DARK DELIGHTS

05

BEING A SATURDAY, the mall is crowded with teens, moms, dads and everyone in between.

My stomach rumbles uncontrollably the moment my nose catches a whiff of the delicious aromas coming from small eateries, pizzerias, burger joints, cafes and high-end restaurants.

Despite all the options I opt for a nice, quiet café to have my breakfast. I choose a spot in the corner to sit. Gia pulls out a chair for me, before she waits for me to sit down and tucks it in for me. Then she steps back and stands to the wall.

"Join me for breakfast?" I say as more of a question than a command. She reluctantly obliges and sits across from me; reading the menu. I scan her features as she does so.

Under the light of the florescent bulb, her sleeked back hair looks like an even lighter shade of ginger. On the other hand, the freckles dusted across her nose seem even darker and more prominent. From the looks of it, she should be no more than 25. She feels my invasive stare before I meet her light green eyes.

Then she politely asks, "Is there anything I can help you with, miss?"

"No." I smile. "I just think you're really pretty."

"Oh." She smiles back; her cheeks turning slightly red before she responds. "You too."

"Thanks." I say, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, before I pick up my menu. I quickly scan the menu for my favourite; Ricotta pancakes with Nutella and strawberries. By default, I opt for an espresso as my hot drink of choice.

When I put my menu down, Gia has long since put hers down, which makes me ask, "Ready?"

"Ready when you are." She responds; the hint of the smallest smile on her face. I signal for the waitress before she comes, notebook in hand, to take our order.

"Good morning," The waitress smiles at us. "What can I get for you today?"

"I'll have the ricotta pancakes with Nutella and strawberries, please. And could I also get an espresso on the side?"

"Absolutely," She responds, writing it all down. Then she turns to Gia. "And what can I get you, miss?"

"Banana nut pancakes and iced coffee, please." Gia responds, before the waitress quickly scribbles it down.

"Anything else?" The waitress asks.

I wait for Gia before I say, "No, that will be all, thank you."

Then she reads out the order, "Ricotta pancake with Nutella and strawberries, Banana nut pancakes, an ice coffee and espresso. Am I right?"

"Yes." Gia and I both agree before the waitress tells us our order will be ready in 10 minutes and leaves. In the meantime, I engage Gia in conversation.

"I didn't get your number," I say, handing her my phone. "I'm sure you already have mine."

"I do." She responds, putting her number into my phone before handing it to me. I save her name and add an orange heart emoji that resembles her hair. Thereafter I put my phone down.

"I was thinking," I start my sentence, hesitating slightly when her green eyes pierce through mine. Her raised eyebrow does not help my hesitance but I say it anyways, "You shouldn't wear suits anymore."

"Oh... ok." She slowly says. "Does Mr LaGuardia know about it?"

"Yes." I nod. "I was thinking you could dress more like my friend than my bodyguard. I don't want to draw too much attention to myself in uni. I also want you to walk beside me like a normal person and do normal things."

"I understand." She responds, her shoulders more squared than relaxed now. It makes me wonder if she knows what uni students dress like and act like. I do not press her on that. I leave it as is.