Hey y'all! Wonder what Jane Austen and Edmond Dantes are upto today..
Let's find out!😋
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The second week went by as quickly as it had come and it was already the evening for a woman we now call Jane Austen to meet up with a man we now call Edmond Dantes.
Jane was excited about this meet. There was a bounce in her step as she made her way to the familiar ballroom courtyard which, not unlike the last time she was here, was deserted. She was a bit nervous about being able to establish a rapport as easily as it had developed last time. She hoped that the meeting would be smooth and casual. Last time it was all of those things because it was unplanned. This time, it felt like she might be put on a spot.
While she was still a considerable distance from the courtyard, she took out her golden masquerade mask from her purse and put it on. A few odd people stared at her wondering what was wrong with her but they didn't bother her in the least. She had done many a questionable thing in the past that had caused her to receive such looks often.
She breathed deeply and walked confidently towards the gate, her purse swinging at her elbow, today wearing a pair of blue boyfriend jeans with a white t-shirt tucked into it, a broad belt, and heeled boots. That coupled with her golden mask. She enjoyed the contrast.
She pushed the small iron gate open. It creaked. She stepped in and called out hesitantly, testing the name, "Ed-mond?"
Silence.
She tried again a bit louder this time, "Edmond Dantes?".
Nothing.
Perhaps he wasn't here yet...or maybe he forgot...or maybe he ditched her.
She pushed aside those last two thoughts as she walked around the courtyard to take a peek behind each tree because that's where he had concealed himself last time. As she was still making her round, she suddenly felt something warm and heavy touch her shoulder.
"Aaahh" She jumped as she turned around and stamped a foot.
"OUCH! Woman, what did I do to you?"
She interpreted the voice she heard and the mask she saw and realized that she had stamped on the foot of 'Edmond Dantes'. So much for making the meeting smooth and casual.
"I'M SORRY!! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorryyyy" She shrieked as she covered her mouth with her hands in shock.
She heard him suck in air through his teeth and then saw him clutching his foot. He was wearing shoes. Her eyes traveled up and she saw that he was wearing black jogging shorts, which ended a little above his knee, paired with a casual grey t-shirt. His black mask looked completely out of place with the outfit but she shook her head to focus on his foot again.
"Let me help you."
"Stay away from me woman" He cried childishly.
"Just let me look at it" she pleaded.
"Take out your boots."
"What?" she asked confused. "You looking for revenge?" she asks suspiciously.
"You wish! I just don't want to be jammed in the foot with your heeled boots again."
"Right. Right." She said awkwardly as she slipped off her boots and walked to him.
He was holding his foot in his hand but as soon as she was within reach, all pain seemed to have left him and he moved to step on her toes, an evil laugh emanating from his throat.
"Aaahh!!" She jumped and ran as soon as she realized what he was up to, laughing.
"I knew you wanted revenge!" She shouted as she ran in circles around the compound and he ran after her.
"Should have trusted your instinct!" He shouted, almost catching up to her.
She was never going to outrun him, she thought. So she did the next best thing: She ran towards her heels. She reached them as soon as she felt his fingers wrap around her upper arm. She used her free hand to pick up a heeled boot and raised it up like a weapon, still laughing.
"Back off!" She laughed. " Or I will fire!"
He listened, letting go of her arm and raising his hands in surrender, still laughing.
"Fine. Fine. Just keep your sadistic boots away from me!" He acted terrified.
She laughed heartily and he joined in, both panting as they made their way to the bench at the center of the courtyard and sat down.
She leaned her head back on the bench looking up at the sky, as did he.
"You weren't really going to stamp me, were you?" She asked still looking up.
"Neh" He replied without turning his head either, "Was fun to scare you though" He laughed.
"I wasn't scared"
"Oh really?"
"Oh, not at all" She replied airily.
"So you wouldn't object to me stamping you now then?" He asked as he pretended to move his foot towards her.
She quickly picked up her feet which were still bare and folded them on the bench.
"I don't take risks" She shrugged.
"Uh huh" He laughed in response.
There was silence for a while as they both simply stared up at the sky, enjoying the comfortable silence and the company they were sharing.
"You're even more fun when you're dressed in joggers shorts" She said after a while, turning her head to look at him.
"Yeah? Why do you say that? You like what you're seeing?" He smirked as he turned to meet her gaze.
"Oh you wish!" She retorted even as she blushed a tiny bit and averted her gaze. "No, I just meant that when you're dressed informally, you act informally. It's a lot more..." She couldn't find the word.
"Real?" He completed.
"Yes. Exactly. A lot more real" She replied.
"Well, this is who I really am. It's not always easy to be myself because people expect you to behave a certain way... especially if you're wearing a suit." He chuckles. "But it helps that you have no idea who I am so I can be myself without any fear of being judged."
She nodded. "I wouldn't have judged you anyways. But yes I get what you mean."
He scoffed. "Sure" he replied sarcastically.
"What? You don't believe me?"
He shook his head, "No...I mean...I want to believe you. But even you come across as someone who dresses to impress and are even more likely to hold others to those higher standards.."
"What makes you say that I dress to impress?"
"I just mean that you hate wearing heels and yet you wear them.."
"Why do you say I hate wearing heels?"
"You were aching to remove them yesterday, remember?"
"Hmm" she replied. "Caught that, did you?"
He laughed. "Um hmm. So tell me, what's the deal?"
"Well..I'm a little conscious about my height. Atleast if I look tall people take me seriously and not like a kid. It's not with the intention to impress but with the intention to be respected." She replied.
He nodded thoughtfully. "Alright. Makes sense. I think you're tall enough even without your heels but sure whatever suits you. I also understand that it can sometimes be difficult for girls to be taken seriously.... especially if they look like you." He added with a smirk.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.
"You know.......short" he replied smiling gleefully waiting for her reaction.
It came. She picked up her heeled boots got up and made to hit him laughing.
He raised his hands to protect his face. "I'm sorry. I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I'm sorry." He cried out even though he was laughing too.
She tapped him lightly with the side of her shoe on his head and sat back down.
"Hey! I thought we agreed we weren't going to hit each other!"
"Not really, no. You said you weren't going to stamp me. I made no such promise."
"Huh. You're such a lawyer."
"Nah I'm a sales woman actually. But yes I do know my way around words" She flips her hair dramatically and laughs.
"Ah figures." He replied.
"What about you?"
"What about me what?"
"What do you do?"
"I...Can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because you might figure out who I am."
"Oh, not this again. I told you my profession!"
"Yes, that you're a sales woman. There are plenty of those around. I can't figure out who you are no matter how hard I tried."
"Well that's not entirely true..." She said seemingly lost in thought. "You could actually...." She paused as she watched him listening to her keenly and smiled."
"I can actually....?"
She smirked, "I can't tell you".
He fake pouted, "You're mean."
"Oh and you're not??" She laughed.
He chuckled, "Alright. Let me see what I can tell you about my job....There's a learning curve.."
"Oh that narrows it down so much! Be careful or you'll spill the beans!" She said sarcastically.
He scowled. "Just listen Jane. I'm trying"
She immediately fell silent. She liked how he said it. Just listen Jane. I'm trying.
He didn't shout, just gentle chided. And even though Jane wasn't her name, when he spoke it, it felt like it was. She identified with it. She liked it.
"Sorry. Go on." She smiled.
His expression changed, probably wondering what was going on in Jane's mind to make her react like that but he didn't question it.
"Okay. So..um..like I was saying, there's a learning curve and I think I'm doing alright but it's almost always like walking a tight rope, balancing between the wishes of those above me and those below. You know?"
"Yeah. Yeah I do." She replied softly. "Thanks for sharing."
He looked at her again wonderingly. "Why are you treating me like a member of the AA?"
She chuckled. "No, no I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that even though you couldn't say much, you said what you could and I'm glad that you did." She smiled.
"Oh okay. Then I'm glad that you're glad." He smiled.
She smiled too. "It's gotten pretty late, huh?" She said looking up at the sky that was starting to grow dark.
Oh yeah, you're right" he replied looking at his watch. "I didn't notice."
"Yeah me neither" she said looking at him. "I guess that's a compliment to both of us." She chuckled.
He laughed too, "Amen to that."
"We're meeting again next week, right?"
"Ofcourse. Why? You have something coming up?"
"No no. Not at all." She replied. "Just confirming."
"Alright then." He said.
"Alright." She said getting up from the bench and making her way to the garden gate.
But before he could reach it he called out. "Jane?"
She stopped and turned as he walked up to her.
"What's up?"
He paused before replying. "Um...did I say something?"
"What do you mean?"
"No. I mean..did I say something wrong?"
"No. Not at all. I had a great time today. Why would you say that?"
"Oh okay. That's great then. I just thought that I did because you became kinda silent in the end."
She paused to think and then realised what he was referring to. "Oh that?" She chuckled awkwardly "I just...realised that I like being called Jane more than I thought I would."
It was kinda the truth.
"Oh alright. That's great then." He said with a sigh. "And Jane does suit you." He smiled.
She smiled too, grateful for the darkness that hid her pink cheeks.
"Alright. Until next time then."
"Until next time, Edmond."
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And that is how their journey began! Do you like the characters? Any guesses for whom might Jane and Edmond be or what they do?
Don't forget to vote and comment! Thanks!