by Tyla Walker
"Isn't the CEO of WS Engineering's son a playboy?" Dad asks, looking unhappier by the minute.
I clear my throat awkwardly.
"Yes, dad. But, we agreed that there will be no physical intimacy between us," I say, hoping that it will ease his worries.
He looks slightly relieved, but still a bit tense.
"I don't think this is a good idea. You could get hurt," he says disapprovingly.
"On the other hand, it would be a huge load off Sophia's chest to have her loans paid out. And it would at least secure Nina's future," Mom interrupts.
I sigh, knowing at least Mom understands.
"I won't try to stop you, honey. You're a grown woman with a child. I just don't want you to get hurt. That's all," Dad says before giving me a hug, which I happily returned.
"Don't worry, dad. I'll be fine. I promise," I say reassuringly.
"Do we get to meet with this, Alan fellow?" Mom asks.
Sure, tonight he'll come to pick me up. It's not even noon, and already I feel nervous about their meeting.
"Sophia, Alan's here!" my mother shouts.
I hurry to the living room, where I see my father interrogating Alan.
"Dad, you don't need to do that," I state reproachfully.
He immediately backs off.
"It was nice meeting both of you," Alan says to my parents. My dad merely grunts, while mom gives him a warm smile.
We take our leave. Alan escorts me to his car and opens the passenger seat for me. I get in, saying a quick thanks for his gentlemanly gesture.
He gets in the driver's seat and starts the ignition.
"Buckle up," he reminds me.
I almost forgot.
I try putting on my seatbelt, but it's kind of stuck. Alan leans in to help me, our faces are only a few centimeters apart. I feel his minty breath ghost over my mouth. The seatbelt clicks, and I snap out of it. He leans back to his side and drives.
There's a heavy silence between us.
"Are you worried?" he asks, breaking the silence.
"Yes," I tell him honestly.
"Don't worry. You'll be fine," Alan says, looking over at my direction to give me a smile.
It may be weird to put my trust in him, but I do.
We arrive at the restaurant. Alan asked me what sort of food I wanted, and I told him that I'm a huge fan of paella. This must be the reason. He brought me to a Spanish restaurant. I smile at how considerate Alan can be.
"Do you have any dinner reservations, sir?" the waiter asks.
"Spencer," He says.
The waiter leads us to our table, where Alan's parents are already seated. They stand, and Alan greets them first.
"Mom and dad. This is Sophia Murray, my fiancé," he introduces us.
To my surprise, his mother hugs me. I return the hug awkwardly, not used to affectionate gestures from people I've only just met.
"Welcome to the family, dear. I'm Clarisse. I'm sure you already know my husband, Wilbert," she says, to which I nod.
"It's nice to meet you," I tell both of them. We take our seats and order some food. Of course, I ordered the seafood paella. My stomach is practically growling just from the thought of it.
"Alan never told me where you two met," Clarisse says with a warm smile, looking genuinely interested in my answer.
"We met at work," I tell her.
I don't talk much. I answer whatever question is asked of me, but my answers are usually short and straight to the point.
Less talk, fewer mistakes. Besides, I'm not comfortable with sharing things with people that I don't know.
However, I'm getting along fine with Clarisse. She doesn't seem to mind that I'm not much of a talker. Instead, she shares stories of Alan's younger years, which I find adorable.
As I observe the father and son pair, though, there seems to be only tension. I don't understand what the problem is between them.
I don't plan on meddling.
"You look very familiar," Wilbert says while scrutinizing my features. I'm about to reply when Alan beats me to it.
"See. This is yet another example of why I should get the promotion. Sophia works for our company. She's been working there for years as the head data analyst. You obviously don't know the people who are working under you," he says smugly.
I want to just bury myself with embarrassment. Alan chooses to say it like that when he could have just told him that I'm the head data analyst. I'm sure his dad is positively fuming.
I risk a glance at Wilbert, and unfortunately, I'm right. He's red-faced. From anger or shame, I don't know what. I choose not to interfere.
The rest of the dinner, Wilbert remains silent. Can anyone say awkward? Clarisse seems to be used to this sort of situation. Seriously, I wonder how much this father and son duo argue?
After finishing our food, Wilbert immediately asks for the check. I heave out a sigh of relief. It's finally over.
As we are about to leave, I bid Mr. and Mrs. Spencer, a goodnight.
Wilbert nods his head in acknowledgment, his face remaining impassive and stoic. While Clarisse gives me another warm hug, to which I return without any reservations anymore.
We've had a few good chats, and I like her.
"Don't mind, Wilbert. He lost sight of his human self a long time ago. He only sees how to turn a profit nowadays," she says, reassuring me.
I give her a warm smile, "It's alright. I wasn't weirded out or offended."
She gives me a grateful smile. They leave first since they have a driver.
Alan and I walk to the parking lot.
"Are you okay?" I ask since he's been silent after his argument with his dad.
"I'm fine," he says. I decide not to probe any further.
Seven
Alan
Dinner was awkward and silent. I guess I have myself partly to blame for that. I just can't help it. Whenever my father gets involved, it's always a pissing contest. I've done everything I can to prove myself to him, and it's never enough.
I sigh, not wanting Sophia to get the wrong idea about me. I don't want her to think that I'm some kind of an ungrateful asshole.
"Hey, about what happened at the restaurant, I'm sorry if I made things tense and awkward," I tell her sincerely.
She looks at me, her brows furrowed slightly.
"What is your deal with your dad anyway?" she asks, sounding curious.
I shrug.
"He keeps lining up hoops for me to jump in. I don't like it. It feels like he doesn't trust that I can handle the family business," I say, which is strange because I never open up myself like that to anyone.
"Maybe he just cares about you, Alan," she says.
"If he does, he sure has a funny way of showing it. He's more of a control freak, Sophia," I reply.
The silence stretches between the two of us.
"What about you and my mom? Did you guys get along?" I ask, deciding that a change in topic is in order.
She smiles, and I swear my heart almost stopped from how radiant her smile is.
"Yes. She talked about you a lot. From your toilet training years to your fondness of plushies, and to your awkward teen years," she laughs.
I scratch the back of my neck, slightly embarrassed. My mother, always with her stories.
"Yeah, laugh it up," I say, feigning hurt as she slaps my arm playfully.
"Don't be like that. It was actually cute. I really like your mom," she tells me.
"Your dad, on the other hand, I don't really know him well enough to form an opinion. I just met the guy, and you guys were mostly seething and silent," she adds.
I nod and apologize again, "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that."
She sighs.
"It's okay. Far be it from me to judge you for having issues with your dad," she says, giving my arm a comforting squeeze.
I open the passenger seat for her, and she goes inside. I shut the door, going to my own side of the car.
I get in and drive her hom
e.
"Do you think they bought our engagement?" Sophia asks out of the blue.
"I think they did. They didn't give any signs that they didn't. Besides, I was watching you tonight. No nasal flaring all night, I'm proud of you," I joke.
She smacks me playfully.
"I've been practicing in front of the mirror. It really helped," Sophia says. I grin.
"I'm glad to assist you in the art of deception, Sophia," I joke again.
She smiles at me.
"I won't be making a habit out of this, though. Once our engagement gets called off, I'm never doing this again," Sophia says.
I laugh as I respond, "Have it your way."
"So, how was the food tonight?" I ask.
She lights up.
"It was delicious. I think I keep shoveling in mouthfuls of their paella all night. That might be why your mother has been doing all the talking," she laughs.
I smile at how cute her laugh is.
"I'm glad that you liked it. I picked out the restaurant, especially for you," I tell Sophia.
"Thank you," she says with a smile.
We arrive at her house. I'm feeling slightly nervous. Should I kiss her? But that's against our deal. She said that we shouldn't have any physical intimacy with each other.
What will I do once she invites me inside? Her parents must already be asleep, Nina as well. I park the car by the driveway and walk her to the front door.
"Well, I had a good time despite the awkwardness. Thank you," Sophia says. I move in so that I can kiss her when she slams the door to my face.
My mouth hangs open in shock. Did Sophia just slam the door to my face? I run a hand through my hair.
Never in all my years has a woman ever slammed the door shut to my face. And never have I ever experienced not being invited in their homes as well.
I'm about to leave when I notice that one of Sophia's neighbors is out and is looking at me with a look of pity. I immediately look away from embarrassment.
He must have seen how I tried to kiss Sophia earlier. I walk to my car in a hurry and drive away. I wonder why Sophia didn't want me to come in. Were her parents out for my blood, or something?
I doubt it. They didn't act out of the ordinary earlier.
Maybe she hasn't told them that we were already engaged and was embarrassed. The way her father talked to me was like how a father normally would when his daughter is dating someone new.
Yeah, she probably hasn't told them yet. On the drive back home, my thoughts keep drifting back to Sophia.
She is different from any other woman I've ever encountered. Most women would throw themselves at me at the driveway. Not only did she leave with only a thank you, but she also didn't even try to get me to kiss her. Not even a platonic hug, or a high five.
I chuckle. Sophia really is an intriguing woman.
A smile makes its way to my lips at the thought of getting to know her better. Tomorrow is the weekend. That means I won't be seeing her until Monday. That doesn't sit well with me. I want to see her as soon as tomorrow.
An idea then pops in my head. I should invite her and Nina out, I'll take them to the zoo. I'm sure Nina will love the animals. She seems to be fond of drawing them while we were coloring together.
I smile, now that I have my plan. I'll wake up early tomorrow and head over to Sophia's place to invite them to the zoo.
Yeah, that's perfect.
Eight
Sophia
"What do you want to do today, baby?" I ask Nina, who's concentrating on getting some cereal with her spoon. She shrugs, focusing on her breakfast.
I chuckle at my daughter's cuteness. She looks so serious as she scoops cereal.
The doorbell rings and I walk hurriedly to the door.
"I'll get it!" I shout so that my parents won't bother getting up. I wonder who it could be. It's still a bit early.
I open the door and am greeted by Alan's smiling face. He's holding a bag of coffee and bagels.
I look at him curiously, and asks, "What brings you here so early in the morning?"
He smiles and asks, "I was wondering if you and Nina would want to go to the zoo with me today?"
"Okay, I'll bite. Why?" I ask, wanting to know the reason for the sudden invite.
He shrugs.
"We're going to be in a relationship for a while. We might as well be friends. Besides, I like hanging out with you, and that, by extension, includes your daughter," he says with a smile on his face.
For a moment, it's like I forgot myself. Alan looks so handsome.
"Soph? What do you say?" he asks, snapping me back to reality.
God, I hope he didn't notice me space out from his gorgeous smile.
"Yeah, sure. Let me just get ready," I say quickly, opening the door wide for Alan to enter.
"Nina's in the kitchen. Could you watch her while I get ready?" I ask.
He chuckles.
"Sure," Alan replies.
I run to my room to get ready. I decide to wear some casual jeans and a shirt since we're only going to the zoo.
I head for the kitchen to get Nina when I stop, seeing that Alan is making choo-choo train noises while giving her spoon-fulls of cereal.
My daughter giggles every now and then, eager to get another bite of cereal from her newfound best friend. I chuckle at how cute they are being.
I clear my throat to get their attention. I manage to get Alan's attention, but Nina's still focused on the spoon with her cereal.
Alan looks slightly embarrassed but instantly covers it up with a charming smile. His eyes then rove over my body, and I can tell that he likes what he's seeing.
It does well to puff up my ego.
"I'm going to get Nina. I'll just change her," I say, carrying Nina in my arms.
"Sure, I'll wait at the living room," he says, following me out of the kitchen.
"Mom, where are we going?" Nina asks as I change her clothes.
"Uncle Alan is taking us to the zoo, baby," I say.
Her face lights up like a Christmas tree.
"Zoo?!" she happily exclaims.
"Yes, baby," I say, chuckling at how her eyes are alight with excitement. I finish changing her, and we go out to the living room.
My mom and dad come out from their room and spot the three of us in the living room.
"Mom and dad, you remember Alan, right? He's my fiancé," I tell them. They play along, pretending that they don't know that the engagement is fake. They hug him and welcome him to the family.
"We haven't properly introduced ourselves. I'm Anita, and this is my husband, George," Mom says, warmly.
Alan greets them with a smile.
"I'm sorry if I spooked you last night. I'm just an overprotective father. But I'm good now. Welcome to the family, son," Dad says happily.
"It's no problem at all, sir," Alan tells him politely. Honestly, it amazes me how my parents easily play along with this sham.
"We're going to the zoo," I say to my parents.
Dad comes closer, leaning in slightly.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to hang out with him so much, especially with Nina?" Dad whispers.
I roll my eyes at him.
"We're just hanging out as friends and nothing more," I tell him discreetly. Dad looks at me suspiciously, to which I promptly ignore.
"Be careful, you three!" Mom shouts from the doorway as Alan pulls out of the driveway.
Nina and I wave at my mom goodbye.
"Animals! So many!" Nina shouts excitedly. My daughter is so endearing.
"Which animal do you want to see first?" Alan asks.
"I want to see elephants, Uncle Alan," she says cutely.
Alan carries her on his shoulders as we walk to wear the elephants are located. I look at the map to make sure that we're heading in the right direction.
All the while, Nina keeps pointing in awe at the different animals that we pass by. We finally reach the elephants. Nina's bouncing excitedly on Alan's shoul
der.
"Can we give peanuts?" Nina asks.
Alan chuckles.
"That's only on t.v," he replies to her. She pouts immediately.
Alan chuckles.
"But look, they're feeding them the cucumbers. Do you want to try?" Alan asks.
Nina practically screams in delight. We walk closer and ask if we can feed the elephants. The man in charge of the elephants says it's alright, but as soon as they suction the cucumber to their trunks, we let go immediately.
Alan accompanies Nina, while I watch. Nina looks like she's having the time of her life feeding the elephants.
We're about to walk away when one of the elephant's suction Alan's face. His face is now sticky with elephant mucus. Nina and I burst out laughing.
"He says, thank you," Nina says, smiling.
"Oh, you want to give it a try?" Alan asks her playfully.
"Yuck. No!" Nina squeals, running away.
We catch up to her and tour the rest of the animals. Nina seems in awe every time.
After going around the place, Alan takes us home. Nina's already sleeping.
"Thanks for taking us out today," I tell him.
He smiles.
"No problem. I like spending time with you two," e says.
We arrive at the driveway. Alan opens the door for us and walks us to the door.
I'm still carrying Nina since I don't want to wake her.
"Thanks again," I tell him, pushing the door closed with my foot.
I sigh. Today has been fun. Before I know it, I realize that I like hanging out with Alan as well.
Nine
Alan
A part of sarcastic me is taunting me, telling me I belong to this place. The Alabama State Zoo. I am, after all, an animal, or I was. I'd like to think in that past tense. Does that make sense?
I laugh to myself, shaking my head as I continue watching the animals.
Hmm. Or maybe I've never really thought of myself that way. I never thought I was an animal. In bed, perhaps. I do get wild in the sack when I bang some chick. No, I'm not tooting my own horn, and I'm also not bragging.