I settled on a chicken pie. Any leftovers would do for tomorrow and there would be plenty should I have a guest. Once it was in the oven, I went out to sit on the porch, hoping that Richard would appear. After a while I became aware of somebody approaching. To my dismay I looked up to see Ben walking towards the house. After exchanging pleasantries, he thankfully turned towards Richard's door. When Richard appeared, they spoke in low murmurs, and then walked off together.
I cursed with disappointment but then scolded myself for becoming so reliant on Richard for company. Was there something special about him? Or could it have been anyone else if they had shown me kindness? I needed to make some new friends. Richard was rarely here anyway. Maybe if I was given a job as he had suggested it would give me more opportunity to socialise.
Evening came and I dug into a portion of chicken pie hungrily out on the porch. To treat myself I opened a bottle of Dharma wine that i'd found in the stores. It wasn't all that great but I figured it was better than nothing and in time i'd learn to appreciate it. After two glasses I was feeling pleasantly giddy, which was probably why I was feeling all confident by the time Richard returned.
"Care to join me?" I called.
"Sure!" Richard replied, looking at the half full bottle of wine and the rest of the pie sitting on the table. I fetched another glass and plate and sat watching him devouring a portion of pie.
"How long are you here for?" I asked him.
"I have to go back to camp in the morning." he replied. "I asked Ben to find a job for you. He's going to speak to you about it tomorrow."
We spent the rest of the evening talking about music, books, movies and our other interests. I learned that Richard could speak both Spanish and Latin. We finished off the wine, and another bottle that Richard produced. It had been a lovely night, but had to end some time. As we said our goodbyes, I gave into temptation, and flung my arms round Richard, embracing him in a hug.
"Thank you for helping me and making all this bearable." I said. He returned the hug and gently held me, before eventually letting me go and turned to retreat through his door.
I went to bed happy that night. I couldn't deny it to myself any longer. I had feelings for Richard that were only getting stronger by the day. I was relatively inexperienced in relationships. I'd had boyfriends whilst at school, but nothing serious. Once I started travelling I was never in one place long enough to really meet someone and form a relationship. Nobody had ever made me feel like Richard did. I wondered about his history. Could he have feelings for me too? Did he already have someone? It had never come up, but he certainly hadn't mentioned anyone. He was older than me, perhaps mid 30s? Maybe he had a girl back at his camp waiting for him. The thought depressed me so I closed my eyes and forced myself to sleep.