Savannah

10

Meriam, feeling awkward, without intent on intruding, stood entranced, rooted to the spot. She locked inquisitive eyes with Aarav's shocked ones. Moments before, he looked as she'd never seen him, enraged. Should she have closed the door before he'd noticed her, she wondered. She speculated what caused his anger. Mr. Bastian mentioned he was in the office. She reckoned he went there for work-related stuff, after which Mariana confronted him. A scenario may look one way, but appearances can deceive, she surmised.

Within moments, Aarav composed himself, stepping away from Mariana. She responded, speaking in Spanish. Meriam, though uncomprehending, caught two words 'mas tarde' and 'yamadey'.

He looked at Meriam, his eyes blank. "I was finishing something for Bastian. Did he send you to call me?" he asked.

Mariana exited the library. She looked relieved. Meriam watched her until the door clicked into place. She turned to Aarav. He stared at her with narrowed eyes, scrutinizing her, making her nervous. Either he was very skilled or she was too good. From the scene she'd just observed, it should be her scrutinizing him, but it was he who scanned her. He appeared skillful in turning the tables. Or perhaps she was overthinking everything.

She wondered if he'd forgotten he'd asked her out for a walk. She stammered. "He... he didn't send me to call you."

His eyes and voice were suddenly playful. "Oh, yes, I remember we were going for a walk."

She was glad he remembered. "Yes," she said.

His contentiousness dissipated. Was there a glimmer in his eyes, she wondered? She grew nervous, speculating. Why was he gazing, his eyes ignited, instead of talking? Was he admiring her? Her ignorance rendered her vulnerable.

At last, he spoke. "What's going through your mind?"

Great, get caught in a suspecting posture and instead of the witness questioning you, you turn the tables and question the witness. What a brilliant way to throw the light off yourself, she thought. "Oh... nothing," she said.

He asked again, coaxing, his voice soft. "Tell me, Meriam."

Her name emerged from his lips as a sweet seduction, weakening her resolve. "Well... I saw you talking with Mariana, and it's not my business. But if you wanted to explain, you can, but I won't ask," she said, breathing deep, thinking she was too honest or brave to confess.

He scanned the floor before facing her. "I was doing something for Bastian. She came asking for money she claims I owe her brother, Pablo. He did odd jobs for me, but I paid him before he returned to Venezuela."

Meriam remained silent for a while before asking, "I heard she's Valentina's friend. Does she live with her?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't know he was her brother. She wasn't in Trinidad with him. She came later."

"How long she's been in Trinidad?"

"Not sure," he answered. He was quiet, searching her face. Then she thought she saw a gleam reappear in his eyes as he added, "Allyuh women love asking questions."

She felt foolish. "Sorry... just curious," she said.

His voice grew playful. "When are we going for dis walk?"

"You tell me."

Soon, they were on the road in front of Savannah House. Everyone must be in the backyard, she thought, since nobody saw them leave. The streetlights added to the bright moonlight, flooding the road everywhere, except for one place where the streetlight had malfunctioned. Aarav stopped there in the shadows of a gigantic almond tree. From a distance, they were undetectable, him at her side, his hands brushed against her back. Moving his hand, he stood to face her. The contours of his face, aglow in the moonlight, and his eyes shadowed, yet she sensed him peering at her.