Hong Kong was stunning at night, with the lights of the city creating such an ethereal look through the roofs of the buildings. Rina stood by the window with a glass of wine in one hand, gazing at every corner. Her eyes shone brightly and a zap of energy passed through her. Despite the fact that she’d just been on a trip, she felt the need to do something rather than gaze at the city. She hadn’t heard from Zayn since the last time they spoke and it bothered her. Even though Rina knew he was fine, and probably swamped with work, she still found her eyes straying to her phone on the table, expecting the familiar sound of her message to come in.
But the silence of the room was still in its holistic state and Rina felt she was going to go insane. Her feet moved away from the window and she walked into her room to change out of her nightwear, putting on a black baggy jean made by the Pages of Claire, a pair of dark boots, and a plain white t-shirt. Grabbing her phone from the table, she sauntered out of the room and down the hallway, hitting the button on the elevator to take her down to the first floor.
The receptionists in the lobby got up from their seats the instant they saw her walking towards the glass doors. One of them, a really tall beautiful woman with an aura of sophistication about her, approached Rina politely, armed with a smile. “Are you heading out, ma’am? Or is there anything you need to get out there? We will be honored to get it for you.”
“No,” Rina replied, shaking her head. “I’m just going sightseeing. I shouldn’t be gone for too long. Thank you for the offer, though.”
The lady nodded and let Rina through, returning to her colleagues who were already bombarding her with questions. It was hard reconciling the image people have made about her on the internet to the one they saw right before them. While her anti-fans painted her as mean and cunny, they saw an elegant lady wrapped with a mixture of vulnerability and confidence all in the right amount.
Rina stepped out into the night lights, her feet walking her through unfamiliar paths. The location of the hotel was devoid of a lot of people, surrounded by malls and cinemas. But after a few minutes of walking, she got to the part of the town with more people walking the streets. They were clad in Asian street style and Rina fitted right in, her baggy jeans not looking out of place. That part of the city housed the nightlife, with casinos and lounges lining every corner.
While stores closed for the day, those other spots were just getting right into business and Rina toyed with the idea of stepping into one of them. Her stomach grumbled at that moment, reminding her that she had had nothing to eat since she arrived in Hong Kong. Her nerves had kept her appetite hidden, but now that she had taken her mind off it, Rina felt so hungry that nothing else looked appealing.
Crossing to the other side of the road, Rina walked into a restaurant and slid into a booth in a dimly lit section before anyone could recognize her. A waiter walked over to her and got her order of Chinese noodles and a glass of cocktail. When her food returned, Rina whipped out her phone and took a picture, sending it to Zayn with the caption “another report for the day.” The last one she’d sent just outside the hotel remained unresponded to and Rina tried not to think too much about it, refused to let her heart sink. There was no rule that stated he had to answer immediately.
The noodles were tasty and soon Rina was done with it, her stomach heartily rewarded for having been patient all the while. In an hour, she was out again, continuing her evening stroll. She raised her phone and attempted a selfie, her hair billowing around her. But the angle was all wrong no matter where she placed it. As she tried finding the perfect spot, someone suddenly walked towards her and chuckled, making her withdraw her hands from above her face.
“Let me,” he murmured, holding his hand out for her phone. For a moment, Rina tried to gauge his sudden appearance with his request to help her take a picture, uncertain if he wasn’t a thief who would just end up running away with her phone. His brown eyes remained on her, and Rina allowed her eyes to roam through his other features, noting how tall he was as well as his well-formed muscles, bulging enough for his lanky frame. The stranger had on black jeans as well and Rina identified Claire’s label on them.
“Isn’t a thief then,” she said to herself, before handing the phone over to him, mumbling an apology. Those pants were expensive to be worn by just anyone.
“Great observation skills by the way,” he said as he held out the phone, while Rina smiled at the camera.
“What observation?”
“You studied me before handing your phone over. I’m certain for a moment, you thought I was a thief. It must have crossed your mind.”
“Well, you can’t blame me,” Rina said as she struck another pose under his directive her hands in her hair, ruffling the waves, and her smile gazing somewhere behind him. “No one randomly walks up to a stranger on the street and asks to be a photographer.”
“But you’re not a stranger,” he mused, humor laced in his tone. “More than half the world knows who you are, Rina Power.”
She stopped as he handed over her phone. “There! I got a lot of shots. It’s hard to pick my favorite thought, because you look stunning in everything.”
“Thank you,” Rina breathed, surprised he hadn’t said anything about the rumors about her, or even what she was doing in Hong Kong. Perhaps, like the rest of the people back home, he already knew about her working with Claire.
“Anytime, Rina Power.” He took her hands in his and planted a chaste kiss on the back of her palm before walking away.