Chapter 1: DINNER

Dinner

The sun was about to set, an ombre of orange and pink inks the sky of Georgebury, Connecticut. Only less than a thousand of inhabitants live in the small town.

A part of that statistics is the Vazquez Family. Good old Robert Vazquez is prepping to get some fresh corn and wheat.

Harvest season is about to start, and the folks are getting ready. A busy month of selling in the local market in the neighboring town has always been a challenge for him...knowing that he'll have to leave his small store every now and then. Good thing that Sapphire is there to manage it. Robert is more than grateful to have her daughter because of that. 

The Vazquez Family isn't big. It's just Sapphire and Robert. Sapphire's mom died giving birth to her and now she's living with her dad. It's just a simple life for the two of them. Trying to live and make a living.

"Honey, did you invite Dom for dinner?" Robert asked in his groggy voice. His forehead already has some line marks and his hair has a few strands of white.

Sapphire was immediately alarmed. Her ocean blue eyes widened at her father's question. She didn't exactly like Dom. Even though she unconsciously gawks at him whenever he's helping her father plant corn.

He always looked cold and vile. Dom never talks to the young girl about other things. It would always be a matter of work or when her father invites Dom for lunch or supper.

Maybe he doesn't really want to associate himself with her, that's what she thought. 

Why would anyone above twenty talk to a 16-year-old like her? Or maybe he's just cold...and intimidating.

On the other hand, Robert is very fond of Dom ever since he came to the town weeks ago, much to Sapphire's vast dismay. He'd always be invited for dinner, where Sapphire has to endure the icy stares of the man.

The young Vazquez shook her head, but realized that her father's in the other room.

"N-no, Papa. I haven't," She called out, voice a bit shaky.

She didn't really want to go to his cabin. It was a quarter of a kilometer walk. Then, she'd have to walk Dom to their house for minutes.

And every minute with Dom feels like an hour.

A wave of regret washed through Sapphire. She was supposed to invite Dom earlier in the afternoon while managing their small store. But now, it's almost dusk. The royal sun is setting already.

"I cooked a lot tonight, Sapphire. I wouldn't want this to be a waste," Robert pleaded while stirring up some hot chicken soup in the kitchen of their small vintage-looking house.

Her father is surely whipped for Dom. Could you blame him?

Without Dom, their corn and wheat wouldn't reach the market next month. She sighed and grabbed her brown boots, slipping them on.

"Okay. I'll call him now, Papa." She bid her father a goodbye before leaving the house.

As soon as she opened their aging oak door, the wind softly stroked her cheek. Her wavy auburn hair being slightly messed up when the wind came in contact with it too.

She walked down from the porch, into the grassy lane where a few trucks pass by sometimes. The grassy fields are dancing with the wind as the sun continues to prepare for twilight. Her brown boots emitted loud thumps as she walked through the lane.

She was wearing a dark brown dress with short sleeves. Very prim and long, just enough to cover everything. The color of her clothing emphasized her fairness. She wasn't as white as paper. More of a rosy white, the kind that glows when the sun rays come in contact.

Sapphire is very petite for a 16-year-old girl. Her face screams beauty, not the Aphrodite type — but a toned-down and soft kind of beauty. The kind where you'll melt at a glance. But she doesn't know that, of course. A few neighbors of them praise her for her beauty which came along with kindness.

Such innocence at a young age.

The road was lonely and silent. Just like her life. But she never complained...she was content. Staying at home, helping her father with work, managing the store. It was all okay for her. She never went to school. The only school near them is in the neighboring town, which was kilometers away from their house. Not to mention the outrageous tuition fee.

As much as her father loves her, schools in Connecticut are rarely cheap. The nearest public school is not near at all. About a thousand miles away. There's a few books in the Vazquez house, but Sapphire has already read them all. It has given her quite knowledge about the truths of life.

And one truth is that...we should all be content with what we have.

Sapphire strongly believes in that.

One thing she's grateful to have is peace of mind. But her peace of mind was disrupted, disoriented, and dislocated by Dom.

She neared his cabin, made of dark oak wood. It looked different from most cabins and houses in Georgebury. His looks more fresh and new, which amazed the young girl. 

His home looked modern, but still suits the calm and peaceful aura of their town.

Sapphire went up to Dom's door and knocked. The lights still weren't on, even though it's nearly dark. The young girl fiddled with her fingers behind her back, staring at the large door in front of her - wanting to know more of the cold man who owns the house.

The one who seems to have stolen her peace of mind.

A few loud footsteps behind the door alarmed her, making her stand straight. Her heart hammered through her chest, feeling delirious, but somehow excited.

Nervous.

That's the common denominator of all her feelings whenever Dom's around.

She bit her luscious pink lips in anticipation, only for it to fade away when Dom opened the door for her. His tanned, built, and sweat-covered upper body was on a full show. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but blue faded jeans. Sapphire's rosy cheeks heated up, making her redder.  She lifted her gaze to his dark and brooding eyes, an epitome of glaciers in the arctic. His expression was hard, like always. But she can't deny that his face was sculpted by the gods.

This time, his jaw was already clenched. With one brow raised, he drowned her with an intense stare...as if he's waiting for her to say something important. She noticed his disheveled hair too. Sapphire was speechless. She had seen Dom shirtless before, but not in a very close proximity. And definitely, not during the night.

She couldn't say anything. Somehow a spell was cast on her mouth to keep shut. The innocent girl's heart almost fell to the ground when a few high-pitched giggles erupted from inside. A gorgeous blonde-haired woman showed up right behind Dom.

Half-naked.

***

Author's Note (MUST READ):

This is an original work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. 

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME. Do not repost, reproduce, or sell copies of this story in any means without my permission.

P.S. You can imagine anyone as the characters. You are the CEO of your imagination.

This book contains mature content. Some parts might be unsuitable for children below 18. There are sexual scenes which are in the nature of this genre. This book also has subtle themes of violence, and there are undertones of social issues being tackled. Read at your own risk. 

And please take note, this is my first book in English and English is not my first language. Expect some typos and grammatical errors along the way. The first few chapters are insanely short (around 1k words) but as you read through the next chapters, they can reach up to 2-4k words. For me, this is how I see myself improving as a writer. I am no professional and I always aim for improvement, so my stories aren't necessarily perfect. I'm still in the process of developing my writing skills.

For clarifications too, the Prologue was edited and revised on January 4, 2021. It's entirely different from the first Prologue I wrote and posted. So some comments there might be from the first Prologue.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story!

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Cover photo credits: Picture shot by Raffaele Cerracchio with model Michele Morrone.

Edit: gweyyn on Instagram.

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