《Nicholas Louis》
I have to forget about my plan to visit my parents when saw Mr Smith collapsed in his café where there was girl too, there. I couldn't find words describe about her but she obviously seemed like a village girl who knows nothing at all. She even didn't has a phone too, when I asked her to call the ambulance for help. Luckily, there was nothing bad happen to Mr Smith or else.
Anyway, she was the same girl I saw at the airport that night. A chestnut hair girl with an old red luggage who lent a help for a stranger like me. She was indeed a weird girl, making me thought deeply while I was on my way home that night.
■Flashback■
"Excuse me," I approached a female worker who worked at the airport's bookstore. She was arranging newly arrived books at the rack when I decided to ask her the books I have been looking for after walking around the bookstore for awhile. I didn't want Mr Jacobs wait for me too long as he needed to pick his relative later. I usually didn't come here to buy the books, but my favourite bookstore closed for today. Anyway, I wouldn't burden my driver too as it was the same place he needed to pick up his relative. "Do you have these books here?" I showed the worker list of books I was looking through my smartphone.
The worker looked at me with a surprised look with her black eyes seemed like they were scanning and processing my face, making me quickly cover it up with my cap. "O-oh...yes," she sounded a bit stammering. "W-we do have these two books here, but the rest were sold out, Your Highness."
'God, she recognized me.'
'But how? I already put a lot of efforts to hide my identity.'
I sighed, lifting my cap a bit so I could face her properly. She was about my shoulder level and needed to look up in order to face me. She has cute small face with a pair of black color eyes, "Is it too obvious?" I asked her about my undercover.
"I-I think so, Your Highness," she seemed hesitate at first.
"Hmm...okay then," I sighed heavily. "Please wrap me those two books, thank you,"
"Alright, sir, I-I mean, Your Highness," she stuttered again. "I'll be right back..." then swiftly went to the counter in front with the books on her hand.
'So embarrassing...'
I looked around at one of the racks, but something just caught my attention from my left side, where there was a girl with an old red luggage, entering the same row as me. Actually, it was not the girl, but her bag who caught my attention since its tires produced a very weird sound, plus the luggage handle was full with the ducktapes as it was broken or something.
Unlike other girls who I met before, she just wore something simple, which suited with her, to be honest, even though her clothes just from one of the bundles kind. She totally different from the other girls who wore something fancy and expensive outfits with the accessories from head to toes, making them looked so weird and surely uncomfortable.
'I have no idea how they adapted that kind of style.'
The girl was wandering around the bookstore, looking at every racks in front of her with two bookstore's workers kept following her with weird look on their faces. I saw them whispered something and even laughed with each other, whenever the chestnut hair girl's luggage made some weird noises.
The seller girl called me so I could come to the counter to pay the books but I just noticed one thing, which was....ummm...I left my wallet at home!
'Nice Nick...very nice!'
'The total is about 50 dollars, God, how am I supposed to pay them?'
"Sir?" the cashier snapped out of me, waiting for me to make the p*****t.
"O-oh, u-umm..." 'This is so embarrassing!'
"Here, I'll pay it for him," a girl's voice suddenly interrupted us. I automatically turned on my right side, and it was from that girl; a girl with the old red luggage to be exact. She took out a 50 dollars note out of her old purse then handed it over to the cashier in front both of us without saying anything with the smile never left her face.
I was totally speechless with her action, and wandering why she helped a stranger like me. I covered my face even more with my cap, hoping that they will not recognize me at all and stayed silent, watching that girl paid for my books. The cashier then took the money with a surprised look all over her face then handed her over paid books.
"T-thanks, for helping me," I thanked her with a stutter. 'Damn, I could not imagine if someone I knew caught me with this kind of situation.'
"No problem," she said along with a smile, handed me the books politely then walked away from the store along with her red old luggage.
"Hey...wait," I stopped her. "How can I pay you back?"
She turned to look at me again with me trying my best not to show my face at all, worrying she might recognize me in instant, "Ummm...I don't want to force you. But you can pay me back whenever you have extra money. I don't want to burden you either,"
"O-oh...okay then," 'She's so...I don't know how to describe but she's different.' "I promise I'll pay you back, thanks again."
She smiles, "Anytime..." then slowly walked away from the store.
I took the opposite direction, thinking about that girl who the first random girl caught my attention in my whole life. Like I said, she totally different than any girl I met before and looked like she wasn't from Scandyvynia either, as the label on her luggage said 'AVN'.
'Aravania perhaps?'
'Anyway, I am not an easy going with girls...I mean, I truly hate girls who are so clinging with her boyfriends, materialistic and so on. They are just pathetic.'
"Your highness," Mr Jacobs opened the limo's passenger door for me as he saw me came out from the airport entrance. "I'm sorry, sir, my niece isn't here yet. I think she might be lost or something."
"It's okay," I said to him after got into the limo. "I don't have nowhere to go anyway."
"Thank you, sire," he gently closed the door for me and stood by the limo, waiting for his relative to arrive.
I examined the books which that girl paid for me, making me bursting out of laughter all of sudden when the memory of embarrassing scene earlier flashed inside of my mind.
"Whoa...*laughs*...that girl is totally something," I hardly stopped from laughing. "It's been so long since I'm laughing so hard like this," I cleared my throat as saw that girl with red luggage once again.
'Wait...is she...'
It turned out to be that girl is Mr Jacobs's relative when she approached Mr Jacobs by the limo. I eavesdropped their conversation and the girl apologized politely to Mr Jacobs for being late. I noticed that she seemed like bowed to me as for her gratitude for giving her a lift.
I just remained silent and watched her every step until she got into the limo on the front seat, beside of the driver and even made sure not to make any noise or I will be dead in embarrassment for sure. The ride took about 15 minutes and I scooted away from the limo as fast as I could so she couldn't see me at all.
I headed straight to my room inside of my home without even turn back at all and yes, I know it was kind of rude, but whatever as long as I could hide myself from her at that moment.
■Flashback End■
I couldn't believe myself, I just owed her 50 dollars. Stefan and Samuel must be laugh so hard when knew about this and even make fun of me all day.
'But it was so funny when I think about it again.'
There was a group of people walked pass by me and they were heading to the flower coffee behind me. I stopped my paces and quickly turned to take a look at the café, and I was right. They were indeed went inside of the café and that weird girl must be in so much trouble.
'Should I help her or not?'
'Arghh....let her be. There's nothing to do with me anyway.'
'Wait.'
"Grr...why I feel so guilty about this," I murmured to myself. "Fine...I have nothing to do for today anyway..." then decided to head back into the café again.
I stepped into the café which located on the upstairs and the customers seemed to celebrate something among them. They were busy taking pictures, selfies, we-fies or what so ever. I guess they might be tourists who came to Scandyvynia for a vacation.
"I thought you already left," a girl's voice snapped me out from my thought, staring at me with those beautiful brown eyes.
"O-oh...I-I left something in the shop," My eyes avoided hers so she would not notice that I was ummm…lying to her.
'Well…I kind of a bad liar, if you guys wanted to know.'
"Okay..." she replied then went back to the barista counter, leaving me alone in the middle of the cafe with the noisy customers. "How am I supposed to do with this machine..." I heard her murmured to herself.
'Hmm...surely she needs my help.'
"Let me handle this," I offered her, slowly pushed her away on her shoulder with my index finger.
"You know how to operate this thing?" she asked confusedly, staring at me in disbelief.
I sigh, "Of course...I learnt it from You Tube anyway. Go prepare some food or something, the customers are waiting for us."
My heart skipped its beat when she suddenly curved a beautiful smile for me, "Thanks, Louis..."
'W-whoa...that's so weird.'
"Just go...already," I said to her once more.
"Oh okay, sorry," she quickly went to the counter beside me where the cakes display was, to serve some slices of various type of cakes for the customers.
It was chaos at first since I never did such a thing before in my life, but I kind of enjoy it though. This is the first time people smiled and felt grateful for something I actually did for them, not because of my true identity of course.
My uncle would kill me if he saw I served the food for commoners, but never mind, none of the people recognized me anyway.
I was not sure how much the bill was, but the customers just paid us with a lot of money. They said they already made a deal with Mr Smith before for the reservation and even gave both of us the big tips.
'The first money I earned myself in my life to be exact.'
I helped the chestnut hair girl to clean up the shop after the customers left by cleaning all the dishes while she went to sweep the floor and cleaned the coffee machine. It was tiring for sure, but I was kind of like it anyway.
I secretly took a glance of her whenever I have chance as she taught me so many of new things for today.
"Phew....it's all done, hopefully Mr Smith wouldn't mad at us," the girl said to me while resting herself at one of the table in the cafe.
"He can't be mad at us anyway," I murmured, leaning myself against the counter while crossing my arms.
"Thanks for helping me, Louis," she thanked me along with a small smile.
"O-oh, no problem," I replied. "Wait a sec, I still don't know your name. How rude am I , pardon me for that."
She giggled, "Yes, of course," then took of the apron from her, and folded it nicely on the table. "My name is Isabella Thompson, you can call me Bella for short."
'That's a beautiful name, so suits with you.'
"You already knew my name from Mr Smith," I took my cap then put it on backward. "So I think there's no need for me to say it again, right Bella?" then moved my eyes to look at her again. "Anyway, here's the money from yesterday," I took the 100 dollars note from my wallet then handed it over to Bella.
She looked at me in confused, "For what?"
"For lending it for me last night at the bookstore and for teaching me something new too, for today," I explained to her, slowly put the 100 dollars note into her hand. "Thanks Bella," I added more. "See you again...bye," then swiftly walked away from the store before she couldn't even say anything.