I was standing outside Gavi's house, looking at it mouth agape. It was so big. So so big. Isn't it too big for one person to live only? Well not my thing to worry over. "Yes ma'am." A guard appeared with a small smile over his lips, maybe he saw me drooling over the house.
"Hi I'm Hazel." Naturally my hand moved forward for a shake. He smiled and shake my hand, "Mr.Gavira, told us about your arrival. Please come in." He gestured me inside, tapping a button and the main door slided open giving a beautiful view of a green path and garden leading to the door of the villa.
Rich shit.
Of course He would have told the guards about my arrival as he had set the rules himself. It's been two days since the settlement and after that he came again to my cafe and gave me a list of rules then disappeared.
We'll only make the project at my house.
No talking
No questions
Not touching anything at my home
We're not friends so no staying over
And so on. They were so much that I couldn't even count them on my fingers. Typical Gavi.
The guard led me to the door, moving back to his place near the main gate afterwards and I rung the bell.
While Waiting, I started looking around, the decoration of the outsides, which were so aesthetic and soft, a designer might have done that. When I'll get old, I'll settle with my husband away from traffic and people, in a natured up place like this. Green plants, colourful flowers, calming odour, uh utter peace.
The door didn't open so I rung again and waited, no response. Rung Again, waited, no response.
Don't tell me he has changed his mind. I rung again and suddenly the door opened revealing a wet Gavi with only a towel wrapped around his lower region.
"Can't wait a bit? I was showering." His low voice with no irritation at all said but his face held annoyance. My eyes themselves moved past his face, down to his chest, broad and glistening, then to his abs, tough guy huh?, then a v-line started and I fastly moved my eyes up finding his face in a thin line, brows furrowed. "Were you checking me out?" He questioned arching one of his brow perfectly. My cheeks reddened at the straight forward question.
"I'm.. I..of course not." I facepalmed myself in my head. Wow Hazel what a strong sentence to deny it. He shook his head moving aside the door, "Come in." I entered in the house and Holly molly it was aesthetic from the outside and so dull from the inside, just like Gavi. He's so handsome from outside but as soon as he opens his dull mouth, his appearance came crashing down.
I don't know why every girl in college is after him.
You just called him 'handsome' yourself Hazel. Shut up.
I put the embarrassmentIjust had, in the back of mind and triedto start a conversation. "Who designed your house?" My smile was the only thing beaming in the whole house.
No emotions
Straight face.
"Give me ten minutes then we can start the project. " He affirmed like my question didn't exist, turning fastly to go upstairs. His back muscles flexing with every step he took, like a leopard finding it's prey. He was just simply moving up the stairs but even the simple thing was quite interesting. The edges of his smooth white skin cascaded by the soft sunshine coming through the windows as all the curtains were open, making his skin look more creamy and - Hazel, behave.
My mature mother, inside my head snarled. Honestly I need to behave. This is so bad to ogle your project partner.
He came back exactly ten minutes later with the project equipments in his hands. Black tee with black jeans. If we'll get along, I'd surely ask him the reason of wearing all black, all the time.
He sat on the couch beside me maintaing a good distance. "So what are we working on?" I asked enthusiastically at which he gave me a look like I've announced his death warrant, "Why do you speak so loudly?" Annoyance dropping from every word he said. I smiled, "well I was born like that, when I started my first cry the whole hospital awakened at my voice even it was just -" Suddenly He put a finger over my lips coming closer to me making me mute and wide eyed.
My breath got knocked out of my chest as he got so close. His chocolate and cinnamon scent making their way in the vacancies of my lungs, eyes connected and nose just inches apart.
If I'd die of heart attack during this project. Cops, please arrest this person.
"What did i say about talking, in my rules, Hazel?" His voice so low that it cause goosebumps appear all over my skin. "No talking, okay!" He lowly but firmly. Even though his warning was done we stayed like that.
He kept on looking in my eyes with an unreadable intense expression that if the air conditioner wasn't on, I would've melted by now. I nervously bit my lower lip. His breath came shallow, eyes foggy with something i don't know and then they moved to my lips. I felt his thumb softly run on the bitten lip, prying it off of the biting teeth. My heartbeat faster than the bullet train and before it could get faster he backed away clearing the fog he had created.
Holly molly that was intense.
He picked up some wires and put them in front of me. "We'll work on automotives, spiral type."
"Spiral type? I'm not good in softwares." I stated fearfully, my voice low now. Honestly I'm so bad at softwares. He looked at me with a bored look, "who said you'll do that?"
I made an o from my lips in understanding but wait how do I know he's good at that. I don't want to fail the exhibition. I want Sephora to notice me so I, out of my nature, softly asked, "Are you good in softwares? I mean how do I know?"
He clenched his jaw looking at me like he's planning a murder. Okay I need Fermin now. It's so easy to work with him, unlike this monster. The more he interacting, the more he gets intimidating.
"Not for you to worry about." He simply stated but I saw the flare of his nose. Typical Rudy.
After his I'm so good in softwares act we started working on the project. The whole house went silent, not a sound of single soul anywhere. Just some clicks of metal as I worked with the screw driver, other than that it was uncomfortably quiet.
It's a bad habit of mine, if it gets too much quiet, it starts itching me So I broke it, "do you know about the upcoming college Gala?"
"Yes."
"Okay." I dragged the A slowly twisting the screw driver. "Will you go there?"
"No."
He kept working focused as he answered too shortly to my question which really offended me. "Do you always talk in one word?"
"Yes."
Unbelievable.
Rudeness level 2, passed.
God I wanna run out of here, this is so suffocating. How will I suffer the whole project with this guy who reacts so vaguely to everything.
"Stop sighing." He simply said still focused on his laptop, if I wasn't the only alive thing in the room I would've thought he's talking to the laptop.
"I can't. This is so boring." I fell backwards on the sofa dramatically. Finally he moved his gaze away from the laptop. His brows up as he looked at my starfish like sprawled body.
"This is a mechanical project, it's the way this is done. If you're bored then go do some kindergarten rhyme scheme, that'll excite you up."
I sat up, looking at him in a pleading manner, "Can we play music at least." He thinned his lips, rubbing his face then gave me a side eye. We kept an eye contact as I pray in my head, say yes, say yes say yes.
"No."
Wow!
As he saw my disapproving face he went on, "Okay if you're not interested, then let's stop this project. Bye bye to Sephora." He started getting up, taking his laptop My eyes widened at his threat and I pulled slowly at his t-shirt.
"Okay okay okay... I'll work." I fastly ranted.
"Quietly?" He bargained like a mother handling a toddler.
I nodded my head desperately, "yep, quietly." I smiled when his body started lowering back on the couch. He shook his head opening his laptop again, "Stop with that smile."
"Ay ay captain." I saluted fastly picking up my screw driver. His lips moved a bit upward but not close to a smile. "You're such a kid." He stated and I just chuckled in response.
I'm a good girl so I'll listen to my mama and be quiet.
He might have killed me if I would've said that out loud so I just kept the thought to myself getting engaged in my work soon, cause of course I want Sephora approval so bad.
Then it's better to be quiet. My head suggested and with that we got lost in the project.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
●•Gavi●°
I had just finished my last class and finally I could go home and rest or maybe do some work on my new software which I'm launching at the end of next month. Someone wrote this song before and I could tell you---
I lip synced as the song blared in my ears through my headphones, keeping a straight face of course. This song really speaks to my soul. The lines, the meaning, the..
My thoughts suddenly jammed as someone tapped on my left shoulder. I turned to see but no one was there. Who dared to prank me? I was ready to start a murder plan of that person when a high pitched voice spoke from my right side.
"Hey." I moved to the voice finding none other than Hazel, wearing her signature smile and a baby blue skirt. I pursed my lips, taking in her appearance. The blue skirt giving a good contrast to her white-reddish skin and her legs-
Stop.
I didn't greet back and moved past her on my way to exit. "Hey, listen." Her voice said following me. Wow her voice could be heard over headphones too.
"What are you listening to?" She started walking with me so I low down the voice of the headphones. "Pardon?" I missed the sentence. "I'm asking what are you listening project partner?" Her enthusiastic voice piercing my ears.
"A song."
She thinned her lips looking at me disapprovingly elicting a chuckle from me but i rubbed it off by a fake cough, "I know it's a song, which song?"
When I didn't answer for a minute, she did a very daring thing, she pulled off the headphones from my head and took them to her ears. Her face changing in a thinking manner to understand the song and as she did those expressions changed into a scowl, "what in the earth are you listening to?"
Nobody had ever said that to me. Well Nobody had ever listened to my songs. So...
"None of your business." I snatched the headphones round them my neck and started walking again. she copied my walk, keeping up beside me "But it's so depressive." She widened her eyes for impact.
A tingle spreading in my body as our shoulders touched while walking. Stop behaving like a ninth grader, Gavi. I took a deep breath and reached the exit but before that she cane in between, "now I understand why you stay so broody all the time!" Her eyes shining with glimmer like she has found a big mystery.
I furrowed my brows, "and why's that?"
Wait, did I agree I'm a broody? I'm not.
"Because you listen to songs like this..you should liste.."
She stopped as I took a step closer, caging her between me and the glass door of exit. Her sweet strawberry scent encasing me, as i looked down at her, "What should I listen?"
She bit her lip looking up with her honey eyes making me take a deep intake of breath as it became hard for me to respirate by that small action of hers. "Look, there are songs like this." She moved her head wildly. "Then there's songs like this." She made a sad face, clearing imaginary tears from her eyes.
A small smile touched my lips but I hid it with a grimace. It wasn't that funny that you started smiling. Stop being weak.
"You should listen the type one songs. That'll fix you up." She patted my shoulder with a smile. How could she do that. Be carefree, not thinking what she's saying, smiling all the time. How could she? Was life really that easy on her?
"I'm not listening anything. " I moved away from her before other starts noticing, which they've already done.
"I thought you were changing your mind." She started following me again. I threw my bag in my car and opened the door, "did you come to me for this?" She hit her head softly in realisation and chuckled, "Thank you for making me remember I completely forgot that. I will be late for the project today. That's what I wanted to tell you."
I put my glasses on, straightened my face and nodded, "Okay."
She smiled and waved a bye at me.
This girl.
I just sat in my car and sped off.
At night, I was shaving my small stubble when my mind itself started to wander.
"There are songs like this." "Then there's songs like this."
Her elaboration of both kind of songs cascaded in my memory etching a smile over my lips.
"Ay ay captain." Her glowing smile after every sentence.
I rubbed my face from the towel after the shave and was about to go when I saw myself in the mirror. Eyes sparkling, features soft, a smile playing over my lips. I slowly straightened my lips, my eyes and my features.
That's me.
That's meant to be Me.
●●●●●●●●●●●●
Firstly thanks for all the love and appreciation you all are giving to this book. This is a boost for me to write more. For all of you.
How was the chapter?
Your feedback is a guide to me :)
With all of my love,
~ Zuveria :)