Lunive smiled at the second customer of the day while she handed him his order. Once the door closed, she turned to her grandmother and smiled.
"You are a natural at this." The older woman said, causing her smile to widen.
"Only because you helped." Lunive said which caused her grandmother to laugh before walking back into the kitchen.
Lunive then looked down at the cash register as the bell chimed, indicating that someone had entered the bakery.
Looking up, Lunive smiled before saying what she had rehearsed the night before. "Welcome to Grandma's bakery, what would you like to order?"
When she looked up, her eyes caught sight of the blue eyed woman who stared right back into her sun-kissed eyes. The woman in front of her smiled, showing her pearly white teeth. Her head turned slightly to the side- hair pulled back into a neat bun as she whispered something to the man on her left. Noticing the man, Lunive looked at him then the other on the woman's right.
Both the men were dressed in black suits. Standing protectively next to the woman who looked small in comparison to the men.
"I didn't know there was a celebrity around." Lunive unconsciously said which caused the woman to laugh.
"I'm Serona Blackwood." She greeted with amusement, "Haven't seen you around."
Lunive smiled awkwardly as she said, "Lunive Blacklock." The woman gasped as the two men suddenly looked at her.
"Yep, that Blacklock from the publishing company." She added, still smiling awkwardly.
"Publishing company." Serona repeated, sounding not too sure while she stared at Lunive. Then suddenly the man on her left spoke.
"Miss, we have to go- an important day today."
Serona nodded her head then smiled at Lunive. "It was nice meeting you. Hopefully we will meet again." She said then left before Lunive could respond back.
She watched the door close before sighing.
"Oh, you must have met Serona Blackwood." Her grandmother said as she walked out of the kitchen and Lunive turned to her. "She is a lovely girl, isn't she?" She added.
"Didn't say much but why does she have bodyguards?" Lunive asked out of curiosity.
"Oh, it feels like yesterday when she-" Her grandmother paused then said, "She is married to the major."
Lunive raised her eyebrows. Wondering why her grandmother had cut off her words.
"Isn't she young?" Lunive asked which caused her grandmother to laugh.
"The major is 25 and Serona is 22." She said, "They remind me of how much I miss being young and in love. Sometimes I think about my late husband when I-" Her grandmother paused again, looking out at a distance as if a memory was playing before her.
Lunive wanted to ask why the major was so young but she closed her mouth and stared sadly at her grandmother. Before she could comfort her, a sudden noise- a ringtone, played as the phone in her pocket buzzed.
Checking the caller ID, Lunive sighed.
"Oh, great." She said before picking up the call.
Her grandmother walked back into the kitchen, giving privacy to Lunive.
"Yes, I am working." Lunive answered before the voice on the other side could respond.
The woman on the other side sighed, "Remember, it's not a vacation and don't make any trouble for grandma."
Before she could respond, the call was dropped.
"She hates me."
"She doesn't." Her grandmother popped out from the kitchen, holding a plate of muffins, "She is just worried.
Right.
"You know what, go take a walk." She said," You might end up finding something you like in this town."
Lunive shook her head and said," I can't leave you alone. Who will help you?"
Her grandmother laughed then said, "Don't be silly. I have managed to work by myself for a while now, so go outside and enjoy before I keep you here forever."
Lunive chuckled and hurriedly removed her apron. "You are serious, right?" She asked one more time before giving the apron to her grandmother.
"Go before I call your mother." Her grandmother threatened and Lunive smiled at her before walking out.
-
Walking down the road, Lunive allowed the breeze to cool her as the wind blew her hair. She sighed as the sun kissed her skin under the sunlight.
Ignoring the looks she got from the locals, Lunive continued her journey to wherever her feet took her.
Near the edge of the road was an opening to the forest. Something about the strangely parted trees hypnotized her. The wind seemed to carry a sound as her legs changed directions, towards the forest. As she took a step further to the entrance, the leaves danced around her- twirling around her legs as the wind picked up.
"Stop!" A small feminine voice yelled as a hand grabbed onto her arm, snapping her out of the trance.
Lunive turned her head to the girl and blinked her eyes. "I'm sorry, I was- I was just...just trying to help." The girl stammered over her words as she let go of her arm.
Lunive dusted herself as she looked around. What was that? That feeling of being pushed...
She closed her eyes then opened them, to find the girl still standing in front of her- rubbing her arm nervously as she smiled awkwardly at Lunive.
"I'm J-Jenna Pierce." She awkwardly introduced, "You must be new around here- explains why you so willingly walked towards the forest."
Lunive parted her lips- staring at the girl in confusion. "Lunive Blacklock." She introduced, putting her hand out and the girl shook her hand.
"N-nice to meet- did you say Blacklock, as in DARCELLE BLACKLOCK?" Jenna asked- eyes wide as she shook her hand a little bit longer than intended. Hand moving up and down before Lunive pulled back her hand. "Sorry." Jenna apologetically said.
Lunive gave her a tight smile, feeling slightly annoyed. "How do you know my mother's name?" She asked, confused as it was not the first time someone reacted weirdly about her surname and now someone had addressed her mother by name.
First Serona and now Jenna. Twice can't be a coincidence.
Jenna looked at her, pausing as she nervously laughed. "She's- I, the- yeah, the publishing company. I read the magazines from there often."
Lunive could feel that something was wrong. That Jenna was hiding something. She narrowed her eyes and in the corner she saw a figure running towards them.
Turning around, her lips slightly parted as the figure became more visible.
Damp with sweat, hair dark, it broke the sun in fleeting glimpses as he ran. His gait was even, unhurried, determined. She hadn't meant to look- but there was something about the effortless rhythm of him, the unhurried confidence in each step. When he pushed his hair back behind his forehead, she gasped, as if the world had come into a focus in that single gesture.
The moment he jogged past her, her world stopped. Pine-wood and mint filled her senses. She inhaled and slowly turned to him. expecting him to be further away but he had stopped. To stare at her as she has been doing to him.
Her brown eyes crashed into a sea of blue as the two held their eye contact.
Fuck me.
She thought as she stared at him. Her eyes moved to his lips, pink and slightly plumb. She held her breath. Thinking of the possible things he could do with those lips. Her eyes continued down, biting her lips as she stared at the veins visible onto his arms. Then her eyes saw the tent in his shorts.
Fuck.
She exhaled as she looked back at him but he stared blankly at her before jogging off, leaving her confused and annoyed.
"What a jerk."
"OH MY, that was Lucien. Did you see how hot he is?" Jenna freaked out next to her. "Wait- he was looking at you, right?"
"He didn't seem interested." Lunive said as she shrugged her shoulders.
Jenna frantically shook her head in disagreement causing Lunive to sigh.
"He is the major's secretary." Jenna informed Lunive which caused her to raise her eyebrows.
"This town is full of surprises." Lunive said which caused Jenna to laugh as if she knew something else.
-
Later that night, Lunive found herself laying in her bed but she couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched.
Standing up, she walked towards the window- pulling the curtains slightly to the side. Leaving enough open space to peak through.
Darkness surrounded the area until her eyes caught sight of something shining in the dark.
It was faint before it disappeared but she caught a glimpse of it.
Lunive saw blue eyes staring right back at her and she couldn't make sense of it.
I'm going crazy.
She closed her eyes and all she could see was blue. How the colour shined in the darkness and how she felt a strange sense of comfort.
She stood there, staring at the darkness then walked away from the curtains when nothing out of the ordinary happened.