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He glanced at his watch impatiently, having already run out of other ways to check his watch. He'd already tried out "cheerfully" an hour ago, and his attitude towards his watch and the passage of time had rapidly descended into "curiously," spiraling past "irritably" and straight into "impatiently" where it seemed like it was bound to stay for good. Vincent Traver had been sitting on the same uncomfortable park bench for what was, in his opinion, far too long. But that was the the nature of meetings like these, he was at the mercy of whoever deigned to speak with him.
"Is this seat taken?"
Vincent looked up to see an Asian woman standing over the empty half of a bench and pointing at the seat. She was wearing mirrored sunglasses and a not quite smile, not quite frown, a face somewhere in between that Vincent couldn't decide if it was meant to be friendly or just...that's when Vincent realized he was staring.
"No, please, sit," Vincent said, casting a glance around the park to break his stare and noting several completely empty benches across the way. Odd.
Vincent slid even further down the bench to allow the woman as much room as she wanted on the other end. As it turned out, the woman didn't take up much space at all, having the same build as a fairy or something equally delicate yet dangerous. Yes. Fairies are dangerous. Moving on... She pulled a newspaper out of her black bag and shook it open. Once her face and mirrored sunglasses were hidden behind the newsprint, she asked, "So I hear you like gardening."
Quirking an eyebrow, Vincent turned slightly towards the woman and her newspaper. "I beg your pardon?"
"Gardening. Shovel, dirt, plants. I hear you like it."
"I actually prefer water skiing," Vincent said with a slight shrug, turning to face front again.
"I see. It's rather nice in Miami this time of year," the woman commented thoughtfully, the newspaper held firmly in front of her.
"It's always nice in Miami," Vincent chuckled.
As if this was some kind of signal, the woman folded up her newspaper and stuffed it back into her purse. She stood up, leaving behind a white envelope with a tri-colored fleur-de-lis seal holding it closed. All of this happened so quickly, Vincent was left on the park bench staring straight ahead with his mouth hanging open. Shaking himself out of his confusion, he grabbed at the envelope and tore it open.
"My name is Chen Fan. I was sent as a decoy. You will find the real message under the third cafe table at 6322 N. Cloudgate. If you do not collect the message within 24 hours we will be forced to terminate your contract. Good luck."
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