Moonlight Curtain 1

"Amina, Amina! wake up!" My mom shook me awake.
"Hmm!? What What?!" I asked confused as slowly i awoke.
"Your gonna miss your plane!!" She hissed. I groaned and sat up in bed. It was still dark out as i glanced out my window. I was going to live with my dad for a while in boring old Ringwater Main while mom went to Rome to finish some writing she had been working on.
"Ok ok, im up." I said and pushed myself out of bed. I was 18 years old and ready to start something new..but it was going to be hard in such a small boring town. I ran to my closet and put on a comfy pair of jeans and a tanktop. I slipped on my comfy sweet shirt and ran out the door to my moms van.

"Oh sweety, you have fun with your dad. Ill miss you lots. You call if you need anything, anything at all! Ill be on the first flight back from Rome." She said hugging me tight at the terminal.
"Aww I know mom. Dont worry Ill call every night. Don't have to much fun without me!" i said wiping away the few tears slipping through. They called for boarding and I kissed my mom good bye. I boarded the nasty disinfectant smelling plane and sat down, closed my eyes, and slept for the rest of the flight.
******
"Excuse me miss, we've landed in Florida." A pretty flight attendant said with a plastered on smile.
"Oh, thank you so much." I said rubbing my eyes and looking around at the empty blue seats on the plane. I got to my feet and pulled out my carrying back from the storage compartment above me. I got off the plane with difficulty seeing my legs had fallen asleep. I got off the plane and made my way quickly to the meeting area excited to see my daddy.
And as soon as I saw the plaid covered, big and round of a man smiling wide with a dimple on each side, I ran at full speed into my dad's arms. "Hey there squirt!!." he greeted me, picking me up and spinning me in a big bear hug.
"Hi poppy!" I squealed.

"Oh I've missed you, look at you! You grew so tall and beautiful!" He gushed. I blushed and he tucked me under his arm, grabbed my bags and lead me to his car, filling me in on what I'd missed in the years I hadn't seen him, being across the United States in California. We got in his old pickup and he started driving. After about a half hour drive into the country our subject totally changed.
"Now I have something to tell you..." He said.
"Um..what.." I asked a little afraid of the answer.
"You know the old house I lived in last time you visited?"
"Mmhm." I answered.
"Well...I sold it.." He said looking at me grinning. "And I bought something bigger!!"
"Really!?" I said smiling. "How big?"
"You'll see..its coming up right around this bend.." As the old rusty car pulled around a giant mountain, a huge, old Inn stood in a cute little clearing.

"Oh dad...its gorgeous!" I squealed.
"And very popular." He said motioning to the parking area filled with cars. We parked and got out. We walked in and I took an intake of breath. The floors were wood and it looked like an old country house. A warm inviting fire burned at one end of the room and a big stone fireplace, a cute living room like sitting area that made you wanna curl up there and drink hot cocoa. The lights were dimmed and the smell of apple pie came from the kitchen. There was a check-in desk pushed back from the house like setting and a stairwell went up to a second floor which were all rooms. There weren't many though... I got to know the staff. They were very welcoming, especially the maid, Lucinda.

The snow was deep outside the old Inn, making the enchanting place even more cozier. "Ill show you your room," Dad smiled. He lead me down a hallway to a big room. He opened the door and my jaw dropped. It was gorgeous. The floor was stone and there was a huge bed with a canopy hanging over it. Candles flickered in the windows of the room, and one on a little writing desk. It was perfect. It looked as if it was out of a picture book.
"Oh dad.." I whispered. "It perfect!" I squealed hugging him tightly. He chuckled and hugged me back.
"I'm glad you like it."

****Later than night****
I stood at the window in my room gazing at the piles and piles of snow out front of our hotel. The old baren trees were hanging low from the piles of snow hanging on them. I leaned my head against the wood around the window, feeling its icy surface numb my cheek. I breathed deeply, totally relaxed. The wind howled and the snow ran across the ground. My eyes became focused on to headlights coming up the snow covered road...who in the world would be driving on a night like this? The car stopped at the entrance of the hotel.

"Come stay...come stay here." I whispered to myself, hoping somehow the driver of the car would hear me. As if it could hear me the car turned into the long driveway, fighting the drifts of snow. I ran out of my room and into the lobby, waiting, wanting to see who it was. There was a knock on the door and I ran and threw it open, just as my dad walked into the room to answer it. Standing in the doorway was a man. He looked about twenty and my eyes widened at the sight of him...he..was..inhumanly beautiful. He must have been a god. He was tall and muscled. His eyes were violet with green and blue around the pupil. His his hair was black, his skin pale. He was like no person Id seen on the streets, or celebrity in the magazines...he was..a masterpiece. His nose so straight...His cheek bones so high. I wanted to reach out my fingers and trace the etched features on his godlike face.

"Hello, my name is Victor." His music like voice greeted. His eyes flew from my father to me and as soon as they did, a ball of warmth tingled in my belly. His eyes blinked rapidly as if had never seen a teenage girl before then he spoke again. "Well hello." He said to me.
"Hi," I squeaked, then blushed at how young I sounded. I cleared my throat, "I'm Amina." I introduced myself.
"Amina..." he whispered. "Beautiful name." He complimented. I blushed and looked down. He grabbed my hand with his and kissed it like a proper gentleman. His hand was as smooth as glass and as warm as a part of a sidewalk that has been his by the sun to long. I swallowed hard as he slowly let go of my hand. My dad was to busy suggesting different rooms free in the hotel to notice the intimate moment.
"Ill take number 13." Victor said without breaking eye contact. Room 13 was the room right across from mine.

"Fantastic! It has a lovely view. Amina will you be kind enough to show the guest to his room?" Dad said with a knowing smile. I rolled my eyes so only my dad could see and grabbed the key out of his hand. I lead Victor down the hallway, all though it didn't seem like it cause his footsteps were so silent I had to look behind me to make sure he was there every 2 seconds.
"So...where are you from?" I asked. Trying to break the silence.
"Italy." His velvet voice replied.
"It doesn't sound like it," I said noticing he has no accent.
"I didn't pick up an accent. I lived in Chicago before moving there." He replied.
"Cool."
"How about you?" he asked.
"California." I replied.
"Do you miss it?"

"No." I replied. "To much heat. I liked the beach but I prefer snow...cause I'm weird like that." I chuckled.

"I don't think your weird at all." He said giving me a small smile as we got to room 13.
"Well thank you," I said looking down and blushing. "Whats that?" I asked noticing a book with a leather worn cover on it.
"Oh this?" he asked holding the book up. "They're my drawings." He smiled.
"You draw?" I said returning the smile. He nodded. "That's amazing are you any good?"
"Take a look." He said handing over the book. I flipped it open to see a beautiful portrait of a lady on a bench in the park feeding birds. Then to one of a beautiful woman, asleep on a couch.
"Your girlfriend?" I asked. I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
"No. Some lady who fell asleep in a hotel lobby I was staying at. The way the sunlight hit her face, I couldn't help but draw her."

"These are fantastic," I said smiling, flipping the other pages. Gazing in awe at the masterpieces.
"Thank you." He whispered.
"So here's your room key, if you need me, ill be across the hall," I motioned to my door. As I walked away I swore I heard him murmur, "Oh I think ill need you soon." but it couldn't have been...