Chapter 4

Ryan arrived promptly at Juliette's door at 9 am the next day, dressed in a simple sweater and jeans with black sneakers. Juliette greeted him, dressed in an elegant little black dress and black heels.

"Are you okay?" Ryan inquired.

"Are you comfortable in that dress?"

Juliette lied, "Yes."

Knowing that she wasn't, Ryan suggested changing her outfit to something casual and comfortable. After changing, Juliette joined Ryan again, and he opened the car door for her like a gentleman.

"You look beautiful," Ryan complimented Juliette.

"Thank you, sir," Juliette replied, her heart racing at his words.

"Relax, okay? I just need four hours of your time. It's just a casual date," Ryan reassured her.

Juliette was intrigued, "A date?"

"Um...maybe an outing. Since the word 'date' seems to make you uncomfortable," Ryan clarified.

"Okay," Juliette tentatively agreed, fastening her seatbelt.

Ryan then started the car and drove off, leaving Juliette wondering about his intentions.

*

Adrienne had just completed her daily forty-five minutes of meditation, taken a refreshing bath, and dressed up to go out since it was her cheat day. This day was always set aside for her to indulge in all the junk food she had been craving for the past two weeks, despite maintaining her gorgeous figure that attracted many to her.

She picked a grey cargo pant, a black long-sleeved crop top, and black sneakers, then paired them with a black handbag that complemented her attire. She also wore a black nose mask.

Adrienne's long black hair cascaded down her shoulders while a black cap concealed her face. "Good to go," she reiterated to herself before departing.

She enjoyed how anonymous she looked in public. Previously, she ordered all her desired junk food and had one of her household workers collect the delivery during cheat days. However, this outing was different, marking the first time in two years that she had stepped out in public without anyone taking pictures of her.

"I wish I could take off my mask and cap and feel the cool air on my face," she muttered, although it wasn't advisable to do so because of public attention and drama.

*

Ryan and Juliette finished watching a movie and were enjoying burgers at a coffee shop. Ryan asked Juliette how she was enjoying their outing while they ate.

Juliette smiled and lied, "It's amazing, thank you!"

Ryan suggested a few last destinations, such as shopping, swimming, painting, or dancing, for them to visit before parting ways. However, Juliette requested to go home because she was dealing with a stomach ache.

Concerned, Ryan asked if he had done anything to make her uncomfortable, but Juliette explained that it was her stomach and not him.

"I see. Do you need anything from the pharmacy? I can grab something for you," Ryan offered.

"No, thank you. I just need to use the restroom. Excuse me," responded Juliette.

While awaiting Juliette's return, Ryan received a text message from her asking for tissue paper because the mall's restroom was out of stock. She asked Ryan to get some from the nearby supermarket and requested that he act like nothing had occurred when she returns.

Ryan agreed to assist her and went to the store, conscious of not making her feel embarrassed.

Of course he wasn't gonna buy only tissue papers, he didn't want to look weird.

As Ryan made his way through the supermarket to find tissue paper for Juliette, he glimpsed a woman by the biscuit and cookie aisle. She was adorned in a black crop top, grey baggy pants, black sneakers, a black face cap, and a black nose mask. He was curious and intrigued by her unique outfit.

Adrienne was also captivated by Ryan's charming demeanor. She took a glance at him and was surprised at how familiar he looked. A strange feeling of connection washed over her, though she couldn't explain its depth. She chose to shrug off the feeling and focused on her cookies.

Ryan continued his search, not revealing a hint of interest in Adrienne.

Ryan made his way to the toiletries aisle after grabbing some biscuits. Even though she decided to ignore her curiosity, she somehow found herself at the aisle for toiletries even though she needed nothing there, letting her curiosity get the best of her. And when she reached the toiletries aisle, she positioned herself next to him.

As Ryan passed by, Adrienne tried everything within her power to catch his attention. She made several attempts to engage with him, but he remained seemingly oblivious to her advances.

Despite this, Adrienne was determined to make an impression on the intriguing stranger. She followed Ryan, closely hiding in plain sight, monitoring his every move and trying to figure out the perfect moment to approach him.

After carefully plotting her plan, Adrienne finally found herself at the toiletries aisle, standing right next to the man who had caught her attention. She hoped that, this time, he would notice her.

Adrienne mustered up the courage to take a step closer to Ryan. She pretended to show interest in some of the products on the shelf beside him, hoping he would notice her this time.

Out of nowhere, Adrienne stumbled and fell against Ryan, pretending it was an accident. However, her plan backfired, and she ended up twisting her ankle in the process. Ryan reacted instantly, reaching out and trying to catch her before she hit the ground. Even as he helped her to her feet, Adrienne felt the undeniable connection between them, the electricity in the air palpable.

As Adrienne adjusted her nose mask, her face cap fell off, revealing her brilliant eyes. Ryan was entranced by their beauty and felt a spark that stirred something deep inside him. It was a moment of pure vulnerability, and he couldn't help but feel drawn to Adrienne in that instant, but he didn't show it.

Concerned for her well-being, Ryan asked, "Are you okay?" while looking at Adrienne with kind eyes.

Adrienne shook her head, wincing in pain as she tried to stand on her injured ankle. Without hesitation, Ryan walked her to the pharmacy in the mall to ensure she got proper medical attention.

As the pair approached the pharmacy counter, Adrienne quickly handed over her card to the cashier. Ryan attempted to pay, but she had already taken care of it.

Feeling partially responsible for her accident, Ryan insisted he should have paid for the treatment, but Adrienne assured him that it was her own clumsiness that had caused the fall.

Not wanting to feel like he owed her a favor, Ryan offered to refund the money or pay for her groceries, but Adrienne had a different idea.

"How about coffee sometime? Not today though. Give me your number and I'll call you," she suggested with a smile.

Ryan agreed, handing over his business card as they introduced themselves. "Ryan? Nice name," Adrienne said.

"Thank you. What's yours?" Ryan inquired.

"My name is Adrienne," she replied.

As they chatted for a moment longer, Ryan couldn't help but feel curious about the face mask that Adrienne had been wearing, prompting him to ask why she was hiding her face.

Just then, Adrienne realized that she wasn't wearing her face cap, only her mask. She put her cap back on and lowered her mask a bit, replying, "I love being mysterious," to which they both laughed.

With the medical treatment completed, Adrienne thanked Ryan for his help and politely asked if he could assist her to her car. Ryan agreed, happy to be of assistance.

"Okay Ryan, it was nice meeting you," she said when they got to her car. She smiled as she entered her car and started the car.

"Bye," Ryan smiled back and waved as she drove off.

He watched as Adrienne's car disappeared from his sight as she drove off and he wandered around the parking lot, looking for his own car.

Ryan realized that he couldn't recall where he had parked his own vehicle. Frustrated, Ryan slapped his forehead, but as he did so, a sudden realization dawned on him - he came to the mall with Juliette and he was supposed to get tissues for her from the supermarket.

"Dang it! Juliette!"