Paul smiled sheepishly at the young and handsome-like store attendant. His face depicted how joyous he was. It was literarily glowing. His black tux seemed to share his mood, too, as it basked in his euphoria.

“Let me see that,” he pointed at an engagement ring enclosed in a sales show glass.
The ring seemed very beautiful. It was adorned with a glowing stone at the top.

The attendant bent over and brought out the ring. Here, he stretched it towards him.

He collected it and surveyed it, admiringly, and sub-counsciously, a smile dangled accross his lips.

He imagined, without much success, how Jolade would react on seeing it. He could have figured it out on any other day, but then wasn’t any other day, he couldn’t, not after their last time together. He, uncounsciously, replayed the last time out with her.
The fun they had was just the type he had wished for. sU-Ck luck was not an everyday’s thing.

Then, he felt very joyous with her. He couldn’t wait to make her his, already. Making her his, was a top prority, then. He wanted to get married to her as fast as he could. Right then, an engagement was the imminent thing on his mind.

Yeah, getting engaged!

“How much is it?” he asked, and dangled it towards the young attendant.

“Just a meagre sum of one hundred and fifty thousand naire, sir,” the attendant spilled.
“Meagre, you say!” he smiled. “Anyways, do you guys accept credit cards?”
“Yes, sir,”
“Here!” he retrieved his card and gestured it towards the attendant.

“Done,” the attendant announced and smiled, before adding, “She must be a very lucky woman!”

His heart jumped in glee at the compliment. The attendant sure was lively and knew his duty. He studied him briefly. His dressing looked okay, too, “Oh! She sure is,” he exclaimed.

“Thanks,” he shooked the attendant’s hand, jokingly, and smiled at him. “Here, have this,” he gave him a token of Ten thousand naire.

“Thanks, sir,” the attendant smiled.
Smiling and feeling fly, he took calculated steps out of the pendants store.

---

Anabelle walked into the classy looking restaurant, fatiguedly. She made a show of being weak to earth as she took a seat on one of the black leathered chair that sat round one of the numerous green glass tables the restaurant housed. The floor was marbled spick and spanningly. Air conditionals provided the needed ventilation. It sure was nice and all. She had had a couple of meals, there, for some past two days. The food was nice, too.

“What can I get you, ma?” a waiter intercepted her thoughts.

“Oh,” she smiled at the waiter. He looked just like the typical european Waiter.
There bills were, ofcourse, high. “Get me fried rice,” she placed.
“Okay, ma,”.

She smiled at the waiter’s humile character, all just to earn a living. Well, who was she to criticize! Was she here, far from the comforts of Daniel’s hands, just for fun? She had missed him terrificly.

“Here it is, ma,” the waiter intercepted her thoughts again and placed her supposed order on the table.

“Thanks,” she smiled, wearily, almost inducing a trance on the waiter.

“You look beautiful, ma” she heard him complimented and her cheeks turned red. She had heard quite a bulk quantity of that in the past three days. “Thanks, sir,”.
“Welcome,” the waiter got the jibe.
She turned on her helplessly lying food, the instant he left. She ate cautiously, though she wished she could do better than that.

The day had been quite hectic. She had met her main client earlier in the day. It was a hit. He accepted the company’s proposal. She had been very joyous, since, but the gnawing hunger wouldn’t grant her that much a chance to celebrate, at least, not yet.
She wished Daniel would be there, that night. They’d have so much fun.

“Bella!” she heard a hoarse thick voice bellowed from behind. The voice sounded familiar. The owner was the last person she would ever want to meet.

“Yeah,” she turned, trying to conceal her nervousness. Her mouth opened wide, she had guessed right, what made it more surprising was the intimidating presence of two soldiers flanking him.

“Whats up, Tim?” she smiled, nervously. She was really not okay. She could feel mountain lumps erupting on her skin.

The man’s next statement hit her like a sledgehammer, though, her feigned hospitality couldn’t help, “Where is my daughter?”