Side tracks
In a line he queued until his turn came.
Repeated everyday script, he said, "Flat white with an extra shot of espresso. Make it tall."
"What should I write your name, sir?", a peppy cashier asked.
"Edrian", he gruff then paid the excessive amount of money that been charged for his cup of coffee. Leaned against the wall, he fished out his smartphone and started to check for any messages or email for his day.
"Adrian."
He looked up from his handphone, checking if anyone went to claim the name.
"Adrian."
Again, the name been called but nobody came to the counters.
Slipping his lip-balm coated lip between his teeth, he walked to the counters. He grabbed the cup and looked at the sloppy written name there, 'Spelling right.' Sighed, he looked at the guy behind the counter. Enunciating the first alphabet in his name, he said, "It's Edrian not Adrian. Thank you very much...", found the worker's nametag, "... Heyden", purposely he changed 'J' to 'H' before walked out from that famous coffee shop like he owned the place.
Took a turn around the corner, he arrived at the building of his office. Flashing the identification badge to a scanner, he pushed open the glass door and went to the elevator. There's already a few people waiting there, but none of them was familiar to him. Choose to lean on the wall, his head tilted against the concrete with his eyes looked for the digit on top of an elevator's door. Slowly he sipped that heavily heaven caffeine induced baverage. Once the drink touched his tongue, he closed his eyes in ecstasy followed by rush of blood that went to his head. Opened his eyes, his mood immediately turned brighter as he was finally able to see the world clearly. "Mhmmm", he moaned in content from the overly bitter drink before rushed to walk inside the elevator along with other.
Went out of from the crammed elevator, he, once again flashed his badge to a scanner. Heard a beep sound along with blinkers of yellowish green light, he pushed the glass door and went straight to his partition; which just around the corner. Put the cup of caffeine dose on top of his table, he slung out his bagpack that he carried with one shoulder. Dragged his chair outward, his mouth twitched involuntary seeing a neon colour post-it note on stuck on top of his table. Pulled the note, he mouthed the overly cursive words, "Mathews' office. As soon as you're here!"
Sucked his lips in between his teeth, he reached for his added doses flat white. Nursing from the paper cup, he relaxed on his seat, 'Whatever happen, let me drink this coffee first.'
"Edrian!", a shrill voice interrupted the serene moment followed by a slap to the back.
Clamped his mouth with his hand, Edrian glared to that stupid culprit who'd surprised him while he was taking sips from the cup of coffee. On the same time his right hand rushed for tissues to wipe the coffee that had smothered around his mouth and chin while threatened to drip down from the gap in between his fingers.
"Sorry. Sorry", the unapologetic voice said while his hand rapidly patted Edrian's back.
"Fuck off!", Edrian sneered after he successfully wiped all the bitter sweet substances from affected area. "What do you want?", he spatted.
That annoying person grinned. Flashed another piece of neon colour paper, he said, "Let's go to Mathews' office together. I got this post-it note, asked to bring you along when I go there."
Edrian sighed. He pinched the bridge of nose, "It is?" He stood from his seat, "Let's go."
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**********
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Edrian can't shut his mouth, "What? Why only me? What not both of us"
"Like I said earlier, you are going to make an exclusive coverage about Zander Hemmelton's baby mama while Pedro here are going to cover about Michaella. Just one is enough! The harder for you to be spot by target", Mathews said with an expression of annoyance.
"Are you kidding me right now?!", Edrian countered. "Don't you know how hard to get even an itty bitty scoop about them?"
"I know", the man deadpanned. "That's why you're going to do your best to make it happen."
'This bulldog!!', Edrian cussed while looking at the man who'd gnawing and slobbering at his pen.
"Okay. That's all. You may out right now."
Instinctly, Edrian shifted to the right, saving him from been splashed by droplets of saliva that sprayed from the wet pen that Mathews used to pointed at the door. Disgustingly, he followed those droplets' falling movement. Shuddered, he saw them felt to the carpet, also a quite big droplet managed to attach itself to Pedro's shirt; at his shoulder to be exact, leaving the clothes to had a wet patch.
Quickly, Edrian pulled the door open and went outside without bothering to close it back.
Pedro ran followed that collogue of his, wide-eyed. "You're going to have fun time in this task?"
"I think so...", he mumbled halfhearted, still in dissatisfied.
"Well...", he began, but Edrian held up a hand.
"I'm still absorbing, Pedro. I don't need your shit just yet," He cut the other man off abruptly.
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**********
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Armed with a pen size recorder in his back pocket, Edrian wandered around inside the buffet hall. His eyes wild searching for that specific prey with secrecy as the hotel had a tight security. A wrong step may be a doom to him.
Shrieking shrill of kids shout startled him just before he grabbed a croissant. Instinctly he looked towards the source. Furrowed his brows, he failed to find the kids but he had found the target that he had waited so long.
'Zander Hemmelton and a mysterious man. Maybe the rumour baby's mama!!', he speculated.
Hastily he grabbed the food in front of him, put in his plate without looking before inched himself closer to the scene of four man talking with each other while holding wiggling toddlers each, he clicked on the recorder and shove it quickly to his pocket while looming in front of pots of tea and coffee. Eyes straight to the hot pots of beverages while ears strained eagerly to hear the conversation.
"Your twins are so cute. You're lucky to have two in one go."
Edrian shifted his legs. His was anxious for a scoops.
"No-"
Edrian almost sagged his shoulder before another voice; who'd he believed was Zander Hemmelton cut whatever words from the mysterious man's mouth.
"Indeed we are."
'Yes!!!' Edrian pumped his fist, hide under his plate of food. He bit his lips to hide the smile that threaten to show. 'Talk more! Talk more!' He back to focus on the talk between the four men.
"Ooo.. believes me you're not going to feel that lucky when they had the meltdown", followed by chuckles.
"I feel you at that part", another voice respond. "This two are such a terror when they're fighting for a toy."
To Edrian disappointment, the chat was just a few sentences of light talk. But, there a big shiny black diamond underneath it. He smirked thinking for a tittle that he should use for the scoop that he managed to get!
Zander Hemmelton confirmed that the mysterious man are the baby's mama.
"Yes", Edrian mumbled as he found a table just a bamboo partition away from the couple. To avoid any suspicious, he focused to his plate to enjoy the breakfast while waiting for any juicy things that may dripping from their mouths. Grabbed the crois-- slice white bread, he nibbled at crust with grimaced. Due to his hastiness earlier, he accidentally took a slice bread instead of a croissant with nothing to cover the bland taste. Sighed, he grabbed his cup of cof-- tea to complement the taste. "Phei", he spit. Not only that tea had been prepared terribly which hinder the fragrance taste of tea from seeping to hot water properly, he also had forgot to put anything on there.
In his resentment towards his breakfast, he heard his targets were heading out from the hall. Hastily, he left his uneaten middle white of bread with undrinkable cup of warm tea and followed them closely to the point of sneaking inside the same elevator along with the Zander Hemmelton, the mysterious man and their two toddlers.
Rode the elevator, the oblivious couple went out at 25th floor. Straighten his back, Edrian ready to follow them. But, before he even step out from the elevator; he was pushed back by a sudden force. Glaring upward while covering his aching nose, a yummy looking body was actually a hindrance to his movements previously. Grimaced from the inertia, his inner monologue screaming, 'Yummy or not, you had hindrance me on duty!', furrowed his brows, he tilted his head upward to scre-- blank! "You're so handsome", he blurbed out unconsciously. Batted his eyes continuously, he had forgotten the task at hand and continued to ride the elevator as the door had already closed.
The yummy man nodded, face bare from emotion. Lowered his head to Edrian's ear, "Thank you."
Husky voice penetrating Edrian's ear, sent a rumbled of delicious shivered to his brain before fall down to his chest. Successfully in making his heart to skip not once, but countless beats. Choked on his saliva, Edrian coughing. Shamelessly, he grabbed the yummy man's arm for support as he was hunching. "Ohhh", those coughing stop magical followed by an out loud moan. Consciously, his hand wandered up to feel all the great muscles built while kept pretending to cough.
With an intent to help, the yummy man rubbed Edrian's back to aid him reduced his coughing, but it had a different effect for the receiver.
"Mister...", almost slurry, "... you needs to stop rubbing my back", dilated eyes looked towards yummy man who'd quite confused from the sudden request, "If not, I'm guarantee you that you're not going to step out from this box without me clinging to you like a koala."
The yummy man's hand halted. Saying nothing, he retracted his hand from the other. Straighten his head and body, he meet eyes with two woman who'd looked amused with the free show and a man who smirked before flashed a thumb up to him. Clear his throat from the awkward moment, he chose to distance himself from the man as he had successfully retrieved the requested item. Slipped the pen size recorder inside his jeans pocket, he went along with a woman who'd strutted out after a ding sound resonate inside the elevator.
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**********
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*Click*
*Click*
*Click*
Sounds of shutter from a camera filled around the human-made dunes at the beach. The owner of the camera grinned like a Cheshire cat to the scene that unfold less than 200 meters vertically upward from him. The scene in front of him right now worth about one million in gossip world. This was definitely the most sensational scandal that he managed to unfold.
*Click*
Zander Hemmelton hold the mysterious man's hand.
*Click*
The mysterious man looked shock.
*Click*
Zander Hemmelton hugged the mysterious man.
*Click*
Zander Hemmelton hook his head on the mysterious man's shoulder and hugging him from behind.
*Click*
Zander Hemmelton kissed the mysterious man's cheek.
Fifteen minutes and 537 shots later, the target couple went inside. Edrian grinned to his big haul. Expertly, he ejected the memory card from it slot before put the small card inside his empty pendant. After the missing of his recorder, he's not going to take any risk for this one. He needed as many evidence as he managed. Then, he disassembling the accessories from camera before wrap them with bubbles wrap before put it inside his LV Montaigne Monogram. Put a raffia sun hat, he strutted the beach like other.