She was already more than ten minutes late, but was hoping that she wouldn‘t miss him when she arrived in the Starbucks coffee shop in Ocean terminal. Apparently she could not find him at once so she queued up to get herself a cappuccino. When she found herself a table with 2 available chairs she looked around again, but still couldn‘t make him out in the Starbucks. Then her cell phone rang.
Hello Francesca, you look darn good in your black tank top
Hi Tino, where are you? How do you know what I am wearing today ?
I saw you leaving the Starferry, and it‘s not too difficult to make out a 150 year old woman who still looks as if she was almost 120 years younger, is it ? I was at the Starbucks already before 10, but I couldn't get in.
Are you fishing for compliments here ? What do you mean you couldn't get in ?
They don't let young lawyers without a tie into the Starbucks. You know, when I got there I tried to get me a caramel macchiato, but they turned my request down and sent me away again.
You are kidding and trying to pull my leg.
No, I am serious, didn't you say yourself that young lawyers should rather focus on work and be really efficient than spend their time entertaining senior citizens?
Alright, now, let‘s stop the joking for a moment, where are you just now?
Why you would do this ? Oh, well, see, I just believe in ordinary miracles…
You believe in ordinary miracles ?
Yeah, and oh, can I ask you a favor ? Do bring me a tall Caramel Macchiato from that Starbucks you are just now in please, I really love that stuff …
A click, then he was off. She looked at her watch. It was 10.20 now, she still had a few minutes to consider what she would do. She felt a tickle in her tummie, yet at the same time a little uneasy, maybe it was because she felt she did not have everything under control, as she would usually have. But that tickle felt just like a thrill and she had always loved thrills more than being in a well protected, safe environment, so she quickly finished her own drink and then queued up again to get a tall Caramel Macchiato to go…
A knock against the door. A voice that sounded familiar. Another knock. But it was not her who was knocking at his door, she suddenly realized when she heard the familiar voice of her Amah again: Ma‘am, 8:25 already, didn‘t you want to get up by 8:15 today? – Thank you, Pearl, yeah, I must have overslept, thanks for waking me up, Francesca said. It took her a few minutes to realize that she must have been dreaming of this date to come. She was a bit excited, but did not have any time to let this sentiment linger. She had to rush in order to make it on time to meet up with Tino in the Starbuck‘s Café in the Ocean terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui. She got up, took a quick first hot then cold shower, felt already much better, dried and rushed herself into some casual clothes. Should she wear the black tank top she was dreaming of ? Not that she was superstitious but she knew it looked good on her, so she put it on. She finished a light breakfast her amah had prepared for her, packed up her camera gear and hesitated for a second if she should take her 328 convertible and find a car park in Admiralty or Central before getting on the Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui or if she should just ask her amah to call her a taxi. Another look at the watch, it was 9.10 already, gosh, now she really had to run. She decided against the cab, one never knew how bad traffic in the tunnels would get. When she turned her red BMW convertible right onto
She decided to take the more scenic road via
She was now turning from
She wondered what little she knew of him and still felt like she had known him for years. They had started to flirt via mail, a strange, yet unique experience to her.
She parked her car in the park house right next to the Star Ferry pier and walked over to the ferry entrance for the upper deck. One could see the self-confidence in the way she walked and the way she looked around finding herself a suitable window seat and getting her camera gear prepared - just in case …
The ride was smooth and she enjoyed the mid morning sun, it really was a perfect morning with excellent visibility, comfortably warm with just over 23 or 24 centigrades. She took a few pictures but was not really enthusiastic about it for her mind was still set on other things. When she got off the ferry at the Tsim Sha Tsui side it was already five past ten, she would be late and she really became excited now with her heartbeat accelerating when she finally got to the Starbucks. Don‘t be childish she reminded herself and took a deep breath looking around to watch out for him. When she could not find him she just queued up to get herself a cappuccino and found a table with 2 chairs by a window. She doublechecked that he still was not there and took the first sip when her cell phone rang. Then she heard his voice and she started getting a goose bump when he said:
Hello Francesca, you look darn good in your black tank top …
All rights belong to its author. It was published on e-Stories.org by demand of Frank Sperling.
Published on e-Stories.org on 09/16/2008.
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