One Bride for Five Mountain Men

“When you have seen real hunger, you realize the value of food,” Arsen said with his eyes glued to his coffee cup. Rory was sure that he was speaking from experience, and as much as she wanted to hear his life story, she decided not to prod any further.

“You have a lovely house. It just radiates a positive energy,” he suddenly said. Rory was surprised by his choice of words. That is exactly how she had always thought of her grandmother’s house.

“Tha

nk you. I think so too.” She picked up a piece of cake but then put it back silently, the thought of attempting to fit into the bridesmaid’s dress coming back into her mind.

“It sounds great too,” Arsen said.

“Um?” Rory was confused.

“The house. It sounds great.”

“Sounds great? Do houses make any sound at all?” Rory laughed.

“I meant the acoustics,” Arsen smiled. “When I was playing the piano, the natural reverb of the room was making the instrument sound much better than it actually is. No offense,” he added.

“None taken. I was quite surprised myself about how good the piano sounded. The last time it was played, it didn’t sound anything like when you played it.” Rory got self-conscious as the compliment slipped out of her mouth, but Arsen was lost in his own thoughts.

“It sounded really warm… and rich,” Arsen said in a low voice, as if making a note to himself. Rory took another sip of her coffee.

“We came to this island to write new music. Don thought that if the band took a break from the LA scene then maybe we could focus on getting some work done. So far it’s been a disaster. Apart from the all night parties, we haven’t done anything in that villa that we are paying a fortune to rent.” Arsen looked her right in the eye as he told her this.

“Why? What’s wrong with that villa?”

“Nothing is wrong. It's gorgeous, luxurious, has a studio built in… but there is something missing. The vibe is just not right for the magic to happen. For music to be made,” he added in a wistful tone.

“I am sorry to hear that. I can’t say I know your pain, but in a small way maybe I can relate to it.” She tried to sympathize.

“I’ve barely touched an instrument since I’ve been in that villa. Neither have I wanted to. I was certain that I had carried my writer’s block over from LA, and at one point, I was a miserable enough to give up playing music altogether. But that day in your house, my hands just flew on the piano. Music just spilled out of me.”

Rory didn’t have to be reminded of that. Sounds of that afternoon were still fresh in her mind.

“I was completely lost in the sounds of that piano, like one can get lost in the sounds of rain on a summer evening. I was just overwhelmed with music inside of me and a hundred ideas rushed through. As if the life that had been sucked out of me was being replenished again. It was the magic that I had wanted to feel for so long. That magic makes me write songs. It compels something inside of me to wake up and make music.”

Lost in his own words, Arsen was longing for that creative inspiration. For themes, for the right sign, or the elusive muse. Rory was mesmerized by the passion for music that shined in his eyes. The energy of his voice, and the utter obsession he had with creating music.

“I’m happy you found your muse again.” She smiled at him.

“The muse is the house that the music was played in,” he replied, a slight smile showcasing his pearly whites.

“Meaning?” she asked. Arsen paused for a good minute and then spoke up.

“Rory, would you rent out your house to me?”

Chapter 10

It was a miracle that Rory wasn’t already sick of the wet weather. As she drove back to her house, it started raining again after raining heavily for most of the day. Lizzy had called her to say that she had already closed the shop and gone home once she saw that the downpour was going to turn into a storm.

As there was no need to reopen the shop, Rory worked on a couple of new designs and then went off to bed rather early. She was stuffed beyond belief as Martha had seen her off with a whole bunch of goodies. Rory couldn’t resist but munch on cupcakes on the way home and was far too full to have dinner.

I gotta start working out soon, she thought as she tried to go to sleep. Arsen’s offer was still ringing in her mind. He had wanted to lease a part of her house and convert it into a temporary studio where he could write songs. He was willing to make it worth her while as well. The idea of having him around was tempting, but a no had popped out of her mouth on autopilot.

Arsen had tried to convince her, but she had rejected his appeals every time. She simply didn’t like the idea of Arsen and his rowdy band members, especially Mickey Nicks, in her house.

Arsen was interesting, he was charming, and Rory now had no qualms in admitting that he intrigued her, but his bandmates… God only knows what kind of damage they would inflict, not to mention the amount of drugs that would be involved. Of course, she didn’t want to insult Arsen by bringing that up.

What Rory didn’t admit to herself freely however, was that she was also afraid of getting close to Arsen. An afternoon spent with him had confirmed her belief that he wasn’t like other celebrities. Neither was he like the other members of his band. Often he seemed like a regular guy, except that he was sexy like a Greek god and possessed a talent that comes once in a generation. It wasn’t that difficult to be attracted to a guy like that, but the last thing Rory wanted was a short-lived romance with a bad-boy rockstar.