Rider
While at the club, I'm taking my drink when I notice that girl from yesterday.
Suddenly, I can't take my eyes off her. The way she dances with her friend on the dance-floor is really captivating. She looks so gorgeous, I actually forget she's the same girl that tried to kidnap my daughter.
Some time later, unconsciously, my gaze lands on some drunkard forcing this girl to the dance-floor. She's really struggling with him, and her friend is not around to help her. Aren't you going to help her? My conscience echoes in my ear.
But she tried to kidnap my princess yesterday. I think. But she's clearly in trouble, and what if she didn't- Ugh! I just stop over thinking things and go to the dance-floor. "She told you to leave her." I demand. "Don't make me repeat myself here."
Once the drunkard leaves, I look at the girl, and she looks like she wants to say something. But before she speaks, I walk away. She probably wanted to say thank you, but I'm not buying her innocent look no matter what.
*****
Reaching home, I freshen up and go to sleep, but it's hard to sleep with thoughts of that kidnapper in my head.
In the morning, I wake up to the aroma of omelette and bacon coming from the kitchen. Miss Rosa knows how to whet someone's appetite even on a Saturday morning. I get out of bed, take a shower and go downstairs for breakfast. Lenah is already downstairs, insisting on helping her Nanny out in the kitchen.
"Good morning, Miss Rosa." I say as I approach the kitchen.
"Dad!" Lenah screams and runs to me. "I got up before you."
"You sure did, princess." I smile. "And for that, I'm..... taking you to..."
"The cafe for ice cream!" She says with excitement.
"Exactly. But eat only what's enough. I don't want you getting all sick."
"Okay, Dad." she says and hugs me.
As we have our breakfast, Lenah says,"Dad, I forgot to tell you about my new friend. "
"You can tell me now."
"She's very nice, and you've seen her too. I only didn't introduce her to you."
"Really? Now that's news to me. When did I see her?"
"On Thursday. She was keeping me company before you came to pick me up."
That same girl I saw with my daughter? How can Lenah consider her a friend? She doesn't know what she's talking about. "That girl?" I ask.
"Yes. She's really nice. And you know, she loves my art."
Lenah is only five years old. And she's not one to just let anyone in. What I find shocking is her sudden love for someone she just met two days ago. Moreover, that kidnapper! What kind of spell has this girl put on my princess?
"I see.... What's her name?"
"Britah. That's her name, Dad. You should meet her." Lenah replies. Unbelievable.
"Sure. " I say.
******
Later on in the day, I go to the cafe with Lenah. I've not been to this specific one in a while. One of the waiters gets Lenah and I a table, and as Lenah waits at the table, I go to the counter to place my order.
I tap the bell on the counter, since the attendant is clearly absent. I have a look at my phone in the meantime, and not long later, someone comes in and says," Sorry for the delay."
Looking at her from my phone, it turns out to be that same girl again. I look at her in shock, and she appears to have the exact same look on her face.
"Well, look who we have here." I say, looking her straight in the eye. Her almond brown eyes are so mesmerizing, I almost don't want to stop staring.
"Get straight to the point." she says, clearly irritated by my presence. Same here, woman.
"My God. You're one to act this way, Brit." I say.
"Please make your order and don't waste the time of everyone else." she says. "And don't- don't call me Brit." she adds.
"I'll have a cup of black coffee, and a vanilla ice cream sundae with strawberry syrup." I say.
By her look, I can tell she's wondering how a man like me can have ice cream. "I'm serious by the way." I say to her.
"Okay. You can wait at your table." she says.
"Actually, I'd rather wait here. So I can watch my daughter's kidnapper try to spike the ice cream."
She looks up at me in disbelief with her lips slightly parted before she schools her expression, rolls her big eyes and gives the order to the waitress going into the kitchen. I recognize that she's the one from the club yesterday.
I watch her try to ignore me as she opens a book to read. It's really fun to make an annoying person uncomfortable, but besides that, she's a sight for sore eyes. What the fuck am I thinking?
"Are you sure you're going to keep standing here?" she asks, clearly telling me to leave.
"What's wrong, Brit? Is my presence here making you uncomfortable?" I smirk.
"Bondad! Es tan jodidamente molesto!" (Goodness! He's so goddamned annoying!) she mutters to herself. Does she think I don't understand Spanish?
My order finally arrives, and she looks more relieved about it than me. "Here you go." she says, handing my coffee cup and the sundae to me.
"How much is it?" I ask.
"It's twenty Euros." she replies.
"Okay. " I say and follow her friend to my table, where Lenah has been waiting for me. " Your ice cream is here, princess." I say.
"Thanks Dad." she says and takes the bowl from the waitress with a smile.
Britah
What's wrong with my life? Was it necessary for me to be in the same place as that man? His presence is so unbearable. He accused me of being a kidnapper, then I met him at the club, where in all people it had to be him to save me, now he's making my day unbearable.
Alice comes and says, "You look pissed. "
"I am. But does it matter? We have to contain our customers no matter the level of annoyance they give us, right?"
"Well, yeah. But look. See that guy that was here a moment ago? He was at the club too."
"I figured." I reply. "I don't quite like him. ""Are you crazy? Look at him. " she says.
"Looks are not everything. You've not met him, Alice. There's more to him that meets the eye. "
"You just don't see it. "
"He's not all that. He's rude and proud and unbearable. He- "
"Come on Britah. You're better than that. Maybe you just met with his wrong side." Alice says. There's no wrong side, he's just like that.
"That's it. Stop talking about him." I say. "Let's talk about how you left me and I got into trouble. How about that?"
"I'm really sorry about that. How did you survive by the way?"
"Someone told him sternly to leave me alone." I say.
"I should not have delayed there. I'll be better next time." she says and we laugh it off.
When she leaves, I look around the cafe for Lenah's dad, just to see what he has done with the ice cream he ordered. Once I spot him, I realize he's not alone. His daughter is with him. My heart warms up on seeing her enjoy the sundae. If only I could talk to her. I think.
As I think about waving at her, the words," Stay away from my daughter" sound in my head, making me hesitate to get her attention.
"Hey, Britah." Marcus, another colleague says.
"Yeah."
"Could you please help me? There are some new customers that just arrived, and everyone is so busy with other customers." He says.
It's okay. Where are they?" I ask. He points towards the direction if the new customers. And their table is just after the one at which Lenah and her dad are seated. What a coincidence!
"Hello " I say to the customers when I get to the table. They're both girls.
"Hello." They reply.
"I'll have a plate of fries and kidney please." the first one says.
"What about you?" I ask the second.
"I'll..... Just have the same. " she says. She looks tired or something.
"Okay. Your order will be ready in about five to ten minutes." I say to them.
"Okay." They reply.
As I go to hand their order in, Lenah calls, "Britah."
I put on a surprised look when I turn to her. "Lenah? You're here?" I ask.
"Yes. My dad here brought me for ice cream."
"That's really nice. Did you like it?"
"Yeah. By the way, there's my dad. " she says and points at him. Oh, we've met...
"Dad, this is Britah. My friend."
"Nice to meet you, Britah." Lenah's Dad says snobbishly, then takes a sip of his coffee. Somehow, I find myself staring at the way his tongue grazes across his lower lip after he sips his coffee. He catches me staring at him, and it makes him chuckle. Shit! He saw me staring! "Do you want to say something, Brit?"
"I have work to do. I'll go now." I say and quickly go away from there. I hand in the order and wait for it, hoping Lenah and her dad will leave soon. I shouldn't have looked at him back then. I think to myself. I'm not supposed to find him attractive, but whatever he has been doing today, it just felt like he was teasing me and giving me a hard time. Teasing!
After serving the two ladies, Lenah's dad motions me to go to his table. I hope he's calling me so he can pay and go away. "You called me, sir?" I say.
"Yes. Can I have the bill for this?" He asks.
Finally! I say in my head as I sigh in relief. "Right away." I say, my tone evident with ecstasy. I prepare the bill as fast as I can, then take it to him.
He looks at it and hands me the payment. With excess. "Um...Here is the excess you've handed me." I say, handing him the extra ten euros.
"It's yours. " he says. "Take it." he adds in a non negotiable tone.
"No." I say. "Why should I? It's yours." I add, then give it back. "Thanks for supporting us. Hope we'll see each other again, cupcake." I say, turning to Lenah.
"I hope for that too, Britah." Lenah smiles at me.
~
I go home early since it's a Saturday, so I can prepare to meet my parents the next day. I'm actually excited I get to spend the day there in Frosinone.
I get up early in the morning to get on my way. It has been long since I went there. I get a cab that takes me there, and on reaching, I find Britney, Mom and Dad waiting for me.
"Mom, Dad!" I scream as I run towards them. I hug my parents tightly. "I've missed you both. " I say.
"Well, we're here now." Mom says.
"True." Dad laughs."Let's get inside."
While we're inside, we decide to hold the memorial service after two weeks. At least the day is convenient and won't involve me having to beg for a day off. I loathe begging more than I could ever imagine. My ego is humongous and I don't like getting it bruised in any way.
On returning home, I check my messages and there's one from an unknown number.
"Hey.... I'm inquiring if we could go out and have our own fun next Sunday." It reads.
"Who could this be?" I reply.
"It's Lenah... I'm using my dad's phone right now. Please accept...."
"Does your dad know?" I ask cautiously.
"Yes. He said it's up to you now."
"Okay. I'll be available next Sunday."
"Thanks!!!!!"