Nymphaea

Part IV

Chapter 21: Preparations

Stephen resigned the same morning. He’d made up what he hoped was a plausible story during typing the resignation as he knew that as soon as his boss read it, he’d be called to explain why. And sure enough that was the case.

Stephen told his superior he had always wanted to study Asian culture and art ever since he had been in Shanghai during his Snooker career and that he had originally planed to put that into action right after his placement. The job offer from the Secret Service had surprised and intrigued him but he had always assumed it was a temporary occupation as advisor. He had no sufficient training after all. And the case he was originally assigned for had been taken out of his hands in favour to the nymph-case which in turn had evolved to an international level and did not need his engagement anymore. In other words: it was time for him to move on.

His boss swallowed this explanation. He asked Stephen to stay another two months to enable a smooth transfer of the nymph-issue to another investigator and reminded him of his obligation to remain silent about his work and then gave him leave to go.

*

Two weeks later in the evening Stephen’s door bell rang. Lissy was the fastest and quick to invite Ayve to a barbecue evening the McCourts had planed. To Stephen’s surprise – he stood at the top of the landing – Ayve agreed. Lissy ran ahead, leaving the two men alone.

Stephen descended the stairs and embraced Ayve. “Who asked me to get away from my friends two weeks ago?” he mocked him.

“Who will leave them for me for weeks?” Ayve replied dryly, eyeing Stephen.

They kissed.

“Have you spoken with them or Lissy yet?”

Stephen negated. “I wanted to wait until you had arranged everything.”

Ayve nodded.

Stephen put a question forward: “You’re not reading my thoughts lately, are you? You would have known that otherwise.”

Ayve smiled. “No. I don’t read them.”

Stephen looked at him inquiringly. “Why not?”

Ayve shrugged slightly. “It just feels right not to. I don’t feel the need to observe you, control you and you cannot read my thoughts either.” He kissed Stephen again.

Then they went through the McCourts part of the house (kitchen – corridor – living room) into the backyard.

*

Lissy had already given notice that Ayve would join them so the McCourts greeted him heartily. They settled around the table, Ayve choosing a chair at a corner between Stephen and Melissa. It was late September but the sun had made an exception and presented them with a warm summer day so that everybody was clad in something short and light. Ayve’s black, elegant, long-sleeved clothing stood out, even after he had taken off his jacket.

Stephen decided it was better to talk to Lissy first, before making any grand announcements concerning their journey, so he kept quiet about it. The evening passed by relatively uneventful. After answering a few questions in his monosyllabic manner, Ayve was left alone and the talks turned to more promising topics such as the latest politics of the World Snooker Association.

When Lissy had fallen asleep on Ayve’s lap, he carefully lifted her up and said he would put her to bed. Stephen let him go alone, knowing that Ayve just sought a few moments of solitude and also seeing that he would spend quite some time with his daughter on their journey and that it was good for Ayve to get used to these situations therefore.

Of course the centre of conversation was shifted to Ayve as soon as he had disappeared in the house.

“So you are officially together now?,” Anne asked with a curious expression in her face.

Stephen nodded. “Yes, for about a month. We haven’t seen much of each other, though,” Stephen hurriedly added, seeing that Anne intended to complain that he had kept that information from them. “He’s quite busy. But we think about doing a longer trip together. To meet his sister and the like. We just have to talk to Lissy first before I can give you any details.”

Paul handed Stephen another bottle of beer, leaving the talking to his wife with a grin and a wink behind her back.

“So it’s getting really serious with meeting the family and everything? –That’s good. Lissy seems to be pretty fond of him, too,” Anne remarked.

Stephen smiled. “Yes, she beams every time she sees him. I have to say that I’m relieved to find the two of them get along so well. I mean, Ayve is not an easily accessible person. I didn’t know whether he liked children. But I think he really likes her.”

“Yes, that’s important,” Anne stated.

Ayve came back. “She woke up halfway so I made her brush her teeth and tuck her into bed. She fell asleep again immediately,” Ayve reported calmly when he sat back down.

The adults were alone, now; the boys had been sent to bed half an hour before.

“Would you like a beer now?” Paul offered for the second time that evening. Ayve had contented himself so far with the children’s juice.

He declined once more with a gentle smile that didn’t even look forced.

“Are you not into alcohol?”

“Not today, no. And I’ve never been a great fan of beer, I have to admit.” Ayve pulled out his packet of cigarettes instead. “Would you mind?” he asked before even removing one.

The sheepish way he did that right after discussing the other legal drug made Stephen laugh out, even though he wouldn’t have been able to say why exactly.

Paul having given Ayve leave, the usually so confident man sat there, his head lowered, smiling shyly and lighting his fag with a match. Well, this really was the one ‘weakness’ Ayve let on. He seemed always in control (except for the few times he showed his other side to Stephen but this was far from such a situation) but this smoking betrayed the uneasiness he undoubtedly felt at the moment, always in the prospect of possibly having to sneak out of a question that he might not be able to answer truthfully without giving away too much about himself.

Ayve leaned back and stared at Stephen amusedly, waiting for him to calm down. “Revenge is sweet…,” he indicated, still smiling.

After Stephen had emptied his bottle, they went up into his apartment.

“So, is everything okay concerning the journey?” Stephen asked while they went up the stairs.

“On my side, yes,” Ayve replied.

“Yeah, I thought we could talk to Lissy tomorrow, during breakfast,” Stephen suggested, taking up the hint. “I’ll have to work until November, but then I’m free.” They had arrived at the top. Stephen turned around. “Thank you for this evening. That has spared me many questions.”

Ayve smirked. “Sure. Because I answered them.” He grazed over Stephen’s shirt. “I’d prefer a few caresses to a verbal reward.”

*

Laughter rang in his ears. He was immobile. Couldn’t stop him. Laughter. It hurt. Don’t. Why are you doing this? Laughter. He felt sick.

Ayve broke out of his dream. He turned to a more comfortable position in the bed and looked at Stephen. It had just been a dream. A mirror of an unfamiliar situation his mind had to cope with. It was far from reality. Calm down.

Stephen drifted slowly out of his slumber, probably provoked by Ayve’s movements. “What’s up?” he murmured somnolently, growing aware of Ayve’s stare.

“Just a dream,” the man said calmly in the dark.

“One like the other, a month ago?” Stephen wanted to know.

“No,” Ayve whispered, huddling his face against Stephen’s chest. Stephen put an arm around him. “Nothing of importance.”

Well, he’s here and lets me hold him, can’t be too bad, Stephen reasoned and drifted off again.

*

Stephen awoke the next morning to the soft feeling of fingertips on his lips. He smiled drowsily into Ayve’s dreamy face. “You seem to have a little infatuation with them lately,” he mocked him.

“Not just lately,” Ayve replied. “I’ve always loved to look at them.”

“Really?” Stephen asked inquiringly.

“When we had arranged our meeting in Belfast, I was early in the hotel room and watched your match on TV,” Ayve told him. “And you had that habit of licking your lips, your full, round lips, absentmindedly out of nervousness… that was so sensuous… I could hardly wait to have you with me in the room.” He smiled and crept forward to caress those lips with his, licking them, sucking Stephen’s lower lip between his and finally pushing his tongue between Stephen’s soft lips into his soft mouth. He lay on Stephen now, slowly moving to feel every inch of his body.

“And you wanted me to stop playing Snooker,” Stephen managed to say mockingly between kisses.

“Ayve grinned. “Why should I share that sight?”

Stephen nudged him, giggling under his breath, already caught in another kiss.

Soon Ayve’s movements on him grew more needy. They were concentrated now on their loins; Ayve’s hands resting on Stephen’s hips, his breath heavy, his kiss more desperate, pushing his tongue deep into Stephen’s mouth.

Stephen moved to pull his underpants down. He wanted to feel Ayve’s skin.

Ayve moaned breathlessly when their private parts made contact. He seemed to love the way Stephen let his strong hands glide over his back. Both of them got lost in the rhythm of their loins. This was so warm, so intimate, so close…

*

They had awoken rather early and so they had enough time to shower and prepare breakfast before Melissa got up, even though it was yet another Saturday. They sat together on the couch, drinking coffee and waiting for her.

“So, you have talked to your sister?” Stephen asked, curious to finally hear more about their planed trip.

Ayve nodded. “It might even be that the journey gets much easier than I assumed,” Ayve told his cup. He lifted his gaze. “Since we plan to start in November and it’ll be winter where we are travelling, my people will have withdrawn into the mountains. Therefore to get there will be easier than in summer when they wander about. Yet,” he was quick to stress, “although it will make the actual journey to them shorter it also means a less comfortable stay. Food supply will be limited and the outside temperature will be around 0 to ten degrees, so… it will definitely be less enjoyable for Lissy.”

“How do you keep warm when it’s so cold? I mean, as you say they live as nomads I don’t suppose they have houses…?”

“-Huts,” Ayve replied. “Small, easily erectable huts, in winter. They used to have permanent accommodations but since the region is more and more crowded by humans, they have withdrawn and grown more mobile.”

“Do they even have enough space for visitors, and food and everything? If they’re always on the move, they can hardly stock provisions, right? Is there enough to be found in winter?” Ayve smiled. “Of course they find enough, otherwise they wouldn’t stay. They do stock things like fungi, roots or herbs. But indeed our biorhythm - as humans would call it - is adapted to harsh winters with sparse food. Hunting helps. But we have a way of drinking certain teas to influence our bodies’ functions. By the way: one reason why nymphs are less sexually active – apart from certain biological explanations – is the intentional overindulgence of certain herbs in salads and teas… so you might want to ask me before you consume what they offer you…” Ayve threw a telling glance at Stephen.

“Fishing is also a resource for food. There are several big lakes in the area. We are pretty good on foot and can cover a wide range to collect food, so don’t worry. But of course this won’t be a feast.”

Stephen dropped his head in contemplation. “You are trying to tell me that this trip is not made for her, right?”

Ayve looked at him in earnest. “No. I understand your point. You feel you need to demonstrate that you will not neglect your daughter just because you have a relationship now. I do. And I like that strand in your personality very much. If you want to carry this through, then I’ll do whatever I can to make it possible.”

He bit on his lower lip, looking away for a moment. Then he resumed speech. “Yet I won’t deny that her attendance will complicate matters immensely. Not just because she needs extra space, extra food, needs to be carried up and down and will probably have her moments of dissatisfaction with the unknown situation but also because I plan to tell you things, Stephen. And that won’t be easy for me, as you know. To have to care for a little girl in between won’t make it easier. And – though that sounds selfish now - I’d rather have your full attention on me. I really need you in this.”

Stephen nodded silently, desperately trying to make up his mind. “How long?”

Ayve sipped his coffee, contemplating. He sighed. “Four weeks?”

Stephen nodded. He wanted this so much. “I’ll have to talk to Anne about this first.”

“Of course.” Ayve caressed Stephen’s hand.

“I suppose, with Christmas coming up right after our trip I’ll be able to compensate Lissy with an extra portion of time for my previous absence.”

Ayve leaned forward and pulled Stephen into an embrace. “I think this is really the best solution,” he spoke into his ear. “I hadn’t thought this through properly when we first discussed the possibility of doing it. I just felt that if I was going to confide in you then this would be the best way. I couldn’t imagine myself telling you things in human luxury.”

Ayve buried his face on Stephen’s neck.

“I just wanted to make you come with me. If that included your daughter – so be it. But really: this is no holiday trip.” He claimed Stephen’s mouth.

Rumbling came out of Lissy’s room. Ayve let go of Stephen. The door opened and a drowsy girl shuffled into the room, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “Morning my darling,” Stephen greeted her. She was a little surprised to find the two men at an already laid breakfast table but smiled, greeted them in return and shuffled into the bathroom.

“Do you have any plans what you are going to do next year then? I mean job-wise?” Ayve asked Stephen.

Stephen shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll see. It’s not that I urgently need a new occupation. I still have plenty of savings and a regular income through the profit sharing of my management business. If I wanted, I could still start working there as I’d originally planed. But I don’t see myself doing that. I’d really like to do something that I can use my arts and history education for. I have to admit: the job at the Secret Service lately wasn’t more than administering information. I mean, I cannot, may not, help you in your diplomatic negotiations anyway, interesting as they might seem. I really lacked a demanding task.”

Ayve nodded in understanding.

Lissy exited the bathroom and sat down on the armchair, grabbing a toast. Stephen decided that it would be better to fill her in before he talked to Anne. He vividly remembered how he had hated that his father had always decided everything without asking him.

“Sweetie, I need to ask you something,” he started.

Lissy’s blue eyes focused on him with curiosity. She’d definitely inherited them from him. Her hair was her mother’s; it was lighter than his. Well, and his mother’s in reference to the curls.

“Ayve has asked me to join him on a trip for a few weeks. The only problem is that I would have to leave you alone with Paul and Anne meanwhile since you’ve got school and we couldn’t take you with us. Would you mind if I still said yes?”

“Where will you go?” she asked interestedly in her childish version of a strong Scottish dialect.

“Somewhere in Asia. I don’t know exactly. Ayve said it’s a surprise.”

Melissa’s gaze shifted to Ayve who paid a smile to the munching girl.

“We’d be gone from the middle of November until the middle of December. I’ll definitely be back for Christmas,” Stephen continued.

“Hm,” Lissy made a sound that meant she had registered what her daddy had said and grabbed the marmalade. That obviously meant she had no objections.

*

After breakfast, Stephen went down to the McCourts to talk about the matter. As they’d been up early, he rightly assumed the McCourts were still seated at their dining table.

He curtly explained what Ayve and he planed to them, something about that he had urged Ayve to be allowed to see how he lived and that Ayve had suggested accompanying him on a business trip for a few weeks, that Stephen had originally thought about taking Lissy along but it didn’t seem possible and whether they’d mind to take care of her in the meantime. Paul only shrugged and motioned that it was Anne’s decision as he’d be at a tournament from the third of December on anyway. Anne was willing to look after Lissy of course. They still employed a nanny half-day anyway.