Chapter 2 Christian

When their eyes meet, Christian is stunned by the sheer beauty of this woman who introduced herself as Mia. Now with the mud all gone (despite the mud on her sweatshirt and jeans), she looks irresistibly lovely. She has dark almond eyes and a perfect heart-shaped face. A freckle stands out on her straight-edged nose, making her look lively. Her full lips look soft and are now slightly parted. Christian couldn’t take his eyes off her face.

Now he feels he was a jerk by being rude and annoyed at her in the beginning. The truth is he couldn’t help his attitude no matter whether she is pretty or not when he was interrupted in his mourning. He thought he would have all the solitude and quietude for himself on this day. The day that meant everything to him and forever changed who he is.

Christian has come to this valley in this German town by himself on this day every year since he was able to travel alone. This misty and less traveled place is his sanctuary. In this place, all the sealed memories, the dark ones, the sweet ones, the bitter ones, are alive and allow him to travel back and relive the moments before that fatal day. He needs these memories to keep himself going.

Christian doesn’t think he had run into people before during his previous stays because travelers and locals rarely choose the route he takes. However, this girl’s appearance breaks his cycle.

He walks to Mia, takes the only bandage left, and raises her hand. He feels electricity shoot through his body. Apparently, she feels that too because her pupil dilates and her sensual lips part as if in disbelief. Christian couldn’t resist the temptation to mold her petite and curvy body into his and kiss her lips.

“Emmm, thank you,” Mia takes back her hand, breaking the connection.

“You are welcome,” Christian walks back to the bench, annoyed by his reactions. He had never feels this way before around any woman. This is odd. Maybe it is the weather. Maybe it is because he hasn’t had sex for two months after the ugly breakup with Tina. He needs to get laid after this temporary runaway in Germany.

“Can I sit down?” Mia asks.

“Of course,” Christian moves some space for Mia to sit down near him. Not too much space so that they could sit closely.

“I’m also caught in the rain.” Christian mumbles.

“What?” Mia doesn’t catch him.

“I said I’m also caught in the rain.” Christian turns to look at her. The yellow light from the fireplace puts a gentle thin veil on her face, accentuating her dark brilliant eyes that promise land of warmth and tenderness. Her hair, which was in a messy bun previously, has been let down. The long chestnut hair falls to her shoulder, the rich curls look so inviting for touches.

“Oh, is this your first time here?” Mia’s heart skips a beat by the way he looks at her.

Christian frowns. This is a question he doesn’t want to answer.

Sensing his reluctance, Mia thinks she might step on something sensitive and flusters to think of something else to talk about.

But she couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Is this your first time here?” Christian saves her from the awkward silence.

“Yeah. I came to this town with my friend Sophia. Oh, Sophia!” Mia exclaims.

“Can I borrow your phone? I need to call my friend. She must be very anxious right now. My cellphone run out of battery two hours ago.” Mia pleads silently.

Christian unlocks his IPhone and hands it to Mia, fingers brushing against hers. The electricity is once again felt by both of them.

Trying to hide the effect of his touch on her, Mia quickly takes the phone and goes to a corner in the cabin. Christian’s eyes follow her every movement.

Mia quickly dials Sophia’s number. She picks up immediately.

“Sophia, it’s me. Mia.” Mia hears a scream on the other side.

“Where are you, girl? I cannot get hold of you. I thought you were kidnapped. I’m about to call the police!”

“I’m okay. I got lost in the valley. I shouldn’t have wandered so long. My cellphone runs out of battery.”

“Are you safe now? Where are you exactly? It’s raining cats and dogs. Whose phone are you using?”

“I’m staying at a cabin in the valley. Don’t worry about me. I’m not alone.”

“Who are you with? Is it a he or she? You are not in a dangerous situation right now, are you?” Mia could hear the worry in Sophia’s voice.

“He...” Mia turns to Christian.

“Chris.” Mia has no idea how he guessed their conversation.

“I’m with Chris. He is a nice person. Don’t worry about me. I will return to the hotel when the rain stops raining.”

“Oh Mia, the weatherman says the rainstorm is gonna last till tomorrow morning. Should I call for help?”

What Sophia said doesn’t sound good. Does she have to stay at the cabin for the whole night? With this gorgeously good-looking man?

“No. I think I’ll stay at the cabin for the night. It will be difficult for the park rangers to get in here too.”

“Are you sure you will be safe with this Chris guy? Is he good-looking? Does he has a great body?” Sophia giggles.

“Sophie!” Mia gasped.

“Alright, alright. Tell me the name of the cabin?” Sophia sounds all serious now.

“Shicksal.” Mia is not sure of her pronunciation.

“Well, tell that Chris guy I will notify the police of your whereabouts. And I have his cellphone number.” However, deep down in Mia’s heart, she knows that Chris will not hurt her. Her quick trust in him surprises her. She feels she doesn’t know herself anymore. She is not the impetuous type. She always thinks before she leaps. Somehow Chris, the man she just met briefly, makes her a different person.

“Yes, Madam,” Mia says goodbye to Sophia and locks Chris’s cell phone.

After the call, Mia goes back to the bench and holds the tip of the phone carefully to Chris, trying to avoid touches to cause more confusing feelings. Her effort doesn’t go unnoticed by Chris.

Chris is not happy about her effort but takes the phone anyway.

“My friend says the rain is gonna last till tomorrow morning,” Mia couldn’t help initiate their conversation.

“Then we have to sleep overnight, all alone in here,” Chris teases, the way he said “we”, “sleep” and “alone” makes Mia’s mind wander and her face flushes.

Christian reads her mind, and finds her flushed face adorable. He wants to tease her more, wants to kiss her senselessly. He finds himself aroused.

This is dangerous. You don’t want to do this. She is not the kind of woman you can just have a fling with and then walk away casually. He warns himself. He has been with many women, women who want to date him, bed him, and have his children. He is always in the newspaper, being the richest eligible bachelor. They know him before he knows them. Sometimes he feels he is caged by these women. He plays along, dates models with long legs, actresses who want him to be on the red carpet with them.

But this woman this different. He could tell. She doesn’t know who he is, yet she is attracted to him (and he to her). She is different in so many ways. She is not pretentious, she has a genuine smile, she is a bit awkward yet in an adorable way. When she looks at him, her eyes sparkle with earnest and warmth, yes, warmth, the one thing he has been deprived of so long since his mother passed away. She is a bit shy and self-conscious around him. Has she been with many men?

Christian is surprised that he has noticed so many things about her in just less than one hour. Maybe it is because he has grown tired of women batting their eyelashes at him, trying to seduce him constantly. Mia is so fresh and so different. She even tried to avoid physical contact as small as a touch of fingers.

It must be the celibacy he maintained in the last two months. He needs release.

Christian gets up abruptly to hide his arousal. He goes to the window, pretending he is watching the rain. And it works.

“The rain probably will flood the roads,” Mia comments.

“Yes, it does,” Christian answers, “What are you doing in this town?”

“My friend Sophia works for a German company. She has this business travel in this town and asked me to come with her. I’ve never been to Germany before. So I came.”

“Do you enjoy the trip?”

“Yes, except being lost in the valley.” The truth is that being lost in the valley has led to the greatest encounter in Mia’s life.

“You should take off your sweatshirt...”

“What?” Mia gasped. Her mind is filled with dirty thoughts.

“To dry your clothes. It’s damp.” Christian said matter-of-factly. Mia’s face is as red as a ripe tomato. Christian is trying hard to stifle a burst of laughter. He likes how nervous she is around him. He likes how she has lightened his heart on this melancholy day.

Mia is glad she has a T-shirt under and awkwardly pulls off her sweatshirt.

“Let me,” Christian takes the sweatshirt and puts it near the fireplace to dry off.

Then he takes off his dark jacket and hands it to Mia, even though he prefers Mia in her white T-shirt which hugs her body perfectly and highlights every curve.

Mia finds Chris’s act chivalrous. She puts on the overly big jacket, engulfed by his scent, a mixture of rain, pinewood, and freshly cut grass, her favorite scent.

She also couldn’t help staring at Chris, who now is in his dark T-shirt and dark jeans. He looks lean when he wore the jacket. Now Mia knows he looks lean but muscular and athletic, exactly her type, not overly buff like some men she feels scared by their presence.

Christian sits down with her, his knee accidentally touching hers. She almost jumped. Christian chuckled. Mia’s face becomes red again.

“Have you been here often?” Mia tries to bury her embarrassment by conversation.

“Yes,” Christian’s face changed, from a light mood back to a brooding and even painful complexion. Mia knows in a hurry she touches on a sensitive spot again. She wishes she could take the question back.

“How long are you going to stay here?” Christian is trying to change the topic. Mia can see that. She could tell this place is weighing him down. Does this valley remind him of someone? Someone that is precious to him? Perhaps an ex-girlfriend? Mia feels a pang of jealousy.

“We will leave on Friday.” Mia answers.

“There is an Italian restaurant in the town, Franco's Pizza. Try it. It has the best seafood pasta in the world. I used to..." Christian stops short. His face is filled with overwhelming sadness.

Mia wants to chase the sadness away. She wants to hug him, soothe him, and never let him go. But she knows she is daydreaming. After all, they are just two persons who happen to be in the same cabin on a rainy day. A handsome man like him probably has many women admiring him, chasing him. But she is just a plain girl with an ordinary life.

Christian is shocked by himself. He almost let his secret slip. The secret he had buried deep in his heart since that fatal day. He wants to go on, wants to tell her what has happened to him, what is making him painful every day. But he couldn't. He couldn't drag her into his mad world, his world that is imbued with hate, intrigues, calculation, and venom. They will part ways. She will live a peaceful life filled with laughter, far away from the vengeful turbulence of his.