It was already a few weeks in summer, one thing Muriel loved in this island cottage was her bed, it was next to the window, from which some mornings, she drew the curtains and looked down at the pebble pathway, it connected to one all the way from church and further away to a junction which had several other walkways, there weren't so many people especially in the morning except for Sundays and some days, Lance, slopped from church down the walkway, he usually wasn't alone, and she always figured out they were heading to the orphanage, she had been avoiding him the past days after the emotional drain which she felt was so embarrassing, but he had just suddenly come at her place one day for Bible study which had become a once in a week thing and he had actually laughed it off lightly 'have a little faith' he had used this phrase a good number of times before, he gave her his word to act like the incident never happened. Thinking about it now, she felt offended while watching him from her window, was he was getting comfortable?, he knew stuff about her he shouldn't have and she was to blame.
She had of late engaged herself in a few activities, not because she wanted but she had decided to spend a little more time with Julie thinking perhaps if someone had done the same for her years ago, she would've healed faster.
It was always a tough decision dragging herself out, especially to the fruit farms, and was just in time for the nagging old gardener, he always made unfunny jokes about her cause she was too late for the apple picking and insisted she did petty punishments like watering the farm using the water cable, meanwhile Julie and like six others who had stayed behind to do some finishings would be laughing so hard loudly at the old man's imsulting jokes that she made sure she sprayed them till they were soaking wet and begging her to spare them. Nevertheless though she would've seized the opportunity to, she never sprayed Lance, he never laughed however funny the joke was, the most he did was smile shortly then distract himself with something else, it was very short yet a sight of his well formed cheek dimples, she kinda wished it happened often but she rarely got to talk to him while they were out cause he was always occupied with different work or he was surrounded by different people most of the time, and though she was occupied with Julie, it was nagging to see all the attention everyone gave him,
'pshh, what would they do if they met Ben Affleck!' She mummered to herself one day
'What' Julie almost heard her
'Nothing.. nothing' she would brush her off
During lunch breaks was the only time he could get to talk to her and it was mainly because he was concerned she hadn't eaten anything and she was alone at times when Julie was getting playful with Bruce... chasing each other around for small issues, she busied herself feeding pigeons when he joined her holding a small container and a bottle of water,
'I heard they say when you give pigeons freedom, they go away but they always come back' he said one time
'Are you the pigeon?' She asked
'I love the idea of pigeons' he replied with a smile
she always wanted to find reasons to blast him for ignoring her all day but his goofy smile and random jokes got her laughing to her ribs, she hated herself for this but she couldn't help it, sometimes it was just slightest of jokes but she was bursting into laughter and he was trying to quiet her avoid drawing attention of everyone who was drowned in their activities and just like that he got her to eat insisting it was a fat free meal cooked by himself, he sometimes did cause he knew she was picky and never joined the rest on the meat grill.
One Sunday morning, Muriel as usual went to her swimming spot for an early sunrise swim as others went to church, this was literally her best day and routine of the week, she was getting comfortable with other activities but wasn't ready to adjust to the Sunday morning services, she loved being still under water holding her breath feeling the warmness of the water, it was beautiful and just suddenly she felt something pull her legs down deeper into the water, she panicked some few seconds and pushed her way up as she struggled for breath as she had chocked on some water, and to add to her shock, her eyes met with lance's who jad just come up from the water
'Jesus, am sorry,.. very sorry, i.... thought it was Bruce, am sorry' he panicked as he swam nearer to touch her but hesitated, they climbed out off the water, she was still coughing a little
'Are you trying to kill me, or thats how you swim?,..i can't believe this !' she mummered as she squeezed water from her hair
' am very sorry, i mistook....., what are you doing here?'
'Pardon' she turned to him in disbelief
'This side of the ocean is strictly out of bounds for anyone except the chapel residency, how did you end up here?' He asked
She folded her hands as she let out a short laugh
'So it would be ok for Bruce to swim but forbidden for me, are you gay or the true colours eventually show?'
'What?...' he was astonished
'Ssandri, i mean Alessandri sir, you must be a staunch sexist and i hate your kinds the most'
'Christ, this is despicable.... And put alittle more cloth on yourself?' He mummered but she heard him and gasped
'Feed your eyes while you can amd as you notice you interrupted my morning swim, do you know how important this is was for me, am aging every single day on this island, don't.... wait what are you doing here?' She unfolded her arms revealing her well curved waist beneath her cleavage fortunately well hidden by her black bra, he had seen many waists but perhaps not this clearly, he felt embarrassed and turned his eyes to the side before she could notice
'Don't change the topic for .....'
'For a spoilt despicable girl, no one will care if i missed church every Sunday, instead, what will they think of you, the idolized violin lad?'
She had turned the tables.
Lance knew he wasn't in wrong as he had already attended the compulsory earlier mass with all the other religious and though this second mass with the whole general population was optional for the religious, it was not usual for them to be absent, how was she going to understand this anyway and besides she was right, this wasn't the image he wanted to potray to father Patrick.
' i don't usually do this too... i.. i..'
'Cheat days, i understand, lets both pretend like no one saw each other' she smiled while she playfully patted his shoulder, his narrowed eyes seemed like he was helpless and the small frown on his forehead was total satisfaction to her,
'You're lucky its i who found you, i mind less so carry on' she was making her way past him to get back to the sea before he blocked her
'I can't let you get back, we both should leave' he was staring into her eyes
'Look, You're not a chief, nor a deity, nor even a doctor, and you think I'll listen to you,... you could actually be younger than me, how old are you?' She was looking at his eyes too
she hadn't been this close to him,thats why she hadn't ever noticed his large dark eyebrows, perhaps its cause of the fringes of hair covering his forehead, she stared at his well proportioned face and her eyes dropped to his well partitioned chest immediately before she sighed 'can't believe this weekend' and turned to grab her gown from the rock, they both ended up not swimming that morning.
Later that evening, she was in a good mood, took a warm shower as it was a cold night, then she sat infront of her mirror dressed in her peach rob as she applied her moisturiser , she missed home, but above all, work, she had been a workaholic and just because there was no internet on this island, she couldn't work, she missed her big lavish room and for a moment, it striked her, she didn't miss many people in Dakota though, all the people she cared for were here with her, her dad, and she probably had made more acquaintances than she could count in Dakota.... Julie, Bruce, Andre, father Patrick and... Lance, thinking of which, her thoughts went back to lance's metamorphose which had happened earlier that morning, something about his narrow eyes or his face, or his well shaped jawline, her eyes blinked sleepy while she stared at her reflection in the mirror and her mind wandering off peacefully.