It was snowing. The first snowfall of the year. Little flakes drifted lazily from the sky to the ground, covering everything with a thin layer fluff.
Ariel looked out the window of the Lotus Café, the little coffee shop she now works at part time. True, Ariel could have gotten a better paying job at an office somewhere, but she resisted. James would have a much tougher time tracking me down if I do minimum wage jobs. He wouldn’t think that I would “stoop this low”.
It was Thursday afternoon, so there were very few patrons in The Lotus. Ariel was relieved; she really needed a rest. The bell above the door dinged, signifying the presence of a customer. A girl smaller than Ariel ran in and plopped herself on a chair near the window. The girl looked tired and wary, and Ariel felt a little sorry for her.
“Hi, what would you like to drink?” Ariel walked over.
“Oh, just coffee, black, thanks.” Rainie replied breathlessly.
Ariel poured her a cup of coffee, “here you go.”
“Thanks,” Rainie replied with her eyes closed.
“Are you alright?”
Rainie smiled tiredly, “yes, I’m just tired. I just moved here from Taiwan, and I’m still suffering from jetlag.”
“Ah,” Ariel smiled, “the coffee should wake you up no problem; we have the strongest coffee in town.”
“Really?”
“You should see this place near exam time. It’s like a zoo.”
Rainie laughed, “I’ll bet, well, I’ll keep that in mind when it’s time for me to write my exams, I have a feeling I’ll need strong coffee then.”
“Awesome, oh, where do you go to university?”
“VU, just down the road.”
“Me too! What are you studying?”
“Well, I haven’t started yet. I’m starting in the winter term when school starts again, but I will be studying art history.”
“That sounds interesting, I’m studying commerce. Why are you here so early then? The winter term doesn’t start until January.”
“I thought I’d come a little early to familiarize my self with the campus and Vancouver. I’ve never been away from Taiwan nor have I ever lived by myself. I had a feeling it will take some adjusting to.”
“Well, good luck. Maybe I’ll see you on campus.” Ariel said as she walked back to the counter.
“Yes, see you.” Rainie replied happily.
————————–
“Hey Ge.”
“Hey Peanut.”
“How many times have I told you not to call me that? I am not that small.” Ariel feigned annoyance.
“I have news.” Something in Ge’s voice told Ariel this was not good news.
“What happened?” She asked worriedly.
“Stop fretting. Nothing big. The guy after you has just left Halifax. Seems like he’s got a tip that you’re out west.”
“Oh.”
“He’s not sure you’re in Vancouver yet though,” Ge quickly said.
“There aren’t that many major cities out west, he’ll figure out I’m here in no time.”
“Not necessarily, he doesn’t know whether you’re in a large city or a small town.”
“How many cities in Western Canada has a large enough Asian population to hide two Chinese girls? Pretty much just Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and maybe Victoria. What should I do?”
“Hang tight, do what you usually do. James is monitoring the air lines for sure right now. It takes time to get you and Miranda aliases, if you make a major move with your current alias, it’ll raise too many red flags.”
“Alright. Thanks Ge.”
“No problem. I’ll let you know ASAP if anything else happens.”
“Ok.”
“Stay safe.”
“I always do.”
