"Thank you, but I'd rather just pay for my shopping." I replied, turning away from him to face the cashier. My heartbeat at this moment could be felt hard against my chest as I became nervous about how this little drama would turn out. As much as I loved his presence, I needed to give myself some dignity, or perhaps play hard to get it. Then, very awkwardly, I heard his whisper close to my left ear.
"And what if this Mr. Stranger does not take no for an answer?" He chuckled.
"Well, perhaps this would be your very first. Welcome to the new normal!"
"Would the normal include me having your digits for a date later in the evening, of course if you aren't busy?"
As much as I was loving this, I needed to wrap it up fast. The cashier stared at us as though we were two young lovers playing a game, while the queue behind us began to build up. "You don't give up, do you?" I asked.
"I don't plan on giving up on the ravishing beauty that you are." He replied. I felt the butterflies in my stomach bubble; it was unknown to me that I had just stumbled on something that would make my world rumble.
"Since you insist, be prepared to have your account emptied; my orders are quite expensive." I chuckled and stepped aside to give him my way as he approached the cashier with his credit card. Now I get to see his full physique. He was averagely built and, in his early 30s, probably wore a vintage pant and sneakers. He looked cute, and all I did was struggle to reveal how my soul longs for more of this stranger. Perhaps because it's been a long time since I fell for any guy since my last relationship eight months ago, every inch of me wants much of him right now. I watched him pay both for his shopping and mine. He had picked up some perfume and a few things I could not decipher despite my squinted, inquisitive eyes.
"So, may I know your name?" He asked, and as he held out the door for me to exit the supermarket, the sun was retracting. I saw some children running about with masks on their faces. It reminded me of when I was in that age group, always excited about Halloween.
"Rebecca, but you can call me Becca."
"That's cool. I'm Light." He replied.
I stopped briefly to assimilate what I had just heard. "You mean your name is light?" I retorted.
"Yeah." He replied with a smirk.
"That's strange. It's cool, though." I replied.
"Nice to meet you, Light, and thank you for paying for my shopping." I continued.
"With all, please, beautiful Becca." He gestured, making me blush. We talked for a while, enjoying the laughter that emanated from our conversation. It seemed we had known each other for a long time, and our connection seemed just perfect for the moment.
"This is where we say goodbye." I said with a smile, flagging down an approaching cab.
"See you by 7 p.m. tonight? I'll wait for you at Best's Restaurant." He shouted as I hopped into the cab that took me home. With barely 2 hours before the hour of 7 p.m., a part of me wanted to take things slow with Light, but my hormones flushed through my being, desirous in haste to spend more time with him and perhaps have an adventure. I giggled as I remembered the brief but interesting walk I had with Light.
When I got home, I took a small nap and woke up just in time to prepare for my date. I wore a purple, overflowing gown adorned with beautiful stones, bringing out elegance and brightness with every ray of light, even at dusk. Best's restaurant was popular in town, even though it was located on the outskirts of town.
My cab just arrived on time at the restaurant. If there was one thing I was good at, it was keeping time. I walked into the restaurant, feeling numerous eyes on me. Just as I walked up to an empty table, as though the ground would open and swallow me, the fragrance of Light's perfume exhilarated me as it comforted me. Right there, I saw him in a navy blue tuxedo with a sparkling black shoe. We were a perfect match for the night, as I felt piercing eyes trail us to our seats.
My order was light, as I did not want to upset my stomach. We chatted excitedly, ranging from philosophy to politics to soccer, and quickly, the night dawned on us as we got carried away talking. I noticed Light evaded talking about his home and only spoke vaguely about it. "We have a long way ahead, so no rush," I thought to myself as we walked out of the restaurant. The weather outside the restaurant was chill, but what worried me more was the fact that no cab was in sight. We began to stroll down the road, hoping any cars would pass by and be kind enough to give us a lift. Being in Light's company made me less worried as we walked through the night. It was about midnight, and only the moon and stars offered illumination.
After about twenty-five minutes of walking, I felt an unusual chill rush through my spine as the weather suddenly got colder. I held onto Light's arm, fear gripping me more than I held him. I had heard scary tales about the graveyard tonight, and I prayed more than ever, even though I knew silently that none of them were true. Light became unusually silent, and while I hastened my steps, he seemed to lag behind.
"I'm home, Becca."
"What do you mean by that?" My voice quivered.
"That's my home." He said, pointing to the graveyard, that a distant light was illuminating part of the graveyard.
My heartbeat became erratic, adrenaline rushing through my being. I froze at that instance; my feet suddenly felt heavy, unable to move despite the abundance of adrenaline that overwhelmed my body.
"Light, are you a ghost?" The words managed to escape from my lips. I watched him smirk as he walked towards the light in the graveyard, beckoning me to come over. Like a flash that hit my senses, a strange but welcomed energy grasped me, and my heels took off back in the direction of the road. I came without looking back. My head felt heavy as though it drew me back from my feet, but all I wished for was safety. I ran with all my might, and gratefully, I arrived at Best's restaurant. My shoe was lost with my hands holding up my gown, and the way I barged in scared the few people remaining in the restaurant. People came to my rescue as I struggled to catch my breath.
Eventually, when I narrated my ordeal, a section of the restaurant was prepared for me, where I spent the night. I barely slept throughout the night; my thoughts ravaged about Light and the light in the graveyard. "Was Light actually a ghost?" The thought haunted me before I gave in to sleep.