Chapter 22: Walk in the Park

“WHY are you frowning? Have I done something wrong?” John asks with a worried look on his face. He instantly extended his arm to pat Vivian's hand.

“It’s nothing. You’re amazing. I can’t wish for anything else. It’s just… I can’t forget that Elizer bag. Bag that rare, you won't see that every day and I blew my one chance of taking its owner as a client.” Vivian explained as she puckered her lips. “Do you want me to buy you one?” He asks. 

“Oh! No, no! It’s too expensive and a waste of money for us. It’s a rich people's item. I just want to check it further and admire the design and stitches.” She explains while cutting the steak on her plate. John pats her hand again, gives his warmest smile, and says in a low assuring tone, “Maybe we’ll meet her again or meet another Elizer bag owner.” Seeing his adorable smile and hearing his words she lit up instantly and gave a gleeful grin, “You always know how to make me feel better, Hon.”

After they ate, they walked to the park near the restaurant. Vivian found an empty bench and sat with John. They watch as the sun sets and engulfs the city in darkness. A few minutes later, the light post starts to light up one by one. The atmosphere became lively again, the couple enjoyed the company of each other holding one another's hands without even talking.

Silence. Serenity. Balance.

When Vivian was about to say something a familiar figure caught her eye, a woman with long blonde hair wearing a red dress walking hand in hand with a man wearing Khaki pants and white shirt.

John notices her eyes and follows her gaze behind him. He turns around and sees the same scene.

“Malena?” He muttered, but unsure if it was her. “Let’s follow them!” Vivian said with enthusiasm in her voice. He nods and they follow them discreetly, “Is it weird that we are following Malena and Lucian like this?” She asks while beaming and holding John’s hand.

“I don’t think that’s Lucian,” John explains, then he stops walking.

“What do you mean?” She asks with a confused look on her face.

“I’m 90% sure the woman is Malena but the man…that’s not Lucian. The way he walks is different. I’ve known him since we were in grade school and that’s not how he walks.” He explains his face lowered and turns gloomy.

“If that’s the case, we really need to follow them to make sure,” Viv says while pushing him to walk faster.

“They’re getting away,” she added.

They continue following them till they stop in a cafe. Now John is 100% sure the woman is Malena and the man is definitely not Lucian. The cafe is small and following them inside would raise suspicion. While John is thinking of a way to enter the cafe without being noticed, Viv starts to take photos of the two.

“So far they are not doing anything aside from holding hands.” She says while standing outside and staring at them. “But the way she looks at him, her eyes are shining like diamonds.” She added.

“What we are doing is creepy,” Said John.

“No! it's not, we are safeguarding your best friend's heart.” She retorted while pursing her lips.

John is still unsure if they should push through with this unexpected stakeout, since Lucian himself is not faithful to Malena. Something that he never told Vivian as he didn’t want her to think less of his friend.

Still, he stayed due to Viv's eagerness.

After 30 minutes of them standing and hiding in the parked cars, Malena and the mystery man went out and strode back to where they had come. John and Viv followed them, they saw the pair stopped at the park entrance and looked like they were about to part ways.

The man leans forward and is about to kiss her when suddenly a balloon vendor obscures John and Viv’s view. After the vendor left, Malena and the man had already walked away from each other.

“They kiss, right? 

“Is it on the cheek or the lips?” 

“Who’s that guy?” These are the questions on John and Viv’s minds. The couple could only glance at each other, waiting for who would break the silence first.

“I need to tell Lucian,” John said while taking his phone out of his suit jacket.

“No!” Viv says, holding his hand as he tries to tap on his phone. “You should tell him this in person.”

She then sent the images she took while they were scouting in the cafe to John’s email address.

John nods. He frowned a little when he saw the photos.

"I wonder how Lucian would react to this. I have never seen Malena look at Lucian like she did to that guy." He thought to himself.