288 That dinner with a lake view - 3
"This cannot be a coincidence", she muttered.
It was all too good to be true.
She stared at her plate and looked at the waiter who had turned to leave.
Closing her eyes for a while, she calmed herself down and then looked all around again. But there was no sign of him. Getting all fidgety, she picked up her phone and called up Mike.
"Hi".
"Um... tell, wassup?"
"Are you up?"
"Almost, courtesy your call", Mike replied all groggy.
"Sorry Mike, but there is something I need to talk about."
"Spit it".
"I guess, I am seeing things these days".
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, I am feeling his presence, I think I am imagining his face on people who look a bit like him. It's horrible !!!"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I saw a guy at the airport, who looked like his mirror copy and I pounced on him and that guy was already married. The IT guy of the hotel who accompanied me to the meeting room felt like him. The more I see thing related to our past, the more I feel like, I am drowning. I don't know Mike. I can sense him like he is around me somewhere".
"Hey, don't worry. You always get emotional around airports. I guess it's all because you miss him. Nothing else. Ok? Focus on your meeting. Focus on your agenda, why you have gone there? You can't wipe his memories away Akira, just learn to live with them."
"Mmm..."
"Call me if you feel low or anything ok?"
"Mmm..."
Saying that she kept the call and took a deep breath.
She loosened herself a bit more and sat more comfortably. She relaxed and sipped on that wine and tried to immerse herself in that beautiful view.
As the evening turned darker, the wind started its course and made the evening even more pleasant.
She could feel the wind on her face like it was trying to soothe her out. She kept sipping on that wine glass after glass, till she could take no more. She wanted to drown herself to such an extent so that she couldn't feel the pain anymore.
Standing there, he was getting worried, seeing her getting this high. The effect of alcohol was more because she was drinking with an empty stomach. That mushroom risotto lied untouched on her table all cold and unattended.
So he signaled the waitress and she went up to Akira and said,
"Ma'am, if you are done then can I escort you back to your room?"
"Escort me? What am I like 6 or what?"
The waitress turned back and looked at Raymond helplessly who asked her to stay calm with his gestures.
Then turning back to her she said,
"Please do not misunderstand me, ma'am. It's part of our protocol. Since it's late in the night, it's paramount that I escort you to your room".
"Oh really !!!", sneered a near drunk Akira and then said,
"Then who will accompany you back to this place? You think you are a big girl to come back all alone while I am not?"
"No ma'am I didn't mean to put it that way".
"Then what way did you mean? Call your manager I want to talk to him?"
That poor waitress got all nervous when she mentioned about calling the manager. She turned back with her eyes pleading for mercy to Raymond.
He clearly understood her plight as he knew how feisty his girl could be as he could clearly see how riled up she was. So with a swift move of his palm, he asked her to leave.
"Sorry ma'am, I am telling you, I didn't mean it that way, ma'am. You can go by yourself by all means ma'am".
"Oh thank you so much for allowing me", saying that Akira got up from her seat instantly but then she felt a sudden head rush. Somehow she managed to hold herself steady and then picking up her bag she started walking away, towards the elevator.
Her legs were all wobbly and she wasn't even walking in a straight line. Somehow she pushed herself into the elevator. That elevator has glass walls all around and seeing her own image multiple times made her feel even giddier.
Holding on to the walls she was able to reach in front of her room, but by then, her body was already revolting against her. She wanted to puke but somehow she was trying hard to hold in, while she was frantically searching for the room key card.
But alas, she couldn't find it, given that she had left it back at the restaurant.
Her head was getting all heavy and she felt like everything was getting all dark around her.
But suddenly she felt someone's arm around her waist and she was scooped away.
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