Lies

by Alda Grand

  “Thats part of the surprise. I have a friend who wants to meet you,” he said and Lana could hear the boyish glee in his voice.

  She swung her legs out of the bed and flexed her stiff body. Her aches and pains seemed to fade away as she got excited for what Einar was going to surprise her with. She pulled on a hospital fleece gown and Einar slid her shoes close to her feet and she slipped them on. She stood up and said,”Lead the way.”

  “Is it ok if I put my arm around you to guide you along,” he asked.

  Lana felt like shouting loud and clear, yes yes please put your strong arms around me and pull me close to your body, instead she simply said, “Yes.”

  Einar put his arm around her waist and she hooked her arm around his. His hand lay casually on her hip and their bodies pressed together as he lead her towards the door. Warmth resonated out from where his hand held her tight and Lana's skin buzzed from his touch. I hope I don't have too big of a goofy grin on my face she thought to herself as they took the first few steps towards the door.

  “How are you doing?” he asked as they left the room.

  “I feel good. There’s some stiffness although it feels good to be moving,” she said. Without warning her legs gave out beneath her. Einar hooked his arms around her and stopped her fall and pulled her close to him. Her head lay on his chest and she could hear his heart beating.

  “Ive got you,” he said, his voice tickling the nape of her neck. Lana felt like time slowed to a complete standstill as they stood in the hospital corridor with their bodies pressed together. Her heart beat in her chest and she was sure he would be able to hear it at such close quarters. Her whole body hummed against his and she could feel a spreading heat in the core of her body, a prickle of the skin at the base of her spine and her nipples hardening under her thin hospital attire. She lay against his chest for what felt like an eternity, never wanting to take her head up from the broad expanse of his muscled chest. All thoughts of her past catching up to her were incinerated in the white hot lust she felt as he held her in his arms. She didn't want their embrace to end, in his arms she was safe and no dark and nasty thing creeping from the ruins of her old life could ever touch her once she stayed protected and held by his mighty arms. As quickly as the embrace began it also ended as he broke it and asked her if she wanted to return to the room.

  “I’m ok,” she said testing her weight on her legs, “I wouldn't miss your surprise for anything.” He held her by the waist again and he lead her towards the front door of the hospital. Without her sight Lana felt as if every other sensation was heightened. The sound of the birds overhead seemed to have a clarity that she had never noticed before, the smell of fresh cut grass and flowers drifted on the breeze, and the slight movement of Einar's hand on her waist as his thumb gently moved against the soft flesh above her hip. The ever so slight pressure as his thumb moved in a rolling motion against her was sending shoots of bright sparkling pleasure along her spine. Was he aware of what he was doing she wondered. Was he teasing her or was she over analysing a slight motion of his fingers way too much. If he only knew how much it was exciting her. Her body throbbed incessantly as his thumb moved in small concentric circle. Lana wished that the thin barrier of cloth wasn't between him and her and that she could feel the coarseness of his hands against the curve of her hips. She was dragged back to reality when he spoke.

  “I’m going to let go you of for a moment,” he said and Lana wished it would be for less than that, “And then I’ll walk you over to the surprise. He let her go and Lana stood in the sun as her skin tingled from his absence. She heard him opening a metal gate a few feet away and then he was back with his hands on her hips and guiding her a short distance forward.

  “Step up here and then you will be on grass,” he said. She followed his instruction and she felt the loose gravel path change to the soft give of grass. He guided her backwards a step or two and said, “Lean against this,” and he gently grasped her hand in his and placed it on the metal bar of a railings. His fingers brushed the back of her hand as they separated and Lana could feel her breath coming out in rapid gasps. The metal railing felt like an icicle under her palm as her whole bodied seemed to be resonating an intense heat. She wanted to rip the bandages off her face so that she could look at Einar, to see how he reacts as she is speaking to him and to gaze into his eyes.

  The ground vibrated beneath her from heavy footfalls and Einar said,” Reach out your hand.” She stretched out her fingertips and they brushed against the warm smooth flank of a horse. Lana let out a gasp of recognition and joy. The horse shook its head and its back hooves stamped the ground as she ran her hand along the smooth expanse of his warm body. “She likes that,” Einar said as he put his hand over hers and entwined his fingers. He guided her hand up to the soft velvet of the horses muzzle and ran Lana’s hand over it gently. The smooth softness of the warm skin beneath her fingertips tingled and Lana rubbed it gently. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she didn't want Einar to let go of her hand. He let go and said, “I’m going to move you a step forward so that you are standing beside the horse and pressed against her flank.” He manoeuvred her and she felt the rising and falling of the horses chest against her body. Lana ran her hands along her back and stroked the horses mane. She could feel a direct connection to the horse as she rubbed her smooth sides, they were alien to each other and yet in that moment they had formed a covenant of understanding that reached back millennia, the fate of man and horse intertwined with each other. “She really likes you,” Einar said as Lana become lost in the sensation of the horses sides rising and falling against her and the warm dry warmth of its velvet muzzle.

  “Whats her name?” Lana asked.

  “Gunna,” Einar said. “You have the biggest smile on your face, Gunna tends to have that kind of effect on people.”

  “She is so calming to be around. This is an amazing experience, thank you so much for doing this,” she said. Lana could feel herself close to tears. She was happier than she had been in a long time, all thoughts of her past life forgotten in this moment. Being this close to an animal and it letting her be part of its world was extremely moving in its simplicity. Einar sharing it with her made her start to choke up, she turned away hoping her would not see how overcome she was.

  “Would you like to ride her?” Einar asked.

  “I don't know. Should I do it in my condition? I’d be scared to do it if I could see, doing it blind is intimidating. I don't think I’d be able to,” she replied.

  Einar put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze and said, “I’ve got you, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  Any of her doubts washed away when he touched her, she believed that everything would be ok with him by her side. She trusted him and felt safe when he was close by. “Ok I’ll do it,” she said and Einar lead her back to the railings. She leaned against it and he let go of her shoulder, she missed and yearned for his touch as soon as it left her shoulder.

  “I’m going to put her saddle on and then we can do a few small laps of the field,” Einar said. Lana could hear the slap of leather and the noise of buckles being cinched as Einar prepared the horse for riding. The horse gently stamped its hooves and Einar said, “She’s getting excited to be rode. Gunna is the perfect horse for beginners. She’s very calm and placid and sometimes I think she instinctively knows when a rider is a nervous or new to riding. This beautiful horse is very accommodating,” he said smacking the horses shoulder. Einar took Lana’s hand and lead her over to the horse. “She is ready to go. I’ll lift you up and place your hands where you can grip the saddle. Don't worry I’ll be by your side the whole time leading Gunna by the reigns.”

  Lana's heart thumped at lightening speeds when Einar put his strong hands on her waist and lifted her up in the air effortlessly. He guided her leg over the horse and hooked her feet into the stirrups. “Hold here,” he said guiding her hands down to the saddle’s pommel. The leather felt worn smooth from use ben
eath her finger tips. “I’m going to take the reins and start off at a very slow trot. Sit as loose as you can in the saddle, try to let the horses movements flow through you, don't sit rigidly and fight against it. You are one with the horse when you ride. It is the closest relationship between an animal and a human. Gunna will do the rest. Are you ready?” he asked.

  Lana fidgeted in the saddle until she felt like she was in a comfortable position. She should have been scared sitting on a horse completely blind and yet feeling the flank of the animal against the sides of her legs and Einar's presence close by made her feel supremely relaxed. Without her vision everything was feeling heightened for her. “I’m ready,” she said.

  Einar gently pulled on the reins and made a soft clicking noise. Immediately the horse began to walk forward at a very slow clip. The first step forward jarred Lana and she gripped onto the saddle with white knuckles. Then it was all ok. I feel like I’m floating through the air she thought to herself as she let her body roll back and forth in a smooth swaying motion matching each hoof fall of the horse. She reached out and ran her fingers along the horses long muscular neck, feeling the blood thrum beneath the skin. Her body swayed back and forth and then she could feel the sting of tears beneath her bandages. It was all so overwhelming. Her breath hitched and Einar said, “Are you ok, do you want me to stop Gunna?”

  “No, no please don't stop. This is one of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had. I feel so connected to the horse and to the nature around me, and to you for doing something so special for me that I just welled up. They are tears of total happiness. I can’t thank you enough for doing this for me,” she said.

  Einar reached back and covered her hands with his and gave a gentle squeeze. “You’ve made the day special for me to. It makes me happy to see you like this,” he took his hand away and continued, “Do you want another few laps of the field?”

  “I’d love it,” Lana said. She didn’t want this morning to ever stop she thought to herself. The horses hooves beat a rhythm on the meadows grass as it was lead around, birds dived and soared above theirs heads calling out ceaselessly to each other as they returned to the nests embedded in the nearby cliff face, in the distance the sea could be heard crashing against the black sands of the volcanic beach and in the midst of it all Lana sat swaying gently on the back of the horse with a huge grin spread across her face. She held her palm flat against the horses side feeling an intense connection to the animal. Einar lead the horse over to the railing enclosing the field and Lana could hear the slap of the leather reins against metal as he hitched the horse to the fence.

  Einar guided her hands on the saddle and said, “Hold here and then swing your leg over the horse, don’t worry I have you.”

  Lana swung her leg over and Einar gripped her by the hips and lifted her clear of the horse She felt like she was flying through the air as he guided her down until her feet touched the soft grass. He kept his hands on her hips facing her and Lana's skin prickled in anticipation. He pulled her towards him and a bright spark of pleasure shot up her spine and down her arms when their bodies pressed close. He must be able to feel my heart beating she thought as he held her close. The moment between them froze in time and then they kissed. His lips pressed tenderly against hers and fireworks exploded in the dark world behind her bandaged eyelids. His hand stroked the back of her neck and the fireworks doubled in intensity. Lana wrapped her arms around him and pulled him tight against her body, his broad muscled body felt like a furnace against her chest. Her nipples throbbed as Einar held her and they kissed deeply. They parted and everything felt different to Lana, are the birds singing louder, is the sun suddenly warmer and the scent of the meadow even more intoxicating she though to herself. Her whole body was tingling from the intensity of the kiss.

  She was smiling broadly and said, “That was unexpected.”

  “In a good way I hope,” Einar said.

  Lana reached up and rubbed his face and said, “I wasn't expecting the beard. I imagined you as clean shaven.”

  “Do you like it?” he asked.

  “Very much,” she said smiling. She reached out to him, she wanted to be held, to feel his powerful arms around her and to feel protected and safe. He pulled her close into his embrace and she rested her head on his shoulder. “If I didn’t thank you already for saving me. Einar you’re my hero.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth she felt his body stiffen against her and he pulled away from her abruptly, he guided her hand to the railings and she could hear him take a step back from her. “I’m nobodies hero,” he said in a cold tone of voice Lana had never heard him use before.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it,” she stammered, “you saved my life and I will be forever grateful,” she said feeling confused at his sudden change.

  “I have to get back to the farm,” he said all warmth gone from his voice. “Give me your hand and I’ll get you back to the clinic.”

  He took her hand and began to lead her back. “What did I say wrong, I didn’t mean to offend you Einar. What’s wrong?” Lana pleaded.

  “Nothing is wrong. I have work to do. I can’t waste the day fooling around with some tourist,” he said, the words stinging Lana like a slap.

  The sun dipped behind a cloud and Lana felt a sudden chill. Only seconds ago she had been enjoying a beautiful moment with him and now it seemed like he couldn't get away from her quick enough. “Talk to me Einar, what did I say to upset you?” she asked as they entered the hospital.

  “Its nothing to do with you Lana,” he said, all warmth gone from his voice. He lead her to her bed and broke his connection with her when she sat down on the edge of it.

  “Don’t leave like this. Tell me what’s wrong,” Lana said.

  She heard the door of her room close and Einar's footsteps fading down the corridor. Lana kicked off her shoes, swung her legs up and sunk back into the bed wrapping herself in her duvet. What the hell just happened she thought to herself, one minute Einar was warm and open to her and it seemed like the flip of a switch and he shut down and became cold and distant. What did she do wrong she thought to herself, surely she couldn't be the cause she reasoned to herself and only half believed it. Maybe he had somehow seen the real her, the type of woman who sleeps with men for money and lets them do depraved acts on her while she is unconscious. What would a good and wholesome man like Einar do if he found out about her sordid past? I know exactly what he would do, he would have absolutely nothing to do with you she thought.

  Someone knocked lightly on her door and opened it. “What’s up with your hunky saviour,” Sara said coming in, “he passed me on the way out and barely looked at me. Can you imagine some country hick not stopping to check out my fine self.”

  “I don’t know what got into him. We where having a perfectly fine time and then the walls came up suddenly and he couldn’t get away from me fast enough,” Lana said.

  “Who knows with these Icelandic men, they seem to take everything so serious,” Sara said.

  “I don’t know. Einar seemed like a good man,” Lana said.

  “Forget him Lana, if he's acting weird already I’d say you should pull back from him. You don't have feelings for him already do you?”

  “I don’t,” Lana lied, she didn't want Sara to know how he was the best part of every day and the emptiness Lana felt when he left her.

  “When are you getting out?” Sara asked.

  “The doc says I should be allowed out tomorrow. After another few days I can take the bandages off. Is everything else ok?” Lana said lowering her voice.

  “I think we are in the clear. No one is going to come after us. We are nothing but two worthless hookers to those guys. If we keep our heads down for a couple of months we might even be able to return home,” Sara said.

  “What about my laptop, if they check it they might know I made a copy of the video file. They could come after us because of that,” Lana said.

  “If and this is a big if, they fig
ure out you copied the file Gus will probably get some college aged computer genius to crack it and delete all copies. Thats way more likely then a bunch of hitmen chasing us internationally. Do you really think Gus would go to all that trouble to cover up some business mans kink filled night gone wrong. Knowing Gus he will probably end up blackmailing the man in your video. We will be forgotten about soon enough. Trust me,” Sara said.

  Something about how assured she seemed didn’t feel right with Lana, and for the first time she didn't fully believe everything that Sara was telling her. She smiled and said, “Your right. We got clean away, there is no way they could find us. What have you been up to while I”m stuck in here?” Lana asked.

  “Nothing much. I’ve walked up and down the length of the town a dozen times. Seen more swarms of tiny black flys than I’m comfortable with. Ate some semi stale sandwiches from a small supermarket. Walked some more and dodged some low flying birds that tried to dive bomb me. Can you tell I’m missing coffee shops, galleries, clothes shopping and everything the great city of New York has to offer? Country life is not for me. There is literally nothing to do in this town. Im going to have to get my hands on one of those tight bodied and ruddy faced farm hands I see toiling on the land outside my window. Anything to alleviate the boredom,” she said sighing dramatically.

  “It’s not that bad is it?” Lana asked.

  “I actually thinks its worse. The birds don't stop singing at night because of the midnight sun, so I’m waking up in the middle of the night with the noise of bird song invading my ears. There’s nothing to do or see. This place is pure and simply boring. It looks good on a postcard and that’s about it,” Sara said.

  Lana did not want to point out that she had a near death experience only days ago and her sight was messed up until she healed. Sara would have these rants back home, constantly going on how things weren’t good enough or why had such a night not worked out how she wanted it. I used to find her put upon I’m so unlucky schtick amusing Lana thought to herself, now it was starting to grate on her. The oblivious way she complained about the lack of things to do in the town and all the walks she had taken, while Lana sat in the bed blinded and wishing she could be out walking in the sun by herself. When they were sharing the dorm room, things had bugged her about Sara, her seeming lack of empathy to people she deemed below her, the cutting sarcasm she sometimes employed when in a group of friends, and her well earned reputation for swiping men away from other women. Lana had put up with these traits and they never seemed too big a deal until now. Somehow being alone with her in a foreign country seemed to magnify and distort her personality and the longer she was in her presence the more Lana was starting to feel annoyed with her. We have to stick together if we want to get through this she thought, would Sara betray her if given a chance she wondered and Lana did not like the dark avenues that line of reasoning ventured down.