I slowly ate my breakfast whilst watching Zak carefully from across the table, his eyes were transfixed on the magazine in front of him as he flicked through it, stopping occasionally to read an article.
"I have lived alone for many years." He spoke out loud making me stop mid chew. "So I can tell when someone is staring." He added looking directly at me.
My face flushed under his gaze causing me to turn back to the bowl of cereal. My grip tightening on the spoon as he set the magazine down properly in order to return the favour of staring. "What are you looking at?"
I gulped the sharp flakes down stifling a choke from nervousness. "N-nothing."
"Develop a stutter overnight too?" He asked amused.
"No, sir."
He exhaled.. "Back to sir again are we?"
I shrugged.
"Haven I thought we were.. well not okay, cause I said some awful things but we were on the same page?"
"We are."
"Then drop the sir business. Call me Zak, you live with me." He answered looking back at the cover of the magazine.
"Right.. About that.."
"I know, you wanna move ou-"
"Could I possibly stay a little longer?" I asked pulling an unsure face.
He tried to hide his smile but failed "Of course you can."
"Just so I can save some money up, I need to have some kind of nest egg.. Is that okay?"
"Haven.. It's fine. The room is always empty anyway. Besides, it's nice to have someone else living here.." he replied looking around his home.
"It's just until I can afford some place."
"Sure thing... Read the emails this morning?" He asked making me stop mid chew again.
I looked at the clock "It's not even 8am.. Do you ever stop?"
"Kinda.. But only for certain reasons. This company wants to do an interview with me." He spoke tapping his finger on the magazine.
I blinked "Really? That's great right?"
"I think so, my kinda thing, cars." He smiled.
"Awesome. So you want a date for them to come over?"
He pulled a guilty face "Kind of already organised it."
"Oh. Okay.."
"It's at 4pm."
"What?!" I almost shouted.
"Relax everything is taken care o-"
"Are the cars even clean? Is the drive clean? Has the gardeners been? Have you sorted out what you are wearing?" I asked making him pause. "Oh Zak!"
He laughed "Um.. Maybe, think so, no and no."
"Maybe? Thin- Oh to heck!" I cried jumping up.
"Sit and eat your breakfast-"
"No time! You will be the death of me Bagans!" I replied ditching my cereal and placing my bowl in the washer.
"Where are you going?" He called as I ran out the kitchen.
"To ring the gardeners!"
Men.
I could live without them...
I think. Okay probably not.
Having rang the gardeners, and arranged them to come at 12. I also collared in Billy & Bacon for their help, with Zak stood with his arms folded looking amused at me. I began my organising...
"You and Bacon, I need you to take both cars in for a full valet." I spoke to Billy who grinned taking the Lamborghini keys instantly.
"Hey woah.." Zak spoke.
"Silence." I ordered making him grumble. "You're gonna take Billy's car and get a decent haircut and shave." I spoke assessing his condition.
"You can't walk in my barbe-"
"Your appointment is in an hour. Your barber loves an English accent." I smiled.
"He's not the only one." Bacon added making me grin at him.
Zak dug his elbow into his arm throwing him a glare "I was talking about me.. Captain Obvious." Bacon retaliated.
"Enough both of you. Can we just get this done?"
"What are you gonna do?" Zak asked rubbing his messy hair.
"Me? Shower, walk Gracie, tidy up and pray for a miracle, whilst finding you clothes."
"Let's go." Billy spoke tossing his keys to Zak who caught them. Bacon followed Billy out leaving Zak stood in front of me.
"Thanks." He spoke twisting the keys on Billy's bundle.
"Thank me if this gets pulled off.. And try not to do anything stupid whilst you're out."
"Like what?" He asked innocently.
"Like get Billy a ticket."
"Yooo hoo!" A voice shrilled making me shudder. Both myself and Zak looked up to see Tina walking into the house.
How can she clean in 6 inch heels? Never mind.
I gave her the low down on today, her eyes widening at the sound of he interview. "Oh your hair is fine." She spoke reaching for it on Zak's head.
My mind became territorial and before I knew what I was doing, I had pushed Zak up the corridor.
"Haven--"
"No, go! You need to look presentable than a homeless person." I replied.
"Hey!"
"You'll thank me!" I sang pushing him out the door and kicking it closed.
I looked down the corridor to see Tina watching me. "Just us girls." She smiled before walking away.
I tousled my hair up into a messy fashion, sticking a pen in it for later as I rushed around the house sorting the last few pieces.
"I'm back!" Zak sang.
My eyes flicked to the clock before I turned to face him. The idiot had a hat on so I couldn't see his hair, rolling my eyes I tugged it off.
"Own okay mom." He complained. I instantly grinned seeing his hair shorter and slightly off course from my hat snatching. "You have a very beautiful smile."
The compliment took me off guard, so much so my face went red. "That's cute too." He noted poking my cheek gently.
"Shush.. Right we need to get you showered." I said making his brows wiggle.
"Oh saucy."
"Behave." I replied swatting his arm as I picked up college work. "Let me put this in my room, then we will get you in the shower, I'll find you clothes and we will work from there."
"Are you gonna scrub my back?" He asked teasingly.
"Depends if you ask nicely." I joked slipping away.
As Zak showered, Billy and Bacon arrived back with his cars and placed them on the drive.
"Thank you!! Thank you!" I cried hugging them both.
"No sweat, peaches." Bacon smiled.
"If you guys want anything to eat, let me know. If you wanna order? It's on me. I owe you."
"Nah, Zak does." Billy replied placing the keys down.
"Yeah, I guess so..."
"Do you need us to do anything?" Billy questioned.
"Relax? Beers in the fridge."
"Now you're talking." Bacon answered slapping Billy's shoulder as they made their way to the kitchen.
Rushing down the hall, I swung into Zak's room and went straight to his wardrobe where I found Tina.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I've decided on what he should wear." She spoke holding a pair of suit pants and a white shirt.
"He doesn't wear white now.." I replied going to the rail. "Trousers are a nice touch but he's fussy."
"Well tough. Tell him he has to wear this." She deadpanned.
"I'm not telling him anything."
"Just do as you're told. Assistant." She ordered before walking out.
"Bitch." I replied putting the clothes back.
Seeing his black dress shoes on the side I put them back and set to work on my own taste.
Finding him out grey hightops, I went from there and found jeans, and two tops. Also placing three hats down for him to choose.
"So?" Zak spoke making me jump.
"Will you stop!" I hissed in annoyance.
"Again? Damn I'm good at this." He grinned walking into his walk in with a towel around his waist.
I swallowed thickly looking at his arms and shoulders.
"I did a few reps this morning." He informed me before adding a smug smile.
"Cute." I responded before looking at the clothes. "I picked this but you can go with whatever you want, you're an adult. Freedom and all that, Tina picked out some black pant trousers and a white shirt."
"White?" He asked before locking onto it. "Mother..." He murmured.
Looking at my pile he hummed "Yeah this will be good."
"Okay, good. Well change into that then." I replied. He shrugged and went to take his towel off. "Woah, let me leave first!"
"Oh don't play coy, you've seen a naked man before." He replied.
"Not my boss."
"We can change that."
I threw him a look making him chuckle before leaving his walk in. Honestly... That man!
Lost in my book, I didn't see the tennis ball until it hit the floor beside me making me look up.
"What are you up to?" Billy asked crouching beside me.
"Nothing, just keeping out the way whilst Zak does his interview. You?"
"Oh nothing. Just watching Zak, watch you whilst he does his interview." He replied making me frown.
"Huh?"
"You heard. He hasn't stopped watching you.. So everything between you okay now?"
I nodded "Yeah. We're on a good level again, I'm gonna move out though, when I have enough money for a deposit and a month in advance. I think us working and living is a little too much for him?" I replied.
Billy scoffed "Move out? Yeah. Cause he's gonna let you out of his sight."
"What do you mean by that?"
"What I mean is, Zak takes interest in things.. When he does, he fixates on them. You're in his sights."
I scoffed "Okay. Cause that doesn't sound stalker or killer-ish."
He shook his head "That man is misunderstood, he always has been by women but you? You're different in his eyes."
"Maybe it's my winning charm that I used when I threatened to sue him on my first day?" I suggested making Billy laugh.
"Hey? It may well be. Or it might be because there's a little more than meets the eye between you both?" Billy suggested back.
"Spit it out Billy."
"Oh come on. You two give each other the eyes.. Is there a little something happening?"
"No. It's strictly work." Slight porky pie..
"And I don't think I'm his type.. Tina is his type." I concluded as she strutted across the garden to where he was sat with the columnist.
Billy shook his head "You're his type more than you realise.."
Before I could reply, he stood up and left with Gracie leaving me to look across the garden at him. Locking eyes, I gave him a quick smile in which he responded with a lop sided breathtaking smile. I turned back to my book before I passed out.
A man of his physique, stature and essence was out of the question for a plain girl like me. He was a daydream, a lazy wonder, a fantasy and an phantasm.
His dark hair, light eyes and mysterious allure about him hooked on everyone. But the man was an illusion for me.. A small sexy fantasy of what could be and what will never be..