Evergreen

III

My heart dropped when I opened the envelope to read Receptionist. Sure, it was a government job, but I'm not going to save anyone's lives working as a godforsaken Receptionist! My mother told me to get over myself. It's not all that bad, I have three guys with reasonably good prospects to look forward too. To her, life only revolves around children and marriage. She'd already set up times for me to meet all three and I can't say I was particularly excited to meet any. Yet here I am sat on a park bench somewhere centre of the city, waiting for the first. Frederick Read.

My mouth felt dry.

As he approached me, there was something intriguing about him, but I had difficulty focusing on what it was. Perhaps it wasn't that he quite fitted his description. Yes, it had to be that. His brown hair was a lot darker than I had expected, scruffier too. And his eyes, whilst it was suggested that they were brown they were unmistakably green. Trick of the light I suppose, the lights in those viewing rooms were ridiculously bright after all. As he came closer I noticed he was much taller than described too. I guess he had just happened to grow since then.

'Frederick Read'. I smiled at him as I gave him a polite hug and sat back down. He grinned at me, 'Call me Fred.' I smiled back. 'let's go somewhere, I cannot stand to be in the city, too many people around.' He said abruptly, grabbing my hand and pulling me up. I nodded in agreement, still mesmerised by his eyes.

Green. Not like a light green, but that of an evergreen tree.

We walked along the sidewalks, weaving in and out of people, till the numbers of people we came across began to dissipate, and finally we found ourselves in front of a forest.

'Do you trust me?' He asked looking at me. I had only known this boy an hour or so and here I am telling a stranger I trusted them? I truly am going mental. We continued to walk. Through the trees onwards until the spaces between each tree began to widen and finally, they cleared out all together into a beautiful opening.

He sat, patting the ground next to him lightly, suggesting I sit with him.

'why did you take me here?' I asked 'Too many eyes in the city, I don't like being constantly watched. There's a serenity in knowing there's nobody else here but yourself.'

His voice was soothing, and I lay my head back against the soft grass as he continued to talk in a way in which books are written. Delicately chosen words, flowing together like song.

'So, I heard your prospect is government receptionist.' My head was up. The subject still hurts. I looked at him 'We can't all be laboratory technicians, can we?' I snapped back sharply. Something flashed before his eyes but I couldn't quite sense what. 'No, I guess not,' He replied looking down.

'How did you find this place?' I asked. It truly was beautiful, not exactly a place you could just stumble upon by accident.

'My father showed me when I was younger. He told me it was safe. Safe from the eyes. I come here when I want to be alone, its relaxing. All there is here is nature.'

I nodded as he stood. He put his hand out towards me and I took it, and we began the walk home.