บท 21: She Met Clyde
Mr. Frosty hadn't returned after what happened. He went back to the office and didn't come back for 48 hours... Two days!
A stroke of good luck for Eileen, as it even gave her a free chance to call Clyde to arrange a meeting the day after what had transpired between her and Mr. Frosty.
Speaking of that day, Ugh! She didn't even want to think about it.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, her gaze wandered to the entrance of the shopping mall. 'Egh, he's finally here!'
She chided herself mentally, spotting a man in a baby blue plain shirt, white straight pants, white Holland sneakers, with a lens on and his hair covered by a white face cap.
"He's still the same. Clyde didn't change," she unconsciously blurted out, a smile tugging at her lips.
Her savior was finally here.
As she started to move towards him, taking only but a step, a female security guard's voice cut through her thoughts.
"Hey, you! Ma'am, you've been in that scarf area for hours! Don't be sneaky," the guard said, pointing a finger at Eileen and raising her voice.
Eileen's heart skipped a beat.
She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't realized how long she had been standing there.
She quickly grabbed a random scarf and made her way to the checkout counter, trying to act casual.
"I'm sorry, I was just trying to decide on a color," she said, flashing a quick smile at the guard.
The security guard narrowed her eyes. "You've been acting suspicious. Do you intend to pay for that or not?" she demanded.
Clyde, who had been approaching, saw the commotion and quickly stepped in. "Is there a problem here?" he asked, his voice calm but with an edge.
"Is she your friend?" The guard first asked, sizing Clyde up.
Clyde nodded his head affirmatively, ignoring the lady's hungry gaze.
"Well, your friend here has been loitering around the scarves for a suspiciously long time," the guard retorted.
Clyde's eyes instantly flashed with anger. Did this guard know who she was talking about?! 'That's Miss Eileen Sterling, you're talking about! The damn Lady Boss of the Business World!'
He opened his mouth to talk but Eileen quickly grabbed his arm, sensing his rising temper.
"It's okay, Clyde. I'll just pay for the scarf to clear up any misunderstanding," she said, trying to diffuse the situation.
Well, you all know Eileen, she was a born trouble maker! But right now, she wasn't in the mood to reply to this guard. No time to trash now!
Eileen reached into her pocket, but her heart sank when she realized she didn't have any money.
True, she's been a doll in Mr. Frosty's house without… oh no!
She bit her lip, feeling the weight of the guard's accusing stare.
Clyde immediately stepped in, pulling out his wallet. "Here, I'll pay for it. Pick the blue one, Miss Sterling. It will suit you best," he said smiling at Eileen, handing over the cash to the guard.
The guard grudgingly accepted the payment and backed off.
Eileen wrapped the new blue scarf around her face, trying to hide her identity. It's just been six months and some days since that awful day, people would still recognize her in public.
Clyde gently guided her out of the store. "Let's get some mint-flavored ice cream across the road. I just hope it's still your favorite," he said with a reassuring smile.
Eileen smiled slightly, looking up at Clyde whose hand was on sticking herself to him. "I didn't change, Clyde, just as you didn't."
---
At the ice cream joint, while standing and waiting for their order, a random guy walked up to them and said, "Hey, couple, where can I locate..."
He stopped when his eyes caught a glimpse of Eileen's side profile. She seemed familiar.. hmm..
"Yes?" Clyde asked, pulling Eileen closer to himself. He had noticed this weirdness.
They did seem like a cozy, bluey couple though.
"Oh, yeah, sorry. It's just that your partner... Ah, forget it. Where can I locate The Jingos?" The random guy went on.
"It's straight, then take that left turn, and you'll see the store," Clyde answered.
The random guy then squinted his eyes, really giving Clyde a hard, scrutinizing gaze. "Clyde from the Sterlings?" He asked.
Clyde looked up at him, finally getting a good look at the random guy. Clyde then smiled and extended his hand to shake. "Yes, it's me, Mr. Terrence. How..."
"Haha, it's alright. Just on an errand for my friend. Enjoy with your wife. Bye."
With that, the random guy left. Clyde watched Mr. Terrence walk away, feeling a mix of relief and caution.
Eileen glanced up at him, her eyes searching his face. "Do you think he recognized me? And who is he?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Clyde shook his head. "No, I don't think so. He seemed more surprised than anything else. And forget about who he is. Let's just focus on getting that ice cream and finding a quiet place to talk."
Eileen nodded, feeling a little more at ease.
They collected their ice cream and found a secluded spot in the park across the street.
As they sat down, Eileen couldn't help but feel a sense of normalcy creeping back into her life. For now, at least, she was safe with Clyde.
In the distance, a sharp eye followed the couples, guy on blue shirt and lady on blue scarf.
"Hmm, how does she look like my doll?" Cillian who was in his car blurted out, his voice low and deep.
He had his eyes on this woman since he saw her coming out of the shopping mall. Just looking at her alone made him miss his doll so much. "Good thing I'm on my way home."
Few minutes later, the door to the back seat of the car was pulled open and a man jumped into the car. It was Terrence. All excited, he opened a pink big food nylon.
"Isn't this such a pretty lady's donut?!" Terence said, smiling coyly at Cillian who only looked blankly at the pinkish donut.
"It looks like sugar," he plainly said, wiping the smile off Terrence's face. "Besides, how are you sure she'd like it?"
Terrence scoffed. "Tch! What do you know?! I'm the married one now and believe me when I say, every lady likes this Jingo's Donuts."
Cillian only rolled his eyes in response.
"Come on now, Javier, drive," Terrence urged the driver excitedly then turned to whisper to Cillian, "I really can't wait to see your doll in full life action!"
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