*ding dong*
"Welcome to Sunnyside restaurant and bar," said an electronic male voice. Akechi stepped off the brown welcome mat and said, "How cute," with her eyes rolling. The narrow, dark hallway had low-lit silver lights sparkling on the walls and ceilings and tons of people squishy together.
The crowd push and Akechi pushes to break free from the crowd, but they drag her towards the dance floor. When she got to the light pale blue dance floor, the ceiling lights shone multi colors. She dodges swinging hands and moves around dancers to find her pathway off the dance floor to the restaurant entry.
She pushes the restaurant door handle and enters. Then someone called out, "Welcome!" A young man with bowl-cut brunette hair behind a registered desk. He wore a black vest, a yellow button collar shirt, and black pants. "Hi," Akechi said and looked around the fancy restaurant.
The brown tile floor had a cut-off to a red, patterned carpet with gold, blue and green ribbons endlessly intertwined. There are three rows of tables with the same pale blue tablecloth. Akechi walks up to the register.
"Reservation?"
"Yes,"
"Name?"
"Hampton,"
Akechi studied the young man and noted his blue eyes, round eyes, and small lip. His eyes stay on the computer screen, hidden away from the customers. Then she read his name tag, Fanis.
"Okay," Fanis said and picked up a black folded menu into his arm, "Follow me," Akechi stared into his blue eyes and said, "Thank you, Fanis," His eyebrows slightly rose, and a small smile appeared.
"My pleasure,"
Next, Akechi follows Fanis to the reservation table. Then she seated herself down, and Fanis handed the menu to her. "What can I start you with?" Akechi flips open the menu and skims through the listed alcohols page. "A Grinny beer would be nice,"
The waiter wrote down the order on his notepad and said, "Be out shortly," then he left Akechi's table to assist other guests. She continued to flip through the menu and decided on her entrée. Next, she aimlessly gazed around and noted every table had a centerpiece of a glass candle holder with a decoration of false grapevine wrapped around the candle holder. At the corner was a pub next to the employee door. The bar's floor is made of dark brown wooden wax tiles, and the bar table is a golden-brown wax wood, accompanied by a row of red high bar stools with seated patrons. A particular individual caught her attention.
A man with gelled upward thick wavy red hair wearing a green sleeveless crop shirt with a heart and a diamond symbol. On the waist down, he wore baggy white pants with a skintight green coil shirt snug on his belly and had a pair of black flats. His skin was pale white.
What a weirdo.
*ping zzzzzz*
Akechi's cellphone vibrated in the black and white wristlet purse. Perfect timing! She unzips her bag, grabs the cell phone, and scrolls the text message. Such a hottie. A picture of Hampton was sent to her by her best friend, Litzy. Hampton had soft brown short hair with a side swept bang, a clean-cut shave, green-blue eyes, and peach tan skin tone. He wore a torn sleeveless button collar plaid shirt of red and white and blue denim jeans. In the picture, he leans back to a rustic red pickup truck in desert scenery.
Litzy texted, "Keep a lookout for this man."
Akechi texted, "Send his phone number to me,"
"I texted Emily earlier for his phone number, but she is not responding. I will forward it to you when I get Hampton's phone number. Best of luck, lovely,"
"Thanks; hopefully, he shows up before the phone number. Wink."
She returns her cell phone to the purse, then Fanis approaches her table and places a cold Grinny beer on the table with a straw. "Grinny beer,"
"Thank you," Akechi grabbed the Grinny beer and opened the pull-tab can. Next, Fanis pulls out his notepad and asks, "Have you decided on anything or give you more time?"
"I would like to place an order of the Stir fry shrimp vegetables with lemon basil rice,"
"Perfect," he wrote in his notepad and said, "I'm leaving the menu behind for you just in case,"
Across the room at the pub, the red-haired man's companion showed up and pulled up a chair next to him.
"Sorry, I was late," said the long black-haired man with pale skin.
"As long as you show up,"
The bartender brought two lowball glasses with whiskey for the red-haired man and his companion. The red hair man waves away the bartender.
"How long would the Spider be in the city?"
"Until they meet their goal for the auction," said the red-haired man and drank the whiskey.
"What will you do then?"
"If my first plan fails, then you're the backup plan to allow being alone with the Spider head,"
"The risk is very high," said the long black-haired man, who grabs his lowball glass, loses himself in the swirls of whiskey, and then draws his attention back to his companion, "Would anyone else be involved?"
"The lone survivor of the Kurta Clan, Kurapika,"
"One of Gon's friends from the Hunter Exam,"
"Mhm,"
The bartender approaches them and asks, "Would you like more whiskey or a change of drink?"
"A shot of Rye Whiskey," replied the red-haired man.
Meanwhile, Akechi was anxious and bored as she awaited her companion. She waited and waited. No one showed up nor approached her table except for Fanis to bring the entrée and more Grinny beers at her request. She shook her feet, glancing around in case she missed him, but no Hampton and alone at a table for two. In the corner of her eyes, she could not help but notice the duo, the red-haired man and his companion with long black sleek hair to the waist. She gazes at them.
They are pale skin handsome men with unique clothing. The red-haired companion wore a green short sleeve crop shirt with three giant needle pins attached to each side of the shirt and a yellow round stud on the green collar around his neck. He had a loose white shirt and green pants.
Then Fanis stood in front of Akechi and asked, "How are you doing tonight?"
Akechi looks up to a worried face Fanis. "Wonderful," faking a cheerful voice.
"Would you like your check?" Akechi shook her head and replied, "No,"
"I will be right back if you change your mind," He walks away to assist a nearby table of guests. Akechi stretches her neck side to side, then grab her Grinny beer to take a drink, but no liquid comes out.
"Great," She blankly stared at the tablecloth and recalled Litzy's cheerful words.
"At least you're open to the experience." Well, the worst outcome came true, Hampton stood me up. Then she looked back to the handsome duo and, lost in a moment of thought, decided to flag down Fanis.
"Fanis!" shouted Akechi, "Fanis,"
He looks at her, approaches her table, and asks, "Are you ready for your check?"
"Not yet, but I would like to place the same drink as the men," said Akechi and pointed to the two individuals at the pub, "over there,"
"Sure. I will be right back," Fanis walked over to the pub and shouted, "Govin! Govin!"
Govin's head turned to Fanis and replied, "What is it?!" while he was shaking a mixture of alcohol drink.
"Come here," Govin irritated and served his current guests at the bar. Next, he marches to Fanis, "What happened?"
"The two guests' right there," Fanis eyed the two individuals with a slight head jerk, "What did you serve them?"
Govin glanced back then to Fanis and said, "I served White Snake and Rye Whiskey. So, which one does she want?"
"Let me check in with the guest," He returns to Akechi's table and asks, "The bartender served two drinks, White Snake and Rye Whiskey.
Which one would you like to order?"
"The same drink as the redhead,"
"I am going to place the order with the bartender," He said and quickly returned to Govin's pub, "She wants whatever the red-haired man is drinking,"
"A shot of Rye Whiskey coming up," He grabbed a lowball the glass dropped a chunk of ice and filled half of the cup with Rye Whiskey, and served Fanis, "Hopes she likes it,"
Interesting. Smirk the red-haired man and watches Fanis serve the mysterious guest. His body half turned towards Akechi, and their eyes connected. He gave a close-lipped smile at her, and she attempted a smile back at him while drinking the whiskey.
"Uugrk, urgk, hhhahhah," Akechi coughs and sputters the whiskey on the table. Next, she quickly reaches for napkins from a nearby empty table to clean up the mess and glances at the duo. The long black-haired companion met her eyes and quickly diverted his attention. The red hair man hid his face towards his companion. I screw up. She grabs the leftover pile of napkins to rub them on her chest and dress where the liquid has spilled. Then she caught the eyes of some nearby guests staring at her and whispering to each other. Crumpling under scrutiny from guests, she walks to find a restroom to further clean herself up.
She hung over the hand sink, clumsy, pushing down on the handle sink faucet and pulling a load of paper towels to wipe herself. Threw the napkins towards the trash bin, then the ball of napkins bounced on edge and fell onto the floor. She gritted her teeth, sighed heavily, then pulled out her cell phone from the bag and texted Litzy.
"How much longer?"
Then a minute later.
"He didn't show up?"
"No! I have been waiting an hour, and he's not here,"
"I got no responses from Emily. Let me call her,"
"Okay, don't forget about me,"
"I won't,"
Akechi leans on the restroom wall and scrolls the text message to Hampton's picture. "Could have been photoshop," she mutters and looks into the mirror. Her reflection of smoky eyeshadow of dark purple and plump pinkish lips. She smooths her dye-blonde curly hair. "Appreciate yourself and chose yourself first," then she smiled, exited the restroom, and decided to go home.
Fanis saw Akechi exits the restaurant and shouted, "Excuse me! Excuse me, ma'am!" He pursued her which brought attention to the red-haired man then he said to Govin, "Add her bill to mine," Govin was briefly stunned by the request and replied, "Sure,"
Fanis stop at the restaurant entrance and lose sight of Akechi in the club lounge. Next, Govin approaches Fanis from behind and says, "Fanis,"
"I lost her, sorry,"
"Her bill is taken care,"
"By who?"
"The guest at the pub,"