By Your Side

4

Ioannis

The woman who spontaneously got inside my car this afternoon has been lingering on the back of my mind, during the drive back home and even now as I ride the elevator to my apartment.

In particular, the moment of her taking off her sunglasses has left an imprint in my head and I hate not being able to shake off the image. To make matters worse, even after I dropped her off, my car still smelt like her perfume—a mix of vanilla and tonka bean.

In my job as a bodyguard, I've both seen and worked with many celebrities before. So I can't fathom why this particular encounter has been lurking in my head like some puzzle I'm wanting to solve.

Perhaps it was because of the splash of vulnerability that was displayed on her face as she asked me to drive. The almost scared look covering her facial features as she glanced back at the paparazzi following her outside. Or perhaps it's just because celebrity or not, it's not every day that someone randomly gets your car and ropes you in to be their impromptu Uber driver.

As I reach my apartment, I tell myself to snap out of it—I've probably just had a long day running around the city doing errands, and that interaction has just messed with my head. Taking out my keys, I open my apartment door and step inside with the groceries I'd purchased.

"Apologies I'm late, Tonia," I call out, closing the door after me. My sister, Antonia Dimitriou, who is eight years younger than me has been staying with me in LA for the past two weeks after a trip to Europe with her friends. Next week, she starts her postgraduate course meaning she'll be living on campus and I'm about to be assigned my next work assignment so there's a good chance I'll be living at the client's residence. So before then, I want to make the most of the time I have with her.

Turning around, I take off my shoes and then hear the sound of footsteps followed by Tonia's cheery voice. "Surprise! Happy birthday to the best big brother in the world!"

I turn back around to see my sister standing there with a tray of what looks like a freshly baked and very delicious-looking chocolate cake with three candles. A wide smile is spread across Tonia's face.

I stand there with my groceries, surprise swirling in my body. Truthfully, I'd almost forgotten that today's my birthday.

There's a twinkle in Tonia's eyes as she continues speaking. We both have the same green eyes and dark brown hair. "Okay, I know you don't usually like celebrating your birthday but, I think you can make an exception this year since it's your thirtieth. Plus, I baked you this cake!"

She's right that I don't generally celebrate my birthday—no particular reason, other than the fact that I just don't enjoy being the focus of any attention. But a heartwarming feeling wraps around my body knowing that Tonia baked something for me, and I'm more than happy to celebrate my birthday with her today. She's the only immediate family member I have left and I'm still in contact with, and I'm very much keen on maintaining the "best big brother" title.

"Okay, my hands are getting sore," she quips. "Do you want cake or not?"

A tiny chuckle leaves my lips. "What happened to cooking together?" Earlier today, I'd promised Tonia that we'd cook dinner together tonight.

"We can still do that after eating this cake," she replies, a cheeky expression plastered across her face. "How about we bend the rules a little and have dessert, and then dinner?"

I smile at her. "Sounds like a plan."

"Perfect!" Tonia beams.

I follow her as she leads the way to the kitchen and dining room. I quickly put the bags of groceries I'd purchased on the kitchen island, taking out the bottle of milk so I can put it in the fridge. Tonia places the cake down on the dining table, and then we both take our seats.