10 – How do you do?
He doesn’t look much older than her with short, black hair. Who the hell gives this scoundrel the right to take over her house so nonchalantly? She is going to frighten him and yells on top of her voice: “Hi! What the hell do you think you are doing!”
He shows no sign of fright and only opening his eyes leisurely, he looks at her calmly and casually as if she’s the one that is out of place.
“Hi, and who are you?”
Chloe rolls her eyes indignantly at this man’s unashamed impertinence and throws her hands in the air trying to show her rebellion against his attitude. “This is my place; how on earth can you just waltz in here, put your ass on my couch and pretends that this is your place?”
“The front door was open.”
“Huh!” She lifts her hands and with palms towards him and with an attitude of ‘what nonsense are you talking?’ she sways her hips to underscore her dismay. She utters loudly: “Unbelievable!”
He looks quite amused: “You are looking quite cute when you talk with your whole body.”
She now puts her hands on her hips and pushes her head forward: “Have you listened to any word I’ve said! Who gives you the right to come in here uninvited and to sit down and purporting innocence, sir?”
“Your place? Aren’t these the houses that Mrs Kennedy rent out?”
"Yes, and I rent this one, duh!"
A smile forms on his lips and his striking, blue eyes tease her. Why is this man so attractive and sexy and irritating at the same time? Nothing disturbs or upsets him and he is unnaturally calm. He pretends to have done nothing wrong. Doesn’t matter which tantrum she throws at him, he rather enjoys it and seems to revel in harrowing her while he speaks smugly.
"I spoke to Mrs Kennedy the day before yesterday over the phone and she had no tenants at that stage. When did you move in?”
"Yesterday afternoon.”
"I wasn’t sure if I would come through today and would only know at the last moment. She said she would arrange that the key will be kept in the sand beneath a big stone next to the well. I can then move in the moment I arrive or make another appointment. Everything looked fine when I arrived and your front door was wide open and I assumed that Robert is somewhere and unlocked the door so that I did not need to get the keys from under the stone. There you have my story, darling. Satisfied?”
Somewhere a bell in her thoughts tinkles as she remembers that Mrs Kennedy mentioned a possible tenant in the place opposite hers. But she acts as if she doesn’t believe a word he has said and tries to unnerve him.
“How will they leave the keys for a stranger?”
He sighs lazily: “It is a lo-o-o-ng story, but let me try. Mrs Kennedy has known me since I was a child because I was born here in town and knows her family. I phoned from Cape Town when it became clear that I had to move here. Everyone knows that she battles to get tenants because no one wants to move in here. There was this possibility that I would move only much later this year and I told her not to hold the place if she gets tenants in the meantime. Only yesterday my coming here was unexpectedly finalized and I wanted to move in this morning as early as possible. That’s when she suggested that they will leave the key at the well if I would get away from the Cape last night.”
Chloe now realizes why he looks exhausted.
“So, you drove all the way from Cape Town last night?”
“Yes, quite.”
"I now remember that Mrs Kennedy asked me whether I would mind if someone takes the big house if I don’t want to hire the whole plot. She gave me that option. Man, you are bloody lucky, because you nearly slipped up. I wish I had taken the whole plot so that I could chase you away like a bad dog.” She sticks out her tongue shamelessly at him.
It seems as if he enjoys her action thoroughly and smiles highly bemused: “I don’t think you could; you are more bark than bite.”
“You don’t know this girl, sir, I would like to kick your ass.”
He doesn’t look convinced: “I’m sure, in any case, that Mrs Kennedy would have informed me if the place wasn’t available anymore.”
Chloe raises her hands again. “But how can you walk in here just like that and nonchalantly sit down with closed eyes? What if I were a burglar? You weren’t even frightened when I yelled at you!”
A naughty smile forms on his lips and teasing her with his sexy, blue eyes he answers: “When I entered the sitting room, I heard you talking over the phone in your room. I just couldn’t resist the temptation to see what your reaction would be. How can you leave the door wide open?”
This man is so arrogant! She shakes her head indignantly.
“I could have hit you over the head with something! You came all the way from Cape Town. Why did you choose this place? You said you were born here?”
"I had to get a place quickly in which I can move instantly and I know the history of this place. Do you know, no one wants to stay here?”
She frowns: “I don’t believe in such supernatural nonsense. People hear rats and they think it spooks. There is always a logical explanation. You also think like that, that’s why you are here, not so?”
"I phoned Mrs Kennedy to inquire whether the place is still available. The boy that was murdered with his family was my bosom pal. I find it very interesting that you are willing to stay here all alone. Or is someone with you? Who is Leo?”
Chloe is annoyed with his insolence and wonders how long he was listening to her. She points with her forefinger in the direction of the big house and looks towards it as if to stress her words.
“Time to go, sir. I’m in a hurry and your place is clearly that one over there.”
“You should introduce yourself, neighbor; where are your manners?”
“You haven’t either, sir. My name is Chloe.”
He smiles pleasantly surprised: “Chloe; it is an interesting name; I like it. Sounds nice on the ear.”
He caresses her with his sexy eyes and studies her like a rare species of some kind: “You have a distinct beauty … Chloe.” He hesitates slightly before mentioning her name as if her name is a tasty dish on a menu in an expensive restaurant. His admiration of her beauty is shameless and hopelessly too forward to her taste.
She puts her hands on her hips and tries her utmost to look aggressive.
“Don’t try to flatter me now after you have messed up, sir, because it is bad manners to frighten strangers and even worse to listen to other’s conversations. You should be ashamed of yourself. Sis man! When am I going to hear your name, or are you ashamed of your little name, shame?”
“You have a strange attitude. Is it always the way you present yourself? I love it when your whole body is talking with; it is very amusing.”
He is so cheeky she can scream: “If you don’t go now, I am going to get water and chase you away like the monster that you really are.”
“Well, I’m not afraid of water. To tell the truth, you will do me a favor. It would be refreshing. My name is Isaac; like in Isaac Newton.”
“Okay Isaac, I know you have driven all the way from the southwest coast right through the night. Why don’t you take your box full of strange books and go to your place? I am critically pressed for time to be on my way and you are delaying me seriously. I am just going to finish up here and will make you some coffee like a good neighbor before I go, alright?”
He rises slowly: “Yes, I want to get under a shower before you smell me. Hope I find hot water over there. It was a good plan to bribe me with a cup of coffee. I’ll never say no to a nice strong cup of hot coffee. Don’t be shy to make it very strong; I like it hot and very strong.”
Isaac picks up his box and walks out in the direction of the well. What an arrogant man! She doesn’t want to get in a tussle about his arrogance because he could once again use the opportunity to torment her. He walks on past a black BMW 435i Sport Convertible and she realizes that he must have enough money to buy such a dashing car and he is still a young man. She wonders what he does for a living. He is very complacent and self-confident.
Isaac walks around the well and kicks a stone out of the way. He puts the box down and scratches in the sand. He then straightens up, bends a little backwards and then shows her the bunch of keys as if it were a trophy he’s just won.
“See, this is the bunch of keys they left for me.”
Chloe reacts by shaking her head to illustrate her disbelief and then closes the front door. She has a quick breakfast and makes coffee and with a tray walks over to his place. She ascends the stairs and puts the tray on a pine picnic table-bench near his front door on the veranda. Nice place, she thinks, as she knocks on the door.
She waits but he doesn’t appear. Did she make the coffee in vain? She knocks again. The door opens suddenly and he appears wet all over and with only a small towel draped around his lower body. Shocked she looks at the nearly naked man in front of her and his well-defined body takes the wind out of her sails. She blushes self-consciously. She doesn’t understand why his wet, shiny upper body is so irresistibly attractive and she finds it difficult to pull her eyes away deliberately. She tries to hide the effect it has on her from him because she doesn’t want to boost his conceited ego further. The arrogant pig!
She tries to sound casual: “Sorry. I see you were still in the shower, so you have hot water?”
“No, that’s fine. I look forward to this cup of coffee. I just had to jump from under the shower before you run away and I don’t see you ever again.”
She eventually smiles at him. Is it his smile, that dark blue eyes or that magnetic eye-catching body? She doesn’t know, but this man becomes more and more irresistible. She must concentrate acutely on his face because her eyes want to willfully focus on his body. What is going on with her?
“Just get yourself decent and then come and sit here on this nice bench.”
He ignores her request for decency and walks out on the veranda with only that little towel that does little to hide his lower body. What if it slips and falls down?
“Why? Aren’t you in a hurry? And I don’t like cold coffee.”
He moves past her and sits down at the bench without waiting for her. Is there a limit to his arrogance? He asks with his back to her while he shifts the tray nearer to him. “Do you take milk and sugar?”
Now she feels caught off-guard and utterly surprised by his spontaneity. He is so self-assured and always in complete control of himself. She is used to be in control on the farm and everyone must dance to her tune. She takes the opportunity to secretly and greedily enjoy looking at his bare backside. He is strong with broad shoulders that are emphasized by his firm back muscles over his shoulder blades and his scapulae you usually only see on a butterfly stroke swimmer or a long distance swimmer. Her eyes wander downwards and focus on his firm buttocks. She feels like a naughty little school girl and then she shakes off the desire to caress his seductive body with her eyes and she moves around quickly before he becomes aware of her stare.
She is now utterly surprised at herself and wonders who this strange Chloe is that this man awakens in her; she doesn’t know herself like that.
Damn! Damn guy! “Only a little bit of milk and two sugars, please, big guy.”
Isaac prepares their cups before he enthusiastically takes an enjoyable sip.
“Heavenly! I’m mad about my coffee. You make it exactly as I like it. It is perfect, tasty, and strong.”
He takes another few sips slowly like a dog that lap his rare delicacy slowly to enjoy it to the utmost.
She looks him straight into his eyes and concentrates to focus on his face because her eyes want to get down to his firm chest.
“I made it exactly like my father always wanted it …”
Suddenly his attitude changes and concerned he asks as you do to a small girl: “When have you lost your father, Chloe?”
She feels the empty spot where her heart sits when she answers embarrassed: “Only two weeks ago …”
His dark blue eyes undergo a metamorphosis and becomes soft and full of pity as if he understands her actions better and he suddenly takes her hand and with sympathy on his face he says: “I am so sorry, Chloe.”
An electric current runs through her hand up to her heart and she looks deep in his blue eyes and she feels a bit dizzy. Then she remembers her family and the tension jumps back into her. Where are Zoey and Lyle? She must go immediately and try to find them.
She pulls her hand from his and drinks her coffee quickly with one swallow and put the cup down. She now looks serious and anxious when she looks him in the eyes again.
“I am quite in a hurry and should have left already.”
She stands up and turns to walk to her place while she speaks: “Enjoy the rest of the coffee. I must go now. I leave the tray here. I will pick it up later, okay?”
He doesn’t answer and just stares after her as if he tries to size her up. She feels his eyes on her while she quickly walks to her place to get her car’s keys and to lock up.
What does he think of himself? He radiates self-confidence and it looks as if nothing in the world can bother him. She again wonders about his job and why he chose to come and stay here in this town. He is interesting and somehow she is suddenly delighted not to be alone on the plot anymore and not to be stranded with the strange Robert alone. She now has a self-assured, interesting, attractive, new neighbor. Isaac is an interesting name. She wonders about his surname.