this? Or seen houses like these? I'm sure you haven't she." She told him, changing the subject before it got weird.

He laughed making a turn as per her instructions. "Why would you assume that?"

"I'm sure houses in Beverly Hills or Bel air look nothing like these."

He turned to her for a second before turning back to the road. "What do houses in those places look like then?"

"I don't know," she chuckled. "Massive mansions with way too many unnecessary bathrooms." She teased and they laughed.

"You might be right but-"

"I know I m." She interrupted.

After that, they continued the drive in silence up until she asked him to pull over which he did.

"My place is right by the corner." She told him, pointing to a building a few meters in front of them.

"Why are we stopping here? I don't mind taki-"

"I know you don't Hiram, it's just that…" she broke off, wondering whether to tell him the reason or not. "It's just that my bo…Leo sits at our balcony to watch the street below and I'd hate for him to get any crazy ideas."

He was silent, he knew what she meant by 'any crazy ideas'. "I hope you'll be fine from here."

"Yeah, I will be. Thank you Hiram, for everything."

"Don't mention it." He spoke softly, catching her eyes.

It was dark inside the car but a dim street-light far in front of the car made their eyes shine. Despite the terrifying silence in the car, their eyes managed to say a lot, drawing the other one in with each passing second. The tension was felt by both of them, but there was something else growing inside them. Desire.

The distance between their faces slowly decreased until they could feel each other breath, the heat from each other's body. His eyes dropped from her eyes to her lips then back to her eyes.

Outside, a stray dog was crossing the road and an oncoming car gave a loud hoot that startled them. They almost jumped in their seats. "Oh God that was scary!" She cried and they both laughed at themselves.

"Definitely." He agreed settling on his seat. He turned to her and found her staring at him, her eyes still shining under the street light. She didn't try to break the eye contact, she smiled after a second and looked away, pushing back a strand of hair to the back of her ear.

"So umm, I should go. Thank you again, and have a goodnight."

"Goodnight to you too Ammie." He relied and waited patiently for her to alight.

She stood on the curb and gave a tiny wave which he replied with a nod before turning the car , and driving away. She turned and walked home, a smile stupid spread across her face.