I thought I was having a bad day until I met Laura at the restaurant across the street from my office.
As I entered the five-star restaurant, I exhaled and pinched the bridge of my nose to hold back the migraine blooming behind my eyes before taking the seat the waiter pulled out for me. “Sorry,” I said with a faint smile as I sat down.
My phone buzzed with a text from my secretary reminding me about the meeting with a group of investors scheduled for thirty minutes later. I typed a quick reply and added an exclamation mark for emphasis. Cancel the meeting!
Then I glanced around the quiet dining hall and noticed the woman sitting alone by a corner, staring at her untouched plate. I would have ignored her if not for the fact that she looked strangely familiar.
Ah, I finally recognised her from the viral video that popped up on my fyp page on Tiktok a week ago. The video had been circulating on social media all week.
Someone had caught Laura on camera crying outside a bank after discovering that her account had been emptied through a fraudulent transfer. Sadly, strangers had analysed her, some offering unhelpful opinions. Now she was sitting two tables away from me, looking smaller without a camera pointed at her.
I reached for my phone as the waiter placed a beautiful dessert on my table. My gaze met Laura's and we stared at each other for a moment before she looked at my phone. “Don't take my photograph,” she said, her voice soft but firm.
I lowered my phone and smiled awkwardly. “I wasn't going to take your picture or anything. I wanted to make a call.”
She gave a tired smile, easing the tension between us. “That's what everyone says.”
That was kind of embarrassing but I wanted to know more. I placed my phone face down on the table, her eyes still on me. She nodded with satisfaction.
“I saw your video,” I admitted sheepishly, my food and headache forgotten. “I'm sorry. Are you doing okay?”
Her eyes widened for a moment. She glanced around the restaurant where only a handful of people were dining. This was a place where the wealthy came to eat and I doubt if any of them had seen her viral video. She probably didn't expect to meet someone who had.
“I hope the bank returns your money,” I added to fill the awkward silence so I could return to my lunch while making a mental note to speak with my driver about Laura.
A man entered the restaurant and walked towards my table. I glanced up and saw it was my driver, Chuks. Speaking of the devil! I rolled my eyes. “I haven't eaten yet,” I grumbled.
He chuckled and placed an envelope on the table. “Just delivering Mr Vicker’s message, ma'am. I'll be in the car.”
“You. I know you,” Laura stuttered as Chuks and I stared at her. She rose from her table and walked towards us, her face brightening. “You helped me recover my money from the bank the other day. I tried to find you afterwards to thank you but you were gone.”
Chuks shook his head while I chewed on my lower lip. “It's madam you should thank,” he said, tilting his head towards me. Laura looked at me, confusion on her face. “She saw your video, made calls and sent me to find you at the bank that day.”
I closed my eyes and groaned while Chuks chuckled again and left.
“May I sit with you?” Laura asked softly.
I smiled. “Sure. Let's have lunch together.”
I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "don't take my photograph”.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
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