SEVEN

I went to the pub after the Sunday service and got to work as needed. Carl has been kind to me; he taught me how to do things that I'm still unsure how to do, and he has answered all of my inquiries about the various drink brands. He was the nicest employer.

"Elsa, come over here." From behind the counter, he said to me. I approached him from behind the counter and gave him a nod.

He handed me a drink and said, "Take this."

"Why are you giving me booze to drink?" I asked as I looked up at him.

"It's not alcohol, I want you to be the first person to taste a new flavor that I'm attempting." I raised an eyebrow in response as I looked up at him.

I took the glass from him and took a few moments to contemplate the milk-like beverage because I wasn't sure if he was testing me or not.

"Are you certain that this isn't alcohol? Is this a test for me? You must stop if this is a practical joke." I scowled as he flung back his head and burst out laughing.

He grasped both of my shoulders, shocking me all over, and said, "Trust me, baby, I don't play like that," while staring me in the eyes.

His actions, including the way he carelessly put his hands on my shoulders without even considering it, astounded me.

I humbly say, "My shoulders." I made a note.

He grinned after removing his hand from my shoulders.

"I'm sorry, that was wrong of me,"

Absolutely, what the f***?

I took a little sip of the beverage and closed my eyes to see how it tasted. Oh my god!

It tasted like a delicious combination of strawberry, milk, and orange. an entire package.

"I'm not even trying to be funny since this is so fantastic." I murmured, my eyes wide, and he shrugged in response.

"I warned you," He smiled as he stated. "I'll store some in the refrigerator for you. You can consume it whenever you need to."

I watched him mixing sex on the beach and nodded as I downed the liquid in the cup.

Just the fact that a beverage has the name "sex on the beach" is so absurdly amusing.

I pay close attention to Carl, studying his face and memorizing his features.

He was a lovely man, and when he touched me earlier, I felt something—I can't even begin to describe it—as though a naked wire had touched me.

As my gaze dipped to his jaw and his undone shirt, I found myself silently gulping.

Then stop, Elsa.

You're completely insane for considering him in that manner.

Carl was my boss, but that doesn't give me the right to attack him with my eyes just because he treated me well.

I gently smacked my cheeks and shook my head.

"Elsa Jameson, get your head out of the mud." I said quietly to myself.

****

I got ready for school as normal the following day, donning a black leather skirt and a white spaghetti top.

I don't usually wear them to school, so I'm not sure what motivated me to do so. Additionally, I don't want to think that what Zayn said to me during the pool party was the impetus for my behavior.

Simply said, I don't want to accept that.

When I arrived at school, I went to my locker and as soon as I opened it, I noticed a letter sitting on top of my textbook. I pulled out my textbook and snatched the note as well.

Nearly every student in the hallway was looking at me when I turned around. I was perplexed.

I simply couldn't comprehend what was happening or the reason for the sudden fascination with me.

"Hey Mama, come meet me in the pool around lunch." It says in the note.

I could tell who the letter was from even before he signed it with his name; it was from Zayn Black alone, and nobody else at all.

I gazed up once again as a smile pulled at my lips. Weird. They continued to glare at me.

In the next three minutes our first lesson, history, will begin, so I immediately closed my locker and departed.

Stephanie was already seated when I walked into the class. I sat down next to her and set my book on the locker.

"Couldn't even call or text me to let me know you were already here, what a great buddy you are." She said nothing despite my words and rolling of the eyes.

That was uncharacteristic of her.

I cocked my head to look at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What's going on, what's up?" I inquired. Perhaps she had a fight with Ray, her boyfriend.

She didn't reply, though, and that frightened me even more because it wasn't like her.

I was quite worried since Stephanie is someone who says whatever she wants without even considering if it is suitable or not.

"Why are you ignoring me while best friends tell each other what's going on with them?" I muttered.

"Okay, really? If you considered me to be your best friend, you should have let me know; however, I assume you didn't. I had no idea that you had that opinion." She whispered.

I was becoming more and more tense.

"What are you referring to? What's the deal with this?"

"Elsa, I forewarned you. How could you be caught in such a situation with Zayn when I warned you to keep away from him and you didn't listen to me?" She yelled.

I looked around and noticed that some of the students were already observing us and listening to our conversations.

"Zayn? What's the deal here?"

"Visit the school's I*******m blog to see for yourself." She answered. I hurriedly removed my phone from my bag and signed into I*******m. I entered Eastwood's blog username and scrolled through the page, but halted when I noticed the thumbnail with Zayn and I in it.

He had me wedged against the counter as I was sitting there when the photo was shot, and he had his hand inside my bikini.

I exhaled heavily and cupped my eyes.

God, oh God!

"You were totally taken in by his tricks. Elsa, I'm disappointed." She muttered.