Cynthia seemed less untamed. She was quiet, reserved, and soft-spoken. But he was glad she wore glasses, because without them her eyes were more bewitching. She'd only have to stand on a busy thoroughfare on any given day and heaven knew how many people would die of heart attacks, accidents and what not.
"Nobody really knows her
Except the chosen few
Her secrets are kept hidden
Behind that sun-kissed hue..."
Luke wouldn't have been surprised if she had giggled at his sudden recital of poetry but she only raised an eyebrow.
"Well?" she asked, with a nonchalant tilt of her head.
"Ah, never mind." He brushed it away. "I know I suck at poetry."
"Uh-huh. I wonder how many women you've said that to."
Luke turned to look at Cynthia, only to find her laughing silently, her face turning slightly red. She then slapped a hand to her mouth and stole a glance at him. "Sorry."
Did she have any idea how strong a punch the combination of her dark eyes, sparkling with amusement, and long dark lashes packed? Probably not.
"You look amazing when you laugh," Luke smiled, his gaze still focused on her face, "You should do it more often."
"Oh trust me, I do." She finally managed to catch her breath after that serious fit of laughter. "Living right beside Scott, do you think I have any dearth of funny moments?"
"I was right in saying that he's more than just a friend to you," he said, "He's protective about you."
"Yes." She sighed deeply. "Without him, I wouldn't survive."
When she looked at him, her smile had faded and her face was cloudy. Her eyes shone with unshed tears. "It's crazy how someone unrelated to you helps you find your feet again while your own family turns away..." her voice started breaking, "I don't know where I'd be without Scott..."
Luke moved closer to the spot where she was standing and wrapped his arms around her. She yielded and pressed her forehead against his chest. Even though she didn't actually cry, he still consoled her. She looked like she needed comfort of some kind. She had clearly had enough back in Birmingham.
"I'm sorry." She sharply pulled herself away a minute later. Swiping the edge of her eyes with her fingers, she looked at him. "Do you want to sit?" she asked, "There's a small hillock there."
"Sure," he smiled, "Let's go."
They went around the river, along the grassy banks, the undergrowth tangling in their shoes as they walked. The gurgling river, although quite shallow like most mountain rivers, was frothy near the edges and often drenched the shores. The boulders in the riverbed shone beneath the water, glistening under the sun rays.
"How do you feel about fishing?" she asked him when they were seated on the little hillock covered in grass and flowering bushes near the river bank.
"I liked it when I was younger," he replied.
"You're still young," she shot back.
"I'm 35," he smiled, mighty impressed with himself for having taken to regular exercising. It helped him cheat on the years.
"Really?" she widened her eyes at him. "But you don't look a year older than 40."
With that, she started to laugh again, this time loudly. Luke watched her silently, taking in the sound of her laugh. It blended with the gurgle of the river and the chirping of the birds to make an enchanting mélange. She had no idea what she was doing to him. He was here for two weeks, and then he'd be back in office and she'd carry on with her simple, unhurried life. Would there ever be anything more between them except these stolen moments?
"What?" she asked when she had stopped laughing. He realized he'd been staring at her like an idiot. And how couldn't he? She was a treat for sore eyes.
"Nothing," he shook his head. He liked her more when she dropped her guard and loosened up. But she was unaware of that. Or was it a part of her that she deliberately kept hidden, to protect herself from any more heartbreak?
"You were talking about fishing," he said, "You don't mean this river has fish?"
"I'm not sure," she shrugged, "When Jake had got in to have a bath here, something had bitten him hard." She rolled her hair and put it up in a bun. "I think it was a lobster."
Luke hands reached his pocket and took out the rosebud that had survived their rocky ride to the river. Without checking with his brain his hand fixed the flower in her bun.
"Perfect." The exclamation of admiration left his lips abruptly. But he didn't mind. Neither did she. She was quite a sport, fortunately.
"Thank you," she smiled shyly, touching her bun to check if the flower was alright. "You're quite a romantic, aren't you?"
"You think so?" he laughed softly. He was used to women trolling their beauty like bait, but he'd bet a million pounds Cynthia had no idea how the little things she did made him weak in the knees. And in the heart.
Before he met Diana, he'd had a series of fleeting romances that almost always began and ended in the bedroom. Since Diana's death, he'd always felt empty, like a part of him was missing without her. But with Cynthia, he felt like a teenager again, excited, nervous, ready to take that leap of faith. Ready to share his love with someone again.
"You wouldn't put the flower in my hair if you weren't a romantic," she bit her lip, allowing a small playful smile to slip through, "Diana was a lucky woman."
"No," he sighed, "I was luckier. She deserved better than me."
"Would you mind telling me about her?" she drew her knees up and propped her chin on them, folding her arms around her legs. "How did you meet?"
"You want to know?" he asked. No one had ever asked him all this. Everyone knew them and their story. He never got to properly reminisce about her since she passed away.
"Like I said, if you don't mind," she smiled.
"I don't." Luke paused for a moment. "It was about ten years ago at one of our gigs," he said, "At the Hare and Hounds Club. We were signing autographs and posing for photos after the show, when I saw this girl with a head full of curly hair waiting impatiently some metres away, since she found the stage too crowded to get close."
He tore a blade of grass from the ground and smiled unmindfully. "Something about her caught my eye. She didn't seem the screaming, groping kind of fan. Although she looked disappointed that she wouldn't be able to meet me in all likelihood, she wasn't fighting for attention. She had this air around her... and it just stood out. When she realised the crowd wouldn't dwindle so soon, she turned around to walk away. It was like a switch clicking inside me and I excused myself from the crowd of admirers and followed her. She stopped when I called out and stared at me with those big, blue eyes. I signed her notepad, casually asked her name, and on a whim, put my number below my signature."
"Seriously?" she laughed.
"Yeah. I found it stupid at that moment. She'd think I was desperate or something. But when she called me two nights later, all my doubts were put to rest. We went out the next evening and kept meeting afterwards. I wouldn't say we instantly set the world on fire but it sort of... grew. Diana always said it was her dream come true. And in so many ways, mine too."
"Was she fun?" she asked quietly. He nodded, the smile never leaving his face.
"She laughed a lot. She was so full of life, always. That was the best part about her. She had a kind of playfulness... things never got boring with her around."
Luke stared at the river, his smile fading, vision blurring, as he remembered the handful of bad times they'd had.
"We weren't the perfect couple," he said, his voice falling. "We had our share of fights, disagreements and arguments like all couples do. I just... didn't think... she'd leave me alone this way."
Unbeknownst to him, Cynthia had moved closer to him. She gently held his hand and squeezed it.
"Nobody could have known what was going to happen," she said reassuringly, "I'm sure she knew how much you loved her and she loved you all the way back. At least, take some comfort that you made each other happy during the years you were together."
Luke silently nodded, then gave her a sideway glance. "You're different from the way the counsellor dealt with me," he smiled.
"I didn't need counselling," she said, "Scott took it upon himself to help me back to normal life."
"I've had my friends and family. But they've always wanted me to move on and stop feeling this way. They never realized that I also need to mourn and to vent." He paused. "Don't get me wrong," he added, "They've done a lot for me. But they couldn't relate to my feelings, very obviously."
Cynthia gently patted his shoulder and then softly squeezed it. Her hand was warm and soft, like the comforting touch of a mother on a bad day.
"So whose wedding is it?" he asked, blinking away his tears. She moved a little away and drew her knees up again.
"My elder sister's," she said.
"You have a sister?"
She nodded rather reluctantly and turned her face away, like a door slamming shut. He remembered his own sister's weddings and how fun filled they had been. But unlike that, Cynthia's situation seemed different. He resisted asking anything more when he saw her grim look. She had cried enough already and he had no intention to make her cry again, or to be the reason behind it.
"I wonder why this place is still untouched by the tourists," he said, hoping to lighten the mood between them, "Don't people know about the river?"
"The locals do," she nodded, "But for tourists this place is too remote. They'd rather stay where they can connect to Wi-Fi."
"I'm glad about that." He stretched his arms. "I like the quietness, the remoteness."
"So do I," she sighed, "Even towns are getting crowded these days."
She looked at him and smiled. "You must be travelling a lot, right? What made you come here?"
"My sister sent me, and then Scott had been asking me to pay a visit for a while. I wasn't too keen, but now I'm definitely glad that I came."
"Which countries have you travelled to?"
"Oh, a lot of them. Almost the whole of Europe, parts of North America, some places in Africa and Asia, and a few in Latin America."
"All for work?"
"Mostly. But some for pleasure as well. Diana and I used to travel whenever we'd find some time to ourselves. For us, travelling was all about soaking in a different culture, meeting new people, and having a good laugh. For instance, when we were in Italy, we visited the Colosseum in Rome and shopped in Milan. But what I still cherish is the time we spent in Atrani, the smallest town in the south of Italy, where we met a group of friends in a bar and chatted the night away. Or one of those times when I was in Scotland for work and found a couple of days to slip away to Strathblane, a small, historic village in a picturesque setting at the foot of the Campsie Fells and Kilpatrick Hills, on the banks of the River Blane. It was bliss... but Di was so pissed off because I lapped it all up alone!"
"Wow." The word came out in a murmur from her lips.
"What?"
"I was right. You are a romantic."
"Maybe," he said modestly.
"Did Diana find you romantic?"
"Sometimes, I guess. When I'd send her flowers for no reason or if we were at home relaxing and I'd sneak off to the bathroom and run her a nice big bubble for a treat and bring her up a glass of wine... she found me thoughtful about little details."
"I'd feel that way too... if someone did all that for me." A small smile flickered on her lips as she folded her arms around her legs and stared at the river.
"Most of the time she complained that I gave too much time to work," he added, "She had crazy ways to make me compensate for it."
"Huh? Like what?"
"You wouldn't want to know," he looked a little horrified.
"Of course I would. Tell me."
"I... can't."
"Oh, I see." She suppressed a laugh. "Let me guess. She made you do the dishes?"
"That's nothing," he shrugged, slowly going red in the face.
"She made you do the chores in your underwear?"
"How did you know??" The look on his face was priceless.
"And... she made you wear her underwear to work?"
"Bloody hell! Do all women think alike?!"
"Apparently," she chuckled, "We'd get along well if she were around."
"Oh yeah? So how many men have you meted out such punishments to?"
"Not me. But it reminds me of the punishments Scott gives his boys. Once when Jake had got detention for shooting rubber bands at kids in the lunch room, the Principal called Scott; he instinctively asked "Well, did he hit anybody?", to which the principal quickly replied that it was irrelevant. Later that night, however, he set up a target in the kitchen, on the fridge, and Jake's punishment was that he had to spend an hour a night shooting rubber bands at that target. He explained to him that if he was going to get in trouble for something, he better at least be good at it!"
For the next few seconds, both of them laughed hard. Luke was the first to find his breath back. "I was generally a good kid, but there were times when my mom would threaten to sell me to Russians if I misbehaved," he started laughing again, "I was barely five or six, had no clue what Russians were, but I was terrified of them!"
Luke couldn't believe how easily, and unknowingly, the mood had changed. Cynthia was still hysterical with laughter, her face red and eyes watery, and she was trying to make herself stop by covering her mouth with her hands. Luke didn't remember the last time he had laughed so much with somebody. He and Diana would run a 24/7 circus on uneventful days. But after her, all laughter had stopped.
I miss you, Di. But I know you're helping me reclaim my life.
When Cynthia had finally stopped laughing, she found him rising to his feet.
"Are you planning to leave?" she raised her eyebrows and stared up at him.
"No, I was hoping you'd show me around the place," he said, and gave her a hand. "It's better to talk while taking a walk."
She held his hand and pulled herself to her feet. Dusting her pants, she smiled.
"I hope you aren't bored," she said as they walked down the hillock, "I'm not much of a talker."
"Well, we've been talking since the last few hours," he looked down at her, "You're not doing too bad."
"So tell me about your company," she sounded interested, "You said you run it with your brother."
"Yes." Luke was only too happy to talk about business with a woman who understood what it was. "It's in the business coaching franchise. My second oldest brother Liam started it more than a decade ago, while I was in London Business School, getting, as you'd have guessed, an MBA. My brother has been in business management for years, and since he'd already weathered the corporate storms, he knows best how to help others get their business to the next level."
"What did you specialise in?" she asked. They were strolling along the river bank side by side, the sunrays shining down up them, warming them.
"Strategy and Entrepreneurship."
"It's actually an LBS version of International Business, right?"
He smiled at her, slightly amused by her knowledge. "You seem to have a good idea about business studies."
She shrugged. "I like to read and know different things. I run a business, you see."
"We mostly work with small to medium businesses, and first-time entrepreneurs. These are usually successful people who are stuck in certain areas of their business, like weak profits, sluggish sales, cash flow challenges, people problems, or working too many hours, unhealthy work-life balance. There are also common challenges like quality issues, service failures, lack of leadership depth, a poor company culture, and limited company value."
"Does a business coach work like a life coach?" she queried. He nodded.
"Somewhat. We provide a safe place that is a positive, supportive environment free from judgment or hidden agendas. There are no self-imposed limitations on what is possible. The client is free to speak openly and honestly knowing that anything discussed will be held in complete confidence."
Cynthia paused suddenly and Luke stopped walking at the same time. There were questions on her face that she seemed hesitant to ask.
"What?" he said, "What is it?"
"Your tragedy must have taken a toll on the work you do," she said softly, "Since you coach and help other people..."
"Yes," he nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets, "I'm glad there are others in the company who can take care of things. Otherwise, Liam would be in a soup."
He laughed quietly at a sudden thought, making her shoot him a surprised glance.
"You know what?" he shook his head, "I can't believe I'm talking business with a girl at a place like this."
"Or are you surprised that a girl understands business jargon, huh?" she chuckled.
"Yes, that too. Whenever a girl learns that I'm a business consultant, they seem eager to know. And then, once I start telling them what I just told you, they are like, 'Oh... ok."
"I don't blame them. Not everybody understands business."
"I agree. Although not all people need a degree in management to become successful entrepreneurs. Scott and you are two examples."
"Scott helped me take off." She looked at him and smiled naughtily. "Someday I'll write a book on Scott's contribution to my life."
They laughed. "I like you better when you come out of your shell," he said, reaching out to hold her hand for a brief moment.
"Which is very rare," she sighed, "Meaning you don't like me most of the time?"
She pouted and then laughed again. Unknown to them, they had covered a fairly large distance, and they now stood on the other side of the river. It was well past noon and the sun was fast disappearing behind a big chunk of grey cloud. Luke checked the time on his watch.
"I think we should return," he said, looking at her for approval, "Scott and Carrie must be wondering about our whereabouts."
"Yeah, we didn't inform them that we were coming here." She turned back and motioned him to follow. "I'm also hungry."
"Me too. Where do we eat?"
"Let's drop into Carrie's Thai Village. Their lunch menu is seriously great. Let's hurry. She remains open for half a day on Sundays."
Both Scott and Carrie had one thing in common regarding their businesses- the charming ambience of their restaurants. Luke had dropped in twice at 8th Day and had been bowled over by both the food and the service, and his first time at Carrie's Thai restaurant left him with the same feeling, even before they had taken their seats. Lunch time on Sundays was a busy affair at all restaurants in town but Carrie still managed to find them a table in a far end of the restaurant, away from the crowd. Despite having ample number of waiters, Carrie herself came to take their orders. Luke ordered Gai Med Ma Moung or Chicken Cashew Nuts with jasmine rice and Cynthia added Tom Kha Gai in the end, saying it was the most refreshing soup in the world.
Luke had always been chatty, and even though the tragedy had made him sombre and subdued for a long time, Velmont Town and the refreshing company of this lovely young woman was bringing out his true colours again. Although Cynthia seemed tired after the long day they'd had she encouraged him to talk about his family. He was more than happy to oblige. He mesmerised her with stories from his lovely childhood, awed her with their humble beginnings with a small restaurant that his parents still ran, made her laugh with anecdotes from his school days, especially his fear of the strict nuns, and amused her with sweet memories of the girls' school that had been a major attraction for the boys. He also told her about his nephews and nieces, their antics, and his love for them. Once the plates and bowls had emptied, Cynthia insisted on paying the bill and went ahead despite protests from him and Carrie, who had thought it was on the house.
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