Spellbound

36

SOLEIL

The waiter arrives with our food, and I dig in. I end up having more than a taste when I sample everything on Brice's platter, and then some.

As we eat, we discuss our taste in food, drinks, music, and movies. Whereas I spend my pastime indoors being entertained by books, games, and a good show; Brice is a very active person especially when it comes to water sports – from surfing to jet skis, he does it all.

The bill arrives and he pays.

"Would you like to go for a movie?" he asks as we head to his car.

"Yes! It's been months since I went to the cinema. Give me Marvel on the big screen."

Brice is not about that superhero life. We watch a few trailers before settling on a thriller. He buys the tickets and I manage to find space in my stomach for some popcorn, astros, and a slushie. Whether I manage to finish them is another matter entirely.

We sit in the lover's seat that affords us more space without an armrest separating us.

The thriller is borderline horrific. He pulls me onto his lap halfway through when I grab onto his shirt after one jump scare too many.

*

"That ending was so lame," I voice my thoughts on the way home.

"Riiiight. You're going to hate on the ending when you couldn't even look at the chitawori anytime it appeared on screen."

"I'll admit that thing was scary-looking, borderline disgusting. But come on, the fact that it was a mechanically controlled monster to keep the town in line... that's fucked up. What sick, sick leaders. Those poor people voting for politicians who simply wanted to control them."

"I think it was a good twist. Steering closer to the truth than fiction."

"What? Are you telling me that there are mechanically controlled monsters running around to keep us in line?"

"The monsters are controlled and yes, fear keeps most societies in line from families to nations."

Well, damn.

I drop the subject because I have the constitution of a chicken and would probably not save anybody other than myself. If there are monsters among us, I don't want to see them let alone know about it.

We arrive back at the house and head for the cottage. No one is outside. Other than the sound of crickets in the night, silence has settled all around. It's almost midnight and I guess everybody's gone to bed.

"Do you plan to unpack or are you going to live out of your suitcase?" Brice asks as I rummage around my clothes trying to figure out which set of pyjamas to wear to bed.

Do I want to look cute or sexy? That is the question.

"I'll get to it tomorrow," I answer absentmindedly.

"Here, put these on."

He tosses a peach, satin set onto my heap of disarray.

"Oh my gosh! I've missed these."

They were my favourite set of sleepwear from the colour to the cut. I hadn't seen them since that fateful night when Brice gave me an ultimatum in the middle of the ocean.

"I had them washed."

"Thank you. Do you also have my underwear from that night?"

"I didn't wash those."

He doesn't elaborate any further and disappears into the walk-in closet. I briefly wonder what he did with them but I'm afraid to ask.

I abandon my luggage to change in the bathroom. Once I'm done, I pick a side at random and settle into bed switching off the bedside lamp. Brice walks back into the bedroom in nothing but tight, white Calvin Klein briefs. He closes and locks the door behind him before settling into bed and switching off his light.