Cali dragged her eyes away from the spot where the truck had disappeared around the bend .Her eyes refocused as though she had been lost in thought and did a rapid assessment of my bodily appearance ."You're a mess hun", she said as once again she inspected my battered cheek. "Don't worry I've been out to Mother Nature's cupboard to stock up on my essentials, and will whip up a soothing poultice in a jiff to help regain your looks", she exclaimed with a wink and a cheeky grin. I smiled wearily in return and followed her up the path to the entrance of our shared apartment.
The apartment consisted of a hall- way leading off the front door, with the bathroom to the right. The sitting room was directly of the hall and the kitchen to the right over- looking a balcony. Both bedrooms were side by side at the other end of the sitting room. The kitchen, bathroom and sitting-room were decorated in neutral tones of cream and beige, with a deep piled chocolate coloured carpet running through all three areas. It was homely and welcoming; the sitting-room had two matching brown leather sofas for guests to sit upon, and a small flat screen TV on a glass stand in the corner. On one side of the room a glass shelving unit displayed Cali's various knick-knacks as well as holding a few of her books on witch-craft that she was reading simultaneously. We had decided to keep the "public" areas of the apartment in neutral shades when we had first moved into the complex, but stamp our own personalities on our respective bedrooms by decorating them to our own tastes. I made my way to the sitting room and sat on one of the sofas with a sigh gingerly touching the delicate area around my cheek and eye.
"God," I muttered, "this is going to look very pretty over the next couple of days. Who needs make-up when all you have to do is stand in front of a fist for instant eye-shadow." Cali came out of the small galley kitchen carrying a steaming mug of almond latte. The aroma wafted across the room reminding me of the one that I'd spilled earlier. I looked down at my cream linen dress suit and let out another sigh. A large brown stain covered my lap and splashes of the same coffee colour littered my top. "Hell, these cost me a fortune," I remarked. "Now look at me, I look like some kind of mutant Dalmatian. This is never going to shift," I moaned. Cali breezed over and placed the steaming mug in my hands.
"Don't worry mama's here and she knows just what to do." She sauntered over to the end of the room swinging her hips to some melody only she could hear. Cali disappeared into her bedroom leaving the door open. The walls were painted in a deep mauve and a black silk comforter covered the old iron bedstead. The room was dimly lit owing to black floor length gauze curtains that hung from the large window to the side of her bed. Yep Cali liked to make an impact and her décor was an extension to her personality, sensual and predatory. She rustled around the far end of her bedroom and emerged with an armful of small containers.
"Hubble bubble toil and trouble,"Cali waggled her eyebrows as she strode past back to the kitchen laughing at her own "in" joke." "Gotta look good for handsome when he comes a calling," she chirped as she proceeded to clang about in the small kitchen. I stood up and followed her to the doorway. On the pine table in contrast to the rest of the modern kitchen sat a small black squat cauldron. Beneath this appeared to be flickering blue flames, but the wooden table appeared untouched by the flame and it gave out no tangible heat. I leaned over for a closer look when Cali warned me to stay clear. The blue flame, she explained, was witches' fire and although it gave out no heat and appeared harmless, when commanded it would engulf and consume all that stood in its path. Feeling decidedly on edge I abandoned my post at the door and returned to the sitting room. Cali continued to chop and grind the contents of her containers adding them to the cauldron now and again in a gentle hiss of steam, all the while singing melodiously under her breath. The fragrance from the cauldron permeated throughout the apartment, mint, lavender and woodland essences invaded every room bringing with them a sense of peace and wellbeing. Eventually she reappeared with a glass of emerald green liquid.
"Here you go sugar, drink up," she commanded as she handed me the glass. I took the glass from her and eyed the contents suspiciously. "Honestly, anyone would think I was going to poison you," she exclaimed exasperated by my suspicious looks. "Not only does it taste good, it will do you good. It was my great, great, gran's recipe, and has been used by the women in my family to heal a multitude of hurts from childbirth to broken hearts," she explained. "It works from the inside out, healing body and mind." That would account for my sense of wellbeing I thought as I began to drink Cali's healing potion. The sensation was unlike any I had experienced before; a warm glow began from the back of my throat and travelled on down wards until it hit my stomach then spread throughout the remainder of my body. Energy and a sensual confidence suffused my inner-self, I was pretty sure that my pupils were dilated as I recognised an under currant of something else running through me.
"What exactly was in that?" I asked, my suspicions roused even further at her self-satisfied smirk and mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
"Just a little helping hand, frigid pants," she retorted, "and don't worry it will heal your cheek as well, "she added quickly as I opened my mouth to start berating her. " I just want to make sure your true self emerges when Rinc arrives. You're so awkward around men it's painful to watch. Now go and shower you stink of coffee while I find something for you to wear." I didn't get a chance to answer back as Cali had disappeared into my room to begin rifling through my meagre wardrobe.
The shower was deliciously hot, I used the expensive bath products that my foster parents had bought me the previous Christmas to lather myself in pink bubbles and envelope me in a cloud of steam. The warm water cascaded over me in scented waves caressing every inch of my body it touched. I leaned back against the cubicle revelling in the luxury of magnolia, frangipane and white tea rose. An involuntary sigh escaped my lips as the cares of the day melted away like phantoms in the morning mist.
"Christ, your perfect!" a deep growl suddenly and rudely interrupted my reverie.
My eyes flew open, there in front of me through the open door of the bathroom stood Rinc, his eyes drinking in my nakedness in a caress as palpable as the water flowing over me. Over whelmed with embarrassment I lifted my chin and in a voice that sounded much more in control than I actually was commanded him to close the door. To my mortification Rinc closed the door by stepping inside and kicking it shut with his heel. I opened and closed my mouth like a stranded fish but no words emerged only a strangled gasp. Desperately I searched for something to protect my modesty, only to be confronted by a pair of strong masculine hands holding out a white towel for me to step into, and to be engulfed both by it and the man in possession of them.