In the nearby café, Jake and Sarah were sitting across each other. Although it was morning time but the café was already filled with many people.
A moment later. "Two strawberry sundaes are here. Thank you for waiting." A waiter said, while he put down the order and was about to leave, Jake grabbed his arm, "Waiter!"
Waiter was taken aback, "Sir, I humbly suggest you to use your words not hands to touch us." And reminded Jake.
"Geez, I am not a fucking gay." Jake clicked his tongue and gestured him with his hand, "Lower your head!"
Waiter lowered his head. Jake whispered to him and sent him off. He then directed his gaze towards Sarah whose piercing and cold gaze was fixated on him all this time. Jake felt a bit suffocated.
"Please eat Sarah before it melts!", Jake requested Sarah to avoid her penetrating gaze. Sarah grabbed the spoon, played with it a little and began eating. Jake's eyes were reading her mood. He noticed that she was calming down with every bite.
Sensing Jake's gaze upon her, Sarah glanced at Jake, she curled her lips and ridiculed him, "Hmph! If you think that you can make it up to me with this strawberry sundae then forget it! It's never going to happen."
To her response Jake gave her a big goofy smile with sparkling eyes. When she saw Jake smiling like that, her intuition was telling her that the latter was up to something. His consistent goofy smile became bothersome therefore, she averted her gaze. "What the hell are you smiling for? I am still mad at you!", she mentioned. In response Jake grinned and said, "I know darling~ that's why I also ordered your favorite hazel nut cake hee-hee."
Jake propped his face on his hands while grinning. Seeing him like that, Sarah who was enjoying the sundae, looked away and said, "Jake don't give me that look! Okay!"
But Jake was still gazing at her intently with a foolish smile. He knew that she couldn't keep up this farce for any longer because he could detect her face shone brightly every time their gaze met. Sarah glanced at him and averted her gaze and said, "Jake, stop freaking me out like that!"
Jake noticed that her lips were spreading side-ways but Sarah was tightly pressing her lips together to suppress her smile. Because she wanted to express her anger to the latter in regards to his irresponsible behavior towards her. But Jake kept looking at her intently with a funny face. He was sure that the ice castle was about to be conquered. He noticed that her lips spread wide into a lovely smile. She directed her gaze downwards and chuckled while covering her lips with her another hand.
"Pfft! ...Jake—you—you—look like a complete buffoon!", Sarah giggled, while she broke into a complete laughter. Witnessing Sarah bloomed like a flower Jake was astounded and wanted this moment to last for forever.
When Sarah noticed Jake's passionate gaze, her laughter subsided; she blushed and directed her gaze downward, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Gosh! You look so beautiful when you laugh like that Sarah! I just want this moment to never end!", Jake complimented while staring at her passionately. Sarah couldn't handle his compliment along with his intense gaze. Her face reddened and she hid her face behind her hands and complained, "Jake, you're making me embarrass."
Seeing her reaction, Jake grinned and suddenly got up from his seat; he crouched down on his knees beside her and gently held both of her hands which she used to cover her face earlier. When Sarah saw her hands in Jake's she froze in her place for a moment and stared at jake in bewilderment.
Sarah tilted her gaze towards the onlookers and noticed that everyone was watching the duo with amazement. She blushed and gripped Jake's hand, "Jake! Get up on you knees! Everyone's watching us!" and muttered.
Even though it was going to be winter soon but Sarah couldn't stop sweating. She wanted to retrack her hands but if she did people would believe that they were fighting and at the same time she could hurt Jake's feelings who was trying his best to make up to her in a weird way.
Jake ignored Sarah what she was referring to and called her by her name many times. But Sarah was absorbed in the pool of embarrassment that she became deaf to whatever Jake was trying to say to her.
When Jake realized that Sarah was ignoring all his calls, he gently touched one of Sarah's cheek. Sarah gave him a perplexed look in response and her forehead was covered with wrinkles. She mumbled with her clenched jaws, "Jake, what are you doing!? Stop touching me like that in front of everybody!"
The onlookers around them were surprised by Jake's sudden move. Some whistled, some passed comments like; "Nice move young man!", "Don't turn him down young lady!", "Hey! Don't forget to invite me in your wedding!", "Aww! She's blushing.", "What a bold young man!", "Hey lady just accept his proposal!"
Sarah began sweating profusely after hearing comments like that. Seeing her speechless, Jake smiled and asked, "Will you forgive me?" while his hand was still touching her cheek. Sarah who in a conundrum what action should she take at the moment, she replied in a hurry with a jerk of her hands, "Yes!"
Jake confirmed, "Really!"
She muttered with a tense face, "Yes! Now would you please get up and go back to your seat?" Seeing her getting all worked up Jake smiled, "You are so generous Sarah! I love you!" He stood up and stole a kiss from Sarah and sat back on his seat.
On the other hand, Sarah was sitting across him quietly. Her head was lowered and her face was red like a tomato. Because she could still hear people whispering. "Your hazel nut cake is here sir!", waiter said and put the cake in front of Sarah.
"Jake! you are the worst!", Sarah said despondently with her head still down. Whereas Jake smiled generously.
...….
Engine turns off~
Simon parked his car in the parking area of the National Memorial Cemetery. He got out of his car holding bouquet of flowers. He tilted his head and glanced at the sky and closed his eyes for a moment. After few breaths, Simon opened his eyes and began walking towards the entrance of the cemetery.
Simon stopped before a grave. He crouched on his knees beside the grave of Risa Hart, his late wife.
"Hey Risa!", he greeted. He noticed that there were a lot of autumn leaves scattered on the grave so he began cleaning the grave with his one hand. When he was done, he put the bouquet of flowers beside the plate and sat beside the grave and sighed. "You know… it's so hard handling all things on my own without you."
After a pause he continued, "You were my strength. With you gone I feel like I became a cripple who lost his legs—Sniff! Sniff!" he could feel a stinging sensation in his nose and his vision was getting blurred, "…b-but don't worry! I-I will not give up that easily. I will not rest easy until I put those bastards behind the bars who did that to you…. you can rest assured because—"
His voice wavered and tears fell down his cheek. His body trembled and he laid down beside the grave and closed his eyes and silently wept.
...….
It was afternoon. Jake was sitting at his desk and was going through some documents when her heard his name from behind, "Jake!"
Jake looked behind and saw a couple of a chubby and skinny man. One of them was waving his hand at him. He recalled that these two men were the investigators who works beside him in the same office, but they belonged to another group. "Want to grab a bite with us?", the skinny man asked.
Jake looked at the wall clock, it was already the lunch time. He thought for a second, "Hmm~", and declined the offer, "Thank you! But maybe some other day."
"Oh! come one Jake! It's been like six months we've been working together side by side and we never got the chance to get to know you that well", the skinny man asked again.
Noticing that these two guys were generous enough to ask him to eat with them even after he declined their offer Jake felt like they were pushing him into a corner. "I am sorry but there is something I need to get done before detective arrives."
Both men chuckled at his reply. Jake was taken aback by their reaction after his reply therefore he asked, "What's wrong? Did I say something funny?" "No, no. It's just…that you don't know yet", the chubby man responded Jake was confused therefore, he threw a question at the duo, "Is there something, that Detective hid something important from me?"
They didn't answer Jake and ignored the latter by turning around slowly and began walking towards the exit while conversing with each other. "See! Didn't I tell you. He's still a rookie around here. He doesn't know that yet", the chubby man said to skinny man. Skinny man nodded, "Yeah you are right. He doesn't know. Come on let's get going." "But what about him?", the chubby man pointed his thumb towards Jake behind them. "We'll ask him next time", replied skinny man.
'What is it they are talking about? Is there really something Detective hid from me until now!', Jake pondered. He got up, grabbed his blazer from the back of his seat and followed them. When he was about three or four steps away from them, "You know guys, I know this place that sells best tacos and beef steak in the downtown. If both of you are interested, I can take you there right now. It'll be my treat. So, what do you say gentlemen?", he suddenly asked the both men. The duo looked back at him with surprised gazes and accepted his request.