darkness once more she realised the horrible insect sounds had ceased. Jamie’s laughter continued as he stepped toward the balcony and pulled back the curtain, his face illuminated by the moonlight.
“Jesus Christ, what is that thing?” Kirsten felt her heart beating wildly in her chest. Jamie reached out his long fingers, plucked the insect off the wall and cocooned it into his hand.
“It’s a Huhu Beetle.” He moved closer to Kirsten but she backed away in haste.
“A what?”
“No who .” Jamie grinned. Kirsten blinked back at him in the dark. He seemed like a completely different person to the one she had met earlier in the day. And now he was actually making jokes with her. She couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“I’ve heard of a Huhu grub, but not a beetle.”
Jamie opened his hand and the insect crawled slowly up the sleeve of his shirt. “Well, this is what they look like when they grow up.”
Kirsten shrank back nervously. “God, they’re hideous.” She shivered thinking about those prickly legs crawling on her skin.
“They’re pretty harmless. He’s got a decent set of mandibles, but he’ll only bite when threatened.” Jamie’s hair fell over his eyes, throwing shadows across his face. A bit like you I expect, Kirsten thought as she watched him. He looked quite stunning in the pale moonlight with his angular jaw line and the soft shape of his mouth as it curled into dimples.
He walked to the door and threw the Huhu into the air. It hummed away slowly into the night sky. Kirsten pulled the curtain back into her hand and leaned against the door frame as Jamie approached the windows from the outside.
“You should have your shutters closed,” he instructed as he pulled them loose from their restraints. “That way you can have the windows open when the light is on.”
Kirsten was pleased he couldn’t see her cheeks redden. “I didn’t even realise there were shutters.”
Jamie chuckled under his breath. After the conversation earlier she had no doubt he thought her to be a scatterbrain.
“Why does that not surprise me?” Jamie clicked the first shutter into the window frame and walked across to the second. He glanced down at Kirsten, and seeing her expression he added, “That’s nothing against you, just everyone else around here.”
“I’m sorry you weren’t told I was coming,” Kirsten stammered, feeling apologetic for something that should have been none of her concern.
“Yeah, me too. But shit happens doesn’t it?”
Kirsten wasn’t sure what to say.
Jamie came back into the room and as Kirsten straightened up, he closed the door behind them.
“Sarah thinks you’re pretty hot shit anyway.” A small smile crept into the corners of his mouth. “And I have no doubt you’re probably extremely competent. So sending you away would be cutting off my nose to spite my face wouldn’t it?”
Kirsten smiled. “Indeed.”
Jamie opened the bedroom door and light flooded in from the hallway.
“You should be safe from bugs now.” He teased her with another smile. “Just make sure you only open the door at night when the light is out.” He stepped away to the stairs. “Good night, Kirsty.”
“Good night.” Kirsty watched him go. “Jamie?” she asked as he took hold of the banister. He turned and looked at her questioningly. “Thank you.”
There was no reply, he simply turned and disappeared back down the stairs.
* * * *
Kirsten woke late the next morning. It was a little cooler than the day before, and with the sweet night air filtering into her room she had been able to sleep better. After a quick breakfast Beth had some paperwork to go over with her so they adjourned to her office to discuss business. A lesson plan had arrived from the correspondence school, giving Kirsten a good chance to go over what Sarah had been, and would be learning. She took her homework to the patio and sat in a blue striped lounger to study. It was incredibly quiet in
“Jesus Christ, what is that thing?” Kirsten felt her heart beating wildly in her chest. Jamie reached out his long fingers, plucked the insect off the wall and cocooned it into his hand.
“It’s a Huhu Beetle.” He moved closer to Kirsten but she backed away in haste.
“A what?”
“No who .” Jamie grinned. Kirsten blinked back at him in the dark. He seemed like a completely different person to the one she had met earlier in the day. And now he was actually making jokes with her. She couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“I’ve heard of a Huhu grub, but not a beetle.”
Jamie opened his hand and the insect crawled slowly up the sleeve of his shirt. “Well, this is what they look like when they grow up.”
Kirsten shrank back nervously. “God, they’re hideous.” She shivered thinking about those prickly legs crawling on her skin.
“They’re pretty harmless. He’s got a decent set of mandibles, but he’ll only bite when threatened.” Jamie’s hair fell over his eyes, throwing shadows across his face. A bit like you I expect, Kirsten thought as she watched him. He looked quite stunning in the pale moonlight with his angular jaw line and the soft shape of his mouth as it curled into dimples.
He walked to the door and threw the Huhu into the air. It hummed away slowly into the night sky. Kirsten pulled the curtain back into her hand and leaned against the door frame as Jamie approached the windows from the outside.
“You should have your shutters closed,” he instructed as he pulled them loose from their restraints. “That way you can have the windows open when the light is on.”
Kirsten was pleased he couldn’t see her cheeks redden. “I didn’t even realise there were shutters.”
Jamie chuckled under his breath. After the conversation earlier she had no doubt he thought her to be a scatterbrain.
“Why does that not surprise me?” Jamie clicked the first shutter into the window frame and walked across to the second. He glanced down at Kirsten, and seeing her expression he added, “That’s nothing against you, just everyone else around here.”
“I’m sorry you weren’t told I was coming,” Kirsten stammered, feeling apologetic for something that should have been none of her concern.
“Yeah, me too. But shit happens doesn’t it?”
Kirsten wasn’t sure what to say.
Jamie came back into the room and as Kirsten straightened up, he closed the door behind them.
“Sarah thinks you’re pretty hot shit anyway.” A small smile crept into the corners of his mouth. “And I have no doubt you’re probably extremely competent. So sending you away would be cutting off my nose to spite my face wouldn’t it?”
Kirsten smiled. “Indeed.”
Jamie opened the bedroom door and light flooded in from the hallway.
“You should be safe from bugs now.” He teased her with another smile. “Just make sure you only open the door at night when the light is out.” He stepped away to the stairs. “Good night, Kirsty.”
“Good night.” Kirsty watched him go. “Jamie?” she asked as he took hold of the banister. He turned and looked at her questioningly. “Thank you.”
There was no reply, he simply turned and disappeared back down the stairs.
* * * *
Kirsten woke late the next morning. It was a little cooler than the day before, and with the sweet night air filtering into her room she had been able to sleep better. After a quick breakfast Beth had some paperwork to go over with her so they adjourned to her office to discuss business. A lesson plan had arrived from the correspondence school, giving Kirsten a good chance to go over what Sarah had been, and would be learning. She took her homework to the patio and sat in a blue striped lounger to study. It was incredibly quiet in
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