He was the man who was with Mr. Kim Mori a few minutes ago. I'm so surprised that we have picked the same place for lunch. However, he's unfriendly, so I look away when our eyes meet.
Zed's attention is still on the attendant who has mistakenly included a latte art in his coffee. Why he reacted that way was beyond me. So, I just observe him silently.
"Who's the boss you mean?"
"Mr. D," the attendant replies, his eyes flickering nervously. "Sir, I'll give you another cup."
Zed sighs and waves a hand, "No. It's fine."
What's wrong with him? He's angry a while ago but says he's fine with it. And what's with the latte art?
I pull the cup closer to me to know what bothers Zed. He doesn't react, so I go ahead, peering into the cup. A white microfoam pattern of a beautiful woman floats on a surface. I gasp in awe. She's so beautiful!
I pick up my phone and take a picture of the art. "This is so awesome, Zed! We also put in latte art in Jamella, but they're not as beautiful as this one."
"The design's name is "inspiration," answers Zed, making me gape at him.
"Oh. The muse for this design must be so stunning," I exclaim, staring into the cup. I just can't take my eyes off the beautiful intricacies of the art.
"She is. Her name is Jakara Blue, the inspiration of the owner of this hotel."
I look at Zed, wondering how he knows the story. My questioning gaze perhaps tells him my curiosity.
"I promised in the car," he says, "so, I'll tell you why I don't want to come here."
I hold his gaze and fold my hands on my lap, giving him my full attention. "Jakara Blue is Yen's Japanese name. And the hotel's owner, of course, is Kim."
My mouth drops open. He pauses after that, giving me time to process the information.
So, the art pattern is Yen. The inspiration. The heart of this hotel.
I can't seem to imagine what kind of rivalry they had. This is so huge a display of affection. Both men were madly in love and both fighting for the same woman.
"Zed, who between the two of you met Yen first?" I may be swerving away from the main topic, but I am already dying to know his story. The latte art subject only opens to more significant and interesting features of his life.
As I wait for his answer, my eyes unconsciously wander and land again on the man sitting at a table close to us. His stares were intense, sending shivers up and down my spine. To distract myself, I look away and focus on Zed again.
"I did," Zed tells me, answering my question. "We were in the second year of our relationship when Yen went to Japan to work. But when she's there, she forgot all about me. She met Kim, married him, and had children with him."
"When she came back, things went on as it had been with us. I even had no clue about her marriage in Japan. She's still the same woman I knew."
"But one day, Kim appeared, claiming her back from me," she adds. "It turned out she got into dissociative amnesia, making her forget everything about her life in Japan."
I nod, having heard this part of the story from my detective. But then, I pull my brows closer, wondering how Kim convinced Yen to come back to him.
"If Miss Yen didn't remember Mr. Kim, why did she go back to him?"
"She remembered eventually. Perhaps, there were many clues. And maybe one of them is how her body responded and recognized his touch."
Geez! This is something intimate, so I raise a related question. "What caused her amnesia?"
"She got into a traumatic incident."
"What kind of incident?"
"Rape."
My eyes grow wide, and I throw a hand on my mouth. Picturing a graceful, beautiful, and elegant Yen in my mind makes it difficult for me to connect her to that incident.
"Oh, my goodness. I'm happy that Miss Yen seems fine now."
"Me, too. Kim loves her despite everything that happened to her. He even dedicates this hotel chain to show how much she means to him. So, his acceptance may have helped her overcome easily."
"How sweet. How about you, Zed? Had you accepted that part of her?"
"I deserved to be stoned because I was a martyr like Stephen," he says, softly laughing before he continues.
"Somehow, I knew what happened to her. I even had her undergo a hymen repair. So that she'll think she's a virgin on our wedding night."
I shake my head in awe. Both men's love is so divine.
"So, what happened when Kim claimed her back? Did you give in so easily?"
A bitter smile spreads on his lips. "Yes. Because Yen won't be forever happy with me, I can't make her happy. And I can't make any woman happy."
Now, here's another mystery. But I don't want to delve into that. I'll wait until Zed opens up.
The waiter then arrives with our food. Its mouth-watering aroma wafts into my nostrils, making my stomach growl.
Zed then places food on my plate before twirling his fork on the pasta. "Eat well. You have missed breakfast. It's not good for the baby."
The stuffed chicken meat looks crispy and crusty on the outside, but it oozes with juicy goodness on the inside. The pasta is just so great as well. Having greens added to it, it looks more appetizing. The food looks so delicious that I feel so full for the first time.
I put my cutleries down and lean on the backrest. I notice that the man is no longer at his table. I sigh, feeling relieved. Because he was so creepy, giving me deadly stares.
The attendant then approaches us again with a tray of steaming cups. Zed and I look at each other, asking the same question through our gaze. None of us has made that order.
"These are our complimentary beverages, ma'am, sir. I hope you enjoyed the food."
We both laugh. The attendant then places one cup in front of Zed and another cup in front of me.
Zed and I then peer simultaneously into our cups. His art is still a portrait of a woman that is likely another view of Yen. I giggle. Zed seems so affected by the art, showing how much he still loves her.
Then, I look at mine—closer this time. To my surprise, it's my face. With curls flowing softly at my shoulders.
I squeal. How does this happen?
Zed also looks into my cup, but instead of sharing my joy, he frowns. He then looks around.
"The eccentric must be here," he says. And I remember Miss Yen's words.
Dennis is not a genius but an eccentric…
Oh, my goodness! He's maybe the one I am looking for. The man whose loyalty I will be stealing from Kim. And he must be that creepy person who stared hard at me!
Zed springs to his feet and goes after the attendant. I also rise and follow him. However, the attendant has already reached their counter when Zed catches up.
"May I talk to the designer of your latte art?"
"We do them, sir," one of the attendant's answers.
"What I mean is who designed that latte art you served us right now?"
The attendants look at each other, their faces showing reluctance.
"Ah, it's Mr. D."
"Can we talk to him? My pregnant girlfriend here is excited to see him. Because he draws her face."
The attendant shakes his head and apologizes. "I'm sorry, sir. But he has left already."
I slump back in my seat. The chance was there already, but I have missed it. In my frustration, my gut acts again, and I feel like throwing up. I run to the bathroom and expel everything I have eaten in powerful bouts.
"You should not be alone. I'll take you home." I look over my shoulders and meet Zed's worried eyes.