The Diary of Sophie Dayton - A Humorous, Coming-of-age Detective Story

9. Explanation of a lifetime

Friday 2nd Feb 2018

I had to leave off rather suddenly yesterday, Dear Diary, but don't worry. You get to hear the whole story from the horse's mouth... the participant's... hand... whatever.

As you will remember, I was acting like a spoiled brat, bemoaning my shortcomings as a stake-out artist and wondering whether to go home. Suddenly I was alerted by the swish of the automatic doors and looked up to see a familiar figure crossing the cafe threshold.

It was him! Old Smirk-Eyes himself had entered the building.

As a result of my abysmal failure to pay attention I hadn't seen him approach from outside, and was caught by surprise. I gazed open-mouthed for a few seconds and scribbled that quick note before good sense kicked in. I shovelled my possessions into my bag and gracefully pelted across the cafe to intercept him.

He was leaning on the counter and had already given his order. Unsurprisingly, he heard me coming (a baby rhinoceros would have been more subtle than I was) and he turned to blast me with his signature smirk at full volume.

I skidded to a halt, gasping for breath (from shock more than from exertion. The cafe isn't very big and I'm not THAT unfit). "You!" I managed to exclaim. After that height of eloquence, I'm afraid further words escaped me. I had even prepared a script for this very moment, but in the heat of seeing him again, I couldn't remember a word of it. And if that sounds stupid, well YOU try reciting a memorised speech while being silently mocked by an inhumanly beautiful specimen of the human race. Did I mention his handsomeness in the last entries, Dear Diary? Ok good. I thought I had, but just so you remember. He's really quite gorgeous. Oh, and his eyes are dark brown. (I was too far away to spot that detail last time.)

"Sophie," he greeted me as if we were old friends. Turning back to the counter, he accepted two paper mugs from the barista. "I got you a drink. Let's go outside." He strode off towards the cafe entrance.

My mouth was already open, so that saved me some time in terms of gaping efficiency. I stood stupidly gawking at his receding back for a moment or two before my feet carried me after him of their own accord. A small part of my brain questioned the wisdom of following a strange man to god-knows-where. Especially when I was reasonably sure he was a dangerous cyber-criminal. However, the main part of my brain - the part that was shocked, frustrated and hungry for answers - told the small part to pipe down.

Meanwhile the man in question had led us outside to a row of nearby benches. He gestured to one of the empty ones. "Shall we sit here?"

By now I'd recovered some of the poise I'd lost, and I proved as much by plonking myself sulkily on the bench. I felt decidedly crabby. Bad enough that this infuriating man had thwarted my attempts at being a master spy, he'd also bought me a coffee for god's sake! It was quite chilly outside so I couldn't even grant myself the satisfaction of refusing it.

He sat down next to me and stayed silent for a few moments. My thoughts were in turmoil, raging with questions and complaints. I had no idea which of them to air first so instead I settled for admiring his profile from my unexpected new close proximity.

He grinned without turning his head. "Go ahead. I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

"Are you from The Future?" was the first thing that burst out of my mouth. Bollocks, I meant to work my way up to asking him that. Way to go, Sophie. Interrogator extraordinaire!

The smile disappeared and he turned his head sharply. For the first time I saw a hint of disconcertion in his eyes. "How do you know about The Future?"

I put the coffee down and folded my arms. This was more like it. "You haven't answered my question."

He shook his head. "No. I'm not affiliated with that organisation."