C5 Episode-5||”The Sweet Stranger”

"Sienna, dude please don't cry", consoled Grace, running towards her bestie. She sat down and hugged Sienna who soaked her top. White drops of snow began conquering the road. Just in a go, the trivial quantity of snow began drenching the two ladies while the commuters rushed inside malls, stalls, and cafes on the road. Grace helped Sienna stand up and pulled her along, hurrying towards the Anna Bar and Restaurant whose name, inscribed on the white-colored board, shined brightly with the blue serial lights on, like a star on the street that half-mooned night.

"Who is he?", cried Sienna, taking a seat on the couch at the receptionist's desk.

"My neighbor", replied Grace, sitting beside her and patting her shoulder.

"Oh shit! Why did he have to risk his life for me?", whispered she, breaking down, "He is behind bars at present, because of me. Why did you guys come here, in the first place?"

"Alice rang me up and informed me…", recollected Grace.

"I won't spare my colleague. I am sorry, David. Sorry sorry!", wept Sienna, once again, as she rested her head on her bestie's shoulder.

As Grace massaged her hair, she wondered, "Why am I not affected by his arrest as much as Sienna? Was I too flirting with him…I don't feel like panicking for him. OH, great heavens! Why am I myself confused with this guy? But, after his interaction with me at the clinic, I felt that I have begun to feel for him…Maybe Sienna is more anxious due to guilt…I just met him. Why am I overthinking? Chuck it, Grace. He is a random fellow-just your neighbor…"

"He was arrested and why are you worried, Sienna?", asked the curious Grace.

"Because it's because of me. Even my kins haven't cared for me till date, as you know!", explained Sienna. Grace nodded, as her friend completed, "He is a complete stranger. He is such a sweet and kind gentleman, probably the first human whom I have ever seen for he entered my life just at the right time to fight those evil demons like a warrior."

"What? Have you fallen for him already?", enquired Grace.

Sienna withdrew her head from Grace's chest and shook her head." no, not at all. We just met and didn't even interact much! But, by the way, he rescued me, I would like to see him as my well-wisher that's all, again, only because he saved my life…"

Grace smiled, nodding, and informed her, "But, please do not go hard on poor Alice. I was the one who asked her to put a word to me in case something happened to you in the night bar. Ever since you shared that you will be working at the Anna night bar, I have been restless, dude. Why did you have to accept and do such a risky job? Are you seriously out of your mind? Can't you understand how unsafe it is for a young girl like you?..."

"I know", nodded Sienna, holding her friend's hand and interrupting her, "But, I have been trained in self-defense for quite a few days before I joined as a waiter in the night bar. In fact, I could have saved myself despite David's absence but his intervention has made things worse now."

"Whatever, but you weren't defending when we came. At least I didn't notice anything!", highlighted Grace.

"Before I could initiate myself, David jumped to the playground. What else do you expect from me?", said Sienna, slapping her own forehead. "Grace, listen to me. A waiter is supposed to treat their customers with the utmost hospitality. Your neighbor violated the basic rule. I hope the incident doesn't cause problems for the restaurant's reputation. It's a threat to our business…"

"Shut up, dude!", intervened Grace. She stood up and continued, "I do value and understand your dreams in life. But it was heights of you to accept to work as a female waiter at a night bar just for extra income to near your ambitions sooner. But, aren't you risking your own life? Safety always comes first. Why don't you understand?"

Sienna stood up and clarified," No, according to me, a chef and a waiter at Anna bar and restaurant, our restaurant's reputation, customer's satisfaction irrespective of the customer's attitude and our business, of course, come above our own safety. Anyways, I knew self-defense. He shouldn't have unnecessarily interfered that's all I want to add…"

"Please accept that you couldn't do anything to protect yourself. Thank David and don't blame him. The goons were about to…", said she, reminding her.

"I knew self-defense. I just told you, right? Before I could apply what, I have learned, as a beginner…", reasoned she. They were interrupted as the bruised goons were escorted on stretchers by ward boys, towards the opened door of the beeping ambulance.

"That's why I was reluctant to permit you", yelled Mr. Dany, getting up from his seat, as he pushed his rolling chair behind and its black metallic wheels rolled until it hit the wall behind. It was around eleven the next morning. Sienna shivered and closed her eyes, swallowing her fear, standing opposite his table, inside the manager's cabin, well-lit by the bright Sun whose rays pierced through the balcony door.

"Have a look at today's number one trending YouTube video", informed he, playing a video on his smartphone. She sighed and threw her mouth open at David thrashing the goons in the video. The theme song of Frank Lucas was being played in the background as David forced the bottle back onto the goon. The very scene was broadcasted, in slow motion. The video concluded by mentioning the location of the incident as Anna Bar and Restaurant in Los Angeles. It had won a million likes and shares overnight!

"Oh no! Sir, I wasn't aware of this…It was unprecedented although I anticipated a little of the same sort. Is he featured on the Los Angeles meme page on Instagram as well?", enquired the started chef.

Dany laughed, teasing," Yes, why not? Go and hit a like on the page. Come on do it right now, Sienna. That's the only need of the hour even at this critical state to which we have been thrown!"

"No, I didn't mean that way…Am I too featured anywhere, sir?", interrogated she, like a school kid fearing if the teacher had spotted the mistake in her homework as well, for she had deducted marks to her mates.

He laughed again, frowning at her and screwing her, "Finished is our business of the night bar. Our competitors have already been waiting years over years to bring us down. You gave them a beautiful opportunity. All because of you, Sienna. I will never let another female waiter work for our night bar again. Your boy-friend. I won't spare him either. Although you know self-defense tips, these boy-friends won't be quiet watching their girl-friends getting into such troubles…"

"Sir, no. You are mistaken. He isn't my boyfriend. In fact, when he appeared, I didn't even know him. It was only after the cops dragged him away, that I learned that he was my best friend's neighbor…", elaborated Sienna.

The enraged manager chuckled, adding," Wow! That's why he cares so much for you that he would not mind getting imprisoned?"

He picked up his file and headed towards the main door. She showed a form and requested him to sign thereby granting her the permission to look up the CCTV camera to save David. Her boss, being pissed upfront, denied it right away.

"The cops won't release him unless there is some form of evidence to prove his innocence. He is a good man. He saved me from the goons-he saved my life. Please do me this favor, sir. I feel extremely bad, selfish, and guilty that I put a sweet stranger in trouble. Understand my problem, sir please...", she requested.

"Wow! Sienna, I am not open-minded enough to rescue a guy who ruined my business. I doubt if we can still expect at least a customer from tonight at the bar. You understand me and ask your boyfriend to stay away from my restaurant. Get lost now.", shouted he, rushing outside.

A while later, Grace and Sienna stood outside the security cabin in a corner, far away from the entrance of the restaurant and facing the lawn. Sienna sighed, asking, "How do we save David now? How do we manage to grab the CCTV footage? That's the only way we can approach the attorney and help David…"

"I am your best friend. I will help you, dude. Moreover, he is my neighbor too. This is my chance to portray my hospitality towards him. Your mission is also mine for I must respect my neighborhood.", said Grace, smiling and walking inside the cabin.

They greeted the security guard, dressed in a light blue shirt with thick black cotton strips stitched on his shoulders. He nodded, as Sienna requested the last night's CCTV footage of the night bar.

"No way! It's permitted only under the manager's approval. Have you got it?", denied the guard and returned to scrolling feeds on Facebook. The two ladies shook their heads at each other. The guard gestured with his right hand, asking them to leave his cabin. As Sienna joined her hands and pleaded with tears in her eyes, he got up and followed them until they were finally out. He closed the door behind him and sat back on his bench.

A young man with dark brown eyes and a brown beard, in his early thirties, dressed in a black suit, waved at his driver. He got down from his car and headed towards the entrance of the restaurant through the clean passage between the lawn and the building. Grace smiled at Sienna and caught her hands, exclaiming," Dude, I have a brilliant idea! "As Sienna rose her eyebrows and shrugged, "Anthony bro!", called out Grace.