Hello, Stranger [BEN HARDY]

II: Drive Thru

It's only a matter of a few minutes before a red and black convertible pulls up right in front of Azlin, with the passenger window rolled down, revealing Ben.

"Hop in," he calls out and Azlin cautiously does so, afraid that one wrong move could damage the car. It must be fairly expensive, and the least thing she wants to happen is break something and suddenly owe a few thousand dollars. As soon as she's inside, she immediately realizes that the car smells faintly of the exact same cologne Ben is wearing. It's a privilege to be able to smell Ben Hardy's cologne, but in a way, it makes her feel like she's invading his personal space in a whole new level.

"So, where to?"

"Uhh... Colombia Square please." Ben nods and inputs the address on the GPS. The device beeps and confirms the route that will take a 15-minute drive. Azlin does a double take as she notices the dot on the screen, indicating where they are.

"We're at Beverly Hills?!!" She frantically looks around, only now realizing that she's sitting right inside the most iconic residential place in California, home to some of the most famous celebrities in the world. Ben just laughs at her reaction as he starts to drive.

"So what could be so important tomorrow that Cinderella has to come home at midnight?" Ben asks, amused at his own joke. "I remember you mentioning 'business'?"

"Oh, yes." She clears her throat after finally getting over Beverly Hills. "Actually, I've been invited to participate in an art exhibition. I'll be meeting with some curators tomorrow to discuss with the preparations, so I need to be in my right mind to give a good first impression."

"So you're an artist?"

"Yes, I uhh... do relief art. It's basically another form of sculpting, but embossed or raised from a flat surface. It's like a 3D version of a painting." Azlin blushes and clears her throat, not really knowing how to explain her art exactly.

"Really? Don't think I've seen something like that before." Ben exclaims in awe. He had met different sorts of artists in the industry--VFX, SFX, CGI, prosthetics--but probably not yet one like Azlin.

"A few of my works got recognized on social media, and someone with strong connections saw it and asked if I could come and participate in one upcoming art exhibition in L.A. It's a big opportunity for a small-time artist like me, and everything still feels surreal like... like it's all a dream. I still couldn't believe that I hit such a stroke of luck."

"It's not just luck," he smiles. "You must be an amazing artist to be recognized like that. True talent and hard work does the job; luck is just a small bonus."

"Thank you." Azlin smiles in appreciation. She'd probably remember those lines for as long as she could, considering that it's the first time that someone here complimented her work. Plus, well, it came from Ben Hardy.

After a few minutes, Azlin starts to feel the weariness seep into her body. And strangely, the faint smell of Ben's cologne feels somewhat comforting and relaxing. A comfortable silence eventually wraps between the two, the noises of the city life outside serving as their background music.

That was until Azlin's growling stomach broke the silence.

After the shock sinks in for a few seconds, Ben falls into a fit of laughter. Never in her life had Azlin internally cursed and despised her own stomach so much.

"Sorry, I didn't have any chance to eat at the party..." She cringes as her stomach lets out small purrs as if in agreement.

"No, it's alright." he says in between laughs. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Would that be okay?" Azlin bites her lip. She's starting to feel more and more guilty at consuming this man's precious time. However, she doesn't really have the energy anymore to cook at home, and she doesn't really want to go to bed with an empty stomach.