The Grand Mistress

Simione took the kiss for one reason, she wanted to feel whether her feelings for her were real. Sometimes she doubts her own words and feelings as all her words started out as all pretenses because deep inside her she knew he would never choose her. All these times she thought she was bold to express she wanted to become his woman to test him—whether or not he would grab her confession and take her instead. However tonight, her feelings for him somehow changed and she felt like there were no pretenses anymore. Her heart was no longer pretending.

Hawk's love for Feather was sincere and deep, she no doubt knew that and this was the only one thing she was jealous of Feather of. She knew the ballerina well, she can pretend to be nice and kind but her act cannot get past a Monsanto like Hawk. If Hawk wasnt inlove with her, he should have already seen her true colors by now, and yet after everything, after all her flaws and her constant seduction, his love for her never falters. It was a genuine love.

Right then she needed the taste of his lips. She needed to know whether she really wanted him for herself or she just wanted him because she was jealous of his and Feather's true love.

Under Hawk's kiss, Simione felt all the longings she never thought she had. It was like she had found a person she had long lost and that kiss was their ultimate make up. She poured her heart into it, pretending that for one good moment, Feather did not exist and that Hawk and Hawk were some old long time lovers that had gone separated and now reunited. She felt like she had gone a few years back and was running in that lively Somerset village, down in the field of pure green where summer flowers grow and bloom. However before she could fool herself onto that dream, she forced herself to break the kiss and the moment it did, reality hit in—there was no more Somserset village, Spin was no more and the old little girl Cat had long been lost and gone.

"What is it, Mi Amore?" Hawk was confused as Cat's kiss felt entirely different that all the kisses they shared and although it started as sweet, he tasted her salty tears after. Simione was crying.

"I am not the love of your life," Simply said, backing away shaking her head. "And you are not the one I am longing for,"

Her words somehow made Hawk shatter into pieces. What does she  mean when she said he was not the one she was longing for? Does it mean all this time, she was just longing for someone that's why she approached him? Was she sad and had used him to ease her sadness and pain? Her words means many things and yet the meaning Hawk could tell his head, burned his heart down into ashes.

"Let us not be together with Hawk Monsanto," Simione added. "Let us not dare cross the line until we both don't know what we wanted from each other,"

With that Simone ran away from Hawk once again. This time, she left him more miserable than the last time she left him.

***

The next morning Simione woke up surprised to find herself alone in the room. Where is Nurse Leah and Doctor Sora? 

Although she came home earlier than everyone last night and had gone to sleep early, she was expecting that the two ladies would join her in bed as certainly, there was no other space for them to sleep in old Sunny's house. Didn't want herself to bother more about it, she pulled herself up from bed and headed through the kitchen to drink some water. There she found Old Sunny cooking and greeted her good morning.

"Do you know why Doctor Sora and Nurse Leah left last night?" Old Sunny asked Cat as she was wondering about it.

"They did?" Cat was really surprised to know. "Oh no! They left without telling me?"

"Oh sure they did Cat," Old Sunny turned to her then surprised that the two didn't even bother telling Cat who was supposed to be their guide. "They insisted on leaving and we had no choice but to let one of Mario's companions accompany them  back to the orphanage. Perhaps because you were already sleeping that why they didn't bother waking you up,"

"Oh they should have woken me up," Cat was really confused. Did something happen to the two that she did not know? But in case there was, wasn't she supposed to be the first person they should have told about it?

"What could be their problem?"

"I'm not sure about old Sunny, but I'm worried. Perhaps I should go and chase after them now,"

"Oh no Cat, don't do that. They left around midnight so I'm sure they are by the orphanage by now. Also, it is still so early and I can send you on the way alone. Wait till the man wakes up so you can go home altogether," Old Sunny stopped her from doing so. No matter how familiar Simione was with the mountains and the villages around it, she still didn't want to send Cat off alone in the woods.

"Perhaps you are right. I'll just wait for the boys to wake up," Simione thought then that was the best option. Besides, she doesn't want to make Old Sunny worry about her. "Let me help you with the cooking,"

"No more Cat. I got this," Old Sunny refused. "You are still my guest. Why don't you take your bath now so that when the boys wake up, they won't have any competition in the bathroom,"

There was only one working bathroom in old Sunny's house and another one in the place where the men slept. Since there were a number of them, Old Sunny knew that if they needed to care for themselves in the morning, they might need to line up to use the bathroom. 

"Perhaps I should do that," Simione agreed. "I'll fetch some water first,"

Simione grabbed the pail in the kitchen and planned to head through the nearby river to fetch some water. There was no water system in the villages and so in order for the people to use the bathroom for water, they had to fetch the water they were going to use. Simione was aware of this, that's why she went to the river first. However, while she was on her way, someone grabbed the pail she was holding and the tall big frame of Hawk Monsanto came to her sight.

"I'll fetch the water for you," He said without giving Simione a chance to protest. He knew she would, so as soon as he grabbed the pail, he went on his way fast without looking back as if he knew where the river was.

"Hey!" Simione called on him but he was fast and so she ended up just sighing on it and just let it go. She knew nothing can stop him from doing what he wants so she bothered not to argue and ruin her morning with it. She went back to her room, grabbed some towels and went to where the bathroom was.

The bathrooms in the villages were usually made separated from the hut and it was always in the back of it. The structure of it was just simple—the walls were created from threaded coconut leaves and only a portion of it was covered so that when one enters it and stands straight, people can see one's head popping out. Therefore when Simione entered, her head down to her neck were all visible to anyone who goes to the back of Old Sunny's house. Simione was used to such a setup so it didn't bother her, in fact when she entered and saw that there was a stocked pail of water there, she started taking a bath. After she undressed herself, she used a dried coconut shell, cut in half, that people in the village use to haul a small portion of water to shower her whole body with the cold water.

"God it's so cold," Simione shivered as she poured water on herself. Of course there were no water heaters in these areas and so she had no choice but to endure it or she'll not have a bath that day. Of course, she chose the first as she had already skipped her bath yesterday and she certainly smelled stinky already.

Soon, Hawk came, carrying a pail of water and the scene of Simione taking a bath in such a scandalous situation made her eyes bulge out. It was his first time seeing such and he certainly did not expect she could take a bath almost visible to everyone. He was certain she was naked as he could see her shoulder and the top of her chest visible when she moved. God! How could she be so confident taking a bath like that?

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