Page 6 of Where She Is
“I can relate to that,” I say, swatting another annoying beastie. I have no idea what just flew past my ear and I don’t want to get close enough to it to find out.
It’s while I’m swatting at the unidentified flying object that I notice the most incredible sight. I’m not sure if they’re parrots or cockatoos. They could be a mixture of both. I watch in awe as green, yellow, red and even black feathered birds fly above my head with such normality. To me, this is not normal. This is a stunning sight and one that surprises me mostly because these birds are wild. I’ve only seen them in a zoo or in a cage in someone’s lounge. Out in this beautiful, wild country, they converse around us. This must be an everyday occurrence. I breathe in my surroundings because I might never witness anything so incredible again.
“Special, aren’t they?” I haven’t noticed he’s looking at me until I hear his words.
“Breathtaking,” I sigh, as our eyes connect.
We take our time exploring this heavenly, hot countryside, and conversation is easy. All the while, I worry I might say the wrong thing. He is my boss.
“You were about to tell me about home,” The smile reappears in his eyes.
I nod, “I was. Well, what can I tell you. My parents are bonkers.” He laughs and looks towards me sideways, touching my back. “Your words or theirs?”
My insides may just explode with energy. “Mine,” I say, giggling out my words. “Definitely mine.” I breathe in and try to compose myself. “They love London life and have a lot of friends. I never have to worry about them. They are always busy and believe in independence and not wasting a minute, hence this trip. They think it's a fantastic opportunity to spread my wings. They’re very supportive.”
He smiles. “That’s good.”
“Yeah, it is.” I’m lost in something and I am sure it’s not my imagination. The occasional glances and bumps to the shoulder; the brush of his hand against my back or the spark and thrill connected with every touch. I can feel it. I just can’t put my finger on what ‘it’ is.
“And then there’s my friend Lucy. Now she really is a great laugh and my constant rock.” My fingers dance around one another as a distraction to hold in my emotions, but he spots it. Just when I thought he couldn’t sound any sexier, his voice takes on a lower tone.
“Don’t be embarrassed. You’re homesick, plain and simple, but I also think you must be very brave coming all this way on your own.”
I smile and kick at the rough ground as I walk. “I’m not technically on my own. I have Richard to help me.”
He laughs when he answers, “I know, but it’s not the same as family and friends. He’s your boss and there’s an invisible line with your superiors, there has to be.”
It’s as if he’s poured a bucket of icy water over my head. We’ve become too casual, I was losing sight of the person I was with, so in order to put things right, I find myself saying, “You’reso right Mr Grant.” He brushes my arm, so I stop in my tracks. “Mr Grant?” he asks with some confusion. “What happened to Daniel?” A second passes and he must have a lightbulb moment, “Oh, I see. I didn’t mean—”
“No, no, it’s fine. I was joking.”
“It’s not fine.”
“With all due respect Mr Grant-” I smile up at him.
“Daniel.”
“With all due respect, Daniel, you’re the Chairman’s son, so on reflection, it’s probably better not to be so familiar.”
“Hannah, you’ve taken this the wrong way. Hey…” Unexpectedly, his palm brushes my shoulder. He doesn’t realise how his touch and words have triggered my skin to contract and prickle and he has no clue of the urge inside to hold his beautiful face and kiss those open lips right now.
We continue along a small embankment that holds a flowing shallow stream. I welcome the cooler air, but there’s no getting away from the heat and atmosphere thick with energy. I should put a stop to this before I make a fool of myself.
“I think I should go back and check-in with Richard. I haven’t seen him for a few hours.”
His brow furrows, “But we’ve got so much more to see.”
I shake it off, “I’m sorry and it’s a shame, but time’s getting on.” I remove Daniel’s hat and offer it back.
“Keep it,” he says, waving his hand away.
I laugh, “Thank you, but it’s a little too big.” I hand it back and immediately regret not holding onto it and burying my nose in his gorgeous smell. “Although I appreciate the offer.” I take a few steps but he calls after me, “Let me walk you back at least?”
“I can find my way. I’m okay,” I tell him, not meaning a word of it. I’m internally dancing when he ignores my protest.
“It’s my duty. We can’t have our newbie getting lost in the bush.” His persistence tells me a lot about the man inside and if I’m honest, I have no clue where I am as I look around this imposing, lush valley. “I suppose,” I say as I walk backwards.
“Plus, my mother would kill me if she knew I’d abandoned a lady.” He is very hard to resist. “Okay, but only because it will save your life,” I giggle.
