Chapter Three

Luna

"Are you sure this is the place?" I ask the tall blonde man standing in front of me, more like towering me.

                He looks like a Ken doll, straight out of one of Daisy's beloved Barbie movies. Okay not only Daisy's, we all have this Barbie movie marathon once in a while. Though it's mostly because of Daisy, I can't deny the fact they're pretty fun. But that's beside the point. Back to the six feet ken doll, whose only difference with the actual doll is his missing blue eyes. Instead of those signature blues, his eyes are striking dark brown. 

"Pretty sure" He says with a little too enthusiasm. He looks younger than me though I can't be sure. "Why? Am I not allowed here?" He says with subtle flirtatious tone.

"Just let the man in. Don't let our only customer in weeks run away too" Rae says from the back.

"See? I like her! Is she single?" He grins.

                Our guesthouse hadn't had any guests since the incident three weeks ago. Everyone who were staying at the moment left within the next day, including Jack.

                Jack. Everytime I think of him something inside me breaks. His face when he found Natalie's lifeless body in the lake, the way he broke down, the way his world collapsed and so did he. It was her birthday, he had so many things planned for her. Everything went away just like that.

                The memory of that day still so vivid in my eyes, I don't think I can ever forget that look on his face. Not until I help him find the justice he deserves.

"Hey, you there?" the ken doll leans over shooting his brown eyes eyes at me, snapping me back to reality. My nose burns from his cologne, he smells like spicy mint, if that's a thing.

"Yes, come in" I say, stepping aside. "Welcome to my humble abode" I say my voice obviously lacking the enthusiasm. It's easier when the guesthouse is blooming with guests and everything is joyful. Not when it's dead empty with only one man who happens to remind me of my daughter's favourite fictional character. What is wrong with me?

             He takes the view in as he steps in. His gaze sweeping across the big room. For a second his smile falters looking a bit serious but soon enough his stunning smile reappears "Such a lovely place."

"Please follow me to the desk"  I take him to the reception desk at the corner so I can register his informations. I'm usually at the desk most of the time but since there were almost no chance of getting any guests these days, I was just out in the front.

"The name is Ezra Norwood." He says as I start inputting his data. He has such an unique name and it surprising suits him.

              After we're done with the registration, I hand him the keys which has room number on it.

"It's on the second floor"

"May I ask something?"

"Yes, go ahead." I can already sense what's he about to ask.

"I don't want to be rude. But am I only guest here?"

"Yes. We're currently under a situation. I'm sure you have heard bits and pieces on your way here" knowing the people of this town, there's no way they saw a fine man on his way to my guesthouse and didn't warn him about the situation. That's almost impossible to believe.

"Yes, but I thought they were just rumours." He smiles as if to reassure me.

"They are not. They're true. So if you want to change your mind about staying here you can." I say. My voice sounds so defensive even to my ears.

But he gives me a generous smile instead. "Oh no no. I don't want to change the location. It was recommended to me by a friend. She said the service is awesome here. And the place looks quite nice too. So I'll take my chances" h

              I don't have any idea what he meant by he'll take his chances. Maybe he just wanted to make me feel better. Regardless, he retreats from the desk and makes his way to staircases.

"I look forward to know more about you." he winks at Rae as he goes up.

"Looks like someone got eyes on you." I say again lacking the enthusiasm that's usually there.

"Well as long as he's not annoying" Rae says but she looks relieved to finally see a guest here. She may not show it but I know she was as worried as I am about the guesthouse.

"Can't guarantee that" I say.

June comes back after a while, she picked up Daisy from the kindergarten on her way back.

"Is it true that there's a new guest?" Daisy runs inside while shouting.

"News really travel fast" Rae says while working on the coffee maker.

"Oh you would be surprised. All these townies were so sure our business is doomed. So imagine their surprise when they actually saw someone coming here. That bitch Cecily even had the audacity to show concern about this guy saying, I quote 'poor hot guy' " June hisses.

  Cecily is around June's age, who also grew up in the orphanage with her. For some reason they do not get along. June hates Cecily's guts though she never shows that in front of her while Cecily acts nonchalant around her even though I'm pretty sure she's scared of June. Cecily currently works as a bartender in the town's most popular bar. I wonder how she already met Ken.

           June rants a bit more before calming down as Rae hands her a cup of her favourite coffee.

"So who's the guest?"

"Someone from the city. Looks like he's here for sightseeing or perhaps vacation? Had a huge camera hanging on his neck" I explain.

"That's good" she sips the coffee.

"June can you go up and ask him about dinner?" Rae says. Since the customers stopped coming, Rae didn't cook as much. Just enough for three of us and Daisy.

"On it" As June was about to stand, we notice Ken doll coming down the stairs. I seriously need to stop calling him Ken in my mind, his eyes aren't even blue.

"Hey ladies! Oh there's one new lad- " he stops mid sentence as he notices tiny Daisy and halts his movement "One and a half" he concludes.

"Are you our new guest? The hot guy Cecily was talking about?" Daisy says as she has no filter or has no concept of what that might be.

"Cecily? Hot guy?" He looks at June assuming that's her name.

"Not me. She heard the town people talking, apparently you've left quite an impression" June says.

"Oh yeah" he scratches the back of his neck. "I got lost so had to ask around . Anyways I'm Ezra Norwood." he says extending his hand.

"I'm June. I work and live here."

"Nice to meet you June." He says with his signature dimple that I've already caught many times. Did the actual ken doll had a dimple? I never noticed that. I mentally note to check the next time we have a barbie marathon. "And you young lady?" He asks leaning a bit towards daisy.

"I'm daisy! I work and the live here!" She says copying June though she's not wrong about the living one.

"Well that would be child labour. Whom do I have to arrest?" He asks in a playful tone.

"Are you a police?" She asks suddenly and he pauses.

"Uh huh" he shakes his head almost immediately. "But at least I can take your mother to police for making you work"  he jokes and my poor daughter pales.

"No. Don't take mommy to the police." She runs to me and wraps are hands around my leg. My daughter has seen police, FBI coming here multiple times in past few weeks. And to a kid at her age, they must've looked quite intimidating. So even without understanding much she's scared that they'll take me, Rae or June to police station.

               Ken's eyes moves to mine as he's quite shocked at the fact I have a daughter. He must've thought we're all single here. Well I technically am. But that's a different thing.

"She's my daughter, Daisy. Daisy say hi to uncle Norwood. And no needs to be scared, he won't take mommy anywhere. He's a guest here."

"Hello uncle Norwood" she says uncomfortably.

"Just Ezra will do" he says ruffling her hair though he looked a bit taken aback seeing her. Does he not like kids?

"Did you need anything?" I ask him. 

"Oh yes. I was about to ask if one of you could give me a tour around the town."

"Today? Aren't you tired already?" I ask.

"Well that's true. Then what about tomorrow morning? Any of you free?" His eyes looking for Rae.

"If there's no more guest then sure." I say knowing the last thing Rae will ever do is give a man tour around the town.

             So after letting us know that he'd love to have dinner in the guesthouse and he's looking forward to Rae's cooking, he goes back to his room. He didn't specify what he'd like to have rather told Rae to make what she's best at.

"Seems like a carefree guy. I like him." June says once he's out of sight. She's usually the most skeptical about people among us. So if she approves that means there's nothing to worry about.

"He seems interested in Rae." I point out.

"He's just flirty and that ain't anything new." Rae says dismissively, which is true. We're used to the flirting majority of single guys do here. But we have this rule to not get into any type of relationship with any of them. Since we know everything is temporary.

             Wisteria vale has an orphanage, many of its kids are the result of a fling of an outsider, who came to the town for the beauty of the place and left a helpless woman pregnant. While each kid's story is unique, this particular part is grave to us given both Freya and June grew up in the orphanage and how my dear ex husband left me alone with Daisy. So it became a strict rule for us.

               Though I have my doubts about June sometimes. I'm pretty sure she had quite a few flings without me knowing. That girl listens to no one. But for Rae, I think my girl lost interest in whole male population after her break up with her city boyfriend. She never told me in details what happened in the city or why she came back and I never pressured her given my fall out with my husband. We understand each others silence.

"I just hope everything will go back to normal." Rae says as she makes her way to the kitchen to prepare dinner for our very first guest in three weeks.

I wonder if anything will ever go back to the way it was.

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