Mr. Grey-Book I

17

Emilia

My heart racing, I quickly looked around, trying to spot the mysterious man who had touched me. The crowded mall suddenly felt oppressive, faces blurring together as I searched for the culprit.

"Oh my God, Emilia, are you okay?" Nina rushed to my side, her face etched with concern as she took in my horrified expression. "Did you see something?"

I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what had just happened. "Did you... did you see that?" I trailed off, my voice barely above a whisper.

Nina's brow furrowed in confusion. "See what?" she asked, her eyes scanning our surroundings.

A wave of doubt washed over me. Had I imagined it? It didn't make any sense – a man had placed his hands on my stomach and then disappeared into thin air. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

"Damn, Emilia, you're almost losing it," I muttered to myself, taking a deep breath to regain my composure. I forced a thin smile and turned back to Nina. "Never mind, it's nothing," I said, trying to sound convincing.

Nina's eyes narrowed, clearly not buying my sudden change in demeanor. "Are you sure? You seemed pretty terrified a moment ago," she pressed, her voice laced with worry.

I nodded, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. "I'm okay, really. Just forget it," I insisted, flashing another smile that I hoped looked more genuine than it felt.

Nina chuckled slightly, though her eyes still held a hint of concern. "If you say so, weirdo," she teased, bumping her shoulder against mine playfully.

Before I could respond, my phone began to ring, startling me and reminding me of my planned meeting with Amber. I fumbled with the device, my hands still slightly shaky from the earlier incident.

"Nina, I need to meet up with a friend in Paul Bakery," I explained hurriedly. "Do you know where that is?"

She nodded, pointing down one of the mall's long corridors. "Yeah, of course. It's right after the kids' store," she said, before adding with a hint of urgency, "But hurry up, okay? Mama and James are almost through with the groceries."

"I won't take long, I promise," I assured her before setting off in the direction she had indicated.

As I made my way through the bustling mall, my mind raced with thoughts of the strange encounter. Had it been real, or was the stress of my situation finally getting to me? I shook my head, trying to focus on finding Amber.

I spotted the kids' store and, right beside it, Paul Bakery. Taking a deep breath to compose myself, I stepped inside, the aroma of fresh bread and pastries momentarily distracting me from my worries.

My eyes scanned the cozy interior until they landed on a familiar figure hunched over her phone in a corner booth. "Amb," I called out softly, a genuine smile spreading across my face at the sight of my friend.

Amber's head snapped up at the sound of my voice, her eyes lighting up with recognition and relief. "Em!" she exclaimed, practically leaping from her seat and rushing towards me. She enveloped me in a tight hug, her voice thick with emotion as she whispered, "I was so worried about you."

I hugged her back fiercely, suddenly realizing how much I had missed her. After a moment, I became acutely aware of the curious glances being thrown our way by other patrons. Gently, I disentangled myself from Amber's embrace and gestured towards the table.