It was mid-June and the sun made everyone think of lakes, buckets full of water and plenty of cold lemonade to cool down the heat. Children would turn all these thoughts into reality and their giggling around with the buckets to make water fights lifted the village’s spirit. The warm air made its way inside her sewing room as if it were the owner of the place and she, the servant. She observed while gently moving her hips a little to the sides and stretching out her arms. “No pretty woman such as myself should be condemned to a pin and a needle… all this class and body going to waste.” Now with the door open, she felt the life that only summers brings. She heard the children, muffled voices from ladies with their groceries, men talking business and the trot of the horses – even they seemed happy and joyful. She smiled to the life outside. Inside was so warm that she could feel the sweat running down her back and make her hair stick on her neck. She liked it, though. It was her way of gathering this heat inside her and keeping it until February when the worst winter would come and the snow would try to freeze her skin and then her bones – slowly. Just as she could feel the chill now just by thinking about it and shiver a little, she would be able to remember the hot nice sensation of today in the future months.

The lady decided to get up, take a walk and see the nice reddish faces outside. Upon entering the bakery, Mr. Williams welcomed her with a nice cinnamon roll that had just been baked. “More heating sensation to stock up!” – she thought to herself while biting off small pieces of the roll and letting them melt in her mouth. This was a sensation she really wanted to make last. She looked around and noticed some new faces. Having no idea who the new arrived ones were, she went over to one of them to welcome both to their small village and ask whether she could be of any assistance. She had lived there all her life, therefore knew it all on the back of her hand and needed some excitement. She had no idea what she was asking for…

When the eldest of them stood up to talk to her, he gave a sideways look to the other fella and both moved so fast she did not even have time for a sigh. She felt his sweat mix with hers while his right hand enveloped her waist and the left held a knife on her throat. She could smell blood in the knife and it felt warm still. “This kind of warmth for winter was uncalled for…”, was ironically what crossed her mind. Her eyes rolled over in disbelief that no soul had seen anything while they gently dragged her out of the bakery into the sunlight again. “Honestly, everyone! I am well aware you are all quite dull, but blind as well?!”. Outside the men pretended to just walk beside her, but the pointy knife made the flesh of her hips tickle a bit, reminding her that in spite of their apparent education, they were still outlaws. And this was strangely interesting to her.

She spent some time observing the two men out in the light and couldn’t help but notice they were both fairly attractive. The younger could be even handsome, should he bathe more often. “Strong and firm hands. He has enough potential alright.” The eyes of the older one were hypnotic. They matched perfectly with his grey hair and his brownish skin from the hot summer. She tried to look away but kept staring and he, idiotically, confused her wonder with fear. Trying to calm her down, he approached his lips to her right ear and whispered, in a hoarse voice, that they meant no harm should she behave properly. “He reminds of Mr. Sommersby.” Her knees suddenly felt like the water from the children’s buckets and she almost fell down from weakness. He could never guess the sort of thoughts the beautiful woman was having. “Can they at least admire my beauty or are they so high on adrenaline that not even this gets noticed?” she wondered. As if reading her mind, the young moved away the knife and said:

– “No funny movements, lady. I will cut you open if needed. Your pretty face and hips won’t save you…”

– “Mister, don’t you worry about that, I ain’t going anywhere without you.” – she said while blinking her eyes and softly turning her face down.

By the command of Mr. Senior, Junior and Lady fastened their steps and she had to hold up her dress and let go of his arm – a misfortunate event for her. She had no idea where they were taking her to, but could sense certain kindness in them. She might be going insane as well after all these years without being properly touched and suddenly having two pairs of beautiful shaped hands exchanging movements on her was more than she could take. The steps were now much faster and she could feel her heart pounding and her breathing getting heavier. Sweat, heavy breath, sweat, pain on her neck, warm face, sweat… “I am melting down…”

She opened her eyes slowly, trying to focus all those blurs and to adjust her ears to the correct volume for all the voices coming from everywhere. The sounds and light entered her as her needles entered the cloths. Fast and furious. When someone finally spoke her name, her dried lips rehearsed a question that seemed like who am I? where am I?. Men exchanged glances and it was good old Mr. Williams who told her how she suddenly fainted, falling on the floor as dry as a dead tree. “Certainly due to the heat, dear, don’t you worry about feeling anything else”, she realized with horror that it all had been just an hallucination. She sat down and looked around, searching for those eyes and those hands but they were there. Just as with the heat she had been piling up inside her, she made room for this sensation as well. She was sure it would fire her up much faster and more conveniently than the cinnamon rolls.