The Tame (ON HOLD)

Of cold blue waters

It had been a day since Phina had travelled to Brendan's study and received his rebuff. She'd avoided him from then.
Leaning on the white rails of the bow with her elbows supporting her jaw, she wondered about her siblings.

They would be all grown now, Acacia ten and Steve thirteen. They'd been in the boarding house for near three years, and that could make even a weak-spined baby grow tough. Acacia used to wake up and yell for her mother at the early hours of dawn; her elder sister wondered if she still did that.

Phina had never been granted a visit to them by the Dame; her pleadings falling on deaf ears. Situated in southern Nottingham, the Raven Boarding School was most like a prison; more frequented by weeping babies than caring parents.

Phina stifled a cry. It was such a shame all her family's assets had been seized by the SA government. She'd never have been in this dilemma if she was righted a proper heiress. A faraway thought crossed her mind, almost like a deja'vu. But deja'vu's were like fleeting illusions; this...this had been truly experienced before, but locked so deep in her mind's recesses that it stood as a mere imagination.

If she recalled correctly, her mother used to take her and her younger siblings on holidays to their grandma's cottage in downtown Pretoria when she was alive. It must have been kept out of the government's reach because it hadn't been confiscated. The cottage was a wonderful and relaxing forest retreat, far from the city's bubble.

Phina lightened up, an idea forming in her head. Yes, that was it! If she could lay ahold of Steve and Acacia, they could r...

'Are you okay ma'am? You seem to be lost in thought...', Florence's light drawl interrupted Phina's misgivings.

Phina started, a little disgruntled by Florence's constant use of the title ma'am. Truthfully speaking the woman was more than twenty years her senior!

'I'm really fine, no need to bother,' said Phina, 'I was just musing to myself.'

'Well that musing had you gawking open-mouthed at the ocean like it held a gun to your head,' Florence said cheekily.

Phina giggled, 'Then I still have my head attached to my neck, thank you.'

'And aren't those cute dimples just the thang?'

If it had been possible for her to blush, Phina would have probably outscored a circus clown. She was that allergic to compliments.

'Thanks for the note,' she told Florence half-heartedly, 'though it seems you're just teasing me.'

'Oh but I'm not!'

Phina smiled and brought her palm across her forehead. Squinting, she gazed at the insolent, blaring sun.

'This sun is way too heated for my pleasure, Florence,' Phina complained, 'can you please fetch my towel? I'll be needing it for when I get to the pool.'

******

Phina dunk head-first into the cool blue water, her body stiffening at the initial cold shock. Thin, tanned, brown legs stretched, she placed both arms ahead of her and did the breaststroke. The pool was immense; by far, one to twenty feets long. At the base of the tiles, a tunnel connected to a tube siphoned water straight from the Atlantic into the pool, adding to its icyness.

Up and down, she swam with vigour and then shifted to the backstroke, arms and legs suspended on the water surface.

The water did its bit to release the two weeks' tension off from her. She'd been sea-sick too, and her bathroom sink had had to suffer the contents of her retching. An Oral Rehydrated Salt had done the trick of settling her upset stomach.

But she bore her dissatisfaction well, pleased with the news that they'd land on the coast of Vi'Onna in two days time. The Greek island, she'd learned, had been bought and privated by Brendan, and therefore suffered no visits from indigenes or tourists.

A few miles ahead lay a neighbouring fishing island, Porto Sergio. Google placed them as friendly people, and Phina looked forward to meeting her new neighbours.

Floating aimlessly for a while, Phina decided she needed a chilled drink, and spied a sweating glass of orange juice resting near the stair of the pool. Her towel also hung on a chaise longue. Bless Florence, she was so practical!

Phina slipped graciously out of the water, tiny blue droplets slithering off her honey-coloured skin. Her bare-back onyx leotard clung to her form like a leech -- her previous dislike of bikinis still standing. Her hands moved to her soaked curls which stuck to her face, and began squeezing the wetness out of them.

So busy was she in her errand, that she failed to hear footsteps nearing her till they came to a standstill. Phina's heart fell to her mouth as she looked up to find Brendan's hazel eyes roving over her dainty curves.

He clenched his jaw, and swallowed.

A/N: So I thought you guys needed a little clifffhanger ;) Anyway, the question is: why is the man(Brendan) gawking? Is he...aherm *clears throat*

And, and HAPPY EID-ADHA to all my muslim fans and readers...:):) :-)

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