Meeting at the Mall

"No, not for this Friday, next Friday," Zora said to the caller on the other end of her cellphone as she was looking at some items for their trip to Wakaya island in Fiji, "No, the meeting cannot be rescheduled," she added patiently as she picked up a dress that she thought looked light and airy enough to wear on a tropical beach.

"Sterling, I can't change the date, the trip to Wakaya is booked for the day after next and I will be out of the office from then onwards," she told him as she put the dress back on the rack and choose another one that was longer and just as flowy but with a lowcut back. "Yes, Mr. Broen is accompanying me, and yes, he knows we are flying charter, no, don't... it's not necessary. I already know the drill," Zora said exasperatedly when Sterling started with the lists of to-do flight lists.

"Look, just call Mr. Del Bosque's assistant Takisu, set up a time, and he can sit in for me," she said finally. "Call me if there is a problem, okay?" she said quickly and then hung up the phone, not wanting to deal with office problems at the moment.

Deciding to purchase the dress she was holding, Zora went up to the counter, grabbing a pair of flipflops and a new beach bag along the way, and as she was paying she noticed a young man standing a few feet away, just outside the shop doors to the mall. He looked oddly familiar and as Zora stared at him, she suddenly realized who he was...

Taking her bag after she paid for everything, Zora nodded at the young man and then approached him, "Hi there, you probably don't know me, but I saw you at the hospital a week or so ago, you were visiting my boyfriend, Broen," Zora said as she pulled her purse up her shoulder, "You are Gabe, right?" she asked with friendly politeness.


@ArcanaFate PS. You can decide whether he heard any of the conversation or not.

Zora bust out laughing at Gabe's very surprised and honest reaction. She knew Broen and her were an unlikely pairing. Her a powerful and refined businesswoman and him, well, a smart-mouthed wise-cracking ex-delinquent. But they worked, and it was probably because they were so different, they complimented each other in an odd way.

"Yes, Broen and I are dating," she grinned, very amused by his reaction. "And you are from Halcyon and Jude's new boyfriend, no?" she asked politely.

"That's quite alright," Zora replied when Gabe asked her why she had approached him. She kind of understood the whole situation was a bit unexpected. And perhaps, she might have, at least on a busier day, not even bothered with the introducing herself to Gabe.

"Like I said earlier, I saw you at the hospital that evening," she said, "And recognised you as I was coming out of the shop." Zora gestured to the store behind her. "I thought I'd introduce myself since I am also friends wit Ju-, I mean, Angelo," she stated, correcting herself. It was still rather strange actually calling Jude, Angelo, when Angelo to her was the very good-looking police officer that had been his guardian of sorts.