Tempting Fate

by A N Busch

  “You saw him! You saw Westly?”

  “Yeah it was…what is the word I’m looking for? Surreal I guess. He was almost the same Rach in so many ways. I’m going to dinner with him tonight.”

  “What Abigail are you crazy! You are a married woman now and you have kids. What the hell are you even thinking about going on a date with another man? Him of all men, after what he did to you! Are you crazy? Seriously, I just don’t understand what you are even thinking right now.” Her voice rose in octaves again as she spoke.

  In a way Abby knew she was right. She was a married woman, but it wasn’t a date. It was just dinner with an old friend and that was all. Wasn’t it? “It’s not a date; it’s just dinner with an old friend. I think.”

  “It sounds like thinking is the last thing you are doing right now. I mean this is just crazy.”

  “I know it does, but it’s okay. I am stronger than I have ever been now. Remembering was about the best thing that ever happened to me Rach. Thank you again, for everything. I have to laugh though. You told him I was dead? He really believed you, you know.”

  “What? I didn’t mean it like that, I just… Oh my God, he must think I’m the devil now that he has seen you.”

  “He knows why you did it, just like I do. You did it to protect me. I love you Rach, and I really do want to thank you.”

  “I love you too Abby, but please, if you’re going to meet him, don’t do anything stupid tonight. Okay?”

  “Bye Rach, I’m a big girl now. I’ll be okay. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Bye Abigail, err Abby, wow it’s going to be weird to call you that again.” They both laughed a little as they hung up.

  Everything was going to change now, at least for Abby it would. She paced the room contemplating what she was going to say to her husband. She did not want to lie to him, but what would he say to her if he knew she was going to go to dinner with Westly? Did he know what had happened to her, the whole story? If she just told him she was going to dinner with an old friend, would that be lying?

  Her time here was never going to be something that happened again. She loved her husband and her life. There was no way she was going to leave it and move here to be with Westly. But the truth was that she loved Westly too. He was in her heart and always would be. Even though she had pushed him out of her mind for so many years, clearly, her heart had never let him go. She had just slathered cement in the hole in her heart that he had left. In the past twelve hours all that cement had been busted up and brushed away. Then in a split second of time it healed itself. Her heart was whole again, every piece in place where it belonged. He would always be in her heart, even if they were apart from each other for the rest of their lives.

  Chapter 23

  She picked up the phone and took in a deep breath as she called her husband at work where his office phone only rang twice before he answered. “This is Mr. Dalton.”

  “Hi honey.”

  “Hey beautiful, how is your trip going?”

  “Great so far; I nailed it! I got the job! To top it all off this place is amazing. Every time I’m in a cab I lose track of time because I’m so busy looking around at everything.”

  “I’m so happy for you Abigail! That is amazing; although, I knew you would. I told you it was your best work ever. I’m glad you are having such a wonderful trip. Did you get in any sight-seeing yet?”

  “Well don’t laugh, but I got lost last night. I was out taking pictures of things and after a while, I had no idea where I was. Thank goodness all I had to do was hail a cab and they brought me back to the hotel.”

  “Only you my love; just don’t forget to get in some shopping while you’re there. I’m sure you will have to spend time making changing to things on your blueprints, and knowing you there is room in your suitcase for shopping.”

  “No I there isn’t, why would you say that?”

  “Okay, if you say so. Did you pack an extra one in case you bought stuff?”

  “Well you got me there. You know me too well I guess.” He did know her very well; he was her loving husband. They had been married for a long time now and were friends for quite a time before that. She would have never guessed that she was going to marry him when Paul called and said that his cousin was going to transfer to the college she was attending.

  “Yes I do. Well beautiful, try to have some fun when you’re not working. Most importantly, don’t spend too much money.”

  “Who me? Never! I love you.”

  “I love you, call me again soon. I have to get back to work, so many numbers and so little time.”

  “Someone’s got to add them together.”

  “Or subtract!”

  “That too. Kiss the kids for me. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Bye baby.”

  “Bye.”

  Abby felt guilty, she wasn’t sure if she had just lied to him. She didn’t tell him, but the topic of what she was doing tonight never really came up at all. Even if she hadn’t told him now, she was going to have to sit him down and tell him everything when she got home. She knew she owed him that much. It was going to be hard and she knew he might get upset with her, but she would tell him everything. Right now she was not even sure if he knew about her semester with Westly. There was a chance Paul had told him a long time ago, but then again, maybe he never did. It wouldn’t have been right to do over the phone while he was at work. One voice in the back of her mind was trying to convince her that it was better that way, but another voice was scolding her for not telling him right away.

  She shook off her feelings of guilt and went to the closet to rummage through her suitcase. Abby pulled out item after item and found nothing to wear. She threw on jeans and a sweater - it was time to go shopping. She had seen a couple small boutiques last night while she was out that were only a street or two away. She hoped she could find something in one of them.

  Abby couldn’t find anything that she liked in the first couple shops and was quickly getting discouraged. She was in New York and she could not find a nice top that looked good on her? It was getting late, so she decided to head back to the hotel. Maybe this was a sign to just go home now and forget about her evening with Westly. She must have lost her mind for even thinking it was a good idea to spend time with him.

  Abby turned on her heels and headed back to the hotel to pack. She had to go home and leave Westly in New York. Her life had moved on and so had his; no good could come of seeing him again. He knew she was alive, she remembered everything. That was all that either of them really needed.

  Abby picked up her pace, weaving through the crowd to get back to the hotel faster. As she got to the corner, she looked up at the street signs and stopped. Somehow she had gotten herself turned around and was heading in the wrong direction all together. Completely flustered Abby cursed under her breath as she made a right turn and went to the next corner and turned right again. She would have to walk four blocks and then the hotel should be on her left. Well she hoped that it would be anyway.

  As she stopped and waited with a large group of people to cross at the next corner, she started to wonder if just leaving without telling him was the right thing to do. Was leaving right at all? It was sweet justice in a way, leaving him and not really saying anything. The question was could she do that to him? Could all the pain he had caused her for the weeks that followed justify her doing the same thing to him? Abby knew that Westly had had his own pain as well. He had spent years thinking she was dead. Then she wondered, could she do it to herself? Didn’t she need this time together as much as he did?

  The lights of a window caught her eye and she looked up at it. The sign above read Destiny Boutique, and in the window was a pink spring sweater with an embroidered camisole under it. Abby’s breath caught in her throat as she stood outside the window and stared back and forth at the sign and the clothing in the window. Slowly she went in the door and looked around.

  “Hi, can I help you find something today?”


  “Um, the sweater set in the window caught my eye. I thought I would come in and look around.”

  “Okay, my name is Heidi. Everything in the store is one of a kind. The owner makes and hand-embroiders them herself. She likes to know that when someone buys one of her pieces that it will be special for them. She believes that clothing calls to a person and is meant for only them. We have a fitting room if you would like to try anything on.”

  Abby looked around the small boutique. “Where would I find things in a size twelve?”

  Heidi smiled with wide eyes, replying, “There are no sizes in the clothing. Like I said, each piece is very special and meant for just the right person. Did you want to try what is in the window?”

  “No I don’t want to be a bother, but thank you. I’ll just look around for a moment.” Abby’s response did not stop her - she was out from behind the desk and walking to the front window.

  “It’s no bother at all. Just give me a moment to get it.”

  “Okay, thank you very much.”

  Heidi kept talking as she walked away from Abby. The young woman was smiling as she worked at getting the mannequin out of the window. It was nice to see someone who loved their job, it really was rare anymore.

  “Mrs. Matthews called just this morning and asked me to put this piece in the window. She thinks of herself as a bit of a psychic. She said that today it was needed and would have very special meaning to the person it would fit perfectly. Maybe that will be you.”

  Abby just smiled at the thought; maybe she was reading all the signs wrong. She stepped into the changing room and closed her eyes before she took off her sweater and tried on the camisole. It felt like it fit, but Abby closed her eyes again as she turned around towards the mirror. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled at the girl she was looking at. She pulled her long blonde hair out of her redone, and much sloppier, bun and put on the sweater. She looked like she was 19 again.

  Heidi called to her from just outside the door, “How is it hun; did it fit you?”

  Abby could not help but laugh; it fit like it was made just for her. “It’s perfect! I’ll take it.”

  Heidi’s voice trailed off as she walked away from the changing room, “I just don’t know how she does it? Always right that woman…”

  Abby changed back into her bulky sweater after looking at herself for a few more moments in the mirror. She put her hair back up and walked out of the room with the camisole and sweater in her arms. She looked around and saw that Heidi was waiting for her behind the counter in the middle on the store.

  She received a wide smile from the younger girl as she placed it on the counter. “I love this job. I really don’t know how she does it, she just knows. The worst part is that I have tried on at least a hundred things and nothing has ever fit me right.” She continued to talk as she rung up the set and Abby just smiled in acknowledgement and got a credit card out of her purse, laying it on the counter. “I guess it’s a good thing though; I don’t need to spend my paycheck before I get it.”

  As she placed Abby’s purchase into a plain brown bag with handles, she pulled a small black bag out from under the counter and handed it to her. There was a paper tag clipped to the side of it that read “Pink sweater set for window display” with today’s date. She placed it into the larger brown bag after removing the paper and handed it to Abby.

  Abby pulled the smaller bag out slowly and looked at Heidi confused. “What is this?”

  “It goes with the sweater set. I don’t know what is in it, but I’m sure she thinks you need it. I told you I don’t know how she does it.”

  Abby glanced at her wrist as she placed the black bag back into the brown one and noticed that she was not wearing her watch. “Oh! What time is it?”

  Heidi looked at the cash register as she answered her, “It’s almost five-thirty. Thank you for coming in. I hope this is everything you need it to be. Maybe we will see you again soon.”

  “Thank you, I have found more today than you could even imagine.”

  Abby hailed a cab as soon as she got of out the door. She told the burly cab driver - who was singing along with the show tune on the stereo - the name of the hotel as she pulled out the small black bag. She opened it curiously as the song changed to opera and her driver quickly switched from the deep voice he had been singing in to a high soprano. Abby was shocked to hear him hit the higher notes perfectly.

  Inside the bag was a piece of paper folded in half and two small boxes that were wrapped individually in black paper that matched the bag.

  Her hands were shaking as she pulled the paper out of the bag and opened it. Written in a delicate feminine hand, she read the following sentiment: Your memories were never meant to be forgotten. Remember well my dear that though everything feels new and changed the Fates do not change their plans for any one person or for any reason. What is written in the stars for this life, is what shall be.

  Tears came into her eyes as she read the note. She placed it back into the bag and wiped her eyes with a tissue. How could this be? The cab came to a stop just then in front of the hotel. She gave the driver a twenty, complimented his voice, and got out with her bags. It was getting late and she needed to get ready.

  Abby sat down at the mahogany desk and pulled the little black bag out again when she got in her room. She opened it and set the note off to one side of the desk not needing to read it again. The words were already ingrained in her brain. Each line had its own meaning and she knew what they were. She took the first wrapped box out of the bag and pulled the paper off carefully. As she lifted the lid off and looked inside tears came into her eyes again. It was a small bottle of perfume. She pulled it out and carefully opened the cap. The smell hit her like a flood of memories; it was the scent she had worn the first night she had gone to Westly’s room for dinner, the one she had borrowed from Melanie.

  The second box she opened faster and it revealed a small pin of two small purple roses. One bloom was open and the other was closed. Abby ran a finger across the intertwined stems of the roses and she had to wonder if there was something to the fact that one of the blossoms was closed. She set the small broach down on top of the note and walked to the bathroom wiping the tears from her eyes.

  She was changed and ready by the time the clock read seven-fifteen. Abby walked back over to the desk and pinned the broach of purple roses onto the sweater. She placed the note carefully into a pocket on the inside of her purse. She opened the small bottle of perfume and placed a dab behind each ear and on each wrist. Abby started to close the lid but changed her mind and, feeling dangerous for a moment, placed one more dab between her breasts. In a split second she shook her head and grabbed a tissue from the box on the nightstand nearby and wiped at the spot. She took one more look at herself in the bathroom mirror before she put on her shoes and walked out the door.

  Chapter 24

  The clock in the hotel lobby said it was only seven twenty-five, but Abby walked out the front doors anyway. A limo was right outside the doors waiting for her with the driver from that afternoon standing by the door. It was bigger than the one she rode in earlier; it was almost too much altogether. She controlled the urge to look around and see if people were staring at her as she walked casually toward the limo smiling.

  “Good evening Mrs. Dalton - I was told you tend to be on the early side.”

  Abby could not help but laugh as she watched him open the door. By the look on her face she could see that he had no idea what was so funny about what he had said. Abby thanked him as she started to get in. It was dark inside and she hit the seat a lot faster than she expected. As she placed her right hand down to finish turning into the limo, she felt a knee under it. It only took a second for her to jolt upward and hit her head on the frame of the door as she got out.

  “What the…? Ouch!”

  “Oh, ouch Abs. Are you all right?”

  She turned around at the sound of his voice. Her first thought was to yell at him, but the smile
he was trying to hide made her start laughing.

  “What are you doing, Westly?”

  “I guess I should have moved over, huh?”

  “I think the limo is big enough for more than one person to say the least.”

  Westly slowly moved over and she scooted into the limo beside him. He reached for her hand right away and Abby’s heart started to flutter at the feeling of his touch, while her stomach twisted with guilt. There was a silence between the two of them that did not break until the driver was pulling away. Abby started with the first thing she could think of. “So, how have you been?”

  “Today, or for the past thirteen plus years?” The look on his face as he said it was one of curiosity. She could not help but laugh at him and at herself.

  “Sorry, I guess that was a silly question. I didn’t know what else to say.”

  “It has been a strange day. I kept thinking I was going to wake up this afternoon and it was all going to be a dream.”

  “I have been dreaming a lot for the past couple weeks now. This is real, trust me.”

  “So what did you do this afternoon?”

  “Went out shopping and bought this. It just caught my eye in a window after I had given up looking.”

  “You look nice, it brings back memories. You smell the same too.”

  “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you over dinner.”

  “Sounds good - that box over there is for you.”

  Abby knew just looking at it what was inside. It was a long flower box with a purple ribbon tied into a bow. She just looked at it for a moment before reaching for it. As she held the box in her hands, she touched the ribbon slowly and found a card tucked under it. The card said nothing more than, “If only for one more night,” and Abby knew that it was very true.