A Meaningful Smile

"PAAHH!!"

A forceful slap on Zowie's face made her woke up.

Her groan was her body's immediate response.

She felt the slap. It was indeed painful but not that much. Something was wrong with it.

She collected herself. She tried to remember her last moments before fainting. And when she totally had it in mind, she became alarmed.

Then, she could now feel that her hands were tied tightly at her back.

She realized she was in front of a candle lighted dinner table for two. There was a wine and a medium-rare steak served.

'This is not what I expect but this is creepy though. Really creepy! Am I dead?'

Suddenly, the other chair moved without her seeing anyone on it.

She panicked and struggled to stand. She was thinking of running, screaming or playing dead but could not able to do so. She was in total freaked out within herself.

"Stopped moving and sit down properly!" An authoritative voice ordered her.

She looked at where the voice came from and her eyes widened.

The man was dead serious in trying to fix himself in the chair and at the table. He picked up the knife and fork. Started to slice the steak but ended up struggling on it. Maybe the meat must be that hard for the knife or for him to slice.

Then, the place was filled with Zowie's instant horse-laugh.

The man frowned and his eyes were pointing daggers at her.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Trying to hold herself from laughing but still laughed from time to time.

"I'm so sorry little man, I just can't help but laugh! I was really scared a while ago, thinking that I'm already dead and there's a ghost in here! But I am so surprised to see that it was just you!" Zowie smilingly explained.

'This must be the reason why the slap is bit different. It came from a small person.'

The man was just almost three feet tall but his built and looks was that of a man in his mid-thirty's. A midget man wearing white folded sleeves with a black necktie. He had the typical face of people who were in that situation. But what made him different was the big scar on his left eye.

"What's so funny about that?" A man from behind asked her while a knife was placed at her neck.

She got serious while her body stiffened.

"Yeah , you will be really dead if you will not cooperate." The little man calmly said while finally eating a slice of the steak.

"You know, you should be thanking me for giving you this proper dinner instead of torturing you right away and get what we want in an instant."

Zowie could not do anything but listen.

"But you are a beautiful young lady and you are my type, so I am giving you this chance." He signaled his man to take away the knife.

'Urgh!! Men will always be men! This face gets me into troubles lately!'

She calmed down, took her guts to divert the mood and seductively asked. " And why do I need to take the chance you have given?"

The little man smiled and said ," Well, when you think of it wisely, you will live and be the queen of my empire. I am the boss here! I am Zamar, the leader of knife gang who rules the entire K city!".

She just gave him a smile while thinking of how can she get rid of this man and get out of her situation.

"I believe your smile to me means yes!" He went off his chair but was struggling in doing so.

Zowie tried to keep herself from laughing and just waited for the little man in his next actions.

Expectedly, the little man went next to here.

His hand touched her face a little, which made all of Zowie's hair skin stood up. She almost threw up and tempted to hit his head with hers. But she was not in the position to do so. Good thing, the man let her go.

"But before that, let's have this first." Zamar took out a picture and placed it on the table.

"Do you know the woman in the picture?", he seriously asked.

She intensely looked at the picture.

"No!" Zowie confidently answered.

Then Zamar punched her stomach.

"Uhhh!" , she moaned from instant pain.

"I said, in order for you to live you have to cooperate!" His voice was raging now and seemed to lose his calmness.

"Again, do you know the woman in the picture?"

Zowie knew if she would say no, she'll be hit again so she must think wisely now before answering.

"Do you know her? Answer me!", he yelled at her.

"I said, no I don't!" She replied and strongly kicked Zamar.

He was thrown away while Zowie fell down with the chair. She closed her eyes and tried to cover herself from the possible attack she can get from Zamar's men. She stayed still and waited.

But to her surprise, nobody attacked her. Instead somebody untie her.

She opened her eyes saw a handsome man in his thirty's.

"We need to get out of here now miss." He assisted her and guide her the way out.

She was confused and hesitant but thankful. She had no choice but to grab the opportunity. However, she was still cautious and did not totally keep her guard down. She must learn from all she had went through today. She must not trust anybody easily.

They left the room with Zamar and his men down. The man who helped her together with his companions took those men down before letting them total harm her.

Zowie was safe now inside the car.

'I am really tired of getting myself out from all the bad people who really tested me today! Huh! When can I relax? I think I am into another trouble! At least, my body parts are still complete and in good shape' She deeply sighed.

"Miss, are okay now?"

"To be honest with I am not, today is such a pain on me. Now, let's get this straight and not waste time anymore. Why did you help me? And what do you need from me?" She straightforwardly asked.

The man wanted to answer but he was interrupted by a boiling sound coming from her.

Zowie thought of evaporating herself out from the car. She was in a shameful situation that she never imagine would happen to her.

She had no choice but to give a meaningful smile.