CHAPTER THIRTY SIX: AN EXPOSITORY OF THE PAST( PART 30); THE DOLLOP OF CREAM.

"How was the service here?" Ali Maddox inquired.

"Great?" He added.

Her soft auburn hair bounced along as she shook her head vigorously in acceptance.

"What about dessert?" Ali Maddox asked Rylee Athena as he glanced at the a la carte menu.

"Ice cream sundae seems to be good, do you want some?" Ali Maddox inquired before Rylee

Athena nodded her head in acceptance again making her soft auburn hair to bounce along.

Ali Maddox soon called over the waiter and ordered dessert before he took out his phone and

informed his grandpa of their whereabouts and explained to him why Rylee Athena had not

visited him in centuries.

He then swiftly placed his phone on the table and titled his head towards Rylee Athena who was

busy looking around the place.

The place was full of different types of people of different statues.

Some wore normal clothing while others expensive clothing adorned with expensive jewellery.

"Grandpa has missed you, when will you visit him?" Ali Maddox inquired.

"Tomorrow I guess, if I do not have any work." Rylee Athena replied as she looked at the

colourful nail polish on her fingernails.

Soon, the waiter walked over to their table and gave them the ice cream sundaes before he

quickly turned and left.

Rylee Athena glanced at the ice cream sundae in a daze, she had never eaten such a thing not to

mention see it with her two big eyes.

Rylee Athena grabbed the plastic spoon in front of her and tore open the transparent wrapping

paper.

She handed over the plastic spoon to Ali Maddox then took the second plastic spoon, tore open the transparent wrapping paper.

Rylee Athena dipped the plastic spoon into the creamy ice cream sundae before she took it up

filled with the ice cream sundae and carefully placed the plastic spoon in her mouth.

Her body shivered a bit at the touch of the ice cream sundae and her warm tongue.

The ice cream sundae was sweet and incredibly delicious.

When she took the second bite, a dollop of some creamy substance which was a white creamy

colour was left on the right corner of her mouth.

Ali Maddox stretched out his hand and carefully wiped the creamy white substance using his long

and slender index finger.

His hand froze momentarily when he realized what he had done and he quickly retreated his hand

and wiped off the creamy white substance with the tissue paper that had accompanied the ice

cream sundaes on the black plastic tray.

"You...you...you...you..." Ali Maddox was stunned at his behaviour for he could not even compose

a sentence.

"Oh! I had a cream on the right corner of my mouth so you helped me wipe it off. Thank you."

Rylee Athena hepled him construct his sentence and then continued eating as if nothing had even

happened.

'What is wrong with me? I cannot even talk to my employee?' Ali Maddox asked himself as  he stared at his ice cream sundae.

He then looked at her and smiled then continued eating.

After sometime, a waitress approached them while carrying two, fluffy teddy bears and a camera. She stopped once in front of them, smiled amiably exposing her eggshell white teeth and then said, "Hello there miss and mister. You are our 1,000th couple to come since the year began. And since you are lucky, we give you couple teddy bears, and you take a picture to hang in our restaurant."

And when the waitress finished talking, Rylee Athena looked at her in an amused fashion.

"He's.... he's....not," she then stopped explaining and continued eating.

"So, let's go!" The waitress continued and took the two to a red wall. They stood together, smiling fake smiles and holding the teddy bears.

"Come on, get closer." The waitress added.

When the two finally stepped closer to one another, the took the picture and thanked the two who retired to the hotel immediately after finishing eating.

......

Rylee Athena sat down on her bed and stared at the sunset through the french window. It was so beautiful, the orange strokes, the purple clouds, the soothing sound of the seagulls and children playing on the beach.

She knew very well that her days of enjoying such rare opportunities were diminishing. She had to cherish them before they faded away.

The next morning, they would have been leaving the next morning and she had to prepare herself.

......

In that large capital city , from early morning, traffic started building up. Crowds of pedestrians, shoppers and others could be seen walking along the pavements outside the shops or trying to cross the road. The noise of cars and taxis hooting, or of scooters, flying past was deafening. Anyone who stopped by to watch the scene was amazed at the number of vehicles zooming past or crawling along when caught at the traffic lights.

The people, mainly lady shoppers with children, line the street as they await an opportunity to cross the road. It was a bright and gay scene. The main attraction was the variety of textile shops, departmental stores, the Selangor Emporium, carpet shops, restaurants, jewellers or electrical goods shops, pavement stalls with small items like costume jewellery, toys and aluminium cooking utensils and vendors attracting customers to buy their wares.

In the hustle and bustle, one could savour the delicious aroma of Oriental delicacies floating in the air. It came from ' fried chicken', ' french fries ', pungent curries, fried eggs and sweet meats, tempting passers-by to stop for some refreshment.

The vehicle drove off to Max's Corporation building. Ali Maddox got off and walked his  office. This was because Rylee Athena had been left in the hotel together with Christopher Connor

......

Rylee Athena who was in a white, off shoulder evening gown and strap heels and Christopher Connor who was in a blue suit walked to the parking of the building.

Rylee Athena boarded the back seat of his sports car although it was not very spacious, she had chosen it over the front seat.

"Where are we going?" Rylee Athena inquired as she looked at the time on her white, leather wristwatch. It was half past seven o'clock in the morning.

"What about going to the Hilton hotel?" Christopher Connor suggested.

The Hilton hotel was one of the most luxurious hotels in the whole of the capital city. It had been given a five star rating by it's customers.

The engine of the sports car roared,  to show it's power; like a lion or a leopard in the bush.

"How is it?" Christopher Connor shouted above the roar.

He then looked at Rylee Athena from the rear view mirror.

"Do you agree or disagree?" He shouted again.

" I've never been to that hotel but I am sure it has amazing food." Rylee Athena replied as she buckled up.

......

On arrival to the hotel, Christopher Connor parked his car. At that time, it was much easier to talk.

Rylee Athena looked at the design of the hotel from the exterior and smiled. The fountain at the entrance was magnificent. The lights that came from the flickering fairy lights was magical. The whole place looked like Disneyland.

"When you were here last time, did you enjoy the food?" Rylee Athena inquired as she fixed her lipstick.

Christopher Connor nodded his head in acceptance as he got off the car and politely held the car door open for Rylee Athena.

"Very much," He then replied, "The food here is always excellent." He concluded.