Let Her Try
"A lot of boxes today," Noah comments, as he starts to transfer them from the L-cart to the top-stock cart. "Hey, Sephtis. How many of these do you think will have one of those tiny oil bottles inside?"
"I don't know," the black-haired guy laughs, "but the boxes seemed really light."
He places another stack onto the cart before cutting open a light box, "Yep." Noah turns it to show the shipper, and the guy chuckles at the several square slots containing one essential oil throughout. "They just have to be so careful, you know?"
"Yeah," he smiles before continuing to gather the boxes. "So, how are you doing?"
"Good, I guess." He smirks, "I have enough PTO saved to get a vacation. I'm thinking I might take next week off."
Noah nods, "Good."
"What about you?"
"We got this new hire." He pauses, "She's, uh, well… pretty good looking, you know?"
"You going to hit that?" he questions.
"Hit?" Noah unsurely responds. "Uh… I'd like to actually get to know her first. We had our first date last night."
"Well, how'd it go?"
He places the last box on the cart, before he meets his blue eyes, "Well, she's a vegetarian, likes to read a lot, and…"
"And?" he prompts.
"And nothing," he dismisses. "That's about it."
"Really?" he inquires. "Because you have that same look as when you get a weird order in. Come on. What's wrong with her? Tell me."
"It's nothing wrong," he slowly states.
"But?"
"But she's a dryad," he breathes. "Whatever that is."
"A dryad?" his eyebrows furrow. "So, she's a hybrid?"
"Is that the term?" Noah asks.
"And you didn't know that when you hired her?" he judges.
"I mean, my father did the hiring," Noah explains, "and people aren't required to disclose their status on a job application."
"Bullshit," Sephtis furies. "You're a family ran business. You have every right to know who's working for you."
"Hey." Noah reminds him, "Just because someone isn't human, doesn't mean they're any less of a hard worker."
"Are you kidding me?" he spouts. "Forget about their work ethic. These people are dangerous. You don't know what she's capable of."
"She's been nothing but good to us," he frowns. "She's so attentive, a fast learner, and she wants to do better every day."
"And you don't think she's dangerous?" he doubts. "She's trying to learn about you and your family— your business— and you don't think she's going to play you?"
"I trust her."
"She went out with you," his voice raises. "Don't you think that's suspicious?"
"I asked her out," he sternly defends.
"Did she even grow up here?" he bypasses.
"No, but—"
"See," he asserts. "She doesn't even know our customs. She doesn't have our morals— our values. How could you trust someone like that?"
"She's still a person," he stares him down. "It doesn't matter that she wasn't born here."
"Do you even know where she's from?" he disputes.
"The Enchanted Forest," he immediately answers.
"You mean, the place people go and never leave?" Sephtis counters, and Noah's expression falters. "You know what goes on there. It has trees that eat animals. It's where the man killer Artemis lives. Only the most dangerous creatures could ever survive there."
"You need to read up on your Greek gods." Noah informs, "Artemis is afraid of betrayal. She only hunts men who stare at her."
"She walks around the forest naked," he spouts. "If she didn't want the attention, she should be wearing something."
"So, it's her fault?" his eyes widen.
"Yes," he steps forward. "It's her fault men go after her. She's just another one of those sluts who tease men and then cry rape the second they're even touched." Noah looks away. "What? You have something to say?"
He faces him, "I think Artemis deserves respect for the goddess she is. All women do. It shouldn't matter what they decide to wear. When you walk in on someone naked, you don't stare at them. You keep your eyes down."
"And when they're in public, doing it on purpose?" he challenges.
"It still doesn't matter," Noah sternly remarks, before he eyes over him. "Don't you have another store to get to?"
"That girl's going to kill you," he warns.
"Let her try," Noah dismisses, before the guy shakes his head and hauls the L-cart away.
In the sun, her skin has a healthy glow, and she smiles up at it as she breathes in the fresh air. Noah opens the glass door and steps forward, "Nice day, isn't it?"
"It is," she smiles, sitting on the concrete stairs. "It's always nice to feel the sun." He doesn't respond, and she frowns at him, "Do you not agree?"
"No. I agree," he reassures, before she smiles again and faces forward. He sits next to her, "Is this where you go every day?"
"Not every day." She corrects, "Only the days I am here."
"Right." He pauses, "I just meant, you like the sun a lot."
"It is warm and vibrant," she slowly speaks. "Can you feel it?"
"Um," he thinks. "It is warm today."
She hums, "No." before she meets his brown eyes. "The sun. Do you feel the sun?"
Noah hesitates, "I'm not really sure what you mean."
"Can I show you?" she asks.
"Um." He nods, "Yeah. Okay."
Her smile widens, "You see, the sun touches the skin." before she places her fingertips onto his arm and slowly moves them down. "The rays run over you."
"It tickles," he half laughs.
"It can." She removes the sky-blue sweater from her waist and places it onto his shoulders, zipping up the front. "It can also hug."
"What else can the sun do?"
Nadia grins, "Well." before she pecks his lips and giggles. "It can tease you." She shifts behind him, "Hide behind the clouds." and wraps her arms over him. "Then take you in and take hold." She lets go, her voice saddening some, "Finally, it leaves you, and you are all alone."
"The sun comes back, though," he reminds her.
She places a hand on his shoulder, "Not always in time."
He turns to her, "What do you mean?"
"The sun is important." She thinks, "It makes life. Without it, we would die. Forever."
"The sun's not going to leave any time soon," he smiles.
Nadia nods once, "You are right. It does not leave." before she pauses. "If it left, that may be better. There would be certainty, but no. It does not leave. It abandons, and it does so every night." She meets his eyes, "The sun chooses who shall live and who will die."
He hesitates, "The sun doesn't choose to leave. It doesn't have a choice."
"And yet," she affirms, "so many lives are lost once it does."
Noah frowns, "I'm sure plenty of people survive."
"And that makes it okay that others do not?" she inquires.
"No," he lets out a breath. "Of course, not."
"The sun gives us life," Nadia repeats. "We are not safe in the dark."
"I guess you're right about that," he agrees.
She smiles, "So, you understand?"
"Yeah," Noah nods. "I think so."
Nadia hugs him, "And my sisters told me not to trust you."
"Your sisters?" he surprises.
She laughs it off, "They are very weary of humans." before she finds his hand and holds it. "It is best they do not know this."
"Why not?"
"They," she slowly states, "think humans are bad, do bad things." Nadia eyes down, "There has not been a human who came to our home who did not hurt us."
He folds his other hand over hers, "I would never hurt you."
"I know." She looks back up, and he sees her blue eyes gleam with tears, "But to them, you are just another. They would hate you."
"It's fine," he understands. "They don't need to know."
She partly smiles, "Thank you, Noah."
After she places her head onto his shoulder, he hesitates, "There is something you should know." She moves to see him, and he shakes his head, "I think I did something really stupid."
"Something stupid?"
His breathing becomes uneasy, "There is someone I talk to, and I thought I knew him. I thought it would be nothing, but…"
"But?" she prompts.
Noah gulps, "He asked me how I was, and I told him about my girlfriend. I told him about you, and… how you're a dryad and…"
"He did not like me," she finishes.
The tears leave his eyes, "I'm so sorry."
Nadia eyes over him, "It is alright, Noah." before she places a hand to his cheek and swipes a tear away with her thumb. "It is nothing I have not gone through before."
He huffs, "You're sure?"
She tenses a smile, "Of course."
- Posted: 05/16/2019