Chapter 14: Unexpected Visit
After I wrote down the directions to Zak's place, I ran upstairs to freshen up and change my clothes.
It was a beautiful day out, and I was still feeling the excitement of my new wardrobe purchases from the week before, so I decided on a pair of black jeans that had some tears/holes in the knees and thighs. I paired them with a fuchsia tank top, that had a rhinestone cross design on the front, and a black cross design on the back.
I pulled my hair up into a messy bun, to keep it off my back and shoulders, and put on the bare minimum of makeup.
I then found Cheryl in her room, getting ready for Aaron's visit. I told her my plans and we said we'd see each other later.
I got in my car and followed Zak's directions toward his place. On the way, I passed a pet store and made a quick decision to buy a toy for Gracie.
~*~*~*~*~
As I looked over the selection of toys, I heard my ringtone signal I had received a text on my phone.
I took my phone out of my purse and saw the text was from Zak.
"You're not lost are you? :P"
I laughed to myself and typed a reply.
"You shouldn't be texting me while I'm driving Bagans. You're lucky I'm in the middle of a pit stop. To answer your question, no, I'm not lost. I'm quite capable of following directions. ;)"
I held onto my phone as I looked over the toys again.
I knew from seeing pictures and video of Gracie online that she loved basketball, so I decided on a basketball squeeze toy for medium sized dogs. I made sure the squeaker inside worked and then proceeded toward the checkout.
As I waited in line, I received another text from Zak.
"Oops, my bad Doll. Pit stop? You're not bringing a date from Twitter are you?"
I couldn't help but laugh to myself.
"Yes. He's a 'hottie'." I replied, having decided to tease him.
"lol, ugh :P" Zak quickly replied.
I smiled.
"Be there in a few," I replied.
"Alright, careful driving Doll," Zak texted back.
I smiled even more.
~*~*~*~*~
I arrived at Zak's house a short time later and parked in the driveway.
I grabbed my purse and the bag with Gracie's toy from the passenger seat and got out of the car.
As I walked up to the front door, I saw it open and Zak smiled at me from the doorway.
He was wearing black jeans and a grey t-shirt that clung to his muscular form well.
"Hey beautiful," he said with a smile.
I blushed.
"Hey," I replied as I reached the door.
Zak smiled and stepped aside to let me inside.
"Come on in," Zak said.
I walked inside and moved aside so he could close the door behind me.
I briefly glanced around my surroundings and was shocked at what I saw.
I guess a little part of me had expected his house to look like some dark, skull covered dungeon. But it was bright and open. With large windows and decorated in a modern fashion.
Zak's voice distracted me from my thoughts.
"You didn't have to get Gracie anything," Zak said, noticing my bag.
He had a smile on his face.
I smiled and set my purse down on a small table near the door.
"I wanted to," I replied with a smile.
It was then I heard rapid footsteps coming toward us from the living room area.
Gracie came trotting toward us.
She noticed me and her ears went back, her tail wagging slightly, unsure of me.
I held a hand out toward her to let her know she could trust me.
"Hi Gracie," I said.
Her ears went up at her name and she came closer and sniffed my hand.
After a brief moment, her tail began wagging more happily and she playfully growled a "greeting" at me.
I laughed, surprised at her reaction.
Zak laughed too, slightly shaking his head.
"She's a character," Zak commented, seeming pleased that Gracie approved of me.
I smiled.
"I noticed," I replied, gently petting the side of her head.
Gracie continued to wag her tail happily as she noticed the bag in my hand. She sniffed at it and must of sensed it was something for her, because she sat down in front of me. Perfectly poised and looking up at me eagerly.
I smiled and took the toy out of the bag, giving it a slight squeeze.
Her tail began wagging furiously and she playfully growled at me again.
"Oh! Your own basketball Grace," Zak said.
She barked.
I smiled and looked past her briefly, making sure nothing breakable was in view, and tossed the ball toward the living room.
She quickly turned and ran after the ball, barking at it before she grabbed it with her mouth, giving it a squeeze, causing the ball to emit a loud squeak.
Zak and I both laughed.
"She'll love you for life now," Zak said, taking the bag from me and walking toward one of the counters in his kitchen.
I smiled.
"She's adorable," I replied.
It was then that I noticed a figure out of the corner of my eye, standing near the couch in the living room.
I focused on the figure and stared in shock.
Emily.
"I'm glad you like her," Zak replied, setting the bag on the counter and he turned and looked at me.
His expression went blank immediately.
He glanced at the spot I was staring at, then looked back at me.
I could see him tense out of the corner of my eye.
"Ali...? You okay?" Zak asked.
I continued staring at Emily.
I hadn't had any experiences with her since the day of my interview with Zak. I had almost began to worry that my paranormal experiences had suddenly stopped after getting a job that totally revolved around them.
"You can't go," Emily said softly.
I felt confused.
Go where? I thought.
I jumped slightly when I suddenly felt Zak's hand gently touch my lower back.
I blinked and she was gone.
I looked at Zak and gave him the best reassuring look I could muster.
"It's okay...nothing new," I said softly.
Zak nodded, still tense.
"Let's go out back," Zak said, gently leading me toward the patio doors leading to his backyard.
Authors Note: I hope you enjoyed these chapters! I had planned to put up more, but it's 1:30am and I'm starting to get sleepy, lol. Thanks again for the votes, and please review! Until next time. :)