Another wild card to join the game

[RiRi...Hello]

[I am searching for you...where did you go]

"What a timing you got to lift my call, bro," Clary muttered under her breath. Just when she thought she had a moment of relief for herself with Tropical fruit and Little Giraffe gone out of the cafe, bad luck crept on her like a cat burglar in the form of this towering man, unwilling to part from her. She clearly saw him entering the car, a new car she had to admit when she went outside the cafe searching for Rick. Why did he come inside the cafe again?

Clary lifted her eyes and saw him eyeing her with a menacing half-smile. Her pulse raced as she speculated about the ominous intentions concealed behind his sinister smile. No sound escaped her as if she had swallowed a mute button, silencing any chance of making a peep.

'He saw me. What do I do now? Plan A: Face him head-on like a fearless bull, but this idiot is like a lunch-stealing playground bully. He will definitely loot my 3000 euros! Plan B: Beg him for forgiveness. I'm not a crawling caterpillar to kneel before him. Plan C: The art of pretending to be a stranger, like a chameleon. This! This is my signature style. Activate Plan C.'

[Oye...Riri...speak something...I am...]

This one is an oddball! Clary thought, abruptly hitting the end button on her mobile and muffling Rick's voice. She sprang from the countertop, deftly placing the wig on her head. "H_ hi...we meet again. I hope you didnot take my words to your heart. I was just kidding at the table about your misconduct" Clary waved her hand at him and changed the subject. "Are you perhaps looking for the men's restroom?" She asked with a smile as cool as a cucumber. "That's the one." She pointed the finger towards the door. "It's a shared bathroom. Hope you don't mind."

Leandre shot a sidelong glance at the door, just a stone's throw away, at a measly 5 meters. He was curious to know the name of the drama school where she sharpened her acting skills, effortlessly navigating like a master.

A while ago, he sat in the car, waiting for Knox, but when he didn't show up, Leandre called him only to realize the imbecile had left his phone in the car. He stormed into the cafe to drag him out, suspecting he might be hitting on the circus clown. But he was met with a roadblock in the form of Milley, the coffee house manager. Her overpowering perfume nearly sent Leandre over the edge. In an effort to ward off the smell, he darted into the washroom to splash some water on his face. To his surprise, he was met with a sight that left him speechless. A little girl twirling a wig sitting on the countertop. He suspected something was wrong from the time she targeted him. What a feast to his eyes, Leandre thought.

Back to the present, a look of mock amazement spread across his face as he turned to her with his arms crossed, adopting a grandiose stance. "What a groundbreaking discovery," He said with heavy sarcasm. "I never would have guessed that a cafe I visit on the regular would have a door that I don't know." He swivelled his gaze to face her, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement.

"Ohh...You know." Clary muttered, pressing her lips together. The awkwardness was palpable, making Clary feel like a cat on a hot tin roof. "Nice to hear you frequent this cafe...Very nice ambience..." She reached up to touch her hair out of habit in nervousness, only to feel the unfamiliar texture of the wig. She quickly dropped her hands away when he shot a look at her hair.

"Since you already know this place, I will leave then." Clary clumsily grabbed her goggles and slipped them on. "I_I don't have a habit of eavesdropping on men's peepee business."

"So, you like to stick your nose where it doesn't belong and listen in on women's private affairs?" Leandre asked with a smirk, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched her curse under her breath.

"You have got a good sense of humour, dude," Clary said, giving his elbow a timid tap. Leandre raised a sceptical eyebrow, causing Clary to take a step back, raising her hands in surrender. The scent of his cologne filled her nostrils as she was near him, a tantalizing mix of exotic essential oils that left her wondering about the blends used in the cologne composition. She pushed herself out of the thoughts and said. "Anyway, I have some urgent work. But don't stop being hilarious okay?" She attempted to sidestep him but found her way blocked by his broad frame.

"Can you please move aside?" Clary sweetly asked, attempting to manoeuvre past him with a step to the left. Leandre mirrored her movements, his eyes narrowed in defiance. "Not moving." He retorted in a cold tone.

Idiot! Why is he giving me a hard time? Clary muttered, biting down hard on her lip and moving to her right.

Their actions were like a game of cat and mouse on steroids as Clary zigzagged and zagged to dodge around Leandre, but every time she made a break for it, Leandre mirrored her moves like a trusty shadow, always blocking her exit. In the end, Clary gave up, stood still, and glared at him. "Why are you following me like a lost puppy?" Clary cried. She realized dodging his moves was like trying to shake off a stubborn elephant.

"Tailing you? You must think quite highly of yourself. I'm merely on the hunt for a little criminal who bashed into my car and fled away. Interestingly enough..." Leandre paused his words and leaned forward, sensing the nervousness radiating in her eyes behind those goggles. "She's about your height, and her personality is exactly like you, as charming as a porcupine."

"Is it...small world, right!" Clary's hands turned into balled fists upon hearing him call her porcupine. "My grandma always says that there are always two peas in a pod, even if they're not from the same pod family. I promise. I'm not the one the criminal you are looking for. Cross my heart_"

Before Clary could even utter a complete thought, Leandre made a bold move by swiftly removing her goggles. Clary was momentarily taken aback, her eyes widening in surprise. "What a coincidence. The little pod has the same green eyes as you." Leandre remarked, leaning in closer to gaze into her spellbinding eyes that had ensnared him. "Might you be the juvenile criminal I've been on the hunt for, little girl?" His tone was deep and menacing.

Clary vehemently shook her head, denying any involvement. "No sir! I_I swear on my great great great grandmother's ghost, I have never seen you until today. The culprit who hit your car must be my twin sister."

She started again with the sir. How could she make a one-eighty-degree shift so easily? Her brash tongue is far better than her frighteningly angelic facade.

"Drop your act, or." Leandre took a small, sharp pocket knife from his back pocket and popped it open with a flick. Clary's heart skipped a beat. She wondered if she was about to meet her maker, but then she heard his chuckle. "Don't worry. You are too evil for killing. I'm just going to give you a little head shave. After all, that wig you are hiding under is too distracting to my eyes."

Clary: " "

"My hair!" Clary took a step back nervously, looking into Leandre's piercing gaze. She'd rather take a dive on the cliff than go bald! Imagining roaming in the college with a hairless head and giving competition to her Bald baby made Clary's stomach churn.

In their heated conversation, Clary's phone started to ring, and Leandre snatched it from her grip before she attended the call. "You are not going anywhere until we settle our accounts." He ended the call swiftly. While doing so, Leandre noticed the caller. "Ricky? Who is it? You Boyfriend?"

Gone. Her only hope of escape was gone. "Give back my mobile, idiot." Clary raised her hand in an attempt to reach for her mobile.

Leandre held the phone aloft, keeping it out of her reach. "He must have a lot of mental strength to handle a nut."

"What a similar feeling we have. Your girlfriend must have a halo on her head to deal a crackpot like you." Sarcasm dripped from her words as she gazed around the desolate bathroom, wishing for someone to come to her aid and free her. Just as she was about to lose all hope, the door creaked open and in walked a figure with eyes blazing like a dragon hoarding its treasure trove. "You hooligans! You both have gathered here to plot against me!"

Clary breathed out a sigh of disappointment. She had asked for aid, not another wild card to join the game.