Right on time, in exactly the place that he had been told, she exited the black cab. He stared as she extended one leg after the other to descend gracefully from the vehicle. His heart skipped a beat as she came fully into view.
Closing the door of the cab firmly behind her and nodding in acknowledgment to the driver, she appeared unchanged. It had been six years since he had last seen her, he reflected sadly.
Suddenly, she turned causing him to retreat quickly into the doorway of an upmarket boutique to avoid detection. Instead, she crossed the road, picking up speed to evade the oncoming traffic. It was at that point that he could take a proper look at her.
She hugged her overcoat around her to protect her from the chill winter wind and shifted her handbag from one arm to the other. In profile she had retained her slender, elegant figure, he noted. Her hair was, however, notably shorter than he had remembered and it was now offset by blonde highlights. Had he not known better, she would have passed effortlessly for one of the high class English ladies he had encountered in his short time so far in the city.
Permitting her to stride some way ahead first, he then followed in pursuit. He knew where she was going. His people had studied her routine carefully. Today was her day for retail therapy followed by lunch.
The doorman greeted her obsequiously as he held the door open for her. He gave it a minute, noting how much colder it was here than back at home. When he was sure that she would be fully ensconced in the store he decided that it would be safe to enter.
He smiled to himself as he spotted her at one of the beauty counters on the ground floor. Some things never change, he told himself with a sense of relief. He watched from a safe distance as she made her purchases, pausing to sample the wares on offer before selecting what she desired.
He wanted to go over, to make his presence known, but he knew that would be a mistake. He had to try to assess how she was before making any approach. He watched as she took the beautifully wrapped parcel from the assistant, bade her farewell and made for the escalator. Did he dare follow her, he asked himself. What if she saw him?
He studied the store guide to evaluate where she might go next. Deciding that it was probably the womenswear department, he paused for several seconds and waited for the lift. He knew it was risky but, having finally seen her, he couldn't find it in him to walk away.
As he exited the lift she came into view. He dodged behind a pillar and gazed at her. This time he could see her fully. He was surprised to see from a closer angle that, despite her beauty, she had a tired and almost careworn expression. He also noted that she was browsing the aisles without any apparent enthusiasm. A wave of regret washed over him not for the first time since he had arrived.
She glanced at her watch and then returned to what she was doing. He stared at her, the desire to approach almost overwhelming. She looked up and smiled briefly in the opposite direction. An expensively dressed woman of around the same age walked over to her, took her hand and kissed her on the cheek.
She held a dress up to herself and her friend nodded in approval. For the first time she smiled widely causing his stomach to lurch. That smile had been the first thing that had made him fall in love with her, he remembered. For a long time, he doubted he would ever see that smile again but the intelligence he had gained had led to the inevitability of him being here. The question was what should he do now?
Backing off slightly, he observed the two women walk away, arm in arm, the dress that she had been looking at having been placed neatly back onto the rail. If his information was correct, she would make her way to the top floor brasserie for a light lunch before making her way home in time for their son's arrival back from school. It was time to leave, he decided. There was a lot of thinking yet to do.
The doorbell rang jolting her from her thoughts. She looked at the mantle clock and was perplexed. Her husband wouldn't be home for at least another few hours, gauging his return tactically for when she would be in bed.
Walking to the door, she answered the intercom. "Delivery for you Mrs Lockwood." Unpersuaded, she peeped through the spy hole in the centre of the door before finally opening it. "These are for you" the young man told her, passing a lavishly wrapped oblong box over to her. She thanked him, closed the door and turned on the main light to see.
Confused, she placed the box on the hall table and lifted the lid. She hadn't been expecting anything today, not with the way that things were between them, she mused sadly. She had to clutch the edge of the table to steady herself once she realised. Fingering the delicate yellow petals of the dozen perfectly arranged roses, her stomach tied in knots, she knew.
Opening the door, she found him standing there. "Hello darlin" JR greeted her.
The End.