by Anya Palvin
"But we don't mind, do we, Dorian?" Jasmine said quickly, her face flushed from the excitement.
Dorian stood awkwardly behind her, the quiet one of the duo, and shook his head in answer. Diana felt a little tug at her heart for the man who was so obviously uncomfortable around people, and reminded herself to cater to his personality as well.
"You don't have to if you don't want to." Diana directed the words to Dorian, and bit back the smile at his blush. She ignored his sister's protests, and waited until she got another nod from him. "Well, in that case, welcome to the Grace Hotel's custom tour. Please follow me to our vehicle."
It was strange having William around, Diana thought as she described the landmarks they passed on the way to their first stop. Her mind shifted between worrying about what he thought about the tour, and being caught in the natural rhythm of the part of her job that she enjoyed the most. She knew each landmark and its story so well that she could tell her guests about it despite being distracted, but she sighed with relief when they reached the Bo-Kaap museum. She was quite fond of the place, and she thought her guests would be, too. It was one of the best places to experience one of the most characteristic cultures of Cape Town, and she told them just that before they entered the museum.
"When slavery was abolished in 1834, this area largely became occupied with the Islamic now-freed slaves. The museum was established over a century later, and used to be designed according to the typical Muslim home in the nineteenth century. This design is in the process of changing at the moment, but it will tell you quite a lot about one of the most thriving cultural communities in Cape Town." She smiled now. "I know that this may have seemed like a history lesson which you specifically asked not for, but I think the history of something like this is important to bear in mind. That way you can understand what has laid the foundation for one of the most colourful cultures in Cape Town." She pointed at the colourful houses that surrounded them. "Literally."
There was a chuckle from Jasmine and William, and even a slight smile from Dorian that Diana took as a sign that things were going well. They followed her as she entered the museum and explained the more historical details of what had turned into a thriving community in modern day Cape Town.
"Since you'll still be in town this weekend, I think you'd really enjoy coming to the Bo-Kaap food market. The food is delicious – seriously delicious – and there will be lots of people who will be willing to talk to you for your paper. If you don't have any more questions, we can move on to our next stop."
The day went a little quicker than usual after that. Jasmine babbled away, asking most of the questions which were sometimes related to the content they would like to use for their paper and sometimes related to more general things. She seemed to have found a way to balance her desire to learn and her fascination with William. Dorian shied away from any contact with them, although she could see he was interested by the stops and people on their tour. He had scribbled some things in a notebook which she was sure would later be viciously Googled. Once, while Jasmine chattered William's head off, she moved a little closer to Dorian and said,
"You don't have to ask me now, but I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Emails work just as well."
He had looked at her in surprise, blushing when she smiled and winked at him, and she looked away so he didn't feel even more embarrassed. But towards the end of the tour, he came over to her.
"Diana." Now it was her turn to look at him in surprise. "I just wanted to say thank you for such a wonderful tour. I think we made the right choice coming to the Grace Hotel. Coming on this tour with you has been...enlightening."
His eloquent speech made her realise that she hadn't once heard him speak since they had met, and his deep, soothing voice strongly contradicted his awkward nature. "I will definitely email you any questions I may have."
"Of course, it was only a pleasure." Diana recovered from her slip and slid back into professional mode. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in Cape Town."
Dorian smiled at her now and nodded shyly, and slipped back into silence when his sister came over.
"I know the package we booked said that we would have lunch, but I think we'll go back to the hotel. William," she said his name with a sigh, "has organised that we have a champagne lunch with a friend of his who's studied Cape Town culture."
"Wow, that's a lucky coincidence." Diana said as she looked at William, and caught his eyes light with amusement.
"I know!" Jasmine almost squealed. "He even said we can take the driver back to the hotel so that you two can go to your next appointment."
Diana wisely said nothing until she waved goodbye to her two unsuspecting clients.
"I wonder if she knows that they were just fooled." She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"What are you talking about? They are going to meet with an acquaintance of mine who's an anthropologist and get information for their paper."
"As convenient as that is – I mean really, what are the chances you actually have an acquaintance who works in anthropology? – I was referring to the entire tour today. I'm not sure if you did anything other than stroll up to Jasmine and stun her with your beauty, but she was completely fine with you tagging along a private custom tour. She even convinced Dorian that you should come with. Although," she considered, "I don't think it would have taken much to convince his agreeable soul."
"Least of all from you." He said it so quickly that she almost lost the meaning. "Our guests were treated impeccably well. I assured them that I was just coming along to evaluate the quality of the tours, and that they were free to let me know if this made them uncomfortable. It didn't." He shrugged.
"I'm not sure your motives were entirely pure, William. But if you did want to check the quality of the tours, I hope you did, at least, get an answer. And we'll get back to that in a minute." She said as she waved his response away. "What I want to know is why you would be jealous of a man I barely spoke to?"
"What do you mean?" His frown was so adorably clueless that she couldn't help but melt a little bit.
"I'm talking about the 'least of all from you' comment you just made. You're implying that he would be more agreeable to me. Why?"
"Because of the way he looked at you." Diana wasn't sure she had ever seen William look as defensive. "I could see that you could've asked him to jump off a bridge and he would have gladly done it."
She looked at him for a moment, straight-faced, and then couldn't help the giggle. "You're jealous."
"No, I'm not." He smiled now, and pulled her towards him. "Why would I be jealous of someone who isn't as beautiful as I am?"
"What?" Her heartbeat quickened as she stood with him.
"You said I dazzled Jasmine with my beauty."
"I'm pretty sure those words never came out my mouth."
"I'm pretty sure they did." He inched closer, his lips only a whisper away from hers.
"I will neither confirm, nor deny, that I said that about Jasmine. But I'm pretty sure you're dazzling me right now."
Her words barely left her lips before he kissed her, and she lost any feeling in her body besides the ones he stirred up inside of her. She felt her world shift as he deepened the kiss, and she welcomed it, ignoring the fact that they stood on the boardwalk of a very busy beach where the tour had ended. Only when he pulled away did she realise it, and her cheeks burned from the catcalls she now heard from passers-by.
"I think you dazzled them, too." She said when she could find her voice.
He smiled, and brushed the hair out of her face. "Come on, we're going to be late for our next appointment."
He was dragging her to a sleek black car that had pulled up in front of them before she registered his words.
"Wait, what are you talking about? My next appointment is at three thirty, which means I have some time before I need to be back." She stopped, resisting the gentle tug he gave her hand. "But there's no way you're coming along to that appo
intment...are you?"
"No, I'm not. But your next appointment is with me, since your clients cancelled this afternoon's tour. Out of their own, I assure you," He said when she raised her eyebrows. "I just happened to take that call at reception, and I decided it would give me an excellent opportunity to surprise you. So, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to let yourself be surprised?"
In lieu of answering, Diana walked to the car and the chauffeur – she assumed the man dressed in the black uniform wasn't doing so out of choice – opened the front passenger seat for her.
"Oh no, I think we're going to sit to..." She trailed off when William took the keys from the man and took his place next to her door.
"We will be sitting together." He smiled. "Thomas brought the car for us, Diana. He'll be heading back to the hotel with alternative transport."
William nodded his head in the direction of another black car that pulled up behind them. Once she was sure that Thomas was okay, she got into the car and waited for William to join her.
"You are full of surprises today, Mr King."
William pulled onto the road smoothly, and then lifted her hand and kissed it. "You have no idea."
As they drove the winding road away from the beach, Diana took a moment to gather her thoughts. She couldn't believe it had just been two weeks since she and William had decided to start from over. From the moment they had had dinner together, things had eased for them. The pressure of everything that had come between them had dissolved, and they were left with laughter, flirting and – dare she think it – love. It was the same, yet different than the beginning. She felt lighter, freer. She could go to sleep knowing that he knew everything. She could enjoy their time together without worrying that it wouldn't last. She was happy, and the feeling wasn't one she took lightly.
She'd vowed that she wouldn't jump into anything. She just wanted to enjoy being in love – the kind of love that made the air smell fresher and the day seem brighter. It was perfect in their little love bubble. William was exactly the kind of person she saw herself with when she dreamed of her perfect man, and he seemed determined to make up for the time they'd been apart. They'd seen each other every day, had fallen into such a routine together that the affection they shared no longer seemed new, no longer seemed strange, but if there was something more she had come to expect---she looked forward to the sneaky kisses in the passageway just before the change in shift happened. Her heart beat just a little bit faster when she saw him, when he gave her that special smile that she knew was reserved for just her.
It was probably a good thing that things had been as crazy as they were at work. Otherwise, she was sure that she would be a melted puddle of goo in front of anyone who knew her. In fact, she was sure that even those who didn't know her well wondered at her sudden change in demeanour when she greeted them a little too brightly for seven in the morning. She was also aware of the knowing glances she received from Kate and Miranda, both of whom she had told that William and she had patched things up. Connor had taken to smirking every time she and William were in the same room with him, and though she rolled her eyes at him every time he did it, she knew he was happy for her. She let out a happy sigh and squeezed William's hand that sat gently on her lap as they drove.
"What's that for?"
"For making me happy." She smiled at him.
"Well, if all I have to do to make you happy is surprise you with a drive, you're going to be ecstatic when we get to where I'm driving you to." He teased, and pulled her ear playfully.
"Which is?"
"We're going to – ha! Did you real think I would tell you that easily?"
She laughed at the delighted expression on his face. "No, but I would have been ashamed of myself if I hadn't tried."
.
14.
William sat a higher as he drove into the little town he was bringing Diana to. The trees along the paving concealed the view of some of the buildings behind them, but didn't hide them completely. They were old buildings that lacked the sophistication of modern architecture, but strongly held the charm that those buildings often lacked. William had had the idea of bringing Diana to one of her favourite towns in the Western Cape when her appointment had been cancelled, and had scrambled a bit to get everything done. And though their trip to Franschhoek was for her, he couldn't deny the charm the town held that would make anyone of sound mind love it. He glanced over when she wound down her window and took a deep breath, and the peace on her face nudged him a little in the heart.
"Did you know I was bringing you here?" He asked, and brought her hand to his lips again. He loved the simple affection of the gesture, and the way it made her blush.
"I suspected it. But I wasn't sure if perhaps you were driving towards something else. I couldn't remember if I told you I liked this place."
"You may have mentioned it."
She had, he thought, when they'd spent the early morning hours in his apartment talking about everything that they could think of. He had never been as captivated, as intrigued, by a woman as he was with her that evening. Her legs had been curled up under her, a wine glass half-filled in her hand, and she'd gently swirled the contents, contemplating his question.
"Have you ever been to Franschhoek?" She waited for his answer, and continued after a shake of his head. "It's beautiful. The town is small – it only has about 15 000 residents – and is one of the oldest towns in the province. I remember when I was a little girl, probably around seven or eight years old my parents took me there for a picnic of one of their friends." She replied and let a sigh of contentment. "I remember running through the field just down the road from where the picnic was. I'm sure it must have been spring then because the field was filled with white flowers. I flopped down there with a book, ignoring the other children's shrieks and the voices trying to calm them. My parents came for me after a while, and gave me an indulgent look that made me incredibly sure of how much they loved me." She looked and him and smiled. "Yes, that would definitely be my favourite memory as a child."
"How often have you gone back there?"
She looked at him in surprise. "I never have. I'm not sure how I would feel about it now. I went there when my parents were alive. I mean, I've done research about it, and even considered it as part of the tours. But somehow, I could never bring myself to actually act on it."
Her words had followed him since that evening. Probably because he related so well to the fears she'd described. He hadn't had the same pleasant memories she had of her parents, but there was one time his parents had taken him go-karting. His mother cheered as his father taught him how to navigate the track. Although it had been a simple experience, William couldn't quite forget the happiness she had on her face as she shouted her name. He didn't think he could go back to that track, even if he had his own children. But he wanted to do this for Diana. He wanted her to experience the magic she had felt as a child in that field.
He had been very confident in that choice until a comfortable silence had settled in the car. A little voice had asked whether his decision to revisit her favourite memory was perhaps too ambitious – or too arrogant. What if he spoiled this memory of her parents for her? What if the simple picnic he had planned was not enough to overcome the sadness she may feel visiting Franschhoek again? But the look on her face as she rolled down the window calmed his fears, and he gave himself a mental pat on the back for making a good choice in bringing her here. He parked the car and got out, opening the door for her as she stared with wonder around her.
"It hasn't changed." She shook her head. "How can that be after almost 20 years?"
"Some things don't change because they're good just the way they are. Come on."
He grabbed her hand, and wove his fingers through hers. The simple gesture warmed him, reminded him of how easily they had fallen into being a couple. He led her to the shop that he had ordered their picnic basket from, smiling at the old woman who gave him a wink as she handed it over.
He had taken a chance on their venue, going on the recommendation of a friend who had worked there for a short period. He had wanted to give her a little taste of her past, and had chosen a field that matched her description. She stopped before he had reached the tree he'd intended on taking her to, and closed her eyes, a small smile playing over her mouth.
It was a moment that William would remember for as long as he was alive – the moment he felt himself crash in love with her. There was no slip, no gentle nudge of love. No, William felt the hard truth of his feelings for her come over him as though there was a sudden downpour of rain. And like with rain, it refreshed him and shocked him a bit, but he welcomed it. He set the basket on the floor and walked towards her, circling her waist with his hands.
"I'm in love with you."
She smiled at him, her eyes shining. "Well, it's about time."
She linked her hands behind his neck and pulled his head closer until her lips touched his. There was no physical intention behind the kiss – it was a simple acknowledgement of their feelings for one another. But then he pulled her tight against him, and he felt the love that poured through him turn into something heated, something that lit his body. He lost himself in it for a few moments, and then moved away from her when he remembered they were still in public.
"Maybe we should keep the kissing to a minimum in public especially that you don’t seem to have enough self-control when it comes to me." She teased.
William laughed. "I can't deny that."
* * *
"Do you want to get married?"
The words slipped out of Diana's mouth before she had realized what she just said, and she flushed as she heard them. "I don't mean now---or to me. I just mean some day."
They were laying on the blanket William had spread out earlier, hands locked, staring at the sky. Diana could hear the buzz of the work traffic not too far from where they were laying – a soft sound that barely compared to what she was used to. The air was musky with the heat of the day mixed with the coolness that dusk brought. It made her dreamy, the kind of dream that made words like "marriage" and "the future" seemed okay to talk about. But it wasn't meant to form words, to bumble their way from her in the clumsy way it had. She turned her head to search his face, but she could only see the side of it. Her heart thudded as she waited for his answer, and she squeezed his hand.
