One Bride for Five Brothers

“Cupcakes are gross?” Rory raised her eyebrows. “You are a weirdo.” She laughingly hit him on the arm.

“If you keep slapping my arm like this, I’m going to need a cast for that, too.” Arsen gestured, making Rory laugh only to notice Arsen’s piercing gaze focused on her face.

“You came here often with your grandma?” Arsen said as he looked at the menu.

“Ever since I was a child.” Rory smiled. “Back in the day this island wasn’t a travel destination. The streets were safer and everyone knew everyone. So Granny and I used to cycle together all the time. She was my tourist guide and would tell me stories about the people and the landmarks as we cruised slowly around.” Rory was lost in a different time.

“That sounds like a happy childhood.” Arsen smiled.

That’s because you haven’t met my parents, Rory wanted to say, but didn’t.

“Vacations here were the highlight of my childhood, yes. This bakery used to be at a different location, much closer to where I stay. I’ve spent hours running around on trails, playing silly games, and getting myself injured in the process,” Rory laughed.

“I bet you were a handful. I bet your grandma got sick of you,” Arsen teased.

“No way. She loved me,” she protested.

“Of course she wouldn’t tell you, but secretly she was annoyed,” he grinned at her.

“Excuse me, mister. Are you trying to say that I am an annoying person?” She raised a brow.

“Only sometimes,” Arsen winked.

Rory raised her hand again to hit him on the arm and then remembered what he had said.

“You, mister, you… you are a handful and some more,” she stuttered a little through her words. Handful and darn cute, Rory thought, as his deep dimples caught her attention again.

“If I wasn’t such a handful…and some more, then you probably wouldn’t be sitting here having coffee with me.” His eye gleamed as his hand reached out toward hers. It wasn’t what he said, but the way he said it that made Rory’s insides tingle. She was thankful when Martha interrupted.

“Here you go, kids. Fresh from the oven.” She hurriedly put down some pound cake, a bunch of cupcakes, and some hand pies along with two cups of cappuccino. Then she pulled herself a chair from one of the nearby tables, much to Arsen’s surprise.

“How have you been, kiddo? Quite a storm the other day, eh?” Martha asked.

“Nothing unusual for us, right?” Rory replied politely, itching to dig into the cupcakes. Arsen meanwhile had already cut a piece of pound cake and was munching. How rude!

“I hardly see you around here anymore. I see more of that silly friend of yours than I see of you.” Martha started to complain but then stopped. “Look at me yapping while the food gets cold. Dig in, kiddo,” Martha said. Rory picked up a cupcake, wriggled her nose at Arsen, and took a big bite. To hell with eating like a lady.

“Arsen, how long have you lived here?” Martha inquired.

“I don’t live here, just visiting,” Arsen said while munching. So much for eating like a gentleman too, Rory mused.

“I see. For how long?” Martha asked.

“As long as fate intends.”

“But you must have a time period in mind?”

“Time is nothing but an illusion. Don’t you think?”

The coffee Rory was drinking almost snorted out of her nose as she chuckled at how easily Arsen was evading these invasive questions from Martha, something that she herself had always struggled to do.

“What do you do Arsen, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I’m a garbage contractor,” he said, without missing a beat. His eyes met Rory’s. Oh, that twinkle in his eye.

“That’s nice. You must make a nice living with that. Don’t you worry though that some of that garbage might get stuck in your long hair? I imagine short hair would be better for such a job?”

“Well I have people who work for me, but then I always tie a scarf around my head,” Arsen said convincingly.