The Necklace ✔

Chapter Dos

The sky was a gloomy grey as I exited my office building and headed towards the corner deli. Dark clouds covered up the entire sky, leaving only a few gaps for sunshine to poke through, creating a natural stage light.

Reminded me of those ancient Greco - Roman paintings with the gods floating around in the sky while the ground was covered with dead bodies and blood, because obviously blood is a given when it comes to dead bodies. I held nothing against ancient Greek culture and its art, but its cynicism was a great put off.

Speaking of obscurity, I unwound the necklace from my neck. Its silver chain startlingly cool against my fingers. I read the pendent for the umpteenth time. Wilson.

That's what it said clearly.

But more importantly, I remembered the face of the woman who wore this necklace, as clear as crystal. Her chocolate brown eyes had held me captive for the past six months. She was my guardian angel, my savior. I hadn't known her, but she'd still saved me. Her eyebrows had crinkled when she'd set her eyes on me, worry marring her almost surreal face.
I'd scurried away as soon as she'd gone to retrieve some stuff from the ambulance. I'd hid behind a bush, and continued to watch her. Yes, borderline creepy is a mild way of putting it.

She'd come back to my resting spot only to see me missing. I'd seen her crumpling to her knees in sorrow. Her distraught face had somehow managed to stab me in my heart. I wanted to run back, comfort her anyhow. Just to make sure that her radiant smile was back on, anything but the pain. That woman was a beauty, an enigma.

She'd been running around, frantically searching for something. And I realized that that something, was her necklace, which I'd taken - deliberately or not, that's for you to decide - only when I was wrapped up in a blanket, back at home, under the safety and comfort of my innocuous little house in the suburb.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee hit me as I entered the little deli. I walked up to the counter, requesting my usual, a double flipped espresso. The young boy at the counter, Jason, smiled at me as he struck up a mild conversation while preparing my coffee. Jason and I were like brothers ever since he'd come to me for his biology homework.

"So Eddie, temme, have you ever had a girlfriend before?"

I smirked, knowing very well where this conversation was headed. "Uhuh, sure, mostly in college. Why?"

"Just asking, there's this girl in my class that I really like, like a lot. And the thing is, I took her paper weight the other day and kinda forgot to give it back. So she's mad, like really mad."

I nodded my head in understanding.

Funny, my life seems to be in a similar situation currently. Only difference: I don't know the woman whom I'm in love with.
Love? Maybe. OK no, yes. I'm in love with this unknown woman. I don't know how, but I just know that everytime the thought of settling down haunts me, the face of that beauty appears in my mind's eye.

Like it did just now.

" You know something kid? Girls seem to have an uncanny relation with inanimate objects. They always have some kind of bond with certain things, things closest to their hearts and it's best to let them continue with it. Because trust me, you most certainly don't wanna mess with an angry girl."

It's too bad, I can't follow my own good advice sometimes.

I fingered the cool pendent inside my pocket.

"Why don't you go sit down with the hot lady over there, since all the other seats are occupied. You can try to charm her with your quasi celebrity status. I'm sure all the ladies love a business tycoon." He wriggled his eyebrows.

"Kid, the ladies love me anyway" I said. I  turned around, and sure enough, every seat had been taken up. I turned in the direction in which he'd pointed, and saw a young lady sitting at the window seat, sipping a latte. She had her head bent low. Her brunette hair veiled her face, making it impossible for me to catch a glimpse of her face. The few streaks of sun falling through the window hit her hair and made it shimmer like gold. I turned back when I realised that I'd been gaping at her long enough for someone to label me a perv, only to find Jason smirking with an eyebrow perched.

"What?"

"Oh nothing much, other than the fact that you have a crush on her."

"No I don't. For god's sake kid, I barely even know her."

"You will. Soon enough. I'm sure by the end of the day you'll have her number tucked away in your pocket."

I just huffed as I headed off towards the pretty stranger, without realising how right that kid was.

I stopped, a few feet away from her seat, her back facing me, wondering how I got stuck in this ridiculous mess. What was I thinking? I should've just grabbed my coffee and gone back to the office. But something about this woman was unsettling. It was just a feeling.

I glanced at her again. Her hair seemed longer and gold-ier. I wanted to reach out and touch. Make sure that it was as smooth as it looked.

I sucked in a deep breath as I approached her.

"Hi, do you mind if I join you? Apparently all the seats have been taken and your's is the only one available."

She didn't look up from her book as she acknowledged my presence with a nonchalant "Uhuh, please go ahead."

"Thanks. I'm Edward, by the way."
Two seconds later her head finally snapped up.

And I found myself staring at the same chocolate eyes I'd lost myself in, six months ago.
Instinctively, my hand shot out for the necklace inside my jacket.

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Done. Done. Done. The final installment will come up shortly. Can't wait for your thoughts on it. ( mentally rubbing my hands and doing the evil laugh).

Ok, so the next chapter's probably gonna confuse the hell outta ya'll. ( because confusion is my middle name, ladies and gentlemen)

Just remember that it's many, many years after this particular scene. So.......... enjoy........ >_< ^_^

Toodle-Oooooo

Love Niki