Second Chances (Kathneil FF)

Second Chances - 9

Second Chances - 9

There she was.

Sitting and calmly painting under a huge shady tree.

She was facing the hotel's swimming pool, serene in its morning state with very few patrons using the amenity.

He approached her slowly, not really knowing what to expect.

Again, like what he mistakenly did with Kamila, Kevin's eyes drank in the sight of the girl, like a thirsty man on a desert.

Please god, please don't play with me. Not again. Please let it really be her this time, he chanted a mantra to himself.

As he came nearer to her and had full view of her face from the side, he got his answer.

It was her. It really was.

She was slightly older than he last saw her, granted, and even more beautiful than he remembered.

But it was definitely her.

She was wearing a short sleeved blouse with a long flowy skirt, spread on the ground where she sat.

Her long hair was captured in a loose bun at her nape, with some tendrils waving gently in the soft morning wind.

In front of her, sat a short easel, holding the canvas she was painting on.

Nessie, it's realy you, he thought, unknowingly shedding a tear.

(Flashback)

"Hey, Loch Ness!"

"What did you call me?"

"Loch Ness."

"Why?"

"Cos you're such grouchy monster sometimes," he shrugged carelessly, but then continued with a grin, "but I'll call you Nessie for short."

"You really have a death wish, don't you?" Her eyes squinting dangerously at him.

"Yeah well, I've known you long enough to know that your bark is worse that your bite," he shrugged some more. "You like me too much to kill me."

"Tssk..." she snorted. "You should talk, Peebo."

"What?"

"Peebo," she grinned in response, lighting up her already cute face. "That's who you remind me of. The clown at that gala opening last week. With his crazy purple hair and all."

He was 17 then, and her 16.

He was experimenting on hairstyles and colours then.

"It's burgundy, ok. And they are just highlights," he huffed, smoothing down his hair self consciously.

She looked at him knowingly and decided to put him out of his misery.

"I tell you what..."

"What?" He answered, thoroughly miffed.

"I'll let you call me Nessie, if you'll let me call you Peebo."

"Hmmm.." he said thoughtfully, trying to decide.

"Cos I think burgundy looks cute on you," Inessa said cheekily.

"Eh?"

And she stuck her tongue out at him before running off to hide her burning cheeks from him.

(End of flashback )

Kevin did not know how he ended up on his knees, his arms helplessly hung by his sides.