Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 439

The market seemed a good cure for his bored self, so he walked the short distance to the mass of sights and sounds. Hands shoved
deep in the pocket of his trousers, he walked aimlessly around, basking in the rush of the bustling people. Then a light blue figure
crashed into his side, and he jolted as he felt his arm come alive with sparks. Reaching out and casting a glance at the intruder, his
gaze came into contact with the same pair of brown eyes that was so painfully embedded in the depths of his memory.
Regaining her composure and muttering soft apologies for her clumsiness, she silently cursed at the pushing crowd. Lifting her
eyes, she found herself lost in the swirling sea of forest green orbs that were already staring into her bare soul. The hectic activity
carried on ceaselessly, but they blurred and faded away in the presence of this mysterious yet captivating man.
With great effort, he tore his eyes from hers. She looked dazed, but to him a breathtakingly beautiful specimen. His heart
thudded erratically, but he willed himself to calm down. British tongue was not commonplace, so he retrieved a crumpled piece
of paper from his pocket and inked it with his elegant cursive, letters twirling and combining to form a simple plea for a
rendezvous.
She stood flustered in the middle of the street, complete with a rapidly beating heart, a tinted blush across her cheeks and a
wrinkled sheet clutched tightly in her hands. She scanned the contents—it took her a while, but owing to the homeschooling
she had done in earlier years, she triumphed in translating the phrases. She gasped when her mind registered what the note was
implying—she wanted to learn more about the stranger whom she felt powerless under, yet this felt no different than cheating
on her fiancé. Even though love was not evident in their relationship, she still felt an obligation to respect their engagement and
not to linger around other men. Her mind was turning the matter over and over, but deep down she knew her heart had
already made the decision without a moment of hesitation—tomorrow midnight, she would meet him at Nanking Road.
He crouched behind a stall and waited for her reaction with bated breath. He saw her initial shock, then his lips turned upwards
and a grin bloomed across his features as she smiled and looked as if she had made a decision that favoured the Brit. His heart
beat in wild anticipation—he couldn’t wait till tomorrow’s promising nightfall.
After a restless night of twisting, turning and thinking, she was antsy throughout the day, failing to concentrate on her work of
delicate embroidery. Sighing, she left the piece of art on a table and laid in bed, closing her eyes shut—only to find a pair of