The Scent of Fear

She had the most spectacular grey eyes I ever saw. When I first met her at the cultural festival four years ago, introduced by my best friend Bob, my first thought was just that. She had flowing blonde hair, a pretty face, and long legs. But the thing that stood out was her eyes.

I did not want to go when Bob first asked, but he had a way of talking me into almost anything. Going to the cultural festival was the least of them, and if I didn't go there, I’d just be spending my time on the couch anyway. It didn't occur to me that maybe Bob had an ulterior motive, which something as mundane as a cultural festival wouldn't get him so worked up. Had I known I would have gone anyway.

When we arrived, it seemed Bob had a set plan, and a place to be. I knew then that he was up to something.

  “Trust me buddy” Bob said, a thing I have heard many times before. “Before the day is through you are gonna thank me”

    “Where have I heard that before?” I said.

  “Oh ye of little faith.”

  We arrived at the west entrance of the festival, and Bob spotted a couple of girls a few yards ahead of us. One was Bob's girlfriend Amanda, the other I never met before. The first thing I noticed was her bubblegum perfume; I thought it smelled very pretty.

  “Beth, let me introduce you to Johnny.” Amanda said

    Beth seemed as surprised as I was, obviously a set up by Bob and Amanda. She smiled at me and didn't say anything, which I took for shyness on her part.

  “Hi Beth. What brings you to the festival?” I said, knowing full well who brought her here.

 “Oh, I think a little boy and girl with wings and a bow and arrow” she said.

We spent the next four hours at the festival, and had a great time. We got to know each other while we listened to music. Bob and Amanda ditched us about halfway through, and we barely noticed. Time flew by and by the end of the festival, I was disappointed, and I could see she was too.

 “I had a great time.” Beth said.

 “I did too.” I replied. “I don't suppose you want to trade numbers?”

 “Of course!”

 Against my better judgment, and that of Bob's, I called her the next day, and went out that night. The next 9 months were the best of my life. The more we got to know each other, the more I realized there really were soul mates. I had thought I was in love before, but I know realized what that word really meant.

 The only sour moment on those months, was Beth's parents. Beth belonged to a privileged family, with roots in the city's going back many generations. Her father Harold is a well respected businessman, owning many buildings and land on the west side. Her mother Linda came from a well established family, her cousin the mayor. The sight of me, the son of a mere accountant, did not sit well with them.

 At her family gatherings, Harold would constantly badger me on where I was going with my life, what career I was pursuing (I was a photographer for the local newspaper at the time), and my designs on his daughter. Linda just tried to pretend I wasn't there.

 But Beth didn't care; in fact the more her parents seemed to grow to dislike me, the more she got attached to me, almost to say to them she does what she wants, with who she wants, when she wants. The longer we dated, the more time she spent with me, and the less time with her family, much to their displeasure. It got to a point where whenever I was there when she spoke with them, all they did was argue and shout. I didn't like being the cause of that, but at the same time I was flattered she felt so strongly about me.