Chapter 2:
I told him to leave and he did, but I never thought it would be for nine years. I admit that at the time I wanted him as far away from me as possible, but it was only because if he touched me at just the wrong moment I would break. I would attach myself to him and never let go, but I knew that tradition and family were more important. My dad Burt is the king of Ahia and he had promised me off to the son of King Lymas.
The night we wed was blurry and tasteless and I don’t mean that it didn’t have splendid lavender tapestries and white laced table tops. It had no flavor because I was numb. After Blaine left I went on autopilot. I usually applied my own facial cr�mes and moisturizer but I doubted my fingers would work in the way that I wanted them to so I left them at my sides or in my lap. I let the attendants decorate me for the wedding all while regretting telling Blaine to leave me. If he had stayed just a little longer I would have told him to put on my foundation and all of my other little cosmetics. The glide of his fingers across my face would have felt heavenly and might have helped me to face my uncertain future.
My husband to be turned out to be a kind man by the name of Marcus. He blessed me with a sweet little girl who I call Beth. Her royal name is Bethaniel Lymas. She had Marcus’s shaggy black hair, but my eyes. Everyone said so.
“Kurt, there is someone here to see you,” dad says to me.
“I know. I saw him when I came in. His gelled hair can be seen from miles, I’m sure”
Dad makes a grunting noise that he tends to make when he’s flummoxed.
“I thought you would have wanted to see him. You two were best friends when you were growing up.”
“We were. Past tense, dad. Besides, what interest do you have in my friendships?”
Dad has a hurt look on his face and I immediately feel bad.
“I’m sorry, dad. Of course I’d like to see him. What with my marrying Marcus I have tons to tell him.”
Beth runs and launches herself at Dad and he scoops down to catch her.
“Bethany, don’t go throwing yourself around all over the place. You can break something or hurt yourself” I say to my daughter while worrying about dad getting too excited.
This is a constant problem with Beth and Dad. I love seeing them together, but her motor mouth and bouncy self aren’t good for Dad’s heart. I take Beth from Dad and give him a smile. He has a goofy grin on his face.
I make my assent to see the man I haven’t spoken to in over eight years. Blaine’s eyes are a murky brown as he stares at me walking down the marble stair case with my baby girl parcel. I lift my head higher when I reach the bottom step and carefully meet him by the doorway, making sure not to trip since Beth sometimes kicks out with her legs when she’s excited.
“Why, Mr. Anderson. What pray tell may I ask you are doing here?”
His stare is so piercing I shift a little from foot to foot, but Beth’s weight could also play a part in that. It seemed like she was getting heavier every day. Her tiny body was growing up and it was both sad and wonderful to behold.
“Beth, this is Mr. Anderson. Introduce yourself.” Blaine took her hand when she pushed it forth and he chuckled when she said haughtily that she was the royal princess of Ahia, but that he could call her ‘my lady’. I sighed.
“Well then, my lady, it is. And may I say what a beautiful lady you are”.
Blaine looked conspiratorial as he held her proffered hand.
“Daddy, I like him. Let’s keep him.”
“Beth, we don’t even know if Blaine wants to stay. It looks to me as if he is here for a short visit”.
Beth was eyeing Blaine and me and then she just shrugged.
“Okay, then can I play with Blaine until he leaves”.
However, charmed Blaine was at ‘my lady’ this detour in his plans seemed to put him in a slight panic. He was rubbing his hands and seeming to be decidedly less chipper to be chummy chummy with my kid. I chuckled.
“I think Blaine came here to see me sweetie. Maybe later he can play”. Blaine smiled at that. I bent and set Beth on her small feet. Turning to Quinn and the rest of the attendants I told them to get Beth changed and ready for dinner. Quinn nodded and Beth skedaddled to her room holding her hand.
“You have a daughter.”
“Yeah, she’s my life.”
He shuffled his feet and said “Can we sit down and talk?”
Turning him down has a certain allure, but I hadn’t seen him in such a long time. And he had meant something to me for a very long time. I turned and headed to the living room assuming he was behind me. It was getting darker outside and there was a d�j� vu feel to us sitting down on the couch alongside one another which was ridiculous since he had never been to Marcus and mine’s home.
“Kurt….I came because I’m looking for work”.
I did not expect that.
“A big house like this, I’m sure you could find a chore that needs doing that I could do.”
Baffled, I replied “I..I..don’t know. I will have to check with Marcus…My husband. You know, to see if there are any job openings.”
Before I could rise off the couch his arm was on my arm and his lips were mere inches from my lips.
“Please Kurt. I need this.”