1.ONE
His lips curled with distaste as he glared at the people around him. He loathed crowds, and it showed on his slightly tanned, handsome face. His eyes wheeled around in search of any sanctuary.
Stepping quietly into the cafe, he took a careful, but brief, look around the shop. After ensuring that there was nobody whom he knew, he walked to the counter. Taking a swift look at the menu, he placed his orders.
Walking lethargically to a round table outside the cafe, he sat down and placed his bag on the chair next to him. His eyes fell onto the many flurrying figures around the circular atrium. Without looking, he took out his slim laptop from his bag and placed it delicately on the chilled table. Its surface reflected the sunlight which was penetrating through the glazed roof levels above him. He stopped to admire its shine and beauty.
As if on cue, a waitress appeared behind him, holding a transparent plastic cup in her hand.
“Your mocha ice blended, sir.”
Zed nodded in silent acknowledgement. The waitress promptly placed the cup on the table and, with an “enjoy your drink, sir”, retreated back to the counter.
Eying a group of teenage girls with disdain, he took a sip of his coffee. Its rich aroma indulged his senses as the ice blended coffee melted in his mouth.
Satisfied, Zed looked at the watch on his right wrist. His eyes narrowed as the hands of the watch slowly ticked, much to his annoyance. He still had an hour more to go.
~*~
Agnes scanned her surroundings as she was elevated slowly up the escalator. Black silky hair fell slightly below her shoulders, complimenting her matching coffee brown blouse. She was a striking beauty, her slender body matched with perfectly proportioned facial features. Standing with a grace and poise rarely seen from her age, she attracted frequent unwanted attention from the opposite sex.
Today was no different. Her lips curled with amusement as she noticed a man across the atrium observing her discreetly. The man turned away immediately when she glared straight at him.
As she reached the top, she noticed another young man sitting outside a coffee cafe, his fingers working furiously at his laptop. He seemed to be alone.
Her heart sank abruptly, as she continued observing the man from the railings. A strange sense of affiliation with the man rose within her, as she stood leaning on the metal railings, her attention focused on him. After a moment, she shook her head, waking herself up from her trance.
What were you thinking, Agnes?
He paused as a sudden vibration broke his chain of thoughts. It was his mobile phone. Cursing under his breath, he retrieved his phone from the left pocket of his jeans. It was a text message.
Reading the senderÂ’s name, he raised his eyebrows slightly.
Why would she message me?
Agnes peered up at the times for the day’s movie shows. Scrutinising the list, her vision landed on “Eragon”.
“Sir, your show is at hall one. Please enjoy your show.” The attendant greeted him as he gestured to a door on his right. He tore the ticket into half, and handed one portion back to Zed.
“Your show is at hall one. Please enjoy your show, miss.” He greeted again, as a young lady handed her ticket to him. He repeated his monotonous routine, and handed one portion back to her. She smiled politely as she took the ticket from his hand.
Silent oaths flew from his mouth as Zed stepped out of the cinema, hours later. “Bloody waste of my money,” he cursed silently again. Unknown to him, a lady behind him, with a coffee brown blouse, heard him, and chuckled. She had considered the movie to be, in the stranger’s words, “a bloody waste” of her money, too.
Eying the stranger when she overtook him, Agnes was surprised – it was the young man she saw sitting outside the cafe. Masking her surprise, she recovered herself, and continued walking away.
Zed cleared his throat as a lady strode past him. He noticed that the lady took a brief look at him.
She looks familiar, he thought, where have I seen her before?
After a moment, he shrugged in dismissal, and entered the washroom.
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Chapter 1 of a story I'm writing.
Edit: Kudos to those who can figure out where this takes place. The whole of this story takes place in Singapore.
