Not Me : 🎨 Yok's Tapestry 🔻this Is Not a Yok/Dan story🔻

Twenty two 🎨

First flight out of the day, taking off in two hours exactly. A sixteen hour flight to Los Angeles, then on to Santa Monica, a cab downtown and finally Third Street promenade.

I've got gummies, they say it helps on a long flight, magazines and ear plugs. Hoping to catch up on sleep but being this exited, I doubt I'll be able to....

Clearly I didn't know myself very well. Twenty hours later and I'm standing on Third Street Promenade. Considering I'd slept through most of the journey, I'm feeling really tired. Admittedly I hadn't flown anywhere until now. My business survives but it doesn't earn millions and flying holidays are definitely not in the budget. This one is an exception though.

The area seems quiet, but seeing as it's only nine am it's not all that surprising. I'd been traveling since before lunch yesterday and haven't really eaten much. Not feeling hungry either, but I am very nervous. I'm struggling with the language. I understand little English, luckily I've got a language app to help. A silent thank you to Sammy once again.

Finn's office is housed in a beautiful blue building, three floors up, quaint in this area, with wooden balcony railings and huge portraits displayed in the front windows. It's obviously a photographic studio and these pictures speak to the excellence of the photographer.

Through the large front windows I see a young lady sitting at the front desk. I assume this must be the receptionist. It's probably best to enquire where I might locate Finn.

"Hi. I.... Yok. I see Finn.....uhhhmm You know Finn?" The girl looked at me as though I was an alien. I'll try again. " You know photo.... Man? He here? " I point to the portraits. " Photo man. Finn. He now here?" "Oh I see, you're looking for the photographer. He'll be here in a minute. Do you have an appointment?" "App....? I ... No. I wait." The poor girl is obviously clueless. I'll wait. They've conveniently left out some chairs.

I've been sitting here for nearly an hour. This clueless girl keeps staring at me. I wonder if I could ask her for some coffee. I'm starting to get really hungry. "Es... Excuse me... You have water? I drink?" I'm mimicking a drinking glass with my hand even making glug glug sounds but the poor girl still stares at me blankly.

The front door opens with a twinkling Bell and there he is, my Finn. He doesn't see me as he is chatting to someone behind him. As he turns around and faces me..."sawadee ka ghrub." "Yok ! My gosh, what are you doing here. He hugs me tightly immediately. I sigh thinking I worried for nothing. He's still my honey.

"How are you. It's been what two weeks or three. I've missed you man. Let me introduce you, this is my secretary, Amy..... And this is Steve, my partner." I shake hands congenially, "lovely to meet you. " Did he say partner? He must mean business partner. I smile still, feeling a little nervous now.

"So Yok, what are you doing here?" "I need to earn something back. I didn't know you had a business partner." More nervous smiling. "He's not my business partner, he's a friend, someone who's proposed to me ..." The shock must have been evident on my face as Finn whispers to me, "close your mouth Yok. "

"You're joking right?" "I'm not. We've been seeing a lot of each other and I'm single so why not? "Finn..." A long sigh this time. "Yok if you came to say something, do it quickly and leave. My life here has been on hold for almost two years. I'm slowly getting back to it, but I have an enormous amount of work, so if you don't mind ...."

At the most inopportune time, my stomach decides to growl. I glance at my suitcase on the floor next to me wishing now I had eaten that darn Apple pie Mae made me bring along for Finn. "You haven't eaten. When did you arrive?" "This morning. I came straight here." "Steve and I will treat you to breakfast. Come on. " "No need. Mae sent you apple pie, but it seems you don't need it. I'll eat that."