Chapter 4: An encounter with a stranger

Ana's pov:

"Shotgun!" Sophia screamed, running to the passenger side and slipping into the car.

Tylor laughed and stared at her fondly before he turned to look at me.

"My father will be having a field day now that you're back." Tylor complained.

My eyebrows creased. "What?" 

He shrugged with his hands shoved in his pockets. "He has always been on my neck concerning coming back home to take over the business, you know? I held out because I wanted to wait for you to finish your education first. Now that you're back, I'm not going to hear the end of it."

I hesitated.

I never even knew or considered that his entire life had been on hold for me.

Tylor had done so much for me, for very little in return. I could never repay him for how kind he has been to Liam, Sophia and I.

"No way!" A voice suddenly screamed in excitement, cutting off our conversation.

I whirled around to see a very attractive young woman grinning widely at Tylor. "It can't be– Tylor? Tylor Smith? Heir of Smith enterprise?!"

Tylor sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. 

I laughed softly, stepping back to give them space. Even with his shades and how much he tried to downplay himself, he was still easily recognizable here in the states as the heir of one of the most successful companies in the country.

"I am, actually," he answered finally.

She squealed and jumped up and down, "I'm Emily," she said, offering her hand, "it's such a pleasure to meet you. I'm a huge fan!"

He laughed dryly as he shook her hand and looked to me for help, but instead I smiled wistfully at him.

It was clear that he still wanted to have something between us and be more than just a pretend father figure in Sophia's life. 

And I just didn't want that.

It has been five years since I got pregnant and he helped me throughout the time, but I still had zero feelings for him. The last thing I wanted was to give him the idea that I was leading him on. He deserved to be happy with a woman that cares for him as much as he cares for her.

 "I'm heading to the restroom." I told him instead, slipping away from them.

I didn't look back as I rushed into the first restroom I saw, heaving heavily as I dropped my bag on the counter.

I splashed cold water on my face and wiped it dry with my handkerchief. 

I was just reapplying my lipstick when the door pushed open and a good looking man strolled in.

I screamed, angry and embarrassed.

He stopped in his tracks, an annoyed expression darkening his handsome face.

The fact that he had the audacity to look annoyed in a place he wasn't meant to be made me even more furious.

"You pervert!" I screamed at him, clutching my back to my chest. "What the hell are you doing in the Ladies room?"

His eyebrows furrowed darkly and perhaps I would have been able to acknowledge how handsome he really was if the pervert asshole was not glaring angrily at me.

Instead of answering me immediately, he went to the sink and began washing his hands meticulously. "If you invested as much energy in learning to read as you did in yelling at a stranger, you'd realize that this is actually the men's room and not the ladies."

He said it in such a cold, standoffish manner and I found myself looking at the image identification on the wall to confirm what he said.

My face paled.

It was indeed the men's room.

How did I– I must have been in too much of a hurry to not even realize that I had entered the men's room and not the ladies.

I turned back to him, tacking on an embarrassed smile. "I'm very sorry for the mixup."

His gaze only hardened. He looked beyond pissed now. "Don't apologize to me, just get out of my sight."

I gasped, my face heating up in shock and embarrassment at being told off like a mere school girl.

I grabbed my bag and apologized again before hastily leaving the restroom, the tips of my ears burning.

Greyson's pov:

This loud mouth woman looked unnervingly familiar but the fact that I couldn't put my finger on where I know her from made me annoyed and frustrated for no reason.

"I'm very sorry for the mixup," she apologized, bowing her head a bit and somehow, the sight of her only ticked me off further.

How many times have women like her jumped to unnecessary conclusions and made false claims to hurt my image and reputation.

"Don't apologize to me," I scoffed, "just get out of my sight."

She obeyed immediately and started to walk towards the exit, her face and cheeks flushed with shame.

I stared at her, taking the moment to admit the fact that she was actually a very beautiful woman, at least until she opens her mouth.

She walked past me and I caught a whiff of her perfume.

And something in my head clicked.

That face. One night. A distant memory.

She was the woman I had slept with that night, all those years ago. The one that slipped into my hotel room and seduced me. I hadn't used a condom that night and it was the first and last time I ever made a mistake as stupid as that.

I frowned, suddenly feeling uneasy.

Was she stalking me? Following me? Hoping to extort me? 

No, she couldn't be that desperate.

But it wouldn't be the first time a woman has done things like that to me.

From the looks of things, she didn't recognize me, or she was very good at faking it. Anyway, it's a good thing I was able to contain the problem before it escalated. I had my son with me and that was all that mattered to me.

I turned to leave, but then I noticed the wallet the woman had left in her haste and panic.

Curiosity got the better of me and I opened it and found a picture of her holding a little girl that was a miniature version of her.

I studied the picture carefully, my eyes lingering on their faces. "Looks like she's married and with a daughter."