"Say something." The voice inside Nubia's head told her. "Say anything. Don't stare. Say. Anything. Any words will do!"
The voice chuckled, deep and melodious, and in a swirl of colour, Nubia found herself on her feet, her eyes wide and her hair coming loose, clutching boxes to her chest, and looking past the beautiful eyes into the face of her saviour.
Said saviour was, it seemed, some kind of god. Messy, longish dark hair framed a lean, strong jawed face, which was currently split into a dazzling smile, radiating warmth and concern. Or perhaps the warmth was coming from his torso, which, Nubia realised with a rush of hot blood to her face, was bare, muscled, tanned and absolutely gorgeous. It was as if Adonis himself had caught her.
"Erm...um...thank you..." Nubia stuttered, cursing herself with every syllable, and trying not to look at his magnificently sculpted body, "I'm...so...clumsy, the stairs, I tripped..."
"Perfectly understandable." said the young man, chuckling again. "Tricky, unpredictable things, stairs." His voice was calm and deep, and sounded to Nubia like warm honey dripping off a silver spoon. "Here. Let me help with those boxes."
He neatly took the entire stack from her with one hand, leaving the other still resting lightly on her arm, "Where do they need to go?"
Nubia tried to remember all the Latin words she had learnt over the past 6 years, because they all appeared to have abandoned her at the sound of this stranger's voice and the touch of his hand. Struggling to regain her composure, she gestured vaguely towards the direction of the hall.
"I imagine you're in a bit of shock" he smiled, turning towards the hall (letting go of her arm in the process-Nubia suddenly felt able to speak again). He set the boxes down by the door and strode back to where she still stood at the foot of the stairs. Picking up a piece of rough paper, he started rubbing the corner of a table, which was, Nubia suddenly grasped, what he must have been doing when she fell.
The young man looked up at her and grinned, "Just taking the sharpness off it. This corner didn't quite match the other three. And we can't have the customer unsatisfied. The captain expressly wished that this table be perfect." He blew away the wood shavings, rubbed the corner to give it some shine, and straightened up.
"I am sorry, I'm being terribly rude, I haven't even introduced myself! My name's Leander, the carpenter's boy." He offered his hand and Nubia took it. "A pleasure to meet you....?"
"Nubia."
"Nubia." Another smile, but this one was softer, more earnest.
There was a pause. Nubia didn't know what to think. She was simply caught in his eyes and his face. But a nagging voice told her she should probably break this up. There was work to be done.
"And now, we are just...holding hands..." she said, allowing herself a giggle.
Leander gave a small, embarrassed laugh, and let go of her hand. Nubia had a fleeting urge to grab it again and hold onto it forever, but then it was gone, as swift as a deer through the wood.
"Did I hear someone say the carpenter's boy was here?" Captain Geminus, looking rather flustered, emerged from his study. Nubia saw that his toga was on back to front...
"Yes Sir, here I am, and here's your table." Leander presented the ornately carved mahogany item to the Captain.
"Very nice." Said Geminus thoughtfully, walking all around it with an appraising eye, "Cordius certainly wasn't exaggerating about your skills!"
He stopped walking "But where are two of the ornaments? I ordered sixteen wooden owls to be set upon it, and I can only see fourteen..."
"Sixteen? The master told me fourtee-...Pollux!" Leander swore. "I'm so sorry Captain Geminus, I'll make them straight away..."
Captain Geminus sighed, running a hand through his slightly greying hair, "Oh don't worry Leander...Just...have them here as soon as you can. Preferably by the sixth hour past noon, if you can..."
"Don't worry Sir," Leander grinned, "I'll get right on it."
He turned back to Nubia "It was very nice to meet you Nubia...hopefully I'll see you again soon...?"
He flashed her another smile, and strode off through the door onto Green Fountain Street.
"Nubia...." Captain Geminus growled amusedly, with fatherly affection. She realised she had been standing staring open mouthed after Leander. "Don't you have something to be getting on with? It is Flavia's betrothal feast after all. Maybe start on those boxes?"
But at that moment a very flustered Alma appeared. "Captain Geminus! Nubia! Flavia!"
Flavia appeared sulkily at the top of the stairs, looking even more dishevelled than she had earlier thanks to the crying fit. "What?"
Alma drew herself up importantly and looked all around to make sure her words would have maximum impact: "HE'S HERE."