by Lilly Mance
New customers started coming in, and I had to get back to work. Sophie made me promise to call her about seeing that physicist, and then left. I felt uneasy about telling Zack what she did, because I knew he made me promise not to tell anyone about my ability, so I expected him to be pissed big time.
“Kid,” I heard Jake address me. I turned around to face him. “Snap out of it. You've got tables to clean.” He scowled, and motioned toward several of them, stained with food and drinks. “Get to it!”
Embarrassed, I nodded, and hurried to get the cloth. I sprayed the first table, and glanced out the window. An embodiment of perfect stillness was looking at me, smiling. Every inch of my body reacted to him, and I whispered his name “Zack”. He blew a kiss in my direction. I smiled, and continued cleaning the table. Others like him? Pfff...there were none—I thought. This was going to be a long, long shift.
The entire time I was cleaning tables, Zack was watching me. I tried to keep my eyes on what I was doing, but it was hard with his eyes devouring me. When I finished cleaning tables, to my surprise, Zack moved across the street to the bus station. Sadness washed over me, and I wanted to leave everything, and join him. As if he could feel me, he wrote with his finger on his chest: “be back soon”. Relieved, I smiled.
~*~
His soon and my soon weren't the same thing, though. My shift was close to its end, and he still wasn't back. If he weren't in a coma, I wouldn't stress so much, but now that I knew he could disappear from my life at any given moment, each second away from him filled me with fear. When it was time to get out of my apron and head home, panic took over.
I stepped outside Mario's hoping he was standing in some blind spot I couldn't see from the inside, but he wasn't. My heart sunk fearing the worst had happened. I repressed bad feelings by telling myself he got stuck in traffic or something. I wished he had a phone; I wished I’d asked him which hotel he was staying in and which room, so I could go look for him. My bus came, but I couldn't make myself get in. Somehow it seemed as admitting he was gone. He couldn't have been. The bus drove off, leaving me in a state of shock. I felt dizzy. My world was collapsing in on itself. I couldn't breathe.
Another bus came, and some people got out of it. Numbly, I stared at the dot on the floor, unable to move a muscle. What I felt was paralyzing. A person knelt down in front of me, and placed hands on my knees. I wanted to look up at who it was, but I had no will power left to move my gaze.
“What's wrong?” Zack said, jolting me back to life. My eyes swung up, and met his worried ones.
“You're here,” I breathed, and pressed my forehead against his.
“Where else would I be,” he smiled, and picked up my chin to look at me. I needed to kiss him more than ever, but someone could see us. Mario's was just across the street. He cupped my face, and said, “Don't move. Don't respond. Pretend nothing is going on,” and then placed a soft, long kiss on my lips. Not returning his kiss used up every ounce of my self-control. He kissed my cheeks, my eyes, my nose, and just as I was going to send it all to hell and respond, he said, “Let's go to the park.”
Walking side-by-side, holding hands, I wondered what it looked like to passers-by. Probably as if I held my hand strangely, but not enough to raise suspicion. When there was no-one around us, I asked, “Where were you? I thought I’d lost you—”
“I'm so sorry, Ly. On my way over, I ran into Sophie. She told me what she did,” his forehead creased, “And I had to do some damage control.”
“What damage control?” I nudged his hand.
“I made her take me to see her doctor,” he smiled.
“What did you do?” I asked, suspiciously.
“I made sure you would be safe in all of this,” he chuckled.
“How exactly?” I narrowed my gaze.
“That—I'm taking to my grave,” he smiled, mischievously.
“But you said you tell me everything,” I complained.
“Past tense. Now I keep my...How did you put it? Alpha bull? I keep my alpha bull to myself,” a devilish grin spread on his face. I chuckled. One thing hasn't changed since the beginning—he clung to my every word.
I was about to sit on a bench, but he wouldn't let go of my hand, stopping me in my intent. He pulled me back, and placed a hand in the small of my back, then clashed my body into his. His firm grip, and greedy stare made my insides hum with desire. Our lips collided with urgency and despair, cutting us short of breath. He scooped me up, not breaking the kiss, and carried me over to the bench. He sat down, placing me onto his lap, deepening the kiss. I groaned, and he pressed me tighter against him.
For hours, we said nothing. Instead of talking, we enjoyed exploring each other, exchanging caresses, and tenderness. Neither of us could get enough. Nothing existed but us, and our mutual feelings.
At dusk, Zack was the first to break silence, “You know, this is quite an odd park,” he chuckled. “Aren't people supposed to come here, and walk their dogs, jog, or something? No-one comes through here.”
“Of course not,” I chuckled as well. “Why would they when they have the beach?”
“Not everyone likes the beach,” he said.
“We've been lucky so far. Don't jinx it,” I threatened with my finger, but he snatched it so fast that I didn't have time to react, and bit me gently on the knuckle. I moved in, replacing my finger with my lips, and the whole new round of kissing commenced as if we’ve never kissed before.
“It's late,” I said after a while. “I have to go home.”
“Are your parents working,” he arched a brow.
“No, they're home. Why?” I blinked.
“I don't think I can stay away from you that long,” he said, making me blush.
“What do you suggest?” I asked, secretly hoping he would pop up in my room. Zack grinned mischievously.
“Nothing today, but one of these days, I'll surprise you,” he placed a tender kiss on my knuckles.
~*~
The bus ride home seemed as a perfect time to ask him about his hotel. If anything should happen, at least I would know where to look for him. It would be no comfort, but at least I would get some confirmation he was really gone.
“Zack?” I said.
“Yes,” he turned his head to face me, smiling wide.
“Where's your hotel?”
He chuckled. “On the other side of the town.” He motioned with his hand behind us.
“Come again?” Dumbfounded, I was sure it had to be some hotel on my side of the town since he was always with me on the bus.
He smiled. “You know that big compound by the beach?” I nodded. “That's the one. Top floor, first room by the elevator.”
“But that's in a completely opposite direction,” my mouth fell open. Zack nodded, smiling. “Where do you go after I get out of the bus?”
“I get off on the next one, and catch the bus to my hotel,” he suppressed a grin.
“But...you've been riding with me all this time. I thought—”
“You thought wrong,” he chuckled. “I come along just to be with you.” He took my hand in his, and placed a kiss. I couldn't hide my surprise what seemed to amuse him even more.
~*~
Chapter #11
Sophie's doctor had arranged a meeting for us with her physicist friend. Zack, Sophie and I had agreed to meet after my shift, and go there together instead of meeting downtown. I was nervous about it the entire morning. So far, nothing implied that her doctor had bad intentions, but I couldn't relax, I couldn't trust her. Moreover, I couldn't trust the third person in play—her physicist friend. I wasn't a nail biter, but by the end of my shift, I picked up that habit involuntarily.
As if I wasn't having a nervous breakdown already, on my way out of Mario's, the manager called me in for a word in his office. I couldn't think of a reason why he would ask for it, so that added to my anxiety. Lately, I wasn't the employee of the month, but I did my job well. Reluctantly, I knocked on the office door, and came
in when I heard him answer.
“You asked for me,” I said, coming in.
“Yes, Lyra. Sit,” he extended his hand toward the chair, then cleared his throat. “This is a bit awkward,” he said, and I cringed mentally. Not the opening statement I wanted to hear. “You see, I'm quite a tolerant person,” he raised his eyebrows expectantly, as if was supposed to know what he was talking about. I nodded, confirming his tolerant nature. “I think we can both agree that I treated you right from the start,” his glance demanded my nod once again, and so I did. No idea where he was going with it, but I had no choice but to hear him out. “And I expect you to do right by me, as well.”
He stood up, crossed his arms behind his back, and went to stare out the window.
“Did I do something wrong?” I asked, confused.
He sighed, painfully. “I have four children, and I've been a part of their lives from conception to college,” he turned around to face me. Oh dear Lord, what was this about? My mind was racing. “With that being said, I can say that I know certain...things pretty well when I see them.”
My mouth dropped. He was either insane or I was in deep shit. I had to interject. “Excuse me, sir. I don't know what you're talking about. Can you, please, tell me what is it that I did, because I don't understand?”
He inhaled deeply, and bowed his glance. “Lyra, if you're pregnant, I can help you, but you need to tell me.”
Did someone just drop a bomb? “What?!” I shrieked. “NO!” I shook my head. “Why would you think such a thing?”
“Well,” he giggled nervously, a bead of sweat formed on his forehead, “This morning, you went to the toilet more than a dozen times, you're pale, and look like you're gonna puke at any moment. Classic pregnancy symptoms.”
I started laughing, relieved. “Unless it's immaculate conception, I assure you, I'm not.”
He let out a sigh of his own relief. “Huh, good. Because, frankly, you're too young, and it would be a shame to waste a life like that. There's time for everything in life.”
”Don't worry, sir. I'm just nervous about a meeting today, that's all,” I smiled, but he frowned.
“Job interview?” His eyes narrowed in on me.
“No,” I said, his face relaxed. “I'm helping a friend with an assignment. We have a meeting with a theoretical physicist.”
“Oh,” his expression seemed confused, “You didn't strike me as physics type.”
“I'm not. Hence the pregnancy symptoms,” I winked, and we both chuckled. He patted me on the shoulder, and escorted me out of the office. In the hall, all by myself, I chuckled. What a weird situation that was!
Across the street, Zack and Sophie were waiting for me. Sophie waved, propping herself on her toes to make the wave higher. Zack tucked his hands deeper in his pockets, and silently smiled behind her. My pulse quickened, making my upset stomach worse. As I was nearing them, Zack's smile widened, and Sophie started squirming in place.
“You won't believe what just happened,” I said as soon as I was in their hearing range.
“What?” They both replied, eyes wide with expectancy. There were other people on the bus station, so I waited till I got closer.
“I'm nervous all morning, and my manager thought I was pregnant! He confronted me with it!” Zack chuckled, and Sophie let out a sound of disgust. “Eww, awkward as hell,” I grimaced.
“I'd give anything to see his face when he confronted you,” Sophie chuckled.
“Oh, it was priceless,” I grinned. Zack edged closer, wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and kissed the top of my head. Sophie smiled, sighing out loudly, pretending to melt.
“Drop it, Soph,” Zack warned her, grinning.
Sophie glanced around the station at other people, then turned to us “Can you believe it?” She whispered. “They're clueless. I wonder how they see us.”
I shrugged, “Two girls talking?”
“Probably,” Zack said, chuckling, tugging me closer to him.
“Amazing,” Sophie added.
~*~
Upon exiting the bus downtown, Sophie pulled out a piece of paper with the address. It didn't take us long to find it. I expected some high tech building, but instead, it was an old one, with the facade nearly falling off. That didn't comfort me at all. This guy was either nuts, or didn't know jack, thus lacking necessary funds.
We entered the building, our noses hit by a stale, musky air. Zack started toward the mailboxes to see which floor we needed. Dim light barely made the inscriptions readable. Sophie and I joined the search from the opposite end.
“Found him!” Sophie announced.
Chipped of card was glued to a broken mailbox that said:
“George McLuhan, PhD
Theoretical Physics
II floor.”
Besides being nauseous, narrow spiral stairs that led upstairs were making me dizzy, as well. As we climbed higher, the stench got heavier. There were no windows as far as I could see. Finally, we reached the door that said exactly the same thing as the mailbox downstairs. Sophie rang a bell, but it didn't seem to be operational. I knocked. We heard a set of clicking sounds, several scraping ones, something rolling, and then a metallic clang. Thick wooden door swung open with a screech. A woman in her forties smiled, neatly dressed, hair rolled in a bun, and a set of red-framed glasses.
“Come in,” she stepped aside to make way for us. “Glad you could make it. I'm Alexandra Moore,” she extended her hand toward me.
“Lyra Hudson,” I shook her hand. She had a firm grip, something I liked about people.
“George is straight down the hall,” Alexandra pointed out, and led the way.
One by one, we followed her. Good that none of us were claustrophobic, because that narrow passage she referred to as a hall would have given us a panic attack for sure. Zack had to tilt his body to keep shoulders from scraping all the way. Like the building, the hall was also poorly illuminated.
“George,” Alexandra said, entering what looked like an office. “These are Sophie and Lyra.”
A gray haired gentleman glanced our way above his glasses, his palms supporting his weight against a big wooden desk full of papers and books. He had one of those round faces that could pass for Santa Claus if dressed in red, and warm eyes that spelled out you can trust me. Not that I did. He smiled, pleasantly, his teeth definitely one of those early dentures that screamed fake from far away.
“Welcome,” the man said, pushing up his glasses. “Make yourselves comfortable,” he motioned toward several chairs clearly put there for this visit. Sophie and I sat down, Zack went behind me, and put his hands on my shoulders.
“I told George what I know,” Alexandra said, leaning against the wall, her arms folded in front, “So I'll stand aside, and let you exchange knowledge.”
“Yes, yes,” George cut in. “I'm very interested to hear your experiences.” His glasses drifted down his nose, and he pushed them back up.
“Sophie said,” I interjected, “That you might be able to help us out.”
George smiled nervously, “I'm not sure if what I know will be helpful to you, but I'll do my best to share what I know so far.”
“Not very reassuring,” Sophie replied, tipping her mouth to the side.
“Ah, you have to understand,” George continued, “This hasn't been done before, and I'm not the kind to make vague promises.”
“So, how do we do this?” I cut to the chase.
“How much do you know about quantum physics?” George arched a brow.
“Not much,” I replied, and Sophie agreed.
“I think I do,” Zack said behind my back. Sophie and I darted our glances toward him.
“What? Is he here?” George's eyes widened, his voice elated.
“Yes,” I said, “And he says he does know something about quantum physics.”
“Marvelous,” George clasped his palms, grinning wide. “Let's start at that. I'll tell you what I know, and then you can fill in some of the blanks
that will help me with my research.” The three of us nodded. George walked behind his desk and reclined in a chair. For a few long moments, he stared at the ceiling, and then commenced his story. “Based on my research thus far, I'm sure that we live in a certain frequency band. It has long been hypothesized that multiverses exist, but what I've discovered changes that theory completely.” George paused. “Does that make any sense to you?”
I looked at Zack, and he nodded. “It does to Zack,” I chuckled.
“Good,” George smiled, “Space-time is a curved structure. Are you familiar with coordinate system?” All of us nodded. “Space-time consists of coordinates of length, width, height, and time. Independent coordinates present different dimensions. In any given space-time, events are what we call unique positions in a unique time. But...” George got up, and crossed his hands behind his back, then started walking up and down the office. “What has been neglected so far is a component of frequencies. But, I'll get to that later.” He took a gulp of water. “Ask your friend what he knows about time dilation.”
I smiled, “I don't need to ask him, he hears you like we do.”
“Right. You called him Zack?” George addressed me.
“Yes,” I confirmed.
“Time is affected by gravity and velocity,” Zack responded. “Difference in any of the two causes time dilation from the reference point,” Zack finished, and I repeated it to George, stealing a few amazed glances at Zack.
George’s expression was way beyond astonished, “Great! Then I can move on to Einstein-Rosen bridge?” I looked at Zack.
“Wormhole,” Zack smiled, smoothing his thumb over the left side of my neck.
“A wormhole?” I darted a confused look toward George.
“Yes, popularly known as wormholes. I take it you two are familiar with that?”
“I am,” Sophie replied, and I nodded.
“Einstein-Rosen bridges, or wormholes, are passages through space-time. Short cuts, if you will, through curvature of the space-time. It has been concluded that they collapse in on themselves, or are one-way passages, but no-one has ever found one, so we couldn’t confirm that.”