"I saw it somewhere here earlier," Jamie murmured to himself as he kept looking around in an attempt to find the souvenir shop that caught his sight when he was taking a walk with Joel and getting to know the dude a bit better through the process.
"Ah! There it is!" His face lighted up upon finally seeing the familiar shop name and then he hurried to enter it and glance around the various objects.
At first, he was liking everything his eyes fell onto but as seconds passed by and he recalled that he was there in order to buy something for someone else and not himself, he couldn't help but grow insecure about his choices and if that person would ultimately like his gift. The fact that he knew that person too little was also not of help but Joel earlier had mentioned that she appreciates things that hold some kind of significance.
"Good morning. Do you need any assistance, sir?" A worker approached him and kindly spoke to him since she had been observing him for quite some time going round and round the shop like a lost ghost.
"Emm...Yes, please. I am looking for a simple gift that can represent the area but also could symbolize something to the owner. The issue is that I don't know too well the person I want to gift it to and I am afraid that she could most likely throw it in my face so... maybe something small and light too would do "He flashed her a cute smile as he replied and the worker couldn't help but reciprocate, finding his exaggerating fear quite funny.
"She looks pretty when she smiles." Jamie thought, right before he reminded himself that he was not there to flirt around. It sure was hard for him not to but he tried his best to focus on the wandering girl who immediately started searching with her eyes around for something that could potentially match his wishes.
"It sounds like the person you want to get a gift for is capricious however I believe I have a safe option for you. Follow me." The young girl reassured him right before she disappeared somewhere behind the counter, leaving him waiting there.
"I also have a capricious and moody friend that tends to be unpredictable so based on that, I suggest you this." She returned with a small white box and placed it on the counter, flashing him a polite smile as she proceeded to open it and pulled out of it a keychain.
"A piece of wood?? !!" Jamie exclaimed as soon as he saw the hanging object, already rejecting the idea in his head since that wasn't even looking pretty.
"She will definitely throw it on my head if I present this to her." He thought from inside and rubbed the back of his head, searching for polite words to decline her suggestion.
"If your friend is like mine then they are like this piece of wood right here. Looking rough and strong on the outside but pure and full of beauty on the inside." The girl explained as she opened the wooden log into two, revealing the beautiful city that was carved inside.
"Wow!! So detailed. It looks so alive. I will take it!!" He found himself getting caught up in his momentary enthusiasm as he surely wasn't expecting such a plain-looking thing to be hiding such a beautiful art piece inside.
"That's great to hear the. That would be 10 bucks." She informed him as her hands already processed to grab on a bag and wrap the keychain properly for the customer.
"Have a Good day. Hope you visit again." She spoke her typical words and Jamie thanked her with a small bow of his head, right before he turned around to walk towards the door.
"With such a beautiful and polite worker, I for sure would like to pass by again" He answered to himself, suppressing the mischievous smile that threatened to take over his face.
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"Come on my ladybug, let's go there too," Joel pulled on Dimitra's hand as he noticed one more place he wanted to visit in this walk of theirs around the city. She sure had grown to be tired though since he had literally been dragging her around from a museum to shops and archaeological sights.
"My dear ~~. Do we really have to see everything there is? Can't we just sit down and take a breath." Dimitra pouted and retrieved her hand from his in order to sit on a small stair-step she found nearby.
"Oh babe, I am sorry, I didn't mean to tire you, I just wanted to make the most out of this trip and create as many memories as possible with you," Joel appeared guilty as he approached her tired-looking figure and took a seat next to her. He patted her back lightly for a moment then he proceeded to grab his water bottle and offer it to her.
"I know my love, I'm not angry. Just give me a few minutes to rest and then worry not I'll be the one dragging you around, because I have to find a gift for Lisa. Since we left her alone, it's the least I can do." Dimitra admitted her slight guilt over the fact that they were having fun out there for two days while they had let her on her own, most likely dying of boredom in between four walls however Joel did not appear to be considering her words as sad at all, as he laughed after she spoke.
"I have a great idea. I know exactly what we can get for her."
"Oh my God! Really? That's great and I was really struggling with that. Tell me~." Her eyes shone in anticipation as she took hold of his reached out hand, leaving the water bottle still in his grip.
"A cactus," He dead punned and as the smile of excitement on Dimitra's lips disappeared, he burst in another fit of laughter
"Get out of here! I thought you seriously had an idea. What do you want to see her bringing the flowerpot to my head?" Dimitra laughed despite the fact that she intended to complain to him but the image of her friend's face actually receiving a cactus had her unable to remain serious.
"God, why are we friends with that sour person. She feels like a guard dog sometimes. Anyway, let's leave her aside and let's go~ There's ice cream there~." He urged her to stand up while she just rolled her eyes, intending to rest a bit longer.
"A little more ~~." She gave him a cute gaze in order to make her request more appealing but Joel just smiled sweetly for a moment then proceeded to lean down and lift her in his arms, bridal style.
"What the heck are you doing ??! Are you crazy ?! We are in a public place" Dimitra reminded him as her eyes gazed around the bystanders that there already looking at them, making her want to hide her face at the crook of her boyfriend's neck.
"I only see you, so I do not care." He replied, looking into her eyes tenderly right before he gently leaned and captured her lips into a soft and happy kiss.
The two passed their day together among their silly yet happy conversations that made her find him more and more irreplaceable in her heart. He was perfect. He was understanding and sweet and everything she could ever wish to find in a person. Time with him felt like it passed so fast and that's how Dimitra found herself back at home by the evening, in Sophia's room, standing with her on her bed and speaking to her about her wonderful day, until she noticed that her friend seemed a bit off.
"Sophia, Is something bothering you? You seem out of it." Dimitra straight out asked her then proceeded to give a look at the room, despite the fact that they were alone in her room and Shiro was not around.
"I'll tell you when we go back. I have so much to say and I can not repeat it twice and we both know I can't leave Lisa out of all this mess" She replied as her hand reached to her forehead, feeling a bit stressed despite the fact that she found the time not proper to address it yet then proceeded to fold her clothes that she had unnecessarily gotten out of her suitcase to rearrange.
"Oh~ Is that so. And here I thought that everything was going well."
"Of course you would think so, love. It's not like you are paying attention to anyone else but your boo after all." Sophia retorted with a sly smile, intending to tease her and Dimitra just stuck out her tongue at her playfully.
"It's not my fault that he is sweet and cute and attracts all my attention, okay?." Dimitra pouted as she stood up to follow Sophia around since she took hold of some clothes she had put aside and walked towards the door and out on the corridor, with intentions to reach the bathroom.
"I understand when people fall in love they get mushy and all but you two are the definition of cringe sometimes." She commented while giggling at her friend that protested a bit, right as she took hold of the knob of the bathroom and pushed the door open.
Sophia's sudden push however came to an abrupt halt as the door collided with something or better to say, someone who was getting ready to exit the bathroom but was met with the door that crashed on his face harshly, making him take a few steps away from it reflexively with his eyes now closed in and his hands all over his pained face however as he did so, he slipped at the small rug that was on the floor and tripped over the bathtub and inside it, bringing him to get drenched to the bones, since he personally had filled that bathtub with water, just a moment ago.
"Oh my!! Jamie, are you okay? !!" Dimitra exclaimed in surprise upon witnessing his fall and the whole situation that seemed painful enough to make her own face distorted.
"Oh, I am terribly sorry, Did I hurt you a lot?" Sophia rushed towards him and Dimitra joined to help him stand up again and get out of the bathtub.
"I am okay, I am okay, let's not make this tragic..." Jamie replied once on his feet again then proceeded to wipe off his face some water and fix his hair that had called all over his eyes.
"But do not move too much, because water is all over the floor and it's most likely slipe-" He attempted to add however he was not lucky enough to finish his sentence and open his eyes fully because, something weighted by his side, making him lose his balance again and fall back into the water. And that something was none other than Dimitra who had tried to take a step but lost her balance and grabbed on him reflexively for support making him lose his and the two accidentally trip Sophia along with them. A chain of clumsy events brought all three of them among the waters.
"Damn !! This became a mess !!" Dimitra complained while clearing the water out of her face and swallowed down the painful phonemes that wanted to escape from her lips, given the fact that the collision had hurt her back. She took a deep breath and now with her sight clear enough, decided to look over at the other two wondering if they were okay but as soon as she did so, her eyes fell to a certain sight that brought her gaze to a halt.
Sophia had fallen right over Joel and her face was rather close to his, looking at his face in horror and surprise while Jamie still had not understood who was practically on his lap as he had struggled to open his eyes.
Sophia retrieved herself away from him as quickly as she could upon making the awkward realisation then proceeded to give a helping hand to Dimitra and get her out.
"I am seriously so sorry, I don't have words anymore." Sophia apologized, finding this all her fault however Jamie did not seem to be taking this as seriously as she since he literally started laughing out loud, making two girls stand and look at him a bit perplexed.
"If I knew that the bathroom had such a beautiful sight I would come here instead of going to the balcony." A voice was heard suddenly behind them and as they turned to look, Dimitra found herself feeling uncomfortable by Theo's gaze that was directed at her as she became instantly aware of her clothes that were stuck on her because of the water.
"A sight is never good enough if you are just observing it. I like to take in the view, feel it." Jay, who was standing next to Theo by the bathroom door, left a small wink to follow his suggestive statement to Sophia and she crossed her arms in front of her chest angrily.
"I am terribly sorry to interrupt your so-called flirting with two taken women but are you two idiots of friends that I have, forgetting something mayhaps!?" Jamie raised his voice as he tried to get out of the bathtub but his grip slipped and he returned to the exact position as he was, with the only exception that his eyes were now giving an angry stare at his two friends that had yet to help him.
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"Yes grandma, I'm fine." Shiro gazed at the ceiling, laid on the couch in the living room as he proceeded to reply to the questions his grandmother was bombarding him with. Questions that made him regret slightly the fact that he answered her call, to begin with, but she had a long time that had not called him, so he found himself slightly excited to hear her voice at the beginning of the call.
"Yes. I'm eating grandma." He couldn't help but roll his eyes then stand up a bit in order to look around and make sure that none was actually hearing this phone call of his cause he was certain that if his boys were to hear, they would try to tease him.
"Who visited you? !!" Her words make him fly on his feet, his serene and calm looking facial expression now gone.
"You did well grandma. It sure has been a long time since we last saw her." His tongue travelled around inside his mouth and poked on his cheek in irritation at what she was telling him, yet he had to lie and pretend that he was not annoyed by the fact.
"Yes, Bye grandma. Take care."
Shiro literally threw his cell phone on the couch once she hung up and proceeded to pace from right to left while a storm of thoughts was swirling around in his mind.
"What the heck did Lisa want at my Grandmas's house? Why did she visit her all of a sudden? What is she planning again ?!"
--- To be continued ...