Chapter 4: Serendipity
1571 Words
Saturday,
Praewa's Condo
The young woman woke up late on a Saturday morning, making the most of the weekend to catch up on sleep. She sat up lazily, stretching her body. Her long, silky red hair was a bit tousled, and her bright and alluring face still looked sleepy. She rubbed her eyes gently before getting out of bed.
The young woman was wearing only a comfortable purple silk shirt, with only white panties hugging her round hips. Praewa walked into the kitchen to make coffee and fry some simple eggs, ham, and sausages. Every time she moved or bent over, her clean underwear would peek out, teasingly. Luckily, she was alone.
Once the eggs were cooked, she placed them on a plate and sat cross-legged on the sofa in the middle of the living room. She picked up her phone to browse through news updates while using a fork to poke a sausage into her mouth.
Buzz Buzz Buzz
At that moment, the phone in her hand rang, displaying the name of a college friend on the screen.
"What's up?"
(Heyyy friend, it's been so long since we talked. How have you been?) Japen, a curvy and charming woman, greeted her over the phone.
"Same old, same old. How about you?"
(I'm barely surviving! My job is hell!)
Praewa laughed at her friend's words. Even though everyone had gone their separate ways in life, every time they talked, it felt like she was back in college.
"So, not much different here."
(Haha, come on, it's Saturday. Want to meet up? I just got off the phone with Mint. We're going to have lunch and hang out at the mall.)
"Hmm, what time? I just woke up and haven't showered yet."
(In the afternoon, no rush, take it easy.)
"Okay, see you then."
Praewa agreed easily. Catching up with friends and chatting about random things was one of the joys in her stressful and demanding work life.
(Don't go all out, okay? Just a casual meal, don't outshine us.)
"Hehe, yeah, I'll dress normally."
(Seriously! Just your looks and figure already outshine us.)
"Alright, alright, I'll go get dressed now," Praewa cut off the conversation before her friend could start criticizing her outfit.
In truth, Praewa was quite confident in herself and her appearance. She loved modern fashion, which is why she dared to dye her hair bright red. But for some reason, once she started working, she chose to hide her boldness and transformed herself into the plain Jane of the company.
The petite woman finished the food in front of her, got up, and went to take a shower and get dressed in the bathroom. Even though the bathroom wasn't large, Praewa had swapped the shower for a bathtub because she loved soaking in warm water.
As she started getting ready, doing her hair and makeup, she realized that many of her cosmetics had run low since she usually only applied moisturizer and powder for work. But today, she was going all out with her look.
She opened the wardrobe to search for an outfit, her beautiful face frowning when she found only outdated clothes she wore to work. After rummaging through a pile of clothes she had stashed away, she found a cream-colored fitted camisole that showed off her slim waist. Praewa grinned, pairing it with dark fitted jeans. Soon, she was back to being her playful self.
A luxury mall in the city center
Praewa's condo wasn't far away, even though it was slightly outside the city. The public transportation system was easily accessible, and it didn't take long to take the train to the city center. The three girls chose a luxury mall that was relatively quiet and not crowded.
After calling Jaipen to ask for the name of the restaurant, Praewa put her phone in her bag. She walked confidently on three-inch heels, her sexy, alluring figure drawing attention. Several men passing by discreetly glanced at her, their throats dry as they saw her shapely round hips through her jeans.
"Hey there!"
Praewa greeted her two friends waiting in the restaurant with a sweet smile. Her thin lips were coated with dark red lipstick, enhancing her captivating smile.
"Is this what you call a casual dining outfit?" Mint teased, looking her up and down from head to toe.
"I did remind you, didn't I, Praewa!"
"This is just my normal outfit."
"Alright, sit down already. You're showing off your figure so much that the guys at the next table are drooling," Jaipen, the friend with a Western fashion sense, in a tight dress that accentuated her curves, patted the chair beside her.
The three of them ordered a variety of dishes to share, chatting enthusiastically and exchanging life stories. Their closeness allowed Praewa to relax and be at ease, laughing loudly at Mint and Jaipen's jokes.
The group of three friends, each with their own style, perfectly complemented each other when together, drawing the attention of passing men.
After finishing their meal, everyone had to part ways. Mint was called by her boss due to work issues, and Jaipen had to leave early for a movie date with a guy. This left Praewa to wander alone in the luxury mall.
The young woman took the opportunity to enter a cosmetics store, buying several items that were running out. She was delighted by the variety of lipsticks.
After being away from the fashion scene for so long, Phraewa indulged in a shopping spree, stocking up on skincare products, soaps, vitamins, and cosmetics. She swept anything new on the market into her basket without a second thought about the price.
She found herself agreeing with the saying that shopping is a great way to relieve stress.
Thud!
Lost in thought, she was happily admiring the bags in her hand and accidentally bumped into the broad chest of a man walking from the other side of the mall.
"Ah!" Phraewa exclaimed, dropping her bags and scattering her belongings all over the floor.
Her heart sank as she watched an expensive powder compact hit the ground. She prayed it wasn't damaged inside. She looked up, ready to scold the man who wasn't paying attention, but when she saw his face clearly, her face went pale because the man in front of her was 'Onyx.'
She quickly lowered her head, biting her lip nervously, trying to use her long hair to hide her face while frantically picking up her things.
"Sorry," the tall figure said in a calm voice, crouching down to help the young woman gather her fallen items.
"It's okay...I wasn't looking either. Sorry," she replied shakily, her heart pounding, afraid the young executive would recognize her.
Being so close allowed the man to catch a faint sweet scent from her body. His thick eyebrows furrowed as he felt a strange familiarity with the fragrance. He tried to sneak a glance at her face, but her red hair obscured it, revealing only a small, upturned nose and thin, bright red lips.
She quickly stuffed her things back into the bag and hurriedly prepared to walk away in the other direction.
"Wait!"
The firm voice called out, making her stop abruptly. Her small, cold hands clenched the bag tightly, standing frozen but refusing to turn back.
Onyx surveyed her seductive figure once more with a scrutinizing gaze, feeling an odd familiarity with her. The glimpse of her white waist peeking from under her shirt made his heart skip a beat.
"There's one more item," he said in a neutral tone, handing over another lipstick that had rolled away. His sharp eyes observed her flustered demeanor calmly.
With no choice, Phraewa reluctantly turned back to face the tall figure once more, trying to bow her head to hide her face as much as possible before reaching out to take the item from his hand.
Her sweaty fingertips brushed against his warm palm for just a moment, but it sent a strange warmth through her body.
"Uh... th-thank you," she stammered in a sweet voice, then quickly hurried off.
The young mobster stood there, watching the mysterious woman until she vanished, his curiosity piqued. The scent of her lingered at the tip of his nose, and he couldn't recall where he had encountered such a sweet, enticing fragrance before. Oddly, it made him feel refreshed and at ease.
"Uh... sir."
The voice of Tawan, his close subordinate, brought the tall man back to reality. He looked down at his hand, deep in thought, feeling a peculiar unease.
Onyx shook his head, assuming he'd been overworking on programming to the point of exhaustion. He took long strides to the other side, heading into the large bookstore in the mall as he had intended.
"What a crappy day," Praewa muttered, clutching her chest where her heart was pounding as if it would leap out.
She ducked behind a pillar, occasionally peeking at the young executive. Once she saw him leave, she sighed in relief. Onyx rarely visited the mall, and in such a vast place, she managed to bump into him. If that wasn't bad luck, she didn't know what was.
Her face was tense with worry, wondering if he would remember her. However, his unchanged expression somewhat eased her anxiety.
She hurriedly gathered her bags and returned to her place immediately, not daring to linger, afraid she might run into him again.
- Writer
