It seemed the entire female species, within a 20-metre radius, stopped and screamed on command.
Bentlee didn't scream again, she was the one who alerted the rest.
"Who is he?" I asked her when she finally dropped the palm that covered her mouth.
"Who is he???? Only the best actor there is!" She answered, enthusiasm enveloping her as she began listing his accomplishments.
I hadn't seen him before..., but his father, I knew.
"I want an autograph!" Bentlee decided while I was lost in thought.
She began walking, I only noticed, three seconds after she had started walking.
It seemed the females screamed but no one made a move and for the second time, Bentlee was the one who initiated something.
She didn't seem nervous, she looked excited to walk up to him.
Getting closer, a tall slender man in a black suit stopped her.
"Please keep your distance ma'am" he said to her.
"But I just want an autograph" she replied.
"I don't think that will be happening, please move along" he said treating her like a pest.
But what he didn't know was that she was a REAL pest when she wanted something.
The man turned around after "successfully" telling her to leave.
She grabbed his suit jacket and dragged him back.
"Hey you! I want an autograph and I'll get one. If Donovan Tybur doesn't give me one, then that's fine. But you??? You can't stop me, okay, pencil?" She said in a tone that matched his, threatening.
The man suited in black took note of the insult attached to the warning.
"Don't make me use derogatory language ma'am, and don't make fun of my appearance again!" His voice had a lot of strength and emotion in it.
Bentlee's expression showed that she knew she had struck a nerve and touched a sensitive topic.
Her lips formed a wide crest and I knew she was just getting started with him.
"Stick man, the wind might blow you away one day" she said with a devilish grin.
His face got more irritated by the second.
"Hey!" He rose his voice and another voice silenced his.
"Just leave it, Jim" a deep calm voice from behind the suited man said.
The figure behind walked forward and made his presence known.
....
Donovan found the young lady's choice of words interesting but offensive.
"It's alright", he said to the man in a black suit.
Turning to Bentlee, he began, "and I won't be giving you an autograph, I'm late as it is and I didn't fancy the joke".
The lady before his eyes stared with a bored expression and replied, "okay".
Her reaction to his disapproval was unlike a lot of other females.
She didn't seem to care or mind much.
Bentlee walked back to where Zeke stood, "let's get going then", she said, holding his arm.
Zeke just nodded and they walked away.
Donovan lied..... He wasn't late, but for Jim's sake, he couldn't give her an autograph.
He stared at the man she held unto with a cocked brow, his expression, quite interested in the sight before him.
"Sir?" Jim tapped his shoulder.
"Hm?" Came his reply.
"Let's make our way to the back" Jim answered.
"Oh yeah, let's do that", Donovan said organising his thoughts.
Donovan and Jim headed to the back of the mall where Donovan had an important meeting to attend to.
...
"Where to next?" Bentlee said, ready to explore.
She didn't seem sad that she wasn't able to get what she wanted.
Zeke kept observing her actions. He noticed how she had a short attention span for things that weren't immediately important to her.
Interesting, he thought.
Walking around the mall, they moved past so many people.
It seemed there was a discount sale or black Friday sale in all the shops.
The place kept getting more populated at every turn.
As someone who wasn't a fan of exaggerated physical contact with strangers, Zeke's discomfort grew by the second.
He knew the place would be packed but he wasn't expecting this much people.
His lungs felt empty, and the air around him suddenly became thin.
He was unable to breathe and his feet stopped moving.
Noticing that he had stopped walking, Bentlee turned to him with a puzzled expression.
His right hand clenched in a tight fist, turning his knuckles white.
"What's wrong?" Bentlee asked, concern plastered on her face.
"I... Can't..... breathe" he tried gasping for air, but it seemed the air wasn't going into his lungs.
"What?!" She didn't understand what he meant.
She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the nearest exit, suspecting it had something to do with the population.
Once they were outside, he tried breathing again. Feeling the cool air pass into his lungs, his body relaxed.
After some seconds of silence, she spoke.
"I guess there WERE too many people inside"
"Mmmmmh" he responded.
"So.... Where to now?" She eyed him curiously.
Aware of the fact that he cut short her fun, Zeke placed his brain under tremendous pressure to think of a better place she would enjoy.
He didn't go out much, and he didn't think she'd want to go to secluded restaurants.
What do I do? He thought.
"Do you...want to go to the amusement park?" It was the most fun he could think of.
"Park? Like for kids?" She asked in what he thought was a sarcastic tone.
"Sure, let's go" she finished, her eyes beaming like stars.
He sighed in relief because She was fine with it.
She spun on her heel and walked away from the building.
He stood like a statue, watching her move farther away.
Spinning on her heel and posing, she asked "aren't you coming?"
"Mhm" he murmured as he approached her.