Rounding a corner, she came upon a small café. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods enveloped her, luring her inside. She sat beside the window and ordered a cappuccino as she remembered an almost similar setting in New York. Maybe its warmth would settle the excited restlessness of her mind of how she was getting used to a wild romantic adventure. With Eric, the sex has always been spontaneous and captivating but he has shown himself to be a global, serial womanizer who is not ready to give up his frivolous escapades with models around the world.
Her coffee was halfway to her lips as the thought of the scenes of the night with him clashed with how she could be able to help him be a better man. As she attempted to drowse her rumbling mind, Susanne's phone buzzed. She'd gotten a text from an unknown number. A frown furrowed her forehead as she opened it. "If you want to know the truth, meet me at Central Park, at noon. Your life is at stake!"
Her heart was pounding. Who was this man? What truth? A million worst-case scenarios were running through her mind as she was still thinking of how good Eric was in bed and wondered what kind of man could know so much about how to please a woman.
"Oh . . . I wish you were here Eric," she said as she was wondering what the next hour of her life would be especially when Eric was not present to assure her all was well as always. He tried his number but it wasn't going through.
"Common Eric, where are you?!" She realized her recollection of how great the night with Eric was might be quickly cut short by what was about to happen to her. "Eric, where are you? Please talk to me," She kept musing as she was checking her phone as she looked around with so much paranoia.
She finished the rest of her coffee, paid, and then headed with a mix of anticipation and dread toward Central Park.
She looked around nervously, searching the faces of people who passed her by but her mind was still a mix of emotions he could not comprehend – dread, excitement, curiosity, and uncertainty. Then, she saw a commanding female figure walking towards her, a 6 foot 1 woman in a casual jacket and jeans. When she drew near enough, her eyes met hers, locked in. Quite ordinary-looking otherwise, if she was unassuming by her casual appearance, her beauty could never have gone unnoticed.
"Susanne?" she whispered.
"That's me, but wait . . . I know this face" she said, her voice cool, though inside her anxiety was building up.
"Yes, you do indeed but not as Agent Spinoza, Interpol," she introduced himself to her. He showed her the badge. "We need to talk."
Susanne's heart skipped a beat. Interpol? Whatever is happening?
"Please sit," Spinoza said, motioning to a nearby bench. "I can tell this will be a bit much for you. You need to hear the truth."
"Eric is in a bit of trouble and I need your help," she said with a cold, motionless countenance.
"My help?! What do you mean by my help?! Where is Eric?!" Susanne flew up from her seat but was quickly pinned down by Spinoza as she took a quick scan around for any potential threat.
Susanne listened, her expression one of disbelief as Spinoza reminded her they had been on the Interpol radar and they needed her to get through to Eric.
"But why me?" she almost whispered.
As Spinoza tried to explain, Susanne's mind was a maelstrom of emotions. She could barely hear Spinoza's detailed explanation as tears of fear flowed down her creamy eyes. She had a choice to make.
"I'll do it," she finally said, her voice as distinct as her conviction. "I want to help you get to Eric."
The Beginning of an Adventure
The café was busier than usual since it was mid-morning. Freshly brewed coffee aromas flitted about, softly humming voices. Susanne sat at the window, cradling her warm cup and looking out into the busy street. Here, the energy of the city stood in stark relief against the peaceful mornings one remembered from her childhood in South Africa. She drew a deep sigh, allowing the nostalgia to envelop her; then smartly pushed it aside, and back to the living.
Her cell phone vibrated, bringing her back to the here and now. She squinted at the face and a smile spread across her face. Eric.
"Hey there, gorgeous," his rich, familiar voice swam reassuringly over the line.
"Hi, Eric," her voice was full of love. "How's your day?"
"Busy as always, but I just had to hear your voice," he said. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?"
"Absolutely. I can't wait," she said, her heart fluttering at the thought of being with him.
Eric was a digression from every person whom she had come in contact with in the past couple of months. Now, every moment she spent with him felt like a fairy tale that they were creating for themselves.
"Great. I will pick you up at seven. Wear something breathtaking, as always," he added with a chuckle. "I will," she reassured him, creating a soft laughter. "See you then."
12 months ago, when Susanne was in a state of confusion, Eric was the one who stood by her despite his busy schedule across the globe. A great tragedy befell her and there was no one among her parents and friends that was able to console her but he came in and made her come back to her normal and better self.
As the phone went dead, Susanne felt a shiver run down her spine. She looked out the window and saw her reflection in many screens throughout the prominent areas in New York, speaking of the richness of her heritage as a mixed breed of African descent about to get married to New York's most eligible bachelor. That he chose to marry a mixed-race woman gave Eric more credibility in the gossip world. True, she had grown up all her life in New York, but South Africa was an integral part of her identity. Her parents moved to the city when Susanne was five in the hopes of a better life and future.
Her memory traveled back to the day of her childhood when she could playfully romp without straining her limbs in those green fields near her grandparents' house in Johannesburg.
So full of sun, so light and unlimited were those skies. She was still viewing the breathtaking parade of colors at the marketplace as the juiciest of music playfully caressed her ears. This warmth also of the people was not fading away from her memory cells.
"Susanne! Komm her zu mir, mein Schatz," her grandmother's voice rang in her ears, warm and clear. "Hilf mir mal beidiesen Kräutern."
She almost smelled the deep, solid smell of the plants they used to gather. Those had formed her, giving her the understanding of hard work and the importance of staying truly herself.
Back in New York, Susanne had worked hard to build up a life: great job, cozy little apartment, tight circle of friends; then she met Eric, and that was when her world spun out of control. It happened at a charity gala, one of those functions, is generally really boring but for Susanne, it was a sad night.
She stood there, sardonically with a glass of wine in hand and droplets of tears rolling down from her eyes, when he approached her. "Hi, I'm Eric," he said with that devastating smile, flitting eyes, "May I join you?" "Not at all," she managed to respond as she quickly wiped away her tears and was caught off-guard by how handsome he looked with a suave brown suit with fitted blue pencil trousers. Coupled with the memory of what made a cry and Eric's irresistible charm, her heart did a furious drumbeat within her bosom.
The unplanned conversations went on for hours as guests walked to and fro before and behind them, each trying to find what such lady could get Eric so engrossed in a conversation for so long. They talked about the common interest they shared in traveling, and charity, and how much they genuinely admired the amount of ambition each held. Eric was such a different man from any she'd ever known – confident, successful, and seemingly compassionate but most importantly, he seemed to be interested in learning about her dreams and aspirations.
"Tell me about your dreams," Eric had said to her one night as they walked through Central Park, the lights of the city shining around them and casting a wonderful glow on Susanne's fair, smooth, and creamy complexion.
"I want to make a difference," she replied, her face very serious and teary. "I want to start a foundation to help children like me in South Africa. Education, healthcare, opportunities – things that can change lives."
Eric listened as she laid out her plans passionately and meticulously, and put his warm hand around hers. "I believe you can do this, Susanne. And I really want to help you make it happen. You have the idea and I have the money . . . I think we will make a great team. Don't worry, I am not going to get in your way. I just want you to do your thing and be happy. Is $1billion enough for a start?"
Susanne had been a cautious and contented lady all her life but the sound of $1billion to fund her dreams made her more cautious. She was very skeptical and uneasy with Eric's abrupt offer although he assured her he had no ulterior motive. No etiquette or behavioral training could prepare one for such a huge and unexpected offer but Susanne kept her calm.
"Eric . . . I . . . I don't think we should rush things," Susanne responded hesitantly. "I know you have been good to me over the past few weeks but I think we need to take things slow"
"Don't worry Susan, your initial refusal is enough to assure me that you don't care about the money. But yes, we take things slowly. I can give you the money over the course of 24 months."
Susanne initial plan was to go through the detour of being a serial entrepreneur with lots of startups under her belt that could earn her enough millions and if lucky billions to fund her dreams.
A $1billion offer was all Susanne needed to hear but never thought could happen in her wildest dreams. His offer penetrated her soul and she burst into tears as she thought about the offer in her apartment. It was never about being given $1billion but the capacity to truly fulfill her dreams of changing the world.