Temple of Love, by Emma Ainley, espresso

 Victor always watched.

            Some called him a guardian angel. Some called him a stalker. No nickname stopped him from hovering above proceedings from his throne, almost out of view. Those familiar with him struggled to ignore him as he watched them; the naïve didn’t notice him.

            The desert outside was too hot to accommodate everyday life events, let alone cultivate romance. Victor knew from his past relationships that lovers needed somewhere to spend time together. After his love life dissolved, he refurbished a temple and established it as a home for romance, for all explorers. As the man who spread the legend of the ‘temple of love’ he watched all romantic proceedings in his new home.

He offered advice. He set up new couples. He watched new couples take in the building’s history. He watched newly single guests plead as their lover left the temple. He’d seen plenty of arguments and reconciliations. It was not enough to repair his love life, but it was fascinating to view different lives.

            Arturo and Katia, who were not lovers but instead new acquaintances, rushed into the temple during a storm. Arturo laughed at how drenched they were. Katia scanned her surroundings. When her face rotated, Victor cursed his spectator’s position.

            ‘Looks like this is the temple of love,’ Arturo commented.

            ‘Are you sure? Where are all the tourists, then?’ Katia said.

            ‘It’s a bit out of the way. I guess people are exhausted by the time they get here. Anyway, I’m gonna explore this place.’

            ‘All right, I’ll meet up with you later.’

            When Arturo disappeared, Victor slipped out of his chair. The rustling of this motion, followed by Victor’s footsteps down the ladder, couldn’t be heard over Arturo running. Katia explored the central room – the brightest thanks to the wide doorway behind her. She ran her hands along the carvings on every pillar.

            ‘Welcome to the temple of love,’ Victor announced, stepping in front of Katia.

            ‘Are you the owner of this place?’ Katia said.

            ‘Yep. Don’t worry, you can stay for free. I might charge that man though.’

            ‘Why don’t you charge all your guests? You’d make a fortune.’

            Victor chuckled. ‘I’d take love over gold any day. I’m happy to watch over couples usually.’

            Katia said nothing, instead staring at him.

            ‘We need love,’ Victor said. ‘We need something to look forward to in life. Something that motivates us. Animals simply seek to survive and continue their species… but we humans experience much deeper emotions.’

            ‘I won’t argue with that, but why here, in this desert? There’s no shelter nearby. People are only thinking about getting out of the sun.’

            ‘Not true, I assure you. You’ve got a lover to stay here with.’

            ‘I’ve just met Arturo,’ Katia said, frowning.

            ‘Oh. Good.’

            ‘I’m sorry?’

            ‘The name’s Victor. I’ve seen plenty of lovers here, but I’ve never found the one for me.’ Victor held out his hand. ‘Let me ask you, Miss—’

            ‘I’m Katia,’ she said, ‘and I’ve just met you. No. I won’t go on a date with someone I’ve just met.’

            ‘Maybe not,’ Victor said, ‘but would you get to know me first?’

            ‘Not if I have to stay here. Arturo and I are leaving tomorrow. We’re both from Aberdeen, and we’re travelling back together.’

            ‘If I left the temple, would you consider it?’

            Katia shot an unimpressed look at him before leaving the temple. Victor didn’t move. Arturo, rambling about the temple’s history, rushed back outside, not noticing Victor.

            ‘Do you think the so-called “Guardian of Love” was watching us, ready to set us up?’ Arturo teased.

            ‘He met up with me. He’s just desperate for a lover, that’s all,’ Katia muttered.

            ‘Hey, really?’

            ‘Yep, and he asked me out. The temple’s weird, and so is he. Let’s go home.’

            From what Katia heard after leaving, Victor remained in the temple, but as more of a landlord than a guardian. She never heard anything else about Victor, even as Arturo and she continued travelling, or after she married Arturo.

About the author

Born in Scotland, Emma Ainley is a student who is studying creative writing and the English language. She usually writes fantasy and speculative fiction – novels and short stories. She has her own website at thebookstartsnow.com

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