The Ultimate Community

by J Meverington

  The next day she bounced out of bed with a renewed energy, wondering if the hypnosis had done something for her. Instead of her usual bacon and egg fry-up, she poured herself a bowl of muesli and topped it with berries and apple juice, then dolloped yoghurt on top. It was more of a Jason style of breakfast but she decided it was time to look after her health.

  Out of habit, she headed for the espresso machine to make herself a coffee, then stopped. It was another addiction she could do without. Instead, she made a green tea and took it out on the balcony.

  The warm summer breeze brushed across her skin as she watched the planes fly overhead, carrying people from all corners of the globe into London, and out again. Excitement filled her knowing that one day she would be one of them, travelling the world to exotic destinations, seeing how other people lived.

  Her phone bleeped with a text message causing her heart to palpitate as it always did. She’d never shifted the anxiety from when Charles had text-message terrorised her, and now she’d seen him, she was extra worried. But she’d changed her phone to a pay-as-you-go number and had since had no problems. She was just being paranoid.

  She looked at her phone and the message was from Jason. ‘Hope you’re sticking to not drinking. So proud of you.’

  She cringed before sending a quick reply, then headed off to Katie’s office for her appointment.

  Katie ran her own naturopathy clinic. Alice had no idea what to expect, not really understanding what she did and never having taken an interest before. It was something to do with natural medicines which originated with the witches hundreds of years ago.

  Katie was professional, nothing like the party girl Alice knew her to be. She asked her a lot of personal questions and Alice felt uncomfortable talking about her poo in front of her friend.

  Then Katie put her on a machine which measured the skin’s resistance at various acupuncture points to check for imbalances in her system. Katie explained how we have meridians running through our bodies which she referred to as an energy highway. What the machine looks for is blockages, or a restriction of the flow of energy and the acupuncture points refer to specific organs. Alice wasn’t sure if she believed any of it but kept an open mind.

  On the computer screen, some areas of red showed up.

  ‘What’s that? What’s the red bits?’

  ‘Don’t worry, everything’s fine, it’s just highlighted where your organs aren’t working optimally.’

  ‘Oh no, what’s wrong with me?’

  ‘Nothing’s wrong with you. Your liver and left kidney are showing signs of stress, most likely due to your drinking.’

  ‘But I’ve just had them tested, the results came back normal.’

  ‘Blood tests allow for a range of results. Your liver is functioning fine, it’s just under a bit of stress. Nothing a good diet and cutting back on drinking won’t fix. I’ll give you some herbs as well. You’re also very dehydrated so you’ll need to up your water intake.’

  ‘Yuck, I never drink water. Fish poo in it.’

  ‘Allie, water is the elixir of life. Without it we would die. Try it with a squeeze of lemon, or make a cup of tea with a slice of ginger. I promise you, you’ll learn to love it.’

  Was this really Katie talking?

  ‘Do you think it’ll make a difference?’

  ‘Healthy body, healthy mind, and all that stuff. It’s up to you. I can only suggest what you can do from a natural therapies point of view, the rest is up to you.’

  Alice wasn’t so sure, but she needed to do something about her health as she wasn’t getting any younger.

  Chapter 12

  The next day, Alice took Katie’s advice and went for a run. Five hundred metres down the road she keeled over, coughing and wheezing. When had running become so hard? She used to run around Central Park all the time. She sat on a bench beside the river overlooking the Houses of Parliament. London was a beautiful city, she thought as she recovered her breath. Those old buildings must have a few stories to tell.

  Many people had lived here before her, going back centuries. She felt like an atom in the large scale of life; here for a short period only. Would her stay on Earth benefit anyone? Or was it a waste of time?

  She thought about her birth parents. Her mother had been a successful surgeon and her father a businessman, both striving to achieve goals. Alice wondered where her lack of ambition came from; why she hadn’t done something important with her life.

  The idea of working amongst the shallow people irritated her. Was that what life was all about? Serving self-centred people who only wanted to drink and have fun. Was she one of those people?

  Her phone rang and Jason’s smiling face lit up the screen. She ignored it, not wanting to talk to him. He’d been nothing but a nice guy to her and she took him for granted, but she had some soul searching to do. He could wait.

  Her thoughts drifted to the biological mother she’d never met. Who was she? Where did she live? In the past, she’d had no desire to meet the woman responsible for giving her up but recently she consumed her thoughts. Her chances of getting any information out of Damion or Terri were slim. She knew they were hiding something from her.

  Damion had asked her if she wanted to move out to France, to work in his restaurant. She had dismissed the idea outright but now she considered it. Getting away from the London party and drinking scene would do her good.

  Her phone rang again. Geez, he was persistent. She was about to reject the call when she noticed it was the number from Dr Smith’s office. She answered straight away.

  ‘Hi, Allie speaking.’

  ‘Hi Allie, it’s Ethan Smith here.’

  ‘Oh hi, how are you?’

  ‘I’m good thanks, but more to the point, how are you after your treatment?’

  ‘Brilliant. After our session I stuck to one glass of wine, it was amazing.’

  ‘That’s great news. Any headaches?’

  ‘No, nothing.’

  ‘Well that’s excellent. Have you had a drink since?’

  ‘Not at all. I hope my friends don’t disown me.’

  ‘Well, they’re not worth having if they can’t accept you for who you are. Anyway, I wanted to apologise for standing you up for drinks in London all those years ago. Can I make up for it by taking you out for dinner?’

  The sudden invite took Alice by surprise. Was that allowed between patient and doctor? Well, it wasn’t up to her to question it, but she didn’t want to sound too eager either.

  ‘Thanks for the offer, but that’s unnecessary.’

  ‘I insist. How about Friday night?’

  ‘I’m working all weekend. My next evening off is Monday.’

  ‘Okay great, Monday night it is. There’s a great tapas bar in Drury Lane, how does that sound?’

  ‘Um... sure, I love that place.’

  ‘Great, meet you there at 7pm?’

  ‘Okay, see you then.’

  After Alice disconnected the call she wondered if this was a date. How would she get through it without drinking? On the positive side, she looked forward to getting to know Ethan better.

  Her phone rang again. Jason. Ugh, he was getting on her nerves. She rejected the call, then called Damion. He answered the phone in his deep booming voice. ‘Allo.’

  ‘Hey Damion, how’s things?’

  ‘Oh, you know, work, work, work.’

  ‘That’s why I’m ringing. Is the offer still there to work in your restaurant.’

  ‘Of course it is. What made you change your mind?’

  ‘I need to get away from the temptations of London and get my drinking under control.’

  Damion laughed. ‘So, you come to France, the land of champagne and wine!’

  ‘It’s my friends that are the bad influence, not the alcohol.’

  ‘Well good for you. I’ll organise someone to take over your duties and arrange flights. Is two weeks enough time to get sorted?’

  ‘That sounds awesome. Thanks Damion.’


  With that sorted, she rang Jason back. He answered immediately. ‘Hey, I’ve been trying to get hold of you for two days.’

  ‘Yeah, sorry, I’ve been busy. Hey, we need to talk.’

  ‘Oh no, what’s happened?’

  ‘Nothing, but I need to see you. Are you free now?’

  ‘Yeah, I’ve got a two hour break.’

  ‘Cool, I’ll meet you at the cafe next to the gym.’

  ‘Okay, see you soon.’

  When she arrived at the cafe, Jason sat by the window, nursing a fresh smoothie and reading the paper. She ignored the coffee list and ordered a juice, then sat down opposite him.

  He smiled at her, folded up the newspaper and placed it beside him, out of the way. ‘Hey, nice to see you.’

  ‘Hi Jason. I’ll get right to the point. I’ve spent the last few days soul searching, and I’m wasting my time here in London, working at the bar. It’s a life that’s going nowhere.’

  Jason’s smile dropped.

  ‘I’m going to France to work in Damion’s restaurant.’

  ‘What? You’re leaving?’

  ‘Yes, I need to get out of the rut I’m in.’

  ‘But... what about me?’

  ‘I don’t do long-distance relationships, so I think it’s best we break up. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Gawd, I wasn’t expecting this. Are you sure we can’t do the long distance thing? Or I could come with you.’

  ‘No, this is the best way. A clean break is what I need, to sort myself out.’

  ‘But I thought we were serious. I assumed we’d get married one day, have children.’

  ‘I’m sorry Jason, but that shows how much you don’t know me. I’ve never wanted children, and I doubt I’ll ever get married.’

  ‘But I love you, Allie.’

  ‘You’re a great guy and you deserve better than me.’

  ‘So, it’s over?’

  ‘Yes. Sorry.’

  He pushed back from his chair, making a slight scene. ‘Well, thanks for nothing,’ he said and stormed out as the waitress brought her juice in a takeaway container.

  Alice took a sip and a weight lifted from her shoulders. Even though she felt bad, she was now free for the next chapter in her life to begin.

  Chapter 13

  Monday night came around fast. Alice was glad Ethan had chosen a tapas bar and not some posh restaurant. She didn’t do fancy, preferring a more relaxed environment.

  She threw on a pair of jeans and a blouse and ran some product through her short hair so it looked messy. The idea was to look as if she’d made no effort, not wanting Ethan to think she fancied him.

  Alice arrived at the tapas bar just after seven and he was already there, dressed in a pair of chinos and a short-sleeved shirt. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw his handsome face smiling at her.

  The restaurant didn’t take bookings so Ethan bought a bottle of wine to drink while they waited.

  ‘Hope I’m not tempting you too much with the wine, but I’m keen to see how my treatment has worked first-hand,’ he said, as he poured her a glass.

  Alice took a sip, savouring the taste, it being her first drink in about a week.

  ‘Mmm, that’s delicious. Hope it’s not a ploy to make more money out of me.’

  ‘Considering your treatment has been free so far, there’s not much chance of that.’

  A flush of embarrassment prickled its way into Alice’s cheeks.

  ‘Don’t worry, I’m kidding. You had a free consultation remember? It includes basic treatment.’ He smiled at her and she relaxed.

  ‘So how do you make money if you give away treatment?’

  ‘I’m not in it for the money, I just want to help people. I charge what I think people can afford.’

  ‘How long has your clinic been open?’

  ‘A few years now, and I’m also opening one in New York.’

  ‘Awesome, I loved New York, until my crazy ex that is.’

  ‘Yeah, you said you had to change your number because of him. What happened there if you don’t mind me asking?’

  ‘His name was Charles, and he tried to take over my life; made me give up my job and move in with him. He seduced me with his charm, good looks and expensive apartment, then stopped me seeing my friends. Then he hit me.’

  ‘He hit you?’

  ‘Yes, he said it was an accident, and I believed him, but since I’ve had reason to believe it wasn’t.’

  ‘Why’s that?’

  ‘My father had a private detective look into his background. It turned out that three of his ex-girlfriends suffered terrible accidents.’

  ‘Accidents? Do you mean they died?’

  ‘No, just disfigured. They had once been stunning, now they were unattractive and unlikely to meet anyone else.’

  ‘I wonder why the police didn’t pick up on that.’

  ‘The victims never reported it. When the P.I. spoke to them, they said Charles had threatened their families if they went to the police. But he’s a right nutter, and I saw him in London the other day.’

  Alice wasn’t sure if she had imagined it, but Ethan’s eyes grew dark. It was a look that scared her, an expression she’d seen before but didn’t know from where. Before she could think about it further, someone called their names. They sat up at the bar and took turns ordering things off the menu.

  It was a good night; they chatted and laughed, and Alice stuck to only one glass of wine for the whole evening. Ethan seemed impressed with his handy work and again, Alice found herself attracted to him.

  After grazing on small dishes for two hours, Ethan paid, and they left.

  Alice hoped he would ask her out again.

  ‘Thanks for a pleasant evening,’ he said. ‘I have an early start in the morning, so I must get home, but thanks for letting me make it up to you.’

  Please ask me out again, she willed as he hailed a cab for her.

  ‘Take care and call me if your cravings come back.’

  He leaned in to kiss her goodnight, but Alice took it the wrong way and kissed his lips. For a moment he responded, then pulled away, wrenching his lips from hers.

  ‘I’m sorry Allie, I didn’t mean for you to get the wrong message. You’re my patient, nothing can happen between us, I thought you knew that.’

  A rush of heat flooded her face, she was so embarrassed. He bent down to open the cab door for her, and she climbed in. Ethan closed the door, then mumbled something to the driver. She waved as they sped off into the night.

  On the journey home, she couldn’t get him out of her head. She was sure there had been a spark between them and now she felt deflated. He didn’t have a romantic interest in her and she felt a depression coming on.

  The taxi driver stopped outside her apartment block, and while she rustled around for some money to pay him, he told her Ethan had already paid.

  Chapter 14

  The next two weeks flew by as Alice prepared for her move to France. She worked hard at the bar, making sure the new manager received a thorough handover. Being busy gave her little time to think about Ethan Smith, and how she’d embarrassed herself by kissing him. He’d texted her the next day, telling her he’d enjoyed the evening and for her to call him if she had any cravings. She’d not had the urge to drink since and didn’t think she’d need to see him again.

  Alice had started on the new diet that Katie had prepared for her. For two months she had to cut out red meats and dairy and to increase her intake of fresh vegetables. She wasn’t sure how she was going to give up eating cheese in France, but she’d find a way. And there was no shortage of fresh vegetables where she was going. Katie had also stocked her up with some bottles of herbs. They tasted disgusting, but after taking them for two weeks, Alice had a bundle of energy.

  She finished packing the last of her things when her phone bleeped with a text message from Ethan.

  ‘Hope you have a good life in France and remember I’m just a phone call away. E. xx.’

&nb
sp; She smiled, pleased the kiss hadn’t spoiled things.

  A week later Alice had settled into the French life. The change of scene invigorated her, and she embraced her health and fitness regime. Each morning she got up and went for a 30-minute walk, followed by ten laps in the pool. Then for breakfast she’d eat fresh fruit and coconut yoghurt, followed by bread dipped in a cup of tea. Life was good.

  Damion ran the restaurant à la carte six days a week, and once a month held the Saturday afternoon degustation. She started working there straight away. Even though she no longer drank, he put her in charge of designing a cocktail made from the local produce in the area.

  Alice used blueberries sourced from the market and designed a vivid blue cocktail using vodka as a base. To make it non-alcoholic, it was simply a case of removing the vodka.

  She enjoyed practicing her French. Since she’d known Damion was moving to France, she had started lessons. It was a lot harder in real life though, but she enjoyed trying out her French on the locals.

  A month later, Alice lazed on the patio watching Molly and Ben thrash about in the pool. On weekends she took a break from the restaurant to look after her brother and sister. She gazed over the fields of sunflowers spread out below her, trying to imagine life back in dirty London. The noise, the traffic, the people, it all seemed so far away from the world she now lived in.

  Damion had been trying to get his parents to move out here. He’d had a guest house built next to the main house that was specifically designed for them. It was all single level and had two bedrooms, a kitchen and bathroom.

  His parents had been out to visit a few times and Alice adored them, but they couldn’t see themselves living there. All their friends were in England and they struggled with the language. Damion had tried to explain that there was a small expat community here, and they could make new friends, but they insisted that as they were in their seventies, they were far too old to be moving.

  Alice hoped she never became stuck in her ways like them, hoping she’d be hiking the Inca trail at their age.