Genre: Romance
Rating: NC 17
Disclaimer : Standard disclaimers apply. The characters belong to Shalz R.
Chapter 11: Part One : A New Beginning
The soft morning rays of the sun, coming in through the bedroom windows, and the small skylight in the dome of his bed area covered all around with white net curtains, woke him up. He turned around, on his stomach, in his bed and looked at the rippling stream in the distance of his estate, and the view relaxed his mind. He smiled and just lay there looking out of his window. He lay for a long time, not just gazing the view, but also thinking about last night, before he got up.
As he turned to get up he faced his splendid balcony garden! He smiled again. He got out of his bed and the view to his right, reminded him of the woods and lake. He felt like going for a walk.
The thought itself rejuvenated his mind. He washed himself and got ready for his walk. The sun had still not fully woken up. He went into the balcony, took the stairs that took him to his swimming pool. From there he moved to the right gates. The doorman opened the gates and he moved out for a walk in the quiet woods. After a long time, he felt at ease. Everything was peaceful, everything in its place. Order was returning to his life. He thought about Stephens. Nothing felt amiss.
He had always turned towards the lake while on his walk, and he did so this morning too. He liked walking by the lake. It refreshed him. This morning, however, his feet took him farther along the lake than he had gone before; and nearer to Stephens’ house.
* * *
Stephens had the habit of getting up early; she liked to finish up with her housework early so she would more time to relax by breakfast! This morning too she had got up early. While cleaning up her house, she thought about the night before and it amazed her as much as it did last night. She thought she would make something special for her breakfast. It was a Sunday and she had the whole day to herself. Then she remembered that she had to go to Maxwell Manor to give Ian’s coat and collect her bag of clothes. Somehow she felt happy at the prospect of going there again! She would see Ian again!
She headed for the kitchen to prepare her special something.
“Who knows what’s he like this time! When I had met him first, he hardly talked to me, just avoided me! Then next time he was all mystery, and last night it was a totally different Ian Maxwell that I met! What if he avoids me again!” she wondered, while looking for a special breakfast!
“That’s it” she said aloud finally deciding. “I’ll make that cranberry cake! I’ve made that only once. Re-doing a hotel is a wonderful job! Those guys teach you so many new recipes!” Stephens had mostly lived alone and rarely had anyone to talk to when she was at home; which was why she had developed the habit of talking or singing or humming to herself. She looked around for the ingredients and found them all, made the necessary preparations, and set it to bake before returning to her washing.
It had been sometime that she had been doing her laundry, in the middle of which she had gone in for the breakfast preparation. It was barely seven in the morning right now, and most of her work was complete! She happily hummed to herself as started to hang the clothes onto the line in her backyard!
* * *
Ian had been walking by the lake for a long time now; he knew he was quite near Stephens’ house, but he kept retracing his steps wondering whether to go there or not!
“What if she is asleep? It is quite early and she had slept late, I know that! OK! I would go near and see; if it looks like she is awake, then I’d go near otherwise I would come back.” He started and then stopped, “What if she would mind me coming to her house this early in the morning!” and turned around again! After dilly-dallying like this for several minutes, he finally decided, “I’d go at least. If it doesn’t look like a good time, I’ll go back home!” He didn’t even feel strange that he wanted to see her so much! He just wanted to go!
He walked towards her house, becoming more cautious with each step. From between the trees, he thought he saw her! He went closer!
Yes, it was her! He smiled. “She is up! What is she doing? She has done her laundry, this early in the morning?” he looked happily surprised.
He slowly walked over to the gates.
“Good morning, Ms. Stephens!” he called out.
Stephens turned around to find him standing at the gates, smiling at her. He had once again surprised her! “Good morning, Mr. Maxwell.” Seven in the morning! What’s up!, she wondered.
“I hope I didn’t disturb you.”
“Nope. Just doing the laundry. You are up so early!”
“Yes, I usually get up early. I’ve been taking a walk by the lake for quite sometime. You too are up so early!”
“Yes! I get up early too!” and then both of them noticed together that he was still outside the door. “Oh! I’m sorry, Sir.” She tried to walk up to the gate but got entangled in the long bed sheets that she was trying to hang on the line. “You can reach over and open the lock from outside only, Sir!” she said.
Sure he could! The gate only reached a little above his waist. He reached inside and opened the lock, walked in and closed it again. She was still trying to get the sheet on the line.
“Here, let me help you!” he reached for the sheet, picked it up and put it on the line easily, while she just stood looking. He smiled having done the work and she thanked him.
“Well, I came looking for some of that coffee! Am I too early?” he made up his reason.
“No, Sir. Please come in!”
Sir! Why does she keep calling me sir! The contract is over and she’s no longer working for me! Either its sir, or Mr. Maxwell! It seems very inappropriate! Don’t I have a name? “Call me Ian!” he said to her.
“Yes, Sir” she said slowly looking uncertain.
“Ian!” he reminded her.
“Yes.” she said. He held the door open for her, while she was still standing in the backyard, “Ian?” she whispered to herself. The aroma of the cake baking came wafting to his senses!
“What’s cooking! Smells good! Is it for breakfast?” he asked.
“Yes.” She said smiling at his excitement. He stayed near the table while she went up to the oven. The cake was almost done, and yes it was coming along well.
“What is it?” he asked trying to look over her shoulder.
“Why don’t you stay for the breakfast? It’ll be ready in a few minutes.” she laughed.
“Sure! But what is it?”
“You’ll see!” she said going to her bedroom, to get his coat.
“OK.” He said disappointed, and started looking over the CDs for the one he had selected last night. “Where’s the CD I got out last night?” he called out after her.
“It must be in the stack!” she said coming out. “Its good you have come. I was going to come to your house today!”
“Yeah?” he said happily. “Fine when I go from here, then you come!”
She laughed, “You forgot your coat here yesterday! And I left my bag there!”
“Oh! Thank you Ms. Stephens.” he said looking disappointed. “I thought you were coming to meet me! But you come to my house, meet Carlton, and leave without even meeting me. So this time I guess you would meet Jean for the bag, and again leave without meeting me! Is it Ms. Stephens?” he mocked.
She smiled, “Call me Stephens!” she said.
“Fine. Stephens!” he smiled. Stephens! What kind of a name is that for a girl!
“What is your name? It can’t be Stephens! Why do people at McKenzie call you Stephens? It seems they are talking about a man! That’s why when you came everybody at home was amused.”
She laughed loudly, “I know. That was not the only time I was mistaken for man, Sir. I mean.. umm.. well actually my name isn’t Stephens. It is S. Stephen. People at my school put my name as Stephen. S in my certificate, and since then I have been called Stephens. It started out as a joke but the name stuck.”
“Well! What does ‘S’ stand for?” He asked amused at the story behind her name.
“Sonya.” she answered.
“Sonya!” he whispered, liking the feel of the name, “Sonya!” he said again. “Nice name. You should be called Sonya!”
“Thank you, Sir!” she said and then stopped. She had again called him ‘Sir’.
“You have a problem calling me Ian, don’t you? Do you refer to me as Sir, or Mr. Maxwell, even when I’m not around! No. See, what I mean! Ok. For a moment feel that I’m not around, and let me hear you call me Ian”
“I’m used to calling you ‘Sir’. It’ll take time getting used to calling you… by name.”
“You DO have a problem saying Ian! C’mon, it not that difficult, you can do it, say Ian.”, he was having fun, seeing her so baffled.
She smiled and said “Ok …. Ian!”
“Yeah! From now on I call you Sonya and you call me Ian. All right?” he asked.
“Yes. … Ian.”
“Friends?” and he held out his hand.
With the most surprised look on her face, she smiled and took his hand, and he shook it up, “Friends!” she answered. For a moment he looked like he was going to pull her up in his arms and give her a hug, but then turned around suddenly to the music system.
“Fine. How about that breakfast?”
She laughed again. “In a minute.”
“And gimme that CD! You lost my CD!” he complained, as she came over to look for it.
“Its right here!” she said handing it to him. He took it smiling sheepishly.
He put on the CD and danced alone to it, while she brought out the cake and prepared the coffee. In a few minutes the breakfast was on the table and so was Ian. Sonya cut the cake and gave him a slice while he eyed it hungrily. She said her before-meal prayer before she started and he looked at her highly amused, but fixed his expression before she opened her eyes and didn’t say anything. She thought he looked funny for a moment but didn’t ask!
He loved the cake and asked her to pack up some for Evan and Sera.
“I would definitely, if you would spare some! “she said
“Oh! Ok I will. But then you make some more for me!” She said she would.
It was almost eight when they finished the breakfast. He got up hurriedly and said, I have got to leave, Sonya! All the family is here and they would be looking out for me. I’m usually home at this time. Thanks for the breakfast. I’ll see ya soon.” he said and rushed out.
She hurriedly packed the cake for the kids and he just took one more slice, put it in his mouth, took the packet and walked out, leaving his coat again.
But, this time, she saw it before he was out of the gate, “Wait, your coat! Ian!” she opened the door and got out. He turned around smiling at hearing his name from her finally without asking for it. He came back and took the coat! “Bye!”
“Bye!” she said, seeing him disappear in the woods again.
* * *