Chapter 6 - Welcome to France

 

The day came when it was time to go to France. It took me all of the time that I had to pack and get everything ready. It was such a spur of the moment decision that I wasn't even sure I knew what to pack. Either way I packed all that I could, and when we woke in the morning Rafael drove us to the airport. It was time to head out to France.

The plane ride was a little different. I had never been on an airplane, and it wasn't too bad. Rafael allowed me to sit by the window, pointing out the different monuments and things that he could recognize as we were flying over top of them. From up high France looked like such a beautiful country, it took my breath away.

We landed, and the beauty that I had seen up in the air was nothing compared to what it actually looked like. Everything was so green and the buildings were made with such strange and appealing architecture. It rendered my speechless.

We got to our hotel and unpacked a little. Rafael was so excited to show me where his family was from. He himself had not grown up here but he had visited Champs Les Sims so often due to the rest of his family having been here that he knew it like the back of his hand.

He pulled me out of the hotel and out into the streets within the first hour of us being there. He pulled me quickly into a kiss and devilishly smiled, "Get ready to have the time of your life."

 Day one of our sweet little vacation he took me to a place called the Catarina Cafe. He swore on the quality of their food. We rode there on a moped that was supplied by the hotel, and my heart was instantly struck by how sweet the place was. It was just a little cafe that was backed by some trees.

"Go on and sit down at the table over there," Rafael instructed as he nodded his head towards a small table by the window. I smiled at him, trusting his judgement. I mean he had been here a dozen times, so he should know everything, right?

He came back to me in no time with two plates in his hands. He set one on my side of the table and the other on his. He sat down next to me with a giant smile on his face. "These crepes are famous here in France. It's one of the best dishes here, eat up!"

I smiled at him and looked down at my plate. Boy it sure did look really good. He was already digging into his so I eagerly took a bite of mine. The explosion of flavor on my tongue was a good sign, and I scarfed down every last bite like I had never eaten in my life.

"Come on, there's something you just have to see!" He had been waiting for me to finish eating, and when I had he grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the shop and into the street. He pulled me across the sidewalk to where a small park was. A fountain was placed in the middle that looked like it had been there for ages.

He stopped me when we were right next to them and turned in my direction. He smiled softly at me as he touched my cheek. "My father proposed to my mother here," He said in a very sweet, deep voice. It got my heart racing. Was he going to propose? "This place is almost as special to me as you are Harmony."

His leg bent and I almost had a panic attack. He was going to propose! Oh god, what was I going to say? My heart stopped when he reached behind him and flashed a bouquet of bright red flowers into my face. My shocked face melted away into a smile and I brought them into my hands. Holding them delicately I smelled them. The aroma lingered in my nose as a pleasant reminder of how sweet Rafael was. "They are wonderful," I breathed out as I gazed at them.

He leaned forward and placed his fingers under my chin to bring my head up to look at him. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, much more beautiful than those flowers. When I am with you nothing else matters. I bask in the glow that you give off and I am so happy that I can be near you."

His sweet words were more than enough to bring me higher on the cloud that I was already floating on. This vacation was wonderful.

Day two we decided to stay in all day. We spent most of the day snuggling together on the bed. We enjoyed each others company that day. I loved feeling the warmth of his body next to me and his hand entwined with mine. We flipped through channels on the television as we laid in bed and we ordered room service.

He spent the time that we weren't watching television to tell me a little more history of his family. They were all born here as nectar brewers, but somewhere down the line their secret recipe got out and the business went all downhill from there. His parents were forced to move to America where there was more opportunities. That's where they gave birth to their first and only child, Rafael. He said they used to make frequent visits to Champs Les Sims starting from when he was a little boy. He couldn't remember one summer that wasn't spent here.

When the darkness enveloped the sky we took a trip down to the local pond. There we sat and watched the stars. Rafael stayed extremely close to me, almost pulling me on top of him. He was constantly reminding how happy he was that he had me there to experience this. He wanted to share his heritage with someone but had never met the right person. That is, until he met me.

"Harmony," Rafael uttered his words softly in the darkness as we were watching the stars.

"Yes?" I asked without looking at him, mesmerized by how many stars there were in the sky and how bright they were here.

He leaned in closer to me and rested his head on top of mine. He placed his hand over top of mine and lightly traced his fingers over mine. "I love you. I so deeply love you that I just don't know how to stand it."

I was silent for a moment before I looked over at him. He was staring at me with those intense eyes again. I could see that he was not lying to me. He really did love him, and all I knew was that I loved him back. "I love you too Rafael, with all my heart."

I can still remember the smile that he gave back to me.

  About midday on the last day of our vacation, Rafael came to the hotel and took me to the nectary. He explained a little more about nectar since he had only touched on it when he told me about his family history. It was a sweet drink that was made from the different fruits that were grown in France. Because of their sweet taste when you combined them into a drink, it created something really good.

Rafael demonstrated for me how one of their nectar machines worked, and I delighted in getting little giggles out as he tried to mash the grapes down with his toes. He slipped a few times which made me laugh even more, and he just smiled at me.

When he was finished, we sat down at a table and shared in the fruit of his labor. It was a fantastic drink. It hit the tongue strong but the sweet taste lingered even after you swallowed it. We stayed there in the nectary for most of the day sampling different tastes as Rafael tried to get his perfect recipe.

When the nectary closed down, Rafael invited me out to the garden where I felt more at home. There were so many different grape plants that I was practically in heaven. It felt so good to be outside under those sweet sparkling stars.

Rafael turned away from me and went into the darkness for a moment. I stood in confusion for a moment before I heard the sweet melody played from the strings of a guitar. As he came out of the trees, his voice started and he walked his way towards me.

"Sometimes I run,

Sometimes I lie, but all I want is you.

And all I need is to hold you tight,

Be with you day and night.

It took so long for me to see

That you're the only one.

But now it's clear,

It was meant to be, you and me all along.

And now I see

It's you and me all alone on the couch in my home.

You scoot real close, you smile at me.

I whisper babe, this is meant to be.

So take my hand and let's take flight

Don't hold your breath we have all night.

Just sit right here, right next to me

Cause babe it's you,

And it's me.

I love the way you look at me,

I wish you'd see just what I see.

You're perfect eyes,

You're vibrant smile.

Can't you stay, just for a while.

It drives me nuts the things you say,

The way you love me every day.

Just look at us the way we are,

Inspire me with my guitar.

All I know is I want you,

It's only you that run to.

So let it be

It's you and me all alone on the couch in my home.

You scoot real close, you smile at me.

I whisper babe, this is meant to be.

So take my hand and let's take flight

Don't hold your breath we have all night.

Just sit right here, right next to me

Cause babe it's you,

And it's me.

A year goes by, we're doing fine.

There goes two, we're still all right.

Now it's three I'm on one knee,

Let's make it forever just you and me.

And it'll be.

You and me all alone on the couch in our home.

You scoot real close, you smile at me.

I told you babe, this was meant to be.

So take my hand and that's just right

Don't hold you're breath we'll be alright.

Just sit right here right next to me,

Forever you, forever me."

By the time his song was finished, I was already in tears. He had written that for me? I wonder how long it took him to do something like that.

He had been in front of me, and I didn't get any time to think. He dropped the guitar and got extremely close to me.

He dropped down to one knee in front of me and pulled something out of his pocket. By now my heart was alight and my stomach was twisting itself into knots. He was proposing to me!

"Harmony, I know we haven't known each other for too long but I don't care about that. You are the sweetest, most beautiful, kind and caring person I have ever met. My heart has been melted by you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please, will you be my wife Harmony Smith?"

His words rung in my head as he opened the black box and the shiniest ring glittered out in front of my eyes. It was almost like he had taken a star from the sky and put it on a ring. I gasped and choked passed the tears that were streaming down my face already. He was such a sweet guy.

 Without a second thought on the subject I squealed out a "Yes!"

He eagerly put the ring on my finger and I flashed it out in front of my eyes for a moment. It sparkled as brilliantly as the night sky.

He then embraced me in the longest hug I have ever taken part in. I never wanted it to end, but deep down inside I was all the more excited for our up coming union. It was such a great end to a great vacation.

Chapter 5 - The Trip

Lets fast forward in time. Rafael and I have been dating for about three months, and these three months have been nothing but bliss. We do pretty much everything together. When it's nice weather out, we might go shopping, or go see a movie. At night we would sit out in my little garden by my grandmother's grave and watch the stars, and sometimes we'd watch each other.

When the weather wasn't so nice, we would simply push the couch aside, sprawl out on the floor and watch television. He was constantly telling me how much he adored me, and all the things that he loved about me. I was up on cloud nine, and I didn't want to ever come back down. We kept our love pretty secret and separate from work. We made a rule that he would only come see me when necessary, and we would never take lunch breaks at the same time.

  

About two months into our relationship I asked Rafael to move in. He was practically here all the time complaining about how he hated living with his roommates in their apartment. He eagerly accepted my offer and has been living here ever since. It's so nice to be able to go to sleep next to him and see him there the next day when I wake up. It's really nice to have someone to cook for, and especially someone like Rafael who compliments everything that I do.

One morning I woke to find my bed empty. It was strange after getting used to his body behind there. We had both just gotten promotions, so maybe he had to go in early to make sure that everything was set. I rolled over to look at his pillow and found a piece of paper taped to it.

Harmony -

Sorry had to run in early. Meet you in your office.

Love,

Rafael

I smiled at the sight of it and nodded, going about my daily routine to get ready. I had to shower, cook me some breakfast, tend to the garden and get dressed for work. It was something that I was used to by now and was just second nature to me.

I went into my building as usual, greeted Katrina and moved into my office. At first the lights were off and I was a little frightened. When I clicked them on, I saw a bouquet of bright red roses in a vase on my desk. I smiled at them, instantly knowing who they were from before I even read the card. Rafael was so sweet. Butterflies raged in my stomach as I slipped into my chair and grabbed the card off of the desk.

Harmony - 

Meet me behind the building after work, I have a surprise.

Love,

Rafael

He had a surprise? Oh god, I hated surprises. Instantly my stomach churned up inside of itself and I felt like I was going to be sick. I read the card over and over again, trying to calm my nerves and looked at the flowers. Why did he have to love surprises? Even the word surprise was terrible. It could be a good surprise, or a bad surprise and you would never know which one until the surprise came. Then again...he did send me flowers. That's a good sign right?

I worked the rest of my shift trying to probe my brain to figure out what kind of surprise Rafael could possibly give me. It was probably going to drive me insane. Finally, when my shift was over I wanted to run out to the back of the building. Wait though, he was giving me a surprise. I couldn't just go down there looking like a corporate drone. I raced home and changed into the dress of mine that he loved so much, that way if it was a bad surprise maybe he would rethink his decision.

I drove back to the building and went around back, blinking at what I saw. There was a fountain in the middle of the courtyard with a roaring fireplace to the back of it. A bar stood right next to the doors, and a handful of tables and chairs were spread around. I had never been back here so I had never even knew this place existed. Rafael was no where to be seen, so I went over to the bar and ordered a couple of very dry martinis. I didn't need any more drunken mishaps.

As I was grabbing the drinks Rafael came up behind me. He didn't say anything at first, so I just smiled and offered him a drink. He took it and gestured for me to meet him over at a table. He wasn't talking, he wasn't smiling. Oh god, this really was a bad surprise!

I sat with him at the table he picked, feeling completely awkward. Why had I gone and changed into this dress? He looked down at the table and sighed softly as he wrung his hands. After a long pause, he finally looked up at me.

"Remember when I had to go deal with my family affairs a couple of months ago?" He asked in a soft, gentle voice.

I had to swallow past the lump in my throat that had formed before I could say anything. I was deathly afraid of what he was trying to tell me. "Yes, I had no idea where you went, but you were gone for a week."

The corners of his mouth lightly twitched into a smile, but only for a second. "I told you my family was from Champs Les Sims, remember? Well my Uncle, the last remaining Striker in Champs was very sick, so I had gone to visit him. It turns out that he passed away, and I have to go and collect his belongings..."

I gasped when he said that someone in his family had passed away. I knew how it felt to loose someone close to you. I wasn't sure if he was close to his family from France, but it probably hurt all the same. I frowned as I leaned in and placed my hand on his. "I'm very sorry. How long do you think you will be gone?"

"3 days," Was his automatic response. He looked at the table again, and then at me with such intensity I didn't know how he was containing himself. He grabbed my hands and held them in his warm, strong ones and held my gaze. I was captivated by what I saw there, not quite sure what it was. "I don't want to go alone, Harmony...will you go to France with me?"

I was stunned. He wanted me to go to France with him? That was a crazy step in our relationship. I had only known him for about four months, and we had been together for three of those. Did I want to take that big of a leap? That meant that I was really committing. I had never really thought about it before, but he was the only one that I wanted. I never even thought of going out to see other people. Going with him to France was really a no brainer.

"I...would love to go to France with you." I answered as the biggest smile drew out on my face. What I thought had been a terrible surprise was just him wanting me to go to a new and exotic place with him.

He beamed instantly, and jumped up from the table. He came around and wrapped his arms around me, picking me up from the chair that I was sitting on. He twirled me around keeping me tight against his body as he did so. "I'm so happy. We leave tomorrow."

Chapter 4 - Hearts Entwined

The next morning came too soon. At least, I think it was the next morning. I woke up on the floor of my living room, my head felt I had been hit by a train. I sat up and rubbed my temples, glancing groggily around my living room. Everything was in place, but it seemed that I was alone. Hadn't I invited Rafael over last night?

Oh god, something happened! Suddenly the memory of what had happened in my house last night flashed before my eyes and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. I had just made out with my boss! My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit, making my hangover even worse. I turned and glanced at the clock. I had about three hours before I had to be to work. I did NOT want to go in and see his face.

Still wearing the clothes that I wore last night I hastily grabbed my phone and dialed the number into work. I explained to secretary Katrina that I had the stomach flu and I simply could not get out of bed. It was easy to convince her, and she placed a memo to Rafael. I was a little more relieved that I could wait at least a day before having to explain to my boss that I didn't mean to kiss him. That I had no feelings.

Did I have feelings? I wasn't one to act on a whim, so there had to be a reason as to why I had kissed him. He had been so sweet, hadn't he? He had told me how special he could see that I was. He explained to me what he saw in me. Why would he say those things, he wasn't drunk. Or had he been drunk? My head hurt even more as I tried to pick it apart.

My mental ramblings were coming to a climax causing my head to spin when my phone rang. I picked it up off the table next to me, and called into the receiver without seeing who it was.

"Hello?"

"Ah, ahem..Harmony.." The voice was deep but a little flustered. It was Rafael, he was clearing his throat constantly. "I understand that you - ah - called in today. I wanted to just apologize for what happened, uhm yesterday - that's not who I really am."

I had no idea what to say. He sounded so embarrassed. Am I not what he thought I was? "That's alright...Rafael, I'm sorry I called in. This recklessness won't happen again, I promise."

He picked up on how let down I sounded, and picked up his voice a little. "Oh no, I mean...I was hoping that maybe it would. Only this time the recklessness would be planned," He paused and cleared his throat a little deeper this time. "What I'm trying to ask is, would you meet me at the Prosper Room at about 7:00 PM?"

What? First I thought he was reprimanding me for calling in because I drank yesterday, and now he was asking me out on a date? I almost didn't know how to react. Did I want to go? My heart thumping in my chest said yes. Without thinking much more about it, I answered him. "Yes, I will meet you there."

"Great!" He boomed into the phone, gaining that firm sound back to his voice. "Wear that dress you wore last night, it will match great."

The line went dead, and I sighed as I sat down on the couch. I was going on a date with my boss. My first real date, and it was with my boss! Oh god what was wrong with me? I just got in this great place and I was already going to mess things up. Why couldn't I just do something simple, like date someone else in the town?

The answer was simple. I didn't want anyone else in the town. Rafael was firm, he was ambitious, gorgeous, and he knew how to make his words sound like poetry. He was so sweet, caring and strong that I couldn't resist. Who could, really?

I decided I should probably get myself around, so I jumped in the shower and worked on getting back on my feet. This hang over was really doing terrible things to me.

Wearing my newly crisp, clean dress, I headed over to the Prosper Room. It was such a high class lounge that I just knew I didn't belong. I rode in the elevator up to the 26th floor, which is where Rafael had wanted me to meet him. Surely enough, there he waited. He looked so nice with his hair combed back, wearing a V neck silk shirt and black dress pants. I almost didn't recognize him, if it wasn't for the air of importance that he demanded.

"Harmony!" He called, and rushed right over. He wasted no time in wrapping his arms around me. Pressed against his body I felt the same safety that I felt the night before, his strong arms enveloping me. He pulled away from me and smiled. "I am so sorry to do this, but I have to go attend to a family matter. I'll be back by the end of the week though for work and we will be able to go out on a real date."

I just smiled at him. I had been so excited about this date that I was really let down when he said he had to go. I didn't want to let him know that, so I just smiled and nodded my head. "Of course, lets do this some other time."

He brought me into another embrace before departing. I still remember what he whispered in my ear. "I will woo you so much that you won't be able to stand up."

---------------------

The week seemed to drag on and on. I went to work every day and worked at my office, always glancing at my phone to see if Rafael was going to call me to tell me he had returned from dealing with his family. I didn't even know where he went. All I knew was that it had something to do with his family. Work dragged by the slowest. I had very few tasks that I needed to complete, and I spent most of my time down in the office break room watching the television. When I went home, I tended to my grandmother's garden, watched some television and cleaned my house.

By the time Friday came around I was ready to jump out of my skin and scream at the top of my lungs. I wanted him to call me so badly that it was nearly driving my insane. Every time that my phone rang I practically mauled it just to answer it. When it rang at the end of my shift it was no different. I jumped and picked it up.

"Harmony Smith, how can I help you?"

"Yes, hi, I was wondering if there was a cute, bubbly, blond that I might be able to speak to? I have seen her a few times and left her stranded earlier this week. She's absolutely wonderful, and I really wanted her to meet me at the Butterfly Esplanade in an hour."

It was Rafael. The minute he started to speak I felt my lips curl into a smile and my heart jumped into my throat. I laughed softly into the phone as he spoke, twirling the cord around my finger. "Yes! Yes, I'll meet you."

"Good, see you then."

An hour later, I arrived at the Butterfly Esplanade. It was a beautiful structure that mirrored a natural habitat. There butterflies fluttered everywhere that you could find. Flowers spilled out of every corner of this place, and just the atmosphere smelled different. It was absolutely beautiful. I walked up the path to look for Rafael, but I could not see him through the glass in the actual Butterfly sphere.

Then I heard the whistling from a small gazebo in the back of the butterfly sphere. I knew it was Rafael from the deep sound under the whistle. I followed that sound to the gazebo to find Rafael sitting and gazing up at the stars. I smiled to myself as I moved up the stairs behind him.

Sensing that I was there, he tilted his head back and smiled at me. "Harmony, so nice of you to join me. Come on, sit next to me." He patted the floor next to him.

Still wearing my work clothes I sat down next to him and he scooted next to me, placing his arms behind mine so that he could be close. He pointed up at the sky with a smile. "There's not much for stars tonight, but you can see the Big Dipper."

I laughed softly and nodded my head, looking over at him. "It's beautiful Rafael, absolutely stunning out here."

"No," He answered me in a soft voice, "Now it's stunning, with you sitting next to me."

I blushed and looked down at the ground. He leaned over and caught my chin beneath his strong fingers, turning my eyes to look at his. "Harmony, I don't do this a lot, but I really like you. You have really stolen my heart. I never meant anything to happen when I first invited you out to the bar, honestly. I knew your grandmother, and I just wanted you to feel welcome." He paused for a moment, "but I am so glad that it happened." He moved his other hand over top of mine.

I smiled a smile that even touched my eyes. I could feel him melting my heart again like he had done last week. He had been gone for a week and yet he could still set my skin on fire and stir feelings I had never felt before. "I'm happy too Rafael. You are fantastic. You make me feel so many things that I have never felt."

"Then lets experience them together." He answered in a very peppy voice, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. He leaned in and whispered in my ear. "Be my girlfriend Harmony and we can figure this out together."

My heart jumped a million miles into my throat, but I smiled and nodded my head. "Rafael, I would love to be your girlfriend."

And with the sweetest smile I had ever seen, he leaned in and kissed me.

Chapter 3 - Fun, Too Much Fun

My day at work was probably the most stressful. I had just gotten a promotion for doing pretty much nothing and I should have been happy to be there, but the strange way that Rafael Striker seemed to talk to me put me on edge. I didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize this job. My entire life was pretty much riding on this one chance that I had.

Finally it was time to go home, and I was more than happy to rush out the door and catch the carpool that would take me to my house. I had no intentions of going to that place that Rafael wanted me to go. It would be way too awkward, and who knew what would happen. I went home and turned on my television trying to relax. When I went to change the channel during a commercial, I dropped the remote. Cursing my luck I instantly got on the ground to find it, only to be caught off guard by a commercial about the same place that Rafael wanted me to go.

I guess I'm a sucker for well placed words because the commercial made it seem like so much fun. I decided to go. I mean it wasn't just going to be me and him, there would be other people there and I really did need to meet more people in this town. Without thinking too much about it, I got in my car and drove to the bar.

The bar was very small, but it seemed to have a cozy feel to it. The minute I walked in the door, my heart sank inside of my chest. There was no one here, except of course my boss who was hanging out by the wall. He approached me with little hesitation, a smile on his face. He was even still wearing his pinstripe suit that was his uniform for work.

"Hey Harmony, glad that you could make it. How did you like your new desk today?"

I simply smiled, trying to make it seem casual here. "It's a very nice desk and everything was organized when I got there. Thanks again so much."

He pushed my gratitude off as if it was nothing. "Don't mention it, we're here to celebrate." He smiled and nodded his head towards the bar. "Come on, lets have a drink."

He wanted me to drink with him? Oh no. Though I followed him over there, all I ordered was water. In his hand he had some kind of yellow drink. He swore that it was fantastic, but I didn't want to risk it. I should have just stayed home. After he finished his first one, I said something about how I was going to head home soon, but he didn't want that to happen at all.

"You can't leave now, we haven't even done anything yet." He laughed as he turned around behind him and grabbed a yellow drink from the counter that the bartender had just finished mixing for him. He held it out to me. "This is the best drink they make here. It's mostly juice, so it's not too dangerous."

I looked at it for quite a long time before actually taking it from him. "Alright, thanks," I answered with a nod of my head. I placed the glass to my lips and took a sip. The taste was delicious, and I eagerly continued to drink it.

I felt so much better after drinking the first one, that Rafael continued to make sure that my glass was always full. We started to talk about everything. Rafael's family had actually come from Champs Les Sims, France. They moved here before he was born, and he grew up around most of the people of this town. It was really interesting the way that he described some of the townspeople and all of their different accomplishments. Then he talked about my grandmother and how he used to deliver the paper to her when he was a teenager. He said that she was always outside working in her garden when he came by. That touched my heart.

I don't know how long we were there talking about everything, but somehow we moved from behind the bar to on the stage. There was no one else there, but that wouldn't have mattered anyway. With the amount of drinks that I had in my system, it wouldn't have mattered if there was a million people there. I was having fun not caring who might have been watching. I couldn't stop laughing as we moved to the beat of the music, dancing together under the spot lights that lit up the stage. The way that he moved his legs cracked me up, and he kept apologizing over and over. I guess he didn't have faith in his dancing skills.

We weren't at the bar for much longer, because I invited him to come back to my house. I told him that I was still taking good care of my grandmother's garden and wanted to show him. We rode in his car over to my place, which didn't seem to take as long to get there as it did to get to the bar earlier that day. I showed him what I'd done different to the place, which was pretty much nothing, and then I showed him the garden.

We talked for hours about my grandmother and how much she influenced my life. For the first time since she had passed away, I felt like there was someone else that I could really connect with. Rafael was a great listener, and the way that he spoke about people was beautiful. He was a really caring person and I found myself trusting him.

 

 I suddenly remembered my grandmother's favorite dress that she bought me. Completely drunk and inspired, I turned to Rafael. "Hey, wait right here...I got something to show you."

"Alright," He chuckled as he made himself comfortable.

I ran right into the bedroom and located the purple dress. I slipped it on my form, pinned my hair up and put on the matching shoes. I stepped in front of the mirror to look at myself once. Staring straight back at me was what looked like a younger version of my grandmother. I remembered seeing pictures of her when she was younger and everyone always told me how much I looked like her. Swelling with pride, I stepped out of the room.

Rafael turned around when he heard the sound of the door and placed his foot on the couch, leaning his arm over his leg. I gave him a cheesy smile as I placed my hands on my hips, pretending to pose for him. His face changed from laughter to what looked like complete awe and seriousness. He slipped out of his pose on the couch and moved towards me, stopping a few feet in front of me to look my over.

"That dress looks really good on you Harmony," He said in a soft voice. He grabbed my hand and helped to give me a twirl. "You look stunning."

I could feel my heart beating in my head as he got even closer to him and continued to hold my hand. He took my other hand and stood in front of me, his eyes just gazing down on me. I felt accepted, warm, and comfortable there standing in front of him. Suddenly his lips spread into the most tender smile that I had ever seen, and it melted me straight to my core. "Harmony, you are a very beautiful woman. I have never met someone who is so caring, smart, and driven. I know that you will get to be everything you want to be and so much more."

I could feel my heart melting at every word he said. I held onto his hand and smiled back at him. "That means a lot to me Rafael, and I thank you so much for making me feel at home here. It was so scary moving from the country, I didn't think I'd ever meet someone as friendly and kind as you."

 He continued to smile at me, tilting his head to the side. He lifted his hand up and brushed the backs of his soft fingers against my cheek. "I can't imagine anyone would be mean to someone like you. You are a beautiful woman Harmony, and you are very special. So much more special that you could ever imagine, but I see it in your eyes. Those sweet blue eyes that show so much promise and hope in them."

It was like he was reciting poetry to me. Every word he said was so sweet that I felt like my heart was going to burst. My pulse was racing in my head and I could feel my palms starting to get sweaty. I had never felt so at home with someone new before, especially not a man. He was so kind and gentle that I wanted to watch his lips say more sweet things. There was something else though, that was spinning around my head that I wanted to do even more.

I moved my hand to his shoulder and stepped even closer to him. The scent of his musky cologne flooded my nose and I couldn't hold it anymore. I moved in as my hand slid down his arm and my lips met his soft ones. The kiss was sweet and gentle, and at first he seemed startled.

But then he wrapped his arms around me and began to kiss me even more. The fire ignited between the two of us as I wrapped my arms around him in return. His lips were soft and we seemed to fit together perfectly. My head was spinning and I almost couldn't feel the ground below my feet.

The last thing I remember from that night was the blissful kiss that seemed to last for hours.

Chapter 2 - New Beginnings

Well, my first night at my new house was out of the way and I was feeling much more confident about my decision. Today it seemed a little more appealing that I was starting a new life. I mean, I could become who ever I wanted. No one knew me here, and I would be able to make a whole new life for myself. Of course I'd never really change who I was, but I could become anything.

The alarm clock buzzed in my ear and I knew that it was time to wake up. Today would be the first day of my new job. I guess you could say I was a little more than excited. Come on, it's my one way ticket to getting to the top. I could feel my skin nearly bouncing off of my bones that is how excited I was. I was determined that I was going to make it all the way to the top. I was going to work extremely hard, show all kinds of initiative and make sure that my boss knew I meant business.

I was lost in the ideas that were running through my head when I heard the beeping outside of my door. Alarmed, I spun around to look at my clock. Yupp, it was 12:00 PM. So that must be how you got around in this town...people picked you up. I actually had to force myself to walk, so that I didn't look stupid skipping to the car that was going to take me to my job. I got into the back seat and shut the door behind me.

"The uniform you're going to have to wear is on the seat next to you, make sure you put that on when you get inside the building. We are pretty strict about our code." The lady that was driving the car spoke to me before she pulled away, staying outside my house only long enough for me to put my seat belt on. I turned my head to the side to look at what she had been talking about as she pulled away. Folded neatly on the seat next to me was a striped polo shirt, and a pair of grey slacks. I lifted an eyebrow as I looked at them, a little confused as to the strange clothes that I had to wear at a job in an office.

Before I knew it, the car was slowing down and coming to a stop. When I looked out the window, I was astounded. When I called about the job I saw in the paper I thought I was going to work in a small office. I mean, I got the job so fast that there was no way it could have been something like this. Looming in front of me was a massive building. There had to be at least 30 stories to this building. Large glass doors looked very inviting, but also very professional. Oh gosh, this was going to be more than I bargained for.

"Here you are, you better go get changed and get to work. Mr. Striker doesn't like it when someone is late." The lady in front of me spoke again, her voice very monotone. I simply nodded my head before I opened the car door and got out.

My first day at work was very interesting to say the least. When I first got there, I was greeted by the secretary who asked my name and then directed me to the bathroom so that I could change. The clothes were very stiff, but they were cool enough where I wouldn't have to worry about sweating all day long. I was assigned the post of the coffee girl, which explained the strange clothes I had to wear.

It looked like it was going to be easy enough to learn here. Being the coffee girl as I delivered to the different offices I was able to pick up a little of what they were doing. Filing away money, making sure nothing was ending up in the wrong place. Some were getting a hold of new branches and businesses to enlist. This job looked fantastic.

As I was sitting down getting ready for a lunch break, a man in a pinstripe suit came walking toward me. The way that he was walking said that he was important, but I couldn't get past that terrible suit. He walked up to the bench I was sitting at and sat next to me. In the same motion that he used to sit down, he leaned a hand over his knee.

"Hello, I'm Rafael Striker the department head of this division. I wanted to extend a personal welcome to our team. It seems as though you are already making good progress, that is good."

With a small smile I extended my hand and shook his. He had very strong hands and a very firm shake. Yeah, he meant business. "Thanks Mr. Striker, I really appreciate it."

With a nod of his head he left me at that, and I continued on with my work day.

Finally it was six o'clock and I was able to leave the office. I was feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the information that was hanging around in that large building. There was so much to learn. I was going to have to go right home and start learning the basics. I had just stepped outside of the double doors when my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. I dug my phone out of my pocket to find a strange number. Shrugging my shoulders I pressed the button and placed the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I called through the speaker.

"Hello, yes, Harmony Smith." The voice on the other end was very familiar. A deep masculine voice that was very firm. "I am very pleased with your performance today, but there are a few things I would like to go over with you. Please meet me in Sundance park at eight am, sharp."

I was a little dumbfounded at first, but managed to answer. "Yes Mr. Striker, I'll see you there."

After I hung up the phone I got in the car that I had ridden in this morning and went home.

I made it home in one piece, physically that is. Mentally I was extremely confused. I had gotten this job so easily, could it really be taken away from me like that? I was extremely scared that my boss, Mr. Striker was going to fire me. I was only a coffee girl, could I really have been that bad at it? I don't remember messing up too much.

Beside myself with worry the first place I went when I got home was my grandmother's little garden. Her grave was laid in the garden with the plants that were just barely growing, as if my grandma was being channeled through them. Not caring if my neighbors were watching or listening, I began to pour my worries out the plants in front of me. There was no way I was going to be able to go through with all of this by myself. If they only way I could feel at peace was by talking to my grandma's plants, then that was what I was going to do.

I must have talked for hours because by the time I was done the sun was way behind the hills and I was so exhausted I could barely stand up. With a little bit lighter heart I went to bed, knowing I would have to get up early the next morning.

My buzzer went off early the next morning, and I busted everything I had to get ready. I showered faster than I had ever showered before. I spent more time on my hair than I ever remember doing, and made sure that all of my clothes were wrinkle free. There was no way that I was going to be fired due to appearances.

Finally it was time and I set off to meet my boss at the Sundance Park. He was already there waiting for me, sitting on a bench in the middle of the park. With a sigh I tried to swallow past the lump that had already formed in my throat and I approached him. With all of the professionalism I could muster, I stuck my hand out and nodded my head. "Morning Mr. Striker."

He took my hand in another one of his firm shakes, but at the corners of his mouth his lips were quivering into a little smile. "Morning Harmony, and please just call me Rafael. Mr. Striker makes me seem like such a mean man." He laughed softly. "Alright, I just wanted to tell you that I was really impressed with your performance. I saw how you were taking notes in the other offices as you brought them coffee and I've never seen anyone do something like that before. I'm promoting you and giving you your own desk."

What? He was giving me a raise?! I was so excited I didn't even have time to contain it. A smile broke out across my face and I grasped his arms. "Oh, really?! Thank you so much sir, thank you so much!"

He laughed again, with more heart this time and nodded. "You're welcome Harmony, now just know that I am expecting you to work as hard as possible-"

"Oh, I will sir, you don't have to worry about anything!" I couldn't help but cut him off.

He smiled as he ran a hand through his deep black hair. "I believe you, I believe you. And to celebrate your new promotion, I'd like to extend an invitation for you to come out to Waylon's Haunt, the bar down the street from here. They are having an open stage night, it should be fun."

Wait...what?! My mind was just set on fire again. Was my boss inviting me out to a bar? This was just strange. I didn't know how to respond. Wasn't doing anything with your boss after hours completely against company policy? "Uhm, yeah...I might." Was all that I could muster to answer with.

At that time, his phone gave off a strange ring, and he seemed to frown at it. "Well, looks like it's time to go into work." He sighed as he silenced his phone. Then he looked up at me. "You got a ride? The carpool won't come out here."

I had never thought about that. I shook my head, "No, I guess I don't."

He smiled and pointed over to the parallel parking spots. A very slick looking black car was the only one parked. "You can ride with me."

Nothing could be more strange than riding in the same car as your boss. The radio was not turned on and the ride was very quiet. The only thing to break to the silence was that every so often Rafael would turn and point out a building that was either a trust of our company, or a special building to the town. Apparently he had lived here his entire life.

 

I must have lied, because I felt even more uncomfortable when the car was parked in the company parking lot and we got out. The two of us, Rafael and I walked up and into the business building together. Yeah we were at least an arms length apart, but there was no denying that static in the air around us as we walked through those doors, Rafael went first and I followed right after. Instantly I could hear buzzing around the office as I headed into my new desk, both thankful and a little skeptic about this new position. I kept my head low and hoped he wouldn't come visit me. Right now, I just wanted him to stay as far away as possible, and to finish this work day so that I could go home.

Chapter 1 - Inheritance

Has it ever felt like your life was planned before you were born? Like you're just a pawn following on a winding road that has already been laid out? Half the time that's what mine feels like. The other half is like a roller coaster going at the speed of light and never stopping. My name is Harmony Smith, and this is my story.

The interesting part of my life began when I was a young adult. You see, I grew up in the country living with my Aunt and Uncle. My parents died when I was really young, leaving me in the care of my Aunt and my grandmother.

My grandmother moved to the city when I was a teenager. In order to keep me close to all that I knew and loved I just lived with my Aunt. My grandmother Liana was my role model, and a year ago...she died.

My grandmother adored me above all else. She left me her house and all her belongings in her will. Today, I would leave my home in the country for her house in the city. I didn't know how I was going to adjust, but I just had to do it.

After driving for two hours I found my grandmother's house. It was nothing like what I remembered grandma owning. She was a farm woman, not someone who would live in the suburbs. But, there I stood in the middle of my new living room feeling more out of place than I had ever felt in my life. None of these material items seemed to even hold a candle to the flame grandma had. The only piece that was left of her was a small garden outside where she had been buried.

I sighed as I looked around wondering what to do first. I had never been on my own so I wasn't entirely sure what one was supposed to do. That was when I remembered that grandma's one wish was for me to make something of myself. Now I didn't know much about jobs, but I knew to get anywhere in the city I should probably get one.

I grabbed the newspaper that had obviously been delivered that day and instantly began to look through the different listings that were available. Did I want to be a teacher? No. How about a police officer? No. As I looked through the whole paper again and again, it suddenly jumped out at me. I could run my own business! It was perfect. Instantly I set the paper aside and grabbed my cell phone. I dialed the number and placed the phone to my ear. After two rings, someone answered.

"Hello, Slix's Business Complex how can I help you?"

I stuttered only for a second, "Uhm..yes, I'm calling about your ad in the paper. I'm very interested in being employed."

"Wonderful!" The deep male voice boomed, "Come in tomorrow at 1:00 PM."

"Great, for the interview?" I was very excited that I was one step closer.

"To start work." Was the only reply before the phone went dead.

Had I really just landed myself a job with one phone call? Fantastic! Maybe this place was going to be easier after all. I sat back on the couch to try and catch my breath, so excited over the new job that I had just gotten. I closed my eyes and began to silently thank my grandmother, who I knew was watching over me. That was when I heard the sound of the mailbox shutting.

I was unable to catch the person who placed something in my mailbox before they scurried away, and after I opened my mailbox I saw a pile of envelopes, one that was larger than the other. I pulled the larger one out first, seeing all it said was Current Resident in what looked like hasty, scribbled handwriting. With a soft sigh I opened the envelope finding a letter.

Dear Resident,

I understand that you have inherited this property from a family member. As a council city member it is my duty to inform you that the previous owner was behind on their payments on their taxes. It would be much appreciated (and very wise) for you to start payment on these past due payments immediately.

Thank you

and welcome to Bridgeport

With a sigh I reached in and pulled out what looked like a stack of bills, all with red stamps across the front of them. What had my grandmother been up to? I guess it was a good thing that I had gotten a job my first day here, otherwise all of these bills would have started to already weigh me down. Trying to still think positive about my new place of residence, I went back inside the house my stomach grumbling. I knew I'd have to start getting used to being on my own.

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A couple of hours later I was able to finally slide into my bed. I was able to learn how to cook on the new gas stove, something I had never used before, and I had walked the perimeter of my house at least a dozen times. It still felt weird being in this new place. It was almost like I could feel grandma looking down on me with the peaceful smile she used to always wear, and yet at the same time I still felt like a stranger lost at sea. With a final sigh I was able to drift off into a sweet sleep, coaxed into it only by the scent of my grandmother in the room.