I always valued my quality time, my quiet space and more than that, I value the people around me who love me. What then, do you do when you lose all that in the blink of an eye? Do you shut yourself out? Do you kill the one thing inside that kept you going? Do you lock yourself up and cry all day? I had a lot of options I never got to pick.
MAGENTA…
"honey, its about time we left you to your independence, don't you think?" My father Dave Bright asked me. I was strangely not even engaged in that story and for what it was worth, I had no idea what he was going on about honestly.
"Da, what is it you're talking about?"
"Your da is trying to say, that he and I are going to check out some property we bought abroad in England and we would like you to run the place for us. Just until we get back." My mother's words threw me off, but in a good way. Our family owned a B&B that did really well somewhere in Isle of Mull and not a big place, I know, but we were happy. At least that's what I thought and now they wanna expand.
"Alright, but make sure to rush back. Anyone i should be expecting?"
"Yes," my father started then smiled,"it's someone who booked us for nine months apparently to get away from everything. We'll ring you."
Just like that I saw my parents off, missing them already. The fun part of this was that living alone was a nightmare for me, it felt like a right of passage for me. Not in good terms or bad either.
- - -
It was around eight into the night and I was so indulged in my painting, I hadn't even heard the bell ringing the first or second time. I took off my apron and ran to the door and got the new guest in. I was already embarrassed to be seen in such a mess, so I just let their luggage in and politely extended my hand to greet them. I glanced up the next minute and I felt like my heart would give in and my knees would let me fall.
Lucius Octavian.
I never thought I would see my Idol of ten years plus here. He was an artistic enigma who I had looked up to all my life. Him being here didn't feel real, at all. His hair was damp and tousled on his forehead and considering how good he looked, my heart almost gave in. It was only an eight year age gap I would do good.
"You already seem to know who I am?" His velvet voice rang through my ears, and his smile, my God.
"Mr. Octavian, it is an honour to meet you in person. I am a fan of your work," I must have not stopped talking after that. His smile grew and I had to shut up and led him to the waiting room right by the kitchen.
"I'm up for a coffee if its available?" He asked and I just nodded and turned to the kitchen and made him a white, because that's what most people prefer.
"Are you alone? I talked to an older woman over the phone for my booking," he said from where he sat.
"That would be my mother, she left a little while before you came in."
"I see, lovely place you have, miss..?" I popped my head out with his coffee, and smiled as I handed it to him.
"Magenta. Magenta Bright," he continued to smile, and I walked to spread the sheets over his bed and make sure everything was ready for him. I had no idea ma and da would leave me this place. I was rarely here to help them with things, because I obsessed with so much of my art. I knew the basics and I could change a little things here and there.
"Woah," A soft voice said behind me and I jumped out of my skin. Jeez, he was quiet.
"Is there something-"
"Did you do this? How long did it take you?" He asked his eyes on the work by his bed side. It was one of my first, I didn't think it held that much significance.
"It took me two days, straight." I replied and he just nodded and got into his room, his eyes still fixated on the painting. I left his room to give him his privacy but still I didn't think that the painting would give me so many issues afterwards. And from the moment Lucius stepped through my door nothing went as it was supposed to and that destroyed me, or as people usually say… I got fucked up.