Protecting You - Complete

Chapter 1 - Ana

"Hey! So glad you could join us." Steering us into Forever 21, she ditched her friends in the main part of the store and maneuver us into the change rooms in next to no time, ensuring we could speak without being overheard.

"Thank you so much," I said once we were ensconced in a change room, supposedly trying things on. "My name is Ana Steele, and I graduated a few weeks ago from WSU, then moved to Seattle to try to get work in publishing. I've just moved into a studio in First Hill, and a few days back, I noticed this guy following me. He's showing up everywhere I go. I'm sorry to force myself onto you like this, but I'm really scared. I don't know anyone in Seattle, and I hope if he sees me leave here with people, he won't follow me anymore."

Introducing herself as Mia, she was surprisingly ok with my approaching her. "You've done the right thing," she assured me. "Safety in numbers and all that." She barely had a chance to say anything more when a male voice sounded from outside the closed curtain.

"Ms. Grey? Are you alright?" He sounded alarmed.

"Perfectly fine, G. Just helping my friend Ana, here. There's a man outside who's following her." Opening the curtain, Mia nodded to a man in his late twenties who was standing outside the fitting room. Dressed in dark jeans and a fitted button-up, he almost blended in but not quite. Something about his hair and bearing reminded me of Ray.

"Ana? This is my CPO Justin Gamboa. G, this is my new friend Ana Steele."

"Ms. Steele," Mr. Gamboa said formally, further confirming my sense he had a military background. "Can you describe the man following you?"

"Your CPO?" I asked, looking at Mia. My question made it clear I had no idea who or what that was.

"A bodyguard, of sorts," she admitted with a pretty blush. "My family are overprotective..."

"The man outside?" Mr. Gamboa asked again, listening as I outlined the physical description of the male who was trailing me, plus the other times I'd noticed him. I'd barely finished speaking when he was relaying my descriptions into his wristwatch.

"Ms. Grey? Ms. Steele? You need to remain in the store for at least the next fifteen minutes. Please let us take care of this."

I looked at my new associate, Mia. "I'm so very sorry," I stammered, appreciating what a burden I'd thrust upon a complete stranger.

"Don't sweat it," she replied, surprising me with a quick hug. "This is the most exciting thing to happen to me in forever! Now how about we join Lily, Stephanie, and Zoey and check out the latest collection? Lily pretends to like nothing here, but I've seen how much she buys!"

Checking out the price tags as we walk around the store, I could imagine why they bought little. The clothes were small, yet the prices were not—at least for someone like me! However, by the way the girls were passing items to shop attendants to place in the fitting rooms, I suspected it was more the other way around. These girls were probably unused to shopping somewhere so mundane. Despite my complete lack of knowledge of design and fashion, even I knew certain brands. Mia's friend Lily was brandishing her Gucci bag like a loaded weapon, and I would bet it was not a knockoff.

Standing close to Mia as she systematically made her way through the store, I was not unaware of the speculative looks I was receiving from Mia's friends, particularly the brunette. She wasted no time coming over, introducing herself.

"Hi, I'm Lily. I've known Mia and the Greys forever, yet I've never met you...?"

I had no idea how to respond. Without knowing Mia and her friends, I didn't want to implicate Mia through a lie.