"Helena, what do you want for dinner?" Arthur looked in his pantry, checking which dinner choices might suit them.
"What are the options we have?"
"Come see for yourself; I bought plenty of canned goods."
Helena came over to check which was on the cute little pantry Arthur had made. It was inside his tent for safety. She admired how creative Arthur was; there was almost nothing he couldn't build.
"I bought the long shelf life canned goods; we have diced beef, diced chicken, beef stew, ground beef, lasagna with meat sauce, rice and chicken, and Mexican adobo with chicken."
"God, there's plenty of choices," she said, narrowing her eyebrows.
"How about Mexican adobo with chicken for me."
"Yeah, that's a good choice. How about for dessert? We have ice cream sandwiches in vanilla and mint chocolate chip flavors. We also have strawberry yogurt tart, cookie dough medley, raspberry and brownie bites, and old-fashioned apple crisp."
"Oh, definitely vanilla ice cream and apple crisp for me."
"Good, here's your dinner," Arthur handed a can of Mexican adobo with chicken, vanilla ice cream, and old-fashioned apple crisp. "We just have to put water into the can and wait until it's good to eat."
"Well then, we have to boil the water first."
"I'll do it; just take a seat," Arthur got his propane and small kettle to boil water. Helena sat on the foldable chair while browsing her phone.
"So, do you want to continue writing your book later? I can give you time and privacy so you can focus on it," Arthur asked.
"No. I didn't bring my laptop. I want this night to be camping alone to help me rest my mind and hopefully will be able to help me focus on writing when I get home."
"Great, I certainly hope this will help. This place is very solemn; this will definitely help you cleanse your mind and soul."
"Absolutely, no other place would help me back to my mindfulness. My head has been a mess for the past few days. Every time I face my laptop to write, I just stare at the cursor; my mind is empty."
"I understand your struggle now. That sounds very frustrating."
"You couldn't have said it any better. My frustration was over the roof the other day."
"I hope I can read your book when it's finished. That must be interesting to read."
Helena froze; she swallowed a lump in her throat, thinking about how to answer Arthur. She wondered how Arthur would react when he learned he was the male character of her latest novel.
"Sorry, is that a problem? I can buy the book when you release it in the bookstore."
"No. That's not what I'm thinking. I'm writing a romance novel, and I don't think you'd be interested in that genre."
"Honestly, I'm not into reading fiction books, but I can read your book. I can support a friend if you see me as one," Arthur doubted if Helena saw him as a friend, but it was worth trying.
Helena scoffed in a good way. "Of course; you've been so good to me the whole time. So, yeah, we're friends now. Regarding the book, you'll know when I release it."
She would like to add more when her phone rang. "It's Gabby, my best friend; I must take this. Hello Gabby?"
Arthur nodded as he took the kettle on the table and put hot water on each can.
"Helena, how is your camping going?"
"Awesome. My friend and I will be having our dinner later on. We're putting hot water on the 10 cans now."
"Helena, that sounds fun, dinner at the camping site, watching the stars at night, talking until you get tired, and then sleeping in the tent. I miss that so much. Maybe we can do the same if you invite me there," she said excitedly.
Helena froze upon hearing Gabby's interest in visiting San Antonio. She couldn't let Gabby know about Arthur yet. But on second thought, Arthur is soon to leave anyway. Her heart was heavy thinking the latter.
"Helena, am I not welcome there?" Gabby shouted when she didn't hear an answer on the other line. Helena jolted to Gabby's thin and loud voice. "Is your cave so exclusive just for you and your friend? I suspect you have already found a new best friend so fast," she added with a hint of jealousy.
"No," Helena was quick to object. "Don't be silly. You are my only best friend. How is life there in the city?" she asked, diverting the topic.
"Same, nothing much to say. Same work and daily routine, quite boring most of the time. But I had to work for money, right? Making ends meet."
Helena felt a little sad about Gabby's life. She realized she was a little luckier than her. "Gabby, I'm here whenever you need someone to talk to. I'm sorry if I don't reach out more often."
"Girl, that's okay. I am more than happy that you are doing great in San Antonio. Don't worry about me. There are many things to do in the city to kill time and avoid boredom."
Arthur was listening while waiting for the meal to be ready. He was eyeing Helena the whole time, curious about what they were discussing, as the call was not on speaker mode. But he sure knows Gabby asked about him when Helena said Gabby is her only best friend.
"It's ready," Arthur whispered.
"Gabby, I'll have to call you tomorrow. We're having dinner now."
"Sure, enjoy your dinner and camping. Don't forget we will set up a camp when I get there, okay?"
"Sure, we'll do it. Bye, Gabby."
Helena can't say no to Gabby. She thought of making a schedule for whenever Arthur would be gone.
"Dinner is ready," Arthur put the Mexican adobo with chicken before Helena. As soon as Helena opened it, her mouth was watering. She digs in and eats her dinner immediately.
"Arthur, I want to apologize for being mean to you most of the time. This is just my personality, and I am an unlikeable type of person.
"You're not unlikeable, Helena," Arthur began softly, his voice warm with emotion. "I liked you the moment I saw you in the farmer's market, and I think what happened that day was just a misunderstanding."
Helena felt her heart quicken as she heard his words, and he leaned in to kiss her. The warmth of his body radiated off him, and she could feel herself responding to his touch. His lips touched hers softly, and she moaned slightly as their kiss deepened. A shiver ran down her spine as Arthur's hand slowly slid under her shirt and caressed her skin, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body until all the tension from the day dissipated.