The Estranged

"I missed this." I said as we were walking around the mall.

"What do you mean? We've never done this before." Janice jokingly replied while bumping her shoulders with mine.

My eyes wandered and was caught by a crocheted crop top hanging in one corner. I pulled her towards it and almost dragged her on the floor as she stumbled over her own foot.

"You should try this one." I tossed her a beige top, and as I wait for her to get changed in the fitting room, I ran my fingers along the clothes on the rack.

It didn't take her a while to finish.

"What do you think?" She emerged from the room wearing the top I chose for her.

I couldn't help but smile.

She's the most beautiful girl I have ever seen and the slight sight of skin in her tummy makes me want to feel the warmth of her body.

"Now you look more of a person." I said, teasingly.

Janice doesn't seemed satisfied with my response. She doesn't look comfortable with the top too. "Let's check the other stores."

We exited the boutique and I followed her lead as she entered each store skimming their displays. It was probably on the seventh we have entered that she found something she likes. It was a black shirt with a huge print of monster's face on it.

I was about to say something—criticize her choice – that I know I would soon regret, but when I opened my mouth, it was not my voice that came out.

"Yo! You women must've been lost!"

This was followed by couple of laughters.

I looked behind us and saw a bearded man with a buffed body. He got a full sleeve tattoo on his one arm. He was wearing a leather vest and a gray shirt with a mark of sweat. He was surrounded by at least four more men wearing a leather jacket.

"What made you think that?" Janice narrowed her eyes and her question was inviting an argument.

The bearded man raised his hands in surrender and proceeded to walk past us. He pushed a button in an old stereo and a loud music started to blast from the walls.

The leather jacket men started nodding their heads and stomping their feet in sync with the beat.

Janice looked at me. A wide grin was showing on her face and she started dancing like crazy. She's throwing her hands in the air, spinning me around. After a while, we were already both jumping up and down around the store just feeling the rhythm course through our body.

"Some nice moves you got there." A guy came behind me and he whispered those words right in my ear.

I feel light and lost until I heard this stranger's voice. I felt a slight need to panic, but when I turned to see his face, I was stunned by the tiny distance between us. He was so close that I could feel his chest moving as he breathe and smell the mint scent of his mouth. I have also never seen eyebrows as thick as his, but his eyes are what captured me the most.

I got dizzy when my heart started beating fast at his presence. My hands tried to search for Janice beside me but she was gone, and I almost fell face flat on the floor if it weren't for the arms that caught me.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I nodded as I am lost for words. "Did you happen to see my friend? She was just here a couple of minutes ago."

"That lady with guts? – No. Do you need help finding her?"

I forced a smile and shook my head. I excused myself as I walked out of the store in search for Janice.