Reuniting Reality

by Nikki LeClair

  Where is my stuff?

  I enter the change room, and look under the tiny bench to notice that my shoes are gone as well.

  Somebody stole my stuff!

  I’m naked, in a strange room.

  Who the hell would take my stuff—Diana.

  I hurry to the door across from me and give it a loud knock. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

  After a few seconds of silence, I pound on the door with my fist. “Hello?”

  I realize I have no choice but to pop the door open and poke my head out so I grab the knob and turn it. Except it stops abruptly. I try again and nothing.

  She locked me in!

  I kick the door loudly.

  “Hello?”

  “Oh yes, hi!” I greet with relief. I slam my ear against the cold door. “Um, hi, I’m with the TV show filming here at the lodge.”

  “Okay?”

  “And it looks like I’m locked in,” I say into the cold metal. “Could you run and get someone at the spa? Or even someone from the film crew? Ask them to send Reagan.”

  “I’ll try…”

  “No-No, don’t try, do it please,” I plead, but there comes no reply.

  I slump down and pound my fist against the door. I lean my forehead against it and exhale again, behind me I can hear the steam from the coals ignite.

  Just perfect.

  I spin around and walk back into the soak room. If I don’t turn off the steam from the coals, I’m going to get steamed out. Hurrying across the room, I walk to the coals and look for an on/off switch at the bottom of the coal bar. I have to bend down really far until I see what looks like a black knob.

  I grasp it tightly and give it a turn to the left, but it doesn’t budge. So I gather some strength and give it another left turn. This time it pops off so unexpectedly, I tumble backward and my legs hit the back of the tub.

  I give out a shout as they give out and I fall back, hitting the soak with such force that a wave of it goes spilling out over all sides with one whoosh. I gasp out of the cold beer soak on my elbows. I wipe the foam from my eyes and throw the knob from the coal bar across the room where it lands somewhere on the ground with a thud.

  The steam is still tricking out.

  Chapter Eight

  I have no idea how long I’ve been sitting on the bench in the change room, but the beer has completely dried on my skin, and hair. I shut the door to the soak room to stop some of the steam from escaping into the change room, but it’s slowly filling in from the crack underneath the door. I’m sucking on the ends of my hair, I’m not a beer person but the taste isn’t too bad right now.

  “Julie?”

  I sit up at the mention of my voice. “I’m here.”

  “What’s going on?”

  It’s Declan.

  Not the person I wanted, but beggars can’t be choosers.

  “Someone locked me in here, and stole my stuff,” I call out.

  “What?”

  “Someone stole my clothes!” I scream. “And they locked me in here to steam to death!”

  “Okay, well, I can’t really interfere…”

  I push my hands off my knees and get to my feet. “You can’t, what?”

  “Uh, hold on a second. I’ll figure something out. I just, I can’t help you. I’m not supposed to interfere with the cast, remember?”

  Is he kidding right now?

  “That never stopped you the first time!” I remind him with a shout.

  “The first time?” he sounds genuinely confused.

  “Look, I don’t care and I won’t tell anyone you interfered. Just open the door. I’m being steamed to death,” I plead with him.

  He’s silent.

  “Declan?”

  “Look, don’t take this the wrong way but, I have to get this on camera…”

  “I’m naked!”

  “Not you naked,” he clarifies, a low chuckle escapes his mouth. “Just this situation.”

  I don’t believe this. I cannot believe this.

  “Just get me out of here!” I scream again.

  I can hear some scurrying on the other side of the door and I press my ear against it. I can’t hear what anyone is saying but after a few minutes, I hear Declan calling out “Cut”.

  “Julie?” Brooke’s voice comes through the door and then the doorknob jiggles.

  I hit the door with the palms of my hands. “Brooke! Thank God!”

  “Jill went to get someone. Are you alright, hun?”

  I make a face at the door. “No I’m not alright! I’m a victim of theft, and I’m naked in a tiny change room, reeking of beer!”

  “Do you know who stole your clothes?”

  “I’m guessing Diana,” I accuse. “Who else?”

  “Oh dear, I hope not—Jill’s here, she has a robe with her so stand away from the door. We don’t want the cameras getting a sneak peek of your goodies now do we?” she laughs loudly.

  I step out of the way of the opening door and hide in the corner as the door swings open. The steam rushes out of the room and I see Jill’s hand come into the room, a white robe folded neatly into it. I grab it, “Thank you!”

  I wrap myself into it tightly and push the wet hair from my face as I leave the room, barefoot. Brooke and Jill gasp a little as they see me, and Declan mutters “sorry” from behind the camera man.

  “What happened to you?” Brooke asks as she touches a strand of my beer crusted hair.

  “I fell into the beer soak!” I exclaim.

  I hear the cameraman laugh and I can only imagine how I look right now.

  “How did you do that?” Jill wonders.

  “I tried to turn off the stupid steam and the knob came off in my hand and I fell into the tub!”

  Jill side steps me and looks into the room. “Who in the world would lock you in there?”

  “I bet I know” I snarl.

  “Now, now, let’s not point fingers yet,” Brooke states looking at me sternly, like a mother would a teenager. “This could have been an accident by a staff member.”

  “A staff member stole my stuff?” my sarcasm hits a new level.

  “Maybe they didn’t know you were in there,” Brooke suggests with a shrug. “Maybe they thought your stuff was left behind.”

  “Uh…it says Occupied on the door.”

  Brooke and I look at Jill who holds the door closed and points to the wooden sign hanging in the middle by a small nail on the door. It reads Occupied. I look back at Brooke with eyebrows raised but she only smiles.

  “...And Cut!” Declan decides. “That was good.”

  “What? Are you serious?” The cameraman he frowns at the producer. “She looks like she's about to blow her top. We should get it on—”

  “We’re done,” Declan says hitting the cameraman on the back with the palm of his hand but looking at the three of us. “Good work.”

  “Are you sure that’s where you left your things?” Oscar asks slowly.

  “Of course I’m sure! Where else would I have left them? I wouldn’t have gotten naked in the sign in room and then walked nude down the hall into the change room!”

  Oscar has met us up in my room, where I sit on the bed still in the spa robe as a woman from hair, tugs at the knots in mine. The director stands across from me, with Declan behind him.

  “She thinks it was Diana,” Declan tells Oscar.

  “I don’t think,” I shoot at him, “I know.” I hiss through my teeth as the hair lady tugs a strand of hair again. She mutters an apology.

  “How do you know?” Oscar asks me. “Did you see her?”

  “Well, no...but I know it was her!”

  Again, the hair lady tugs.

  “Ow!”

  “I’m done,” the hairdresser states. “Now you just have to wash out the beer.” I run my hands through my hair and twist it at the ends as she gets off the bed behind me.

 
“The representative of the spa has no idea how you got locked in,” Oscar tells me sincerely. “And she has offered you a complimentary massage for the trouble.”

  “I should get lifetime admission,” I snap.

  “Considering you broke an expensive piece of equipment, you’re lucky they gave you that,” Declan says.

  I open my mouth to rebuttal when Oscar steps in, blocking the producer from my view,

  “You have some time before the team gathers in your room to get you ready for the wine and cheese event tonight. So take a nice long shower, and relax.”

  “Nobody told me about any wine and cheese event,” I pout.

  “It’s on the schedule,” Declan says from behind Oscar, “the one we emailed you.”

  “It will be a fun, fantastic night.” Oscar smiles down at me, “You will look sensational…not like a drowned rat.” My mouth drops and he backtracks, “But a lovely drowned rat.”

  I roll my eyes at him and cross my arms over my chest.

  “Is everyone going tonight?” I demand to know.

  Oscar’s lips tighten for a second. “Err…define, everyone?”

  Declan peers around Oscar and looks at me, “Diana and Adam will both be there, yes.”

  Ugh.

  By the time five o’clock rolls around, I’m refreshed and looking much better in a red wrap dress and my hair curled back.

  I’m fitted with the mic before I leave my room. Although, I’m still stewing from what happened this morning, and the news that Adam is making an appearance alongside Diana. The wine and cheese tasting is being held in one of the event rooms, and alongside of the cast members, regular guests were able to attend. According to Armin, this event is a monthly highlight of the lodge.

  Once I get there, I find the room packed with guests and wandering waiters with trays of wine. It’s a lovely wide room that overlooks the gardens below which are decorated with twinkling lights against the snow covered trees and bushes. There’s some light instrumental music being played from a small orchestra in the corner of the room. A sea of lights hangs across the ceiling.

  “Jules!”

  I spot Brooke and Jill standing at a square tall table. There is a square platter of cheese and fruit on the table along with several mini wine glasses filled halfway with red and white wine. They’re alone, but the cameras around them are filming. They look ravishing, Jill in a black jumpsuit and Brooke in a blue blouse with plum skirt.

  “Wow, you look so nice!” Brooke smiles as I reach them.

  “Thanks,” I smile back at her as I set my clutch on the table. “So do you.”

  Brooke picks up a slice of orange cheese. “Someone stop me, honestly. I sent Reagan to get us a couple of waters, these cheeses will have us drunk off wine in minutes!” She pops the piece in her mouth and sighs. “Ah-mazing!”

  “How are you doing after this morning?” Jill asks leaning across the table to me. I notice her wine glass is full of water, and a floating slice of lemon.

  “I’m alright,” I nod as I push my hair behind my ears. “I mean, it was humiliating and I’d really like to find out who did it to me...but you know.”

  “Do you still think it was Di?” Jill questions. I don’t answer her, except to raise my eyebrows quickly and reach for a piece of white cheese I’m hoping is Swiss. Jill shakes her head as she sets down her water. “I bet you she did do it. She’s a psycho.”

  Brooke reaches for one of the mini glasses of white wine. “She says she thinks you’re the one who poisoned her dinner the other night.”

  Hardly poisoned.

  “Where would she get an idea like that?” I spit out. “She’s the one who ordered mango salad, which comes with chili sauce!”

  “She says the waiters and chef know her order by heart,” Brooke tells me. She takes a drink of the wine and lets out a gasp. “This taste like cotton candy!”

  “She’s a dingbat,” Jill remarks loudly. “I’d like nothing more than to—”

  “Sshh!” Brooke panics and hits Jill on the arm as she motions behind me.

  I glance over my shoulder to see Adam and Diana approaching us. She’s dressed in a sequin, nude colored mini dress that leaves little to the imagination. Next to her, Adam adjusts the black tie that goes with his black suit jacket.

  Jill grimaces as I turn away from the happy couple, “She looks like she's ready to star in a porno.”

  “Hi guys!” Diana greets as she gets to the table. She throws her pink clutch over mine. Her eyes scan the table as Adam steps up to my left, our shoulders touching before I side step away. My space is invaded by his strong, citrusy aftershave. “Everything looks so amazing!”

  “It really is,” Brooke agrees and points to the platter, “you should try that orange cheese there. I don’t know what it is but it has a kick to it, and it’s so creamy.”

  “Ohh, I don’t think I should touch anything with a spice in it,” Diana frowns sadly as she looks at the platter. Her eyes run up to me when she catches me picking up a mini glass of tasting wine. “Julie! I heard about what happened earlier today. I’m so sorry, it must have been awful. Are you okay?”

  “Fine, and it wasn’t that bad,” I reply as I taste the red wine. It’s oaky, not my favorite. “I scored an extra twenty minutes in the beer soak, so that was nice.”

  Jill looks away from me with a smile as I see Diana, from the corner of my eye, frown. “Oh...well, I heard somebody stole your stuff! That is terrible.”

  “Yeah, thankfully it was nothing but old rags,” I fake a laugh and meet her eye. “Could you imagine if it was my lulu? Glad I decided to bum it out this morning in old sweats.”

  I watch Diana slowly smile, but it’s a stiff one and she looks away at me. “Great.”

  “So, do they know who took your clothes?” Adam asks looking down at me.

  I shake my head. “Nope. What kind of weirdo steals someone else’s clothes? I hope it wasn’t some perv...” I laugh again and look over at Jill and Brooke for support. Only Jill laughs, Brooke grabs another piece of cheese nervously.

  “You should ask if the spa has security cameras,” Adam suggests, “even if just at the entrance. They could figure out who was there around the time you’re stuff was stolen.”

  “Maybe, yeah,” I reply, inattentive to his suggestion. Feeling his eyes on me in such a serious way has me standing stiffer than Diana’s smile. I push Diana’s large clutch off mine and pick it up. “I’ll go help Reagan with our waters.”

  I can’t scurry away fast enough, just as Diana exclaims to Adam that she’s recognized family friends. I spot the bar across the room, and weave myself through the guests until I get to it. I see Reagan all the way down to the left, on her phone, a trio of waters waiting for her on the bar.

  “Hi,” I greet Reagan as I approach her. She looks at me with a small smile, dressed in a tulle cream dress that shows off her legs and toned arms. “Thought you could use some help with the waters.”

  I watch as she quickly slips her phone into her black shoulder bag and reaches for two waters. “Sure, grab that last one. I don’t know if Adam and Diana want one, I only got one for you, me and Brooke.”

  I make a face after she says Adam’s name. “I’ll give them mine. I’m going to get something stronger than wine for tonight.”

  Reagan nods and grabs two waters from the bar. “See you at the table.”

  “So, I had fun today,” I tell her before she can rush from me. “You know, other than being robbed.” She gives me a tight lipped smile so I go on. “Well, I know we're off to shop tomorrow in the village so I was thinking maybe we could go see if they have like a pottery class or something?”

  I flag down the bartender as I wait for her to answer me.

  “No, thanks though. I need to get new boots. It’s colder here than I thought it would be.”

  I can’t hide my disappointment. “Oh, well, I can join you.”

  “Actually,
Diana said she wanted to get boots too, so…” Reagan trails off awkwardly as she looks away from me. “I told her she can come with me. I mean you can come if you want…”

  Never.

  “That’s okay,” I tell her, “we can meet up afterwards for like coffee or something?”

  I’m not sure she even hears me as she walks away. I order my gin and tonic and wait for the bartender to fulfill my order. I’m not alone for more than a few seconds when someone steps up next to me and his citrusy cologne engulfs me again.

  The same scent he wore when we were married. I didn’t like it very much back then, and I hate it even more now.

  “Let me guess, a gin and tonic?” Adam says as he turns to face me, leaning against the bar savvy like.

  “You know me so well,” I drip sarcastically.

  He sighs and drops his head for a second. “Jules, we should talk.”

  “We don’t have anything to talk about,” I say, without turning to face him. “And don’t call me Jules, only my friends call me that.”

  “This doesn’t have to be an awkward few days,” Adam tells me. “We can figure out how to be around each other with Diana and—”

  “I’m fine,” I lie giving him quick frown, “really. I’m okay with you being here. If you and Diana have a problem, well then, there’s nothing I can do about that. But as you may have heard, I’ve moved on.” I think I’ve sold myself pretty well and I run a hand through my hair as I look down for the bartender.

  Adam smirks loudly. “Ah, yes, the famous skier. I’ve heard all about him. Who is he again?”

  “Simon Friburg,” I answer nonchalantly, my eyes still down the bar.

  “Are you serious about him?”

  I cast him a glare. “I might be. Either way, it’s not your business.”

  “Jules,” Adam sighs, “I’m your ex-husband. I did a stupid thing but it doesn’t mean you never meant anything to me. I just want to make sure you’re—”

  I cut him off with a laugh as the bartender finally sets my drink down before me. “Don’t bother yourself with my life, Adam. Focus on your own, and your problems. From what I hear you have quite the list.”