September 1, 2023
Loreto, Milan
Architecture didn't detract from nature, instead the two were intertwined. Pockets of greenery were plotted around the bustling streets. Congested buildings came in all different colours: primrose, pink and blue just to mention. Milan was a breath of fresh air for Jordan but her environment wasn't the only thing to change. Her cheeks had become slightly sunken, her arms were like twigs and her waist was narrow enough to make Cinderella proud. Jordan didn't feel like she had gotten any more attractive but the opinions of others seemed to differ. Strolling the streets of Loreto, she could feel the gazes of men and women alike. Whether their intentions were out of envy, intrigue or wishfulness was beyond her but at least she knew her efforts weren't for nothing.
Rosa's Café, two minutes away.
After following her GPS for 10 minutes, she was finally meeting the person that would give her the green light.
Berenice Gumede. She sat at Rosa's coffee shop with a cappuccino and two amaretti biscuits. Unlike her new colleague, Berenice was an average looking woman. Her face was round and beige with a few fine lines running across it. Her outfit was clean and simple with stripes running across it. She didn't like Italy. And she wasn't too fond of Milan. In her eyes, the city was too focused on the material side. Where was the life? Where was the soul?
"Excuse me, are you Berenice?"
An attractive woman wearing denim spawned next to her.
"Yes, I am Berenice," she replied in a French accent. "You must be Delphine."
Jordan smiled at her.
"Correct!" Jordan replied. "Do you mind if I order a coffee?"
"Yes I do in fact."
"Oh-"
"Now that I think about it, we should have our conversation in my apartment. It's better that way."
Jordan's smile faded and she nodded in agreement. Once Berenice had finished nibbling on her biscuit, the two of them left Rosa's and into the nearest taxi.
"Your accent sounds very nice," Berenice said in the car. "Your mother is French isn't she?"
This was a test. Jordan knew that much. From the interactions at the cafe and the question now being proposed, Jordan knew what type Berenice was.
"That's right she is." Jordan said, with a plastered smile. "Although, she's originally from Mali."
"I see, and what about your father?"
"He never had an active role in my life."
The taxi came to a halt. The building was modern: matte pink walls made of polished stone and embossed flowers covered them. Jordan stared up at the structure in mild awe but Berenice paid no attention to this. She did however pay the driver in excess and the two ladies made their way up to the apartment. Apartment 10. The place itself was a homely one - Smelling of perfume, books and leather. Two sofas and a glass table made the living room and the kitchen (which was right beside the living room) was designed with red plastic and silver handles. What the other rooms had in store was a mystery, but a mystery Jordan couldn't be bothered finding out. As if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, she slumped on one of sofas, sinking right in.
"I forgot to buy coffee grounds but I have some iced coffee if you want?" Berenice asked.
Jordan hated the cold. Despised it. But she told herself that she would rather be cold and alert than warm and drowsy.
YOU ARE READING
Fame, Film & Fashion
Mystery / Thriller"He thought that this world was harmless, fanciful, but in reality it was just as sick and twisted as the environment he grew up in. Maybe even worse. At least where he grew up, the bad things didn't try and hide from you. But here, he had realised...
