This is a work of fiction. The town, the situations, and the characters are all imagined. The cottage setting is inspired by a cabin and small town I stayed in several years ago.
DAY 1
It was a blue sky day in the northern lumber town of Dorrits. People were milling about on both sides of the single main street that ran through town, a sign saying "Welcome to Dorrits" on one end and "You're Now Leaving Dorrits" on the other. The cars that drove along this road provided the conversation pieces for the people hanging around along the sidewalks. Everybody who drove along it, whether friend or stranger, seemed to stir up stories.
It was midday when a silver jeep revved into view. People leaned forward and tried to see who was in the car.
David Hettrick saw her. Her shoulder length golden hair had shone through the glare of the driver's window. She pulled up the road and turned and parked at Mandy's General Goods & Service's store at the centre of town.
Most of the people lingering on the street at lunch time in the town of Dorrits had noticed the jeep as it had drove into town. Too silvery and too clean, the jeep had "city person" written all over it with 4x4 drive and a power package that was intended for rough riding but it would be features of the car that would probably never be used by its driver. A lot of the people just smirked, taking only a quick glance as the jeep roll in. Some of the more curious, bolder types, cast a longer glare upon its gleaming hull right until it had parked.
David was usually of the former group, minding his own business, but the driver, with that fine blonde hair, had caught his eye. As she stepped out of the car and onto the street, he realized there was even more to the person behind the wheel, behind the glare of the window, for him to take notice.
The woman stretched, her fingers woven together and held over her head, pushing towards the sky. She had a slender, shapely figure with her hips and legs accentuated nicely by the tight jeans she was wearing. She had a red denim blouse that was oversized but it was still obvious she that she had a fine, fit form. She was smiling as she stretched, looking satisfied after having been on a long drive.
David was able to 'read' the different strangers who drove through town. He could tell who was just stopping by and who would be staying for awhile. As the woman opened her eyes and looked around town with the same satisfied smile on her face, he knew she'd be staying for a little while. He surprised himself, realizing that just the thought this woman might be staying in town elicited a sense of excitement from within him. She really was beautiful.
As she reached back into her car, David suddenly realized he had been staring. Shaking his head, he figured he should just go back to loading his truck before she noticed him.
"Hold up, boys!" a rough voice slurred, "Look what's come to town!"
Without looking up, David knew who was speaking. He grimaced.
"It's always nice when the city folk drop in for a visit," Eric Lafon chuckled. He and his entourage of bored labourers stood on the sidewalk in front of the jeep, heads tilted to the side, whistling and taking a good long leer at the attractive new backside sticking out from the door. They were playing the 'good ol'boy' routine to the fullest. David always hated it when Eric lowered himself to that sort of behaviour.
The group was chuckling even more when the woman leaned out and looked at the men over the rim of her sunglasses.
"Hey! Hope it's not too bright for you, Sunshine!" Eric continued, "Takes time to get used to the unfiltered natural light without all the pollution in your eyes."
The woman smiled, her red lips tightly clenched. Then she made her first mistake. She nodded and said, "Hello gentlemen."
David could hear the snickers. He shook his head and frowned. Never acknowledge the pack.
Eric waved his hand like he was wiping a window and drawled in a syrupy voice, "Welcome to Dorrits, Sunshine!"
'Sunshine'. He had already given her a nickname. This was going to get very messy, very fast. Next he would ask her if she's new in town. She'd say yes. He'd introduce himself. She would give him her name. He would ask her where she's staying, offer his 'help', his 'services', and pretty much make an ass of himself or get into some sort of trouble. Nothing worse than a bunch of guys who had no work to do and spent all day drinking and looking for a new play thing. Not only that, as the de facto leader of the group, Eric was compelled to put on a show.
The others David didn't care about. It was Eric who disappointed him.
David would have surprised himself again, realizing just how defensive he was feeling about the whole situation. But then he was snapped out of his thoughts.
"So where you going to be heading Nicola?" Eric's gruff voice slinked in.
David looked up. The conversation had already progressed while he had been lost in his thoughts Eric and the group had already stepped off the curb and moved in for a closer look. The woman David now figured to be Nicola stood behind the door, keeping it between her and the men. She had raised her sunglasses, perching it in her hair. He had a clear view of her crystal blue eyes blinking with a cautious stare. Her mouth was sort of forming words but not speaking. It was amazing how quickly people could go from a complete carefree demeanour to a deer caught in headlights.
"Well, uh..." she stammered.
David thought about moving in. Eric moved faster. The tall man leaned over her and winked, "Need someone to show you the sites?"
There was a knowing, obnoxious rumble through the group.
Some sort of defensive mechanism must have kicked in as the woman's glowing expression changed to a cool glare. She lowered her chin and stared at him. In a low voice she said, "Not today. I'm not interested."
Eric's grey-green eyes squinted into sharp slits.
She shut her door. "Excuse me," she said in the same tight voice and brushed past the men.
As the other men murmured and mumbled about her boldness, Eric continued to stare straight ahead where the woman had been standing. He grinned.
David knew she had to eventually try to get away from them but he had hoped she would be more tactful in spite of the situation. That straight-forward city-type brush off often just conjured up an image of arrogance that served to spur on the resentment that locals had for their city cousins. If she had done that to a bunch of frat boys in the city, she would have probably gotten an immediate response of cat calls and defensive bravado. All she was getting now as she walked into the store were cold stares. The men, save for Eric, watched her ominously. They wouldn't forget.
David watched the group finally start to shuffle away from the jeep. Eric lingered for a moment, still thinking about something but then stepped away. David then went into the store to pick up more things.
As he stepped through the door, the attached bells tinkling light fairies, he immediately zoned in on Nicola standing at the counter talking with Mrs.Hayden.
"Don't let them rattle you," the personable matron of the store said waving her hand dismissively, "They're just bored until the next call for work comes along."
