How can you forget the feel of the sun on your face when you've been holed up in an icy room for most of your life? How can you forget the relief water gives when you've been thirsty for as long as you can remember? You hold on to a semblance of hope, something to brighten up your life. But then, how would you feel when the sun walks into your life? How would you feel when everything you've ever wanted, ever needed, ever desired, stood in front of you in a form you can touch and handle to your heart's content? Sure, most people will refuse to believe, they'll refuse to accept such good fortune and attribute it to some good karma. But Beverly was not like them, not in the slightest. She appreciated what she saw, what her eyes fed on.
"Hmmm, something smells delicious." She said after watching Bryan work in the kitchen like a master chef. He shut his mind out of his surroundings, not letting anything break his focus. He didn't know that Beverly had been watching him for close to thirty minutes, salivating in the process. He looked edible, at least in her opinion. Arielle was in the sitting room doing something or the other on her phone and Beverly didn't want to disturb her in any way. She preferred to watch Bryan cook anyways, it was like her own reality TV show, made specially for her. The self assured way he did things made her swoon, the strength in his arms to signify he'd been putting a lot of hours in the gym, muscles bunching and rippling anytime he raised his hands to grab something. He was like her present, after the merry-go-round of life. He was her reprieve, her relief.
"Ohhhhh, thanks. How long have you been there by the way?" Bryan asked, suddenly aware of his surroundings. The way he cooked was the way he wrote, separating himself from everything else, not letting anything steal his attention. A house could be burning and he'd be in the middle of it, writing with careless abandon.
"Long enough." She said with a wink as he turned back to cooking. The smell of chicken wafted through the air, coupled with the mouth-watering sauce he prepared in record time. She wanted to ask if there was nothing he didn't turn into art but thought the better of it and refrained. He was just so perfect, it was eerie but in a sweet way.
"Like what you see?" He asked in a teasing gesture but the implications in his tone sent a blush to her cheeks, the image of her being with him assaulting her mind. It was inevitable but cute to watch anyways.
"Like? I love!" Beverly squealed in delight as she went up to Bryan, hugging him from behind as she planned earlier. He didn't stop her, just kept on doing what he was doing. She was distracting, her presence scrambled his thought process but it wasn't in a hostile way, it was actually something he could not only get used to but get addicted to.
"Merci, mademoiselle. You're too kind." He replied in his best imitation of a French accent as her heart her sharp intake of breath even though he couldn't see her facial expression because she held onto him. Being there with her that way made everything all the clearer to him, made him see the things he'd been avoiding, the things he steered clear of. He never wanted attachments, even his writings testified to it as the only romance in them always ended in tragedy. He'd always seen love as a frivolous way to pass the time, not worth the time of day. But, she was changing his thought pattern with the slightest touch, slightest sigh, it was like magic, if he believed in the notion.
Love was powerful, he'd never doubted that. But what he experienced made him also realize how dangerous it was. It wasn't just something to take lightly, the balance of his emotions rested on it. He suspected it was his karma for treating love so lightly all those years but deep down, he knew it wasn't. Karma was that bad if it was in that form. It was actually pretty chill when he thought about it.
"You speak French so well. Did you learn how to speak?" Beverly asked, her voice betraying just how awestruck she was by him. It wasn't something he wanted to hide but it was as glaring as day how much she admired him and everything he did. He cooked, took care of his stuff, wrote beautifully and was never rash with his decisions. His hot body and beautiful mind was just a plus but they enhanced his attributes all the more.
"I picked a little here and there, just as a hobby." He replied in an offhanded way, but she didn't miss his underlying gesture. He was pleased with himself and her, for noticing the effort he put into learning accents. It wasn't just the language, it was the accent that came with it. Most people learnt the language but could never mirror the accent and eventually give up on it. What made his spectacular was that his accent was flawless, like a native speaker. Being a writer meant he had to explore the vast possibilities in front of him but he didn't mind, not in the least.
As long as it was going to pay in the long run, he was going to enjoy himself while he learnt.
"Such an interesting hobby to have. So, tell me about other hobbies you think I should know." She asked, giving him the chance to talk about his books and apologize for not telling her about them. It was a thoughtful thing to do and he picked up on it right away. She was sensitive to his emotions, and nothing had ever felt as beautiful as that.
"Okay, I'll humor you by telling you about my boring life. Do humor me though, it's not everyday you meet a boring person. But before then, could you help me set the table? Arielle can be useless at times like this." He said, no trace of hostility in his voice. He was genuinely pleased with himself and the apparent laziness of Arielle. She was lazy but he didn't mind, he did things better on his own anyway. But having Beverly around was a huge help, and he told her so.
"Nah, don't say that. You've literally just cooked enough for everyone. The least I can do is to help set the table and trust me, I'd do it gladly." Beverly waved his thanks away, gushing with appreciation for his culinary skills. He was like a jack of all trades, master of all. She would be surprised if he told her he was a singer or an artist, nothing he told her would surprise her anymore. He was a one in a billion find and she was going to keep him for herself, whichever way possible.
"I appreciate you pitching in, really." He said, sincerity oozing off him. Beverly had nothing to say about that so she just kept shut and set the table like she originally planned to. As she set the table, Arielle walked over to where she was, phone in hand.
"Isn't big brother awesome or what? That's the main reason I just can't seem to get enough of this place. Nothing beats a homemade meal you know." Arielle said, plopping down on a chair Bryan pulled out for her. He wasn't exaggerating when he said she was lazy, but for some reason, it didn't faze him in the slightest. In fact, he was lackadaisical about it and didn't give it the time of day.
"So, you come home just to eat your brother's food?" Beverly asked, not sure she heard right. She'd always wanted a bond like the one Arielle shared with her brother and for the first time, that dream looked achievable.
"Yes, that's exactly it." Arielle said, unapologetic as usual. Bryan ruffled her hair fondly as she reclined on the chair, closing her eyes in anticipation of the food that was being laid before her.
"If I had a heart, I might have been hurt." Bryan ribbed in response to her stark honesty. He didn't look offended, Beverly wasn't sure if there was anything Arielle could do that would offend him. He loved her too much and it showed in every breath he took. He entertained her antics without showing annoyance in the slightest. It was a dream siblings relationship come true.
"Didn't you get the memo? You have a heart now and it's in her hands." Arielle said, pointing at Beverly who looked on in open-mouthed shock.
"Arielle!" Bryan and Beverly said at once, even though it didn't seem to faze her in the slightest. She opened one of her eyes and said, "Yes? I heard my name. From the both of you. Anything the matter?" Arielle asked with mock seriousness in her tone. Beverly knew that being friends with Arielle wasn't a mistake, it was the right thing to do even if Bryan wasn't in the equation.
One thing to be known about Arielle was her bluntness, her ability to break the ice. Bryan and Beverly had been skirting around the point but Arielle hit the nail on the head with a simple statement. Beverly smiled thinking about if the people in the world could be like Arielle. She shuddered at the thought of the chaos it could cause and appreciated Arielle even more.
"I'm hungry." Arielle stated again, trying to tell them that they were taking more time than necessary. It was a funny thing, the way Beverly blended with the household like she was born to be there. She'd never quite felt at home anywhere before, but being with Bryan and Arielle felt right somehow, in ways she couldn't explain. It just did.
"You do realize we're not your servants yeah?" Bryan stood in front of Arielle, looking at her with mock consternation.
"Oh? I know that, of course. I'm giving you enough time to talk to Beverly, you dimwit. Take a hint!" Arielle opened her two eyes then and shooed Bryan away like some pesky fly. Beverly felt sorry for him then, having someone like Arielle to call him out every time he did something stupid was enough to grate on his nerves but strangely, he never complained.
"Oh, right, right. Let's get to it then." Bryan dragged Beverly to the kitchen and before she knew what was happening, his lips were on hers. She didn't expect it but welcomed it wholeheartedly. She returned the kiss with the same ferocity, melting in his arms. It felt right, safe. That was the only way she could describe the emotions running through her being.
"Ewww, go get a room, you two. I said enough time to talk, not.. that." Arielle appeared in the kitchen, arms akimbo, pointing at them like they were infected with some sort of disease. But Bryan gave a hearty laugh then, and Beverly soon followed. Maybe it was impossible to get used to Arielle's bluntness, but it was sufficient enough to break the ice between the two of them. Someone like Arielle went for what she wanted, no apologies whatsoever. She was just that sort of person, the kind who took the reins and didn't relinquish it, no matter what.
"Just say you're hungry." Bryan carried the food to the dining table as Arielle's eyes followed the movement. Beverly struggled to hold back a laugh, realizing that when Arielle said she came to the house for the food, she probably wasn't joking. She didn’t seem like the type of person to joke over something as important to her as food.
"You know, I'd love to have you in my life, so what do you say I court you properly this time around?" Bryan said as soon as he and Beverly was out of earshot of an oblivious Arielle who wolfed down her food like it had a conflict with her. She was always that way and nobody begrudged her because no matter which way you looked at it, Arielle was who she was and there was no changing that, only a calm acceptance of the truth as it is.
"I'd love that." Beverly kissed him on his cheeks and he led the way to the dining table. Life was good, beautiful even.
She was home finally, in his arms.