She’d met Charles when she was working in a bar in New York. He’d strode in, ordered a drink and barely made eye contact with her. But she’d known it was love at first sight, something she would never have believed in before it happened to her. But was it really love? Or just lust?
Whatever it was, a strong connection formed, and she found herself being swept away to another life. Even when he became controlling, she found she couldn’t leave because she was addicted to him. He had consumed her entire being, and the idea of heading in that direction again terrified her.
That’s why Jason was the perfect man for her. Apart from nagging her about drinking, he’d never tried to control her, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they broke up. They just didn’t have that spark. Their relationship was safe, uneventful, and as Katie would say... boring.
Was Alice looking for love in her life? She didn’t know, but now the Groupon deal was unavailable she wanted it more than anything.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Jason turned up at her apartment with exciting news.
‘Hey Allie, you remember the client I was telling you about? The one who lost weight after visiting that doctor?’
Alice’s ears pricked up but she forced herself to remain uninterested. ‘Uh huh, the Groupon deal I missed out on.’
‘Well, good news. As part of his weight loss sessions they offered him a referral consultation to give to a friend. And he’s giving it to you. So, you can go after all!’
‘Is it just a consult?’
‘A consultation and basic treatment for free. If you need further treatment, then there’s a cost. But how awesome is that?’
Alice struggled to contain her excitement. She would get to see Dr Smith, and a funny feeling developed in the pit of her stomach.
‘Let’s book it now,’ he said.
‘Sure.’ She took the certificate and dialled the number. The same woman with the posh accent answered.
‘Hello, I’d like to book a consultation for a free referral I have?’
‘He’s very busy at the moment but I’ll see what’s available.’
Alice waited patiently, listening to the calming music coming through her phone as she was put on hold.
‘Okay, how does the 21st September suit?’
‘That’s over two months away, is there anything sooner?’
‘I’m very sorry but that is the earliest available appointment. I can however put you on a waiting list and call you if there are any cancellations. Would you like me to do that?’
‘Yes please, and could I keep the September booking as well?’
‘Of course.’
The receptionist took her details and booked her in. Alice disconnected the call and a text message pinged confirming the date and time of her appointment.
She slumped onto the couch. ‘They can’t fit me in until September, dammit.’
‘That’s a shame. Have you received your blood test results yet?’
‘Nope. No news is good news, right?’
‘Why don’t you ring them to be sure, for your peace of mind.’
Alice rang the doctors and while she was on hold, a call-waiting signal came through. She hoped it wasn’t important as listened to the elevator music. After five minutes, the nurse came on the line and confirmed there was nothing wrong with her kidneys. Alice hung up the phone and whooped for joy.
‘All good I take it?’
‘Yep, liver, kidneys, everything... normal! What a relief.’
‘Don’t use it as an excuse to continue binge drinking though.’
Alice wanted to agree with him but knew that’s exactly what she would do.
She checked her voice messages, and there was one from Dr Smith’s office. Someone had cancelled and they had a free appointment the next afternoon. In a hurry she called them back, hoping she wasn’t too late. Thankfully it was still available and her heart skipped a happy dance.
That evening she and Katie headed to a bar for a girl to girl catch up. With her clean slate of health, and her impending appointment, she felt on top of the world. They both bought a cocktail each and sat down at a table facing each other.
Alice couldn’t help but notice Katie’s flawless skin. ‘How do you keep your skin looking so perfect?’
Katie touched the side of her nose as if to say it’s secret.
‘No seriously, I need to know. I looked in the mirror the other day and I looked shocking.’
‘What’re you talking about? You’re gorgeous.’
‘No way. I had bags under my puffy eyes and my skin was flaky.’
‘My dear Allie, you probably had a hangover. Dehydration is the devil!’
‘But you get hangovers and you always look so good. So, spill, what’s your secret.’
‘It’s not a secret. I just eat healthily. Whole foods, lots of vegetables, plenty of water, and regular facials. And exercise is most important.’
‘Can you put me on a diet?’
‘Sure, come by my office next week, I’ll give you a freebie consultation.’
Katie was a naturopath. Alice always thought her profession was airy-fairy, but she did look amazing so it was worth a try.
‘I’ve made a start on getting my health sorted.’ Alice told Katie about her drinking problem and her appointment with the guy she’d met over five years ago.
‘I didn’t realise you had an alcohol problem. Can you not stop after a couple?’
‘Nope. You’ve seen me when we go out for dinner. When everyone else is ordering a dessert, I’m ordering more wine.’
‘True, but you’re not the only one.’
‘Yeah but you have a shut-off valve, you know when to stop.’
‘It’s an age thing. Once you pass thirty, the hangovers aren’t so great anymore. In your early twenties, the hangover goes by mid-morning, once you hit 25 it lasts until lunchtime, then in your thirties, you’re suffering all day. Sucks getting old!’
‘Yeah, which is why I’m worried. I get kidney pains when I drink too much. I’ve had them checked and they’re all ok, but my birth mother was an alcoholic, and had a kidney transplant. So, I’m kinda paranoid.’
‘That’s shocking. Is she okay now?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve never met her, no idea where she is.’
‘That must be hard.’
‘Not really, but let’s change the subject.’
‘So, your appointment with the shrink? How does that work?’
‘It’s similar to hypnotherapy.’
‘Oh my God, what if does creepy things to you while you’re under?’
Alice screwed up her nose. ‘I hadn’t thought of that, now you’ve made me even more paranoid.’
‘Well, if he’s as cute as you say he was, you shouldn’t mind.’
Thing was, Alice did mind. ‘I think I’ll cancel. I didn’t want to do it, but Jason suggested it.’
‘Hey, go along, even if it’s just to see this guy. Ask him questions, you don’t have to let him hypnotise you.’
That’s true, Alice thought. Perhaps getting an appointment so soon after the deal had sold out was a sign. She ordered another drink, and her courage grew. By the end of the night she was drunk yet again, and Katie had to bundle her into a cab.
Chapter 10
The next day, Alice arrived at the offices of BanAddiction, and the luxurious waiting room surprised her; Ethan had done well for himself. She registered at reception, and was given an iPad to enter her details. When she’d completed the form, she browsed the internet and watched a video of cats doing silly things. She sat there giggling, and the receptionist kept firing her dirty looks.
An assistant called her name and led her to a lounge decorated in calming colours. A bookshelf lined the rear wall and relaxing music played in the background. It was nothing like the sterile appointment room she had imagined.
She sat down on a reclining chair, and let the gentle music serenade her, putting her at ease. After a short wait, D
r Smith entered.
‘Hi Alice, I’m Ethan Smith,’ he said, and held his hand out which she shook. The familiar tingle swept up her arm again. He was the same person she’d met previously, although he looked older now, more mature.
‘Pleased to meet you,’ she replied. ‘We’ve actually met before.’
Confusion crossed his face, as if he had no recollection.
Alice continued. ‘About five years ago, in a cafe in Oxford, you worked there.’
‘Oh yes, I worked as a Barista in Oxford to support myself through uni. How marvellous.’
‘You... um... came and sat with me while I drank my coffee. We’d planned to meet up in London for drinks, but you cancelled at the last minute. You were going to reschedule, but I had to change my phone number, so I never heard from you again.’ Alice wished she could shut her mouth, but the words kept coming and coming as she rattled on, her nerves getting the better of her. He must think I’m crazy.
‘Oh, I apologise if I upset you. I was always getting distracted by pretty girls, and... well... I’m embarrassed to say it, but there were many. I’m sorry for not remembering you and for cancelling our date.’
‘No, it’s not a problem, you cancelling, I mean these things happen. I wanted to explain that I had to change my number, because of an ex who was stalking me. It worried me you thought I might have changed it because of you.’ Alice, shut your gob, this is getting embarrassing.
‘Hey, to be honest, I don’t remember, so no hard feelings. Shall we move on?’
‘Yes please,’ Alice said, relieved, but now on edge.
‘Now, I see you have a drinking problem. Do you know why this is?’
‘Once I start, I can’t stop, kinda like the Pringles ad.’ Alice, calm down, she told herself again.
‘Often something from your past can cause you to turn to drink. Can you tell me about your childhood?’
Alice told him about growing up in America and how her adoptive parents were killed in a car crash when she was eleven. Then she was fostered out to a horrible family in Kentucky who abused her. She mentioned how the kids at school treated her like a freak, and that the Greek family who gave her an after-school job were the only people who treated her like a human. She told him how she ran away to New York and got a job in a bar, made new friends and enjoyed her new life. Then how she fell in love with Charles, a suave character who made her give up her job and her friends. She explained how her birth father, Damion, came looking for her at a time in need and brought her back to London to live. She loved life in London, managing her father’s bar, but then Charles started text stalking her about five years ago. After changing her number the annoying messages stopped.
‘That’s a lot to have dealt with in your life. So, your foster family, in what way did they abuse you?’
‘They offered to put me up when my parents died because they thought they’d be getting a payout from the will. But my parents had run up a lot of debt and had nothing. So my foster parents blamed me for that. They wouldn’t buy me new clothes and I had to dress in hand-downs from their daughter who was much shorter and fatter than me.
So, I got a part time job to support myself and buy new clothes, but they found out and took all my earnings from me for food and rent. It was more mental abuse than physical, but my foster father did try and hit me once. I deflected him, and he fell down and hit his head on the table knocking himself out. That was when his wife told me to get out and never come back. I ran off to New York, not knowing if I’d killed him or not, but turned out he was okay.’
‘Did you have any friends from school?’
‘I made friends with a boy, Carter Willis. He and I became close when I was helping him out with exams, but he wouldn’t talk to me at school either. Everyone there was mean to me.’
‘What do you hope to get from the treatment?’
Alice had thought long and hard about this. ‘Well... I don’t want to give up drinking, but I’d like to be able to stop after just a few. That would be ideal.’
‘Is there any reason you don’t want to give up completely?’
‘I like it too much, and my friends would wonder what’s wrong with me.’
He smiled at her, and it made her heart melt.
‘Okay, well the treatment is simple, and it’s all done by a computer program. What happens is, you’ll lie down on the sofa and I’ll place headphones on you for about thirty minutes. You’ll hear some whirring and whining, and that’s it. You may get a headache but that will disappear after a couple of days. We’ll go easy on you the first time, see how you go, but you may need follow-up sessions.’
‘Okay, will that happen today?’
‘We can start right now if you want.’
‘Um... okay, as long as you’re sure.’
‘It’s harmless, and apart from a slight headache, it’s painless.’
The calm nature of the office quelled Alice’s nerves. She relaxed as she lay down on the sofa, feeling like she could fall into a deep slumber. Katie’s words echoed around in her head, he could do anything he wants to you. She ignored it thinking she didn’t care if he did, she’d developed a little crush on him.
He placed the headphones on her head, sending a tingle shimmying down her neck as his fingers brushed the side of her face. She lay back and relaxed, listening to the whirring taking place in her ears. Her entire body relaxed, she had total faith in Dr Smith.
After 30 minutes, he removed the headphones. ‘How do you feel?’
‘Good.’
‘Any headache?’
‘Not at the moment.’
‘Good, and if you get one, it’s normal, don’t worry. But call me if you have any concerns.’ He handed her his business card. ‘And let me know how it goes.’ He smiled at her again.
Alice headed home in a daze, unable to get Dr Smith out of her head.
That night she met Jason for dinner at an Italian restaurant he had chosen. She chose the spaghetti and a bottle of white wine, and Jason ordered a steak. The waiter brought out their wine and poured them a glass each, which they sipped while waiting for their main course. Alice chatted away, telling Jason all about her appointment and he seemed intrigued by it all. He tried to top up her wine and her hand flew up and covered her glass.
‘What?’ he said.
‘Wow, that’s never happened before,’ Alice replied. ‘Do you reckon the treatment’s working already?’
‘Let’s try it again.’ Jason tried to top up her glass, and like a reflex reaction, her hand flew up to cover the glass again.
‘That’s weird, it’s like I can’t stop myself.’
‘Huh! Well the guy’s a genius! And all it took was wearing headphones for half an hour. Allie, I’m so happy for you.’
Alice was elated too, but for a different reason. She couldn’t get her mind off Dr Smith, and the fact he was a genius made her even more attracted to him.
Chapter 11
Over the next few days, Alice wondered about her life and what she was doing with it. There must be more to life than working and partying. But what?
On her way to work she stopped at a Tesco express and picked up a cheese and onion sandwich, a packet of crisps, and a juice. As she stood in the line, she watched people filling up their backpacks with purchased items. It was nice to see people not using plastic bags anymore, but it irked her that they were still for sale. If they’re going to do away with plastic bags, they shouldn’t be selling them at all.
She paid for her goods at the self-checkout then gave them to Steve, the homeless guy who hung around outside the shop. When she’d first moved to London, she’d despised the smelly dirty homeless people. But Steve had been different. He’d caught her attention by asking her for money to buy drugs and alcohol. He’d made her laugh, so instead of handing out money, she’d ducked into the Tesco and bought him a sandwich. He’d turned his nose up at it but ate it anyway. It had since become a ritual for her, and she often stopped by and spent time with him.
‘So, what’s new on the streets?’ she asked him.
‘The usual. Someone abused me this morning, told me I should get off my arse and get a job.’
‘What did you say?’
‘Have a nice day.’
‘You’re too nice, Steve. But good on you for sticking to your guns, not doing what society expects you to do.’
‘I know. You should reward me by ducking in and getting me a bottle of vodka.’
‘Haha, you’re incorrigible. I saw a hypnotist yesterday and I haven’t had the urge to drink since. You should try him.’
‘Nah, I’m happy with the way I am.’ He grabbed a hip flask from his pocket and took a swig.
As she chatted to him, a horn blared out, making her jump. A man in a suit was dodging traffic, trying to cross the street. Panic thumped in her chest as he headed in her direction.
It was Charles. He’d found her.
She shrank into the doorway hoping he wouldn’t spot her.
He made it across the road and ducked into a pharmacy. Alice relaxed, relieved he hadn’t seen her.
What the hell is he doing in London?
‘Steve, I gotta go, sorry.’
Alice hurried away and headed towards The Community Bar. As she walked along Dean Street, she sensed someone watching her. She stopped and looked around. People bustled around her, but nobody paid her any attention. Her senses on high alert, she continued her walk to work. The streets became more deserted and uneasiness settled around her. She stopped and looked again. A man and a lady walked into a pub, and a man walking towards her turned down a side street. Other than that, the streets were empty. She picked up her pace and didn’t relax until she stepped foot in the bar.
That evening while she worked, she watched everyone drinking and getting drunk and she was disgusted with them. Since going to the clinic, her desire to drink had gone and she hadn’t touched a drop since her dinner with Jason.
Her life felt like it should have a bigger meaning. Was she wasting it working in a bar? As a child, she’d always planned to be an actress, to act on Broadway or the West End, but she no longer had that urge. Maybe she could go to university and study something. But what?
The Ultimate Community Page 5