Nana knew something was off with her boyfriend the moment he entered the square. It didn’t have anything to do with how he looked—he was wearing dark jeans and the deep red sweater she had given to him as a present. His blond hair was shorter than the last time she laid eyes on him and she found the new style dashing.
No, his choice in clothing wasn’t what set off her alarms.
She was sitting by the fountain and greeted him with a smile but he didn’t notice her—actually, that wasn’t it—he was avoiding eye contact even when she stared at him. Her half raised hand dropped back to her side.
It wasn’t like him to ignore her. Within a week of their meeting on the streets of Italy, Nana knew he was smitten with her and took every chance to shower her with affection. She loved him just as much and couldn’t imagine a day without him. She saw their future, with a child in the picture. How they get there though, she knew would be through uneven grounds…maybe even dangerous. And she didn’t mind dangerous, as long as she had him.
He continued walking with a purpose as he brought out his phone and put it against his ear. Seconds later, Nana’s phone rang and she hurried to pick it up.
“Pronto.”
“Ciao, —ah, erm, ciao, my friend!”
Nana frowned at the strange reply but continued the conversation. “Ciao. How are you?”
“Yeah, you know that meet we had to your place? I’m afraid we’re going to have to reschedule.”
They were supposed to go to the theatre. “I see…that’s too bad.”
“One moment, it’s hard to hear you from my location…ah, that’s better.” Iemitsu had moved toward the other exit of the square, still looking around. His face sported a confused and anxious frown as he moved on.
Nana didn’t turn to follow his movements, knowing that something was amiss. Instead, she cast her eyes around her side of the fountain. From the corners of her eyes during her survey, she noticed a figure leaning against a wall trying to look casual. Another was kneeling in front of a woman with tarot cards but gave Iemitsu subtle looks.
“Sorry, Nana,” Iemitsu said in a low tone. Nana closed her eyes with a smile as she listened to his voice. “I’m afraid that I can’t meet with you today. There’re…some issues that came up at work. I just had to see you today, even if it was just a glance.”960Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrFZDS3IOu
Nana smiled and let a soft hum through the phone. She brushed a hand through her long brown hair and twirled a few strands around a finger. “No, it’s alright,” Nana said. She sighed. “Should I worry?”
“Eh! You should never worry,” Iemitsu replied. “I will be fine. We will be fine. It’s just that things are shaking up in the headquarters. Once things are settled down, I promise you that we…”
“…We…?” Nana prompted when he didn’t finish his sentence.
“Never mind, I’ll speak to you in person about it!”960Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xdWOc3z2Z
Nana laughed. “Very well. Be careful.”960Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlceSANqaG4
“I will, Nana.”
Nana held the phone to her ear until she heard the beep that indicated the end of the call. Then she opened her eyes with a smile.
“My, Alicia sure is late today. Maybe I should call her again.” She dialled her friend’s number and waited for her to pick up. “Ciao, Alicia, it’s Nana. Where are you? I’m waiting in the square…eh? It’s not today? It’s tomorrow? Oh my! Silly me, I was so excited that I thought it was today!” Nana giggled at her friend’s flustered reply.960Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDUb0mJTvM
She started forward, passing the man leaning against the wall. “It’s not your fault, Alicia. I had a lot on my mind this morning. Well, I guess now’s as good a time as any to do my shopping…yes! That store just down from our restaurant is having a sale this week. I was thinking of going there…”960Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvB35uc0I2
As she left the square, she half turned to see the men disappearing after her boyfriend. She continued to walk in the opposite direction with determined steps.
Come back to me, Iemitsu. Come back to me safe. I have a mind to set you in my future.
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