Adelaide
I grab my bag off the back of the bike and curse my own lack of preparedness. I mean, I’m the doctor, the local in this area, and yet I’ve got nothing useful in my bag.
And by useful, I mean things like toothbrush, a change of clothing, food, or even a torch. I don’t even have anything sweet and sugary with me.
“I’m going to look for some firewood.”
Without looking at him, I put my bag down and follow. “I’ll come with you.”
If he asks, I’m going to deny it, but yes, I feel a little insecure. The light is fading, and in the distance, I think I can hear the sound of a lion roaring.
In my defense, I’ve not stayed a night outside the confines of the village.
Being out here in the wilderness in the middle of nowhere has a certain element of danger associated with it.
“Watch what you pick up, though,” he warns. “Don’t pick up a snake or one of those gigantic spiders.”
I’m not sure if he’s kidding, or if he’s serious. Maybe he’s a little of both.
When we were younger, he used to get a kick out of teasing the girls that he thought were below him mercilessly.
“So, tell me.” I catch up with him. “Is this the first baby you delivered?”
Ford stops and spins on his heel to look at me. Slowly, he nods. “Obviously not for you.”
Since it’s an observation and not really a question, I don’t answer it.
“You enjoyed it?” I know he did, but I wanted to hear it from his lips.
With men being such fickle creatures, I want him to admit his own feelings and get in touch with his feminine side.
“I guess you could say that…” he starts and doesn’t finish his own sentence. A cricket nearby is still chirping away. The way he’s grinning, one would think that he delivered his own child. “You still get a buzz out of it?”
His turn to ask the question, I guess.
Absentmindedly, I pick up a stick.
“I wouldn’t if I were you, Doc, unless you want to collect a whole lot of bad karma,” he says, eyeing what I have in my hand.
It takes me a while to understand what he’s saying. My eyes wander to the stick, and instantly I drop it, shrieking a little as I do so.
“Now, no need to get all upset. He’s more frightened of you than you are of him. And you can do a lot more harm.”
Before I can protest about being frightened, he keeps talking. “I thought you took some oath not to do any harm.”
Feeling overwhelmed, I punch him lightly in the arm.
“Ouch. There you go again.”
“It’s therapy,” I mumble and decided against collecting firewood. Let Ford be the hunter-gatherer on this expedition.
By the time we get back to our makeshift camp, Ford has a decent number of sticks under his arm. It takes him about two seconds to get the fire going.
With a sigh, I take a seat under the tarp, in front of the fire. Slowly, the sun is saying its last farewell for the day. I watch it dip below the horizon, ready to start a day somewhere else in the world.
“It’s an odd feeling, knowing we’re about to welcome the night, and somewhere else, the day is starting.”
“Pardon?” Ford looks at me. He’s holding some of those of packets of MRE up. “What does madam care to have for dinner?”
He’s draped something over his arm to give him the appearance of a waiter. I have to chuckle. “What can you offer me?”
“Chili with beans, ratatouille, or vegetarian lasagna.”
“Chili with beans? You’ve got to be joking. Near naked flames?”
He shrugs.
None of those sound nice. I mean, if they were cooked, they would sound delicious.
But his are freeze-dried and packed into the thinnest of containers. How could anything like that taste any good?
“Might make for an interesting night.” He jokes.
I smirk. “Only if you’re into explosions.”
“So, what will it be?” He’s holding the packets up in the air for me.
I’m not sure if this is to entice me.
“And don’t forget, each one of these little packets is like a three-course meal.”
I roll my eyes. “Seriously? I don’t know how you can live off that stuff.” I had wanted to say shit but restrain myself at the last minute.
“Have you ever tried one?” He’s coming toward me.
“No. And I don’t need to to know they’re going to be awful.”
“Never judge a book by its cover. Didn’t your mother ever teach you that?”
I sigh. “I’ll take ratatouille, please.”
“Excellent choice m’lady.” He opens the packet, and I watch him pour it into a metal container.
“Do I have to eat it cold?” The thought of eating cold, pre-heated, freeze-dried vegetables sends a shiver down my spine.
Ford shakes his head. “Please, m’lady, this is a civilized country. We will heat your dish for you. While you wait, why don’t you enjoy the complimentary cracker and cheese spread?”
I have to laugh at his pretend French accent. “Don’t tell me you’re hiding the wine somewhere in that Mary Poppins bag of yours.”
His eyebrow rises just a little. “I’m sorry to say, but we are fresh out of wine tonight.”
Giggling, I bite into my cracker.
“Look at this.” Ford holds out his hand. “I mean, what do you think the rest of society is doing tonight? We’ve got a gourmet meal, a brilliant fire, a fantastic night sky, and great company. Does life get any better than this?”
His words hit their mark. I am lucky, and I should count my lucky stars. For the first time since his arrival, I’m grateful Ford is here.
If I were on my own right now…
I don’t finish the thought.
“Here you go,” he holds out the bowl with my dinner in it. “Dinner is served.”
His eyes are watching my every move. I exaggerate the way my spoon picks up the food and travels to my mouth. I let it hover in front of my nose to take a whiff.
“Smells okay,” I mumble and then open my mouth to taste it.
“Okay?” Ford pretends to be shocked. “Smells okay? News flash, it smells fucking delicious.”
At his words, I nearly spit the mouthful of food back out. He really has a way with words.
“Not bad, Ford, not bad,” I say and take another mouthful.
Once I’ve finished my meal, Ford outdoes himself again. He produces a small pot and boils some water to make some tea.
When he hands me a stainless steel mug with the hot liquid, our fingers touch, sparks fly, and our eyes meet.
I watch the flicker of the flame reflect in his eyes, and I’m mesmerized by the way the fire seems to lap at something invisible high up in the sky. Taller and taller, the flames grow until there’s nothing to reach for.
Without thinking, I put the tea down next to me.
His hand cups my cheek.
The way he’s looking at me, he’s staring right into my soul. There’s so much intensity there, I fear I might explode before I get a chance to taste his lips. I can see him move his mouth in my direction.
In anticipation, I lean toward him. Only a few inches separate us. Maybe if I pucker up, I might get there.
My insides are burning with desire. It’s tempting to grab him and pull him toward me, but then again, I don’t want to interrupt the flow. I mean, I’ve waited this long; what’s a few more seconds?
Those seconds seem like a lifetime, though.
Of course life’s like that, isn’t it? When we want something badly enough, it seems to take forever to arrive. On the other hand, when we don’t want something to happen, it approaches at breakneck speed.
I half-close my eyes. When our lips finally meet, I want to experience it with my eyes closed. I want all of my senses—barring my eyes—to take it all in.
As he’s getting closer, his scent is getting stronger. Unlike some of the doctors I’ve worked with or the male nurses, Ford uses no expensive body soap, lotion, or other gimmick to make himself manlier.
Manliness simply oozes off him. The minute you lay eyes on him, you know he’s a real man. He needs no prop to give him a hand.
And then, he’s on top of me.
Fireworks explode inside my head and lower abdomen. A warm glow spreads through me, and I’m overwhelmed with the cocktail of emotions washing over me.
At first, he’s gentle and soft. Soon, he loses his self-control, and his kiss becomes demanding.
His tongue doesn’t wait for permission, but instead forces entry and finds my own tongue. Together they entwine, tease, and tango.
I open my eyes and catch sight of the night sky. Stars sparkle brightly in the inky black.
It’s brilliant.
It’s perfect.
I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect setting for our first real kiss.