Shaffron

CHAPTER 3

Jerry walked behind the ladies silently listening to their conversation. He wouldn't call it eavesdropping as he already knew Joy's story as well as many other previous campers.

Although he was glad Joy went out of her way to make a friend, he wasn't quite sure of her choice.

"Alright campers, gather around!" Joel, a stout guide, the same one that had returned to call them to join the group earlier hollered; signaling them to stop.

Jerry smiled to himself. The spot had a history with him and he missed going there dearly. He called it the nest.

Most people didn't know why he called it that. There wasn't a single bird not to talk of nests at that location.

"It's called the nest for two reasons" Jerry spoke up, taking the lead and walking past some campers to stand at the middle of the small crowd. " the first one is this." He paused while the guides shared some flyers to the campers.

"If you notice well, you'd find that it's a map and well the part that's circled is the posterior view of this particular place. Now observe and see how the shape of the nest comes out." he looked around, observing how everyone was focused on the blue papers in each of their hands, some in pairs.

A certain British man, Bernard, Jerry thinks is his name took out a pair of glasses from his pocket and looked more closely at the map.

Jerry took the opportunity that they were distracted to observe his surroundings. Not much had changed in the familiar dense forest. He could still remember people's reactions when he first acquired the land.

'A land full of mischief and myths' they'd said all sorts of things about how unwise it was to buy the land and how his plan would certainly fail.

Eucalyptus trees were sparsely scattered around them but oddly enough, there was no bird or animals around.

At least for now. Jerry thought with a light sigh.

"You said two reasons," Jerry turned towards the familiar voice of the red haired girl. She had this native look to her, Russian was the first thing he'd say she were but the American accent she had confused him. He couldn't help but wonder where to place her under. And those striking orbs of hers. "what's the second one?" she asked

Jerry cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention.

"The other reason this place is called the nest is why we come here during the day. At night, it's a mating spot for antelopes, zebras, etcetera. I once encountered a hyena here too." The people stared at the place in wonders and a few gasps filled the air.

Jerry removed gloves from his pocket and put it on. He made his way to the bark of a stout tree among the many tall ones and squatted. He touched something and the tourists struggled to look at what he was doing.

He then stood up and showed them a white moist substance on his hand.

"From the texture of this, I'd say this is the semen of a zebra." People gathered around him to get a better view. "During the day, its safe but at late evenings, even being two hundred feet from here can lead to your death. You wouldn't want to be the one interrupting their intimate time."

A tall tanned man, Mexican would be Jerry's guess tried to snap pictures causing Jerry to glare at him.

"No cameras allowed, it was clearly written." He gritted out.

"What's the use of coming all the way here to not... er...capture the moment ey" the Mexican bellowed, his accent prominently flowed.

"You capture the moment in your heart and mind. Now if that isn't enough for you, Joel here will take you back to the cottage." The calmness in Jerry's voice was eerie and the Mexican shrank away.

The calmer the response, the more dangerous the action.

Jerry let the campers stroll around the sparse trees to observe their surroundings. Some of them even uprooted some undergrown plants while others scraped the semen of the exotic animals.

His eyes kept betraying him, wondering to the path where the red head beauty stood, staring at the things he thought were foreign to her. Her skin looked so fair and soft, he began to wonder how it would feel.

"Shaffron Benjamin." His eyes snapped to the petit woman that sneaked up on him. "I thought you may as well know her name" Joy added.

Jerry scowled, silently cursing himself for being so obvious.

"Why would I want to know her name?" he frowned at her trying to look gruff but obviously failing judging by the amusement that sparkled in her eyes.

"Nothing" she shrugged. "I mean, you said you wanted to get to know each camper, I'm just helping you" she smiled, her eyes twinkling with unexpressed laughter at how worked up he was getting.

"I never asked" he grunted and sauntered towards a Tanzanian couple and away from the sound of her booming laughter.

"Back at the university, mint plants were also grown. I've never seen anything like this"

Shaffron nodded absently at what the Haiti guy was saying.

Massimo was his name, he'd been making open advances at her and she had effortlessly blocked them all.

He was tall, sturdy with wide chest and covered with muscles. He also had the square jaw and light scruff on his jaw. He was smart, Shaffron gathered too as he was a botanist and a researcher in the university of Boston.

All his enticing qualities she found too superficial. She could picture Ann with Massimo but he just wasn't her type.

She liked an opinionated yet open minded man. Men that were so sure of something and could present even garbage in a refined way. Ones that would tell her things the way they were never sparing one's feelings but are kind regardless. Her cousin always called her a sadist but she didn't care.

She wanted a realist, not someone who'd lie to her like He did.

Her gaze drifted up to the man from earlier. He wasn't too tall but was lean. He had the confidence of a lion and spoke with authority. He had to have a high position in the tour company, she thought.

He was talking to some other campers animatedly when Shaffron saw his shoulders tense beneath his loose tee. As though feeling the weight of her gaze on him, he turned towards her still nodding at something the woman beside him was saying but his intense gaze fixed on her.

Shaffron met his stare not looking away from his dark feeling a light buzz all over her body.

And then he did something she didn't expect. He winked at her with a smirk plastered on his face.

Shaffron looked away immediately feeling heat flood her face. She averted her gaze and tried to listen to whatever Massimo was saying.

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