BLINDED BY DESIRE

by Arabella Sheen

  How dare he say such a thing?

  “I never threw myself at you,” she protested loudly, “And we’re not attracted to each other.”

  Beth didn’t know who she was trying to convince, Jason or herself.

  From the beginning they had been attracted to each other and sparks had flown between them from the first moment they had met.

  Then looking at Jason she saw him wince and suddenly withdraw into a dark inner space within.

  “No . . . you’re quite right,” he said, “Of course we’re not attracted to each other . . . not now,” and he ran a finger along the scared side of his face and across his eyes.

  The corners of Jason’s mouth curled in a painful sardonic smile.

  Then shaking off his ill humour, he pulled a wicker chair closer towards him and he patted the chair’s cushions invitingly.

  “Come here my kitten and sit beside me,” he teased her.

  Jason was still a handsome man and he could still set her pulse rate soaring. She was reluctant to be alone with him.

  Being in the same room as him made her jumpy, but throwing her coat over a chair she sat down beside him.

  On the coffee table, there was a tray of coffee.

  Picking up the thermos jug she said, “Do you mind if I join you in a coffee? I’ve been travelling since nine this morning and I haven’t stopped.”

  Not waiting for him to answer she poured out a hot coffee for herself and at the same time she refilled his empty cup.

  He shifted in his chair turning to look in her.

  “Tell me, how are things in . . . where was it you ran off to . . . Devon wasn’t it? Didn’t you have a potting shed there or something?”

  She was fuming.

  He was pressing all her buttons again.

  “We have a farm . . . and a garden centre and we’re doing very well thank you. So well in fact, that I ought not to be wasting my time sat with someone who . . .”

  She stopped abruptly.

  “Someone who’s what?” he barked out loudly, “Someone who’s blind? Someone who doesn’t lift a finger to help himself? Doesn’t go to work and can’t . . . see? Or is it that I can’t see to appreciate a woman’s beauty . . . your beauty? Women need to be admired and adored, don’t they? They need attractive things and attractive people about them. The moment the pretty picture isn’t pretty, they dump you.”

  Jason was in an awful mood and she had no notion what had triggered him off. She wondered what had started him ranting and raving at her.

  But whatever his reason, she was determined not to stoop to his level. She wasn’t going to join in with his sarcasm.

  There was no reason for her to match his anger or his rage.

  “No Jason,” she said as calmly as she could, “I wasn’t going to say any of those things about you. In fact I was going to say I ought not to be wasting my time with someone who’s already got everything he wants . . . You wanted a garden designed . . . and I’ve given you garden. And what have you done with the designs? . . . From what I hear, you’ve done nothing. You’ve thrown them to one side. I don’t like being taken for a fool Mr Andre. You wanted your villa in Greece to be built and I still want my landscaping designs to materialise. I mean it when I say I have more to do with my time than waste it on you.”

  It was then she realised he had changed from the man she once knew.

  Even if she had only known him for a brief weekend a few months ago, she was a pretty good judge of character and knew he had changed.

  Now he sounded . . . bitter. Almost as if he was hurting.

  It could be a reaction to the plane crash, but deep down she felt sure there was more to the problem than met the eye.

  What was it he’d said? Beautiful women need to be admired or they drop you.

  But who . . . or more to the point, what woman had hurt Jason and discarded him?

  In that instant Beth could see that Sophie was right.

  Jason needed something to do.

  This man, who was always so vibrant and pulsating, would wither and die if he had to spend his days in the darkness of his mind.

  His blindness could be temporary or it could be forever.

  She didn’t know.

  But in that moment, she knew she was determined to do everything in her power to restore his energy and ease his pain; even if she had to put her own life and business on hold for a few months.

  “The clock’s ticking Jason. What do you want to do?”

  “What do you suggest this blind man does?” he asked, and he sounded like a small child asking his teacher for the answers.

  Frustrated, he reached for a newspaper beside his chair and threw it in her direction. The pages of the paper missed their target and scattered onto the floor.

  “If I can’t see to read a damn newspaper, how do you think I can read my blue prints and finish my projects?”

  He was in a rage and he was shouting at her, but she didn’t mind.

  Jason was coming to life again.

  He was feeling. He wasn’t just sat in his chair staring out into nothingness.

  Standing up she walked silently towards the door of the Orangery and tuned to look back over her shoulder at him.

  “I don’t know the answer to your question Jason,” she told him honestly, “But if the only way to see my hard work materialise is to I accompany you to Greece, then I’m prepared to go with you. I’m not working for you Jason . . . I’ll never work for you. But if you take me to Greece, I’ll be your eyes. But I’m warning you Jason Andre . . . if you ever dare kiss me again, or lay one finger on me . . . even if you are blind . . . I’ll leave you.”

  Jason remained motionless where he sat.

  He was stunned by her proposal.

  Beth had given him an ultimatum.

  Leaving him staring blindly after her, she left the room quietly, closing the door softly behind her.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The heat of the Greek sun hit her like a blast from a flame thrower. Leaving the cool of the air conditioned plane and stepping out onto the burning runway, Beth felt her clothes beginning to stick to her like a second skin.

  Beads of perspiration were trickling between her shoulder blades. They were running wetly down her spine forming a damp patch on her t-shirt.

  It had taken several weeks to plan and get things organised for the trip to Greece. Not only did she have to finish her own landscaping projects in England, she also had to make sure her partner Paul could cope with the garden centre whilst she was away.

  Before they had left for Greece, Jason had gone to see his doctors.

  They were pleased with the way his leg had mended, but the eye specialist was still unsure if Jason’s sight would fully return.

  At the hospital he had been given the all clear to travel. On one condition. Jason had to check in at a hospital in Athens if there was any change to his health.

  Whenever Beth asked Jason about travel or accommodation arrangements, she was always told, “Everything’s taken care of.” It seemed as if he had only to want something and it had already been taken care of.

  The moment the plane hit Greek soil, it was as if Jason had come home.

  The heat didn’t bother him.

  Stood at the top of the aeroplane’s steps, he was about to descend when he lifted his face to the glare of the mid-day sun.

  It was almost as if he was defying the gods to penetrate his darkness.

  “God . . . you don’t know how much I’ve missed this warmth on my skin,” she heard him whisper beneath his breath.

  In comparison, Beth was only too thankful she’d put her sunglasses on to shield herself. They were the only thing protecting her eyes from the sun’s damaging white glare.

  Relieved that they had landed and reached their destination safely, her only concern now was to get them from the airport on the mainland, to the villa on the island.

  Carefully walking beside him, she gently guided Jason towards the big white airport te
rminal ahead.

  Stepping into the cool of the arrivals lounge, she was grateful the intensity of the heat had been left outside. They were in the air-conditioned cool and shade of the building.

  Jason always travelled first class, but on this trip she was amazed he’d stipulated they were to travel economy. The indispensable Mrs Jarvis had followed Jason’s orders and had organised their journey.

  Dressed in a clean white t-shirt and blue denim jeans Jason was not in his usual business suit.

  He blended in and looked like one of his fellow passengers.

  There was no entourage of security or P.A’s to attract attention and there was nothing to make him stand out in a crowd. The only thing that caught the occasional glimpse from a passer-by, was the white cane he carried.

  Without the luxury of the company jet or the company car and with no chauffeur on stand-by to get him from place to place, Jason was going back to basics.

  Leaving the airport terminal they made their way outside and joined the queue for a Taxi which was to take them to the harbour and their waiting ferry boat.

  Beth had suggested booking a car to collect them off the plane. But Jason was adamant. He wanted to go native.

  “The less fuss the better,” he said.

  It was as if he needed to blend in with his fellow countrymen.

  At the harbour-side, crowds of tourists and locals were waiting to clamber on board the ferry. They were all heading to Paros.

  Stood out in the open on the quayside, Beth had no covering and she was unprotected and exposed to the glare of the midday sun which was high in the sky.

  The sun was beating down relentlessly on her fair skin. Her pale complexion was beginning to turn to freckled-pink.

  Jason with his dark colouring didn’t seem to mind the heat. In fact, except for the rucksack he was carrying on his shoulder, he looked as if he very much belonged here.

  And he had every right to look as if he belonged. He was totally Greek.

  Clambering on board the ferry she immediately started looking for somewhere cool to sit.

  They were being jostled along like everyone else.

  “Where are you leading me woman?” he demanded to know as he was being pulled on board with Beth and the wave of boarding passengers.

  “We need to find somewhere to sit,” she said stating the obvious.

  The heat was getting to her and carrying her heavy holdall wasn’t helping her mood.

  Jason had the foresight to pack his things in a rucksack, leaving his hands free to feel his way along the ferry’s railings.

  “Make for the top deck,” he ordered.

  “Why?” she questioned him.

  “Don’t argue, just do as I say,” he demanded.

  The arrogance of the man.

  But carefully she did as he said, and step by step she led him to the stairs, where they climbed to the upper deck of the boat.

  In front of them were several vacant seats beneath the ferry’s sun-awnings.

  Even if Jason didn’t need protection from the suns glare she did.

  With a deep sigh of relief she dumped the bags she’d been carrying onto one of the vacant wooden benches, claiming their place.

  “I don’t know about you,” she said to him, “But I’m heading to the café and getting us a drink. What shall I bring you back . . . hot or cold?”

  “A sandwich and a cold beer would be great.”

  She had no fear of leaving him alone.

  He’d soon be in conversation with anybody he came in contact with. She found Jason was beginning to come out of the protective shell he’d built around himself after the accident.

  Being blind and being seen in public didn’t seem to bother him as much as it used to.

  When the ferry’s engines started, the boat was gradually eased from its moorings.

  Slowly it nudged its way out into the deep swell of the open blue waters, and soon the vessel had left the safety of the harbour and was ploughing through the choppy Aegean.

  Beth never had a chance eat the sandwich she’d bought.

  To the delight of Jason and the other passengers, she had her head in a paper bag most of the way.

  Every time he heard her reach for the bag, Jason threw back his head and let out loud roar of delight.

  She’d never heard him laugh before and although she decided she liked the sound of his laughter, she wished it didn’t have to be laughter at her expense.

  “I’m so pleased I’ve kept you entertained,” she said gruffly when she came up for air. She was feeling hurt that he found enjoyment in her discomfort.

  “Poor Beth . . .” he said soothingly.

  But she didn’t have a chance to hear what he was saying.

  Her hand went quickly to her mouth and she made a dash for the toilets.

  Eventually after nearly two hours on the choppy seas, the ferry was pulling into the shelter of Paros harbour and was coming to a shuddering halt. Thankfully at last the continuously throbbing of the engines had been silenced.

  When they were safely docked Beth felt nothing but relief and she quickly began gathering their things together.

  Slowly they made their way to the Ferry’s exit.

  Everyone on board was disembarking.

  All the passengers were either heading for home or they were making their way to their holiday hotel. Beth and Jason were the only remaining straggler’s to be seen on the quayside.

  Her legs were still shaking and wobbly from the ordeal but she was thankful to be on dry land.

  On the wooden planks of the jetty, Jason was pulling her along behind him. They were aiming for the road ahead where there were lots of cars parked near the roadside.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll call us a Taxi whilst you find your land legs,” he offered.

  Beth was amazed. She was the one who was supposed to be looking after him. Not the other way round.

  Jason stood at the roadside and put his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle. He instantly drew the attention of one of the taxi drivers. The driver had been sitting outside of a café on the other side of the road. The driver got into the taxi, started the engine and drove no more than twenty metres before pulling up in front of them with a screech of tires.

  “Ah . . . Mr Andre sir. Good to see you back on the island again.”

  The driver obviously recognised Jason and as the he got out of the taxi he bent down and started to load their bags into the boot of the car.

  “Your carriage awaits you Madam,” Jason told her with a theatrical flourish.

  “How did you do that? How did you know where to find a taxi?”

  Beth was amazed at the sudden confidence and ability he seemed to have found.

  “It’s quite simple really,” he said smugly, “All the islanders know when a ferry’s due into harbour. The taxi drivers usually lie in wait for tourists to disembark and they’re usually across the road drinking in one of the cafés.”

  “Drinking? . . . and you trust them to drive us somewhere?”

  “The law is very lenient here, and I said they are usually drinking . . . I didn’t say they were drunk.”

  When their bags had been loaded into the boot, Beth and Jason were ready to set off on the final leg of their journey.

  The taxi was taking them into the rugged mountain interior and then further, to the coast, which was on the other side of the island.

  Traveling along the road, the dry arid earth kept flying up in dust clouds behind them.

  They had been travelling for about twenty minutes when Jason turned to her and said, “If you look to your left you can see a villa up on the mountain. That’s where we’re going to be staying.”

  “How can you possible know where we are?” she was amazed at his sense of perception.

  He removed the dark glasses covering his unseeing eyes and smiled at her.

  He was aware of her bafflement and he began to laugh gently at her confusion.

  Softly he added, �
��And the answer to your unasked question is . . . no . . . I haven’t miraculously regained my sight . . . yet. You hadn’t noticed, but we’ve just passed a restaurant. It’s Theo’s Bistro. I can smell dinner cooking. The smell of Kalamaraki coming through the taxi’s open window is unmistakable.”

  As he was speaking Jason was rubbing one of his slender fingers along the deep painful looking scar on his cheek.