Drowning Ocean

Chapter 3

_Plateau La Fransiska_ 

I went inside with a slight mad face ignoring the thought I had earlier.

'my God! How could you ever think of that Zale!'

I braced myself as the aircon escaped and reached me. The waiter opened the door for me. 

"Bienvenue au Plateau La Fransiska!"

I bowed and smiled in response.

I felt a little grumble from my stomach after smelling that savory oyster.

"Hey!" My savoring moment stopped when a man from behind me interrupted.

"What-"

I was cut out when I looked at him and realized he was just a few centimeters away from me. My eyes widened in such surprise.

His face was a little crumbled, his hair was totally messed up. But that makes him-

"Hey? Are you still listening??" Cliff asked. 

My eyes grew wider when I realized what I am thinking. I looked down as I feel a heat on my cheeks. I looked up at him and changed my expression.

"What were you saying?" I said, in an irritated tone.

"Are you not listening to me when earlier, we were so close??" He asked me puzzled.

I looked away, and shrugged. As if I didn't knew what happened. But deep in my mind, I am screaming out! 

"I'm hungry," I whispered, while still looking away.

"You what?" He asked. I just can't understand if he has a thing in the ear or if he is just getting even to me.

"I'm hungry." I said again.

"Don't you think I'm not hungry?" I looked at him after he said that. I am giggling inside and trying to not push myself but the moment I saw a glimpse of laugh on his lips, I freaked out. 

In short, we both laughed so hard. 

"C'mon, let's order our food, I'm efin' hugry here,"

I chuckled at what he said. I turned around and followed him. 

"This Platter seems to have a lot of customers today," I commented, while we were finding seats for us.

"Of course! Fransiska Platter never runs out of customers! They are one of the bests here in Etretat. We are usually used to this. Tourists often crowd this place more than us residents."

I nodded while letting him continue.

"Hey, why don't we just go to their extension?"

I looked at him questioningly.

"I mean their extension. The tables outside. It'll be a good view to the ocean you know."

I sparkled at the word "Ocean". I immediately turned around looking for the entrance to the extension.

"What are you doing?" He asked me, Half-laughing.

"You said, we would go to the extension. I'm looking for it you know."

He laughed a bit and dragged me through the busy crowd inside. It's so hard to get through the crowd and it's also noisy. I almost freaked out when someone accidentally hit my guitar

"Here we are." He said, 

I looked down and realized, that the whole time, he's still holding my hand. I gasped and shook my hand off that made him look to me.

"Oh s-sorry I-"

"Just find a place." I said, lookin' down because I felt a heat on my cheeks.

"Oh, there!" He pointed to the end of the site.

I hurriedly went off.

Once we sat, we both get the menu and started picking orders. A waitress approached us.

"Bonne apres-midi! Pouvons-nous prendre votre commande monsieur? (Good afternoon! May we take your order sir?)" 

"Do you want whelks?" Cliff asked. 

Still looking at the menu, I nodded in response. 

"Pouvons-nous s'il vous plaît avoir des buccins et, qu'est-ce que vous aimez Zale? (Can we please have some whelks and, what else do you like Zale?)

"Uhm, Je vais juste avoir, Grandes frites, Glace Mangue Framboise, et, C'est tout. (uhm, I'll just have, a large French Fries, a Mango Raspberry Ice cream, and... That's all.)"  

"Merci (Thank you)." Then the waitress left us.

I hand down the menu list on the table and look to Cliff's puzzled face.

'You really don't know who are you with huh?'  

Of course, who would recognize me with this 

I smirked with that thought.

Finally, he broke the silence.

"You should have ordered a meal not just fries, and ice cream you know."

"You don't ca-" he cuts me off.

"You always say I don't care but I do." he justified.

"pft." I replied.

"Why are you always so harsh to me when we were just laughing together earlier?"

"Just need to go to the restroom."  I stand up, and got my hoodie and turned to the restroom. I haven't been 4 steps away when he called me from the back.

"Hey! Wait!"

"What?!" I turned my head to him and said it irritably.

"A-actually, the restroom's this way," he half-smilingly said, pointing to the opposite direction to which I am headed too.

I lowered my head in shame and irritation as I followed his hand to where it points to. When I reached the restroom, I almost banged the door when I saw a waitress entering the authorized person room.

When I am finally alone..

"Why does he had to be like that to me?!" I asked myself in front of the mirror.

"Argh! He just make it too hard for me to-" I was cut by a sudden breeze of silence and sadness. She's here.

"Je peux voir un apercu de la foile dans tex yeux,(I can see a glimpse of madness in your eyes)" a secret shiver went through my spine.

"N-non, conductrice. J'ai  juste en un mal d-de, tete, (no, conductress. I just had, a, h-headache.)" I lied.

"Make sure you're telling the truth dear," her nails trailed my shoulders through my jawline. My whole body shivered.

"Y-yes I am conductice. Vous savez que je suis fidele a vous depuis le mois ou vous m'avez diverti. (You know that I am loyal to you since the month you entertained me.)" 

I gulped hard when she moved to my back like a spirit. 

Her cold dress would always send me shivers each time it soothe a part of my skin.

"Always remember dear, Write everything in the journal. You are almost there. You still have 31 days to wait for."

"Merci, conductrice Keres (Thank you, conductress Keres.)" I bowed in front of the mirror while she continues to whisper into thin air,

"Just be patient,"

"Just be patient..."

"Just be pa-..."

Then her whisper is gone in thin air.

I let out a deep sigh. I am used to it, that breathless trace of her nails to my skin, that cold and hysterical face she has. Those dark and blue eyes that remind me of death.  I'm used to it. But I'm still shivering in front of her instead of being emotionless. There's still this fear that is hooking me to be her obedient servant or should I say slave. 

When I'm finally through thinking of her, I checked time and realized that I have been 25 minutes in the restroom. Sh*t! I quickly unzipped my bag and grabbed my make-up kit. I retouched a little powder and made my lips a bit pinkish. 

A sudden thought came out of my mind which made me chuckle a bit.

"Why are you doing make-up when you are used to seeing yourself pale?!"

I shook my head to erase that thought.  I checked myself in front of the mirror and popped out my lips so the lipstick would spread out and even. I hurriedly opened the door and saw 3 women on line. I bowed my head in shamefulness and quickly went to Cliff. When I reached our table, I giggled when I saw his face bored while the food was already served on our table. 

'So he knows how to wait for women huh?'

A little smile escaped from me.

I walked towards the table and before I get to sit, I heard another preaching. Tsk.

"Almost 30 minutes? 30 minutes in the restroom?! Unbelievable! What did you do in there? Did you just take a bath!?" He said straight-forwardly.

Ignoring him, I sit down, place a napkin in my lap, get my fries, and start to eat. I close my eyes and savor that right salty flavor of my fries.

"So what now?! After waiting for you, won't you say sorry or won't you just say to me to eat-"

"You already know that you can eat," I paused, drank some juice, and looked into him, "I didn't ask you to wait to me. I have never asked anyone to wait or be concerned for me because I don't need them," I coldly said to him.

25... 26... 27... 28... 29... 30... 31... 32... 33... 34... 35...

When will he stop looking at me?!!

"Excusez-moi? (Excuse me?)" 

Someone approached our table which made the both of us look towards the waiter.

"Oui (Yes)?" Cliff asked, with politeness in tone. Tss. I shook my head in disbelief.

"C'est votre ordre de buccins monsieur, de quoi avez-vous besoin d'autre? (This your whelks order sir, anything else you need?)"

"Rien de plus monsieur , merci. (Nothing more sir, thank you.)" The waiter landed the whelks and left. I continued eating my fries. 

"Tss." I heard him say. I looked to him with curious eyes but he is eating now.

"Whatever." I whispered with my mouth full of fries.

"You said what?" He asked, making me look at him irritably my packing my mouth with fries. I look at his eyes, then down to his jawline. I gulped when I saw how his jaw clinched.

"I said sorry," I looked away and continued eating.

"Sorry for nothing," I heard him whisper, which made me face him again with the same look. Irritated. I raised my brow when I saw him laughing.

"What?!" I asked curiously, when he can't just stop laughing.

"You- a- HAHAHAHAHA," People started looking at us. 

61...65...89...95...110... there, for the 120th second, he finally calmed down and stopped. With mouth full I ask him again,

"What da shell ish wrhong wish shyou?!"

 I raised my brow when he smirked. He leaned to the table making our faces a few inches apart. 'What the hell is wrong with this guy?!'  The way he's looking at me was so intimidating that I found myself captured. Which makes me want that the earth would swallow me right now. 'WHEN WILL HE STOP SH*T!?'   He shake his head and looked down. A smile escaped from his lips.

"Nothing." 

He simply answered. He adjust himself and then he started to eat. Wait, I forgot something. This guy is dangerous you know. I focused on this fries and ate my ice cream. He left me and said that he would just go to the restroom. Actually, he's the only one who ate the whelks and stuff, although I love whelks. But, I just want to be American right now. So fries and ice cream would do. After a few minutes, when I'm almost finished with the ice cream, the waitress approached us.

"Voici votre facture madame. (Here is your bill ma'am)" The waitress said as she gives me the bill. 

"Oh, merci. Voyons combien hmm. (Oh, thank you. Let's see how much hmm.)" I replied politely. I checked our bill and got my credit card.

"Puis-je l'utiliser? (Can I use this?)" I asked her, showing my credit card.

"Oui bien sur madame. S'il te plait attend un moment. (Yes sure ma'am. Please wait for awhile.)" She went off. A few seconds, Cliff went back. Unnoticed, the waitress followed him. 

"oh la facture oui  laisse moi voir- (oh the bill yes. Let me see-)" he cut himself when the waitress gave me the receipt with my credit card. He was a little funny because he already extended his arms. Lucky him. I paid the bill. He will owe me someday. 

"Merci d'avoir dine! (Thank you for dining)" I nodded and displayed a sweet smile. After the waitress left, I looked at him, and found that he was a bit puzzled. I chuckled at the thought. I fix my things, grab my hoodie, and stand up.

"Thank you for the time, but, I have to go." I said. I didn't wait for him to argue with me and left him in the platter. I found myself smiling until I grab a cab. I slapped my face after realizing that.

"est-ce que tout va bien madame? (is everything okay madam?)" I startled when the cab driver asked me from the rearview mirror. My eyes widened. I blushed in shame.

"merci. je-je vais b-bien. (Thank you. I-I'm fine.)" I bowed my head and replied. I look to the window and noticed the trees. 

They seem so fast. But I was the one moving. From  them I saw some glimpse of memory. I can see my dad walking me in a park near our house in Chicago. A tear fall off from me. I can see the surprise party dad made himself for me. It was my 4th birthday. It was the happiest. Another tear falls. Then another. Then another. Until I can't number them. It was a bitter sweet memory. 

"nous sommes ici madame (we are here madam.)" The cab stopped in a grand 7-star hotel. 

"merci. ici. (Thank you. here.)" I handed him the fee.

"merci madame. (thank you madam.)" I went out the cab, and watched the cab drive away. I turned and walked towards the entrance of the hotel.

"Hey! wait!" I heard someone shouting.

"Zale!" I stopped, in front of the entrance and looked back. And there, I saw a man out of breath.  He is familiar to me. My eyes widened in disbelief. How come he followed me?! It's miles away from the platter. 

"Cliff," I whispered. After he rested and recovered, he climbed up to get closer to me. Gravity dragged me to walk closer to him. We met at the end of the steps. 

"Hey," He started.

"What are you doing here?" I asked coldly.

"Wow, after I have gone here to catch-"

"I said what are you doing here?"

"So this is where you stay huh? You are really-"

"Are you going change the topic when all I'm asking you is what are you doing here?" I raised my voice a bit. I know he's offended, but what can I do, I need him to stay away from me. I need him to-

"Here," I paused in amusement. He handed me my credit card. Wait. So I left it there?! How could you ZALE!? Argh!  I lowered my head in shame. A wide  spread of red flashed through my cheeks. I got my credit card, still head bowed. I actually... well, to be honest to myself, I'm harsh to him. 

"Sorry f-for disturbing you. I should, g-get going. Thank you. Bye." Even though my head is bowed, I can see his feet moving away. When I finally sensed that he's gone, I looked straight and look for him. But he's away.

I headed back towards the hotel entrance. The guards greeted me. And I looked back to them blankly. I inserted the card to the pocket of my jeans, then headed to the information desk to check in.

I went to the elevator and headed up to the 6th floor. Head still bowed, I lazily went to my room. 

dug, dug, dug,

 He's away now. The last thing I saw was his feet moving away.

dug, dug, dug,

 I don't have to see him again. And he doesn't have to go back... He doesn't have too. Because if he does, I might...