Coincidence? I think not

Sierra's P.O.V

My eyes fluttered open as a streak of sunlight struck them. I groaned and swirled to face the opposite direction but it wasn’t as comfortable. It took me no less than ten minutes to sprawl out of my bed.

I only work at night from nine o'clock to two o'clock in the Morning so I fall deep into sleep whenever I return and wake up at noon or something.

I found Courtney in the kitchen sitting on the island.

"Good Morning little sis," I said to her as I rubbed the sleep off my eyes.

"Good Morning Sierra. What's for breakfast?" She said excitedly. This little girl goes to sleep and wakes up with thoughts of food only. I looked at her for a while before answering her.

"Have you brushed your teeth?" She shook her head from side to side meaning no.

"No breakfast until your teeth are pearl white,"

I gestured for her to follow me to the bathroom.

"Okay." She had disappointment in her tone as she got off the chair and dragged her little feet to follow me to the bathroom.

Between the two of us, I always wake up looking like I’ve been knocked up.

We brushed our teeth together in my bathroom. After that, I headed to the bathtub and filled it up for her. I attempted to help her wash her hair.

"No Sierra. I want to do it myself." She insisted as she grabbed the shampoo from my hand and squirted it on her hand.

I left her since she likes doing things herself. She is a bit too smart for her age though, even her teachers are asking questions. She loves learning but she is very argumentative at the same time. She is going to be a really remarkable and respected woman in the future.

Nothing like me.

It was Summer break and she was already starting to miss going to school. She's one heck of a six-year-old. As far as I remember, when I was six, I hated school like the plague.

I got out of the shower and carried her out of the bathtub wrapped a towel around her and helped her dry off. She went to her room to dress up as I went to mine.

I combed my wavy red hair down and organized my eyelashes and eyebrows. I don't really wear makeup in the daytime. I prefer rocking a bare face.

I decided to wear white acid wash jean shorts and a red off-shoulder top with dark blue flats.

I walked out and found Courtney sitting at the kitchen island wearing a white sundress with red cherries all over it and red tiny converse shoes. She definitely knows how to dress, I’ll give her that.

"Sierra. Gimme food," she urged as she kicked her feet back and forth. I smiled at her in amusement before pacing to the stove and turning the knob upward to ignite the fire.

I briefly searched the lower cabinets for a frying pan then placed it on the fire with a tiny slice of butter melting away on it. Courtney came and stood beside me as I broke two eggs into a bowl and mixed them up with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cheese.

She loves omelets. I poured it into the pan and it sizzled as it fried in the melted butter. Courtney walked to the fridge and got a carton of milk, popped it open, and poured it into a glass. Just as I taught her.

I put her omelet on her ducky plate and she sat and ate it with a tiny fork. I slapped my piece of omelet between two slices of bread followed by a lettuce leaf and a few slices of tomato and voila! I made myself a sandwich.

"Sierra, whoever you're going to marry will sure enjoy your cooking. You're like a super girl behind the stove," she said abruptly and I started choking on my food.

I drank some water to push down the food I choked on and spoke. "I thought we've been over this, I'm not getting married."

After I said this, she decided to be sassy. "As if."

she scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Little girl, lower the sass by a few degrees and maybe you’ll earn yourself an extra omelet," I said and she smiled sweetly acting like it didn’t happen.

"Okay Sierra, you're the best, did I ever tell you, you have pretty eyes?" she said trying to win me over. I chuckled in amusement and sunk my teeth into my sandwich.

Once we were done with breakfast I asked her where she wanted to go today. "I want to go for bananas." She said as she was jumping up and down beside me as I washed the dishes. 

“Bananas,” was our code word for ice cream because the first time we went for ice cream, we ended up winning a free cluster of bananas.

Yesterday we went to the beach and today we go for bananas. Although since last night I want to make my public appearances less, Courtney keeps demanding to go out.

The chances of me bumping into my mate are narrow, more so at an ice cream shop. Besides, I look way different from when I’m performing.

We entered the elevator and on the floor beneath us, someone joined in. I’ve seen him quite a number of times before and we exchanged nothing more than a ‘hi’ or ‘good morning’. Usually, he was in gym clothes or a hospital uniform so I only assumed he was a medical worker. he was tall, had honey brown hair, light brown eyes, medium build and seemed a few years older.

"Hi," he said awkwardly after he cleared his throat. "Hi," I said awkwardly too.

Due to my lack of social interactions, I am unable to hold a proper conversation with people I am not fond of.

"I'm Dom, I live a floor beneath you," he said politely offering his hand for me to shake.

"I'm Sierra." I shook it and he seemed like he wanted to say something else.

"I was wondering if you would you like to get a coffee together one time?" he asked with a polite gleeful warm smile. Was he asking me out? In this case, I really don't know what to say.

I started flipping through the pages of my brain looking for ‘how to reject someone.’

"No, Sierra doesn’t want to get married" Courtney peered in and I felt like ice cold water had been poured on me. Embarrassment.

 I glared at her for a split second and smiled awkwardly at Dom. "She meant, I am currently not in position to be in a relationship," I immediately knew that was a bad excuse the moment it left my lips.

"It's okay, I understand but would you like to be friends? You can have my number and call me in case of anything" he said politely offering a business card. He didn’t seem to have lost his composure at all.

He got out on the floor that had a restaurant and waved us goodbye. I sighed and looked at Courtney who was acting as if nothing happened just now.

"Courtney, you’re not supposed to interrupt a conversation between grownups" I stated sternly as I glared at her. She grinned and answered.

"You weren’t going to say anything, you don’t know how to talk to people." she responded in a smart-ass way and I only had to accept because this was a hard fact but how the fuck did she know?.

"Touche." I acknowledged.

We rode the elevator all the way down to the lobby.

"Good Morning Dan," I waved at our doorman.

"Good "Morning Sierra. Where to today?" he asked cheerfully as usual.

"We are going for ice cream." I replied gleefully as we went out of the hotel and waved good bye.

We got a taxi shortly after and directed the driver to Charlie's Ice cream palace. I paid for the fare and marched into the fairly small building with a big banner on top saying “Charlie’s Ice cream shop” It was a simple place with a white and royal blue theme, a few pictures of different ice creams hang on the walls and comfortable chairs organized in lanes.

We found a free seat. I consider that a miracle considering this place is usually full during weekends and it’s Sunday. A waiter made his way towards us.

"My name is Ron and I will be your waiter today. So what would you like to freeze your tongue today." He asked nicely.

"Courtney, what would you like?" I asked her because she hogged the menu to herself.

"I want a banana split." She said in a cheery way. "We will share a banana split with chocolate syrup," I said to the waiter as he noted it down the proceeded to fetch our orders.

Suddenly, my spine got a jolt of electricity and an outstanding scent filled the room. It was so good, like an ocean next to a rain forest, it was filled with authority but with a slight hint of fatigue. It made my mouth water and my senses sharpen.

Fuck no.