Zodiacal light

Chapter 3

Six months had passed since the concert, and Vicky sat in the airplane again. She was going on a work related trip to Tenerife, for a stargazing course, they had asked her to attend. She had not been hard to convince, as she had always loved astronomy. Actually, astronomy had been the reason she started studying to become a science teacher, in the first place.

It was warm and sunny when the plane landed in the airport. A taxi was waiting for her, to drive her to her hotel. When she arrived, she threw her suitcase on the bed, and pulled out her bikini. She headed directly for the swimming pool, and after a relaxing swimming, she started to read a book about zodiacal light on the sunbed...

A man approached her.

"Mam. Is this sunbed taken?" the man asked with a heavy British accent.

"No, not at all. Please make yourself comfortable." Vicky answered, as the sun was blinding her. The only thing she saw was a silhouette of a tall, slim man.

"Thank you" the man answered back.

"Sorry if I intrude, but may I ask you what you are reading?" the man asked apologetic.

"No, no, you are not intruding at all. In fact, it is nice to talk to someone. It is a book called "Zodiacal light". I won't bore you with the details, but I am a science teacher and..."Vicky said rather enthusiastic, but as she looked at the man, his face had become clearer, as her eyes had been accustomed to the bright sunlight.

"Oh, I am so sorry. How rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Brian. Can I ask what your name is?" Brian asked Vicky kindly.

"Oh my God! I am so stupid sometimes! Of course, you know everything about what I am reading here. You studied it yourself. Sorry, my name is Vicky. It's an honor to meet you Doctor." Vicky said thrillingly.

"Wow. It's not often, that astronomy is the first thing that pop into people's minds, when they meet me for the first time." Brian thought to himself smiling.

Brian came over to Vicky, and sat at the foot of her sunbed. Suddenly he started to look her deep into her eyes. Vicky felt herself blush like a teenager. Her heart started to beat faster, and she did not know what to do of herself.

"Last person in the water is a white dwarf." Brian said, as he hoped she got his bad sense of astronomy humour. He had to break the gaze somehow, as he felt he had went through her private sphere.

"You are going to lose, Brian!" Vicky yelled, while running for the pool. She jumped, and when she hit the water...

Vicky woke up with a shock. Some kids had jumped into the pool. Some of the water from the splashing kids had awoken her from her dream.

"Damn kids." Vicky thought to herself. Usually she loved kids, but particularly this time she did not. Finally, she had had a fantastic dream, and some bloody kids had ruined it.

She packed her things together, and went back to her hotel room, feeling alone. The longing for someone returned. She had had the same feeling when she went for the concert some months ago. She longed for someone who could understand her, and not thinking of her as a geek. Would there ever be anyone out there who could fill in that spot?

"Vicky. Put yourself together. Of course there is someone out there who is going to love you." Vicky thought to herself, fighting away the tears. "Brian is just a dream. You will find someone just as good as him," she continued thinking to herself.

However, deep in her heart she knew she had fallen. She had fallen for theonly one she could never have, as he was far away, and probably had forgotteneverything about her by now.