Twist of Fate

by Faver, JD

  “The beer brewery?”

  “Yeah, he was thrilled that Helmut drank the rest of his beer before he put on the tee shirt and left with you. He was in love with the video. Wants to build a whole campaign around it. Have Helmut in a series of adventures and he stops to finish his beer before he goes on.”

  “Film? Acting?” Mel’s stomach turned flip-flops. “I don’t know about that. Helmut has an accent and he’s very reserved.”

  “He doesn’t have much of an accent and his voice is great. Deep and masculine. And he’s very articulate.” Gina shrugged her shoulders. “Besides, Antonio Banderas has a huge accent and it didn’t stop him from making tons of films.”

  Mel nodded, her stomach clenched so tight it threatened to reject the food she was stabbing and sending haphazardly down the chute.

  Gina shoved her glasses up on her nose. “Helmut will probably just have one line per ad anyway.” She reached across to pat Mel’s arm. “Honey, this is the big time for our boy. He’ll get residuals. He’ll be raking it in.”

  Mel smiled and nodded. This was getting out of hand. Her simple plan to bring Helmut into her world was snow-balling into something enormous and way too big for her to handle.

  #

  Helmut drove into town close to lunch time to eat at Greta’s and pick up a piece of equipment that needed to be replaced on one of the milking machines. He slid into a chair across from Barton Haynes who had waved him over.

  “Way to go, Helmut. I caught your big city action on the Letterman show.”

  Helmut’s gut clenched. He stared open-mouthed at Barton. “What do you mean?”

  “The women tearing your clothes off. The Letterman show played the video. You’re the hottest thing to hit the net since Paris Hilton.”

  Helmut frowned. “How is it possible that you saw this? It was the most embarrassing moment of my life?”

  Barton sat grinning at him. “Oh, come on, Helmut. Beautiful women screaming your name and ripping your shirt off. Every man would like to change places with you.”

  Helmut swallowed convulsively. “I do not like this. It is most unseemly.”

  Barton slapped him on the arm. “Don’t worry. It will blow over.”

  Helmut glanced around. “Do you think anyone else around here saw the debacle?”

  Barton clasped his hands together on top of the table and grinned at him. “Oh, yeah!”

  Helmut noticed several people watching him with interest and felt himself blushing like a school girl. Anger churned in his gut. He would not go back to the city where people tore his clothes and made fun of him.

  After they’d eaten, Barton took Helmut to the realty office and showed him the YoYouTube video of his public disrobing while I’m Too Sexy For My Clothes was playing. Although Helmut felt mortified, Barton was congratulatory.

  “That’s the number one video on the internet.” He pounded Helmut on the shoulder. “Man, you’re a star. You’ve gone viral.”

  Helmut fought the churning in his stomach. Was this the kind of thing Mel had wanted for him? He climbed in his truck and drove home without seeing the road.

  #

  “Mel? Did you know about this thing?” His voice was accusatory.

  “No, Helmut. I didn’t” She let her handbag drop on the coffee table. Mel gripped her phone with both hands. She had just gotten home and slipped out of her shoes.

  “Do you know that they are laughing at me all over the world?”

  Mel felt her throat constrict. She took a breath and let it out slow. “They’re not laughing at you. They’re intrigued by the situation. A great big man hunk is mobbed by a bunch of crazed women. It’s news.”

  There was an ominous silence. “And this is what you think that I am? A great big man hunk?” Somehow it didn’t sound good when Helmut said it.

  “I, uh...I think you’re a great big beautiful man and I can’t deny that you’re a hunk.”

  He made a sound she couldn’t interpret.

  “Gina says it’s free publicity. She’s gotten more offers for you to work.”

  “That is not work,” he said flatly.

  “I’m sorry that you’re upset. Please don’t be angry with me. This can mean so much success for you. You’re going to be getting some amazing checks from all this.”

  Silence again.

  Mel drew a deep breath, casting about for some way to make him relate to her world. “Look, Helmut. What if you had a very bad year on the farm and couldn’t feed the cows? Or what if you didn’t have good crops? You could save the money for the time when you might need it. Or if you had a great year, but you needed something else. Or even for retirement.” She sighed, sounding exasperated. “Money is not a bad thing.”

  It was his turn to sigh. “I know, Mel, but how much money do you need to make you happy?”

  “Me? This is not for me! It’s for you.”

  The silence was deafening this time. “Is that what you think?”

  Mel’s shoulders slumped. “No,” she said in a tiny voice.

  “I only do these things for you, Mel.”

  She swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”

  “I must go now.” He hung up abruptly.

  Mel stared at the phone, feeling his silent rage. She had unwittingly betrayed him. She had taken a deeply private man and publicly humiliated him. Most men would be having fun with it. But, Helmut wasn’t most men. How could she earn his trust again? She called Janissa at home.

  “What’s up, boss?” Janissa still sounded energetic at the end of the day.

  “I want you to reschedule whatever’s on the books for tomorrow. I have to drive upstate.”

  “Uh, oh. Trouble in paradise?”

  “He’s still upset over the video. He’s seen it on YouTube and he’s mortified. I have to make it up to him.”

  Janissa giggled. “And how are you going to do that? More sex on horseback?”

  “Shut up.” She closed the phone with a snap.

  #

  The contractor was busy getting building permits and had already unloaded a truckload of materials behind the house.

  Helmut had agreed to the master suite add-on. There would be a private bathroom with a bubbling spa tub and Mel’s walk-in closet, plus a smaller bathroom for others to use.

  And the kitchen was a miracle in itself. There were modern appliances and an island workstation with an eating bar on the other side. He could envision her there. He could see himself beside her.

  Helmut shrugged. Maybe, if it worked out between them. He had already decided not to return to the city. Sunny had been right. He was a fish out of water.

  But would Mel be able to give up the career she cared so much about? Would she leave the city behind to live with him in his upgraded farm house?

  He had just finished cleaning the milking station and sanitizing his equipment when she drove up. She hadn’t called. But maybe she did. He hadn’t checked the cell phone since he’d talked to her the night before. He’d set it on the charger in the barn and walked away from it.

  He watched her climb out of the low-slung red sports car. She looked sad. She wasn’t running to his arms this time, but walking toward him with a sorrowful expression.

  His stomach clenched when he recognized the pain in her eyes. He was immediately sorry that he’d distressed her. He sighed. Maybe he was being a big baby. She was trying to make him successful and this sort of thing was normal in her world.

  He opened his arms and her face crumpled as she wrapped herself around his torso.

  “Oh, Helmut. I’m so sorry that I got you into all this.” She buried her face against his shoulder. “I know it’s not what you wanted. I thought if you could be comfortable in the city, we might get to spend more time with each other.”

  Helmut stroked her hair and shushed her. “I know you would not wish me harm.” She raised her face to his and their lips met in a fierce kiss. “I do want to spend more time with you as well.”

  “I wanted us to work toget
her. I didn’t know women would attack you.”

  He caressed the side of her face with his hand. “Hush now, liebchen. I am sorry that I was angry. I was not angry with you.” He sighed. “I was just very uncomfortable.”

  He held her tight against him. He was grateful that she had driven so far to see him. That she was remorseful over his humiliating public spectacle. That she was standing pressed against him with her arms wrapped tight around his chest.

  “Is this a hit and run?” he asked.

  She pulled away, flashed a grin up at him. “No, it’s a sleepover.”

  #

  When Mel awoke it was still dark. Helmut was climbing slowly out of bed, trying not to awaken her, so she pretended to be asleep. He pressed a kiss onto her temple and replaced the covers around her.

  “Ich liebe die,” he breathed.

  She wondered what his words meant, but kept her eyes closed. It sounded sweet and loving. Maybe it was German for good morning or, thanks for the great sex, now get out of my bed.

  She watched him move around the dimly lit room. The dimples on his well-formed butt were so cute she wanted to bite them. Instead, she closed her eyes and snuggled under Helmut’s grandmother’s hand-made quilt.

  A couple of hours later she awoke when Helmut brought her a plate of eggs and bacon.

  “Rise and shine, sleepyhead.” He sat on the side of the bed and placed a kiss on the side of her face.

  Mel blinked and struggled to sit up. “What time is it?”

  “It is after ten o’clock in the morning. Did I wear you out, mein leibchen?”

  “Yes, but I must like it because I keep coming back for more.”

  He dropped a big white napkin in her lap and placed the plate on top. “Eat this to keep up your strength.”

  She grinned up at him. “Why? Am I going to need it?”

  “Oh, yes.” A sudden grin flashed across his face, releasing the worry that had kept her tied in knots.

  We’re okay. He’s not mad at me. She bit into her toast. He would be if he knew about Gina’s ambush at the club. “What are you going to be doing today?”

  “I have some workmen coming this afternoon. Are you going to stay tonight?”

  Mel shook her head. “I can’t. I need to get back to the city, but I just had to see you.”

  “I am glad that you had to see me.”

  “And I’ll be back this weekend.”

  He took a deep breath and let it out. “As long as we are together on the weekends I will be able to bear the loneliness I feel for you when you are gone from me.”

  Mel tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. “That’s the way I feel when we’re apart.”

  He reached out to tousle her hair. “I think that one of us should move in with the other of us.”

  She released a shaky breath. “You’re not contemplating moving to the city, are you?”

  #

  Helmut had let her go a little easier this time. It was midweek and he’d see her on the weekend. It wouldn’t be so long. In the meantime, he would start harvesting and see if he couldn’t get the new construction started on the house.

  He wished he could surprise her and have it done by the time she arrived back at the farm, but the contractor had told him it would take several weeks to bring it all about. The plumber was going to install his bigger better septic system first and then the foundation would be poured and the new addition framed in.

  He was almost tempted to go to her city until the addition was completed. That way it could be a complete surprise.

  He met with the contractor and the workmen started construction behind the house. Later, the plumber arrived and laid out the pipes to the kitchen and to the bathrooms.

  Helmut grinned. Mel would love the changes he was making for her. By the time the workmen left he could see the shape of the new addition onto the back of the house and the plumber had used a backhoe to dig trenches for the pipes and new septic system. That would give her what she wanted.

  And a ring. He needed a ring.

  #

  Much to his surprise, Gina Constanza drove up to the farm the next morning. She got out of a silver Audi and stretched, before walking up to the porch. She knocked on the doorframe.

  Helmut watched her from the barn, curious and yet anxious as to why she was there. He felt a knot of dread tie up his stomach as Gina turned to the barn and spotted him.

  She waved and flashed a broad grin. “Hey, Helmut! Great news.”

  “Hello, Gina.” He wondered if he would think her news was great or not.

  He showed her into the house and poured strong coffee into two stoneware mugs. He set one in front of her at the sturdy wooden table and took a seat opposite her. “What is it that you want from me today?”

  She grinned again. “Not a thing. I just came to give you some fabulous news. Tell me Helmut, do you always drink Old Golden beer?”

  He shook his head. “Not always. Why do you ask?”

  Gina shook her head. “Wrong! The answer is that you only drink Old Golden. They want to hire you to do a series of television ads. They saw the video and loved it when you finished the rest of your beer before putting on the shirt and leaving the bar.”

  Helmut frowned at her. “I cannot do more than I have agreed to do already.”

  Gina gave him a surprised look over the top of her glasses. “Are you sure? We’re talking big money here?”

  “You know that the only reason I signed your contracts was because you said it would help Mel in her career. I cannot see how beer ads on television would help her.”

  Gina shrugged. “Not directly, but our Mel is a girl who likes nice things. Don’t you want to be able to buy her nice things, Helmut?”

  He glared at her. What was she saying? Did she think he couldn’t provide for Mel? “I want to buy nice things for Mel.”

  “Of course you do, and I want to help you. And the people at Old Golden have lots of money in their advertising campaign fund that they want to send your way.” She grinned again and raised her eyebrows in a comical expression. “Can you say, ‘Old Golden. That’s my beer’?”

  He looked at her to see if she was teasing him. “You are serious?” When she nodded, he shrugged. “Old Golden. It is my beer.”

  “And that’s all you have to do to open a whole new avenue of income. Just say that in front of a camera and take the checks to the bank.”

  He looked at her doubtfully. “That is all?”

  She raised her hand. “I swear.”

  Helmut remembered Mel’s admonition when ZiZi and Alain were pressuring him. “I will think about it.”

  “Will you think about being on Letterman too?”

  #

  When Mel turned onto the road leading to Helmut’s house she saw a mammoth-size piece of green machinery in the field moving down a row. It towed a huge wagon-like attachment where the freshly harvested grain was being deposited.

  Helmut was totally absorbed in his task and didn’t notice her drive up to the house.

  Mel didn’t know what Gina had done to him to get him to agree to the beer ads. She wished she’d been present during their discussion. Gina had assured her that he was excited about the contract.

  She got out of the Porsche and took her overnight bag and camera case into the house. She set the camera case on the table and stowed her bag in Helmut’s bedroom.

  She smelled fresh cut wood and wondered what kind of project he was working on. Mel removed her camera from its case and strolled out onto the porch. She walked to the field where Helmut was working and waved him down.

  He brought the huge machine to a stop in a swirl of dust and diesel fumes and grinned down at her from inside the idling monster. He motioned for her to climb up.

  She approached the machine warily and was trying to decide how to go about mounting it when Helmut opened the door over her head and reached down with a big leather work gloved hand to haul her inside.

  “You are early.” He
pulled her into an embrace.

  Mel kissed him, enjoying the sensation of his strong arms around her. “I guess I missed you.”

  “I am glad you are here.” He offered his lap for her to sit on.

  She put an arm around his neck and perched on his thigh. “Cozy.”

  He laughed. “This is a piece of working equipment. It was not meant for a date.”

  Mel giggled. “Well, we could improvise.”

  He drove out onto the road to maneuver a tight U-turn and pulled the machinery into another row to begin harvesting the golden grain. The noise was loud, but not deafening.

  Mel gazed at the side of his face as he paid close attention to his task. “So now you’re the spokesman for Old Golden beer?”

  He nodded. “I agreed to do it. Gina is my agent and she thinks it is a good move for me.”

  “And this is what you want?”

  His gaze flicked over her. “It is a way to enlarge my career.”

  Mel recognized Gina’s words, but they sounded strange coming from Helmut’s mouth. “Is that so? I didn’t know that you wanted a large career.”

  He glanced at her again. “It is only going to be one line I have to say in front of the cameras. That is all.”

  Mel hated to disillusion him. “I think that before you say the line there’s going to be a lot of action you’ll have to perform first.”

  He blinked. “Gina did not say that.”

  “I know. I’m saying it. I saw the campaign proposal. They want to have you involved in some action sports like white water rafting and hang-gliding.”

  He cast a fleeting look at her. “I do not do these things.”

  “I know, but you need to tell Gina that you’re not going to do them in the beer ads. This was their first concept and they can come up with something less dangerous.”

  “I think you are worried for me.”

  Mel slipped both arms around his neck and gave him a strangling hug. “Idiot! Of course I worry about you.”

  “She calls me an idiot and tells me she worries about me.” He laughed. “Do you not think I am smart enough to take care of myself?”

  “I think you’re plenty smart, Helmut. But I don’t know if you can protect yourself when people care more about getting what they want than about your interests.”