Is this destiny?

~ Los Angeles, the Cliffside Villa ~

Monday, March 23

8:03 AM

Ron and Zula are in the dining room on the main level of the house for kids (and staff), having breakfast. Other kids are there as well, but our teenage couple is in their own bubble, talking in whispers and smiling between bites.

Zula was shy at first. She is having her meals with Ron for a week now, but after yesterday, they are dating seriously, so this is different. However, Ron was cool about it and his confidence reflected on her as well, so she is able to ignore curious gazes of others while getting lost in the eyes of the handsomest boy she ever saw.

"How was your date?", Imani asked while taking a seat at the table with Ron and Zula.

Before Zula could answer, Jamari stepped in.

"Don't you see that it went well?", Jamari asked while gesturing to Imani toward an empty table on the left. "We should give them privacy, other than meals they won't have much time to talk considering our updated schedules."

Imani glanced at Ron and Zula and then at Jamari and had to agree with him. Yesterday all of them got emails from Sarah with information on their increased workload. The housekeeper, Gennie will still be supervising and advising them, however Sarah is taking a more active role and there will be an additional foreign language as well as more specialized training.

"Since when is Jamari so… mature?", Zula asked Ron when Jamari and Imani moved to the other table.

"Since he got his eyes on Imani.", Ron responded.

"Really?", Zula had troubles believing it. "He is twelve."

Ron shrugged indicating that age is not important.

Zula shook her head. "No matter what he is thinking, Imani sees him like a boy. He is younger than she is."

Ron shrugged again. "Only by one year. Now she sees him like a boy, but who knows how she will see him in few months? How did you see me when I arrived? Did you think then that I am handsome enough to be your boyfriend?"

Zula's mind exploded. He just said the word 'boyfriend' at loud! Oh, Gosh! And he said that he is her boyfriend!

She reminded herself to focus because her boyfriend asked her a question.

Zula thought about when she saw Ron the first time… he had a ridiculous hairstyle and his attitude was not very good either.

"You were OK looking after the haircut.", she honestly responded while omitting the part that she was doing her best to avoid him because his enthusiasm to fight with anyone at anytime was… unsettling.

Zula can't deny that what he said is true: her opinion of him changed, drastically. Over time she saw that he is a good guy and she was not aware at what point they started studying and training together in a group and she didn't mind when he sat next to her… and it all led to the point when she was happy to be paired up with him for the mission at the White Mansion.

"Ron! Garage, now!", Aiden's angry voice rang in Ron's ear stud.

Ron paused.

"Are you OK?", Zula noticed that Ron's color drained from his face.

"I don't know. Boss Aiden called. See you in a bit.", Ron got up from his chair without finishing his meal, or cleaning after him. He knows that he needs to hurry, he never heard Aiden so angry.

In the garage…

Ron found Aiden next to the white Mercedes S class, the one he was driving yesterday for a date with Zula.

"Didn't we talk about the appropriate behavior for a first date with a fifteen years old girl?", Aiden asked while rapping with his fingers impatiently on the roof of the car.

Ron's eyes shifted while thinking, is Aiden so angry because of kissing? Since when is kissing a big deal? He didn't force Zula, alright? And… do they need to talk about it in the garage? Derrek, the mechanic, is three cars down, checking the oil in Bentley Continental GT Convertible.

"Boss, we only kissed.", Ron explained.

"Only kissed, my as*!" Aiden opened the back door. "What is that!?"

Ron glanced inside and didn't see anything out of place. It is empty.

He looked at Aiden and blinked. "What?"

"On the floormat!", Aiden grumbled.

Ron looked and saw whitish stain. Ron's eyes widened in horror when he remembered: ice cream! He was sure he cleaned it well, why is it white now?

"Sorry boss. It seems I didn't clean it well enough."

Aiden's face twisted in anger. "Ron, she is only fifteen, and you are seventeen. It was your first date."

Ron didn't understand, why is Aiden so angry. Sure, there is a stain on the floormats in the back of the car, but it can be washed. And how is that related to their age?

"Allow me to fix it…"

"How on earth are you going to fix this?!", Aiden raged.

"What is going on?", Sarah asked with concern apparent on her face.

Aiden called her to come to the garage, and here she is. Seeing Aiden's expression, it seems to be serious.

Ron looked at Sarah and realized that whatever it is, it's escalating. Why are both of them here? That can't be good.

Ron spoke quickly while trying to defuse the situation: "I will wash it. It will be like new. Let me see the front one…", Ron opened the front passenger's door and confirmed that there is a whitish stain there as well on the floormat. "Don't overreact. When I'm done with it, it will be like new!"

Aiden saw red. "Overreact?! Like new?!"

Sarah held Aiden's arm, reminding him that she is there. "Will someone tell me what is going on?"

Aiden took a deep breath and spoke to Sarah. "Ron took Zula on a date with this car yesterday. Look at the floormats and tell me if I need to say more."

Sarah checked the car and two seconds later robotically turned toward Ron. If looks could kill, he would be sliced into a million pieces.

Ron's eyes darted between Sarah and Aiden in confusion. Why are they so upset over two ice cream stains? Since he got here he broke and ruined so many other things… And Aiden gave him the keys happily and Sarah was there as well. Just what is going on?

"I have a hunch that this is a misunderstanding…", Ron started.

Aiden took a deep breath to calm down. When he spoke, his voice was lower, but it only conveyed to Ron that he is in danger.

"You and Zula went out on a date and you returned the car with those stains!"

Ron felt like an ice bucket was dumped on him. Is Aiden implying that he and Zula were intimate in the car and those stains are…"Boss, it's a misunderstanding. That is ice cream! Vanilla! Smell it!"

Aiden grimaced. "There is no way I'm smelling that!"

"There must be a way to check what stained the mats! You can't accuse me of being a shameless scoundrel when the only thing we did was kiss!"

Aiden thought for a second and remembered that Eve-vision can determine components of a matter down to a molecular level.

A minute later…

Sarah visibly relaxed and was rubbing her temples. These kids will be the end of her. Why is parenting so stressful?

Aiden's expression was still not good. His inner-clean-freak was raging, he never eats inside a car!

"Ice cream?", Aiden squeezed through his teeth.

Ron panicked. "You still don't believe me?"

"Oh, I believe you. But I want to know why you thought it's OK to eat in the car? And out of everything, you picked ice cream, which melts! Those are custom mats! And how did you manage to make a mess in two places? Are you two toddlers? Did you throw ice cream at each other? ..."

Ron observed Aiden and wondered, why does it look that Aiden is equally upset by the thought of food in the car and if they were doing something naughty?

"…Ten extra laps, longest trail. Both you and Zula! Now!", Aiden ended his angry banter.

"Yes, boss!", Ron exclaimed and glanced at Sarah who waved at him to leave.

Ron nodded and swiftly left. He understood that if he sticks around it might lead to an additional punishment.

Ah, he needs to tell Zula that they need to run ten laps. He wishes that he can do twenty, for both of them so that Zula does not find out about this… Because she will ask him why they are punished, and he will need to explain. He told himself that it's probably wise to skip the part where Aiden and Sarah thought how the stains are remnants of their passionate night which didn't happen. But Ron hopes that it will happen… someday… when both of them are ready.

Sarah approached Aiden and pressed her index finger between his eyebrows.

It took him a second to relax his face.

Sarah smiled. "Let's get some ice cream."

"Ice cream in the morning? That's different."

"Mhm…", Sarah hummed in confirmation, leaned closer to him and whispered: "I heard you say 'ice cream fight' and I thought..."

Aiden looked at her mischievous smile and he understood. Sarah loves when they have ice cream in the bed, and Aiden makes sure to lick clean any 'accidents' which conveniently end up on her body. 

Derrek watched Sarah and Aiden leave the garage in a hurry and he wondered, why did he end up with a task to clean up the mats? He is the mechanic!

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