The moment she set foot on the dock she knew this was the place for her, this was where she was meant to be, this was the place where she could spend the rest of her life here, if that was ever possible. She paid her handsome sailor with a kiss and promise to dine and sail with him the next time he sailed to the island.
She spent the rest of the day going around the city, exploring it, taking in what it had to offer. This was her adventure, this was her life, and she wanted to make the most of it. She wanted to soak it all in, enjoy every moment, soaking in the culture, tradition, cuisine of this little island that she hoped to call home. The air was fresh, and the smell of this quaint little town left her feeling intoxicated, light headed and dizzy with a sense of elation.
But then she was very aware that she couldn’t live on love and fresh air alone. She knew that very soon she would be down to her last penny. Once more she used her charm and secured a job as a waitress and with it lodging. So she was set, ready to live life on the island. And yes she could sing too. What more could she want.
She had no qualms waiting tables but was not very good at, after all her only experience in waitressing was helping serve drinks at her friend’s party (if that could be counted as experience). So she muddled up orders, found it difficult to navigate through patrons while balancing trays with orders, often mixing up orders, spilling orders, in short not doing a great job.
The patrons were often cheery, and didn’t mind her clumsiness, willing to give her chance (also they were enamoured by her charm). That was until she saw him seated at his table, complaining about everything. Typical city dweller, she thought to herself (but then so was she) but she was nothing like him.
As luck would have it, she tripped and spilled water on her (thank god it was just water and not anything else but then she wouldn’t have mind if she spilt something else). She apologised as she tried to wipe off the water, but he was too furious to listen to her apologies (in fact, she didn’t care). He spoke with the manager, and when he didn’t get his way, he stormed out. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him leaving, she managed to dodge a bullet. The manager didn’t reprimand her, just told her to be careful of such finicky customers.
That night as she closed the cafe and left for the day, it began to pour. She wore her windsheeter and got on her bike (which she had rented) and was off. It was pouring steadily, not too heavy, quite manageable. As she made her way she saw headlights and someone frantically waving their hands to get her attention. As she got closer she saw that the same obnoxious fellow from the cafe. She had half a mind to let him suffer in the rain, for his rudeness. But she saw him soaked to the bone and shivering, and took pity on him. She wasn’t quite the mechanic, did all she knew. But when that proved futile she offered to drop him to the nearest house or shop, from where he could call help. As she rode carefully the steady rain had now become a downpour making it difficult to ride, affecting visibility.
Finally, they had to stop and take shelter in what looked like an abandoned stable, waiting it out, waiting for the rains to pass. She noticed him shivering uncontrollably so she quickly searched about for anything she could get a fire going. When she was finally able to start a small fire they both sat next to it trying the best to keep warm, but their wet clothes made it difficult. He was still shivering, so she snuggled up next to him hoping their body heat would keep them warm. At first he flinched, was taken back when she snuggled next to him, but then he relaxed. When she suggested that he remove his shirt and let it dry, he was initially hesitant but did as she said. She removed her blouse and sat there in her underwear.
They huddled together before that fire and it seemed to be working. Heat from the fire combined with the heat from their bodies provided the warmth they needed. She lay her head against his shoulder, and he put his around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Out of of nowhere she felt drawn to him. The person who had earlier repulsed her was now attracting her and she was powerless to this attraction. She leant forward till she could feel his breath on her face, she could feel his body close to hers, something awaking, like the passion she felt within her. And as she slowly moved closer to his face she felt his face draw closer to hers, and then they kissed, setting the night on fire.
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