Chapter Five

"Honk Honk," Ava pounds on her horn. This is why she hates the city, the damn traffic. Her assistant doesn't even have a driver's license. In New York City why would you need one with all the different transportation? Ava could call an Uber and it would get her from point A to point b faster. But Ava hates that way of transportation. The drivers are rude and most of them refuse to let you have a dog. You can't have one unless it is a therapy dog.

Ava puts on the radio a station that focuses on good music, the 2000s, jams. Ava's mood is completely lifted an old Maroon 5 song comes on.



The nostalgia radiating off of this song is everything. Ava starts singing along to the song. She then attempts to stay on tune, but it is challenging with Adam's vocal range.

"She with be loved and she will be loved." Ava agrees with these lyrics, she will be loved by a man of her choice one day. Traffic starts moving and the song stops and the guy on the radio's voice booms. Ava turns down the volume and lightly pushes on the gas.

"Are you ready to bask in the glory of our music, first we are going to be excepting a few call-in requests? Is there someone you want to make feel special? Well if there is please call our hotline now." Ava turns off the radio to calm down.

The rest of the way there is not easy, but it is barely time for the appointment. Ava gets to the destination in almost, no time.

She is having a meeting with Abdula, not the man she just had a one-night stand with adoring grandmother. She takes a deep breath, she wants to stay cool and not give away anything. She strolls into the restaurant, then walks up to the reservation desk.

"Name?" The older woman asks she is in her mid to late 60s and has seemed to have aged remarkably.

"Ava Willows," Ava says with a smile. The woman looks at the list and nods.

"Ms. Willows, Ms. Guard has been here waiting ten minutes." Ava's jaw drops at this, Abdula was not supposed to be twenty minutes early.

She is always ten steps ahead of Ava, and Ava tried to be ahead of her and failed.

"Right this way Ms.," The reception lady says, Ava looks at the tag and sees her name is Isabella.

"You have a gorgeous name," Ava says, attempting small talk with the woman. Ava has never been good at keeping up to date on women. They tend to be too much to handle at times. Take a glimpse at Mr. Guard for a second, he is a handsome successful rich guy who just wants to find love. Instead, he gets some crazy girl with a baby and the one-night stand with someone who is about as emotionally available as a dead person. Not that extreme, but she is too closed off from the world.

Ava brought a dog cage so Bear can join the evening. The same lady shows her to the table.

"What drinks would you like to start with?" Ava is quick to answer.

"Red Wine and leave the bottle." Abdula smiles and hugs Ava. She squeezes so tight that when she lets go she can feel that her back cracked.

"Look at those child-bearing hips you have. You have a body a man and a baby would kill for. I miss my figure. You are tiny, but just the right amount. You have breasts like your grandmother and eyes like your father once did." Abdula smiles as Ava sits down at the table for two.

Ava hardly remembers her birth mother, she abandoned her when she was six, and then no matter where she went, she never found her or even thought about looking.

Ava's father remarried and then, he sent her to her grandmother He told Ava she was the reason her mom left and abused the heck out of her. Ava only remembers the trip home from the hospital. With all the traveling Ava has done over the years she has thought about looking up her mother. Ava got dropped off at grandma Beth's and she waited weeks for her mom to come back to pick her up. It has been 20 years since she has seen her real mom. Grandma Beth is now living with her new husband battling breast cancer. Ava bought them their house paid for their wedding and pays currently for their lifestyle. Ava still wishes she could do more even though Beth won't accept it.

"Abdula, it's been forever. Grandma has been excited to show you the house I built for her and Rob." Abdula smiles and then sets her napkin on her lap.

Ava does the same thing.

"How is Rob treating her?" Ava looks into Abdula's eyes and notices how similar they are to her grandson's. His eyes are shaped differently, but the color is the same. Gorgeous green eyes with pools of light blue.

"Rob is what makes her happy after Gramps died it took her 15 years to start dating again. Gramps was 25 years older than her though." Abdula smiles at Ava.

"He was one of the sexiest men of our time. Both of us tried to get him to turn his head. Beth was a waitress and I was a millionaire's, spoiled daughter. He fell in love with your grandma's grace and beauty. You look so much like she did, except you have your mother's eyes." Abdula hisses out anything about Ava's mother. Abdula doesn't like it when people don't take responsibility.

"Gramps loved Grandma so much, he spent every day telling her he loved her and worshipping her. I was twelve when he passed, but he was like a father to me during those years." Abdula grins and takes Ava's hand.

"It was like Beth and Lenny were meant to be, just like my husband and I. He means the world to me and gave me a wonderfully fulfilled life. A place to call home. A daughter God bless her soul, it's been years since the accident." Ava can see the tears forming in her eyes. She squeezes her hand hoping to comfort her.

Ava lets go and stands up, she walks over to Abdula.

"Your grandson's heart is in good hands." Ava reels back and the look of pure, but delightful shock on her face.

"So you have met him, I hope he wasn't rude to you," Ava blushes.

"No, he was a gentleman last night, he saved me from an old drunk on the streets. We danced too." Abdula smiles.

"When are you going to see him next?" Abdula asks her whole face lights up.

"Tomorrow, for lunch." Abdula's jaw drops and her smile somehow grow even bigger.

"What's that smile for?" Ava asks grinning back at Abdula.

"He doesn't do lunch meetings ever, that is when he is most focused. That is the time he spends working on the things he cherishes most. Sometimes it's me having lunch with him, other days he sits and puts extra work in to make sure everything is thriving." Ava blushes.

"Since it could interfere with his business, I would be happy to move it around. I could go to dinner instead of lunch." Abdula laughs a little at Ava.

"If he agreed to have lunch with you then do it. He needs to get out more during the day. He spends the mornings in the gym and night at bars. I also heard he has been to a few VIP clubs." She explains, Ava knew about the body part. Every part of him is sculpted to perfection.

"Ava dear you are blushing, he really must have charmed you." Ava smiles but she blushes more from embarrassment.

"He's dreamy. What I like about him so far is how compassionate he is. The only flaw I have seen in the last two days is his temper. One minute happy, next stone cold." Abdula smiles a soft smile, but behind those layers of concealer and foundation, she has bags. Nights spent worried about her grandson never finding love.

"He is rough around the edges, most men who have been through the amount of heartbreak he has been through. Most men are a little rough around the edges, but just like a pie, there is always a sweet filling and whipped cream in the middle. You have walls too, they protect your heart from breaking." Ava picks up her glass and nods.

"Besides I called him this morning and I could hear how happy he was. You also seem to be smitten with him. You two are young. Have sex, date do whatever you feel is necessary."

Ava gags on the wine. A blush stains her face again.

"Just promise me you will not crush his heart." She pleads for her heart and his, she can't see him fall again.

"I know the pain, I could never inflict that on another living being." Abdula smiles some more.

"Make sure you two fall for each other quick, I have been nagging at him and telling him to take a break and find a girl. I have been hinting for grandkids since before his ex." Ava turns pale, she has always wanted children of her own for a long time.

The word nagging scares her, she had to do the same with her ex and got nowhere at all. He even went as far as getting a vasectomy. He did that without telling her so she went months thinking she wasn't able to get pregnant. He sent her into a panic, she ended up going to the doctor and he said everything was fine.

Abdula notices the sadness in Ava's eyes.

"He wants them, he volunteers a lot taking children from the foster homes to baseball games. He is there on Saturdays, they play football and all kinds of stuff. He has always wanted a little girl. I saw it in his eyes when Kathryn had her first daughter. He spoils her." Ava smiles a bit at this.

"Let's order. I am hungry." Abdula waves a waiter over.

"We will have two garden salads, two grilled salmon. For dessert, chocolate, cake."

Ava's mouth waters, the food at this restaurant is some of the very best. They continue eating in comfortable silence.

Ava has to leave to finish up her day.

"Bye, Abdula." Abdula giggles as Ava hugs her.

"Bye Ava. I can't wait to do this again. Also thanks now, I can tease my grandson."

"How?" She smirks a bit.

"Saying you were mine first." Ava laughs at this.

"Okay, have fun with that." She gets into her car and drives off into the lunch rush traffic.

"Ugh again. At least Bear gets a nap." Ava sighs to herself looking out into the distance. Bear has been asleep for about half an hour. The workout must have worn him out.