"Glenn, your brownies are delicious!" I declared after my first bite into the second slice.
"Thank you, dear. It's a family recipe. I'll send it to you if you'd like."
"I'd love that, thank you!"
To my great relief, Glenn and Meryl Crawford were Canadian sweethearts. The elderly couple was enjoying their retirement here at Canim Lake, but they also had a townhouse in Vancouver. She used to be a high-ranking executive in a company that produced home appliances, and Glenn had been a chief engineer there as well, and had also been a stay-at-home dad for about a decade. So far, our discussion had mostly revolved around them, as both Lex and I did our best to keep it that way so we wouldn't have to answer their questions.
After changing into a more proper outfit as fast as possible, I'd come back downstairs, still worried we might not pull it off. Both Lex and I had been awkward and tense at first, unsure how we should handle the situation. It was, after all, our first time receiving guests as a couple, and we had to pass for happily married spouses who'd done it dozens of times before. So between that and the fact that we were constantly on guard, it was hard to act smooth and natural.
I still wasn't over the fact that Lex had pulled out a gun, which I hadn't even known was there. For someone who kept telling me we were safe here and no one would ever find us, he was quite prepared for the eventuality that someone indeed found us.
"So, how are you enjoying the lake?" Meryl asked us both.
"It's, um... it's beautiful. We haven't seen much yet, though. We've mostly been indoors," I answered.
"Ah, busy christening the house, were we?" The cheekiness of her comment disarmed me, and my eyes flew to Lex for a split second. Ugh, I wished we'd been busy doing that, yes.
"Yeah, uh... that, and the unpacking, you know."
"For how long have you two been married?"
"Three years," Lex answered. "But we met eight years ago in a bar in New York. I saw her and knew she had to be mine."
Oh, God... While his delivery was surprisingly good, his choice of words was slightly suspicious. Lex wasn't that used to lying, and it rather showed.
"How long have you two been together?" I asked them in return, hoping we could veer the conversation away from us.
"It'll be forty-three years this summer," Glenn replied with pride, turning to his wife to gaze at her tenderly.
"Wow, that's... That's amazing! What's your secret?" I humored.
"Well, no marriage is easy and flawless. It's like a fire. You need to keep it alive, or it'll die. We've been through ups and downs, but we always fought to make it work. The simple truth is that we're happier together than apart."
"Yes," Glenn confirmed, "it became clear when we took a break early in our marriage. It was the most miserable months of my life."
They exchanged a look full of understanding and affection, and then focused on us again. "So, you two are from New York?"
"Yes, I moved there after high school, because I thought it would be a great idea to be a broke student there. Luckily for me, we met relatively soon after," I said, glimpsing at Lex, "and since he was already well-established, the cost of living there became more manageable when we moved in together."
The conversation went on for a moment as they asked us more questions, as we'd done with them. Lex and I told our lies, keeping it minimal as we'd agreed. Small talk was the basis of mingling, and we had to disclose some of who we supposedly were, so the Crawfords wouldn't find us weirdly secretive.
"How long are you two staying?" Glenn eventually asked.
"We don't really know yet, but a few months. We needed a major break from the city, so I took a leave and Andrew will work on some projects from here."
"Canim Lake is the best place you could have picked for that," Meryl explained with enthusiasm. "We live in Vancouver six months a year, and we come here whenever we need to recenter ourselves. This place is amazing for that, and we're always more in tune with ourselves and one another when we're here."
"I think we'll be quite happy here," I declared, turning to Lex and taking his hand to squeeze it gently. And this time, I wasn't lying; I was convinced of it. Our relationship had always been heavenly when it was just the two of us, and that was all we'd have for a while. Once we would find our balance in this new environment, I was certain we'd be remarkably happy here.
Our guests stayed longer, and they gave us some of their valuable insight about the area. Both of them strongly encouraged us to give hiking a try, insisting that the scenery of our surroundings made hikes amazing. They even gave us a few trails we could try as beginners and insisted that we ask them if we had questions. They also told us that one of them usually went to the nearest town every week, and would gladly take us along with them if we wanted to save gas and make the hour-long trip less dull.
By the time they left, it was nearly noon. Lex and I both escorted them to the door, and after we'd exchanged phone numbers, they were off. Standing in the entryway, we kept our eyes on the closed door for a moment. Something in me relaxed, and I saw Lex's body language ease as well.
"We nailed it, right?" I asked, hoping he'd agree.
"I think we did. I didn't notice any signs of doubts or confusion on their faces."
"Yeah, I think so too. I like them, they seem like good people."
"That's the impression I got when I did a background check on them. Our neighbors on the other side are much further down the road, and from what I've seen, they're barely ever here."
"Okay, good. So we only have Meryl and Glenn to handle."
"Yes, that's why I picked this place. Most people around here are either retirees or it's secondary residences that are rarely used."
"Before you had to include me in it, what was your original plan?"
"Well, British Columbia was always my exit way. I planned on taking the car to drive up to the border, and with the fake British passport you saw, I was supposed to pass the checkpoint unnoticed. Then I would have secured a private plane there to fly to a destination that doesn't extradite to the US. I had set my mind on Russia, but I also considered Morocco for a while."
"Damn, that's some Jason Bourne kind of thing."
"I wanted to be ready, rather than sorry. But I have to admit I prefer how things turned out." He did a double-take on himself, realizing what he'd just said. "I meant the extraction plan, not... what happened to you."
He was looking so sorry, so flustered, I took pity on him and gave him an understanding smile. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean it like that."
There was a moment of silence where he passed all the guilt he still felt through his broken gaze. But while he might forever feel somehow responsible for what had happened to me, he wasn't pulling away from me, and it was a commendable improvement.
"How about you go rest for a moment, and I get lunch started?" he offered.
Since we couldn't order food as much as we used to in Seattle, we had to cook if we wanted to eat anything other than sandwiches. And because he didn't want me to strain myself, he had taken upon himself to be in charge of most of the meals. He still had a long way to go, but his improvements were clear with each dish he came up with.
"I'll help you out. I'm not feeling tired at all. Besides, let's not make the fire alarm go off again."
He grimaced at the memory of that, and I reassured him with a gentle laugh. "Come on, I'll Gordon Ramsay you into becoming the best chef you can be."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Basically, that I'll shout, throw creative insults at you, and maybe call you an idiot sandwich if you're lucky."
"That sounds oddly specific..."
"It's a whole experience. But I promise I'll be relatively indulgent."
"How merciful of you."
"I know. Alexandra the Magnanimous would be my queen name."
He frowned at the mention, and I understood that my teasing had struck an unexpected chord. "Maybe those names weren't such a good idea. I don't like you being anything other than Andrea."
"Yeah, it's a bit weird. I was so worried that Meryl or Glenn might call you Andy and that I'd react."
"At least we still get to be ourselves when we're alone."
"Oh, baby, if you really think I won't be screaming 'Fuck me harder, Andrew' when we start having sex again, you're severely mistaken."
I gave him a playful glance as he stared back, unamused. "Are you trying to get me to extend the dry spell by a few weeks? Because that's what you'll get if you call me Andrew at any point during sex."
"Well, at least I'll have to get laid once for that to happen..."
"And now, if it means it can prevent it from happening altogether, you might not get laid at all."
He sounded way too serious for my likings, also I didn't tease him further. Instead, we spoke about what we'd eat, and before long, we were cooking together, relaxing after the relatively tense morning we'd had.
Hopefully, my first impression about the Crawfords was the right one, and they wouldn't cause us any trouble. Who knew? We might even become friends with time.
• • •
Two days after their visit, it was my turn to pay our neighbors a call. Lex insisted on coming along with me, in case something went wrong, even if I'd assured him it wouldn't.
On the morning they'd been here, Meryl had mentioned owning an extensive collection of board and card games, and had offered to lend us a few if needed. According to her, while the tranquility of Canim Lake was its greatest asset, it could become dull over time. So she and Glenn had figured out a lot of ways to distract themselves, including board games. She's also made a cheeky allusion to more physical activities, to which I'd ended up awkwardly laughing. Even this retired elderly couple was getting more action than us.
But as much as Lex insisted on those damned six weeks, I already knew I'd win him over in less. After sixteen days of healing, I was nearly back to the way I used to be. I had a few exercises I needed to do daily to make sure my mobility would remain the same as it used to be, and that had played a major role in my speedy recovery. While Lex was lenient and considerate with everything else, he was merciless when it came to my physiotherapy. And as much as I might hate him for it when we were working on it, I was always thankful for his intransigence afterward.
Overall, he really only had my well-being in mind, and it didn't necessarily mean shielding me from any pain. No, it meant following the instructions and doing what the doctors had said. All I wished was that I'd clarified with the man what he meant exactly by 'straining activities'. Because honestly, I didn't see how sex would be a problem as early as three weeks post-op.
Which was why I planned on starting my relentless seduction of Lex then. My shoulder would be fully healed, and I would feel good enough to woo him and get him to drag me to the nearest bed. Or couch. Or table. Or even floor.
Damn, I had so many plans for this house...
The Crawfords' house was very different from ours, as it was much more traditional. While I didn't particularly like the outdated interior, I had to say it suited them. It was homely and warm, with wooden walls and bright wallpapers. Just like us, they had a stunning view over the lake, but their windows weren't floor-to-ceiling like ours.
After they had greeted us with genuine enjoyment, they gave us a quick tour of the house, making me realize I hadn't offered them one when they'd visited us. Once we'd seen it all, Glenn headed to the kitchen to prepare some tea for us all, and Lex offered to assist. In the meantime, Meryl guided me back into the room where they kept their board games. When I'd first seen the shelves filled with games, I'd been secretly relieved to see their offer was real, and it wasn't some innuendo to invite us to a foursome.
"You can take anything you want, except for this one and the red one over there. Glenn and I are still going through them. I'm winning, by the way."
I chuckled and came closer to the shelves to read the names on the boxes. There were typical games like Clue, Monopoly, Scrabble, and even a few versions of Risk. But I had no idea what most of the games were about. "What would you recommend us to try?" I asked.
"Well, it depends. What sort of games do you like?"
"Hmm... Nothing with too much strategy, or L— Andrew will beat me at it." Fuck, I'd almost messed up. I was definitely not getting used to calling him Andrew. "Sorry," I felt compelled to say in an attempt to justify myself. "It's been just the two of us for a while now. I forget I'm not supposed to use his pet name in public."
"Oh, it's alright, sweetie, call him whatever you want. I don't mind at all."
"Thanks, but it's... rather weird."
"Really? It can't be worse than the one I have for Glenn."
"I doubt it."
"Okay, you know what? You tell me what you call Andrew, and I'll tell you what I call Glenn. Then we'll compare."
I hesitated, glancing at the door that led to the corridor outside. Foolishly, I'd gotten myself stuck in a lie, and I had to come through with it. "I call him lollipop," I invented. Fuck, how was that the first word in 'L' that had come to mind?
"I smell an inside joke," she answered, amused and intrigued. I tried. I really, really tried to think of something better than my first thought, but nothing else came to mind.
"It's not that deep. I call him that because... I like... to suck him."
Holy fuck, why couldn't have my brain come up with a better idea?! Shit, that was so mortifying, my entire face was burning. Without even seeing myself, I knew I was bright red from my throat all the way to my hairline.
"It's quite playful," Meryl laughed, absolutely unfazed. "I call my Glenn 'Dumbo'."
For a second, I wondered if it regarded his intelligence, but Meryl didn't strike me as someone who'd use a degrading endearment for her significant other. "He doesn't have big ears," I tried.
"No, but you should see his trunk." She gave me a wink, and it nearly took me out.
Damn, I loved her so fucking much already.
After a moment of stupor, a laugh ripped out of me. She really was proving to be full of surprises. "Good for you," I let out between two giggles.
"Good for me indeed. They can say whatever they want; one of the fundamental needs for a long and healthy marriage is maintining a good sex life. It keeps you young and connected. Also, the regular oxytocin surge helps keep the feelings alive."
"I'll try to keep that in mind, thanks. Although, so far, we have been doing great on that side." At least, we usually did.
"I can tell. There's a lot of chemistry between the two of you. You really make a beautiful couple."
"Thank you! You and Glenn are quite the pair too."
"We really are. Alright, enough chit chats, let's get you some games to occupy your days. Oh, this one is lovely," she declared, picking one from the top shelf. She handed me the box, and before I could even look at what was on it, she handed me a second one. "Ah! you absolutely need to try that one with your husband," she continued, giving me what seemed to be a game with questions on cards. "It did Glenn and I so much good. Every couple should try it at least once."
Meryl gave me four more boxes, and then I suggested we stopped there, as we had more than enough to keep ourselves entertained for the next two weeks. She negotiated a last one, and then we were off to the living room where the men were supposedly waiting for us. As soon as he saw me arrive loaded like a burrón, Lex came to me and took the boxes away, sending me a disapproving but discreet look.
We all sat down on the yellow couches, which were assorted to the curtains, and Glenn took care of pouring the tea in our delicate porcelain cups. There were a few sugar cookies on the table to accompany our tea, and they were so delicious I insisted on getting the recipe for this as well.
"Did you get to try the brownies?" Glenn asked. God, the man reminded me so much of a labrador.
"Yes, thank you again for sending me the picture of your recipe book!"
"My pleasure, Lexi. Did you manage alright?"
"They weren't as good as yours," Lex responded with brutal honesty.
"Hey," I complained, elbowing his ribs.
"What, you said it yourself. I thought they were fine, but you complained they were too dry."
"I'm still getting used to the oven," I explained with a wince, turning back to them.
"The secret is to whisk the eggs and the sugar until it's a light and fluffy batter. It should drip down in ribbons. Then you add the melted butter and chocolate."
"Oh, thank you. I'll definitely try that."
"Before you came back, I was telling Andrew how nice it is to finally have pleasant neighbors," he continued with a smile.
"The previous owners of the house weren't?"
"Oh, not at all, no. He was from somewhere in eastern Europe, and he was a very rude man. His wife – who was half his age – wasn't a very kind person either," Meryl confirmed.
"And let's not get started on their kids."
"Oh, those children were undoubtedly Satan's spawns. And those god-awful dogs... True hellhounds. They completely ravaged Glenn's flowerbeds twice!"
"It was three times, actually. But now we're rid of the nightmare. I'm sure if you two ever decide to have kids or dogs, they'll turn out much better."
"They couldn't turn out worse," Meryl pointed out with saltiness.
"I'm more of a cat person," Lex explained, unprompted. His declaration confused me, and I gave him a questioning glance.
"But you're allergic to cats."
"I still prefer their temperament over dogs. Much less needy and noisy."
As we all sipped on our tea, we spoke about the benefits of owning dogs or cats, and then the topic drifted to the potential progeny Lex and I might have. We answered truthfully, telling them that while it wasn't planned for now, it would definitely be a reality in our future.
That compelled Meryl to go get her photo album, and they showed us their own kids, who were both older than Lex. As we went through the pages, the birthdays, the Christmases, and the weddings, they told us a few anecdotes that went with it.
While I hadn't expected it, having Meryl and Glenn around was a relief. As it turned out, I was more social than I'd thought, and being deprived of other humans was hard on me. Even with Lex around, I needed to be social and mingle. Even just once a week. And who better to do it with than this amazing couple who was frankly goals?
If after forty-three years together Lex and I were like them, I'd consider ourselves very lucky. With kids, grandkids, and the keen desire to isolate ourselves so we could spend time together and play board games.
My understanding was that this part of our destiny was in our own hands. It was our job to work hard enough on our relationship to get there. And I definitely intended on doing just that. Keep the fire alive.