Chapter 8: A Sudden Appearance

Valencia had scowl on her face when she saw a familiar individual sitting from afar, "Of all places, we just had to meet here.", she sneered at the oblivious Dion Nester, across the room “It looks like karma is biting my ass for talking back to my father last time .”

She placed her bent arm on the wooden table with her elbow kissing the blue mantle and pressed her fingers on her temple and began massaging her head in circular motion with a frown on her face.

She leaned back on her chair and placed her arms on the armrest and sighed, she dismissed her thoughts to diminish the stress that might turn into a headache if she continued to worry about being seen by Dion.

“Hah, why should I worry about this?” Valencia only wanted to avoid ruining her tranquil morning so she diverted her focus to her left, peering through the window to watch the people pass by while waiting for her order patiently.

A scrupulous gaze lingered visibly in Dion’s black eyes as he read the book in his left hand, despite his unbothered visage he wasn't oblivious to the obvious onlookers eyeing him with flushed expressions on their faces. “Do they not know that it's uncomfortable to be stared at?” He lifted his eyelids that were creasing in

annoyance, and it made the people avert their eyes somewhere else.

He let out a small huff before shutting the book closed and placed them on the small coffee table in front of him and took the cup with a half-sipped brewed coffee and placed them in between his pinkish lips and drank it till it was empty before placing them on the table beside the book.

He leaned on his chair and took a glance at his wristwatch before he lifted his eyelids, and landed his pairs on a familiar woman across the store, “Hmn?.... Is that…” he squinted his eyes and leaned a little forward from his chair, There was a moment of pause before he continued, “This is my chance.” He declared.

“Take-out Number 38! Take-out Number 38! Please, take your order here at the counter.” Valencia stared down at the piece of paper in her hand and confirmed that it was her number being called, she elevated on her seat to take her order when she saw Dion staring at her with a frown across the room

Valencia could feel her sweat begin to form on her forehead so she hasten her pace towards the counter, “Number 38! Pl-“ the girl behind the counter slightly shrieked from surprise when Valencia suddenly slammed her hand on the wooden counter, “Sorry for the scare but here’s the number.”

There was a wary look plastered on the girl's face as she handed her order “Alright ....Here you go ma’am, hope you enjoy.” The girl spoke with a strained tone.

“Ah, Yes! Thank you.” Valencia grabbed the order instantly and dashed towards the door ignoring the customers' confused faces

Dion stood on his spot with his arm extended midair to call her, yet before he could open his mouth to speak, Valencia ran away.

Dion could only sigh, “What am I expecting? it’s obvious that she’s avoiding me.”

“Excuse me, sir.’ He turned his head to where the voice had called him, “Do you perhaps know that woman?” The girl behind the counter asked, “Ah, well ....yes,” He stated with hesitance, “Ah You must be an acquaintance of her.” She added before she pointed her finger on the floor ‘’I think she dropped that keychain on her way out” Dion followed where her index was pointing.

It was a small knitted sunflower with three transparent beads linked on the red thread, Dion kneeled on the floor and hoisted the keychain in his hand, he examined its features before putting it in his pockets, “Thank you for the notice” he said, the girl nodded with a faint smile, “No problem, Sir”

Dion left the café in the hope of finding Valencia but the problem is, he doesn’t have a lead, he grips the side of his hair with a bit of pressure and lets out an irritated sigh with his eyes closed, “What am I thinking? How could I search for her when I don’t even know where she went?”

He raised his eyelids and scanned the area within his vision and caught a glimpse of a familiar figure not too far walking across the road towards the parking lot building on the other side, “Huh, I guess there’s nothing for me to worry about finding her after all”

He grips the wrapped object in his hand and strides towards the other side of the street to follow Valencia. Dion sighed once more when a thought crossed his mind, “I feel like a stalker following her like this but I need to give these things to her and apologise”

Dion anxiously entered the building lot searching for a black-haired girl in a place full of parked vehicles but, there was no soul in sight other than him, “Maybe she’s on a different floor.”. He walked over to the elevator and went in, and as he pushed the button that would lead him to the second floor he glanced at his watch and let out a short sigh while gripping the keychain and a wrapped object in his other hand.

He walks out as soon as the door discloses, he whips his head in search of the woman until a pair of voices echo in the large parking lot caught by his ears.

‘Could it be….” his legs automatically moved in an amble trying to lead him to where the voices were residing, until finally, his eyes caught a figure of Valencia.

He was only a few pillars away from her yet, he doesn’t know why he is suddenly hiding behind it. Was it because he suddenly overheard an argument between Valencia and the unknown girl? Or perhaps, he came at the wrong time in the middle of a searing moment?