Facing the bathroom mirror, I was battling a rebellious curl that kept falling over my face. My wild, electrified lion's mane was my sworn enemy, why couldn't it be as docile and smooth as Vir's?
"Nervous?" Erik asked, poking his head through the bathroom door as I tried to tame the lock with a hairpin. "And what's with that serious expression?" he laughed as he approached to hug me from behind.
"No, annoyed," I replied with a pout, pointing to the rebellious curl that insisted on defying me. "This hair... I hate it!"
Erik took the hairpin that was trying to tame the curl and, with a delicate gesture, released it. The cursed lock fell back over my forehead.
"Curious," he said, with a lopsided smile. "I love it."
I looked at our reflection in the mirror. He was so tall that he towered over me by a head. He leaned forward, resting his chin on the crown of my head and smiled. His reddish beard contrasted with my dark hair. His pale, freckled skin with mine, slightly tanned. His green eyes, huge and full of joy, with mine, brown, hidden behind glasses and full of frustration.
"Because it's not yours," I replied with a smile, leaning against his body and observing the strange couple we made.
Never, not even in my wildest dreams, would I have imagined myself like this: embraced and in love with a tattooed Viking, sweet, tender, loving, funny and intelligent. For so long I had felt inferior, that I had ended up accepting as my destiny an angry, busy, raging and cruel man. But Erik was proof that life always had something good to offer, all you had to do was trust in yourself.
"You're beautiful," he whispered, stroking my face and looking at me through the reflection. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met."
"And you're quite the gentleman," I replied, turning my face to kiss his hand sweetly.
"Let your hair be free," he suggested with a mischievous smile. "It gives you a very sexy air."
"You mean wild and messy," I corrected him, raising an eyebrow.
"I said what I wanted to say: sexy," he emphasized firmly. "You're a woman with a lot of character, Andy. Stop trying to fit in where you don't belong. You're perfect just the way you are."
I turned to hug him and Erik wrapped me in his arms, stroking my back gently.
"What if I wake up one day and you're not here?" I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.
"Where would I go?" Erik replied, laughing with that chuckle that always made me smile.
"I don't know..." I admitted, lifting my face to look into his eyes without losing my smile. "Maybe you're just a dream."
He looked at me with that mix of tenderness and mischief that drove me crazy. Erik's eyes had that spark that could make me forget everything, even my own fears.
"I'm not, but if you wake up and I'm not by your side, look for me at the lighthouse. I'll be waiting for you there." He laughed as he kissed my forehead and lowered his nose to my neck. Feeling his warm breath made me shiver. "I love the way you smell."
His deep, soft voice in my ear sent a chill down my spine, but not of fear, but of that vibrant emotion that only he could evoke in me. I clung to his arm, but tried to remember that we had to go.
"We're going to be late," I whispered, although my accelerated breath betrayed my desire to stay.
"And don't you think that's a good idea?" he insinuated, with a mischievous tone.
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Erik always knew how to make me blush and want something more. His words always played with that line between casual and provocative, and I couldn't help but play along.
"I have to win over your friends, being late is not a good way to start," I explained, trying to sound firm even though I was struggling to maintain my composure.
Erik looked at me with that little boy's expression that he knew would melt me, his big, round eyes, and his slightly trembling lower lip. I couldn't help but smile, knowing full well that it was part of his charm and his tactic to get his way.
"Alright," he replied with feigned resignation, but with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Suddenly, without warning, he grabbed me by the waist and squeezed my bottom slightly. It was a brief touch but enough to send an electric current through my body. I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing, but I couldn't help but smile mischievously and nod, as if giving him permission to play with me. He knew it and enjoyed it.
"You really do enjoy taking risks," I said with a raised eyebrow, feigning disapproval. But I couldn't help but soften my tone. Being around Erik always made me let my guard down.
Erik pulled me closer and whispered in my ear, "It's always worth the risk with you."
I felt my cheeks blush and I paused to look at him. He had this ability to make me feel like I was the only person in the world, and I never wanted that feeling to end.
"Let's go before we're really late," I said, trying to regain control of the situation, even though deep down I wanted to stay with him all day.
He let go of me so I could finish getting ready. I looked in the mirror, fiddled with the lock for a bit, and ended up deciding to leave it loose. I put on some lipstick and I was ready to go.
Far from being the typical sports bar I imagined, the pub was an oasis of warm light and festive atmosphere. It blended the essence of an Irish pub with the energy of a cocktail bar. Round tables were scattered throughout the venue, filled with groups of friends enjoying their dinner, drinks, and lively conversation.
At the end of the pub, I spotted Jer and Joe, raising their pints to greet us enthusiastically. Joe greeted me with two kisses, while Jer, more shy, opted for a handshake. With a mischievous smile, he explained that he wasn't a big fan of kissing in general, but that he found it a great tool for breaking the ice when meeting women.
They got up immediately to greet me, Joe with two kisses and Jer with a handshake, saying that he wasn't used to the whole kissing thing but that he thought it was great when meeting women because it broke the physical barrier more quickly and naturally.
Sure, here is the translation of the text into British English for a B2 level reader:
In just 15 minutes, we were already immersed in a wave of infectious laughter, listening to the anecdotes and adventures of Erik's friends. Joe, with his innate kindness, became my interpreter, translating the phrases I didn't quite understand into English. They were a couple of very funny guys, and I didn't wonder why Erik had such a contagious sense of humor. It was clear that he had been surrounded by good people before he moved to Pierowall.
"You have to convince him to come back," Joe told me in Spanish at one point while Erik and Jer were engaged in a heated discussion about fire engines.
"He loves being at the lighthouse. Maybe it's you guys who should all move to the island," I replied, imagining the madness it would be for the residents of Pierowall to have such an energetic group of firefighters living among them.
"If I move that far, Sam and Hanna would kill me," Joe joked with a mischievous smile. "We'll just have to make do with seeing each other every now and then," he added, gesturing to the waiter to order another round of beers. They opted for pints, while I, still remembering the incident from my first day in Pierowall, ordered a half-pint. "How did you two meet?"
"Technically, while I was choking on a pint," I confessed, causing Joe to burst out laughing. "He turned around, looked at me, I got nervous... and the beer went the wrong way," I exclaimed between laughs. "The next day, I went for a walk around the island and visited the lighthouse without knowing he was there. It started raining buckets and he offered me shelter at his house. He even lent me a hooded jacket because mine didn't have one." A flood of pleasant memories flooded my mind as I relived that moment.
"Erik has always been a gentleman," the fire captain affirmed proudly.
Erik, hearing his name, turned to us with a mischievous grin.
"What about me?" he asked in Spanish, causing Joe to look surprised.
"Are you learning the language?" he inquired. Jer, who didn't understand anything we were saying, put on such a comical expression that I couldn't help but laugh.
"That's how I feel most of the time," I replied to the deputy captain, also in English, causing another round of laughter among everyone. Jer raised his half-full glass and clinked it with mine.
"What a nightmare!" he said, visibly relieved to hear English.
"You get used to it," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.
The waiter arrived with the new round of beers, accompanied by plates overflowing with chicken wings, crispy onion rings, and nachos covered in melted cheese. I could immediately understand why this place was the firefighters' favorite hangout after their shifts.