Chapter 28: Hide!

It was more of an emotional reaction to the fear of seeing her father on a London street than just logical thoughts or any preconceived plan. What came next was like a smooth dance between them where Arthur was quickly roped into playing the role of her boyfriend again without prior consultation but complete with convincing public displays of affection.

The magic key was a kiss between them that would protect Rachel from the critical eyes of anyone she knew or feared. She initiated a quick series of simple steps and turns after exiting the shop to stop them and engage them both in performing the role of a young, loving couple. Within a matter of seconds she pulled Arthur in for a kiss.

All she thought about initially was to hide her face on the London street a few moments after she recognized her father but before he recognized her. The feelings that the kiss released would either be a quiet confirmation or a rejection. But she was willing to take the risk. It was worth it.

The kiss thrilled her as much as the first one between them. Both were surprises. This time there was an element of danger. She had to hide her face from her father and kissing Arthur was her first thought.

Their lips stayed locked for enough time for her father to pass them by without doing a double take of recognition of his estranged daughter. His American accent stood out as it got louder and louder then faded away as he walked away and she could assume that he had disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the city crowd; she was safe from being found by him or found out by Arthur.

The kiss ended. They returned to the world, previously on pause, that they were a part of, even as it had continued to pass them by. They blended in without suspicion. They were a part of it all and no one was the wiser. She breathed a sigh of relief. Then her glance met with his. They had shared a romantic moment, but both of them had different reactions to the experience.

From her perspective, the plan worked. She had come too far for too long to be spotted by the one man whose power and influence could bring her to her knees and cause her lose it all. She had a job, a home, and was becoming a part of the community. She did not want to lose any of what she was building for herself in Clovelly, including the new, often strange relationship with Arthur.

From Arthur’s perspective, he was filled with a complicated combination of emotions. Most of all he was confused. He did not know if this was part of the fake relationship; if so, they were not in Clovelly and were without a reason to pretend. The lines were getting blurred. He wanted clarification. What was real and what was fake now? Most of all, he wanted to know why Rachel kissed him, especially if she did not have to.

“Wow. What was that all about?” Arthur asked her. “We are in London, there’s no need to pretend here.”

“I know. It was nothing.”

“Nothing? That kiss curled my toes, it was so passionate. It was no ordinary kiss, Rachel. What made you do that?”

“Nothing. You never know who might be looking. Keep ‘em guessing, you know?”

“But there’s no ‘them’ that we know here. We’re in a huge city not our little parish. There’s no one to fool.”

“Can’t it just be a kiss for a kiss’s sake? We had a victory and found the part. You drove me here and gave me a tour. We’re having a nice day. All of those are reasons for a friendly kiss in my book. No big deal. Everything does not need a reason, Counselor. Okay?” she said, a bit exasperated. Now that the danger was gone, she could see that her actions could be misinterpreted by Arthur.

“I know we have experienced all of those things,” he said, trying not to come across as rude or mean, “but that was not just a friendly peck on the lips. It was exciting, long, and...wonderful. Afterward you tell me that you didn’t mean anything by it. It was also shocking and confusing. Will you always just kiss me like that? Was it pretend for you? If you can’t answer my questions, then it feels like you are playing with my feelings to suit yourself, but not considering how I might feel about all the lies, not even as an afterthought.”

“The same way you played with mine on and after our ‘public’ date in Clovelly? A lot of what you did or said could not be observed by any ‘audience’, but you seem more comfortable pretending to like me and date me than actually consistently treating me like you do. Over and over again you are rude to me and I politely excuse it and forgive you. Then I do one positive thing, one spontaneous thing, that you cannot rationalize, and you rake me over the coals about it. If that’s the way you respond to a mere kiss, I won’t repeat it, don’t worry. You can rest assured that I’ll think twice before...no, if there’s ever a next time.”

They walked toward the parking lot, each locked in a world of their own thoughts. The peace following forgiveness, then a verbal argument, silent anger, then forgiveness again. This had become their unhealthy interaction pattern. Although she had not been in or exposed to many happy relationships, it seemed like a lot of work to go through, analyzing everything, arguing about a constantly shifting foundation in order to wind up on hopefully common ground.

“Do you still want to get an early supper or do I have to rationalize that for you, too?” Rachel asked him, still very angry and upset. She did not mean to lead him on, but she didn’t think when she acted. It was either that, or her father taking her back to that horrendous life she was about to have if she married Kurt.

“Yeah. Let’s go. Who knows? You might passionately kiss me again for no reason and expect me to play it off,” he joked, trying to lift the mood for a change. He could now see how it was when his bad temper took over in their conversations. This time, he was at the other end of the line.

“Don’t count on it, Arthur. Not any time soon. I can promise you that.”

They rode in silence, each wishing things had gone in a different direction after their second kiss and both hoping that there would be another in their future together, sooner not later.