My Dad's Best Friend

Chapter 5: I'm a beguiling muse...

I got up as usual the next morning and was having my breakfast at seven before heading to the gym when the doorbell rang. I was irritated, because it was too early to have visitors when we hardly have any.

I opened the door and I remembered all about the previous night. It was NICK with a smile flashing her teeth and dressed up neatly in a pink pantsuit with black shoes. The first day I saw her, was in jeans and a plain t-shirt, but this girl sure has a thing for formal attire.

"Good morning Harsh!" She greeted me like one of those salespersons throwing bait to make people buy their product.

"Hey there, my dad's best friend! I remember you saying, you'll pick him up at 9." I faked the same smile she threw at me.

She kept smiling and I smiled back which at one point became irritating, so I snapped, "You're early. It's 7am in the morning and dad isn't up yet."

"I am sorry. Your dad texted me to come at this time last night. I am not sure why and I thought you knew." She said without smiling this time.

"Come in," I said.

I felt guilty for snapping at her but didn't apologize. She came in and sat in the same place she was at last night. I brought her some water and she took it without looking at me and gulped down the entire glass in one go. I asked her if she wanted more and she shook her head in response.

Unlike yesterday I wasn't staring at her to prove anything. This time both of us were looking around in awkward silence. Suddenly, she spoke "I am sorry. I do not intend to hit on you."

"Excuse me?" I was confused.

"Well I remember telling you I was a fan, what I didn't tell you is I had this major crush on you as a kid," that smile was back on.

"As a kid?" I shot her back with a blank expression.

She immediately stopped smiling and corrected, "As a teenager, I meant."

I shut my eyes, counted 10 to 1 and opened them to see her staring at me quizzically.

She continued, "Well the reason I'm telling you this is because I do not want to leave a wrong idea about me. It's not like I am not interested or cannot hit on you. It's just I don't want to."

She's got some nerve to say that on my face. Not that I've ever cared. Back in college days I was quiet. I go out for auditions and used to model for products before I actually became a star. Even then girls used to hit on me all the time. I had a steady girlfriend too, but I was pretty much normal and the unwanted attention I used to get because of my profession never bothered me in any way. But this person stating this irked me in ways I cannot explain. I think she might have sensed that, because she became very careful with her next words.

"The reason I don't want to is because of your dad. I mean he's my best friend and we do have a bro code."

"Do you now?" I tried to hide my sarcasm.

"Yes, we do." She smiled.

There is something fundamentally magnetic in her smile, which made me smile back even though I didn't want to.

"So are you telling me, had we not had my dad in the picture you would have made a move on me?" I smirked.

"No won't," she sounded serious.

"Why not?" I asked hoping she wouldn't embarrass me again.

"Because you are YOU." She smiled again.

"Don't flirt with me."

"I'm not." She sounded serious again.

I sighed.