It was a self-defense measure, after all.
Curiosity took hold over him, and the misanthrope slowly reversed the paper to the back. Scrawled across it was a curious phrase, followed by what he assumed was a cell number. So that's what she wanted all along? Just to speak with him, not to chastise him for his abrasive demeanor or any other nefarious deed. All that suspicion and extrapolation amounted to nothing more than a minor misunderstanding. He was, after all, nineteen - not nearly as ancient as he behaved half the time. Flirting wasn't necessarily out of the realm of possibility.
Alois breathed a relieved sigh. She was long gone by now, but he didn't need her present in the store to salvage the situation. Since Katarin was still immersed in the back room, and no one needed to visit the front for at least another hour, Alois slipped his cell phone from his pocket and keyed the number into its battered black number pad.
It was time to draft a text:
_____You left your change. You should come pick it up sometime.
Satisfied with hiding his acceptance in the nuances of professionalism, Alois hit send and watched the tired old animation flash across the screen. Why not give it a shot? He had nothing to lose; if his plans panned out, he wouldn't see her for long regardless. The Rift was no place for timid girls like her.
elza magica
closed! thanks elza!
