17. Red and Blue

Mira was late, thanks to all that had happened in the morning. She smiled to herself as she packed her bag with water and lunch.

"Don't forget to carry an umbrella. It might rain today." Kris said as he walked down the stairs. He was wearing a denim jeans but without a shirt. He was coming straight out from the shower it seemed as he was drying his hair with a towel and water dripped from his body too. Mira blushed.

"Why? So that I won't call you to come pick me up?"

"Oh damn. I didn't think of that possibility. Don't take the umbrella, then", Kris joked.

"Don't you have your grand opening in two days? With Pama unwell, shouldn't you be working twice as hard?" Mira taunted him.

"Yes, madam. I'll be on my way in twenty minutes..IF you leave soon." Kris winked at her.

"Okay, bye." Mira ran out of the house, laughing while holding a lace-printed black umbrella.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pama had already arrived at the cafe when Kris reached. Leibniz had decided to accompany her. Their relationship has gotten better, thought Kris.

"I thought you'd be busy fulfilling your 50 dates", Kris taunted Leibniz.

"We have plenty of time for that, brother." Leibniz replied casually.

"What's going on in the battlefront?" Pama asked Leibniz.

"Well, Nietz is preparing, and quite elaborately so; JS is one formidable enemy, if not anything else". Leibniz shrugged.

"So, is Sive coming to the grand opening?" Leibniz asked Pama and Kris.

"Yes, he is", Kris replied.

Pama seemed disinterested in the topic and therefore, pulled out her phone and started looking at entertainment news.

"I finally get to meet The God." Leibniz had a dreamy expression.

"Hell-O, I'm one too, you know?" Kris acted angry but Leibniz knew that he was a lighthearted god.

"Hey," Pama disrupted their conversation out of the blue, "see that blue Porsche parked outside? I've been seeing the same car here every day since we took over the place. I had even noted down the number. It's the same."

Kris turned to look at it and the car zoomed past the cafe at that very moment as if aware of the sudden surge in attention.

"Strange", observed Leibniz.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mira was having trouble alone at the shop because of the injured hand. She was helping two tourists browse through itineraries, travel help books and dictionaries when Bella decided to drop by.

"Hey, homegirl, why haven't you been responding to my messages? And why the hell haven't you moved in?"

"Hey Bells! Please calm down, you. I'll explain." Mira replied and at that same time, one of the customers called for help. Mira went over to find the required books. Arabella stared at the scene with a smile. This girl is truly commendable; she's persisted in the faces of adversities, one after the other. Yet, she could smile easily and laugh without hesitation too — partly owing to personal merit and partly, thanks to her loving aunt. Bella felt nostalgic; she was forever thankful for the friend that Mira was — she made the world a less lonely place to be.

"Okay. Where was I? Yes, moving. At present, I'm doing famously well with Kris. We are hitting it off like never before, if you may. I was meaning to ask : do you want the space above? You could stay close to the office if you move in here."

"What? Have you gone crazy?"

"I'm fine and I'm sure, milady. Please, feel free to step in and occupy the space whenever you want."

"That's very kind of you, Mira", Bella blushed. She was having trouble commuting between her firm and her home. So much so that she had no social life at all owing to the long journeys back and forth as well as the long and tedious working hours and overtimes. How did Mira even know?

The two headed over to the Chinese restaurant nearby for lunch once the customers left.

"So, are you dating? Officially?" Bella asked.

"Not sure. It's been less that 24hrs." Mira replied.

"Cool, so what is he doing here? Does he have a job someplace? Are you sure you can trust him?"

"He's opening a cafe near the beach. And hmm.. He seems trustworthy, all right."

"Ooh, fancy. Must be pretty rich. Can't afford properties near the beach without enough dough."

"Hehe. Yes. And I'm taking the liberty to invite you to the grand opening of the cafe, day after tomorrow."

"You received that kind of rights within 24 hours of a fresh relationship?"

"I'm fast in that area."

"And extreeeemely pathetic elsewhere."

"Bells!!!"

Mira blushed in embarrassment. Only if Arabella knew how determined she was to change that. After all, she was the one who initiated the fated kiss.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The bus was late today, so Mira decided to walk to the next stop and take a cab. It was a 15 minutes walk, but halfway through, she received a call.

"Kris!"

"I thought I told you that I would pick you up."

"You didn't, as a matter of fact. You asked me to take the umbrella." Mira whimpered.

"Haha. Such a crybaby. I went to the shop. Coming back now. Send me your exact location."

And Mira did. She waited under a street lamp where they had built a bench for resting. Instantly, it starting pouring cats and dogs. Mira thanked heavens for the umbrella and stood there under its shade. A car stopped in front of her. Kris drove real fast, she thought and glanced up. It was a blue Porsche. Something was ominous about it. The window rolled down slowly and Mira saw something pointing at her.

A gun!

-------------------

Kris hummed a happy tune as he drove his red Porsche 911 and reached the spot where Mira was. He slowed down to stop when he saw the blue Porsche. Mira was intently staring at it, or them — whoever was inside. As lights blared from the other side, Kris caught a silhouette of the rider: feminine features, marked by a fancy hat with a large metal butterfly motif hanging from one corner. Kris knew who it'd be.

He rushed out of the car and to Mira.

BANG!

The blinding gunshot stopped time for a while.

It winced in pain.

The blue Porsche accelerated past the traffic.

Time was back on its pedestal, again.

Only, the two bodies sprawled on the pavement lay unaffected by it.