The placid village of Honfleur was waking up really early in the morning, as usual. The fishermen had actually been awake for a long time, and they were already coming back into the little local harbor with their boats. The wives and the daughters, the lovers and the mothers were now populating the shore, ready to welcome back their men.
However Louisette, the usually cheerful forty-something manager of the tourist office, was now standing in front of her workplace with a very nervous attitude, waiting for something to come from the ocean.
The very moment she allowed herself to look away from the water, the air was whipped by a really strong and cold wind, and it took some moments for Louisette to realize what was happening. How on earth hadn't she realized that a helicopter was arriving, she couldn't really understand.
She tried to move a little closer, to see if it carried the people she'd been waiting for. And of course it did; only freaking Americans could arrive on a giant helicopter, in a place that was just a little bigger than the means itself.
As soon as the blades stopped, two women and a man got off the helicopter: she immediately recognized them as Daniel and Alexis Meade, followed by Wilhelmina Slater. Louisette found it difficult not to giggle when she saw La Slater almost falling down just to avoid grabbing the hand which young Meade had offered her.
"Suivez les benvenus mes amis!"
"Louisette, ma chére!" Alexis answered cheerily "How are you?"
"Trés bien, merci! How about you? How was the journey?" Louisette kindly asked back.
"Delightful, thank you."
Everyone looked to the person who'd just spoken. Alexis and Daniel were the more surprised, as that was the first time Wilhelmina had actually spoken since they had left.
Perceiving all those eyes on her, Wilhelmina continued "What's wrong? She asked a question, I answered... and I must confess, that answer came out pretty polite, even."
"Wilhelmina, can you please try and be just a little more open minded?" Alexis told her "I understand you might not to be crazy about this place, but this photoshoot…"
"Oh stop it, Alexis," Wilhelmina replied sharply. "I won't ruin your little special reconciliation issue, I promise" she added, and flashed one of her best fake smiles.
"You better not. You know how important this is for us, we need to show people we're still united, even from both sides of the ocean, after all that has happened…"
"You mean after you tried to kill my unborn child?" Wilhelmina asked provocatively.
She hit on a nerve; Alexis came closer to Wilhelmina, looking angrily into her eyes. "Don't provoke me..." she hissed.
"Ladies, calm down please!" Daniel came in between the two fighters, hoping to manage to calm the arguing. "We are here for work. Can you please just think of this and try and be professional?"
"And by the way, she's the one who started it," Wilhelmina eventually added.
Daniel rolled his eyes, and it was only then that the Americans remembered Louisette.
"Madam," he began courteously. "Can you please show us where the place is?"
Louisette nodded, pleased that someone was finally paying her some attention.
"What exactly is the place?" Wilhelmina then asked.
"Oh, it's St. Catherine's church. It's really lovely, you'll adore it, I'm sure," Louisette explained.
La Slater widened her eyes, astonished.
"Are you freaking kidding me?"
"C'mon Wilhelmina, she's right, the church is lovely. Be open minded, you promised."
She raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. Then, when she was about to counteract, Daniel lifted up his arm.
"Hey, there you are finally!" he shouted happily.
Wilhelmina spun around to see who was coming, and stood open-mouthed. A small sailboat was approaching, and the most awesome mariner she had ever seen was standing at its prow.
He waved at them; as he did that, his pectorals stood out through his unbuttoned shirt. Wilhelmina realized she was in a cold sweat: why did she end up in such conditions every time she saw Connor Owens?
The sailboat finally reached the land. Connor said something to an old man who was with him on board, and then jumped off, over the edge, on the ground.
"Ladies," he first greeted. "…and Danny. How was the journey?"
"Wonderful!" Wilhelmina immediately answered. It took her a few seconds though to realize that she had totally overemphasized.
"Connor, do you remember Alex?" Daniel asked, actually chuckling a little.
The CFO smiled. "Well, I can say time has been really generous to you."
Alexis smiled back. "Yes, you can. Anyway, it's really nice to see you again."
As his sister and his friend shook hands, Daniel noticed a strange light in Wilhelmina's eyes. It was as if she wanted to kill Alexis merely for having touched Connor.
"Am I wrong or did you mention that your girlfriend would come here with you? I remember her as a really sweet person," Louisette abruptly returned to speak.
"Oh yeah," Connor answered. "But she had to stay home, eventually. Molly wished very much to return to your lovely town, but she didn't fell really well yesterday, so I suggested she not leave."
Upon hearing Molly's name, it was Daniel's turn to feel uncomfortable.
"Is she okay?" he asked then shyly, as in his mind was all about nauseating pictures of the couple spending a romantic weekend in the lovely town.
"Just a little fever, nothing to care much about. So, what's next?"
"The photoshoot, I mean, we are here to check the location… where? Oh yeah, the church, there's that lovely little church, you are so gonna like it…"
Wilhelmina had spoken all at once, almost not breathing in while, and giving thanks to God because her skin didn't allow other people to see she was even blushing.
"Wilhelmina, are you ok?" Connor asked.
"Yeah, sure. What about a glass of Calvados?"
That came out totally randomly, or so it seemed to the others with her. Feeling all their stares on her, she explained "It's typical of this area, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is" Louisette confirmed "but... at 8 a.m.?"
"It's actually late by her standards" Daniel sneered, amused by the woman's strange behaviour.
"Honestly, it's not a bad idea" Connor started "A nip certainly won't kill us. But remind me to buy a bottle of it for Molly."
Again, Daniel's stomach felt like it was assaulted by a monster. "You know what? We totally have to taste it" he then added.
Wilhelmina looked at him for a moment, surprised by his change of tone. Later she announced "So, I'll go search for a place to drink. See you" and she left.
She hadn't taken but a few steps when Daniel decided to follow her.
#
"Wilhelmina, you do know where we are going, don't you?"
"Of course I do, Danny boy. I always know everything, in case you forgot"
For the records, she had no idea of where they were going. She simply kept on walking, hoping to eventually find what they were looking for.
"Are you really sure? I don't want to hurry, but it seems to me it's going to rain…" and he looked up to cloudy grey sky above them.
"For God's sake Daniel, stop it. Shut up and follow me."
"Ay ay captain!" he answered, wanting so much to laugh then.
She stopped, and turned straight to him, her face damned serious. He immediately lost all his hilarity.
"Are you making fun of me? Seriously?"
Daniel gulped "No, absolutely not."
She turned again, and resumed her way. He stayed silent for a while, then he dared to ask. "It's me or you have been totally impressed by our new CFO?"
Wilhelmina stopped again, but she remained with her back to Daniel. "It's none of your business" she answered angrily. Then, sweetening her voice, she added "As it's none of mine the kind of relationship you can or can't have with his fiancée"
"We aren't talking about me. Don't try to change the subject just to avoid my question"
"Me? Oh Danny, there's no need to be on the defensive if you don't have nothing to hide" she peeved him.
"Yup, nothing."
Wilhelmina could picture in her head the man pouting, it became her turn to want to laugh.
"Wilhelmina…" he dared again.
"What?"
"I think we found a place" he answered, smiling.
"No you don't."
"Yes I do."
"Stop it."
"You stop it." He grabbed her right arm, praying in his head that the action wouldn't lead to a bloody death "And please look up"
Chez l' ancient marin, qui est ivre mort*
(*To the ancient mariner, who is dead drunk)
"Interesting name" Wilhelmina commented, looking at the tavern sign "Are you sure to want to enter there?"
"Yeah, why not?" he answered eagerly.
She didn't say anything, and ran to the tavern's door, opening it hard.
He reached her, and seeing inside he thought that maybe it hadn't be that great idea.
"I'd rather avoid the French folk music anyway…" Wilhelmina whispered behind her back "Just in case, can you dance country?"
Daniel looked at her, worried "What I am supposed to answer?"
But she couldn't tell him anything else, since a skinny chalky old man had squeezed an arm of both of them. Wilhelmina immediately tried to retract it, but the man's hold was surprisingly strong.
"What the hell…"
"Écutez-moi!..."
"I'm not going to hear a freaking thing, so get out of my way and let me drink a freaking bottle of alcohol." Wilhelmina shouted in response.
The music suddenly stopped; everyone inside practically froze on their spot, putting their eyes on the woman at the door who had just yelled at the old Martin.
"Now what?" she exclaimed.
"Hem, just suggesting" Daniel said gently to the colleague "I don't it was really smart to yell at this gentleman, this way, in the middle of a wedding…"
Wilhelmina finally took a better look inside the tavern: in fact, people were all dressed up (as good as fishermen and mariners could, of course) and dancing, eating, drinking, laughing, and in a corner had been placed a giant woman with a pompous full-lace white dress and a wasted thin man, who appeared totally overawed by her. Her new hubby, no doubt.
Beside them, the old skinny Martin squeezed their poor arms harder. "Écutez-moi!..." he repeated, his voice stronger.
Wilhelmina then sighed resigned, and gave up "Ok, we are listing!"
"Oh, belle fille!" Martin suddenly changed his face, as a naughty smile start rising. He left Daniel's arms, and continued "Oh belle fille!"
The woman was now looking at him intrigued, and maybe a little scared. Meanwhile, Daniel tried to stifle his chuckle, as Martin was dragging Wilhelmina to the centre of the impromptu ballroom.
"Oh belle fille, voulez-vous danser avec moi?"
"Oh, I don't think it's a good-" she tried to say, unusually kind.
"S'il vous plaît, dansez avec moi, belle fille!" he interrupted her, once again grabbing her arm hard. "Dansez, dansez!"
Daniel started worrying, so he came closer. He then looked to Wilhelmina, asking her if she needed help. The glance in reply was definitive 'No, I don't!'
"Maybe before you can offer me a drink, sir?" she finally said.
The old mariner burst out laughing, "Calvados?"
"Oh yes, please!" she answered enthusiastic.
#
"Do you like fishing?" Alexis asked, breaking the silence.
They were on the sailboat Connor was coming with, sitting and looking to each other in an embarrassed atmosphere. Connor used to like Alex back in his college days with Daniel, and although they probably talked no more than a couple of times, he had preserved good memories of him, as a smart and peppy young man. He remembered also the beard and the baritone voice, and that was the main reason of the silence fallen between them.
"Uh, yeah. But I'm not a game fishing guy, I mean, I'm more the one who catches fishes with his bare hands..."
Alexis look at him incredulously, her eyes wide open, the eyebrows really too high "Really?"
Connor stayed a moment silent, his face heavily serious. A few seconds later however, he smiled "I was joking. Although it's something I should do, sooner or later…"
"I can totally picture you doing that."
"It's that a compliment?"
"Totally" Alexis nodded, smirking.
"Thank you. But what about you? Game or primordial fishing?" he asked, attempting to keep his face straight.
"Uhm… I guess the game one... you know, fishing-lines, camping, stuff like that."
"I see..." he paused again. Alexis was still staring at him, perplexed.
"Are you hungry?" he finally asked.
"Actually… yes." Than she took a look at her watch "God, more than an hour has passed. I wonder where those two are."
"If they are at the Ivre Mort, there's no way they'll come back soon. The old Martin knows how to entertain his guests…"
Alexis raises her eyebrows "Should I worry?"
"Oh no, I'm sure they're having fun right now. So, do you want to spend the wait in a constructive way?"
"How?"
"Fishing, what else? Haven't you just said you're hungry?" he explained, as if it were the most obvious thing on this earth.
"There are fishing poles on the boat?"
"No. Who needs those?" he smiled, and then he just took off his already unbuttoned shirt, followed by the shoes.
"Are you going to do what I'm thinking you are going to do?" she replied, half amused and half worried.
"Exactly. I told you, we have plenty of time."
"Yeah… but here? In a harbor…"
"Don't underestimate this place" Connor smirked "Anyway, do you want to join?"
"Thank you, but I'd rather wait for you here. Good luck anyway"
He simply answered with a wave of his hand, and plunged in the cold water of the lively sea in front of Honfleur. In that very moment, Alexis understood how Wilhelmina could have such a huge crush on him.
It was noon now, but Daniel and Wilhelmina hadn't come out yet from the Ivre Mort, and judging by the alcoholic presence in their blood, they wouldn't leave the place very soon.
Daniel was sitting in a corner of the room, abandoned on an old straw chair. Wilhelmina was next to him, but she had found accommodation on a table instead. Rolling her head back, she moaned."God, this headache is killing me."
"Guess that's happens when you bolt down three bottles of Calvados before noon." Daniel answered wearily.
"There were four"
"What?" he turned over her, confused.
"The bottles. We bolted down four bottles. And you totally drank an entire one."
"Ok, I could have drunk that one alone, but at least I didn't dance on tables…"
"Hey, you did it too! Or you have already forgotten?" Wilhelmina exclaimed, facing him angrily.
"Whoa" Daniel grinned "Someone needs a mint!"
Wilhelmina stared at him; for a time that seemed to Daniel never to end. And then she smiled. "Oh please" she added next "you could put down a moose with the sweet smell that's coming from you"
"A moose? Seriously? In England?"
"We are in France, moron."
"Whatever."
"Even I have to admit these people drink like a bunch of damned Scottish.."
"I got it! We are in Scotland!" he exclaimed, persuaded of that and indifferent to the couple of French people who had turned to them laughing.
Anyway, Wilhelmina was now laughing too "And since when are there moose in Scotland?" she asked, unable to stop the laugh.
"I don't know. But it's not a problem, I can kill all them, you said it" he answered proudly.
Then the both stayed silent. Around them the other guests kept on dancing, drinking, eating and all the related stuff. Martin had told them the celebration had started at the break of the day, and that it was going to last at least until the sunset. 'When someone asks me to celebrate, I celebrate terrifically!' he had added in the end, with a strong French accent.
"We should go now."
Wilhelmina replied solemnly "And I have to stand up."
Slowly, she tried to have her body slide up to the edge of the table. Feeling the ground again under her feet, she felt enough confident to jump off, and she actually managed to stand for a while – until she fell.
"Don't you find that a little too confident?" Daniel immediately observed.
"I can sit on your knees, but that doesn't mean you are authorized to take any liberties" she looked at his hands "Just think about doing anything, and you're dead"
Daniel thought that he had probably already beendead, because that was the only reasonable occasion to having Wilhelmina Slater leisurely sat on his knees, with her shirt unbuttoned enough to let the world peek at her bra.
"So, what about the photo-shoot" he said, then quiet "Hours have passed."
"No one will complain if we're a little late. What's wrong with a little drink before work?"
"Four bottles of Calvados…"
"Stop reminding me of that" she silenced him "Now shut up, my head is killing me – I need silence!"
"In the middle of a wed-" but he could't end his sentence, as soon as he realized she had rested her forehead on his left shoulder.
She felt he was about to say something, so anticipated him "I'm drunk. I'm allowed to do this."
Daniel decided it was better not to say anything else, and since even his head was ready to explode, he gave up for the moment, closing his eyes and resting his head on the wall behind them. Wilhelmina stayed motionless, her head still resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed too. For a moment he even thought that staying there, listening to her slow and regular breathing, could be a really nice way to spend the rest of the day. However, it took him an even shorter moment to realize that was Wilhelmina Slater's breathing he was listening to, that they was both dead drunk and still in the most inappropriate position ever. Oh, and there was still that photoshoot they were supposed to organize.
"Wilhelmina…"
"What?" she muttered "There's someone is trying to sleep here."
She knew they had to go. And there was actually a part of her, the rational and Meade hater one, which tried to suggest the idea of another attempt of standing up. She chose at first not to listen to that, until Daniel made her change her mind.
"Are you afraid you can't manage to stand erect for more than a second?" he teased her.
She finally lifted her head up from his shoulder "Of course I'm not. I'll prove it to you!"
He chuckled "C'mon, you've already tried, and it's ended up with you fallen in my lap"
"Yeah, something I'd rather skip. Now, don't move" she said resolved.
"I'm frozen. Show me" he kept on teasing.
She carefully moved her feet to the ground, while her arms reached to the table and his right shoulder in order to have support during the delicate operation. Slowly, she arrived to stand again - as soon as she did, she fell again in Daniel's lap.
"Seems you like this" he grinned. She simply answered with a nudge in his stomach.
"Ouch!"
"The pain will be not accepted as an excuse to move" she warned him, and immediately tried again.
That time, she managed to stay vertical for about ten seconds before falling again. To avert his lap though, she quickly reached to the table, ending up almost lying on it. Ignoring the new defeat, she did another attempt - finally a successful one.
"What are you staring at?" She abruptly asked him after a while.
"I was counting how many seconds you'll remain vertical"
"Funny. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm standing. Now lift up your ass from that chair and let's go to the freaking church"
"I can't. I have no one's lap to fall in... I'll get hurt."
"Quick!"
"I need a hand, please give me one"
"Oh please, keep a little dignity, you sissy!"
"Don't call me that!"
"Sissy!"
Daniel snorted angrily "We'll see!" and quickly got to his feet. "Voilà! And thank y-"
He had fallen again on the chair. Humiliated, now he couldn't even raise his eyes on her, who was chuckling instead.
Eventually, he renounced any dignity left in him "Would you be so kind to give me an hand?"
She shook her head, incapable of stopping her amusement showing.
"Don't force me to beg you" he insisted.
"Why not? Would be so fun"
"But you said we have to hurry! We can't if you don't help me…"
She raised her eyebrows "So, apparently alcohol makes you do elaborate reasoning in very short times…"
"That was elaborate reasoning?" he asked perplexed.
She finally offered him her hand "No, but considering your standard…"
Grabbing her hand, he started "I won't question this fact only because right now I need-"
She had pulled him up, but the excessive strain put on her and the totally uncertain balance of both almost made the two of them fall on the floor. They managed not to tumble down by a pure miracle, and when Daniel realized how lucky they had been, he couldn't help himself from laughing.
"I guess that happens when a drunk person asks for help from another drunk person…" he said in between the laughs.
"Yeah, I guess so too…" but she immediately broke the smile "now, have you any idea for the next moves?"
"Mhm, a couple, maybe…"
"I'm not going to walk hand in hand with you"
"Hey... no, we are not children anymore…"
"But?" she pursued him.
"Actually, it's not the worst idea ever…"
"Don't…"
"Arm in arm?" he finally tried.
She stepped forward, forcing the precarious balance "You can't be serious."
"I am. Think about it, we have no choice…"
"I have one, I can leave you here and maybe send someone to rescue later"
He faked a laugh "Good one. I was saying… oh please, we are drunk, we are allowed to do anything!"
She raised an eyebrow. "Anything, you say?"
"Didn't you say something like that when you slept on my shoulder?"
"I didn't sleep, I just... You know, I simply rested for a while… what the hell" she grumbled and then offered him her arm "ready to go, sissy?"
He joined her arm, not so surprised she had just given up "Ready"
They hadn't made that a few steps when Martin appeared in front of them, a bottle of Calvados in his right hand.
"Leave? No leave!" the old man shouted, shaking the bottle.
"Sorry grandpa, we really have to go" Wilhelmina answered him plain.
He chuckled "Yes?" and not adding other words, he simply went toward the exit and opened the door.
It poured down.
#
"Oysters. Seriously, oysters" Alexis said, chuckling a little as she put down her last one "Definitely the last thing I expected to eat today."
Connor smiled proudly "I told you not to underestimate this place"
"He's right, it's a very surprising town at time" Louisette confirmed.
The three of them were sitting in the latter's kitchen, eating some oysters Connor had retrieved in the sea in front of the Honfleur's harbour. It was a useless attempt of Alexis to discourage him from swimming so far from the quay; he had just disappeared between the waves, and returned an hour later triumphantly holding a spat covered by the oysters.
"Did you know you would find them?" Alexis asked after a while.
"I did. I remembered talking about this subject the last time I was here, with our friend here Louisette"
The French woman nodded "He confided in me they were cultivated in the region he was born. And considering how good the ones he caught are, it's clear he's such a connoisseur…"
"But... wait, they were on a spat" Alexis suddenly noticed "Doesn't it mean they are cultivated ones?"
Connor smiled again to her "Yes they are." he confessed innocently "I stole them"
Alexis remained speechless. She tried to look at Louisette's face, to see her reaction, and she just saw her smiling too. Definitely, it wasn't the first time he fished for oysters there.
"Don't think I do it all the time" but he wasn't justifying though "I'm more into the hunt, actually"
"Oh, I noticed it" Alexis smirked "And how goes the latest chase?"
"What are you talking about?" he asked, losing any cheerfulness.
Alexis kept on with her investigation despite the new serious look in the man's face "Oh, nothing. But don't tell me you've never seen how Wilhelmina stares at you"
"It's none of your business" he answered annoyed.
An embarrassed silence followed. Then Louisette tried to change the subject. "Bloody hell" she exclaimed, pretending to have just realized something "It's two o'clock. Shouldn't we go searching for your friends?"
"You're right. It's late, not to mention it's started raining"
"Yeah" Louisette continued "And today there's the old Martin's son wedding. I really hope they didn't arrive at his tavern, or there's no way they can exit that place sober."
"Ma'am" Connor raised an eyebrow "Isn't Martin's the only tavern in the whole town?"
"Oh, yes"
The three looked to each other, the same light in each eyes.
"Oh God" Alexis finally exclaimed "We haven't any chance to retrieve them, have we?"
#
They were still wandering between Honfleur's street, arm in arm, walking slowly and staggering, not paying much attention to the fact that the hard rain definitely didn't fit with their relaxed gait.
"You know what I'd really like now?" Wilhelmina suddenly exclaimed.
Daniel looked perplexed at her "An umbrella?"
"God, you're always so trivial!" She answered, raising her eyes to the sky "And by now, it'd be totally useless. I was thinking something classier... Oysters, actually"
He was about to ask her if she was serious, and why on earth she had thought of a classy thing, such as oysters of all things. But his stomach prevailed. "You know, I'd really appreciate some of them too. Are you hungry?
"I am. We practically only drank in that place... It's too much even for me"
"Yeah, I see. But I'm sorry, I have no idea where to find oysters here."
"They cultivate them around this area, I'm pretty sure of that."
"Oh, voilà the oysters' expert!"
"Don't tease me!" she chuckled, slapping his chest slightly. "It's true, I swear!"
But he wasn't listening to her anymore. After a few more steps he stopped, forcing her to do the same, and after a couple of minutes; reaction times slowed due to their drinking, looked again to her.
"Have you been in church lately?" he asked.
She opened her eyes wider then ever "This hasn't anything to do with that thing which dares to call itself a church which is in front of us, has it?"
They were a few meters away from the small church of St. Catherine, glory of the small town. Built in the 15th century, the strong wooden structure had lasted perfectly across the ages, probably thanks to the particular structure which gave the impression of an upside-down ship's hull.
"It's pouring down. That place it's the only thing that can save us from massive pneumonia"
"C'mon, I was worried just about the Dior I'm wearing, but you can easily see how it's too late for it. If you get sick, it's none of my business"
"Thank you, sweet as usual" he answered, with a fake indignation.
"You're welcome. So, what's the plan?" She reprised.
"Enter the church?"
"Stop it. You really want me to have a spontaneous combustion? Do you think it'd be so simple get rid of me?"
"First, it's actually the reason why we are here. And you know perfectly well that if something is gonna burn, it will definitely be the church."
She smirked "For once, you're right." She didn't add anything else and slowly; her balance still unsafe, made her way into St. Catherine's Church, pulling him behind.
"Not so fast" he tried to warn "I don't want to roll in the mud"
"So shut up and move, I need to rest"
He obeyed and moved faster, mostly because he wanted to rest too. The photoshoot, of course, had gone completely out their minds.
They were soon in the church, deserted as the entire town, whose inhabitants were almost all still at the Martin's son wedding. She immediately left his arm and went to the nearest pew to sit. He followed her, and sat next.
"Nice, isn't it?" he asked after a while, pointing to the hull-shaped ceiling.
"It's… it's a boat. Why does it look like a boat?" she answered back, genuinely surprised.
"It has been built by the fisherman's guild. They use naval construction techniques. That's why it reminds you of a ship."
"Really? Then I don't want to know how it'd look if they were shoemakers"
Outside, the rain could be heard getting harder, spreading a strong regular pace all around them. However, a few minutes had passed when she proclaimed: "I'm thirsty"
He chuckled, observing. "Seriously? Haven't you drunk enough to-"
But she clearly wasn't interested in his opinion, since right after her proclamation she had opened her bag, and brought out a bottle.
He stared surprised at her "Is that what I think it is?"
"I don't know, are you thinking 'oh wow, we have another bottle of Calvados!' "
"What?"
"Stop complaining; or I won't even give you a sip"
"I don't think I'll drink more..."
She was about to take the first sip, but she stopped to tease him "You know you want it"
He could only nod with a childish look.
"Good boy" she congratulated, and then took the already-too-much-longed-for sip.
She regretted it almost immediately. Whatever she had just drank, she could detect only a light hint of Calvados, as the predominant flavor was everything but the alcoholic apple they had known that morning. She wasn't able to nominate what it was exactly, totally dazed by the full-flavor of the drink.
The taste was definitely too strong, and the risk that she had drank something deadly was high, but she couldn't stop drinking. Somehow, it was good, and she had known it could be dangerous when she first decided to steal that bottle directly from Martin's hands.
She stood up and started moving around the pew, in fact walking in circle. The more she drank, the more she felt the urge to move. She noticed she was quickly losing the control of her body, so decided to fight to maintain it at least in her mind. Meanwhile, she kept on drinking…
Where was Daniel? Wilhelmina had lost sight of him some time before, not knowing exactly when. Daniel? Why on earth she was with Daniel? She had totally forgotten, she could remember why she had started drinking that much. She wanted something, she didn't manage to obtain it, and she was depressed to be in her situation. She was able to remember this…
She closed her eyes, still walking though, taking some other sips at times. The peaceful, regular pace of the water touched her, it was rain? No, it was the sea.
She abruptly opened her eyes again, and she saw the ship. She was in a ship; she was in the middle of the sea – that definitely explained why she felt rocking here and there.
And then she saw him.
Sitting on the deck, there he was. Sitting on the deck, with his shirt unbuttoned, his hair uncombed and wet, smiling at her, there was the awesome mariner.
She immediately recognized him, as she had immediately remembered he was who she wanted so badly and not obtained that morning, but this didn't matter anymore. He was here now, in front of her, so close she could smell him, and dear god, she damned liked it.
She slowly took a step towards him, and was about to bend in order to get a kiss; he wanted to kiss her, she felt it, when she froze, shocked.
The man she was about to kiss, her awesome mariner, had Daniel's face. Better, he was Daniel, but she had realized it only in that very moment. Only a second more and she would have kissed him. Him, Daniel freaking Meade.
Daniel however didn't move a inch during the entire process, not even when it was clear what she was about to do. She mentally thanked God for this; at least she didn't have to give embarrassing explanations.
Still shattered, she rested against the pew behind her, and immediately she took a big sip of the supposed Calvados.
"Hey, leave me something!"
Daniel's voice definitely brought her back to this earth.
"Sure, it's all yours" she answered giving him the bottle "but don't finish it"
"Of course... Hey, are you sure you're ok?"
Damn it. She had thought he was asleep, unconscious or better dead but no, he had to noticeher behaviour.
"I'm fine, now drink and shut up" she ordered.
She hoped the strong drink would upset him as much as her, or maybe more.
He took his first sip. Grimace on his face, perfect! It was already taking effect.
Then he took another one, and his eyes changed.
What was happening to him? He didn't know, but he was sure that was anything but Calvados, and Wilhelmina was aware of this.
He had been such a fool when he first had followed her that day; he should have known it wasn't going to end well with Wilhelmina around.
He drank again - God, it was about to end - and closed his eyes, because he couldn't think with Wilhelmina keeping on staring at him that way.
He tried to relax, thinking of happy things. A warm home, kids all around, a lovely wife waiting for him. He focused on her; it looked like Connor's Molly. He wanted to reach her, but he barely started to think of doing this when all was shaken by a huge explosion. Outside, the church had been struck by a lightening. Inside Daniel's mind, Molly and their house had been, and all had disappeared.
He squeezed his eyes, struggling to retrieve a little lucidity. He was again on the pew, in the church: a good first step.
"What the hell is in there?" he asked; with a tremendous effort, he had to admit.
"I have no idea" she answered "But whatever it is, give me a little more" and immediately snatched the bottle from his hands.
She didn't drink however. Daniel kept on staring at her.
"What?"
"I really think it's drugged, or something"
"Oh, it totally is" she answered as a matter of fact, then drinking at last.
"You knew it? And you keep on drinking? Worse, you let me drink without saying anything!"
"And be the only stoned one in the room? Not funny at all."
"My dear God!" he exclaimed "We are taking drugs in a church!"
"Please stop, you are picturing us like two junkies. Now shut up and enjoy your last minutes with your own mind"
"You already started a little trip with yours, didn't you?" he said, any trace of anger already disappeared from his face.
"You too, am I wrong?" she answered back, smirking.
"You enjoyed it, that's why you're still drinking"
"Good boy! Your brightness has just gained you the last sip of this nectar… How generous of me, don't you think?"
"Really generous ma'am" he smiled, grabbing then the bottle of the nectar.
The bottle was quickly empty. The two looked to each other, trying to get and idea from the other of what would be next. In the meantime, the Calvados, the nectar, the drug or whatever it was reprised its effect on them.
"Sit down" he said then, pointing to the space next to him.
She didn't answer.
"I said, sit down!"
Finally she moved, but definitely doing something he never thought of. She had drawn closer to him, and slowly started to roll up her skirt, moving closer and closer, until she sat again on his lap, her leg now around his body.
"Where are you?" He whispered, not sure if feeling embarrassed or pleased.
"I'm again with my awesome mariner" she answered, leading her hands to the first buttons of his shirt "Where are you?"
He could hear her breathing, every moment faster. Without thinking he led his hands to her shirt, wanting to take a new peek into there. Yes, he had just thought 'I want to see her boobs again', and he had been only moderately shocked by the idea.
"Who is he?"
"He's you"
But Daniel knew that somehow she was lying to him. Not that the awesome mariner hadn't his face, because he totally had. Only she wasn't sure he was what she really wanted. For his part, he had at first been convinced that she wasn't what he needed, but then they had been stuck by the lightening, and all had changed…
He touched the lace of her bra, but he didn't enjoy it very long, since a new, stronger feeling had suddenly struck him – the warm feeling of her lips on his neck.
After a few kisses though, she pulled her head away from him and grabbed his hands to gently move them to her hips. Doing that, she took a look at his face, to check his reaction. Of course, Wilhelmina was resistant to the adulterated Calvados; more than Daniel thought, but she had no intention of letting him know. Maybe she wasn't completely master of her own actions, or thoughts, and in other situations she'd never done anything of this kind, but that wasn't the point. By now it was late to come back, so it was worth enjoying and then blaming the infamous bottle; supposing that later on he would remember what was happening.
She reprised kissing his neck, languidly moving to his chest, which she had made sure to leave exposed unbuttoning his shirt.
He just didn't manage to move, totally focused on following the course of her lips on him. This was until the urgent desire of reacting hit him: abruptly he grabbed her hair, forcing Wilhelmina to raise her look up again at him. She appreciated the audacity, and decided to start giving him what she knew had been just asked for.
It actually took some moments for him to realize that her lips were now meeting his. Despite the good resolutions made barely a minute before, he gave in immediately, letting her lead the game. At first she limited to teasing his bottom lip, having fun nibbling at it. Then, the time came for them time to reach the next level.
The initiative was Daniel's: for God's sake, he was the man. She didn't oppose any resistance, in fact responding right away to the kiss. She came closer with all her body, as he pulled her head to him, deepening the kiss.
He felt her body quivering on his. She felt his tongue teasing hers, his hands now sliding along her body, toward her butt.
He couldn't reach it though, since all at once she had grabbed his hands, pulled them away and broken the kiss. Then, smiling naughtily, she simply stood up.
The glorious moment of the awesome mariner had ended, he thought sadly. He looked at her, again rested against the pew in front of him, first rolling down the skirt in a more appropriate way, then buttoning her shirt.
When she had finished, she returned to sit next to him. Yeah, definitely, the games have ended. A little disappointed, he rearranged his clothes too.
Sat next to each other, they remained silent for a couple of minutes, probably trying both to construct thoughts more elaborate than a series of groans.
"Good night"
Her voice came unexpected. But before he could say anything, she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.
Daniel looked at her: he had never seen Wilhelmina so relaxed, her traits so sweetened. He dared to brush her hair, and the lack of reaction confirmed to him she was already sleeping. That made it clear he couldn't do anything but follow her to dreamland.
Pulling his arm around her, he tightened her to him, afraid she might be cold. Afterwards he closed his eyes too, and it didn't take a long time to fall asleep.
#
This way, later on, the others found them. Le juice du le charmant marin had worked fine even that time, the old Martin thought happily when Louisette told him the story.
Author's note: And so finally this little story sees the light. It's started like nothing serious, but thank to my to-be-legendary slowness its publications would be considered almost a miracle LOL. I really hope you have appreciated it, since it's my first time with a story written directly in English, and well, with Daniel and Wilhelmina having a considerable physical contact :P
I really thank Frà for all her support, I know what a pain in the neck I can be. I promise next time blackmail won't be necessary.