GRIFFIN
"Okay, let me tell Griffin and I'll see you in an hour." I hear her voice from where she stands in the kitchen while I work on ny laptop in the bed.
"Going somewhere?" I ask her, my eyes trailing up and down her body that is only covered by a short green robe.
"Ava said she was going to get lunch at this place we always used to go to. We wanted to go reminisce." She tells me, walking closer so she standing next to the bed.
"Okay, sounds good." I stand, kissing her temple then going towards the bathroom.
"That easy? You won't try to give me a lecture on safety?" She says, walking behind me.
"No, take your assigned men and I have no issues, I am not a monster baby." I smirk when she gasps.
"I am not taking bodyguards." Her face is horrified. I raise an eyebrow. "That's so embarrassing, people know me here. I can't walk around with armed guys like I'm precious cargo." She reasons, following me out of the bathroom. I turn to her looking down at her puffy cheeks.
"Okay, then I'll go with you. I am security enough for my wife." I touch her earlobe, then her cheek. She flushes, lowering her eyes. "I will sit on a different table if that helps, Avalynn's afternoon won't be ruined." I lean down and kiss her lips twice.
"Okay." She smiles slightly. "But you won't sit on a separate table, that's mean. Ava can handle it." She says, scurrying off to the closet.
ARIEL
Griffin and I make it to the cafe just in time to meet Ava, and her bright smile immediately falls when her eyes fall on the man walking towards her behind me.
"What is he doing here?" She whispered harshly, as if that would prevent him from hearing her.
Ofcourse I had told Ava everything. That Griffin and I had worked things out, that I was engaged to him for good and that I forgave him completely. But that unfortunately didn't mean Ava liked him any more.
"I wanted to bring him with me." I shrug.
"But this is a girls lunch. Are you a girl?" She asks him directly.
"Rest assured, I am as pleased to see you as you are me." Griffin's curt response makes me gasp and turn to him with a stern look on my face.
"That is mean." I scold.
"I'm aware." He drawls. His phone rings, getting his attention so he takes it out and scowls at it. "Stay here, I will be right over there where I can see you okay?" His voice becomes soft.
I feel my own annoyance loosening at his worried eyes. He has been so careful and paranoid since I got kidnapped. I never go out without either him or a car full of guards anymore. The way he acts so cautious makes me feel bad.
"I'll be fine." I kiss his jaw before sending him off. I turn back around to Ava, who looks mad.
"Ew." She says pointedly. I roll my eyes as we both sit across from each other on the comfy chair.
"Come on, Ave. He's my fiancé, for real this time. You can't hate him forever." I reason.
"I can." She says stubbornly. I give her my best pleading look and watch her shoulders slump. "But fine, for you I won't be so callous." She says.
I smile at that and we place our orders. I ordered for Griffin. We start talking about random things, catching up after being away from each other for a week.
Ava came to see me when I was in the hospital and even wanted to stay in Italy till I felt better but her flight was the next day and I made sure she came here to close off all her business here before moving back to Italy.
"I'm gonna get that lemonade." I wave my empty cup around, standing up to go fill it from the fountain wall. I love bottomless drinks at restaurants.
"Ariel?" A voice interrupts my quest for lemonade and I look up to see my old colleague, Taylor Winston standing there in a blue suit. Oh no.
"Hi." I say, making sure not to smile too much. This guy could not take a hint if it hit him in the face.
"Wow, you look even better than before." His gaze swipes over my body for several uncomfortable seconds that make me uneasy. "Thought we'd never see you around again, are you rejoining?" He asks.
"No, I'm not. I actually resigned a week ago." My response is as short and curt as I can possibly go.
"A damn shame. Well hey, now that I've caught you so unexpectedly, I won't leave without getting your number." He flashes his perfectly straight white teeth. I feel queasy.
"Actually Taylor, I don't think that's such a good--" I start to turn away but he catches my wrist in tight grip and my heart falls. "Hey." I complain, twisting away my hand.
"Oh come on, I won't let you leave without giving me that number Ariel, you're not the type of woman one should let go." His lecherous gaze makes me so angry, and just as I am about to slap the fear of god into him, he gets pulled back and a loud crack is heard when Griffins fist strikes his face.
"Oh my god!" I exclaim, grabbing Griffin's bicep when he starts to go in for another blow. "No no no." I quickly admonish, standing infront of him. "I'm okay. He's just a nobody okay? Your knuckles just healed, do not bruise them again." I warn.
Griffin looks down at me, eyes alight with fury. "No one touches you." He growls. His eyes snap back at the man who is nursing his broken nose. Griffin takes my hand, pulling me behind him and walks closer to Taylor who cowers away. "You so much as think about my wife again, I will know, and it will be your last breath you pay with." My fiance seethes, then leads me out of the restaurant.
"Oh my god that was so Christian Gray coded!" Ava squeals behind me. I turn to give her a look which makes her sober up. "Sorry." She clears her throat.
Ava is almost never that excited. She likes to come off cool and collected. It's her coping mechanism for everything she's been through.
"It's fine." I turn to Griffin who looks very angry. "I'm sorry." I mumble, placing my hand that is not in his to his chest. His eyes snap down to me, then soften.
"Baby, it wasn't your fault okay? I am sorry Carlos picks the worst times to call me." He pinches my bottom lip lovingly which makes me smile.
He does that to show affection, he pinches my lip, cheek, earlobe, my nose. Anywhere.
"Okay that was sweet, but now I have diabetes. I got our lunch wrapped up, let's eat by those tables." Ava points to the garden tables and chairs set outside the restaurant.
I agree with her because I am famished and send her in for my lemonade.
I was still thirsty.
