Denise stared at Thalia and explained, “It's just a guess based on what you said earlier and also the fact that you've been looking around non-stop since we sat down, almost as if you're looking for something.”
Thalia forgot others were observing her while she was doing the same.
She pinched Denise's chin playfully and said, “Not bad, huh? Your observation and deduction skills are perfect.”
Denise smiled, basking in her praise.
“So, will he really be here later?” Anthony asked.
Thalia nodded and poured herself some tea. “I've done my research on him before we came here. Our target likes the dishes at this restaurant and comes here every week. Whether he shows up today or not would depend on our luck.”
During Thalia's explanation, Anthony's assessing gaze swept across the restaurant.
Miguel listened carefully to them. He did not know why, but at least he knew they were here to track someone down. With that in mind, he asked, “Do you have a photo of him? We can look for him together.”
“I asked my friend for a photo of him, but I haven't received it yet.” Thalia whipped out her phone and checked it for new messages. “Nope, still nothing.”
“Have you seen this person before?” Miguel continued.
She nodded. “I have.”
Exasperated, Miguel suggested, “Then you can draw his face!”
“Erm...”
Benjamin did not pick up on Thalia's hesitation and chimed in, “Oh yes! Why don't you draw his face? We can all keep a lookout for him, then.”
After some thought, Thalia nodded and replied, “I'll give it a try?”
And so, she found herself asking a waiter for a pen and paper under everyone's expectant gaze.
They scrutinized her drawing from the very first stroke.
Feeling pressured by their staring, Thalia proposed, “Just give me a sec, all right? Order some tea or something. I'll be done in a jiff!”
Thankfully, they all looked away and obediently sipped on their tea.
Thalia began drawing in earnest, her brows scrunching and relaxing as she worked through the sketch.
She was still drawing when all the dishes had been served.
Anthony, on the other hand, continued observing their surroundings. He had never seen their target before, but his gut instinct told him that he would be able to recognize the person at first sight.
“Please go ahead and eat. Don't wait for me. I'm almost done,” Thalia offered.
Everyone was too hungry to stand on ceremony and dug in.
Finally, a few minutes later, Thalia set her pen aside, looking almost relieved. “Done.”
Everyone looked up from their food and at her.
Thalia flipped the paper around and showed them the drawing. Miguel, who had just taken a gulp of tea, spat it out when he saw her drawing.
Thalia was not amused.
The children were not any better. Anthony appeared to freeze in astonishment while Benjamin frowned.
Denise struggled to describe the painting.
Their silence caused Thalia's brows to knit in displeasure. “Hey, what's with that reaction?”
“What did you draw?” Miguel tried his best to repress his laughter.
Thalia replied, “It's a portrait. Can't you tell?” As she spoke, she leaned forward and commented on the drawing, “There. That's the face and the eyebrows. And here are the eyes, the nose, and the mouth. Isn't it obvious?”
“Well, now that you mention it, I guess I can see the features. But your drawing... how should I put it? A kindergartener can probably draw better than that.” Alas, Miguel failed to hide his laughter.
He earned a murderous glare from Thalia, who demanded, “Ever heard of social courtesy?”
Miguel instantly made a zipping motion across his lips.
“Well, what do the rest of you think?” Thalia turned her attention to the triplets.
Anthony pretended to cough and picked up his teacup, abstaining from commenting.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: You're Out, Daddy novel (Natasha and Kenneth)