"One martini, please. Dry." Lauren ordered. The bartender nodded and began preparing his drink while Lauren watched.
A bit later, as Derek took another sip of what the bartender had prepared for him, he accidentally let out a loud burp.
Lauren's head snapped in his direction, her eyes widened. Derek hit his chest, "My bad, Excuse me." Lauren looked even sicker.
"Here's you bill, Mr.Hudge" the bartender spoke handing a bill to Derek." Thank you." He said before taking another sip of his drink and grabbed the bill.
He quickly signed it and handed it back to the bartender. Lauren snuck a glance at Derek's signature and she chocked on her drink.
"You're Derek Hudge?" She asked.
Derek's looked over to her, not expecting to get recognized and he nodded, giving a small smirk, "Guilty."
Lauren put her drink down and let out a yelp, "Oh!" She excitedly exclaimed and jumped out of her chair, quickly sitting on the one next to Derek's,
"Oh, my God! I can't believe it! I've been to so many of your games, you're incredible. Why'd you retire?" She questioned.
He has only retired a year ago, he was Lauren's favorite player. Zac had to confront her when he retired.
She thought she'd never be able to meet him, he was 32 but she didn't care. In her mind they were meant to be together.
(She's 25, they're 7 years apart)
"I just saw you opened up a record label and, you know, well you don't know but you're the man of my dreams so."
"I'm Lauren Smith."
Derek was flattered, "Well you don't know but I'm getting married soon, like as soon as next month." He crushed her spirit.
"Oh." She murmured
••
Fatima sighed as she frantically looked for Zachary throughout the hotel. She had been pretty much everywhere.
Still her ex husband was nowhere to be found. Her eyes scanned the people as she walked through the pool area.
Her eyes widening once she saw a man with the same facial structure as Zachary. She reluctantly took a step in that man's direction.
Noticing it wasn't him, she turned back accidentally bumping into a man and quickly apologized, "There you are!"
Diane, gushed, making her give him a small smile. "Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you."
"Fatima, I think this is the perfect place for the wedding!" Derek's mom, Diane grabbed her arm as Fatima tried to discreetly look around.
She was still trying to find Zachary. "The more I see it, the more I love it."
Fatima nodded, "Me too, yes." As her eyes continued to scan the crowd, she stopped in her tracks once she saw Zachary Taylor walking down the stairs into the pool area.
She smiled, her eyes sparkled and she felt her heartbeat rising, almost as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest. Her legs weakened.
"Now, tell me, dear," Diane continued, making Tima snap out of her trance and recompose herself. "How many are we expecting from your side?"
"Uh," Fatima said, her eyes still focused on him. "Can I get back to you on that? I'm not sure yet." She said.
She grinned and quickly walked away, leaving both of her fiancé's parents standing there. Fatima walked after Zachary, her eyes never left the sight of him.
And at that moment, Fatima realized her ex husband would never stop having the same effect on her as he used to over a decade ago.
Still staring at him, she accidentally tripped on a small table in front of where Will, her father, and Zaylie or Zora she didn't know were sitting.
"God, Fatima, you alright?" Will asked, his voice filled with concerned. Fatima nodded and kept walking, focused on her mission.
Seconds later Fatima had fallen hardly onto a chair in front of everyone. Zachary gasped as he saw his ex wife falling.
"Fatima, Hi." Zachary said, with a frown laced upon his face wondering what she was doing there. Still he had no idea.
Fatima smiled innocently , "Hi, Zachary." She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get some of the sand out.
"Uh, is there something that I should know? Because I'm stunned to see you, but you're not as stunned to see me." He spoke.
She scratched the back of his neck as he let out a sigh. "I mean, I haven't seen or heard from you in, what, 11, 12 years,"
"Dad," Zora cut him off, "I can explain why she's here." Zac turned with his eyes widened as he saw his daughter.
"Zaylie, you know who this is?" Zac frowned deeper than before, Zora gave her a slight smile. "Actually, I do. And actually, I'm not Zaylie."
"I am." The parents head snapped in the other voice's direction and saw Zaylie walking towards them, sheepishly smiling.
She stood beside Zora as Zachary stared at his twins wide eyed. "Both of them?" His eyes teared up as he smiled, "Zaylie? Zora?"
Zora smiled, "I guess you and mama both think alike because you sent us to the same camp. We met and the whole thing just happened, I guess."
Fatima sighed and turned to Zachary with a smile, "They switched places on us, Z." She simply added.
Zachary's eyes widened as a tear managed to fall down his face, "Wait, you mean that I've had Zora this entire time?"
Zora nodded, "Well, I wanted to know what you were like, and Zaylie wanted to know Mamma," She fidgeted with her hands, "Are you mad?"
Zac frantically shook her head as she crouched down to Zora's level, "Absolutely not munch. I just can't believe it's you." He opened his arms and Zoe threw herself into them, tightly hugging her dad.
Zac placed a kiss on her head. "You're so big! Last time I saw you, you had diaper rash." Zac laughed as Zora giggled.
"It's alright, dad." Caterina said. Fatima let a few tears drop, looking at them with love in her eyes, wishing they were still a family.
"Yeah, I'm quite grown up now," Zora pulled away, "and without another parent." She walked back to Zaylie's side.
"And I'm headed into my crazy, mixed up teenage years, do you really think you can handle me only having one mom to fight with?" Zora pouted.
Fatima turned to Zora and arched an eyebrow, glaring at her. Zora's eyes widened as she mouthed, 'My bad'.
"Zaylie, you've been in Atlanta this entire time?" Zaylie nodded, making Zac playfully roll his eyes and open his arms,
"Come here, Lee.", "Mama's amazing, Dad. I don't know how you ever let her go." Zaylie said and Zac's face dropped.
Fatima gave them a small smile. "Girls, why don't you two let your mother and I talk alone for a minute, sì?" He asked and the twins looked at each other, smirking before nodding and walking away