Ch 003: Slightly Smitten!

Manuel walked out of the mall with a smile on his face. He had removed the nose mask and was now walking freely to the secret doorway.

Richard saw this and gasped for it was the first time that he was seeing his boss smile elsewhere aside from his mother’s presence and probably his own presence.

He didn’t know what to say to his friend and just chuckled as he looked back at his friend who was busy walking to the car with a smile. He didn’t want to ruin the moment by asking questions so he just stood there at the door and ordered that the security team prepare since they were leaving.

When Manuel wanted to make use of this particular shopping mall of his, he ordered that the mall be closed. He patiently waited at the back of the mall to enter once the mall was closed and then the head of the security team ushered him in, assuring him that everyone who was in the mall was out. Once he got in, he went straight to the lady’s section where he could get a dress, jewelry or any other thing to appease her heart because of how worried his mom was. He began to go through the dresses when some dresses shook.

‘These incompetent security officers!’ He muttered and walked to where he saw the dresses shake. A figure was struggling out from under, with her back facing him. He knew she was feminine, besides the skirt never lies.

“Phew! That was close.” She said and then turned to face him. Her mouth dropped which made him to chuckle.

‘Has she not seen a man before in her life?’ He thought and then kept staring, keeping his gaze fixed on hers. Her thoughts were unreadable from the facial expressions she made. Her silence was becoming annoying so he had to talk first, although he was surprise that she didn’t scream once she had seen him.

‘Girls I know always scream whenever they see someone they weren’t expecting. This one didn’t. He thought, with his eyes still locked on hers. They were the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen but he still had to be skeptical. She could be some kind of gold-digger or she was scared that he was going to turn her to the security team.

When she didn’t say anything, he tried to talk but they heard the security coming. And just as if his eyes had hypnotized her, he watched as she shook her head vigorously, as if breaking free from the hypnosis then entering back under the cloth rack.

He looked at her baffled by the way she was scared and baffled by her hiding place. Even though there was no where to hide in the mall, she still had the minds to hide under dresses, when there are security cameras everywhere. Thinking about it, he wondered why the security team didn’t check the security cameras.

What was life trying to play with him, exactly?

Before he knew what was happening, she had dragged him to hide under the dresses just as she did. He cursed inwardly. This was his very first time doing something like that. He played when he was a kid but they never hid in such ridiculous places. They always played in the garden, hiding behind their treated grown flowers. The worst part of it was that, he was dragged under the cloth rack by a woman, a crazy woman at that.

All the same, he felt charmed by this crazy woman’s behavior. She reminded him so much of the girls he had watched and read in movies and books, the ones that any guy would fall in love with because of how natural they presented themselves to be.

If there was anything, Han Manuel was slightly smitten by the girl’s behavior. Even when she knelt up right and drew closer to him only to close his already covered mouth, he couldn’t help it but laugh at the way she behaved. Such girls were rare to see as most of the girls he had seen always acted cool and collected. In fact he was even shocked to see her hiding under the dress stand. She must be desperate to get a dress else she won’t be hiding when she is supposed to be outside the mall entirely.

When her hands began to tremble, he knew she was scared because the security team was very close, so he rapidly texted the head of the team to call them out. He held her waist so she wouldn’t fall and blow her cover but the stare she gave him was like he should press her body against his own.

How could one have such beautiful eyes? If not for the nose mask he was putting on, he would have gone straight for her lips probably. They were pink and full, very perfect and luscious. She immediately pulled away from the hypnotic stare and came out. He had to comply and let his little angel go. Besides, he has a mom who might freak out if he stays out any longer.

She didn’t speak but her eyes alone said a lot of things.

“Thank God they couldn’t catch me.”

“A second ago I thought I was dead meat.”

“This boy might be some bad luck.” So many random ideas of what could have gone through her mind popped in his.

‘Did I just think that I am bad luck? Why will I think that she will think that way?’ He scolded himself mentally and turned away. Leaving while her back was turned towards him was the best choice, so she wouldn’t call him…

But what makes him think she will call him. It’s not like they are friends or anything, they just met and by mistake. She was supposed to be outside the mall and not inside. He will warn those incompetent jerks la –

“Hey are you leaving?” She asked him, interrupting his thoughts. Why does it even matter to her if he leaves or not? They are not friends.

“If you leave, the security men will come here for sure and I will be caught.” She added. So that was why she was asking him to stay, unknown to him, she wanted to stay longer with him for reasons she herself didn’t know.

“Didn’t you come here to buy something? Why will you leave without purchasing anything?” She asked and he scrambled through the dresses and picked one, walking away. That wasn’t his choice for his mom, but seeing that she was over talking, he had to leave.

Honest to himself, the girl was a beauty, crazy and daring. She had a fault which was her talkative side but every other thing about her, he absolutely liked.

Unfortunately, this will be the last time he will meet with his princess, he wished he had stayed longer to have a meaningful conversation with her and be friends with her. Maybe they would have become lovers but his fate was totally against it. So it was better not risking it.

Unknown to Manu, the story has just begun, his enchanting love story with the beautiful Annabel Wen, a story like no other…