You're Back (#3)

Chapter One- The British Stranger

||Natalie's POV|| - 5 years after the suicide

Isn't it wonderful how everybody's different? Imagine this, a place, where you feel completely at ease. Maybe reading a book in a library on a warm summer day, or walking on the first snow and looking up the sky to see the snowflakes, or walking through a park on a warm evening, when the leaves are rich in colors, and falling down around you, dancing with the wind. Imagine a place, where you feel at ease. Where you feel safe, with no worries at all. Where you can be yourself. Imagine it, remember it, feel it.  Your safeplace. Now, every single one of you have imagined something else. A different place, different smells, tastes, views. And the best part about this, is that  it's yours- and only yours. It's unique. Like everyone one of you.

Santorini, Greece

I woke up peacefully. I felt the warm, soft wind on my face and noticed I was up early. It was 6:40am but the sun was shining brightly through my widely open window. I took a deep breath and stood up. It was Friday morning, and as the local florist, I had a lot to do. I put on a white summer dress and let my light-brown hair down, which reached over my breasts. I put on a little make-up, and decided to stop by my favorite café for breakfast on my way to the shop. I looked outside, and saw my favorite view- the city surrounded by blossoming, colourful flowers and a bright blue sky. I took a deep breath of the fresh air, and smiled. Today's gonna be a good day.

"Good morning, Miss Sene! You look wonderful! How is you today?" The owner, Alesandro, asked me in his best English possible, making me smile widely at his enthusiasm. "Kaliméra, Alesandro. I'm well, and how are you? How's your wife?" I asked politely and Alesandro smiled and leaned towards me. "Everything is good, dear. Wife is good, business is good. Life is good! How are your flowers? They still live? You want your usual?" Alesandro chuckled and I could feel his positivity from a mile away. I nodded and we laughed some more. Alesandro is an 43 year old man, he owns the café. A very sympathetic man, always makes me smile.

After I collected my order: pancakes with fruit and a fresh strawberry-banana smoothie, I walked down to my shop.

I entered it and the doors rang with a soft bell. I saw my two workers- Maria and Thanos, already hard working. "Good morning," I said with a smile and they returned it. "Very good indeed, Natalie. There were already 4 clients, and I heard that our competition, Nick Fotila's flower shop, is doing so poorly they might close it. You know what that means? We're better!" Maria exclaimed with excitement as she put roses into a vase. Maria is 19, and she works at my shop parttime, to earn for her studies. I always admired her shoulder length, straight, bright blond hair, that always looked super soft to touch. She was long, and her eyes were as bright as the sea I look at every morning. I smiled.

"Maria, I told you not to gossip with the customers. But wait, really?" I sat down outside with Maria, on the small wooden table and started eating my breakfast. Maria drank her coffee. This was our routine. Maria told me everything about the fresh gossip, the flowers- which ones we need to order- and which ones didn't sell, and then she told me about that boy she fancied in her class. He laughed and talked, and Thanos came and gave us some cake. Thanos is older than Maria, around 21 years old. Doesn't talk nearly as much as Maria, but flowers are his passion, and I can tell he loves working here. We all get along, we're all happy.

As the day went by, there was a lot of work to be done in the shop. Another client came by, and took colorful hyacinth flowers. I saw that Maria and Thanos were busy so I went to the cash register and packed the flowers for him. He was a tourist, maybe around 30 years old, quite handsome, and had a warm smile. I looked at the camera around his neck and smiled.

"They're really beautiful." I said gesturing to the flowers. He paid by card and looked straight into my eyes. "Not as beautiful as you, miss." He answered in a beautiful British accent and I just smiled and didn't know what to say. "Have a good day," He smiled widely as he turned around and walked out. Before he left he turned around, just to show me that warm smile again. I was sure I was blushing. Maria raised her eyebrows and smirked.

The next day Thanos didn't come to work. We texted me saying he was ill, and it was just me and Maria on the shop. The flower shop was an average size, I had all sorts of flowers and plants, some decorated, some blooming widely, and some what smaller and cheaper. I loved my shop, and I loved flowers. At first, it was hard. The first weeks when I moved to Santorini, around 5 or 6 years ago, I was young, scared and traumatized. I didn't know what to do with myself, I was completely lost. I was a 19 year old girl, with no finished school, no family, no friends and no experience. I did have a lot money. After a few weeks, I fell in love with the city and its people. Everyone was always kind and nice to me, and I started to feel safe again. I travelled a little across Greece, and fell in love with everything about it. The water that's more blue than the sky, and the flowers all around the cities, blooming with colors I didn't know they had. I fell in love with the warm weather, the sun felt different here. It was like a whole different world for me. New York City was barely a memory, a nightmare. I promised myself to never, ever go back to NY, or America. I also decided to never think about it again, the dreadful things that occurred there, and I slowly started to cope, never going back there with my thoughts. I concentrated on myself, and opened a flower shop. I met Maria and Thanos and now the business is going better than ever.

I was surprised to see the same British tourist as yesterday. Today he was wearing a blue shirt and black pants. He still had the same camera hanging around his neck. My eyes widened at the sight of him and I quickly ducked under a stand with flowers. I quickly straightened my messy ponytail and stood up. He saw me and smiled warmly.

"Welcome back." I smiled nervously and he came closer. "Hi. I was wondering if you still have any hyacinths?" He asked and I nodded and showed him the various bouquets with hyacinths. He seemed distressed, he frowned and couldn't choose. "Which one do you like?" He asked after a while. "Excuse me?" I asked shyly. "Why don't you choose one for me, love." He half-smiled and I leaned against the flowers. I picked a blue bouquet. "This one's nice, blue is a very calming and relaxing color." I said as I gave him the bouquet and our hands slightly brushed against each other.  "And it is beautiful, just like you, miss. Maybe you could tell me all about them tonight, at dinner?" Our eyes met and my heart started beating faster. I opened my mouth but couldn't say anything. "She'd love to!" Suddenly Maria came from behind me and gave me a stern look, she probably wanted me to get myself together. "Y-yes...um...sure." I stuttered and he gave me a wide smile, that maybe me feel warm inside. I gave him my number and told him I'll text him my address later. "Great, I'll pick you up at 8 then. I'm Justin by the way." I bit my lip. "Natalie Sene."

Damon Queen's POV

I woke up to a sunny morning. Rachel was laying next to me, naked and still soundly asleep. I walked onto my balcony and took a deep breath of the fresh air. I looked at my favorite city ever, Toronto, where I opened one of my biggest companies yet, and where I achieved what I thought was impossible. I doubled all my money. I got everything I ever wanted:  beautiful houses, amazing car collections, a beautiful girlfriend, money... It's like I'm not missing anything in life... Nothing... at...all...

A/N********* Remember to Vote and Comment!

Hello my dear, dear readers! Thank you so much for waiting, not so patiently ;) for my update. I'll update other books soon as well. I hope you like it. Love you!

I bet you're thinking right now... When will they meet? ;)