Her eyes met with Nicholas’s ocean blue ones for a split second before she turned towards aunt Claudia and smiled, totally ignoring him. He deserved it since he had insulted her the same way last night.
“Hello, Aunt Claudia!” she greeted, going forward and giving her a warm hug.
“Do you always shop here?” asked a clueless aunt Claudia, releasing her and looking at her shopping trolley with interest. Although Alyssa was aware of Nicholas’s gaze upon her, she didn’t bother to acknowledge his existence or greet him.
“No, no, I just came to spend the night with Hayley. Her mom needed some essentials, so I’ll just hand them over to her and leave.” Aunt Claudia seemed to appreciate it very much and smiled at her warmly.
“Why don’t you come home to meet granny? She’ll be thrilled to see you, dear.” Alyssa wanted to decline as she was in a hurry to go home before Alexander started searching for her. However, she couldn’t and simply agreed to go.
“Have you finished? I’ll go to the billing counter now,” said aunt Claudia but Alyssa hadn’t finished yet. There were many items yet to be hunted and dumped into the trolley.
“No, I have so much to buy,” she complained while Nicholas still watched her like a hawk. Alyssa squirmed inwardly at his constant gaze upon her but she tried not to show how it was affecting her. She felt like blindfolding him for a change!
“I’ll be going home now while Nicholas pays for all of these. Come home with him, dear. I’ll be waiting for you.” Alyssa wanted to decline this arrangement as she had no wish to have anything to do with Nicholas but aunt Claudia smiled and went away, leaving her alone with a smirking Nicholas. Obviously, he was the only one who was happy with this arrangement!
The moment, aunt Claudia left, she turned her back to him and started dumping items to her cart in a rush. If she completed the work before him, she could just meet aunt Claudia and flee before Nicholas’s arrival.
“I know why you came here,” he whispered into her ear while standing behind her and reaching above her to the top shelf to get a pack of cereals. His arm brushed against her cheek and an electric current shot through her. Alyssa stilled wondering what crooked thought was going on inside his head and moved away from his nearness to the other side.
“Really? Enlighten me!” Nicholas chuckled at her sarcastic tone.
“To see me. I know you waited to see me last night on Hayley’s balcony. Don’t deny it,” he chuckled but Alyssa’s face flushed with anger at his arrogance. What did he think of himself?
“Why would I be dying to see you? Don’t tell me that you’re having sleepless nights over a simple thank you hug. Really Nicholas! Get over it already!” she pushed the trolley and went over to the billing counter where Hayley was waiting for her. One look at her flushed face made Hayley suspicious.
“What’s the matter with you?” she asked with concern and Alyssa shook her head.
“Nothing. Can we please hurry? I need to go home.” She didn’t tell her that she met Nicholas and how right he was in his assumptions. She was now eager to escape before he finished at the express billing counter where he was waiting currently. She could sense his hawk-like gaze upon her from so far and it was really unnerving! Hayley checked the queue in front of them and considered her request.
“You can go, Alyssa. I think this will take time. I’ll manage now, don’t worry.”
“Why don’t you go in for express billing?” she suggested seeing Nicholas busy with his billing.
“You need a premium membership and I don’t have it here. Mom usually buys our stuff from near her boutique.” Alyssa nodded as she knew that aunt Caroline was a fashion designer with her main boutique located here in New York. She waved to her friend and dashed out before Nicholas could complete his billing. Now she had only five minutes at hand to just meet granny and aunt Claudia and then escape.
Starting her car, she drove over to aunt Claudia’s house, all the time checking for a blue Jaguar through her rearview mirror. Thankfully Nicholas was still at the store and she parked her car inside his granny’s driveway and went up to the door. The quicker she dealt with this the faster she could escape. Nicholas’s smirking face and his cocky question made her blood boil. What did he think of himself? As if she was dying to see him! He was the one always staring!
Scoffing at the thoughts of the arrogant Nicholas Donnelly, she rang the doorbell impatiently. The door opened after a minute and Martha peered out. She grinned on seeing her and opened the door wider for her.
“Hello, Alyssa! Nice to see you. Come and join us for breakfast,” she invited and Alyssa greeted her back and walked into the house. Aunt Claudia came out of the dining room and welcomed her inside, leading her to the breakfast table.
“You have to taste these chicken and tuna croquettes, Alyssa. They’ve come out so well,” said aunt Claudia, pushing a platter full of the delicacies. Although she had her breakfast at Hayley’s house, she couldn’t resist the food and all thoughts of escaping flew out of her mind. She thanked them and sat down to eat. After two minutes, Granny joined them and greeted her cheerfully.
“It’s nice to see a fresh young face for a change. We three get bored seeing each other every day,” chuckled granny, and Alyssa smiled too.
“I could come down every day for these croquettes. They’re delicious. Did Martha make them?” asked Alyssa.
“Nope, I did.” Alyssa froze hearing Nicholas’s voice behind her. Was she imagining him? When did he come in when the doorbell didn’t ring at all after she arrived?
“Come, join us, Nick. Your croquettes are being appreciated so much,” said granny with an amused glint in her eyes. Alyssa’s face flushed with color and she wished she could take back her words. She had no idea it was Nicholas who had made them.
“I can see that. So, Alyssa, will you come here every day if I make these for you?” he smirked, his eyes holding her jaw-dropped stare while his mom and granny smiled and exchanged looks with one another.
“No, I didn’t know it was you who made them. So, no, the statement doesn’t apply to you.” Granny chuckled more and so did Martha while Nicholas looked amused.
“Why the partiality?” he asked, pulling a chair and sitting right opposite her.
“You’re my enemy.” Aunt Claudia laughed and so did Nicholas while Alyssa’s cheeks flushed with color. She just wanted to escape but she couldn’t just get up and run for the door. Could she?
“I think I’ll go now. Thanks for the treats, granny, aunt Claudia, Martha.” She smiled at each of them and got up to go.
“Stay for a while Alyssa if you’re free. We get bored the whole day,” said aunt Claudia with a pleading look on her face that Alyssa couldn’t ignore.
“Yes, Alyssa. Stay and thank me too because it is I who had made them,” said Nicholas but Alyssa simply glared at him, not uttering a word of thanks to him.
“I need your second opinion about something I can’t decide,” said aunt Claudia and Nicholas groaned knowing his mom.
“Sure, aunt Claudia,” she said while Nicholas glared at his mom but she refused to meet his eyes. Alyssa watched them with curiosity wondering what was going on between them. They enjoyed breakfast but Alyssa was content to have only a few croquettes much to Nicholas’s delight.
They discussed Sienna, Lucas, and Alexia, and Alyssa smiled hearing about her best friend’s family. Seated opposite him, she could feel Nicholas’s gaze upon her all the time and if no one was there, she would have told him to keep his eyes to himself.
The torture came to an end and aunt Claudia and granny steered her away towards the living room but to her utter astonishment, even Nicholas followed them there. “Don’t you have a business to manage, Nick?” scolded his granny but he simply shook his head.
“I’m the boss, who’ll throw me out if I’m late?” he chuckled, making Alyssa roll her eyes at him.
“Nick, go to work. We’re discussing something important here,” scolded his mom but Nicholas just ignored their scolding and slumped into the sofa next to his granny. Alyssa’s interest was piqued and she wondered what aunt Claudia and granny wanted to discuss with her.
“You can discuss it with me as well. I swear I won’t tell a soul.” He winked at Alyssa and she looked away.
His mom sighed and took out her mobile phone. She swiped it and turned to look at Alyssa. “A few of my friends have expressed interest in getting their daughters married to Nicholas. There are five portfolios and I can’t decide. Maybe you can give us a neutral opinion,” said aunt Claudia while Alyssa’s eyes widened with surprise. So, she needed help in fixing up a girl for Nicholas! A strange feeling of jealousy bubbled in her heart at the thought and she had no idea why!