THE WITNESS

Chapter 6

Adriana walked in to the restaurant to buy snacks when she saw Ben at the far end,eating alone. He was so focused on his food that she thought if she walked up to him then, he wouldn't notice her. She decided to call him though he was right in the same room with her. Still at the counter, she dialled his cell number. She hoped he saved her number from last time.

Ben felt his phone vibrate before it rang out in his pocket. He pulled it out of his pocket; attention away from his food. He looked at the call ID and saw it was Adriana. He didn't answer it because he wanted to call her after he was done eating. And besides he promised he'd call her. Meanwhile Adriana was wondering why he didn't answer. She saw him pull out his cellphone so she knows he saw the number and who it was. 'he didn't save my number?', she asked herself

She dialled it again. She watched him take out his cellphone again but ignored it. She became slightly angry but she dialled it again and this time he answered. She was relieved when he said her name.
"hello! Adriana? ",
"hello!",
"I am sorry I didn't answer the call before",he told her,
"No problem", she said relieved that he apologized,"may I ask why you didn't? ",

"I don't talk while eating and picking the call, I would have to talk",
"oh",
"why did you call? ",
That question made her loose her composure, because she hadn't thought of any reason to say,
"uhm....nothing. I just wanted to hear your voice",
"really?",
"so where are you now?", she asked even though she knew where he was;she was even looking at him then,

Then by chance he saw her, but he pretended as if he hadn't then said,
"I just finished my lunch and heading to the office now",
What he said made her to give herself away,
"what if i tell you I am looking at you now?",
"You'd have to give me proof",he said smiling,
"your phone is on your ear",
"that is not proof enough",
"you're holding it with your left hand",
"that was a lucky guess",he said teasing,"what colour of shirt am I wearing?",

"you are wearing a blue striped shirt",she told him,
"ah you caught me", he said laughing,"but I knew you were in the restaurant",he told her,
"for how long  have you known?",
"few minutes ago",he replied,"come and sit",
She sat opposite him. While they both ate their lunch, they both glanced at each other occasionally.

***
After having lunch, Ben thought it was better if he went home. He called work and told them he wouldn't be there that day; he had something important he was doing. And they said they understood. He lied. He wasn't doing anything then but he had something important before then. He didn't want to go partly because working hours was almost over and mainly because Adriana was there with him.

"so....what do you want to do?",he asked as he hung up the phone,
"don't you have to go to work?",Adriana asked him,
"No I don't. I have taken the whole day off",he said smirking,
"okay. Let's go see a movie",
"I...am not a movie person",
"don't worry you will like it",she assured him,
"really?", he asked,"okay",
"And...please stop doing that",she told him,

"what?",
He was at a loss at what she was talking about,
"stop smiling like a kid who has just been given his favourite toy",
He wanted to laugh but decided to feign anger,
"so you mean I am smiling like an idiot?",he asked trying to look hurt,
"that was not what I said",
His smile broke into a laughter,
"what is the matter?",she asked,

"it's okay. You can put down the guns. I am just pulling your legs",
She sighed and then hit him on the hand. He was still laughing. Then she joined in the laughter. Ben looked at her and realised that he really loved her, even after all the time that has passed. He needed to have her to himself,  in his life.....forever. Then Ben called the waiter and asked for their bill,but he told them a customer had paid for them.

They asked who it was, and he - the waiter - showed them the elderly couple. They thanked the waiter and he went to serve other customers but not before smiling sheepishly maybe naughtily at them. They wondered what was happening; well maybe Ben alone was wondering. Outside the restaurant they saw the elderly couple and thanked them,
"thank you",they both said,

"No problem", the elderly woman said,
"But you didn't have to",Ben told them,
"It's okay. We wanted to.",the elderly woman's husband said,
"May we ask why you did?",Adriana then said,
Ben glared at her, but she didn't flinch. What is she doing? Ben asked himself. He thought she shouldn't have asked.
"We did because looking at you, we were reminded of ourselves",the elderly woman spoke

The next question threw them for a loop,
"Are you both married?",
Ben and Adriana both looked at each other then shook their head saying 'no'.
"then dating?",the woman's husband asked,
Ben was about to speak when Adriana blurted out 'yes'.
"we thought as much", the woman said,"you both make a good couple",

Ben looked at Adriana and saw her grinning from ear to ear. He just shook his head and smiled.
"well we need to leave now",the woman told them,
They said goodbye and the elderly couple left.
Ben looked at Adriana and she was still grinning,
"you liked what they said that much?",
She looked up at him and turned her face away,
He smiled then turned her to face him then said,

"I want you to be my girlfriend",
She was happy he said it;she had been hoping he would ask her out but she wanted to play hard to get. She then said,
"I don't understand. Is that a statement or a proposal?",
"of course it is a proposal",
"then do it right",
He sighed then said 'women',
"what?",
"nothing", he told her,"Adriana I love you",
Her face lit up in joy,

"I have loved from way back in college and I want to ask you this", he bent a little like he was proposing; he was proposing,
"will you be my girlfriend?",
"well.....",
His heart was beating hard right then,
"yes I will be your girlfriend. I will be yours", she said hugging him,
In the background people were watching them some laughing at them, some happy for them,some angry because to them it was public disturbance,some just passing by not concerned.
Among those people, was the gang members and the cop slash bodyguard.

***
After the movie, Ben took her home with promises of another date. He said goodbye then waited for her to go in - even when she said he could go - before heading back home. He boarded a cab and told the cab driver his destination. Then they began their journey.
Behind the cab, the cop that was assigned to him - unknowingly - was following them.

Ben happened to look back and saw the vehicle behind them at a close distance. He thought he had seen the car before, just where?
He had noticed the car earlier before following them when he took Adriana home. Could it be a coincidence? He decided to watch the car and decide if what he suspected was true. If the car was really following him.

The vehicle he was in got to a corner and the driver drove in that direction. Ben looked back and saw that the vehicle behind was still following. It couldn't be coincidence; now he knew.
"could you step on it?", he told the cab driver,
"okay",he replied,
The driver increased the speed of the vehicle a bit. Ben looked back and didn't see the vehicle anymore. At the pace that the cab he was in was going, they were sure to evade the ' stalker ' vehicle.

They got to his place and he paid the cab driver and went in. Meanwhile, the cop didn't lose them. He got there before them. When he didn't see them earlier, he took a short cut and beat them there. He got there shortly before they did. And the place he packed was hidden. It was a place where he could keep watch. After seeing Ben walk in, he called his boss.
"hello sir", he said immediately the call was answered,

"hello Derrick", Samuel said,"any updates?",
"yes. I am in front of his house now. He just went in.",
"did he see you?",
"I couldn't say",
"okay you can turn in for the night",
"okay sir",
He hung up the phone then started his car and went on home. At the opposite side, another car was packed. It was hidden - very much hidden. Because Derrick didn't see it. In it, the gang members were planning on how to abduct Ben now that he was alone. Few minutes later, while still thinking of a plan. The house door opened.