Thank you all so much for reading. I am overwhelmed by all your kind words and comments. This is my first fanfic and I'm really excited to write it.
Here's the second chapter. Hope you enjoy it!
** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters.**
She opened the message and spit out her coffee upon seeing the picture that was sent to her.
Liz stared at a blurry picture with no written text, but clearly could see Samar's dark brown hair and brown eyes looking into the camera. Behind her Liz saw the back of a man who apparently was still sleeping.
"Oh my god," she nearly screamed at her phone.
"Good heaven's. Either that coffee is really hot or really bad," The man with the newspaper sitting beside her laughed and lowered his reading material. Liz had forgotten that she wasn't alone, and looked up to see the man in his late forties, who wore cognac-colored sunglasses and a beige straw hat. He was dressed in a light three-piece suit with a matching, but expensive-looking silk tie and brown shoes. He looked very charming, yet distinguished, she thought.
"Oh no, not at all, it's my friend Samar. She sent me a picture and well, I just… I don't know what to say." Liz blushed and dropped her phone in her bag.
"Good," he replied. "For a second there, I thought Starbucks finally found a victim of their so-called coffee."
Liz smiled at him and felt a bit embarrassed over her earlier reaction. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I didn't get coffee on you, did I?"
"Don't you worry about it", he smiled and said. "This reminds me of my first visit to Panama. I was enjoying some quiet time at a local market near Mount Barú, drinking a cup of fresh brewed Hacienda La Esmeralda coffee, when a seven foot tall rugby player from New Zealand bumped into me and managed to make me spill my coffee and ruin my new suit. However sad it was to waste such a precious and tasteful cup of coffee, I managed to survive that hardship as well. "
"I do hope your friend didn't cause you any trauma. You seemed quite shocked from what you saw on your phone."
"Oh no," she smiled. "Not at all, but thanks for asking."
She wasn't at all shocked from the photo Samar sent her, but she was determined to discover what exactly happened last night during the first date.
"Well it looks like you survived your ordeal," he laughed. "I do wish I could find out exactly what surprised you so much, but unfortunately I must be getting on my way, as I have some business to attend to."
He rose then, adjusted the brim of his hat, and turned toward her. "I wish you a lovely morning and enjoy the rest of your day, Miss".
Before she could reply anything, he had started walking away. "Sir, you left your newspaper!" she called after him, but he did not turn around.
She looked at her phone, opened the picture again, and hit reply to Samar's text. All she could type was "?"
Liz remained stayed in the park for a while. It was such a beautiful day and she thought she might as well enjoy it. She grabbed the newspaper the man had forgotten earlier and skimmed the pages looking for something interesting but light to read.
"Ah, here we go," she thought. "A travel commentary on the new hotspots in Panama."
She smiled as she thought back to the comment the man made earlier. Getting coffee spilled on by a seven foot rugby player near a mountain in Panama sounded quite bizarre, but she figured some people have more interesting lives than others. She wondered if there was more to that story and found herself intrigued by the handsome man.
Her phone buzzed again. A new text from Samar. "Much to tell, I'll see you in class."
"Right." Liz thought. "We'll see if you make it, my friend." She started reading the article on Panama while thinking about the man in the hat.
TBC