As he was about taking another sip from his drink, he sighted her climbing the short stair.
He paused for a while, or maybe it was just her imagination.
He finally gulped down everything in the cup and placed it down.
She saw Emma behind him with the camera.
She couldn't stop smiling as she took her seat opposite him.
*
"oh... hi." She sat opposite him and waved a little. He just stared at her bluntly without a word.
His only business there was to find out if she knew him.
He just had this feeling that they had met before... that was since he had that dream last night.
She sighed and looked down at his cup sadly... or embarrassed... or regretfully.
He doesn't even know.
"Hi." He finally said and took his eyes off her. He turned more drink into his glass.
"eh... wait." She stretched as if she wanted to stop him.
He stared at her and she froze. He stared at her hand and she immediately withdrew it.
Does he scare her?
Okay maybe he should take James advice and smile a little.
There was no way he was gonna get what he wanted from her this way.
"uh sorry... How can you even take alcohol this morning?
It's not cool." She said. He was silent.
*
He took the glass cup still and drank everything.
She touched her chest. How can someone take alcohol this much?
Okay... probably, he's got a lot on his mind now.
And there was no one to tell it to.
Well, it happens. Or he is either a drunk!
"waiter." Gracie called ignoring him.
Through out the wait before the waiter came, she just kept staring at him as he drank.
"I'm here." The waiter said.
"oh... please I want to have coffee and some biscuits here.
And uh... pack some of your good snacks... a takeout.
Make it nothing more than 80 dollar."
"Okay." he made to go.
"wait, you haven't taken his order yet." She said referring to the drunk opposite her. Her supposed Andre.
"sir..." the waiter knocked on the table. He raised his head to stare at him.
"I'm not ordering." He said simply.
She gave an embarrassed smile to the waiter.
"okay... uh okay... just make it 2 cups of coffee." She said. The waiter finally left.
She stared at Emma who scowled at her and made signs for her to act hotter.
She rolled her eyes.
What next should she say? She should start a conversation that would help her find out on time if he is Andre.
"yeah uh...
We don't even know eachother's name." She said to him.
Even if he gives her a wrong name, when she tells him her name, he'd remember her.
If his looks doesn't crumple the least, then he isn't Andre.
"my name is Gracie, what's yours?" she asked.
He was still drinking silently. He didn't show any special reaction.
"Hey..." She called. " hey!" she snapped.
He glared at her but briefly.
She thought he had a look of 'bitch don't snap at me.'
She chuckle slightly.
Even at this early point, this date was already the worst she's had ever had... or the second. probably.
She stared at Emma for help. She was the one who put her in this mess in the first place.
But Emma looked away.
"won't you tell me your name?" she asked calmly.
He raised his hand and sank his fingers into hair moving it from his face.
Anyone would be totally mesmerized by his cute looks... And tattoo. Of course.
The more she stared at it, the more she was sure it was him.
She nodded negatively.
"Hey... what is wrong with you?" she finally hlaf lost it. How can someone be such a snub!
He raised a brow.
"you wanted a date didn't you? ... don't complain." He said.
"i... I just wanted to get to know you, not a mute date."
"well, I don't wanna know you." He said bluntly. She sighed.
"you are so mean." She scowled at him like she wanted to punch him.
The waiter came almost immediately and set the two cups of coffee and biscuits in front of them.
Then the take away snack. Then Emma called him over to her side to order hers.
Gracie took her cup of coffee and had some sip before facing him again like she could breath again.
"so can you at least pretend like I didn't drag you here?" she muttered calmly.
"you clearly did."
"i didn't."
He sighed and checked his wrist watch but mentained his neutral looks.
"what is it?" she asked.
"i have a place to be in 10 mins." He said. Her brow furrowed.
What? But they just got here!
*
He actually thought he was gonna be a little friendly to her. But could he?
Girls were so not his thing.
Besides they are one of the hardest creatures to understand.
"where are you going? Work?" she asked.
He sighed and hesitantly gave a nod.
"what job do you do? Well probably aside singing."
He didn't reply.
"answer me." She pouted.
He scowled at her. What was the pout for?
"I'm a delivery guy." He said.
"what? Really? Delivery for food?... what food?"
"pizza."
"what company?"
"Chestnuts." He said but later regretted it.
She smiled at him and he knew he had made a mistake telling her that.
"not bad." She muttered.
They was silence as she took a sip of her coffee.
He watched the way her lip left the the cup. It was suddenly satisfying to watch.
Hold on, is he insane?
"won't you have your coffee." She asked as she caught him staring at her.
He looked away at once.
"i smoke, I can't take caffeine." He said.
"Oh..." she pulled the coffee away from him. "I love coffee."
They was a little while of silence and he was about taking his drink.
"uh..." She suddenly said. He spared her a glance.
"so if I wanna order pizza, what name should I call as the person who referred me?"
He scoffed.
"since you already know why ask?" he raised a brow. Her brow furrowed.
"what do you mean by that?"
She was acting weird again... like anxious or... He just couldn't place it.
"Have we met before?"
"yes. in the supermarket." she said. He closed his eyes for a split of seconds.
"...Aside in the supermarket." he asked leaning close on the table.
"Huh?... I... I don't think so. Have we?" she asked. He smiled and nodded negatively.
"that was a joke.
My name is Richard. But my friends call me Rick." He said. She gave a huge sigh. almost busted!
He just kept watching the way she was acting.
"Ha ha... ha ha... lol... funny." she faked some small small laughs. He took his eyes off her.
"so what do you do?"
"huh? like...?"
"Do you school or work?" he asked. She itched her nape.
Okay, she is so weird.
"neither."
He wasn't gonna ask why though.
"is there something you like doing?" He asked again. Finally this was going well.
"uh... yeah... dancing." She said. He gave her a long stare.
He could tell she was lying.
"you're lying." He said.
"what do you mean by that?" she asked. He looked away.
"forget it. It's not like I care anyway."
"Fine. Fine.
But if I tell you what I like doing, you might just think that I'm lame.
Everyone does, even my own best friend."
He just kept staring at her.
"i w... write poems mostly and stories." She said. His brow furrowed.
She write stories? He loves reading stories but stopped recently.
Because he always had too many questions at the end of probably every book.
And he had never met someone who said they love writing.
*
"do you write music as well?"
she hesitantly nodded. She thought he sounded sarcastic.
"You see... I told you It'd be kinda lame... to you though." She muttered. He gave a genuine smile for the first time.
"no... no, I actually think It's kinda cool."
Her brow furrowed. What? She laughed a little. "kind of cool?"
"so you choose to believe that?" she asked. He nodded negatively.
"i have this strong feelings down my guts sometimes, that i can tell when i'm being lied to." He said.
"huh... is that like a psychic ability or... lol." She chuckled.
He checked his wrist watch again.
"uh... gotta go." He said.
"huh... hold on a min." Gracie didn't even know what to say.
"waiter." He called.
The waiter came almost immediately.
"How much is the bill?" he asked.
"Huh? But It's my treat." She said. He gave her a stare.
She sighed. "fine."
He paid and soon, he was rushing off from there.
"can I call you later?" she yelled but got no reply.
Hold on, he didn't ask her for the video of him stealing. Wasn't that why he was there in the first place?
Oh no... She didn't even get to ask him how he came about his tattoo.
Too many things unsaid. Uh... this was the shortest date ever.
She huffed. Emma came and sat with her.
"what was that?" she asked. Gracie nodded negatively.
"i don't think he is Andre. He said his name is Richard.
But on the other hand... He seems to be Andre because of the so called joke he pulled up earlier." She said somewhat disappointed.
*
*
What was this feeling he was having that that girl knows him??
But somehow it also seem like she doesn't... it was confusing.
He was afraid things won't be over with just this one date. Imagine having to re-live a while ago over a couple of times.
He got into his car and soon was driving off.
*
*
"uh... so boring." Gracie muttered.
Emma had gone to see her Eddie, it was just her alone at home.
Even if she wanted to go see her mum at the restaurant, she would still feel left out.
And even by tomorrow, school would resume again and she won't see more of Emma till weekend.
She sighed getting up from the bed. She went to pick up her laptop.
She went back to the bed and laid down when an idea stuck her.
OMG! Pizza!!
Yeah!
She took her phone. It was just 4 in the evening.
She checked online for a contact she could use to reach Chestnut company.
She saw one.
*
"hello." Someone picked. "good evening and what can we do for you?"
"oh good evening.
Actually I want to make an order." She said.
"Okay."
"what kind of pizzas do you guys have."
There was hesitation from the other side.
*
After few speeches.
*
"okay I'll have a medium sized one." She said. "and uh... the main reason I didn't order online is because. I was referred by Richard preferably Rick.
I want to know if he can be the one to drop my order."
"uhhhh... sure." the voice said.
She hung up and dropped her phone on the bed.
When he comes, he'd just be shocked.
She made payment quickly and dropped her address.
*
They was the door bell.
She gasped and opened her eyes. Jeez... did she sleep?
How? when?
And how long has the bell been going on?
She immediately sprang up from the bed after checking her time. Shit!
4:37pm.
She rushed to the bathroom and washed her face hurriedly. Then she wiped it.
Then she exited her room.
She hurried up the stairs. Her room was like an underground room in their duplex.
Making it easy for her to jump out of the window whenever she wanted to sneak out.
She rushed to the sitting room's door and peeped through the small peephole in the middle of the door.
It was him. It was really him.
Putting on a funny shirt like that... a pizza shirt.
She drew in a deep breath and placed her hand on the door knob twisting it open.
TBC