She didn't look like she could kill someone.
Then again, she didn't look like she could kidnap someone either.
He let out a sigh of relief when the photographer gave a satisfied nod and smiled.
"They turned out to be really good. Good job, everyone! Let's pack up!"
"Thank you." He returned the smile and went back to the green room to get the designer clothes off and change into his comfortable clothes a.k.a. faded denims and a simple white t-shirt.
He was tying the laces of his converse when a tap was heard on the door of the green room.
"Yeah?" He called out.
"Are you done?" He heard his manager's voice.
"Yes, almost. You can just wait in the car. I will be down in a minute." He wanted to go to the washroom once before leaving. The traffic would be heavy at this time of the day, adding more minutes if not an hour, to the already two and a half hours drive to his apartment.
He got an 'O.K.' in reply as the sound of heels clicking on the tiled floor reached his ears.
Collecting his belongings, his phone, wallet, his sunglasses which will not be needed anymore considering the sun has already advanced on its westward journey and was nearing the horizon, and his mask.
God did he hate that contraption! He knew it was necessary at this trying times but he often felt suffocated in those and chose to put them on only when in public places or surrounded by people. He had to go without one for the shoot and stayed without it while changing as no one else was there except him in the greenroom. But he would have to put it on while going out and heading towards the washroom as he was sure a whole lot of people would be loitering in the hall and corridor, packing up their equipments and stuff.
Entering the washroom, he looked around once and released a sigh of relief when he found that he was the only one in there and took his mask off. Given the pandemic situation, not many people were allowed in the shoot locations so this was not really a surprise.
Relieving himself, he stood in front of one of the sinks to wash his hands when he heard the door to the washroom opening and closing. Looking up in the mirror, he saw two buffed up figures dressed in black shirts and blue denims making their way towards the urinals. They looked like bodyguards. He shrugged internally. Some other celebrity must have come to visit the Ad agency.
However, when he looked up in the mirror once again, to check his appearance once before exiting the washroom and heading down to his car where his manager and driver were waiting for him along with one of his own bodyguards, he found the two supposedly bodyguards standing a few steps behind him on his either sides. At this, he frowned.
“Can I help you with something?” He asked, confused.
“Yes, you can.” A female voice was heard. His eyes widened when one of the stall doors opened and a young woman walked out of it, probably in her mid-20s. She was dressed in light blue high waisted distressed denims, black leather boots, unbuttoned dark green and navy blue chequered flannel shirt underneath which she wore what looked like a black bralette. Her wavy hair was down and he could clearly see the natural black interspersed with occasional streaks of highlights running down from roots to tips. There didn’t seem to be any makeup on her light caramel skin but he could not be sure. She did not have any mask on, unlike the men who wore black masks that covered the lower half of their faces.
“Can you turn around, please? I like to look my prey in the eyes.” She said. It was then that he realised he had frozen at his spot, still facing the mirror and had been looking at the reflection of the woman.
That realisation soon lost it’s importance as her words sank in and he turned around in shock. “Wha-what do you mean by your prey?”
The woman ignored his question and walked forward from where she had been standing in front of the stall she had exited and stood in front of him. “Better, don’t you think? Now I have a very very very important question for you.”
Standing this close, he could now clearly see her dark brown eyes sparkling in the bright lights.
“Do you have any other appointments or engagements tonight?” She looked serious. Like ‘life and death situation’ serious. And he found himself shaking his head in negation.
The change was instant. Her lips parted in a brilliantly bright smile as she clapped her hands once and loudly exclaimed “Great!”
“Can I please see your phone?” Her eyes looked so innocent. Her face reminded him of his niece who would look at him with the same expression whenever she wanted anything from him.
But he was not a fool. He knew how dangerous a situation this could be. He tried to take an account of his surroundings. He was very much aware of the two muscle men still standing on his either side. The young woman was right in front of him. Would he be able to push past her and run towards the door to the washroom? The chances were really slim. He was not sure but the men and even the woman could be armed and things could go downhill in the blink of an eye. Would it be worth the risk? He didn’t even know what these people wanted. They had plenty of time to harm him if they wanted. And who would wait so long and ask if he was free this evening before kidnapping him?
Nonetheless, he was wary as his eyes scanned the washroom once more. His breath hitched when he could make out a third figure near the door, dressed similarly as the two men beside him.
“You don’t have to give it to me. You can just keep it in your hand while I see what brand and model it is. You can do that, can’t you?” The woman pleaded, her eyes taking on a puppy look.
“Ye-yeah, I guess.” He stuttered, still not liking the situation he was in but not knowing what else he could do, he took out his phone from his pocket and held it up for her to see.
The innocent look was soon replaced with a smirk. “Fingerprint lock, I see. Boys.” Her voice held a command as she spoke the last word.
The next second, he felt something being pressed to his nose and mouth and he was slowly being pulled into unconsciousness. The last thing he heard was the woman’s far away yet somehow soothing voice saying, “Let’s get going then.”
**********
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