Honey

Lavender whirls around as I walk through the garden which is lit by twinkly lights. I inhale the fresh night air and yank on the door. It doesn't open which leaves me groaning.

"Hey Austin, are you there?" I stomp my shoe on the wooden door.

When nothing happens, I crouch beside it and frown. I hope it's locked, and that Austin isn't trapped.

It swings open and I topple onto the ground. Austin's head pokes out and he laughs.

"Come back in five because I'm dealing with something."

"Oh, alright." I nod.

He disappears while I stagger to my feet. I brush the dirt off and look around. It's dark and I want to sleep.

"Wait a minute." I twirl around and grin.

I leap onto the bed in the garden and snuggle into the plush cushions. The moon casts silver beams of light onto the house and the stars twinkle against the inky blue sky. I could spend the whole night here, which might be the case if Austin doesn't hurry.

The door opens and a duffle bag is tossed out. Austin climbs out along with two other men.

"I'll meet you around the front." Austin nods.

A slender man with a wispy grey beard hooks the strap over his shoulder and walks ahead. The other trudges along with a frown.

"You only need to watch the plants."

"No visitors I should know about?"

"He thought you weren't ready for it."

"Not ready, really? I thought—"

"Don't take it personally. You just started, you have to earn his trust." He shrugs. "I'll see you tomorrow, hungover and a little grumpy."

"Sounds about right." I sigh. "Please don't be late this time."

"But I'm always late!" He chuckles. "Can I bring you coffee to make up for it?"

"Only if it's ice-coffee because real coffee tastes disgusting without a mountain of sugar in it."

"One cup of sugar, maybe some milk and coffee in it." He nods.

"Just remember, you need me."

"I'll be sure to bring extra sugar." He winks.

He wanders away while I toss my bag into the hole and climb down.

There're cutting supplies laid across the plastic tabletop, and the stripped plants form a line on the right side of the batch. It would be interesting to get a harvest shift, but those men scare me.

Since the bedding hasn't been touched since last time, I stretch across and nuzzle my face into the pillow. My day has been bleak but I'm exhausted.

My stomach rumbles and I groan.

"How can you be hungry?"

I collect my bag from the ground and toss it onto the bench. As I empty it, my water bottle rolls across the table and bumps into an old radio.

It's dusty and banged up but I press buttons and hope for the best. Static noise crackles through the speakers as I move the dial. I adjust the bent antenna and a song by Cardi B plays.

I place the container in the microwave and turn the volume up. The music is infectious; I spin around and flip my hair. I toss my hands up and shake my hips. As the song changes, I spring up and trip.

My hands grab the piping but it snaps, and I hit the ground with an oomph. Cold water splashes across my chest and I gasp.

"Oh shit." I throw the pipe away.

Leaping into the air, I swipe the walkie-talkie and frown. It's more complex than that pink Barbie walkie-talkie I had when I was six.

I press a button and hope for the best.

"Um, hey, I need help!"

Silence prevails which could mean a number of things, like I'm so fired.

Maybe I could fix the pipe with some joiners or something? I don't know anything about this.

The door squeaks opens, and The Boss jumps into the hole. His blue eyes trail over my shirt as my heart races. I peek down and go bright red because the white shirt has gone see through.

"What happened?"

I cross my arms and glance at the piping.

"Um, well, you see." I point to the broken pipe. "It broke."

"I can see it's broken, but how?"

"Hm, that's an interesting question." I bite my lip.

"I'm sure it'll come with an interesting answer."

There's no way I can lie because I need him to trust me, even though I'll be admitting something cringe-worthy embarrassing.

"When I was dancing, I tripped into the piping."

"How did you trip while you were dancing?" His eyes darken.

My hands sweat and my heart rate accelerates.

"I was shaking my hips and—" I look at the ground. "I don't know, I tripped."

My stomach churns as we stand in silence. I twist my fingers and sigh.

His boot hits the ground and I jump. Our gaze meets and there's humour swirling in his eyes.

"The ground isn't smooth, tripping is a hazard." He nods. "You can shower and change upstairs."

"Thank you."

He disables the watering system while I shove my belongings back into my bag. We climb up the ladder and wander into the house.

I have an overactive imagination when it comes to the house. It's a cross between tigers on a gold leash and bongs on every counter.

He opens the door and we're met with darkness. Another door to the right opens and white light spills into the hallway as a woman slides out. She leans against the doorframe and twirls the tie of her silk robe around her index finger.

"Go back to bed."

She sighs but complies with his demand.

The lights illuminate a long hallway which leads to a kitchen.

"There's a hallway to the left, and the bathroom is on the right. Towels are under the sink."

"Thank you so much!"

He watches me walk down the hallway which sends a shiver down my spine. I hurry through the kitchen and down the hallway. Once I'm in the bathroom, the stench of the water fills the room.

I turn the shower on and remove my clothes. Water cascades over my body as I look through the bottles on the shelf. I pump the body wash onto my hand and the sweet smell of honey fills the steamy room.

Once I'm clean, I step out of the shower and wrap a fuzzy towel around my torso. There's a knock which makes me jump.

I tighten the towel around my body and step towards the door. My heart hammers as I open the door and peer around.

The Boss looks away as he holds out a pile of clothes.

"Something might fit."

I take the clothes and smile.

"Thank you."

He turns away and I close the door. I press my forehead against the smooth wood and inhale a deep breath. No matter how many deep breaths I take, my heart still wants to leap from my chest.

I place the clothes on the bench and re-dress in my underwear and shorts, which thankfully weren't ruined by the water. I tug on the black t-shirt which is large but comfortable. I place the towel in the washing basket and wander into the kitchen.

The woman, now dressed in a red evening dress, staggers into the room. I drop my gaze to the ground as I move through the room. She drops onto the couch and glares at her phone. I slip outside and back to the hole.

Resting on the bench is a book about plants and their meanings. I slide my hand over the cover and grin. Under the book is a note which makes my stomach knots as I flip it open.

Tikera.

I've gone to purchase new piping (+ spares). The book is about plants, their meanings and some usages. This should amuse you for a while, or long enough for me to fix the broken pipe.

The Boss.

"Screw you! It's your fault for not providing a safe work environment." I scrunch the note and toss it onto the bench.

A smile spreads across my lips as I walk to the bed. I hug the book to my chest as I flop onto the bed.

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