Ring!! Ring!!
An alarm from Elias's phone rang, heavily resonating through the room. Elias's eyes fluttered open; his hand wearily stretched to pick up his phone.
9:40 a.m.!
Elias's eyes widened in shock before he leapt out of his bed. The book signing event would begin at 10:00 a.m., so he had to ensure that he arrived on time at his meeting place with Emily. He immediately went to take his bathe.
….
After ten minutes, Elias stepped outside his hotel room dressed in blue slim-fit jeans, a dark blue Hirley shirt, and a dinem jacket paired with casual sneakers. Although the attire was an imitation, with the brand name spelt differently, it was one of Elias's favourite outfits for going out.
'I'll get new ones later after I've gotten a new house," Elias muttered to himself.
He understood that to take advantage of the cashback system more, he needed to make a good impression. If things went well with Emily and she allowed him to spend his money on her, he could also indulge in some lavish shopping.
Elias quickly walked down the stairs to the receptionist's desk to drop the keys before exiting the hotel. He then called a taxi that took him to the designated location for their meet-up.
After paying the taxi fare, Elias exited the taxi and Spotted Emily. He immediately approached her.
"You're late," Emily said, displaying the time on her smartphone screen.
It says 10:13 a.m.!
"Sorry, I had a lot to take care of, so I went to bed quite late," Elias responded, sighing.
Furrowing her brows in thought, Emily nodded in understanding. Although she was curious about what kind of task could keep someone like Elias so busy, she knew that she would have to wait until he was ready to reveal such information.
'Maybe he's managing one of the companies he invested in,' Emily thought, drawing her own conclusion.
"You look stunning," Elias commented, wanting to divert the conversation as he noted Emily's dress - a milky white lightweight sweater matched with a black maxi skirt, heeled sandals, an elegant necklace and earrings with a small purse in her hand.
Even if Elias had planned to compliment her initially, he spoke those words from his heart.
"Thank you. You also looked incredibly handsome today," Emily chuckled, complimenting his attire.
Elias received her compliment with a smile, saying, "Can we start going?" He responded. While he would have to stand in line, Emily would get the VIP treatment and could walk in directly. So he figured it was best they arrived as quickly as they could.
Emily nodded. Together, they strolled down the street until they arrived at a vast library with a huge sign on top that said, 'Grand Odessey Library.' The library was buzzing with excitement; a huge line was already before the front door, indicating that people had arrived much earlier than them for the book signing event.
Elias walked forward and entered the end of the line. "You can use the VIP ticket to get in much faster rather than staying here," Elias shook his head as Emily attempted to join him in the line.
Emily shook her head in disagreement. "No. I can't leave you out here and go inside by myself. You are the one who helped me purchase the ticket, and I don't think I'll be able to have a good time in there if you are here," she responded. She felt terrible knowing she would have the time of her life in the VIP section. Meanwhile, Elias was outside, still waiting in line.
"I bought the VIP ticket specifically for you, so you don't have to worry. Also, it's not as though I'll be staying here forever. We will still meet once we are inside," Elias responded with a warm smile. Although he appreciated Emily's care, he didn't want her to waste her VIP ticket on him, mainly when he used it to gain cashback rewards.
Emily bit her lips and pondered for a few seconds before nodding, "Okay. But I'll come to get you and let you know about all the fun I've had once the main event begins," she said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek before pulling back. Then she walked forward, cutting through the line.
Once she arrived at the front gates, she displayed the VIP ticket to the security guards, and after confirmation, they opened the door to let her in. However, before walking in, Emly turned around to wave at Elias from a distance, her actions attracting a few gazes towards his direction.
Elias didn't shrink back from the curious gazes and waved his hand back at Emily.
As she walked in, the door was shut close behind her.
..…
An hour and thirty minutes later
Elias showed the security guard his ticket and confirmed its authenticity. Then, he walked in. Some staff escorted him along with the others, passing through shelves of books arranged against the wall until they finally arrived at the main event hall.
They checked in and received the event materials before being allowed into the refreshment area.
Since Elias hadn't eaten this morning, he decided to maximize the value of his ticket. He filtered through the snacks and beverages on the table, eating and drinking with etiquette to avoid attracting any unusual attention.
Unfortunately, a voice called out his name from behind.
Stunned, Elias quickly swallowed the cookie before turning around to see who it was.
A man in a simple black suit and a woman in a beautiful lace dress stood before him, appearing to be the same age as him. Initially, Elias was confused about who they were, but as he stared at their faces, a sudden thought emerged, allowing him to recognize their identities.
"Nathan, Zoe, what are you guys doing here?" Elias asked, his voice tinged with surprise.
"You see, I told you that he would be able to recognize us," Nathan said, chuckling, his gaze shifting towards Zoe.