A SMILE IN A WHISTLE

Chapter 31. Psyche and Cupid

The next morning, before heading back into town, Sam and Sarah visited the old mansion. They had to be careful when walking on the floors; the wood was old, creaky and could collapse at any moment. There was hardly anything in the rooms apart from a few abandoned chairs. As for the wallpapers, they were moldy, ripped and coming off the walls. There were cobwebs all over the place, and when they looked up, they saw endless holes in the ceilings, letting the fresh morning breeze come through. The air was humid, creating an unpleasant, musty smell. Sam and Sarah were fascinated by the place. It felt like stepping back in time! Unfortunately, there were a couple of rooms they could not step into; the floors were far too fragile. In the corner of one of them, they noticed a rusty metal plank. On it, a date was inscribed: 1796. And next to that was a whole wall tagged with black ink. Psyche and Cupid was written on it.

"Have you been to the Louvre in Paris?" Sarah asked Sam.

"No."

"I did with school one year. I saw a sculpture by Antonio Canova."

"Italian, am I right?"

"Yes. Easier to pronounce than the dishes on the menu last night!" she joked. "Psyche revived by Cupid's kiss, the sculpture was called. I sat in front of it for ages. There was something reassuring in the way Cupid was holding her and the way Psyche was reaching out for him. It looked like they were saving each other."

I found a woman who could save me, Sam suddenly remembered saying to Josephine. Sarah's words echoed deep within him.

"I was sixteen years old, I think," she continued, "and I still remember it clearly."

They remained silent for a while, both reflecting on the image of Psyche and Cupid embracing. Then, they roamed to the back of the mansion and wandered down to the earthen ground floor.

The sun was shining through the open doors and windows, and the field outside was green with grass as high as a ten-year-old child. Sarah attempted to walk out of the mansion, through a big, broken, wooden door. But the grass was too high... and she was still wearing her previous night's outfit – her dress, and high heels!

"Oh dear, maybe we should go back the way we came," said Sam. "You might hurt yourself through the long grass. There could be stinging nettles in there, snakes, or even–"

"Tiramisu?" Sarah asked.

"Sorry?"

"Pick me up?" she translated with a cheeky grin on her face.

He smiled.

"I'm afraid I can't. It's my ribs..." Sam explained.

"Oh, yes..."

He began to walk in the opposite direction, towards another exit.

"It's just..." said Sarah.

Sam paused and looked back at her. She was blushing and didn't know how to express herself.

"I like it when..." she said under her breath.

Sam returned to her. He caressed her red cheeks with the tip of his fingers, then gently brushed his lips against hers in an electric, soft kiss. Sarah wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly. Their kiss quickly turned into something more determined and curious... The bristles of Sam's light beard grazed Sarah's cheeks, which were now as hot as fire. Sarah firmly gripped his head, so that he wouldn't leave nor stop. Their tongues met, making Sarah sigh with pleasure. She then guided his hands to places he didn't expect. She craved him and wanted him to know how much. Without taking a single piece of clothing off, they let their hands do the talking.

***

"Would you like to come back to my place?" proposed Sarah.

Sam was back in the driver's seat of his car and they were heading back to town. He was still aroused by their intimate moment in the mansion... but also confused whether it was a good or bad thing. In the eyes of his entourage, his desire for Sarah was wrong and immoral. He struggled to understand why... After all, he was never attracted to her when she was a little girl. Never. He loved her company thirteen years ago, that was all. Now that she had grown older, he was enticed by her beauty and her body. Was that indecent? Did that make him a filthy man? Sure, she had always been younger than him, but she was an adult now. Their situation wasn't improper or forbidden. She was his girlfriend. They had begun a relationship. Surely he was allowed to accept her invitation, wasn't he?

"Is something wrong?" Sarah asked him. "You've been quiet for a little while..."

"No... Yes, everything's fine. I– I think I should go back to the sailboat first. Get changed, have a shower, eat something. You know, the usual stuff."

Sarah was surprised, and frankly a little disappointed by his answer.

"You can do all that at my place if you want... I have cereals and towels–"

"Thanks, but I think I'll check everything's alright at the boat this morning."

When they arrived down Sarah's street, Sam parked next to her building. Before she got out of the car, he took her hand in his.

"It's not that I don't want to come in," he assured her. "Maybe later. I'll call you, okay?"

"Yes," Sarah replied. "Thank you for a lovely first date."

"It lasted longer than expected," he said, joyfully. "Italian food, twilight and a mansion! I hadn't planned all that. It was great."

He kissed her, and they said goodbye.

Sam considered changing his mind as he watched Sarah gracefully walk up the steps to the entrance of her residence. She waved at him before entering the building. He smiled and waved back. The moment she was out of sight, he regretted his choice.