k i w i

- 21 -

- arabella -

"So by what time are you arriving?" I ask Isabella as I walked inside a coffee shop. Getting in line, I also anxiously covered my stomach with the cardigan. "Do you want me to pick you up?"

"Uh, nah." She says, clearing her throat. "I'll Uber to your house."

"Are you sure?" Asking her back, I moved down the line. "I can totally go get you."

Looking over the menu, I frowned as I saw that most of their beverages contained caffeine. I couldn't drink caffeine.

"No, Bella, I'm good." Isabella says, "I'll see you later okay?"

Rolling my eyes, I finally decided on hanging up. "Okay, Isabella, bye."

Ending the call, I threw the phone into my purse and took my wallet out. Isabella had been a bit distant with me, maybe it was because I could no longer party with her.

Finally getting to the front, I began to give my order. "One ham sandwich and one veggie, both in whole wheat and two medium chamomile tea."

Sticking my card into the machine, I punched in my pin and then took my receipt. Going to a side, I looked around, sighing when I saw the paintings.

All around there were paintings of celebrities in some of their iconic moments: Snookie with her neck brace, Amanda Bynes in court, Britney Spears with her shaven head, Justin Bieber's mugshot, and ten more. Among those ten more, I was one of them.

"Hey, you look like that one." A girl with long and curled hair said to me, she looked older than me, kind of Regina's age. "Wait...-"

"Yep." I cut her off, smiling and trying not to glare so hard. "That's me."

Mine was when I got into a fight, my eye bruised and lip busted, I also had my resting bitch face. The painting was from a picture that the nickname of 'Chicago's Bad Girl' was born from, I was walking out of court.

"So, what do you do?" She asks, raising an eyebrow and looking me up and down quickly. "What are you famous for?"

Before I could answer her, one of the baristas called out my order and I went to pick it. Thanking the barista, I went back to the lady. "For beating up noisy bitches like yourself."

Seeing her eyes widen, I smile back at her and walked right out. Sometimes they needed to know not to stick their noses in people's business.

Getting into my car and setting the drinks in the passenger's seat, I began to drive. The traffic light as it neared almost ten at night.

It took me a good ten minutes to get there and find a spot to park, and when I finally did, I almost ran towards the double doors.

Looking down at the text message, I pressed the twenty-third button on the elevator and tried not to puke when it began to move. After two torturous minutes of being in the elevator, I finally step out.

The floor had multiple offices, all with glass walls and doors, all except for the main one straight in front of me and behind the receptionist. She looked exhausted, the glow of the computer prompting her forming eye bags.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, Mr. Malik is not available right now." She says, standing up and watching me walk down hall to her desk. "You could try to come back tomorrow."

"Could you just tell him Bella is here." I say, just trying to get in there and begin to eat my sandwich. "Please and thank you."

The girl seemed conflicted, but she went with it. I watched her knock and then walk in, the door closing behind her. She was in there for maybe three seconds before she was back out, "Go ahead."

Going around and in, I smile at him. His desks had papers everywhere, the coffee machine was going, and he had the first buttons of his shirt unbuttoned.

"Hi, doll." He says, scribbling a few things down before standing up and going around his desk. "How's the baby?"

Removing the cardigan from my stomach, he set his hand down on the slowly growing belly, his warmth running through me.

"Good." I smile wider, putting up the tray with our drinks and the bag. "I brought you the best sandwich you'll ever have!"

"Oh yeah?" He asked, giving my cheek a brief kiss before going back to his chair. "Which is?"

"A veggie sandwich with a magical jelly spread." I reply back, sitting in one of the chairs and setting everything down on the chair besides me. "I'll give it over once we organized your mess."

He groaned, "I really have no energy or coffee for that."

Ignoring him, I began to gather the papers and read them before organizing them. Most of them were papers stating that the money coming into the company were distributed properly, Zayn's signature assuring it.

"Why haven't you sent your assistant home, Zayn?" I ask, paper clipping and settling it all in neat piles. "You don't need her here, do you?"

"I told her she could go home." He says, shrugging and grabbing the bag. "It was her choice to not leave, doll."

Shaking my head at him, I took the papers and set them on anther table, not wanting my clumsy ass to ruin them. "Send the poor girl home."

He let out a chuckle, grabbing the phone and dialing her number. "You can go home now, Ann. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Rolling my eyes when he hung up, I grabbed the box he slid to me and opened it. Taking the cups, I gave him his. "And some tea, I bet all you drank was caffeine and alcohol."

"I don't drink tea." He shakes his head, "It's nasty."

"Well, I can't have caffeine, so I'm going to make you suffer as well." Grinning at him innocently, I gave the tea a nudge back. He let out another chuckled, taking the cup and giving it a sip. "It'll relax your body."

"I could think of other things that could relax my body." Winking over at me, I flick him off and took half my sandwich. "Oh come on, doll."

"Shut up," I couldn't help by giggle, "your baby is in the room."

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