HER BODYGUARD

Kimberly finally slowed and walked at a leisurely pace down the small alley and back to the sidewalk that ran in front of the mall’s entrance. She half expected to see Asher blocking her path, huffing and ready to call her father, but as she scanned the faces she didn’t find his.

Kimberly froze.

Her muscles seized, her breath held.

While she’d expected to see the bodyguard, she hadn’t expected to see another face she recognized. In fact, two faces she recognized.

The couple that had originally spooked Asher, starting Kimberly’s fun little exercise, were not only walking out of the mall, but doing so quickly. Like they too were in a hurry. This need seemed to intensify as the man looked to the left and the woman looked to the right, also seemingly scanning faces in the crowd.

And then the woman stopped when she locked on to a familiar face.

Hers.

Suddenly Kimberly cursed her game of cat and mouse with Asher. The woman turned back to the man, but Kimberly didn’t wait to see what happened next. She backtracked in record time to the alley and hurried down its length as the sound of pounding drew nearer.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Was the couple really running after her? She wasn’t really sure. But why? Was she just overreacting? Or had Asher been right about the couple all along?

Kimberly reached the metal door that led back into the mall and started to second-guess herself. It was a coincidence. That was all. It was perfectly normal for a couple to eat and then go shopping. It was a very big city after all.

She nodded to herself, trying to ignore the fear that had cropped up. She took a step back and looked toward the mouth of the alley.

Seconds later the woman and her green jacket came into view. Kimberly’s blood ran cold but her feet stayed warm. She grabbed the door handle, ready to fling it open and make a mad dash inside, when it swung wide so fast that she gave a little scream.

“Whoa, it’s me,” said Asher. He grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. Relief didn’t just pool within her, it flooded. She was so relieved and happy to see him.

“What’s wrong?” Asher asked her.

Kimberly turned back to the mouth of the alley. The woman and her counterpart were nowhere to be seen.

“She was just there,” Kimberly whispered.

“Who?” Asher’s grip tightened protectively. He moved her around behind him, looking where she had. Maybe she had imagined it. Kimberly began to think because the woman had disappeared so fast.

“Who?” he asked again. “Kimberly?”

“Call me Kim,” she whispered, staring at him. She shook her head and looked up at him. Embarrassment at acting like such a carefree child washed over her. While trying to avoid the bodyguard and what she believed to be a service she didn’t need, she’d just managed to convince herself that she was in some kind of danger. Like the trouble that they had gotten into in his SUV wasn’t enough. She thought.

She was creating fictional scenarios and problems for herself, most likely seeing more in the couple’s actions than was there. Still, the fear wasn’t fully leaving, either. Fear often led to loss of control.

And Kimberly didn’t like losing what little control she had. She cleared her throat before continuing with a much stronger voice. “I just prefer being called Kim, especially by people close to me.”

“Okay, Kim,” he started, brows pulling together. “Who did you see?” he asked her

“Never mind,” she said. She straightened her back and took a deep breath. There was no way she was going to let the bodyguard’s paranoia and her fear make her lose her focus. “Let’s head back,” she said, no longer wanting to explore.

Kimberly might be able to write off how the woman in the green coat had seemingly been looking for her as a coincidence, but she wasn’t about to take off from the bodyguard’s side again.

She was in denial, but not that much.

——————–

The walk back to her apartment was quiet. More than anything Asher wanted to reprimand his charge for running off, but after seeing her expression in the alley, he’d refrained. Whatever-whoever-she’d seen had spooked her. While seeing Asher had done the opposite.

She’d let out a deep sigh that had seemingly passed through her entire body at the sight of him. Seeing such poignant relief because of his proximity had affected him almost as much as the look of fear she’d harbored seconds before. The absurd amount of annoyance he’d felt for Kimberly-Kim-had taken a backseat to a resounding protectiveness that went beyond his usual job duties.

He suddenly not only needed to keep her safe, he wanted to do it, and to the best of his abilities. He wasn’t denying that fact anymore. And who knew, she might be carrying his child.

The silence stretched past the sidewalk and up to their rooms, and when it finally broke, it wasn’t by much.

“I’m a little tired from that walk and all that running” Kimberly muttered. “I think I will just go to bed. See you tomorrow.” There was an undercurrent to her words, but Asher couldn’t place the emotion creating it. Was it guilt at ditching him earlier? Or residual fear from whatever had happened when he hadn’t been right on her heels?

“Thank you,” was all he could say. “Thanks for… I don’t know… The food… Your company… I guess”

She stared at him for a second and then she nodded and opened her door. She turned around to face him again.

“I’m really sorry for that stupid joke” she said softly. “I shouldn’t have run off like that. You must think I’m really crazy. Always running off without thinking. I’m that way sometimes. I don’t think. Anyways I should have done that and I’m sorry. I will try not to act that way next time”

He nodded. “It’s fine,” he said. “The important thing is that you are safe”

“Alright,” Kimberly said.

He waited until it was closed and the top latch was thrown in place. It made him wonder if she’d done it by habit, or if Kimberly was more worried than she was letting on.