1.3 – Love Day

Spring was, evidently, the rainy season in this land. While the farmers of Henford-on-Bagley rejoiced for watered crops, Quinton found himself waking up most mornings to a leaky tent and a sniffling nose.

Despite coming into work drenched in water (and with more than a little bit of a body odor issue) on a daily basis, Quinton passed his probationary period and was promoted to Office Assistant. The previous Office Assistant storming out in a fury and declaring he’d “never work for such stuck-up assholes again,” among other such colorful language, had much to do with the decision, Quinton suspected.

Unaccustomed to taking orders from commoners, this new role suited Quinton even less than the last, but he had no choice if he wished to include any meals other than fish in his diet.

Now able to afford an unlimited bus pass, Quinton spent most of his off hours at the Willow Creek library. Not only was it a far more comfortable (and drier) place to be than his campsite, but he also needed access to the computers to file the work reports required by his job.

“Why are all the letters large now? You damned infernal device, I demand you return these letters to their normal size immediately!”

His computer literacy skills still needed some work, however.

Quinton was pleasantly surprised to find that the chess board in the library was in fact for the very same chess game that he learned to play in Edessa. While this land was drastically different than his home — he could not, in fact, prove that he was still in the same world as Edessa, chilling as the thought was — these consistencies gave him hope. How could it be possible for identical languages and games to be developed in two different cultures, with absolutely no connection to each other?

The mystery vexed him, but he remained convinced that there existed a way to get home. He just needed a clue.

“Checkmate,” said Nicola the librarian, looking up smugly at her opponent.

Quinton looked down at the chess board in horror. “What… how did you…? Tch, I was simply distracted. I demand a rematch, my good Lady!”

On days when Quinton was too exhausted to make the trip to Willow Creek — the days felt shorter here, he could swear it — he stopped by The Gnome’s Arms to wash up and rest. This was never a free trip, as he would purchase a drink or small meal as to not be a loiterer, but he considered this a necessary expense if only for the sake of his sanity.

Quinton also discovered new ways to learn about this land and its people outside of books. He didn’t understand how any of these “electronics” functioned without magic, but he learned that they were capable of sending information over nearly unlimited distances.

“Tch, what atrocious noise! Do people really consider this music?” Quinton was not always impressed.

Returning from work one night, once again drenched from the downpour of rain, Quinton was surprised to see someone standing outside his campsite.

“Lady Cecilia?”

“What in the world are you doing out here?” Mud squelched in Quinton’s boots as he stomped over to her. “And in a thunderstorm! It is unsafe out here, my Lady.”

Cecelia turned to stare at him with wide eyes. “That’s, well I… that’s why I’m here,” she said. “The rain was getting so heavy, and I heard the lightning cracking, and I remembered that you’re camping out here all on your own. I was so worried, I just had to come make sure you were okay.”

For a moment, Quinton felt lost for words. He was a near stranger to her. Why risk her own safety this way? “You worried for me?”

“Well, of course,” she said. “Anyone would worry. And it’s also… today is, um… it’s Love Day.” She shuffled on her feet, her words nearly drowned out by the howling rain.

Quinton stared blankly. “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh, maybe they don’t have that where you’re from! Love Day is when people, um… friends, sometimes, and other things… go out and…” Cecilia’s face burned even a gust of ice-cold wind blew around them. “What I’m trying to say it, come have dinner with me! Before we freeze to death out here!”

That Quinton could barely protest.

Quinton pulled a change of clothes from this tent — damp, regrettably, but preferable to the completely drenched work clothes he was wearing prior — and eagerly escorted Cecilia out of the rain. Fortunately the storm seemed to be concentrated around a small area, and as they headed into Willow Creek, the skies clearly up entirely.

“Would it not have been quicker to go to The Gnome’s Arms?” Quinton said curiously, studing the menu outside the dining establishment Cecilia lead him to.

“Oh, it would have! But I go there all the time. I thought we could go somewhere a little bit nicer for the… well uh, the holiday. Not that this is anything fancy, but the reviews are really good!”

Quinton approached the host stand. In truth, he rarely dined publicly in Edessa, as most of his meals were prepared by the castle’s cooks, so he was somewhat unsure of how to proceed.

“Greetings, my good Lady,” Quinton said. The hostess barely glanced up from the device she was fiddling with. “Um, myself and my companion wish to dine at your establishment,” he continued.

“Reservation?” the woman said dryly.

“Oh! I, um… don’t believe I have…”

“Table for two under Cecilia Kang,” Cecilia said. “I called earlier.”

Quinton, grateful for the assistance, was nonetheless surprised. She prepared for this?

The woman tapped on her device for a moment before giving a disinterested nod. “I found your reservation,” she said. “This way, please.”

“Oh, I hope the food’s good here!” Cecilia said. “I’m from the city, so I’m a bit used to having a different restaurant on every corner. It’s been difficult to adjust to a lack of variety.”

“I concur,” Quinton said. He had once prided himself on having a refined palate sated only by the finest cuisine, but in this case, he was simply salivating at the number of non-fish items on the menu.

“Can I get a black bean burger with a gluten-free bun, sauce on the side, with no tomato and extra pickles? Oh, and I don’t suppose I could substitute the cheese for Fontana?”

“Just American or Swiss, dearie.”

The two talked while they waited for their food, Quinton’s stomach grumbling impatiently — or rather, she mainly talked, while he listened. “…and so after that no-good cheater moved out, I just thought, you know what I’ve always wanted? Chickens! I never had a chicken, but I always thought they were just the most adorable little nuggets with their round little bodies. Oh wait, I probably shouldn’t say ‘nugget,’ should I? Anyway, I thought, why not? I can’t keep chickens in a cramped city apartment, so I’ll move somewhere where I can.”

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry. I’m just rambling, aren’t I?” she said, shifting slightly in her seat. “But um, if it’s not too insensitive to ask, what about you? The way you talk, you… don’t really seem like a small town guy, yourself. And you’ve been in that tent for a while, even though you got a job in the area. What brought you to such a small village?”

Quinton was silent for a long moment. If no one in this land knew of Edessa, it hardly seemed worth fabricating a false identity. But then again, no one seemed to know of magic, either. The circumstances leading him to this land were too unbelievable for him to tell the story so casually.

“My homeland was going through a very troubled time when I…left,” Quinton said. A oversimplification to say the least, but not a lie. “I do not intend to stay, however. As soon as I have secured the resources, I must return home. The sooner, the better.”

Cecilia considered for a moment, a cloud crossing over her face before she quickly turned it around. “I can tell it’s difficult to talk about,” she said. “But I can at least relate to feeling out of place far from home. I hope you’re able to get back quickly, for what it’s worth.”

“I had nearly forgotten!” Cecilia nearly jumped out of her seat at Quinton’s sudden exclamation. “When last we spoke, you asked me for my ‘number.’” Quinton said.

“You… oh, you remember that?” Cecilia asked.

“I apologize for my ignorance, My Lady, for I did not understand your meaning at the time. However, my employer has issued to me what is known as a ‘company phone’ and explained its use. You wished for my ‘telephone number’ that we might communicate over a distance, correct?”

Cecilia flushed up so red, she barely responded to the food finally being dropped off at their table. “I… oh, I’m so dumb,” she said, laughing as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Yes. Yes, I would like that very much.”

When they finished their meal, Cecilia insisted they take a walk around the surrounding neighborhood. Quinton, exhausted from a long day of work and still groggy from the thunderstorm, agreed even so. He had trouble protesting when she was beaming with excitement.

And it was a beautiful night.

“I must express my gratitude for your invitation, Lady Cecilia,” Quinton said. “In truth, I have had a troublesome time as of late. This evening has been an enjoyable change of pace.”

“I had a good time, too,” she said. “And I know that you’re going back to your home country soon, but before you do, I… hope that we can see each other again.”

Without contemplating why, Quinton found himself taking her hand.

“I will ensure that we do, My Lady.”

~~~

Note from the author:

Welcome back, and thank you so much for reading! A little bud of romance for our founder, perhaps, but where will it lead?

I hope that you enjoyed, and I’ll see you next time!