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\'I can smell the sweat from here,\' he thought, grimacing slightly. He quickly took out his phone and dialed Tori, who answered almost instantly.

"Hey," she greeted, her voice still carrying that slightly hoarse quality.

"Hey," Don replied, glancing around at the busy scene. "So, the place is packed. I\'m thinking we should find somewhere else."

"Shit," Tori muttered, sounding a little frustrated. "I should\'ve known Fridays would be this hectic. Okay, let\'s find another spot. There\'s a taco place nearby—how does that sound?"

"Taco place sounds good," Don agreed, thinking he could hear the feminine tone in her voice a bit more clearly now. \'So Tori is a she,\' he noted, filing the information away with mild surprise.

"Cool, meet me outside the entrance then," Tori said. "I\'m waving, wearing a white top—you should see me."

"Got it," Don replied, ending the call and pocketing his phone. He made his way toward the mall entrance, scanning the crowd until he spotted her standing near a metallic pillar. She was indeed waving, looking around nervously.

As he approached, he took in her appearance: short, messy black hair, bright green eyes and an eyebrow piercing that added an edge to her otherwise youthful face.

She had a slender but nicely shaped frame, modestly sized breasts, and was dressed in a strapless white top paired with dark blue ripped jeans. A choker necklace completed her look.

She stood there with an awkward smile, her posture slightly stiff.

Don made sure to keep his eyes on her face, avoiding letting his gaze wander as he got closer. "Hey," he greeted with a friendly nod.

Tori\'s eyes did a quick once-over of Don before she managed a small smile and a little awkward wave. "Hi," she replied, her voice matching the hesitant smile on her face.

\'Well, this is awkward,\' Don thought, but he kept his expression calm, trying not to come on too strong given her apparent nervousness. "Nice to finally meet you," he said, extending a hand for a shake.

"Likewise," Tori said, her smile becoming a bit more genuine as she took his hand. The handshake was firm but brief, and the initial awkwardness seemed to ease just slightly.

"So, the taco place," Don started, releasing her hand. "It\'s not too far, right?"

Tori nodded. "Yeah, about a fifteen-minute walk from here."

"Cool," Don said, "Lead the way."

He didn\'t offer to use his car, not wanting to come off as too forward. It was their first meeting, and he didn\'t want to risk making her uncomfortable. He also avoided commenting on her looks; he knew how impactful those first impressions could be, especially for someone who might be self-conscious.

They began walking away from the mall together, Don falling into step beside her. -chapter

Across the street, parked along the curb, a white Toyota Corolla sat idling. The window on the passenger side rolled down slightly, and a lanky man leaned forward, squinting in the direction of Don and Tori.

His features were sharp and gaunt, with a long nose and thin lips. His eyes were particularly unusual, as his pupils expanded and contracted like a camera lens adjusting its focus. He watched Don for a moment, before turning back inside the car.

He held up a photo of Don, clearly taken without his knowledge, comparing it to the figure now walking down the street. "It\'s him," he confirmed, his voice raspy. "Should I call the boys, boss?"

Next to him, the driver—a burly man with a shaved head, thick neck, and muscular arms—took a long drag of his cigarette, his jean jacket stretched tight across his broad shoulders. He tapped the ash into the overflowing ashtray on the dashboard.

The burly man, clearly the boss, chuckled and shook his head. "No, we wait till he\'s alone. We\'ll hit him on the road," he said, his tone calm and confident. He took another puff of his cigarette, exhaling smoke slowly. "But tell the boys to be ready."

The lanky man snorted a laugh, a grin spreading across his face. "Sure thing, boss," he said mockingly. "Poor kid. Must\'ve really pissed off the wrong guy." As he reached for his phone, he couldn\'t help but ask "You think the reason the pay for this is so high is because the kid\'s dangerous?"

The boss didn\'t even blink. "We\'re dangerous," he said simply, his voice low and sure.

Unaware of the people stalking him, Don walked alongside Tori, matching her pace as they made their way to the taco place.

The streets were full of life, but a comfortable silence settled between them as they walked through the crowd. Don was pondering over what topic to bring up next when Tori suddenly broke the silence.

"So, how are you liking the city now that you\'re back… and stuff?" she asked, her tone light but curious.

Don showed a small smile, raising an eyebrow as he repeated, "And stuff?" His expression was questioning, almost teasing.

Tori sighed, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks as she realized how awkwardly she\'d phrased the question. She flashed a slightly embarrassed smile. "Argh, you know what I mean," she muttered, her cheeks turning a shade rosier.

Keeping his tone humorous, Don replied, "That\'s a bold assumption you\'re making there."

Tori couldn\'t help but giggle. "You\'re way more annoying than I thought you\'d be, dude."

He shrugged playfully, saying, "I aim to exceed expectations."

Tori rolled her eyes but kept smiling, the initial tension between them dissolving as they found a rhythm in their conversation.

The more they talked, the more Don realized that Tori was much chattier than she first appeared. She had a lot to say, especially about games, which seemed to be her biggest passion. Every time she spoke about them, her eyes lit up, and her gestures became more animated.

As they approached a taco truck parked on the side of the road, she was in the middle of passionately talking about joining the FPS league at Santos Hero University. "I can\'t wait to join the league and show all those misogynist guys what the fuck this chick can do," she declared with a fierce grin.

Don listened, observing her excited expressions and energetic body language. It was clear that gaming was more than just a hobby for her; it was a significant part of her life and something she deeply cared about.

It was also likely the strongest connection he had with her, though the current Don had limited knowledge of the games in this world. Because of this, he decided to mostly make comments or jokes, avoiding any in-depth discussions that might expose his lack of familiarity.

The taco truck was small and quaint, with a bright red awning and colorful graffiti covering its sides. The smell of sizzling meat and freshly chopped vegetables wafted through the air.

A middle-aged woman with a kind face, her dark hair tied back into a neat bun, was busy preparing orders. She wore a red apron with a few grease stains.

As Tori approached, she greeted the woman in Spanish, "Hola tía! ¿Cómo estás?"

The woman\'s face lit up with a smile. She glanced at Don and then back at Tori, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "¿Este joven guapo es tu novio? (Is this handsome young man your boyfriend?)" she asked.

Tori\'s cheeks turned a deep shade of red. "¡No, tía! Solo es un amigo. (No, Auntie! Just a friend.)"

The woman turned her attention to Don and greeted him in slightly broken English, "Hello! Do you speak Spanish?"

Don answered smoothly, "Sí, un poco. (Yes, a little.)"

Tori let out a small groan, muttering, "Mátame ahora. (Kill me now.)"

The woman laughed, amused by Tori\'s embarrassment. "No seas tan dramática, niña. Es bueno que hables con un joven guapo que habla tan bien el español. Sería un buen novio para ti. (Don\'t be so dramatic, girl. It\'s nice that you\'re talking to a handsome young man who speaks such good Spanish.

He\'d make a good boyfriend for you—.)"

Before the woman could finish, Tori quickly cut her off, "¡Tía, por favor! (Auntie, please!)" causing both the woman and Don to laugh.

Tori\'s irritation was evident as she crossed her arms and muttered, "Well, aren\'t you two getting along just peachy."

The woman waved it off with a chuckle. "Just teasing, niña. Now, what will you both have?"

After placing their orders, they moved to a small standing table nearby to wait. But just as they were settling in, Tori\'s phone rang. She glanced at the screen and immediately showed a worried expression. Without picking up, she looked at Don with an apologetic face. "I\'m sorry, but I need to go. It\'s a… family thing."

"Is everything okay?" Don asked.

She nodded quickly but didn\'t elaborate. "Yeah, it\'s fine. Just… family stuff, you know? I\'m really sorry." She hesitated for a moment before rushing off, shouting over her shoulder, "I\'ll call you later!"

Don watched her leave, a bit confused but choosing not to overthink it. \'Well, that went nothing like I thought it would, but not bad overall, I guess.\' He shrugged and thought that while he didn\'t have any pressing need to interact with Tori regularly, but it wouldn\'t hurt to have another friend outside his family.

After collecting the orders, he made his way back to the mall\'s car park. A few minutes later, he was driving out of the lot, heading back toward the main road.

Inside the white Toyota parked discreetly across the street, the lanky man, his eyes still narrowed in focus, suddenly shouted, "Boss, boss, he\'s leaving!"

The boss remained unfazed, casually tossing his cigarette out the window. "I see him," he replied coolly. "Just tell the boys it\'s time."

The lanky man nodded, quickly grabbing his phone to send out a text. "Sure thing, boss."