1985 London, England
The sun was shining extraordinarily bright on a Sunday afternoon as not a single cloud shrouded the sky. It was uncommon for the greater London area to experience such beautiful weather. In fact, Winnie couldn't last remember the day when the city streets were bathed in warm sunlight. She couldn't help but to press her nose against the window of the cab, staring out into the distance as she whizzed down Epmond Lane.
The cab came to a gentle stop as she gathered her things from the seat beside her. Winnie slid her sunglasses from her head to her nose while stepping out onto the sidewalk. In her hand she held a brown paper bag containing her breakfast for the day. Late Sunday shoppers littered the streets as they darted in and out of each designer brand. Tall women strode confidently with numerous shopping bags held in each hand; their noses pressed high into the air.
Winnie's eyes fell on a storefront that showcased a pair of stilettos with daring heights. She beamed from excitement upon seeing the rows of shoes that filled the store inside. She stuck her hand inside the paper bag and began to nibble on the croissant she purchased earlier. As the crowd continued to hustle and bustle, Winnie made a beeline towards the fabulous retail giant.
"Argh," she mumbled as she felt a sharp pain shoot up her calf. With every step she took, Winnie felt an ache burrowing deep into her legs. She developed a slight limp after wearing her newly bought Clement Boissieu sandals. The shoes were limited edition; she just had to own a pair. However, the sandals were impractical for walking more than a furlong in. Luckily, she had left the city landscape and was now trudging along the groomed sidewalks of a nearby neighbourhood. She even saw the roof of her apartment complex in the near distance.
The pain soon began to feel unbearable. If it weren't the hefty price she paid for the sandals, Winnie would've slung them off half a mile ago. She thought back to the seven-hour photoshoot she had to endure that ultimately helped pay for the shoes.
"Are these really worth it?"
She glanced down at the gold accents on her sandals.
"Worth it." She sighed.
"Ah, ah!" Winnie whined as she hobbled along the sidewalk. Her feet were red with stress and she felt a blister forming on her toes. She leaned on the entrance gate of the apartment compound and let herself in.
"Oh!" She exclaimed in surprise. A familiar man from the night before stood standing in front of the glass doors of her building. Winnie recognized the man immediately. She noticed him peering inside the empty lobby, looking for someone. He appeared less rugged than he did under the dim light at the bar last night. He was an older gentleman, 10 or 15 years her senior. His tailored suit and expensive watch made him look more dapper in the sunlight, she thought.
"Levi! How may I be of your pleasure?" Winnie plastered on a delightful smile and strode towards him. He gave her a tight-lipped smile.
"You weren't returning my calls. I thought you might've died." He replied with thick sarcasm. Winnie felt uncomfortable by the direct confrontation. She hid her uneasy expression with a friendly laugh.
"I got home very late last night, as did you," she winked at him. "I woke up extremely late this morning, at a Godly hour really," she continued while making her way up the front steps.
"And all that sleep made my face look so puffy!" She rummaged around her bag, searching desperately for her keys. "So, I thought, hey, I ought to treat myself to a rejuvenating blood facial!"
Levi eyed the playful girl suspiciously. He was deciding whether her excuse was plausible or not.
"I left you thirteen calls." He responded. Again, Winnie laughed.
"Yes!" She exclaimed. "I saw them all before I woke up. You see, I was starving by the time I woke up that focusing on what my breakfast would be was the only thing on my mind."
"You couldn't have made a simple good morning call?" He asked. It was then she realized that her decorated keychain sat on the kitchen counter upstairs. Winnie bit down on her bottom lip as she contemplated her next move.
"The lines were down!" She shouted desperately. Winnie had no intention to spend her day off with this man again. His inappropriate behaviour from the night prior left her feeling sour and exhausted. He drowned himself in alcohol while bragging about his insane fortune for nearly five hours. Winnie stopped entertaining him after his third drink. The night was unbearable for Winnie but at least he paid for her expensive dinner.
"I should make a call to London's telephone providers then," he muttered under his breath. Winnie could feel the sun beating down on her back as she remained trapped on the porch. It was obvious that Levi couldn't handle being ignored.
"Doesn't this man understand boundaries?" She thought.
As much as she wanted to tell him off, she felt indebted towards him as he had previously covered her rent once (or was it twice?) when Winnie was short.
"Right!" Winnie spoke up. "I had a wonderful time with you last night and I do wish to see you again-" she continued as an unknown man nudged her from behind. Looking over her shoulder she noticed him turn a key into the door of the apartment. His long, curly locks fell in front of his face, covering any identifiable features. She did, however, observe the swirls of black art that covered his forearm and bicep. A portrait of a beautiful young woman adorned his left forearm in red and black ink.
"Excuse me," he muttered as he nudged her again whilst opening the door. Before the glass screen could shut from behind him, Winnie wedged her leg to keep the door open.
"It was lovely seeing you." Winnie stuttered as she slipped inside the lobby of the apartment. Levi jumped at the handle and held the door open for a moment more.
"When will I see you again?'
Winnie flashed him a dazzling smile. "You have my number." She said while slamming the door shut. Before Levi could protest, Winnie turned on her heel and dashed up a flight of concrete stairs.
"Hey!" Levi's muffled voice shouted from outside the door. "You said your line was down!"