The rest of the morning was pure torture for Paul.
Every time he looked out the glass window of his office, he would see Cindy standing there like a statue. Straight posture, hands behind her back, eyes scanning everything. She looked so professional it was actually intimidating.
But Paul refused to be intimidated.
'She's just pretending,' he thought. 'Wait till something happens. She'll probably hide behind me.'
When lunch time came, Paul had a brilliant plan. He wanted to test her. He wanted to prove to everyone that she was useless and just a pretty decoration.
"Sarah! I'm going out for lunch. Tell that... bodyguard of mine that she can stay here. I'm just going to the café downstairs," Paul announced loudly, purposely making sure Cindy could hear him.
He grabbed his car keys and walked out of the office without waiting for a reply.
"Sir! Wait!" Sarah called out, but Paul was already walking fast towards the elevator.
As expected, Cindy moved. She fell into step right beside him, matching his pace perfectly.
"I said you can stay there," Paul said without looking at her.
"My job is to stay with you, Sir. Not in the office," Cindy replied calmly.
"I don't need protection in my own building! This is safe!"
"Risk can happen anywhere, Sir. That is why I am here."
Paul gritted his teeth. "You are so stubborn!"
"I learned it from my boss," Cindy shot back immediately.
Paul stopped walking and looked at her. She was staring straight ahead, face serious, but he swear he saw the corner of her lips twitch like she was trying not to smile.
'Did she just... joke with me?!'
He was too shocked to reply, so he just huffed and continued walking towards the parking lot where his car was parked.
Paul opened the door of his sleek black sports car and was about to get in when suddenly...
Swish!
Something flew fast past his face!
Thud!
A small stone or object hit the wall right next to his head!
Paul froze. His eyes went wide.
"What the—"
Before he could even react, Cindy moved faster than lightning. She pushed Paul hard against the car door, shielding his entire body with hers, and in one swift motion, pulled out a small pistol from her waist holster!
"Get down!!" she commanded in a voice that was totally different from before. It was cold, sharp, and commanding.
Paul was pressed against the cold metal of the car, with Cindy’s body covering him completely. He could feel her strength, her firmness, and the way she was scanning the area like a hawk.
"Who is there?! Show yourself!" Cindy shouted, her gun aimed steadily towards the dark corner of the parking lot where the shot came from.
From the shadows, three big men wearing masks emerged, holding baseball bats and knives. They looked dangerous and ready to fight.
"Hand over your wallet and watch, pretty boy! Or we'll hurt you real bad!" one of them sneered.
Paul’s heart was pounding. He was the CEO, he had money and power, but face to face with criminals with weapons? He didn't know what to do. He was just a businessman, not a fighter.
He started to panic. "Cindy... call the security! Call the police!" he whispered nervously.
"No time, Sir. Stay behind me," Cindy said firmly. She didn't sound scared at all. She sounded... excited?
"Hey girlie! Why don't you step aside? This is between us and the rich guy!" the leader of the group shouted.
Cindy slowly put her gun back to her holster.
"I don't need a gun to deal with trash like you," she said coldly.
"What?!" Paul almost screamed. 'Put the gun back! Shoot them! Why are you putting it away?!'
The three men charged at them shouting.
Cindy didn't move an inch. When the first man swung his bat, she simply ducked, grabbed his arm, twisted it, and with one powerful move...
Bam!
She flipped him over her shoulder and slammed him hard onto the concrete floor! The guy didn't move anymore.
Paul covered his mouth in shock.
The second man came at her with a knife. Cindy sidestepped gracefully, grabbed his wrist, and bent it backwards.
Crack!
"Ahhhhhhh!!" the man screamed in pain as the knife fell. Cindy delivered a quick kick to his stomach that sent him flying backwards.
The third man was hesitating now, scared. He looked at his friends lying on the ground, then at the beautiful woman who was standing there like an action movie star.
"You... you are a monster!" he stammered.
"Run while you can, or I'll break your leg too," Cindy said sweetly, but her eyes were deadly serious.
The guy didn't wait for a second invitation. He helped his friends up and they ran away as fast as they could, limping and groaning in pain.
Silence returned to the parking lot.
Cindy dusted her suit, fixed her hair, and turned around to face Paul. She smiled her usual professional smile.
"Are you okay, Sir? No scratches I hope?"
Paul was still leaning against the car, eyes wide open, mouth hanging open. He was staring at her like he was seeing an alien.
"You... you..." Paul pointed at her, unable to form words. "You just... threw them away! Like they were plastic bags!"
"I told you Sir, looks can be deceiving," Cindy grinned proudly. "I told you I don't faint easily."
"But... but that was... wow!" Paul finally found his voice. He walked closer to her, looking at her up and down. "Are you sure you are human? Or are you a robot? Or a ninja?!"
Cindy laughed softly. "Just well-trained, Sir."
Paul looked at her differently now. Gone was the image of the weak, fragile girl. In front of him was a warrior. A beautiful, dangerous warrior.
And suddenly... he realized... he felt a little bit safe. And also... his heart was beating fast again, but not because of fear this time.
"Okay fine," Paul cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure and act cool again. "You passed the test. I guess... you can come with me to lunch."
"Thank you, Sir," Cindy bowed slightly.
"But don't get too confident! I'm still grumpy! And you still annoy me!" he added quickly, walking towards the driver's seat.
"Of course, Sir. I understand perfectly," Cindy said, opening the passenger door.
As they drove off, Paul kept glancing at her secretly.
'Who are you really, Cindy Miller?' he thought. 'This is going to be... very interesting.'
MY BODYGUARD, IS A WOMAN