Chapter 7
William
William drove for a little while, following the road that met up with the highway. “Do you think I’m money hungry?”
He felt her looking at him with surprise. “No, not really.”
He pondered for a moment. “Then why the budget?”
She was silent for so long he thought she wasn’t going to answer. “Because I think you have a way of relating to your money that’s covering up part of you that I want to know more about.”
He frowned in confusion. What the hell did she mean by that?
“I’m sorry if I’ve offended you.”
He drew a deep breath. “I’m not offended. I’m just not sure I understand you.”
“I don’t know how to say it without sounding rude.”
“Just say it then.”
Another long pause followed. “Everyone’s got issues, right?”
He nodded. “I guess.”
“Well, my issue is that my family is quite wealthy and quite flashy with it. Money and image are very important to them. I’ve never really fit that image.
I’ve always been too much of something or not enough of something else.
Having Billy on my own was the last straw for them.
I haven’t spoken to my parents or my sister at all since I left Melbourne.
” She stopped talking for a moment, staring through the windscreen.
He could see her throat working as she tried to hold back tears.
“It hurt me a lot. I spent many years trying to fit in, but I can’t change who I am.
You remind me a lot of the people in that circle.
To be perfectly honest with you, if that day on the beach was the first time I’d met you, I wouldn’t have looked twice at you.
But it wasn’t the first time, so I see you differently.
I remember what you were like the night I had Billy and I want to know more about that person. Because I like that person. A lot.”
He had absolutely no idea how to respond to any of that, so he didn’t say anything. He’d just stick with the last bit. She liked him.
They were both quiet as he continued up the road, neither speaking as he turned the car into a gravel side road and eased carefully down it until they reached a long, low mud brick building with the words “Maison des Papillons” inscribed in big, swirling letters on a sign above the door.
He just smiled at Juniper as she looked at him inquiringly and got out of the car.
“Oooh!” She exclaimed when he opened the door for her to pass through, into the ticket office. “Butterflies!” She looked around, wide eyed, then she turned to him with a huge smile on her face and he knew he’d nailed it.
“Bonjour!” A woman came in from an office out the back, short and round with wild curly brown hair pulled back with a multi-colored scarf. “You want to see the butterflies, yes?”
“We sure do.”
“Ten dollars each, please.” He handed over the cash and received a brochure in return, with tickets and instructions on where to go.
“Twenty dollars and fifty cents down,” William said as they walked through an archway, then out a double-glazed glass door into an enormous butterfly enclosure.
“Tell me, what would you have organized if I hadn’t put a budget on our first date?”
He thought for a moment and had to admit, he would have gone overboard. “A helicopter ride somewhere, a swanky restaurant on a rooftop terrace with crap music and expensive wine.”
She laughed. “See, this is better, isn’t it?”
He watched her for a long moment as she looked around, her curls going wild in the humid air. “Yeah, this is better.”
She brought her gaze back to his, with a small smile curving her lips.
“Just to let you know, I’m going to be very disappointed if you haven’t kissed me by the time we get to the end of this walk.
” She turned and strolled off on the words, down the wooden ramp, into the lush foliage.
He followed, and a little thrill of anticipation made his heart tighten in his chest.
Juniper heard his footsteps behind her and waited for him to catch up, slipping her hand in his as they walked on.
They paused here and there to watch the butterflies as they danced about above their heads.
She hoped she hadn’t upset him in the car.
He didn’t seem upset, but he didn’t seem exactly happy, either.
He was just so…quiet. She felt a little sad about it, but also felt it was better to be honest and upfront with him.
She paused by a wooden railing to watch a particularly stunning butterfly fluttering about, the blue of its wings so vivid and beautiful it almost brought tears to her eyes.
It fluttered closer, hovering just near her face.
She turned her head very slowly, wanting to make sure William was watching it too.
Then it landed ever so lightly in her hair and she went utterly still, barely restraining a gasp of delight.
She let the moment spin out, not sure how long butterflies liked to lie around in people’s hair. “What is it doing?” She whispered.
“I don’t know. Laying eggs?” He whispered back, his eyes dancing mischievously.
“Butterflies don’t lay eggs.”
“I know, which is lucky for you, because she looks like she’s settled in for the long haul. Do you want me to get her out?”
“Yes.”
He reached up and very gently slid his finger into her hair, pushing at the butterfly. It rested on the tip of his finger for a moment, wings flapping gently, before lifting off and fluttering back into the foliage.