I loitered in the lobby, waiting for Philip. He went to have a final check in the kitchen before we left. Walking around, I witnessed the crowd of happy eaters fade away into the oblivion. It was already ten in the night and the dark warm blanket had settled over the city. Eating was now replaced with people hanging out on the sidewalks talking and laughing.

The summer had set in properly. I watched the bustling city slowly return to sleep, pulling the blanket of the night over it. At a distance, I could hear the main part of the city coming to life. The night was its dawn. The crowd of party lovers had only arisen in West L.A.

A honeyed voice called me out. "Ready?"

I knew the answer already. I wasn't ready to meeting parents, let alone Philip's. One a scale of one to infinite in impossibility, I never assumed anything Philip related to occur, let alone the rest which ensued.

John knew well, who the manager was and what I felt for him. It wasn't a crush anymore. It was far from an infatuation either. Unable to tag the truth about it, I sought solace in calling it a teenager's craving. I had ceased to be a teenager and those festered feelings stopped being a childish longing for a man. Deep down, I knew what it was. 

Philip stood looking my way as I floated in those memories and thoughts, ignoring his question. He moved closer, calculated steps in stride. "Are you ready, Daisy?"

I nodded. He continued his stare. If I had a recorder, I would have instructed myself not to keep gesturing. But for now, a mental note had to do. Clearing my dry throat, I answered. "Yes I am, let's go."

We walked outside. Philip was the one who walked ahead. His hand travelled inside his coat and pulled out his folded cane. It magically elongated like a wand. He tapped on both sides of the sidewalk with swift swishes and the light tapping on the concrete made him place his next steps.

It was all too fast. He must had done it for a long time now. Once the cane struck a rock on his right, Philip turned to what seemed to a hybrid. The one which immediately reminded me of all 'transformer' vehicles. Tracing his hand inside the coat pocket, Philip dialed and narrated his instructions. "We are here."

I looked around the well-lit street for anyone who might approach us. After a few idle minutes, a man appeared from the shadows. His face was placed opposite to the streetlights. His features were blurred but his built couldn't go unnoticed. It seemed like he was one of those fitness freaks.

Upon close observation, the bald man had thin eyebrows and droopy eyelids. His haggard face screamed fiftys' but his body resisted the gravity's pull and depicted a thirty something fitness. Steroids might have held up his used muscles while the disused ones, his face, stated his real age.

"Daisy, this is Luke.. He is my driver and assistant." Philip ran a brusque introduction.

My ears stood up at the word assistant. Philip had an assistant inside the hotel. A slender, grapevine looking woman whole legs went for miles and a face which stated she was in the wrong occupation. She could have been better, a model.

"Isn't the girl inside-" 

I couldn't finish. Philip was quick to address my doubt. "She is my personal assistant. Luke is more like.."

"Bodyguard," Luke's hoarse voice was an indication of the yelling he might do to the other trainees at the gym. I had already developed a covering of respect and scare for him. 

"Why do you need a bodyguard?" My question went unanswered when Philip ushered me in the car and got himself besides Luke. I was surprised that he didn't join me in the back but I was too shy to point that out or do something to rectify it.

Flying buildings and the blurred lights soon faded into dark shadowy trees which taunted my imagination. They branches extended their arms into the air, inviting birds to nest upon it while the top swayed with the wind. With array of treetops lined up, the lit houses at a distance seemed to merely be starry lights hanging on them from afar.

The car turned slowly into a driveway and my eyes travelled towards the house in sight. A yellow light hung from the ceiling on the front porch and a rocking chair waved with the wind. I remained seated when Luke got off and opened the door for me. Hopping off, I stood watching the surrounding.

The wind rustled my hair, I tied it in a bunch before the realization of whom I was meeting hit me. Pulling off the band, I ran my fingers through my brown tangled locks. Philip made his way towards me, his cane tucked inside his pocket now. He knew this area too well to use his cane. It was etched in his memory, every stone and stick. He was sure this driveway won't betray him into a fall.

As Philip stepped forward, he turned back as if trying to read my expressions. With outstretched hand, he invited me. From my peripheral vision, I saw Luke watching his boss and the new girl who accompanied him. I wasn't sure what to do.

This wasn't a handshake although, even that took a toll on me. Even the thought of his hold sent a shiver down my spine. Bracing for impact, I held Philips's hand but this time I didn't feel anything. Like the charm had faded and we were left with only the physicality of our touch. It was not till Philip smiled at me. His crooked heartbeat arresting smile made a million butterflies fluttered and rocket in my stomach. Warmth rose over my cold cheeks. I was perpetually cold but Philip's touch felt as a ray of sunlight, creaking through a broken window and warming the frigid place.

As the doors opened and we moved inside, muffled voices floated across. John's was louder as compared to the others. Sasha was barely audible. Philip turned to me, his eyes glinted with an incomprehensible emotion. "This would be fun," he said, before tightening his grip over my palm and moving us in. Electric jolts ran from his hold, spreading across my body.

I walked behind, a puppy attached to a leash and happily following the master into the kitchen. Sasha's back faced me and John was busy swirling his finger inside a bowl before licking it. He repeated the process and I made a mental note to stay away from his bowl. John rarely shared his food and I was unwilling to get my cooking hand be destroyed if the hungry hunk decided to bite it off.

"Mom," Philip called out and as a reflex, I jerked out of his hold. A slow turn towards my side revealed he noticed it. But he had bigger things in mind to state anything. 

A lady, white and grey haired, smiled upon hearing her reference. She walked towards us, eyes warm with affection and kindness. She watched me with a half-smile before prodding her son who said. "This is Daisy"

Upon those words, Sasha and John turned from their respective chairs and looked at the entrance, where I stood. Sasha let out a big laugh as if she wasn't expecting it but was happy for me to have landed. John bit his lips in confusion but tried his best to hide it. I forgot all about that when tender hands wrapped me in an embrace and said. "Welcome."

Pulling back, Mrs. Fernandez donned a full-fledged smile, grinning ear to ear. While I watched her reaction with amusement, she said. "Thank you for coming, Daisy. I have heard a lot about you." She turned, nodding at John in what I could assume was her look of disappointment. "He said you didn't have time for meeting today, that after the interview, you would meet some friends and all.."

Knowing John's reasoning to hide where he stayed, I didn't want to state something which would throw him under a bus. He looked at me with pleading eyes and Sasha watched my next move carefully, leaning on the kitchen counter.  She and Philip seemed to enjoy John's trouble. In their defense, he did dug his own grave.

"The interview was quick and well friends.." I smirked at John, telling him I know his act before turning back. "Sasha and John insisted if it was possible for me to make time.."

Nodding, Mrs. Fernandez ushered us in. A warm breath hit my side when Philip leaned closer. "No credit for me, huh?"

I couldn't help blush as he whispered and moved away. I lingered in his minty sweet breath's aftermath before Sasha grabbed my hand and placed me on a seat next to her. I looked at the surrounding, trying to make myself comfortable.

The dimly lit kitchen reminded me of my place back in Roseville. The old shelf stacked with plates and the cupboard lined neatly with cups and stemmed glasses was an epitome of an old residence.

John's mother tuned to me, placing a cup of warm soup. I was surprised at the serving. As I looked up at her, she smiled back at me. "You seem to be cold. This will warm you." Wiping the back of her neck with a piece of cloth that hung on her shoulder, she continued. "Although, I don't know how are you so cold? I am a sweating swine here.."

John was quick to retort. "She is always cold. Even in the warmest of the months, you would see her sniffing away a sinus infliction."

Thanks John.

Philip leaned the counter and looked at the area I stood at. My body stood in attention, frozen. "She is cold because Marcelle took her inside the freezer." He said in my defense, munching on some chips from a packet. 

Upon hearing his words, Sasha walked towards John, hopping on a chair beside. "How was it? The interview."

"It was good. I have to start with the sauces.." I looked up at Philip, knowing he was listening attentively. "Starting tomorrow."

He didn't saw anything as he tuned towards the oven to help his mother but I thought I saw a soft smile blossoming on his face before hiding his facial view. 

Dinner table was full of casserole filled with warm, aromatic food. A celebration of the family as their elder son returned. Sasha served and placed herself between me and John. Philip, his mother and Luke sat on the opposite.

The door rattled and a man appeared. He had the same color hair as the woman who sat opposite to us, grey and white. He walked in, scanning the room before his eyes landed on me. His lips drew a tight smile as he bent over to kiss his wife.

Sitting on the long end of the table, he smiled at nobody in particular. "Will someone introduce me or shall I wait for her to get scared and run too?"

The room erupted into a laughter. The serious looking Luke's shoulders too floated up and down and his head fell back. 

Sasha protested, "Dad.. It only happened one time.."

The man, laughing himself, now mirrored his wife's kindness and warmth as opposed to what he carried inside the room a minute back. He nodded at Sasha's words before filling up air into his lungs to speak, "All I asked was how much did you like John and you thought I was prodding you to run away."

Ahh. I remembered now. John had mentioned once, how Sasha flipped out and ran when his dad made her feel scared. Although now I knew he didn't intend on it. John was quick to make my introduction. The man's expression changed immediately, smile disappearing and his forehead crinkling. 

"So you are the one who turned my milk drinking lad into a coffee addict."

As the laughter echoed again, I looked up at Philip who chocked on his morsel. Sasha and John were glad, the limelight had shifted from them.

After brief word here and there and long sessions of laughter, dinner concluded. Once the boys helped their mother with the plates and Sasha and I helped set up the table back to its previous pre food war position, we all went out for a stroll.

The warm breeze had turned cooler and didn't prick the skin as before. The night was still young for those for whom midnight was a perfect time to conduct a stroll for themselves or their pets. 

Sasha walked with me, hand in hand. She patted my clutched knuckles as I watched the two brothers walking into the dimly lit street before disappearing completely. Mustering up courage to scold her, I turned but Sasha was already loaded with her defense. 

"John needed to know the truth? It was needed, Daisy."

"Why?" I wanted to know the reason for her to break the girl code. The promise to not reveal the truth.

"Because.." her shoulders dropped and her voice lowered. "Because he was searching for Philip's girlfriend. He wanted them to get back together.."

The news was jarring, like someone dragging nails over blackboard. It clattered my teeth and soured my mouth. Here I was, daydreaming all over again about a man whom I had deeply and madly fallen for. In reality, John was ensuring his visually impaired brother had a companion. An ex, to be precise. 

Sasha let out a sign, holding me close and snaking her arms over my shoulders. "If you think you like him then you have to tell him. Or else you need to move on, Daisy. It's all upto you now."

I assumed how easy was it for her to state, I had to either cut and make my heart bleed or suffer in silence, watching the man I cared for, walk away. Sasha wouldn't know the choice was only worded easily. It was the hardest decision I had ever been placed with. 

The decision, which even after four years of having met Philip and carrying a predilection towards him, wasn't an easy one to make.  

~~

A/N

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