“A police officer?” Leo’s eyes widened and his thin eyebrows almost reached his receding hairline.
“Fuck, Leo, keep your trap shut,” Naomi grumbled. She glanced at Julia and said, “Sorry.”
Stella reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze, while Julia said, “Nothing I haven’t said myself a time or two.”
“We showed him our IDs, but also asked what he was doing there, since the tunnels are closed. Police units often use the mines for rescue trainings and drills for their canine units and SWAT teams, but none had been approved by us at that time. He got angry when we questioned him, and we reminded him we were the authority in the mines, not the police.
“Mr. Forrester was setting up his camera equipment and told him to let us work. He even said we weren’t interested in his business and pointed to the man’s duffel bag. This comment upset the man. When he reached inside his jacket, Mr. Forrester’s radar went off and he swung his camera at the man.”
“Mr. Forrester attacked him first?” Leo gasped.
“No, you moron, he offered him a lollipop and waited to be shot,” Naomi fumed. “Why can’t they put someone a little brighter than this idiot in front of the camera?”
She jumped up and glared out the window. “I can’t watch this any longer. And to imagine Rev is still with the creep.”
“Yes, it’s scary, but we have to believe in him. I’m sure he’s working on a plan for his escape,” Stella said.
Julia paced between the sofa and kitchenette. “If it’s true and the guy’s a cop, then it could explain why they haven’t shared his identity. I assume the authorities are trying to figure out if he’s working solo or if there’s a whole slew of criminal activities going on under their noses.”
“What a mess! And we can’t do anything but wait,” Stella said.
“You both promised friends or family members to keep them informed,” Julia reminded Stella and Naomi. “Why don’t you assure them you’re well and share what we just learned? I’ll write to Alexander, but I’m sure he watched this interview, too.” She typed a short text.
“And then?” Stella asked.
“Then we get out of the hotel and do what tourists do. Explore the city, keep ourselves distracted. Sitting here stewing about it doesn’t help anyone. Ask David and Kai to meet us for lunch. We’re a ragtag bunch of friends here, and we’ll get through this together.”
Julia looked at her phone, “Alexander says he watched the coverage.”
Stella sat on her bed and wrote her message to David,
Hey, did you see the interview? We’re still in shock. To stay busy, we want to do some sightseeing. Want to join us?
Stella’s heart gave a little jump when she saw three dancing dots on her message screen. He’d been waiting to hear from her!
You don’t need to ask me twice. The Montparnasse Tower is close to your hotel. Have you been there?
“David suggests going to the Montparnasse Tower. Is it something you’d be interested in seeing?” Stella asked Naomi and Julia.
“Sure,” Julia said and looked at Naomi.
“Works for me,” Naomi started typing on her phone. “I’ll text Kai, just because we told him we’d stay in touch.”
“What time should we meet?” Stella asked. “Is ten good? It gives us enough time to get ready.”
Naomi and Julia both nodded, then went back to their phones.
Stella typed,
Sounds good. Meet there at ten?
Yes. I’ll be there.
Then came another message,
I can’t wait to see you again.
Stella didn’t reply. She couldn’t wait, either. And she wondered if maybe it should bother her.
Seeing him yesterday and talking to him had felt so...normal. Almost as if the past year hadn’t happened—or had been nothing but a strange dream.
But it was real—twelve long months of silence. It couldn’t just be swept under the next rug and ignored.
Stella knew what Naomi’s advice would be. “Be sure you know what you’re doing. And do it for the right reasons.”
She didn’t know when she and David would have a chance to talk in private, but before she flew home on Saturday, she’d get answers to the questions which had haunted her for so long.
CHAPTER 28
Stella—July 2018
D
avid was already waiting for them in front of the tall, black glass and steel construction. He sat on a low wall in front of the building, looking up and down the street. Stella fought the urge to run to him.
“Have you been here long?” she called out as she climbed the wide stone steps from street level.
His face lit up at the sound of her voice and he stood. “No, only a few minutes. I wasn’t sure how busy it was at this time of the day and wanted to find a spot where I could see you. You still snuck up on me.”
He hugged Naomi and Julia and pecked their cheeks, then pulled Stella close and leaned down to kiss her. She turned her head just enough for the kiss to miss her lips.
“How are you today? You look beautiful,” David tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She wore it in a ponytail, the way she knew he liked it, but some of it had come loose and blew across her face. And she also might’ve picked the emerald-green dress because she knew he liked the color on her.
So what? Nothing wrong with wanting to look nice for the man you love…used to love…still love… Ugh!
“I’m fine. At least I was able to get some sleep last night. I think I was exhausted from all the walking,” Stella smiled. “And you?”
“I didn’t sleep much, but now I’m good,” he said for only her to hear before he looked at Naomi and Julia. “Are we waiting for anybody else?”
“No, you’ve got the three of us all to yourself,” Naomi said. “Kai has other plans.”
“Alexander hopes to meet us after work,” Julia added.
“Let’s go up,” Stella said. “Apparently, the tower isn’t well liked by Parisians because it’s such an eyesore, but the views are supposed to be phenomenal.”
“Did you read about it after David suggested meeting us here?” Naomi nudged her shoulder.
“Maybe a little,” she admitted.
After buying their tickets, they rode one of the twenty-five elevators to the 56th floor, where they took the stairs to the observation deck on the 59th floor.
“I have no words,” Julia said in an awed voice. “The view is stunning.”
“Yeah, I don’t care how ugly the tower is from the outside, I’m glad someone built it. It’s hard to believe how far you can see,” Naomi said.
“Excuse me, would you mind taking a photo of us?” a young woman asked David.
After taking a few pictures, she offered, “Would you guys like a group picture?”
David looked at Stella, Naomi, and Julia. “You okay with that?”
“Of course,” Julia said, and moved closer to David.
“Go ahead,” Naomi sighed.
Stella hesitated before she said, “Sure.” She didn’t have to keep the photo.
After opening the camera app on his phone, David gave it to the young woman, then pulled Stella to his side. Her body molded to his as it had done so many other times.
Stella felt a pinch on her thigh and saw Naomi’s hand when she looked down.
“Why did you do that? It hurt!”
“Making sure you’re not daydreaming.” Naomi side-eyed her.
“Geez, we’re taking one group picture,” Stella hissed. “We don’t have to keep it. Maybe Julia will enjoy having it.”
When David got his phone back, he typed something, then said to Stella, “I’ve forwarded it to you.”
“Thanks, I’ll send it to Naomi and Julia later. It’ll be a nice memory of our time together.”
David made a popping sound with his lips and looked at her with his dark eyes. So he hadn’t been able to break his habit of ma
king that sound when he had something on his mind but wasn’t sure how to say it.
Julia and Naomi had wandered off by themselves, and she and David began walking around the roof terrace.
She pointed to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in the distance. “We stayed at a hotel in Montmartre last weekend and walked up the hill to the church. It’s majestic, and I felt so small, but I also felt like she—the basilica—protected me. Sounds silly, I know.”
“Not at all,” he said and kept his eyes on her.
“Have you seen it?”
“No, but if we have time, maybe you can show it to me?”
“Maybe…” A few days ago she had wished she could see it with him, but now she was afraid it would be too much.
David reached for her hands. “Let me take you out to dinner tonight,” he pleaded.
“I don’t know. What’s the point of this, anyway?” She pulled her hands back and leaned against the railing with her back to the city.
“We’ll figure it out together.” His voice was tense with emotion. She felt his breath on her face as he pulled her close and she inhaled the familiar scent of him; bergamot and cedar—and a hint of lavender. La Nuit, the aftershave she gave him for their first Christmas.
“Are you still putting small sachets of dried lavender in with your clothes?”
“Yes. Busted,” he said and cleared his throat.
Stella looked up at him. She was wrapped in his arms and he didn’t seem able to let go of her any more than it was possible for her to step away from him. She noticed it yesterday, too, when he reached for her hand. It felt so right—and was also so…wrong.
“Stella, we need to talk, and…”
Be strong! You want answers. Get them.
She stepped out of his embrace and turned away. “You have no idea how messed up I am. Yes, of course we need to talk. Because I need closure. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to move on.”
Stella heard the quick intake of breath behind her. She propped her elbow on the railing, resting her chin on her knuckles and sucking in her lower lip.
Without looking at him, she said, “Where do you want to meet? I don’t think a restaurant is a good idea. It’s too public. You know it’s only a matter of time before someone recognizes you.”
“The restaurant at my hotel is fantastic, and they have smaller rooms for business meetings. It may not be the same atmosphere as the main restaurant, but we’d have privacy.”
“Yes, it’s fine. I don’t need atmosphere,” she said and thought, The more sterile, the better.
“Can I make a reservation for seven?” He sounded hesitant, and she wanted to assure him everything would be fine. But it wouldn’t be, so she kept quiet.
“Sure. Now, let’s find the others.”
When they left the Montparnasse Tower a while later, Naomi said, “Kai just texted me about a park with open-air concerts and shows. He asked if we wanna go there with him tonight around 7:30.”
“I’m meeting Alexander at 5 pm. You’re all welcome to join us, and we can have dinner together,” Julia said.
Stella looked at David first, then said, “We thought we’d sit down and talk tonight over dinner.”
“If you two have dates, then I’ll hang out with Kai for a few hours.”
“Sounds like a great idea,” Stella agreed. “But we’ll get together at our hotel later for some girl time. Deal?”
“Deal!” agreed Julia and Naomi.
David asked, “What do you want to do next? We still have the whole afternoon.”
“Has anyone checked the news on their phones since this morning?” Naomi asked.
“Alexander will let me know as soon as he hears anything,” Julia said, then took out her phone. “Nothing.”
“Is anybody hungry? What about lunch?” Stella asked.
“I should go back to the hotel,” Julia said, and looked apologetic. “I know we said we’d do everything together, but Emily asked if we can FaceTime. She’s contacted her lawyer and has a few questions for me. I didn’t expect her to move this fast, but I want to support her.”
“I’d like to go shopping,” Naomi announced. “I spotted another Galeries Lafayette store over there,” she pointed to her left, “and then I’ll hang out at the hotel until I meet Kai.” She didn’t look at Stella.
“As long as you don’t try to sneak into the catacombs...”
Naomi mumbled something, but didn’t clarify when Stella gave her a questioning look.
“How are you getting to the park? Do you know where it is?” Stella asked.
“I’ll look it up and take the metro.”
“I have an idea,” David said.
“Uh-oh,” Naomi quipped.
“Stella and I are meeting at seven. Let me arrange for a taxi to pick you up at quarter of seven,” he said, “It can drop Stella off first, then bring you to the park to meet your friend.”
Naomi nodded and said, “Good thinking, Danvers. You’ve earned yourself a check in the plus column.”
David shook his head with a grin, then asked Stella, “Wanna go to the Eiffel Tower? You said you’d like to go to the top, and afterward I can either walk you back to your hotel or we’ll find something else to visit.”
“Can we grab a sandwich somewhere on the way? I’m really hungry again.”
David laughed, “What happened to the old Stella?”
“She changed…” Stella said quietly.
CHAPTER 29
David—July 2018
D
avid sat in one of the oversized chairs in his hotel’s lobby. It was classy, with a touch of modern, decorated in shades of beige and white, with the inevitable black item of furniture as an accent. Huge flower arrangements and potted plants were scattered throughout the wide space, which now basked in the fading sunlight of the early evening beaming through the domed glass ceiling.
His attention didn’t sway from the entrance doors, except for the occasional time check on his phone. It was 7:05.
Where is she? She’s always on time. His palms were sweaty—and sitting still was almost impossible. What if she changed her mind?
After spending today with Stella, being around her and watching her take in as many details of Paris as possible, he was happier and more content than he’d been in a long time. You know exactly since when…
But did she feel the same? Did she only let him hold her hand and kiss her cheek to placate him? He didn’t get that impression this afternoon. First, they visited the Eiffel Tower, and then went to the Centre Pompidou. David recalled her reaction when she saw the Stravinsky Fountain in front of the contemporary museum, how she stopped walking and gasped.
The memory of her eyes widening and the slow smile spreading across her face filled him with longing.
They spent a long time at the fountain. She wanted to know what it represented, and he summarized a quick google search result, “There are sixteen sculptures, and each is inspired by one of Igor Stravinsky’s compositions. The black metal sculptures were made by Jean Tinguely, and the abstract, colorful ones by his wife, Niki de Saint Phalle.”
“I love how all the pieces are spraying water while they twist in different directions.”
He thought of the fountain as a complicated, animated 3D puzzle. Every piece of art in the water basin seemed to dance to their individual rhythms, but if one stopped moving, the whole effect would be destroyed.
He knew he needed to fix what he destroyed last year. And he knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Saying sorry wasn’t going to cut it. Tracy Chapman nailed it in her song, “Baby Can I Hold You.” He just hoped he’d somehow find the right words.
In his mind, he formulated dozens of apologies, but he knew none were good enough.
Would he be able to share his biggest fear with her, something he’d never told anyone else?
Or would he lose her before he had a chance to win her back?
And—where is she??
A waiter crossed the lobby and asked him, “May I bring you anything to drink, monsieur?”
If he ordered a whiskey and a glass of Stella’s favorite wine, would she think he presumed to know what she wanted? The Stella he used to know wouldn’t. But he wasn’t sure how the new Stella would react. What was it she mumbled earlier about the old Stella? “She changed…”
Time changed people.
Disappointment changed people.
He remembered when Stella almost guiltily ordered a glass of champagne with lunch at the charming patisserie on their way to the Eiffel Tower, and how much she enjoyed it.
“A bottle of Dom Pérignon, please.”
“How many glasses?” the waiter asked.
“Two. Thank you.” He didn’t drink on a regular basis, but he allowed himself an occasional glass of whiskey or wine with dinner on days when he wasn’t performing.
David jumped out of his chair when Stella walked into the lobby, and for a moment time stood still. Her black sleeveless dress hugged every perfect curve of her beautiful body. He wanted to memorize every detail. His eyes soaked her in, down to the dark pink nail polish on her toes.
Hell, Danvers, don’t go all soft and mushy over nail polish. But it was her nail polish, and on her toes, and its effect on him was the opposite of soft and mushy. Very opposite, and very inappropriate timing.
She waved when she saw him and hurried toward him. He met her halfway. “Stella, you look amazing.”
“Thank you.” The corners of her mouth curled up and he wanted to kiss her.
A pearl pendant hung from a delicate gold chain, resting below her collarbone. David remembered reading about an ancient belief about pearls being created from angels’ tears. He hated the idea of Stella crying, but after his dipshit move last year, she must have enough pearls for a triple strand necklace.
He cleared his throat and put his mouth close to her ear, “I love your nail polish and have to ask, um…what’s the color called?”
Turn Back Time (The Full Circle Series Book 1) Page 16