Chapter 32
โMr. Perkins, Mr. Lynn and his friends are just up ahead. Head straight and youโll see them,โ the waiter at the entrance said, his eyes flicking to the new arrival.
โYanny!โ Perry glanced back and saw Yannis sauntering over, a lazy smile on his face as he twirled his car keys. โHey, man.โ
โUgh, who said you could call me that?โ Yannis grumbled, giving Perry a half-hearted glare. He was dressed in a black shirt with the collar undone, revealing a glimpse of his collarbone. His long fingers idly played with the keys, a picture of nonchalance.
Zinnia hadnโt expected to see him here, her eyes widening in surprise. It seemed that he was one of Jacksonโs friends.
Yannis hadnโt noticed her yet; Perry was blocking his view.
โWhat brings you here? We just talked about you,โ Perry asked, grinning.
โThought Iโd drop by,โ Yannis replied, his eyes scanning the room. โHeard Jackson had a new girl around and figured Iโd check it out.โ
But as he got closer and caught sight of Zinnia standing next to Jackson, Yannisโ smile falteredโhe recognized her.
Hearing all this, Zinnia thought, โThis guy is really something. He seems to think Iโm Jacksonโs new girlfriend or something. Hope heโs just Perryโs buddy, or it might even change my opinion of Jackson. Jackson is smart, kind, and so coolโwhy does he have to have a friend who seems so clueless?โ
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, didnโt miss the flicker of disdain in Zinniaโs eyes. Heโd been judged by this girlโagain. He couldnโt believe she was Jacksonโs cousin because it was too embarrassing.
โWhy are you just standing there?โ Perry asked, seeing Yannis freeze. โDidnโt you want to meet Zinnia? Sheโs right here.โ
โYannis?โ Jackson called out.
โComing,โ 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 Zinniaโs wide, innocent eyes that seemed to be sizing him up.
โZinnia, this is Yannis, a friend of mine,โ Jackson said, introducing them. โYannis, this is my cousin, Zinnia.โ
Neither of them had hoped for this. After a brief silence, they finally spoke.
โHey, Yannis.โ
โHi, Zinnia.โ
Zinnia bit her lip. โGreat, this guy really is Jacksonโs friend. And he is definitely clueless. Hope I can help him out, really.โ
Perry said, โIโm sure you two will get along.โ