The North Wind

Natalii sighed as she finished wiping the counters of the shop. It was just after 5:30, and she realized that if she was going to make it to Brian’s on time, she would have to hurry. She made her way upstairs and quickly changed into an ombre blue maxi dress and a pair of sandals, before heading to grab Violet. Once they were both ready, Natalii locked up the shop, before leading Violet towards the beach.

A short ways past where they had met Brian, Natalii noticed a cute little house that rested just at the edge of the beach. As they got closer, Natalii could make out Brian’s figure as he rested in one of the patio chairs littering the deck.

As soon as Brian caught sight of Natalii and Violet approaching, he stood out of his chair and leaned against the banister of the deck. He couldn’t help but chuckle as Violet raced up onto the deck, and came barreling towards him.

“There you are!” Brian exclaimed, kneeling down as Violet ran to embrace him. “I thought you two would never come.”

“Mama took a long time to clean up. She made us late,” Violet responded, shaking her head slightly.

“Well at least you’re here now,” Brian replied, smiling as Natalii made her way up the stairs, and came to a stop in front of the two. “Natalii!” Brian grinned, setting Violet back on the floor of the deck. “You brought dessert!”

“That was a part of the deal, was it not?” Natalii asked, shyly returning his smile.

“I suppose it was,” Brian replied, leaning in to place a kiss on her cheek, before grabbing the small cake from her hands. “I’m not much of a chef, so I grilled some steak, potatoes, and corn on the cob. Does that sound okay?” Brian asked worriedly, wishing he would have thought to ask their preferences before having prepared anything.

“That’s prefect Bri,” Natalii answered, smiling timidly as she leaned against the railing of the deck.

“Well, I’m going to set the dessert inside for now, and bring out the food. I also have a bottle of wine we can crack open, or if you don’t want that, I have milk or juice or…” Brian rambled before Natalii stopped him.

“Wine is perfect Brian. Thank you.” As Natalii got Violet seated at the table outside, Brian walked inside the house to get the food, beating himself up along the way. He normally wasn’t so nervous around girls. He’d never had a problem before. But Natalii was different. As nervous as she made him, he also felt a strong sense of comfort whenever he was around her. He didn’t know if it was her nurturing nature, or simply because he could be himself around her, but he loved it.

Brian brought out their drinks first, before pulling the food from the stove, where he had been keeping it warm. After they ate, the three decided to hold off on having dessert until the food in their stomachs had settled. Brian offered to give them a tour, which Natalii accepted, wanting to see what the rest of the quaint little house looked like.

“It’s pretty small,” Brian spoke as he led them in through the back door. “But it had character, and a lot of potential. I saw it, and I couldn’t say no.” Natalii smiled as they walked further into the house. The interior was painted in sandy browns and blues, giving the area a relaxed and welcoming vibe.

“Over here on the left is the kitchen, and a small table, for when people come over. To the right is the living room, and there’s a bathroom if you need to use that at some point tonight. And yeah…like I said, it’s pretty small,” Brian said sheepishly, raking his hand through his hair.

“It’s wonderful Brian. It’s homey, and relaxing. I think it’s perfect,” Natalii smiled, placing her hand on his arm, and rubbing soothingly. Brian fought back the shiver that wanted to run through his body at her touch, and instead placed his hand on her back, leading her towards the stairs. Violet opted to stay in the living room, and look through the abundance of CDs Brian had on display. As the two reached the top of the stairs, Brian directed her to the right, and into a relatively bare room.

“This is kind of my recreation room. It’s not quite finished; I still have a few more things to buy. But for now, it works.” Natalii gasped at what she saw sitting in the corner of the room.

“You play guitar?” she questioned, walking forward to run her finger over the neck of the acoustic guitar sitting against the wall.

“Yeah, I have since I was pretty young,” Brian replied, leaning against the jam of the door frame.

“You’ll have to play for me sometime,” Natalii smiled, before turning her attention to a large canvas print that was resting against the baseboard of the floor. It was a panoramic of a skyline, but Natalii couldn’t identify from where.

“It’s a skyline of Honolulu, Hawaii,” Brian spoke, noticing the look of curiosity on her face. “For the past few years, it’s been a dream of mine.”

“So why haven’t you? Too expensive?” Natalii asked, continuing to admire the photograph.

“No, I have the money saved up to go; I’ve just always imagined having my significant other with me. Waking up early, going for a morning surf, spending the day scouring every corner of the island with someone I love, falling asleep with her in my arms…” Natalii turned around to find Brian seemingly lost in thought as he stared out the window.

“That’s a beautiful dream Brian. I’m sure you’ll find her someday soon.”

“I’m hoping I already have,” Brian mumbled.

“Hmm?” Natalii asked, not having heard what he had said.

“Nothing,” Brian silently cursed himself, before grabbing the acoustic guitar and leading Natalii towards the other upstairs room.

“This is my bedroom,” Brian spoke softly, pushing the wooden door open. The room was decorated in neutral and earthy tones, but it still matched the relaxing tone of the rest of the house. On the wall adjacent to the bed hung three more guitars, and in the corner sat a large combo amplifier. Natalii giggled as the small ball of white fur jumped off the bed and darted toward Brian. He blushed, reaching down to pull the small dog into his arms.

“I forgot about this little girl. You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you Bri?” Natalii giggled, stepping forward to pet Pinkly on her head.

Soon after, Brian ushered the two girls back outside, blankets in hand. Violet laid in one of the reclining chairs with Pinkly lying next to her. Natalii curled up on the lone bench on the deck, leaving enough room for Brian to sit, and wrapping the blanket firmer around her shoulders. She smiled as Brian emerged from the house, a mug in one hand and his acoustic guitar in the other. After handing Natalii the mug, he sat opposite her on the bench, and began to aimlessly fingerpick a random melody as he decided on a song to play.

As he decided on a song and began, Brian became slightly self-conscious, a feeling he’d never really had before. He was usually fairly confident in his talent, but as he looked into her hazel blue eyes, he couldn’t help but feel desperate to impress her.

Tragic visions slowly stole my life
Tore away everything, cheating me out of my time

I'm the one who loves you no matter wrong or right
And every day I hold you, I hold you with my inner child

I need serenity in a place where I can hide
I need serenity, nothing changes, days go by

Where do we go when we just don't know
And how do we relight the flame when it's cold?
Why do we dream when our thoughts mean nothing
And when we learn to control?

As Brian finished playing, he looked up to see blue eyes intently gazing at him. He sat frozen as Natalii moved closer, and tentatively placed her lips over his. After a few moments, Brian pulled away, and set the guitar from his lap onto the floor of the deck. He scooted closer, one hand reaching up to cup her face, the other he placed on her hip, before returning his lips to hers. He had waited for this moment since he first saw her on the beach. He breathed deeply, deepening the kiss as he smelt her sweet perfume. In that moment, Brian was convinced he has never felt more complete.