Forgotten Paradise by Average Canadian

Chapter 18: I Never Said I Was Her Boyfriend

Rachel was tapping her foot impatiently.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Percy assured while slipping on his sneakers.

The gallery staff were all too chirpy. Offering Rachel drinks and personal tour guides while brushing Percy off like he was a crumb on their collared shirts.

Turns out in one of her little 'rebel' movements against her dad she donated a million dollars to the joint. Now they treated her like an honored queen. A goddess.

For good reason of course.

Percy stretched and walked out casually with Rachel beside him. Her red plumes battled down into a bun that still fought the elastic while her painted jeans and old shirts swapped for a blouse and formal pants.

"Thanks for waiting." Rachel smiled at him with perfect teeth.

"Well it's kinda my job." Percy rolled his neck to unstiffen his joints.

"I know those types of presentations aren't really your thing but there awesome to me."

Percy couldn't agree more. Those art presentations and save the polar bear acts were not up his alley. Yet he still had to attend because Rachel wanted to.

"To be fair I was semi asleep for half of it." Percy admitted

Rachel nodded, seeming to be reviewing on the afternoon they just had. They walked toward the Dare's building in a comfortable silence.

The sun was starting to lift off the buildings allowing the shadows to lurk at the bases. Cars scaling the hills bumped along. A street car passed carrying less than normal amount of people.

The air had settled in a humid windless manner. People were passing while talking on phones, shoppers marching to the next store. Some random dude checking out oranges behind them.

A normal day so to speak.

"You have a basketball game on Friday right?" Rachel looked up at him with her murky green eyes.

"Ya."

"Great, I'll be there." she commented absentmindedly while tugging out her phone.

You kinda have to be.

They angled around the bend and started walking down a steep incline. A lady with twins in a double carriage passed, huffing and pushing the carriage up the hill. Birds darted amongst the shrubs that decorated random patches. A middle aged man was examining a coffee shop sign behind them.

The alarm bells started ringing in his mind.

Percy swallowed and inhaled through his nose slowly. He thought carefully and analyzed what was going on around them. Gently he slid his arm around Rachel's waist and put his lips close to her ear so it looked like he was kissing her temple.

"Act like I'm your boyfriend." he whispered. Rachel tensed, her muscles quivered.

"It's alright." Percy soothed calmly "Act natural, there's just someone following us. I think he was at the presentations too."

A discreet look back answered his question.

The guy from the middle row on the left. Yeah Percy remembered him. The guy who kept coughing. Black shirt, normal jeans, a pair of worn shoes and a wide mouth.

Rachel leaned her small figure against Percy's shoulder, her own tense shoulders pressing up against him. Percy's mind was sent into action mode. He filed through his training and thought the best way out.

"I want you to go into that store up ahead, alright?" Percy muttered while he motioned with his head to the ladies underwear store. "I'll stay outside and see who this guy is. As long as you're talking to someone you'll be fine, so stay in public sight."