SHOCKING CONNECTION

"Whew! We made it!"

Koby breathed out a sigh of relief. 

They were already in front of the Binge Beach Restaurant. 

Koby glanced at Zoe, who went mute as they drove through after that unfortunate incident.

After a few minutes, she finally spoke out.

"This was the last day I'm going to ride with you,"

She breathed out in a serious tone and looked sharply at Koby.

Koby gasped from Zoe's reaction.

At a snail's pace, his smiling face turned into a grimace.

It is what Zoe was after. As soon as she saw that, she blurted out.

"In your dreams!" She grinned at him.

And then she added. "You're a good driver. Thank you for driving me safely. High -five!"

Zoe cheered on as she raised her palm.

"For real?" Koby simpered and accepted her morale-boosting effort by clapping his palm with hers.

"Sort of. Maybe in the future, I'll drive."

Zoe laughed as she opened the car door and went out.

She walked at breakneck speed. The whole ordeal exhausted her.

She hasn't eaten anything yet, since the Reeftastic Tour up to now.

"In my current state, I could eat a horse!"

She was near the door of the cafe and just shifted back to check on Koby when she saw that he was not alone.

He was talking to another man in front of a parked car.

"Who could that be?"

She uttered to herself as she walked back to check on whom he was.

She was horrified at what she saw. An enormous bald man with barbell earrings was just talking to Koby.

"That tattoo!"

And she saw a tattoo of an eyeless demon whispering on his neck.

She could not forget that tattoo. It was Lady Zhou's bodyguard!

"Why would Koby be talking to him?"

She flew back to the restaurant like a whirlwind. She doesn't want to cross paths with that man or her master ever again.

She remembered how she threatened her the last time that they met.

It's not that she was afraid of her. But her recent experiences made her fear for her life.

"Raigon, where are you?"

She fidgeted her hands, thinking of where she might cower away.

She drew in a deep breath and thought hard.

"Maybe it was just a coincidence. Koby's a nice man. He might just be an acquaintance of that egghead. Or perhaps they were just talking about how they park their cars or something."

"One chicken and bacon ranch melt. And one Mediterranean veg panini please,"

Zoe ordered to detach herself from her negative thoughts.

"Are you buying the other one for me?"

A man spoke from behind her back. Zoe's hand suddenly flew to her chest.

She slowly swiveled and peeked at who he was.

Her face turned ashen white. Who else would she be expecting?

"No, they're all mine."

She beamed at Koby as she tried to hide her jitters away.

She may not have proven anything yet.

So she needs to make it look like she doesn't know whatsoever.

Koby chuckled. "Okay, since you order two, I'll order a double as well."

"Do you have an Ultimate Meatball today?"

He asked the waitress in a jolly but courteous tone.

"Yes, sir Koby."

She replied to her, grinning from ear to ear as she punched in his order.

"Thank you, Sabrina."

He smiled at her and gave her his payment.

"I'll pay for hers as well."

He motioned in Zoe's direction and winked at the waitress.

The waitress glanced at her and bowed before replying to Koby.

"I'll take care of it, sir."

She gazed at her and smiled knowingly.

Zoe observed the conversation between the two.

It seemed that they knew each other for a coon's age.

Ring! Ring!

All of them looked at their pockets for their phone. It was Koby's.

He picked it up to answer it. But he didn't leave Zoe without a word.

"I'll be back." He said to Zoe before answering the phone.

'He was too prim and proper for me to think badly of him.' Zoe contemplated.

But just to clear her mind, she decided to probe on the waitress.

"Hi, Sabrina! You know Koby, right?"

She asked her casually, trying to act friendly towards her.

"Only a little, ma'am. He was a regular here,"

She proudly answered her.

Zoe looked around. There were no customers behind her during that period, so she could talk to her freely.

"That's great! Can I ask you who he was with most of the time? I need to make sure if he's single, you know."

She winked at her and giggled with her elbow on the counter.

"Oh! Don't worry mam. You're the first single lady that I saw him bring here." She laughed demurely.

"No way!"

Zoe exclaimed as she breathed out a sigh of relief.

"There's another woman that she brings here, Lady Zhou. But she's not single so she's not counted. You don't have to worry at all, mam."

She assured her confidently.

Zoe gripped on the counter as her knuckles became white.

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

What we see is only a fractional part of what it really is.

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