A/N: fbi-woman, thank you for reviewing and I hope that you enjoy this chapter. All you other non-reviewing ppl, please review:) Pretty please?!!

Chapter 2

Beautiful Stranger

Christian was slowly rationalizing in his mind what was to be done in a situation such as this. And who was this beautiful woman that had been thrown into this adventure with him? He glanced at her quickly, noticing a frown on her face. She might be beautiful but she seemed to be a very troubled individual, psychologically. He had a sixth sense of sensing such things about people upon meeting them. It helped when choosing his friends – male and female. He just couldn't be around people who were tense all the time. He was a relaxed person and found it difficult to understand people who weren't. It troubled him at times that he did not have comprehension for people with problems, but he just never felt comfortable around them and figured why torture oneself and pretend to enjoy spending time with such people. The other thing he valued in people was honesty so he could never be anything but honest. He was that sort of guy. That's why he never got as many dates as his friends. He couldn't pretend he was attracted to someone if he wasn't. End of story. It had kept him out of trouble occasionally but his friends didn't understand. No one really did. He had yet to meet the person that would.

After an indefinite silence, Christian opted to break it.

"So what's your name?" he inquired casually.

"Why d'you wanna know?" Satine replied, not lowering her guard for one second.

"Well... it seems like we're gonna be stuck here for a while. Alone. Together. What am I going to call you? Girl?" retorted Christian sarcastically.

"And I can call you boy!" she laughed arrogantly, pretending to be amused by the whole situation, when in fact she was worried to death. She was alone, stuck on a deserted island with someone she didn't know… someone she didn't trust... and yet he didn't seem malicious or hypocritical, like most men she knew. Instead, there was something about him... he seemed truly genuine. That's what her heart told her. But following her heart had brought her so much heartache in the past that she had long forgotten to listen to it.

Christian's ironic voice took her out of her own world, "Now seriously... is there anything boyish about me?"

Satine looked at him head to toe... There wasn't much boyish there, she had to agree. That was a real man standing before her and she had to admit he was quite handsome – nice brown hair and a manly shaved face. He wore a white undershirt as a tank top, beneath which nicely formed muscles were showing. His legs were okay, nothing special really, but good enough. He had big hands, but they didn't seem rough. As he brought his hand to his face to bush away a strand of hair from his face, Satine was amazed. His movements were so soft and gentle, as if he were carrying a baby and didn't want to wake it. Then she looked into his eyes... Eyes that mesmerized her instantly. They had a spark in them... The deepest eyes she'd ever seen, as if she could look into his soul. And there was so much there for one single soul: boyish mischief combined with a note of seriousness, a don't-worry-be-happy outlook, love, a lot of love... and plenty of faith.

"So am I man enough for you?" Christian repeated, seeing as his words had no effect the first time.

Satine wanted to say something about the boyish mischief she saw, but she reckoned it would sound stupid so she arrogantly replied with an air of European royalty, "That is yet to be seen."

"So what do I call you, girl?"

"Well..." Satine would still not let her guard down, while at the same time she enjoyed this teasing.

"Fine! I'll call you girl! Girl, girl, girl!!" Christian chanted as he circled around her like a sorcerer casting an evil spell on his prisoner.

Satine was getting impatient, "Okay, Okay, you can call me Satine. You spell it S-a-t-"

"I'm quite aware of how it is spelt, mademoiselle Satine."

"How did you know it was French?" Satine asked, not managing to hide her surprise.

"I have my sources," replied Christian with a glint of satisfaction in his eyes, which her own quick eyes did not miss.

So he was quite smart. So what? He wasn't going to get the better of her.

"And what shall I call you, monsieur?" as she gave an overworked laugh, purposely showing it was fake.

"Well... I don't know..."

"Ohhh!!! You are just impossible!" she yelled exasperated, as she waved her arms about. She didn't understand how she even remotely hoped they would get along.

He was quiet, and watching him so calm and carefree she gave up and turned to walk away.

"Christian."

She spun around. He'd said it so frankly, so matter-of-factly; she didn't know why one simple word had warmed her heart so. But she kept her cool.

"Christian what?"

"Just Christian."

"But you do have a last name!"

"So do you."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

They locked gazes for a second, each heart beating faster, but upon seeing the flames of passion rise in their irises, both got scared and each went their own opposite ways along the seashore, waves playing catch with their ankles.

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Christian was doubtful. He didn't know what to make of her... Satine. What a truly wonderful name it was. He sighed. He didn't really understand what was going on inside of him. He didn't even know her and yet he felt a connection with her instantly. And she wasn't even his type, even just to be a friend. He didn't like uneasy nervous people, they made him jumpy and being a carefree soul it just wasn't him.

But with Satine it was different. He enjoyed teasing her and the jumpy feeling inside that he felt in her presence was a change he welcomed in his heart, although his mind could not explain any of it. Being as he was, it didn't bother him much. He was content with simply thinking about her, taking pleasure in remembering the beautiful features of her face, the look she had given him with those sharp eyes of hers, imagining the silhouette her slender figure would make... The rest would take care of itself, in due time. That's how he lived his life and was rarely disappointed with the results. Okay, so he wasn't the world's richest man, nor did he have anything to really boast about, but he had a job that he loved which permitted him a comfortable lifestyle. Not that he needed much, he was probably one of the most non-materialistic people on Earth, although he never thought of such things. He never even had fantasies about being the "world's best" in anything. He did not worry or care about recognition from the world. Christian was a free soul. And being stuck here on this remote island was not something that bothered him in the least, in fact he had unconsciously longed for such an adventure, thrill, and experience all his life. The society he lived in was too limiting and judgmental for him to feel comfortable in, not having found a soulmate with whom to share the pleasures of life with.

As he walked and wondered when he would see Satine again, he felt out of breath, which made him realize that he had been walking quite fast so he sat down on the sand admiring the sight of the waves playing with the sun's rays. He noticed a twig nearby and with no conscious effort he began writing her name in the sand. As each wave extended itself over the sand it would erase the inscription and he would repeat the motion as if bewitched.