Time After Time

by Melody Foster

  Her whole life, she was waiting for the right time to tell Austin how she felt about him. And every time she had the perfect opportunity, she managed to sabotage it. And look where it had gotten her.

  Now she was alone without him in this beautiful old romantic city, filled with the couples in love.

  The sound of the busy night life rolled in like surf through the open windows. A warm night spent with him outside sounded so alluring. Her love for Austin felt so real—as if he had never left her. Those seven long years without him were just a bad dream. What she had in reality were early pregnancy symptoms: Sore, tender boobs? Trouble buttoning her pants? Feeling grumpy one moment and elated the next? It felt like she was going through her PMS only on steroids.

  Becca was lost in her thoughts as she watched Cadence and Roman snuggle on the sofa, holding each other close. She loved it when they showed their affection to the whole world. Roman caught the nostalgic look in her eyes.

  “Do you want to come over and cuddle with us, Bec? Or do you want to call Joe and ask him to hurry up?” Rom asked in a coy voice. Joe was in another suite taking an urgent call from his big client.

  “You know, I love cuddling with you, but you are not technically cuddling, guys. You are nuzzling. To really cuddle you must lie down,” she replied smiling at them, as they lay down, stretching the legs on the silky sofa.

  “Now we are! Come over, girl, you can use some love,” said Cadence, moving close to Rom to give some space for Becca on a big-enough-for-five sofa.

  “Just wait and see! That was a careless mistake,” Becca got up and made a cat-like stance, with her arms outstretched and hands in a claw shape. Cadence was perfectly aware what that move meant. She started to giggle and was trying to hide behind Rom’s big muscular body. They used to tickle each other mercilessly when they were in a good mood. And Becca had decided that to be in a good mood was the only option for this trip. She had to. For her friend.

  TWENTY-THREE

  “Do you want to do ‘Luft Balloon?” Becca asked using the best German pronunciation she could muster after only a week of practice.

  “What’s that?” Cadence asked wide-eyed, staring up at the sky.

  The sky above them looked like a page from a children’s picture book. The colors were so bright it hurt to look. They’d never seen anything like it.

  “Would you like me to buy one for you?” an adoring Roman asked his wife, smiling at them.

  “Th-That’s impossible! It looks so magical…and people riding inside?” Cadence tilted her head back even more, stared at the floating balloons, holding to his arm to steady herself. There had to be hundreds of them.

  “Oh, yeah. Very possible.” Roman said, eying his enchanted wife.

  They were at Chateau d’Oex, famous for its spectacular hot air balloon annual festivals, held each winter. Hot-air balloons—like those used by Jules Verne’s adventure stories – were on everybody’s mind.

  “Imagine the Remax agent sitting in one of them,” smirked Joe.

  “You spend too much time working,” Roman laughed.

  “I would not mind the adventure. That would be awesome to see the scenery from up there,” said Cadence, ready to do it in instant. She was fascinated by the parade of colors in the clear, blue sky.

  “Not me! I am afraid of heights,” confessed Becca. She preferred to marvel at them from the ground.

  “The pre-flight coffee and the post-flight champagne appeal to my taste much more. You can get dizzy.” Joe took her by the elbow and guided her to the nearest bench. Becca appreciated his concern. She was getting lightheaded from the scenery above. Joe was practical as usual. He’s the one who always calculates the risks-versus-reward ratio in his head, she thought. It felt safe with him around.

  If it were up to Roman and Cadence, they would end up chasing balloons. They were supposed to be more interested in taking a luxury whey bath in a copper boiler in their beautiful mountain chalet while being lulled by the sound of cow bells from outside. They weren’t supposed to be fixated on balloon flights, mountain scooters, or rafting experiences together.

  No wonder Becca felt that she had made a very smart decision to accompany Cadence. She would have thought that her friend would hate the risky adventures being pregnant with the triplets. But she seemed to enjoy risky ventures more than the shopping they’d done in the local boutiques yesterday.

  They’d stopped for a moment in the morning sunshine to watch the decorated cattle proudly strolling through the village alongside the herdsmen dressed in their finest suits. The procession of cows, goats and pigs passed through the village.

  There were a few minutes to spare before they headed for lunch on a top of a mountain that Joe had arranged for them this morning. They were supposed to take a gondola to get there. The thought of it made Becca shiver. Nobody had expected her to be so scared. Despite stunning views they were supposed to enjoy while riding the gondola suspended across the valley, she did not think she could relax even for a moment.

  The local artisans presented their works in the market they were walking through. “There will be no problem picking up some souvenirs for Maria and the others,” Becca said to Cadence.

  “Oh, and maybe I could find something original unique for Lidia too. There is nothing practical she would need.”

  “In fact we can do it this very moment if we like something!” Becca was excitedly looking at a hand-painted ceramic bowl with a zebra design.

  “There’s no rush,” Roman said. ‘We don’t need to buy anything until after tomorrow. They are going to have more events here over the weekend.” He was making everything seem far too easy, and fun, as if this trip was never going to end and they had time for everything.

  “You can go for if you like,” Cadence said with an easy air.

  “I made a reservation for tomorrow night at The Velvet Club in Geneva. You might as well buy your souvenirs now,” said Joe casually. Becca guessed he wanted to impress everyone.

  “What! Without asking us?” Becca and Cadence exclaimed in unison. They had discussed the possibility of going to the legendary night club a few days ago, but then decided against it. Roman was the one who wanted to go the most.

  “Well, I just thought we might as well bite the bullet,” said Joe glancing at Roman. ”You girls can stay home,” he teased.

  “Fine,” sighed Cadence. “Let’s just do it. We are on a vacation after all.”

  “And my babies can still be concealed from the public eye,” added Rom enthusiastically.

  Naturally, Joe insisted on spending more than a few bucks. Apparently, he had been there before. It was not strange at all. He considered himself the club life pro at age of thirty-five. He could probably answer any questions on the topic of cabarets. He mentioned to them that The Velvet Club ‘artists’ had the most beautiful faces as well. They were not covered with dark masks like many dancers in the less famous places would have. And they served the most expensive caviar you could find. Becca felt a little nauseous already when he mentioned the fish eggs for a hundred dollars per gram. She did not need eat that, but Joe would definitely not miss the chance to play an aristocrat card in front of her. He had never really lost the habit of surrounding himself with useless luxury. It was a little annoying. But one could get used to the five-star service at their luxury hotel. Why not sit back and let someone else to take care of you? And oh, how she wanted someone to take care of her.

  ***

  “How did you enjoy the show?” Cadence grinned as she tipped the astonishingly beautiful dancer, called an ‘artist’ at The Velvet Club, who was removing her last piece of a very skimpy outfit.

  Becca raised her eyebrows to indicate a mild shock, and her friend grinned, pleased with herself. She was so determined to make Becca happy tonight.

  This evening, when she was struggling with the night club outfit, she’d actually noticed for the first time that her boobs had become slightly bigger. That fullness made her reconsider her choice of th
e dress. She swore several times trying to squeeze them into the tight dress Cadence picked for her earlier that day. And now she looked overdressed and extremely hot next to the naked stripper that was strategically placed between their table and the dancing pole.

  “You are so crazy, absolutely insane!” she scolded her friend with almost exaggerated seriousness. Cadence made her escape into the lady’s room without any excuse. A pregnant woman’s bladder was not the best asset in the night club, where you had to muscle your way through the crowd every time you needed pee.

  Joe was still holding Becca’s hand, not letting it go. She had grabbed it in a moment of panic, surrounded the act of undressing the woman in front of her while trying not to look too intimidated by it. That’s why she’d held on his hand so tight. She was thankful he understood. She wanted to get out of there, to anywhere, immediately. She felt nauseous.

  “You look pale, Becca,” Joe said. “Let me walk you outside to get some fresh air.” Joe was her savor tonight. Who would have thought? “We might go back to the hotel. Watch for your wife!” he said to Roman.

  “Which particular one?” Roman looked around with a smirk on his face, trying to make a joke.

  “Not funny,” Joe stopped him from making fool of himself. “I booked rooms at the Hotel Beau Rivage for all of us. We will stay at Deluxe Double Rooms with a Geneva Lake View. Take a cab. You are drunk,” he said seriously to Roman. He wrapped his big strong arm gently around Becca’s shoulder as she lean closer to him, appreciating his gentlemanly move. Could he seriously act like he was Roman’s father? She felt safe with him once more. She only had to figure out why.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Austin was in his bed watching late night news on his mounted-to-the-ceiling flat screen TV. Another jumper had killed himself plunging from the bridge into the water. Someone’s life was messed up. Someone would never feel the same again. Austin tried to let that thought put his own screwed up existence into perspective. But, it didn’t help.

  It was getting late and he had to get up early for his flight to China. He was planning to stop for a day in Greece, to catch up with a good, old friend who was vacationing on one of the little coastal islands there. He could not quiet his racing mind. He wondered if Joe and Becca were having sex right at this minute, in a cozy luxurious chalet on the top of the mountain in Switzerland. It was midmorning there. They didn’t have anything else to do. The thought of it felt like a heavy rock had been placed right in the middle of his chest. There was a bitter taste in his mouth, as if he’d had two nights in a row drinking. His eyes felt gritty. Hell, his life felt gritty.

  What was his problem? Oh, yes.

  Lidia had called his mobile that morning. He should have ignored it. But, when he’d seen her name he’d felt an involuntary excitement and snatched up the phone. He was hoping to hear from her that Roman’s trip to Europe had been cancelled, or Becca couldn’t go. Of course it wasn’t. After a short conversation about nothing in particular, he realized that he was unreasonably irritated with Lidia. Austin tried to smooth away the raspy edge of his voice unsuccessfully. They hadn’t spoken since.

  He hit the short cut button on his mobile to dial Lidia’s phone. He didn’t really care that it was late. He just wanted to talk about anything that would make those images of Joe’s hands on Becca’s curved body go away. Porcelain skin. Smooth soft curves of her small breasts. Silky beautiful long hair…

  But as soon as Lidia spoke in that awful midnight husky voice, without any hint of humor, the image of Becca instantly vanished. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Is it all right I called you this late? Did I wake you up?”

  “No, it’s fine. I wasn’t sleeping.” She was speaking as if there had been a recent intimacy in their lives that had nothing to do with him accepting it or not. “I think about you. You know, I wish you were here. I am so alone. It’s empty at the villa.” She stopped for a prolonged pause. “She is not the one for you, you know?”

  “What do you mean, Lidia?” Austin snapped. He wished he hadn’t called her after all. He wished he was in Switzerland now—making sure Becca was safe in his own arms.

  “You can’t hide it forever. You want her. But she is wrong for you. She is timid and introverted. You need a stronger, more independent woman. Maybe even one older than you. Mature…” her voice drifted in a thin stream of consciousness.

  She confused him with her wishful thinking. She never made any moves on him. Was it something she was trying to do now? Everything was spiralling out of control. He kicked himself, hard, to make sure he was not having a nightmare. He had never thought of Lidia like that ever before.

  No doubt, Lidia was extremely attractive, sexy and classy woman in her late forties. She certainly did not fit into her birth certificate age group. Was she that sick of her same-age male friends with thinning hair and protruding stomachs to choose him as a potential sexual interest? Or, even romantic affair? He would never believe that.

  “Listen, I just spoke to Rom and Cadence. They went to see the cabaret last night and had a lot of fun. Joe took off with Re-bec-ca on his arm afterwards.”

  Had she accentuated Becca’s full name, saying it that way to irritate him?

  The blow staggered him. She was desperate to tell him that Rebecca was wrong for him because she knew that? She knew that it would crush him?

  “Thank you for your concern, but we are really not together. Nothing like that,” he said coldly. Austin did not want Lidia to be opposed to Rebecca just to protect his own feelings. She could see now why Becca wanted to avoid Lidia’s attention.

  Lidia was acting way too motherly sometimes. Maybe that was partially his fault as he had trusted her with too many private things in the past. It had been a lapse in judgement. Austin had to figure out more things on his own.

  How to get Rebecca out of Villa Grande and an invisible web Lidia seemed to be one of those things.

  It would not be healthy for Rebecca to stay there much longer, he thought with steely determination.

  “I think it must be that dreadful little bitch Melody who set you up searching for safety. You should open your eyes, Austin. Look around to see who is really good for you.” Lidia continued as if she hadn’t been listening what he’d just said.

  She was wrong. His own mother opened his eyes to see those evil things that every woman was capable of, by her own sad example. He squinted up at his reflection in the mirrored wall. He looked exactly like a male version of his mother, even more as he matured. He despised that. At least he knew that under that facade was a totally different person.

  “I’ll think about it. I will be back to Miami in few days. I will call you then. Good night.” He hung up. A wave of mental exhaustion put his body into well-practiced sleep on demand. At least he was not haunted by the images of Becca with Joe after his conversation with Lidia.

  ***

  The next morning, he was awakened by the buzzing sound of his phone indicating a missed call. Austin was surprised to find that it came from Geneva, Switzerland. That wasn’t something he expected. He rushed to redial the unfamiliar number.

  “Where are you?” the male voice on other end of the line sounded concerned.

  “Right here, in my bed,” answered Austin, puzzled. He looked at the clock. It was quarter to six, time to get up anyways.

  “Austin, this is me, Roman. I’ve lost sight of Becca and Joe. They left together last night from the night club. We were supposed to meet at the hotel that Joe had booked for us. But, I was so inexcusably drunk that I forgot which one. Joe did not answer his phone. And connection here sucks.” Roman did not make any sense.

  “You don’t need to keep them in sight, I guess. They know what they are doing,” said Austin mildly, trying to sound more indifferent than he really was. “Where did you and Cadence stay then?”

  “Oh, she ended up hating me for the night and kicked me out onto the street. Don’t tell my mother. No, I’m just kidding. Cadence is a smart girl, bit
chy though. She got us the cheapest motel she could find. Our taxi driver was so surprised dropping us off over there!”

  “He was just afraid you’d spent all your money in that club on stripping the girls and would not pay the fare,” Austin tried to reason, while thinking about the possible consequences

  “But she got me laughing in the morning when I woke up and saw where we were,” Roman continued,” That place was a total dump, man. I learned my lesson. Never underestimate your wife!”

  “And you are trying to figure out where Joe and Becca are by calling me?” Austin was trying to decide what to do next. It was disconcerting, being told twice that the woman you thought you were falling madly in love with was slipping away from you with the guy you could barely stand. And he could not do anything about it.

  “Use the little brain of yours to get your shit together! And, oh, wait! Use the brain of your wife instead. Let me know when you find them.” He hung up the phone with an insane desire to destroy something, something precious or valuable.

  Cold showers always did a good job of calming him down. As a kid, he used to get frustrated with his mother. He discovered that an ice-cold shower helped dissolve his anger. No amount of logical thinking would do the job. It was irrational sometimes to be upset with her. She was almost Lidia’s age when she gave birth to Austin. She was still beautiful as he remembered her from his teens. When she first told him about his father being a sperm donor, he was just sixteen. It was a mistake for someone with her ability to rationalize to try to explain that to him. She struggled to make her point and confused him with her reasoning. He was just a teenager. The timing was all wrong for such a serious matter. He became so angry at her and hated himself for that.

  Austin would have preferred to have a normal absentee father instead. He felt like a freak. He had no one to talk about it either. So, he managed on his own as much as he could. Maybe not in the best way possible. That was a thing of the past now. There was no point in dwelling on it. It would only mess with his head again. Austin could still feel the pain though. Sick. Disgusted.