Enchanted Night

Chapter 8 ('Cross the room your silhouette)

Standing still in front of him, unsure of what to do or think, I am certain that he hadn't seen my face last night—I had made sure of that. Having a clear view of his face now, rather than the dimly lit glimpse from his phone last night, is considerably better. The glimpse I had last night only hinted at his beauty, leaving me somewhat conscious about my own appearance.

“Aya!” a voice suddenly snapped me out of my reverie. Blinking twice, I turned to Tamer, feeling his gentle tap on my shoulder. "You know him?” he then suddenly asked, directing his gaze back to the man who stood before us.

Yes, I did know him—I had met him.

I shook my head. “No,” I responded plainly as I look back at him, Shoji. “I—I'm sorry, I didn't see you— sir,” I added, grappling with the right words to say. His brows furrowed. Just as he was about to speak, Tamer swiftly took the cart from my hands, drawing my attention.

“Let's go,” Tamer stated firmly, briskly walking past us with the cart. Rude.

I watched in disbelief as he reached for yet another package of an unfamiliar noodle, causing an intense urge to toss him the bottle of olive oil I had in my hands.

Without a second thought or bothering to excuse myself from the man in front of me, I hurried to catch up with Tamer. I needed to put a halt to his habit of grabbing everything he fancied and tossing it into the cart. His impulsive behavior was becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

“Stop it, Tamer. I can't afford to pay for all of this,” I scolded, but he merely shrugged, unfazed by my concern.

He stopped abruptly, but I caught him sneaking a glance from behind me. "He's watching us," he stated suddenly, making me jump as I turned to look back. Tamer was right; the man's eyes were fixed on us. "Are you absolutely certain you don't know that guy?" Tamer pressed, causing me to shake my head definitively.

“Nope,” I replied firmly, noting the furrow in Tamer's brows as I faced him again. What was with that expression?

Taking the unfamiliar noodle from his hand and returning it to the shelf grabbed his attention. “That's it. Time to pay. Let's go,” I announced, leading the way forward.

I didn't need to peek back to ensure Tamer was following—I could feel his presence. "Stay away from that guy, Aya," Tamer's words reached me as we queued up to pay for our groceries. I turned to him. His usual relaxed demeanor was replaced with a serious look.

"I'm serious," he reiterated, as expected. "Do you know him?" I probed, and he simply shrugged. "No," came the straightforward reply.

"Avoid strangers—especially guys like that. Who knows what they could be up to?", he then stated still.

His cautionary words left me feeling a tad disheartened. Prejudiced. "You shouldn't rush to judge people you've just met, Tamer."

"Tsk!" came his disapproving click.

While waiting in line to pay, I couldn't resist looking around, hoping to catch a glimpse of that familiar Japanese face - Shoji. However, my attempt was thwarted when Tamer obstructed my view as I glanced at the line for the next cashier over.

I gazed up at Tamer. He stood tall—well, taller than Jayson despite Jayson being much older. His furrowed brow met my curious gaze. “Time to pay, Aya,” he reminded me, placing his hand on my head and gently redirecting my focus to the cashier busily scanning our items.

Observing the cashier skillfully perform her duties, I couldn't help but notice the shy grin she flashed in the direction of the man next to me. I looked back at Tamer, only to realize he wasn't paying her any attention at all.