iMate

Natalie let out a long sigh, resting her head on her forearms as she glared up at Zayn. They’d just ordered their coffee and she already felt like it’d been an eternity as they sat in the very back of the little coffee shop he’d brought her too. He’d specially requested a private booth, having even shut the curtains to it as they sat completely isolated from the rest of the world. “So.” She said.

“Can you stop looking at me like that?” He asked, cocking a perfectly groomed eyebrow at her. Everything about him seemed streamlined, not a single hair out of place as he looked at her. She guessed that he had to have a lot of money with all the nice clothes he had and the sports car she’d helped destroy with her ’89 Camry.

“Like what?”

“Like you want to kill me and eat my heart.” He grumbled, his honey eyes not leaving her near black ones. “Can’t we just have a nice cup of coffee and at least pretend you don’t hate me?”

“Last time I checked I wasn’t exactly you’re favorite person. So forgive me for not understanding your little Jekyll and Hyde switch.”

“Maybe I just want to get to know you.”

“Yeah? Maybe I don’t give a damn about getting to know you.” He let out a small sigh, but Natalie could see his jaw clench in frustration. “Besides, you don’t even know my name.”

“I wouldn’t say that… Natalie.” Her eyes flew open and she shot up, her gaze locking with his.

“Did you find that out when you stalked me?”

“I didn’t stalk you-”

“Coming into where I work every day in hopes of talking to me? I’m pretty sure that’s the definition of stalking actually.” He didn’t even try to hide how his body tensed up that time as the two stared each other down, neither one willing to back off. There might just have been bloodshed had the young waitress not opened the curtain and smiled at them. Natalie couldn’t help but notice that she’d undone several of the buttons on her blouse, her breasts popping out at Zayn as she slid him his cup of coffee.

“Do you need any more cream or sugar?”

“I’m good thank you.” She kept smiling at him before turning to Natalie and going to set down her coffee when a small smirk came over the curvy blonde’s face. Natalie knew it was coming, but she couldn’t get out of the way before her coffee spilled down the front of her favorite shirt, soaking it completely.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” The waitress said, feigning distress. “You probably want to get home and wash that before it stains.”

“Right you are.” Natalie said, a sarcastic smile on her face. She got up and all but ran out for her car before a hand on her shoulder stopped her dead in her tracks.

“Natalie, hold on-” Zayn said.

“NO!” She roared, turning back and slapping his hand away. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?!” He looked at her, biting his lower lip.

“If you think I had anything to do with that-”

“You might not have meant to, but I’m sure Miss Sugar and Cream doesn’t spill coffee on just any customer.”

“Let me at least get you another shirt.”

“How about no Zayn? And you know what? If you come back to my store again I’m getting a fucking restraining order.”

“Natalie-”

“Shut up! I never want to see you ever again, so just stay out of my life.”She then turned to get into her car when she felt a hand on her shoulder again. She turned back to give Zayn an uncensored version of her previous statement, but was silenced when he crashed his lips to hers. She was so stunned that she didn’t fight it for a moment, feeling like every bad thing in the world melted away as he kept their lips together, but then she snapped back to reality and smacked him across the face.

He stood, shocked as his hand moved to cradle the quickly appearing handprint she’d left behind. With a small huff she slapped him again, but not as harshly before getting into her car, soon leaving the still frozen boy in her rearview mirror.



As soon as the door was shut Natalie pulled off her shirt, walking into the laundry room and tossing it in the washing machine before turning it on, desperate to save her favorite article of clothing. She was still fuming, wondering if she should just call the police and get a restraining order as she grabbed another shirt and pulled it on over her head.

“Nate is that you?” Natalie groaned at her step sister’s nickname, running one of her hands through her hair. She walked into the living room, where Megan sat on the couch, watching one of her celebrity gossip shows.

“I told you to stop calling me that.”

“What? Nate’s a nickname.”

“Yeah, a bloody lad’s nickname. I’m not a lad Megan, as much as you seem all too eager to disagree.”

“Well, you dress like a lad, work at a lad’s store, like video games and such, and on top of looking like a lad, you swear like a lad, so don’t blame me for making assumptions.”

“Fuck you.” Natalie said, storming into the kitchen and grabbing the carton of orange juice from the fridge.

“No snazzy comeback?” Megan asked, her blue eyes turning to Natalie. “What’s got your knickers in a twist?”

“That bloke who hit my car.”

“You saw him again?”

“Yeah, he’s been coming down to the store every day looking for me.”

“You should call the police.”

“I was planning on it-”

“Unless he’s hot. In that case shag him and then call the police.” Natalie just scoffed as she poured herself a tall glass and grabbed a bag of crisps, heading back over to sit by Megan.

“You’re a whore, do you know that?”

“I prefer to think of it as… a shag opportunist.”

“So a whore.” Nat muttered. She took a long drink from her cup only for it to come flying back out of her mouth as a breaking news story flashed up on the telly.

There was a photo of Zayn, cradling his cheek as Natalie swore at him, her face bright red. Both Megan and Natalie sat, completely silent. Natalie couldn’t hear anything except the scantily clad blonde bird who was narrating the story.

“One Direction’s Zayn Malik got much more than he expected today in London when this unknown girl, who sources say Malik was having coffee with, gave him a hard slap across the face after the two shared and argument which Malik tried to mend with a kiss.” It then showed a photo of Zayn grabbing her and pressing their lips together. Natalie looked completely terrified in the photo, and she flushed thinking of all the people who had to be seeing this right now. “Who is the fiery young woman? We have no idea! But we’ll keep you updated, but for now I’m-”

Natalie just turned off the telly as her and Megan sat there, both completely shocked before Megan spoke.

“Definitely shag him before you call the police.”