“Thanks” Zinnia said, still a little dared as she held the plushie. She had barely glanced at it, and now it was in her hands.
Right away, Jackson turned to the waiter and was ready for an order. He knew the menit here was a surprise–each table got a set of mystery wasn’t sure what would come out, but he remembered Zinnia didn’t like parsley or garlic
So he said, “We’re ready to order. Four portions, please. And make sure there’s no parsley or garlic in the dishes.”
“Got it,” the water replied, and then quietly stepped away.
Perry was already peppering Zinnia with questions. “Hey, Zinnia, how old are you? You look so young What grade are you in? Which school
“Seventeen, senior year, Evershine High,” Zinnia replied politely, keeping it brief. She didn’t seem annoyed by Perry’s barrage of questions. Sure, he wat
a bit chatty, but he was Jackson’s friend, after all.
Evershine High School in Jinston is an elite institution. Zinnia’s grades from her small town public school wouldn’t have qualified her for admission. Bef she was a Shaw, and the family couldn’t very well ignore her just because of that. So they splashed out a fortune to get her in
They didn’t expect Zinnia to excel academically. Senior year was just a stepping stone–a way to help her get through her teenage years without disgracing the family.
They planned to send her abroad for college. As long as she maintained the family’s reputation and earned her diploma, that was enough
“Wow, Zinnia, you’re 177 You look like you’re still 15 or 16, Perry said, genuinely surprised.
He had thought Zinnia was younger, maybe a sophomore. But she was already seventeen,
an adult. At just five–foot–three, she looked tiny next to
Perry or Jackson, both of whom were ever six feet tall. Her small face and slow, soft de her seem younger.
“I’ll take you to school tomorrow” Jackson said, sliding a plate of cookies and small cakes toward her. “And here, grab a snack. They’re fresh”
“Sure,” Zinnia said, picking up a bear–shaped cookie and taking a slow bite.
Jackson glanced over and saw Perry staring at Zinnia. He picked up an orange from the table and tossed it at him. “Aren’t you going back? Just hanging around here running this little restaurant for fun? Isn’t your dad furious by now!”
The Stark family had been a medical dynasty for generations, with hospitals all over the place. But Perry had always been the black sheep. He’d never set foot in a hospital, choosing instead to open his own restaurant. It had nearly driven his father Enoch crazy.
“Leave him be,” Perry said, catching the orange and rolling it in his hand, his tone flat. “He’s got his precious golden boy to carry on the family name. Why should I go back and make things worse? Or steal his thunder?”
Jackson sighed, “Aren’t you afraid he’ll just hand over the inheritance to that guy? Perry, you need to fight for what’s rightfully yours,) love child take it away
You can’t just let a
“Look, if he wants to give it all away, that’s his choice. It’s not like we’re desperate for the money,” Perry replied, looking irritated. Then he paused and ha mood lifted. “Anyway, Yannis is back from abroad When should we all get together!”
Zinnia watched the exchange, feeling a bit puzzled by Perry’s contradictions
He caught her gaze and smi
and smiled, his eyes softening, “Bring Zinnia along when we do. Yannis hasn’t met her yet,”
“Let’s wait for a while, Jackson said. “We’re busy right now, and Zinnia starts school tomorrow.” He didn’t push it further. His gaze shited to Zinnia, and his expression softened.
1/2
Chapter 33
“Mr. Perkins, Mr. Lynn and his friends are just up ahead. Head straight and you’ll see them, the waiter at the entrance said, his eyes Making to
arrival.
“Yanny!” Perry glanced back and saw Yannis sauntering over, a lazy smile on his lace as he twirled his car keys. “Hey, man.“”
“Ugh, who said you could call me that?” Yannis grumbled, giving Perry a half heated glare. He was dressed in a black shirt with the coller undone revealing a glimpse of his collarbone. His long fingers idly played with the keys, a picture of nonchalance.
Zinnia hadn’t expected to see him here, her eyes widening in surprise. It seemed that he was one of Jackson’s friends.
Yannis hadn’t noticed her yet; Penry was blocking his view,
“What brings you here? We just talked about you,” Perry ask
asked, grinning.
“Thought I’d drop by,” Yannis replied, his eyes scanning the room. “Heard Jackson had a new girl around and figured I’d check it out.”
But as he got closer and caught sight of Zinnia standing next to Jackson, Yannis smile faltered–he recognized her.
Hearing all this, Zinnia thought, “This guy is really something. He seems to think I’m Jackson’s new girlfriend or something.
‘Hope he’s just Perry’s buddy, or it might even change my opinion of Jackson Jackson is smart, kind, and so cool–why does he have to have a friend who seems so clueless?‘
Zinnia wanted to say the guy seemed scatterbrained, but her master always taught her to be polite. So she settled on a gentler word: dense.
Yannis; standing tall, didn’t miss the flicker of disdain in Zinnia’s eyes. He’d been judged by this girl–again. He couldn’t believe she was Jackson’s cousin because it was too embarrassing
“Why are you just standing there?” Perry asked, seeing Yannis freeze. “Didn’t you want to meet Zinnia? She’s right here.”
“Yannis?” Jackson called out.
“Coming,” Yannis replied, pulling himself together. He wiped the smile off his face and put on a more serious expression. It made him look a bit more composed. He walked over, trying to ignore Zinnia’s wide, innocent eyes that seemed to be sizing him up.
“Zinnia, this is Yannis, a friend of mine,” Jackson said, introducing them. “Yannis, this is my cousin, Zinnia”
Neither of them had hoped for this. After a brief silence, they finally spoke
“Hey, Yannis.”
“Hi, Zinnia.”
Zinnia bit her lip. “Great, this guy really is Jackson’s friend. And he is definitely clueless. Hope I can help him out, really.
Perry said, “I’m sure you two will get along.”
Yan
C
