“Can I ask you something?” I said as I opened my soda.
He didn’t answer me, as he was taking a huge bite of his burger, but he nodded as he chewed.
“What does “gorger” mean?”
Kieran stiffened and swallowed. It took a long drink of his soda before he answered me.
“A gorger is you,” he said softly.
“Me?”
“Yes,” he said as he examined his burger, picking off the onions and throwing them to the ground. “A gorger as an outsider, someone that is not a traveller.”
“Oh,” I mumbled and went back to eating my burger.
Kieran bumped his arm against mine playfully, “Don’t let it bother you. It’s just something the travellers say.”
I nodded but I couldn’t help thinking that the message was very clear, there was them and then there were the gorgers.
Kieran collected our garbage and threw it into the nearest trash barrel, “Twas good, wasn’t it?”
I tried to push my negative thoughts aside and nudged him with my elbow when he sat back down.
“So, I’ve had hamburgers before,” I teased. “How was that traveller style?”
Kieran shrugged, “We were hungry and they fed us without question.”
“So, it was free and that made it traveler style?”
“No,” Kieran said with a smile. “We were hungry and they fed us, and someday I will return the favor.”
“It seems so simple.”
“It is,” he said as he sipped at his soda. “Only outsiders make it complicated.”
Ouch...
Realizing what he had said, Kieran ran his hands through his dark hair.
“Sorry,” he said apologetically.
I nodded, but I still felt the sting of his words.
We were silent for a while, drinking our sodas and watching the last of the vendors close up their caravans. A few waved as they walked toward the campground. It seemed darker without the lighted signs advertising funnel cakes and Polish sausage. I crossed my arms as another rain cooled breeze blew through.
“Are you cold?” Kieran asked.
“No,” I lied.
He nodded, maybe sensing my change in mood. “Okay. Well, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“How did you get your name?”
“What?” I asked, “Seriously?”
Kieran smiled, “I’m just curious. I mean for us travellers names have meanings and that is not a name that one hears that often.”
I glanced up at him. He was watching me, that I knew, but in the shadows, I couldn’t really see his expression.
I looked back down at my can of soda, grateful that in the dim light he wouldn’t be able to see how bad I was blushing.
“My mother came up with my name,” I said softly. “She wanted me to have like a rock ‘n roll name or something.”
“A rock ‘n roll name.”
I nodded, “My mom was something of a wild child.”
Kieran was still watching me, “So where is your mother now?”
“Dead.”
I wished I could take back the word as soon as it was out of my mouth.
Well that will leave a lasting impression...
To my surprise, Kieran remained unfazed.
“I’m so sorry,” Kieran said like any sane person would. “How old were you when she died?”
“I was about nine,” I said, reminding myself that normal people weren’t so blunt about such things. “But even before she died, she wasn’t exactly the mothering type.”
There...That was a generous way of putting it...
“How did she die?”
It was a perfectly normal question, but I of course blurted out the very un-normal, unfiltered answer.
“She died in a car accident. She got drunk and flipped her car out on Highway 150.”
Oh my God... What the hell is wrong with me?
“You seem angry,” Kieran said calmly. “Are you angry at her for not being a good mother or are you angry at her for dying?”
“Both,” I said simply, not seeing the point in trying to lie about it.
Kieran sat straighter and looked up at the night sky so that I could make out his handsome profile.
“I know how that is,” he said. “I wasted a long time being angry at my mother for dying.”
“Oh,” I said. “I’m so sorry. When did she die?”
Kieran lowered his face and looked down so that he was again hidden in the shadows.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s getting late, I should walk you home.”
He stood and offered me his hand again. I took it without hesitation. I knew that it was just simple politeness that made him do it, but I was thrilled at any opportunity to touch him.
How pathetic is that?
As we made our way out of the fairgrounds, someone flipped a switch somewhere and the strings of lights overhead went dark. Now, with only a few street lights in the distance to light the way, we walked the dusty path to the exit.
The entire town was still and quiet with only a few windows reflecting the bluish light of a television. It was an odd feeling, like we were the only two people left on earth.
We crossed the empty street slowly, taking our time to reach the front door of my house.
Don’t say good night yet... I’m not ready for it to end...
I didn’t want to, but I pulled out my keys and unlocked the door.
This is the awkward part... Do I kiss him...? Does he kiss me...? How am I supposed to know if he even wants to?
I turned around, about to tell him how much I enjoyed the show or something equally predictable when a breeze came up behind me and blew my loose hair out about.
Kieran stepped forward and pushed some of the wayward strands out of my face.
“Lord in heaven, you are beautiful,” he whispered softly.
He still held my face in his hands. I looked up at him with the light from the streetlight shining in his face and tried to think of what it was I should say.
Before I could say anything, Kieran lowered his face to mine and our lips touched. The flutter of excitement raced through me so strongly that I actually shivered.
Kieran paused, his lips still barely brushing mine. He was gasping, as was I, each of us breathing in the others breath.
Slowly he pulled away, letting his hand slid from my face. “Good night then.”
Without looking away, I reached behind my back for the door and pushed it open. I didn’t look away until I backed inside and shut the door.
I went to the window and watched him walk back across the street. Just as I lost sight of him among the campers, I reached up and touched my lips with my fingertips, that same flutter of excitement came over me as I remembered the feeling of his lips on mine.
Chapter 12
I couldn’t concentrate the next day as I opened the store. Again and again, my mind went back to that moment when Kieran’s lips touched mine and every time, a shiver raced through me.
I was lucky enough that it was a slow Sunday morning with only a few random customers coming in from time to time. That gave me plenty of time in between to fantasize about the kiss.
I expected everyone to be talking about the travellers and the performance the night before, but no one said anything about it. A few elderly ladies were whispering to each other while they were waiting in line, but they never spoke loud enough for me to hear their conversation. For the most part, people talked about the much-needed rainstorm overnight and what it meant to area farmers.
I could have cared less about the weather. I just kept going back to the way the Kieran held my face right before he kissed me.
Every girl should be kiss like that once in her life...
Across the room, Alec slammed down a bag of bird seed, making me jump. I came out of my reverie and saw the busted bag spilling all over the floor.
“What’s wrong with you?” I asked as I came around the
corner with a broom and dustpan.
“Nothing,” Alec snapped as he snatched the broom from me.
“Okay,” I said sarcastically. “Then what did the bird seed do to tick you off?”
“I’m fine, okay?”
“Well, you're obviously not fine”" I snapped back. “So what’s the problem?”
“You really want to know?” He huffed, “I saw you walking home with that gypsy last night.”
My heart skipped a beat before I could stop it. What did it matter if Alec saw Kieran walking me home? Half the town probably saw us together.
“So what’s wrong with that?” I asked, trying to regain my composure.
Alec shrugged, but didn’t look up.
“Tell me Alec,” I demanded. “What’s so wrong with him walking me home?”
“You just need to be careful that’s all.”
“Why?” I asked even though I was losing my patience.
“I’ve just heard some things,” he mumbled with only a quick glance in my direction.
“Like what?” I asked, preparing myself for anything.
Alec swept up the last of the birdseed into the dustpan, “I don’t think I should get into it with you.”
“Too late,” I snapped. “You’re already into it.”
He emptied the seed into the trash and shook his head.
“My uncle just told me some stories from the old country about the travellers and their kind,” he said.
I gripped the edge of the counter, trying to fight the urge to claw his eyes out.
“Their kind?” I hissed. “What would your uncle know about their kind?”
“Don’t get mad,” Alec pleaded. “I was just trying to warn you.”
“You don’t have to warn me about anything.”
“But I –“
I turned away from him and waved my hand toward the door.
“Why don’t you just take the rest the day off?” I told him, unable to imagine even trying to finish the day with him.
“Harmony, I –“
“Just go,” I snapped.
He didn’t say anything else. He propped the broom against the wall and left, slamming the door behind him.
I spun around and stuck my tongue out. I knew the door was closed and that Alec couldn’t see me, but I needed to do something.
I didn’t do anything wrong... What is it with people in this town...? Why can’t they just mind their own business?
At five o’clock, and I came out from behind the counter to lock up for the day. The setting sun coming through the windows intensified the heat of the building held from the day.
I stopped at the dilapidated air conditioner. The unit wheezed and sputtered, barely blowing. I twisted the knob back and forth, only succeeding in shaking a few drops of condensation ways.
Perfect... One more thing I don’t have the money to fix...
The door opened with a ring of the bell and a gentle knock. I looked up just as Kieran walked in looking too good to be true.
How does he do it? How does he make a jeans and tee shirt look so good?
I smiled as if he could somehow read my thoughts by my expression.
“I just stopped by to see what you were doing tonight,” he said.
My heart jumped at the idea that he had even been thinking about me. I knew it was silly, but I couldn’t help the way that my pulse quickened.
“I thought you’d be performing tonight,” I said in an odd, controlled voice.
“No,” Kieran said with a shake of his head. “Most people don’t come to a carnival on a Sunday. I guess they think that it’ll make God angry or something.”
“Oh,” I mumbled. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
Did I imagine everything? Why is he standing so far away and why is he acting like he never kissed me?
Kieran went on as if he wasn't torturing me with this normal and polite conversation.
“I don’t know why they worry so much about making God angry,” he said. “I’m sure he put your little town directly on top of hell.”
“What?”
“I was referring to the heat.”
“Oh,” I mumbled and looked down at my feet.
Now were talking about the weather? I guess I really did overestimate that kiss...
A surge of excitement ran through my veins as I got an idea.
“How about a swim?”
* * * *
The bumpy dirt road leading out to old man Macready’s farm was dark, but still I turned off my truck’s headlights and slowed down to a crawl. I leaned forward and peered out at the darkness, squinting to see anything at all.
I could feel Kieran watching me from the passenger seat. I didn’t turn to see his expression, but I could feel him near and close.
“What?” I whispered without taking my eyes off of the road.
“I get the feeling that we’re not supposed to be here.”
“You would be right,” I said with a laugh. “A bunch of us kids used to come out here back in high school and more than once he chased us off.”
Kieran laughed as well and moved closer on the seat, “How would he chase you off?”
“He’d shoot at us with bird shot,” I said glancing over at him and just being able to make out his shocked expression.
I pulled the truck to a stop just as the road ended. I shut off the engine and got out, standing in the tall woody weeds.
“The pond is just on the other side of the trees,” I said as Kieran came around the truck.
Not giving myself time to think about it, I reached over and took his hand and started walking through the trees.
Easy Harmony... It’s just his hand... You’re just showing him the way... It doesn’t mean anything...
Despite the conversation in my head, I still trembled as our fingers intertwined. I didn’t look back at him, but I held his hand a little tighter.
“When I graduated from high school, and everyone else went off to college, I used to come out here by myself before Grandma got so bad.”
“What was that like? Coming out here all alone?” Kieran asked as he followed close behind.
“It was great,” I said with a quick glance back. “It was so quiet I could just forget everything else. I didn’t have to think. I didn’t have to take care of anyone. I didn’t have to do anything and there would be all these butterflies just flying around. I could sit and watch them for hours.”
“Sounds beautiful.”
“It was,” I said. “Have you ever noticed you never see butterflies that much anymore? I miss them.”
Oh God... That was a stupid thing to say...
Kieran pulled at my hand to stop me just as we reached the edge of the trees.
“Is something wrong?” I asked as I turned around.
“No,” Kieran said as he took my other hand as well and then tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “Just wait.”
Suddenly, into the air rose a cloud of orange and black butterflies. They fluttered all around us, landed on my arms and shoulders.
I looked at him amazed, “How did you do that?”
Kieran stepped forward and brought his lips down on mine in a feathery soft kiss. When I opened my eyes, the butterflies were gone.
“Magic,” he whispered and backed away.
I wasn’t sure what to do next. It was more difficult to think with the moon reflecting on the pond and making it so that I could easily see him standing next to me.
Kieran peeled off his shirt, exposing his broad chest. My knees began to shake uncontrollably when his fingers went to the zipper of his jeans.
He stopped, “Would you turn around?”
“What?”
“I know it’s old-fashioned,” he said with a shrug. “But the travellers have very strict rules about what goes on between men and women.”
Seriously?
I turned so that my back was to him. I could hear him getting undressed and there was something very thrilling about knowing th
at he was getting naked just behind me.
I heard him running toward the water and I turned just as he dove into the water in a flash of bare skin.
Watching him swim in circles, I began to get undressed. I was glad then that Kieran did have such old-fashioned ideas. I was self-conscious enough getting naked behind a screen of trees, I couldn’t even imagine doing in front of him.
I covered myself the best I could with my hands and started walking out from the trees, my skin naked and tingling.
Kieran saw me coming and immediately turned away. I hurried out into the water.
“Okay,” I said as I slid deeper into the water to hide my nudity. “You can turn around now.”
He turned around, “My ideas must really seem strange to you.”
“Not really.”
“Liar.”
We circled each other, both of us careful to keep a safe distance. It was awkward and uncomfortable.
Well this idea sucked...
Kieran took a deep breath and disappeared below the surface of the water. I thought he would come immediately back up, but he didn’t.
“Kieran?”
I felt very vulnerable, all naked under the water, with him swimming somewhere nearby.
Suddenly something had my ankle and was pulling me under. I went to scream, but water filled my eyes and mouth.
I came up right beside Kieran he was laughing as I coughed. I splashed him repeatedly until he swam away for cover. From then on we relaxed and enjoyed the night, forgetting that we were naked and miles from prying eyes.
“This was a great idea,” Kieran said as we got dressed with our backs to each other. “So how often did you come here?”
“Back then I guess it was most summer nights.”
I heard Kieran turning around, the rustle of his feet in the dried leaves coming right up behind me. He took my hand and turned me to face him.
“Was it always like this?” He asked.
“It was never like this.”
Chapter 13
The glaring light of the morning sun woke me. I blinked a few times before I realized I was in my own room and in my own bed.
I sat up, realizing I was still in my clothes from the night before. I could still smell the earthy scent of the pond on my skin and on the strands of my hair that fell over my face.
Once (Gypsy Fairy Tale) Page 7
