Apparently there was a modern sleek restaurant Claire didn't know existed. The ambience was calm and friendly. Bruno's car pulled over, and the two went to one of the empty tables.
"Didn't expect to see you so soon." A young waitress passed by, her blonde hair in pigtails. She smiled blushingly, making Claire stare at her stunned."Well, I'm as unpredictable as the weather," Bruno replied, shrugging heedlessly as Miss pigtails walked by with a tray of food.He snapped a finger and another waiter made his way towards their table. "You seem very popular here," Claire made a casual remark upon the gesture. Bruno smiled and said, "That's because I live here.""Oh, and what do you do around here? Photography?" Claire was bemused, her eyes squinted inquisitively."Um, I'm the restaurant owner," he replied.Oh. Evidently Claire hadn't seen this coming. Well, he wasn't a weirdo after all, she thought to herself at the remainder of their meeting earlier."Congratulations. This place is terrific," she uttered, her eyes roaming around with admiration. The waiter inquired about their menu choice afterwards. "Chicken casserole, please," she replied."Thank you, I guess." Bruno's smile was brighter. "I'll have the same," he said, and then faced Claire. "Care for a drink? The cocktails here are to die for; not that I'm bragging.""Oh? Is that true?" Claire asked the waiter. "I know he's your boss but I'm the customer here. I'm the King . . . No, the Queen!"They all laughed."They are great." The waiter nodded in agreement, his smile assuring Claire of this grand allegation."Sure. Why not? Worst case scenario, I'll just not ever come back if you both scam me." She let the gentlemen win."So . . ." Bruno resumes his full, undistracted attention back to Claire. "Why are you around here? Because I know you're not from here." His brown eyes were blazing with wonder and playfulness, his smile boyish."Well, I just came to relax over the weekend," Claire answered with a deep sigh. "And to visit my parents." Her voice was low without ecstasy, and it seemed Bruno understood why."I'm sorry. I was also visiting my mother," he said in a similar tone of voice, reclining back in his seat."Really?" Claire uttered, and this turned to be an ordinary talk as Bruno talked of his dead mother. "I'm sorry for your loss," she breathed."It's okay. We're still surviving, aren't we?" Bruno enthused, his sassy mood restored."Yeah. Surviving." Claire's mind was back to her house in the city where her stepmother was always on her neck, turning her life a living hell.It was time to maybe move out, she'd constantly say this, but the memories of her childhood would always hold her back."Are we on the memory lane?" Bruno snapped his finger on her face, chuckling at how lost she looked."Oh, come on!" Claire dismissed with a smile. She was indeed enjoying the moment, and so was Bruno."And where exactly do you live?" he asked after a short pause of laughter. "Lisbay.""Hmm . . . that's interesting.""Why? I'd much rather live here if it weren't for other reasons," she said truthfully."I agree. I do like this place better than the city," Bruno said, running a hand through his funky curls.Smiling, Claire's tummy started rumbling, and she eyed him blankly upon his small laugh. "I think food would be better than your teeth," she said, and now he laughed even louder. So did she."Wow! Big appetite, huh?" Bruno teased."What can I say?" Claire flushed. "I love eating."And indeed, she loved eating. Maybe food was the best part of her life."Okay, beautiful." Bruno got up, so as to personally speed up their order."We can just wait, though! Don't pay attention to my rumbling." Claire tried to stop him, but he was too adamant. "Gosh!" She laughed, allowing herself to relax.Between lunch and talking, time seemed to be going quite fast. Bruno was quite friendly, and it was impossible not to get lost into his ability to converse.Claire had nothing much to tell, however, for her life had been a dull, empty page with nothing but her step family and the failed romance during high school.Well, only Gena was her tale to tell. She was missing the Asian already.As for Bruno, he was spontaneous and adventurous. He'd been to major cities of Europe, and studied in Barcelona. He was just a free spirit, enjoying life and the simple things it had to offer.Photography was Bruno's biggest passion, and he loved it. He saw beauty in everything he took shots of, according to his own words.Nevertheless, Claire never stopped staring at him, sometimes. He was handsome, charming and boyish in manners, with something special that makes one feel at ease with him.He was probably in his mid-twenties or so, Claire reckoned.But that was all. She had no time to crush over some guy she'd just met in the cemetery. However, she liked his company quite well. Her phone buzzed suddenly, and it was none other than Gena."Hello," Claire answered while looking at Bruno, who was also looking at her with a small frown."Hey, where are you?" Gena replied from the other end, her voice ballistic."Um, with a friend," Claire replied, smiling. "Why? Do you need anything? Or you just miss me already?""Which friend that I don't know about? Spill it, have you met some cute guy over there?" Gena asked her in a naughty way.Claire rolled her eyes. "Is that the only thing you could think of? We'll talk later, be there soon!""You better, because I can't wait, you know. And I'm bored to death here," Gena lamented and it was the end of the call."Oh God!" Claire exclaimed."What?" Bruno abandoned his mobile."It's already six and I am still here! I've got to go, Bruno." Claire collected her bag in frenzy."Alright, but—" Bruno chuckled at her haste moves. "Take it easy, Claire, it's not the end of the world.""Yeah, right! Talking to someone who lives right here."Bruno couldn't hold his laughter as he stood up. "I can give you a ride if you don't mind," he suggested."No, you've done enough. I don't want to trouble you anymore. But thanks for the nice lunch, really," Claire assured, her smile grateful. "I've completely lost track of time from the talk and all, and maybe I should blame you." Her pink lips pouted cutely."Me?" Bruno uttered, wide-eyed."Yeah, you." Claire grinned, fixing her wavy, golden hair with her fingers. "Bye." And then she kissed him on the cheek."But—" Bruno started, but she was already striding off, waving at him in child-like manners. "But it seems like it's going to rain soon," he muttered apprehensively.The weather changed abruptly. The sky was too dark as if a very heavy rain was going to crash. Claire didn't care, however, because she had an umbrella inside her backpack.Ten minutes passed but there was no sign of any taxi on the main road. She decided to wa
The evening was stormy. Mr. Stevens and his grandson, Ryan, were on their way home as the rain kept pouring intensely with thunder striking eerily in the sky."We should've gone to your house, son," said Mr. Stevens warily, his eyes gleaming from the blue light in the sky. "This rain won't stop now; are you really able to drive this way?""Don't worry, I know this road better than you think," Ryan said confidently, and he meant it. His muscular arms gripped the steering tightly, tentatively avoiding all the weak spots as he kept driving the large SUV.Ryan was an epitome of handsomeness; tall, athletic built, with amazing facial features that deserved more than one glance. He was also a matured guy, with a very stronger personality than his actual age."Okay, if you say so." Mr. Stevens pulled a bottle of Scotch."I thought the doctor forbade that," Ryan remarked, scowling, and it was always a fool's errand.Mr. Stevens was crazy
"Okay, go ahead and change before you catch a cold," Mr. Stevens said."You, too, you need to eat and take the medicine!" Ryan stipulated, making the old man with curly grey hair roll his eyes. "Grandfather!" he snapped."Yeah, yeah, I will." Mr. Stevens disappeared slowly, holding his button that aided his limping caused by a minor stroke."What a stubborn old man," Ryan mumbled."I heard that!" Stevens grunted.Moments later, Ryan ventured back inside the guest's bedroom. He wanted to check on her before calling it a day. She was deeply lost in a slumber, her long, golden-brown hair tied up into a ponytail.A soft, stirred sigh escaped Ryan, wondering all over again on what she was possibly doing in that rain. He simply huffed, arms folded across his chest, not knowing what to reckon on the matter. It was strange.Sighing, he marched over and pulled the covers to her neck, his eyes taking
After a warm bath Claire slipped into an old, lavender dress she found laid down on the bed for her. It looked okay, she thought; after all she had no other option. And besides, it wasn't such a discomfort considering the posh design of the dress that had remarkable sewing.The owner must've been fashionable.Twirling, Claire watched the swirling umbrella skirt of the dress that made her look younger. It was short and stylish, exposing most of her glorious skin, from the long resplendent legs to her arms that were partially covered by its little sleeves."Not bad," she murmured while brushing her hair.There was a knock at the door and Martha walked in upon Claire's assent. "It looks good on you. Are you ready?" she asked warmly with a small smile, relishing the sight of her."Mmm." Claire nodded. Somehow her heart was beating fast thinking of meeting the Stevens. She couldn't help the discomfiture of knowing next to nothing about these people.Well, they did save her life, and even s
Glancing up, Ryan was standing right beside her, his eyes focused on his phone, his frame blocking the sunlight."You startled me!" Claire said quietly and sat straight so as to catch a proper sight of him. "Suicide? You are crazy." She scowled."I am?" Ryan gazed at her fleetingly, a small and rare smile tugged on his lips. "So, what's your deal with the rain?" he asked casually, eyes back on the phone."Well, I was just—" Claire halted upon seeing his raised eyebrow towards her speech the second she'd opened her mouth. "I mean, it was just an accident.""Yes, reschedule the meeting and let Doris and Harry know about it." Ryan was already on the phone, making her scoff incredulously. What the fuck! She glowered at him. "I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning, so get all the papers ready." His tone was imperial."Yeah, yeah!" Claire muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. Was it so hard to say 'excuse me, I'm taking the call?' What a jerk! She inwardly poured him all the dete
"Have you talked to any of the Stevens?" Gena asked Claire when she dropped by at her place.It's been a few days since their weekend trip."No, and I really don't wanna get entangled with that family, Gena. I've decided to forget it all," Claire said, her eyes busy on the phone as she was lying on her friend's bed.Gena's apartment was small, femininely furnished in purple and cream, a sleek modern touch of an interior designer graduate on its contents. She and Claire did the job."As you wish, ma'am!" Gena sighed, pushing herself towards the plush coach beside her bed. "Hey, why don't we go shopping? I think you need to stop thinking about the witch you call stepmom." She slumped down heavily, tugging her feet onto the couch."You're right." Claire loved shopping. Let it be grocery, shoes, clothes . . . as long as she'd get to stroll around the shops, seeing new arrivals, old displays, she'd automatically feel alive.It was her best hobby.The next stop was at the mall and both seem
She spent almost ten minutes wondering what she was going to do with all that money when her heart was all empty.The next day Claire dropped by the attorney's office for documentation. She had to protect herself from that vile woman and the first stage was notarizing everything as her father suggested through the letter. She just couldn't gather why he didn't suggest their family attorney.Maybe her father couldn't trust him at the last minute."Claire Levy?" A lovely woman in her mid-fifties regarded her as she walked in."Um, yes. I called yesterday and—" Claire paused, seeing a picture of her father, the attorney, and another man. She looked stoutly at her. "You . . . knew my father?" she asked, surprised at the time frame portrayed by the vintage color of the photo.They were in graduation gowns.The woman smiled. "Yes, Claire. Your father, my husband, and I were high school alumni. Oh, we were inseparable! They called us a notorious trio! Well, we came from the same village so .
Bruno was awestruck to see Claire. He couldn't hesitate swooping her for a tight hug, ignoring his staff and whoever was present in the restaurant. Moreover, some kind of respite was evident on his face upon beholding her healthy look, indicating safety."I was worried about you? Did you manage to get home without any trouble that day?" he asked, making Claire sigh at the memory. He frowned. "Why? Did something happen?" His voice was gentle and apprehensive."Well, it's a long story," Claire told him while taking a seat. "Are you going somewhere?" she asked, realizing that he was carrying a backpack as though ready for some trip."Um, not quite. I was about to go home when you arrived." Bruno slid the strap of his backpack off his shoulder."Oh, in that case, I can just drop some other time. I’ve come unannounced anyway," Claire said."Some other time, when? Don't be silly." Bruno took a seat, his grin impish. He was in khaki shorts and a white button-up shirt. Simple and handsome. "I