Julia did as he asked. The helmet was big but she tightened the chin strap. She swung her leg over the bike, thinking what a ridiculous thing it was to be in a mini dress and four inch heels and jump on the back of the bike, but Travis looked like he appreciated her efforts. He smiled, almost reluctantly, turned his back and started the bike with a quick kick.
They took off after they were out in the sunlight, roaring down the street. Julia could only close her eyes and hold on for dear life. She knew in reality they probably were not going very fast but it seemed like the speed of light to her.
Though she was frightened of the huge motorcycle, she felt like the ride ended all too soon. Travis pulled up to the lobby of her huge hotel. He jumped off, holding the bike while she worked her way over the seat and managed to stand.
“Not too terrifying, was it?”
Julia undid the helmet and handed it back to him. She had the distinct impression he wasn’t speaking about the bike ride at all.
“No. I found… an unexpected freedom.”
Travis’s lips turned up in a wry smile. “Yes. Oddly enough, I did too.”
He made to leave but then hesitated and turned back around. He reached in the leather jacket and pulled out a white envelope. “Here, this is for you. Open it only if you’re at a cross roads. It will only do you good then.”
“What is it?”
“Well I wouldn’t tell you now, would I?”
Julia laughed. “You’re right. No. That wouldn’t make sense.”
“Thanks for taking a risk Julia. You’re braver than you know. Than either of us.”
She thought that was a strange thing to say so she just shrugged and nodded. She hated that her eyes were tearing up and wished he would leave before she cried.
“Goodbye Travis,” she whispered.
“I’ll see you around.” He jumped on his bike and in a moment zipped back down the way he had come.
Julia stood and watched him go. Her heart pounded and there was an ache deep in her chest. She walked inside, wondering if the past twenty four hours had even been real. She shook her head. Yes. It was all real. Surreal maybe, but it had happened.
As she slipped into her hotel room, Julia marveled at the fact that she felt like a completely different person. Like a butterfly who had finally emerged from its chrysalis. She saw herself in a new light but she also viewed the world differently. She smiled as she slipped the mysterious envelope into her purse.
Chapter 5
Barb’s wedding turned out to be a beautiful, touching event. Perhaps it was because of Julia’s experience the night before that she was more sensitive but perhaps all her previous judgements were falling away, her view of herself and her life shaken. There was so much more to life than what she had been living.
If Julia were honest with herself she was working at a job she didn’t love. She filled her empty hours with hobbies because she was too afraid to go out and make friends or take a chance on a relationship. All her previous relationships had failed, not because they were with the wrong people, but because she hadn’t been ready to open herself up and take a chance. She had been afraid of getting hurt and it had prevented her from experiencing life to the fullest. Well no more. Today was going to be the start of a new life.
Back home in Chicago, Julia made an effort to change. She had come out of her shell. She was done hiding. She moved out of her modern, expensive apartment and found a bachelor suite located in a beautiful, historic brick building that was over a hundred years old. It was much more suited to her style and budget. She quit her job at the law firm and surprised herself by landing a position as a tutor in an inner city school. She loved her work. Really loved it. It gave her life a meaning and a purpose that had been missing before.
Julia had always loved painting and she had spent countless dollars on lessons over the years. She now committed herself to doing a piece a month at least and was surprised, when she brought one in to the local gallery in her new neighborhood, that they offered to display some of her work. She was now a proud local artist. Her apartment was not stark and modern; it was comfy and homey and decorated with paintings, bright colours, and things she actually liked.
She stopped eating on the run and started taking cooking classes. She found she really enjoyed making up meals for herself.
Julia had thought, in Vegas, when she got home she would make an effort to date but she was surprised she felt satisfied without having to look for a man. She had met several friends at her cooking classes and at her new job and they kept her busy. For the first time in a long time she was happy. She even reconnected with her parents, who lived in Pittsburgh. She now called and emailed her mother regularly. She hadn’t ever seemed to have time before and was surprised at how delighted her mom was with their new relationship.
Julia had a week of holidays coming up to mark her six month term at her job and she was going to enjoy them back home. It had been almost a year since she had made the effort to go.
One evening, after cooking herself a meal and putting the finishing touches on her painting, Julia finally stretched out on her bed and grabbed a book. With a start she realized it was one she had packed to read in Vegas. She smiled at the thought. Who had time to read in Vegas?
Thinking back on her time there made her smile. There was not a single day that went by that she didn’t think of Travis. She wondered how he was. She was surprised that sometimes she still missed him.
Julia leaned over and pulled open the drawer on her night stand. She still had the envelope Travis had given her tucked away. For a crossroads he had said. Perhaps he had known she was going to go home and make changes in her life. She remembered how odd it had been, him giving it to her.
She pulled the envelope out and touched its smooth white surface with her index finger. Closing her eyes, Julia tore open the top of it. She shook it upside down and a single, folded piece of paper fell out onto her quilt.
Julia’s hands trembled as she reached over and picked it up. She unfolded it.
Here’s to risks and changes of heart.
Below was written ten digits. Travis’s phone number. Julia’s heart began to hammer out a vicious pace in her chest. Her breath caught and her eyes filled with tears. She had taken a risk that night, going home with him and it had changed her life for the better. Could it be that he too was willing to take a risk with her?
With shaking hands, Julia picked up her phone off her night stand and dialed the number.
Chapter 6
The airport was busy. People bustled about in every direction, coming and going with bags and suitcases, backpacks, and even boxes. Julia glanced around her, a little overwhelmed by it all.
She checked the TV that displayed all the arrival and departure times for flights. Yes. Right on time.
Her stomach was filled with butterflies as she found her way to the right area of the airport. She was going to take a chance, a chance that was long overdue. A chance that had started all those months ago, in a dark club filled with pounding music.
She had been a different person then. Reserved, unhappy, not as cheerful or vivacious. In a way she had been waiting to be rescued from the rut she had fallen into. A rut that was so deep she couldn’t see her way out.
Closing her eyes, Julia could remember exactly how Travis had looked in that moment. Neither of them expected that night to change their lives so completely. Yes, here’s to risks.
All of a sudden a horde of people came down the stairs. Julia searched the crowd, looking for a familiar face. She saw him then. He had a backpack on his broad shoulders and carried a duffel as well. He was as she remembered; handsome, raw male, kind eyes. He wore a t-shirt and jeans, his staple, and he was clean shaven.
Julia stepped forward. He saw her and crossed quickly to her. Setting down the duffel bag, he opened his arms and she went to him. His arms were the promise of a new beginning. He had come to Chicago to spend a week with her. To see if maybe, just maybe, his life was at a crossroads as well
. He was taking a risk on her because he was ready for something meaningful. Because he hadn’t spent a single moment of the past six months that wasn’t filled with dread that she wouldn’t ever call him, that he wouldn’t see her again.
“Hello Travis,” Julia whispered, a huge smile blooming across her face.
“Julia,” he whispered. He could say nothing else, but bent his head and kissed her thoroughly.
“I have so much to show you,” Julia promised, pulling away. Her eyes shone, her face beamed. For the first time in her life, she was truly happy.
“I can’t wait Julia. I can’t wait.” His words too, were full of promise.
Blushing, Julia took Travis’s hand and led him out of the airport. They walked hand in hand together to her car, where she would take him to her apartment, and introduce him to her world. They had met each other six months ago but this was their true beginning.
Paths
Copyright 2017
This book is licensed to you for our personal enjoyment only.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Introduction
When Cora is invited along to her dad’s working trip to Romania, she can't pass up the opportunity for a free vacation. When the first stop is an old gothic's church in a small Romanian town, however, Cora soon becomes bored and decides to do a little exploring on her own. As her dad is taken on an official tour by a kindly man of the church, Cora finds a narrow stone stairway secreted behind a stone pillar and just can't resist heading down it.
What Cora finds in the basement of the church building however, is all too familiar and more haunting than she can imagine. Drawn to the heavy stone sarcophagus, Cora soon finds herself in the company of a familiar face and one that is not all that it appears to be. The question is though, that once this Romanian vampire gets her under his spell, will she have the strength to resist?
Chapter 1
Cora wasn't entirely sure about Romania as a travel destination, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Her dad had offered to let her tag along on his latest business trip - all expenses paid, and not having had a vacation in five years, she wasn't going to turn it down. Sure, she would much rather that it would have been Hawaii, but architectural historians tended to be more fascinated with the dark and depressing…at least her dad was.
“Romania?” Emma asked, a deep furrow between her brows. Cora nodded. “Like vampires and borscht, Romania?”
“I'm pretty sure borscht is Ukranian…but yes.”
“Romania, Ukraine…same sort of thing, right?” Emma asked. Cora shook her head.
“Well, no, not really, they're two different countries…”
“Oh…well, either way it sounds hella boring.” Emma said. Cora shrugged.
“Hey, it's a week off work and a free plane ride.” Emma weighed this for a moment and then nodded.
“True, free is always good. Just don't…well, I don't actually know what might happen to you in Romania, but just be careful, ok?” Emma said.
“I will. I think I’ll mostly just end up taking pictures of the scenery or walking around town or something? Hell, maybe I’ll just stay in bed and catch up on my sleep.” But Cora knew that she wouldn't, she could never sleep in on her days off. It was as though her body clock knew that she could sleep and it purposefully didn't.
“Bring me a souvenir?” Emma asked.
“Sure, I'll bring you a bowl of borscht.” Cora joked. Emma rolled her eyes dramatically
“Shut up! How am I supposed to know the difference between two countries out in the middle of no where?” She said. Cora silently shook her head. She may have been friends with Emma since they were in grade school, some eighteen years ago, but she couldn't deny that her friend was just about as ignorant as they came.
“Well I'm leaving on Sunday, so I just need you to check in on Marvin once a day to feed him and shut his light off…or turn it on, so he gets a bit of light.” Cora said. Emma didn't appear to be listening.
“He's a fish, how hard can it be?” She asked.
“Just promise me you’ll do it? I've kept him alive for six years, I don't want him keeling over the week I leave town because you forgot to feed him.”
“Don't they have those extended feeder tablet things? Why don't you just put that in?” Emma asked.
“Because he has special food that he likes. Look, if you don't want to do it, that's fine, just tell me and I'll get someone else to do it.” Cora said, irritated at her friend’s lack of compassion.
“No, it's fine. I'll drop in before work, it's on the way anyway.” Emma said, going back to painting her nails with a second coat of polish. “Just ask him not to die on my watch, okay?” She laughed. Cora wasn't amused.
“Yeah…okay.”
Cora had forgotten how stressful it was to fly anywhere with her dad. In addition to being petrified of flying (even taking thirty of so flights annually,) he was also terrified of crowded places…like airports. Had she remembered just how much work it was to travel with him, she would at least have dosed him with a few tranquilizers to make the trip more bearable. Fortunately, once they were up in the air, he seemed to calm down a little as the plane dove through the thick white clouds.
“Did you remember to pack film for your camera?” He asked. Cora stifled a giggle.
“Dad, no one uses film anymore, it's all digital.” Cora said. He turned back to the window.
“Well, I do. I've always used film and real cameras.” He paused. “They capture the pure essence of the moment so much better than those digital things you kids use nowadays.” He muttered.
“They do have a certain something to them, it's just more convenient to use digital, I guess.” Cora said.
“Don't guess, honey.” He glanced at her again. “Be sure.”
“Yes, dad.” Cora wasn't about to engage in an argument with no way to escape.
“Good girl.” He shuffled in his seat to turn towards Cora. “So, have you done any research on activities to keep you busy while I'm working?”
“I was thinking I might just wing it.” Cora said. “Maybe ask some of the locals for good places to visit.” Her dad nodded.
“That's a very good idea, they’ll be able to tell you about the places most tourists don't know about.”
“Are there really that many tourists in Romania?” Cora asked, being sure not to sound condescending.
“You’d be surprised…well, you probably wouldn't when it comes to places like Bran Castle. A lot of tourists go there because of Stoker’s book.”
“Stoker’s book? Like, Bram Stoker? As in Dracula?” Cora asked. Her dad nodded. “That sounds interesting…are we going anywhere near there?”
“As a matter of fact we will be about twenty minutes drive. I'm sure they have tour busses that can take you there.” Cora’s dad said.
“You don't want to see it yourself?” Cora asked, surprised. He shook his head.
“Honey, that's old news to me. This is my…oh, I'd say seventh trip to Romania. I've been to the castle twice already and if I'm being honest, it was a bit of a let down…from an architectural point of view.”
“Oh…” Cora said, slightly disappointed to have to make the trip alone.
“But I'm sure you will enjoy it, it's pretty good to the untrained eye.” Her dad said, finally sitting back in his seat and closing his eyes. “I bet you will have the time of your life, and who knows, maybe you'll meet Dracula!” He chuckled before falling silent. Ten minutes later he was snoring.
Chapter 2
The small bed and breakfast looked unassuming from the outside as it stood, tucked back from the main street of the small town. Even Cora had to admit, ho
wever, that the interior of the place was like nothing she had ever seen before. The two story foyer resembled a gingerbread house out of a fairytale, the intricate wooden carvings hung on the walls playing the part of ornamental icing. Cora watched her dad’s eyes light up as he looked around.
“Salut!” A hunched over old woman appeared in a narrow door, which Cora was sure led to a cupboard under the stairs.
“Hello! Do you, by any chance speak English?” Cora’s dad asked. The old lady smiled broadly and nodded.
“Little bit.” She said. Then, grabbing a pen she offered it to him and tapped her finger on the page of an open book. “You name.” She said. Cora’s dad stepped forward and took the pen.
“Oh, like a guest book! How quaint!” He said. Cora shook her head in disbelief. He didn't get digital photography, yet he thought guestbooks were ‘quaint.’
Leaning over the front desk as best she could, the little old lady peered at what Cora’s dad had wrote.
“Mikael Azto-ria.” She read out loud.
“Michael Astoria.” Cora’s dad corrected her. She looked at him for a moment. Cora wasn't sure if she was judging him for his correction of her English or simply trying to get a grasp on her pronunciation.
“Mikael Astori-aaa.” She said, and then flashed a gap toothed smile. Michael nodded, it was close enough. Pleased with herself, the old lady then leaned down and fetched two long skeleton looking keys and put them on the desk in front of her. “Is room 407 and 408.” She looked briefly at Cora and smiled again. Cora smiled back. “You have 407” she said to Cora. “Is nice windows.” Cora could only assume that she meant view and she nodded.
“Thank you.”
After hauling their bags up four flights of very narrow and thinly carpeted stairs, Cora and her dad disappeared in to their respective rooms with a promise to meet up in a few hours. They were both desperate to shower off and Michael insisted on taking a nap. Cora knew that she should try to get a few hours in too, but being in somewhere that looked so foreign had given her a second wind. There was so much to look at, so much to explore!
A Fall From Grace. Mail Order Bride Western Page 54