The New Sanning Promise Ch. 05

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"Good day at work?" she asked, gulping the last of her tea.

"Very good start," he said with a chuckle. "But it's still a very weird place."

Mel stood and put the kettle back on the stove. Her nerves were getting to her, being alone with Brandon once again. "Do you want some more coffee? I also just got some imported chocolate if you have a sweet tooth."

"No thanks," he said. "Actually if you don't mind I'd like to get on my feet."

"Sure," she said. "Let's go for a walk."

New Sanning was built in the middle of nowhere, far removed from the rest of American civilization. That gave it an odd sort of beauty to Melanie Jarowski, especially at this time of day when the sun was finally sinking below the horizon. Sunset here never made the full orange dome that it did on the west coast, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The lake reflected a rippling bar instead of the perfect sphere of the sun.

"It looks like a living crystal," she said aloud. "The way it moves in the reflection. And it's so bright that you would think it was... magical I guess. If you ever did see a crystal like that in real life I mean."

Brandon stepped closer to the water and pondered. "A living, magical crystal," he said. "I've never heard it described like that. Well, maybe no one has ever described the sunset in the water to me before."

"I'm surprised I haven't painted this yet," she said. "Hey, can I ask you something, Brandon?"

"Shoot."

"What's it like being a doctor? I just can't imagine it. I get this rush every time I feel like I'm doing something new with my art. New to me, at least. It keeps me striving toward progress and improvement. But what keeps you going as a doctor?"

"I don't know," he said. "I only just started."

"But I mean it's a part of you. Right? Did you always want to be a doctor?"

He was still staring at the water, his back turned to her. He looked handsome from any angle, it seemed. It was difficult to imagine Brandon as anything but this tall, complete body. Anything but a man. "Definitely," he answered. "I never even thought about doing anything else. I guess I get that feeling when I learn something new and I get to apply it."

"It's just more... rigid? No room for mistakes or... I mean, nothing can really be a matter of opinion."

"Nope," he said. "I guess that's the big difference, the uh... left and right brain thing, you know? Some people want room for error and opinion. I just want something solid, reliable, and clear. I want to know when it's going to rain and for that to happen."

"I want to get caught in it," Melanie said, stepping up beside him and looking out to the water again. "I like surprises and changing plans on the fly."

"I like counting how many steps it takes to get to work," Brandon said.

Melanie took a rock from the ground and tried to skip it across the lake. It didn't even bounce once, sinking into the water instead. "I like getting unimportant things wrong and being able to walk away unscathed."

Brandon took more consideration in selecting his rock. Flat, and wide. And it bounced seven times when he skipped it. "Actually, I like getting things wrong too. Because it gets me closer to being right."

"I think I know that feeling," Mel said, catching his gaze and holding it.

And they held it in smiling silence.

"Brandon, can I be blunt?"

"Please do."

"I want you to stay in New Sanning. I know it's a very weird place and you're in a scary situation learning about all of... whatever this is. But I think I can help you figure things out. So if you were thinking of leaving..." Someone would miss you, she almost said. But it never came out.

"My turn, I guess," he said. She felt what little resolve she had melting as the sunset made his eyes glow. "I really don't want to be here. I'm a little terrified by this whole thing. You've got me figured out. But I think no matter where I go, I'm going to know what I am and it's never going to go away. So I may as well just take the time to figure things out and know everything there is to know. That's the only way I can ever be comfortable again. This is probably the only place I can really do it without... causing alarm. So I'm going to stay."

Melanie's breath let go, though she didn't realize she was holding it. She smiled and brushed the hair out of her face in relief. "That's great news, I really -"

"I don't want to hurt you, Mel," he interrupted.

"What do you mean?"

"We're still being blunt, right? Well, I really like you. I know we just met and all that but I think in normal circumstances I would really want to take you out on a date. I have this feeling about you that isn't just a superficial attraction, it's a sense."

Mel found herself stepping forward, the sun finding its way to her eyes but not blinding her. She reached for his hand, and he returned her grasp. "But..." he said. "I have to learn more about what's happening. About what I am. And I need to experiment. It's not really the sort of thing you do when you start dating someone and still call yourself an honest guy. Do you... get what I mean?"

Her hand slipped out of his. "You need to have sex with other people," she said. "Right?"

"Right. Just until I get what's happening."

She didn't want to look at him anymore, for fear of him seeing how that hurt. But this was no ordinary rejection. Against all her heart's warnings, she understood what he was saying. And she believed him. Mel kept looking right into his eyes, and said, "I have a sense too. I'm not afraid of what you are."

"But Henning -"

"I am afraid of Henning, because he is who he is," she said. "I'm not afraid of you. Because you're Brandon. And when you think you understand yourself, I want you to tell me all about it. Every last detail. We'll talk and talk for however many days it takes to wrap our heads around this. And then you can take me out on that date. Okay?"

Brandon looked ashamed, even sad. And that was exactly why she wasn't afraid of Brandon Harper. If any man deserved this power, surely it was him. Mel stepped closer and took his hand again, and without fear she kissed him. And Brandon kissed back.

"Just so you know I mean it," she said.

And then, Brandon smiled.