Exit to nowhere

Chapter X. Turnaround

Soran walked back and forth in front of Caspar, every now and then giving him poisonous stares, and he grinded his teeth so loud it could almost be heard. Deep inside he really wanted to throw a hissy fit and kick some ass, that's how angry he was, but he refrained to do so. Instead he made a joggly path in the sand by kicking it every other step he took.

He stopped a few feet away from Caspar with his hands firmly planted at his hips, and he looked him dead in the eyes. "I don't know what to say, " he told him as he shook his head, his voice rather strained, "I'm at a loss for words."

Caspar raised one of his brows. "Really?" Even as he'd been interrupted in the midst of getting seriously busy with Erica, he found that particular information rather amusing. " Could have fooled me, " he dared a small twitch of his lips, "So, that dictionary of profanity you provided us with just minutes ago came from . . . where exactly?"

"Don't be cute with me," Soran gave Caspar a look of disgust. Then he nodded his head a little discretely in Erica's direction where she sat next to the campfire. "You know you are a major hypocrite, don't you? All the time talking about tending to the business, not the pleasure. And let's not forget about all the threats coming my way the first days."

Caspar clenched his jaw tight. Soran had a point there. He could do nothing but agree that he had been embarrassingly distracted, to say the least. The vision of Erica's bare breasts still lingered in his mind, making its best try to make things come to life, again. Caspar swallowed. He needed a cold shower.

"Okay. Got it," he grumbled with a grouchy voice as he rolled his eyes, "As Erica got her bath while you had your temper tantrum, I will have mine now." He wanted to end this conversation as quick as possible so he gave Soran no chance to reply as he turned on his heals and began walking over to the campfire. As he got there he stopped and looked at Erica, their eyes connecting. Their encounter earlier, still in fresh memory in both of them.

Caspar cleared his throat, feeling the awkward tension more or less sizzling between them. He just had to stop thinking about her that way. It was not good for whatever sanity he had left.

"I'm going back to the pond for a while, " he sighed, then a small chuckle left his lungs," To take that bath I never got around to. Can you manage during that time? I mean with Soran ?" He gave her a worried scowl pointing at Soran.

Could she manage? Erica tried not to roll her eyes. Sure she could manage being alone with him for a short period of time, but it was not that which worried her. What worried her was the fact that she wanted to be alone with HIM, Caspar. Just thinking about him taking a bath in that pond, did things to her.

She shrugged her shoulders as casually as she could and gave him a fake smile. "Sure, I'll manage. It's not that far away, so if I'll scream my lungs out I think you will probably hear it."

Caspar laughed, although it was strained. Damn it, he would love to hear her scream, but for a completely different reason.

"I probably will. Good girl." His voice dipped as he said those last words, and he gave her a small wink of his eye, careful as to not let Soran see it. Then he headed for the bushes and disappeared.

~ ~ ~

With a wistful look Erica gazed at Caspar as he was engulfed by the bushes. Then her eyes landed on Soran and she was immediately brought back to the here and now.

Do not touch your earlobes, do not touch your earlobes. And for God's sake do NOT touch your earrings, Erica chanted inside of her head as she saw him move over to where she sat. Bugger!

Although she knew it was safe for the time being, she knew it would only take a miracle as for him to NOT figure this out eventually. Seriously, in how many places can you hide a frikkin' microchip?

Damn her boss. She sighed and stared up on the blue and cloudy sky. If she would get back, she would certainly tell him a thing or two. Like, really tell him. She lowered her gaze and saw Soran sit down in the sand on the opposite side of the fire.

"So?" he says and gives her a scrutinising look, "You wanna tell me about it?"

Erica tilted her head with raised brows. "Tell you about what?" Of course she knew what he ment, but she decided to play dumb as a small plan started to form inside her head. She remembered the berries Caspar had shown her. They were very special he told her, just one or two could make a grown man doze off, well even fall asleep and sleep for hours. Without Caspar knowing, she had collected a few of her own, just in case . . . and with the pills she'd found the other day, she knew a serious slumber party would be in store.

And taking a dare, this would the time for it.

"Seriously? Again?"Soran shook his head, "Just give that shit up, okay? Do you really think I will buy it? It would save us both a lot of aggravation if you just would tell me. I saw that the guy was all over you. "

Erica bit her lip thinking about an answer that would suffice. "Because he was angry with me being defiant. That's all."

Soran scowled at her, taking his time to study her. "And you were defiant because . . . ?"

Damn! Erica cursed inside. This idiot wasn't giving up. She had to do something. Like, maybe, turn this conversation around. Pushing from the ground, she stood up and glared at him over the fire. "I can be that with you too if you like.Because you are about to get me there . . . I am really good at being defiant. So good that you would hate it. Is that what you want? You want me to show you, like I showed Caspar? "

Soran blinked perplexed. Almost like he'd been taken off guard. "What?"

Erica rambled on.

"I irked the shit out of Caspar, and I will most certainly do the same to you. If you want me to, of course? Do you? Like I said, I am almost getting there, with no effort it seems." With contentment she saw that this wasn't the conversation that Soran had predicted, so she continued." OR, tell you what, maybe I can be nice to you instead and fix you something to eat. You look quite famished. Have you eaten at all? I gathered some fruit earlier today. You know, before the pond incident. Would you like that, a fruitsallad?"

God, she really hated being nice to this douchebag. But please do say yes.

Soran looked even more perplexed now, and before he might ruin it by turning her down, she gave him a cocky but dry smile and held a finger up at him. Beating him to the point.

"Good! It'll just take a minute."

~ ~ ~