Chapter 2 — Chapter 2

Dawn was approaching when I heard a quiet conversation on the balcony through my sleep. Slightly opening my eyes, I looked in that direction and made out two silhouettes in the dim twilight. The first belonged to Michael, and the second to a tall guy with wings. Such a sight woke me up almost instantly, and I listened to the voices more carefully.

"It's my mate. What should I do now?" my recent lover asked.

"Live, my bear friend, live and take care of her. I downloaded recordings from her device; some have already come true, and the committee needs to review the rest," the stranger replied.

"How do I tell her? We've only known each other for a day."

"For now, just take care of her and love her. She's a woman!"

"Thanks, I've noticed," Michael chuckled.

"Let me see your neck. Did you let the human mark you?" the stranger asked with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"You know there are few females of our kind, so why can't I be happy in this world at least? There are many women here, but none are my match. They avoid me like I'm a leper."

"Enough, don't growl. I'm off."

"Fly away before I pull out your feathers," the man responded and came back into the room, while I pretended to be asleep.

"What nonsense... A bear and a guy with wings? I need to stop drinking; I'm mixing reality with my fantasies," I decided, and as I was thinking, I dozed off and only woke up to kisses on my back.

"Is it morning already?" I asked sleepily, stretching.

"Yes, good morning. Shall we go for breakfast?" he suggested, and I agreed and went for a shower, thinking about my dream. It was strange, but everything had a logical explanation, which was reassuring.

We spent the whole day together, and I hadn't received so much tenderness and warmth in a long time. It felt like a fairytale, where I was welcomed and loved. "But we won't have a happily ever after," an unwelcome thought crept in, but I pushed it away and enjoyed the moment. That evening, I texted my friend and son, sending them a few photos in front of landmarks, but I kept quiet about Michael. After dinner, he stayed with me again and spent a long time exploring my body, showering me with his affection and tenderness. Our sex was mind-blowingly good, and I was nearly breathless from the intensity of the sensations as I approached the climax.

Waking up in the night as if from a jolt, I quietly got up, poured some cold water, grabbed my laptop, and went out to the balcony. I wrote a lot and for a long time because so many stories had accumulated over the past two days that it was enough for four tales. After jotting down the last ones in a draft and setting a task to review everything in the morning, I sighed with relief and went back to bed, snuggling up to the man. Thinking a bit more about my characters, I fell asleep with a blissful smile and a sense of duty fulfilled.

A week passed, and Michael didn't leave, deciding to stay with me until the end of my vacation. I got tanned, went through all the treatments and a bunch of excursions, fully enjoying my rest. With only two days left before departure, I decided there would be no tears, just a friendly goodbye. Time was slipping away quickly, and Michael was gradually getting gloomier, thinking intensely about something, but I didn't disturb him. On the last day, I was frankly too lazy to go anywhere, so after breakfast, I corrected everything I had written and started posting it online. After pacing around for a bit, the man left the room, saying he'd be back soon. Internally, I was already prepared for his departure, so I reacted calmly, secretly hoping he wouldn't come to say goodbye. And that's what happened; he didn't return. After packing all my things and gifts for my family, I sat back down at my laptop and grabbed a bottle of wine. I turned on some music and mindlessly watched videos, then set an alarm and quickly fell asleep.

Struggling to get up at dawn and get dressed, I went out into the hallway with my suitcases, crossed the hotel lobby, and loaded into a minibus. We were taken to the airport, where I involuntarily scanned the crowd for Michael's figure, but it was all in vain. Taking my seat on the plane and watching it take off, I turned to the window and silently cried. Someone nearby sighed loudly, and I quickly wiped away my tears, not wanting to share my pain with anyone.

"Sasha, forgive me. I was delayed," came a familiar voice that made everything inside me clench. Turning around in disbelief, I saw Michael sitting next to me, smiling and handing me flowers. It felt like an electric shock, and I froze, staring at him.

"I had to get permission to fly to another city. I'm under obligation, so I couldn't just leave. Sasha, will you marry me?" he quietly explained, leaning closer.

Feeling only anger, I turned away, remembering how I had waited for him, even though I had forbidden myself to do so. "At least one call!" I thought to myself, and tears streamed down my face again. Apparently, the man understood something and looked noticeably embarrassed.

"Forgive me, it just happened that way," he repeated, looking at me regretfully.

"Go to hell, Michael! You were gone for two damn days! You could have at least called, sent a message, or used a carrier pigeon, but no, nothing! And now you're sitting here, all smiles, like everything's fine, right? You think you've made the old lady happy by proposing? Shove your bouquet up your... Well, shove it wherever you want," I blurted out and went to the bathroom.

After washing my face and calming down a bit, I came back out and approached the stewardess, asking her to change my seat. She looked at me with sympathy and, checking the list of available seats, quietly asked:

"Would business class be okay?"

"Perfect, thank you. Do I owe you anything?"

"No, not at all. If you'd like, I can bring you some wine or champagne."

"That would be great. And, if it's not too much trouble, could you bring my things? I really don't want to go back."

Slipping a thousand into the girl's blouse pocket despite her resistance, I followed her to business class and sat next to an elderly couple. A little later, I got my things. Putting on my headphones, I turned on some music and drank some wine to distract myself, then fell asleep without realizing it.

When the flight ended, my gloomy friend met me, noticed something in my face, and grumbled that we needed to have a drink that evening. Picking up my things and deliberately not looking around, I just nodded in agreement.