Randall and Louise walked a few feet apart. She's maintaining the distance, and for Randall, well, he just thought Louise might need it.
He tucked in his hands, observing Louise's walking straight towards the end of the highway. Randall halted, calling out, "How long are you going to track the pavements before we talk?"
Louise stopped completely. She was just waiting for that question.
She turned around, the wind blustering on her face, letting her hair cascade all over her shoulders, and those shiny, hoop earrings reflected the post lights to her glamorous face.
Randall couldn't help but to be blown away.
Her lips glimmered as she yelled back, "Just a few more steps."
Louise walked off, her nostrils flared. Randall scrutinized if she's saying the truth. Well, she is. Because it only took five steps before they reached the city bench. Louise laid out a hand, indicating she wanted to sit before they talk.
Randall didn't seem to have any choice. Louise must have something important to say. He was the first one to sit down, right at the very edge, touching the armrest. Louise put down her purse, and did the same thing.
She crossed her legs, and leaned back. Louise stared at the empty highway, with the streetlights simultaneously ticking with the time. Randall kept track from where they came from, and measured the kilometers back to the parking lot.
"How can you do it?" Before anything else, Randall has to clarify something.
Louise got confused. "I can't seem to follow your question."
It does seem an act, but he get along, anyway. Randall repeated the same context, but in other words, "How can you tail someone you worked with around?"
That made the trick. Louise got knocked off out of her wit. Randall tried hard not to look at her, but he still did. In case he doesn't know what kind of emotion he felt, Randall identified it as worry.
Louise didn't answer him for a while. Still, she replied with, "If I said the reason, will you believe me?"
Randall lost his angst. He didn't nod. Instead, he creased his forehead. Randall is certain he doesn't have anything he can offer for a conversation. It seemed dull and not even engaging at all. This time, it might be something they can talk about.
"Why? Is it because everything you will say is a lie?" Randall pointed out.
Louise smiled sarcastically, and turned to him, asking, "Do you see me as an enemy?"
Randall shrugged, "Maybe? You're tailing me around. You even pretend to wait for someone at the center table for what… to let me in your near vision, right?"
Louise shook her head, firing another question, "Do you think I'm tailing you or someone else?"
Randall didn't think of that. The restaurant held a hundreds of people every day, serving them food, making them entertained, and it's not as slim as Louise pertained. Randall thought the possibility of the target as him. And it's a higher chance that it would be him.
"You covered my mouth, Louise. That would wrap up the speculation. What? You're afraid that I'm too loud and I'm scaring the prey away, right?" Randall head straight to the point, and for starters, he doesn't want to get accused. It's his right to judge her.
Louise didn't say anything. Her nostrils flared, and her eyebrows nearly meet each other.
Randall took a deep breath before stating, "I know you're good enough to tail someone since you've worked that well under your mother. But I want to warn you that Cassanos are different. They have a keen eye, every one of us."
Louise tilted her head to one side, and got interested in the topic.
"How keen that eye must be?" Louise queried.
Randall doesn't want to play along their conversation. It's enough to impress Louise on the first battle of their trust. Randall has to put in effort to win her heart for the Cassanos to freely move. No efficient action done, no wonderful results would land on their table.
Randall focused on her, saying, "We're not A+ group unreasonably, Louise. We're hired to kill and slay every runaway and fugitive ordered to us. You'd just thought that it's simple, right? But planning their capture is way hard than how it looks."
Louise has read everything about Randall Cross. She's testing him to say the truth, and now, he is. If he's going to continue that, Louise might show her true intentions as an inspection leader.
"How do you capture someone's heart, Mr. Cross?"
That made the conversation swerved on an exciting turn. With how Randall blabbered about the persons they caught, Louise should show a different interpretation on it.
Randall's ears perked up right away. His eyes were caught on its widest.
Louise smiled, shifting in her seat, and sliding an inch, stating she wanted it, too. To prolong their conversation is to unveil the secrets behind.
"What did you just say?"
Randall relaxed his hands on his thighs, and let Louise repeat it.
"How do you capture someone's heart, Mr. Cross?" Louise challenged.
Randall seemed inquisitive by her actions. Not only did it sent electricity down his spine, but rather, it stirred up the desire he once withheld from meeting Louise that moment in the conference room. Louise started a staring contest, and Randall didn't even back down.
Louise thought how hard it was to compare her skills to him.
If he knew the right answer, Randall must be honest in person the way he doesn't show at work.
"Would you mind accepting my answer?" Randall guessed she isn't.
But Louise is competitive, a common trait Randall has. Louise nodded, even raising one eyebrow, warning him to drop it once and for all.
Randall smiled a little to her, knowing his way is haste, but a huge leap to let this wall broken apart. He couldn't tell exactly what he stirred inside, but it's enough to explode into thousand pieces of shards scattering around.
With the post lights turning off and their stares becoming drawn to each other, Randall moved, as a way of depicting his answer. If it weren't for her, Randall wouldn't let his body dictate what he should control.
Randall held both sides of her neck, and before Louise can even stand up, something soft landed on her lips. It's enough to gather all the senses into one emotion, and that is, a surprise. Randall only had a little time to have this courage, and he immediately used it.
Firmly as his lips seal on hers, Louise didn't close her eyes. She stayed there, gluing her body to the bench. Randall didn't move, either. He just… move his lips in a way… someone would get charmed on.
In three more seconds passing, Louise gave up. Her eyes slowly drowned to the southern lights of the Calvorite highway, and let the dim take its chance to let them kiss in the darkness. Louise moved her hands towards his neck, and kissed back.
Randall got too immersed with it that he pushed deeper, collided his teeth with hers, in sync on each other. Their lips mold perfectly.
One moment it was a tense conversation, the next thing they knew, they already kissed.