Back To The Viper

by Antara Mann

  “Ouch,” he shouted. “What’s the matter? Are you nuts?” He rose and touched his right cheek where the paper had scratched him.

  “I won’t let you make a fool out of me! Do you get it?” she screamed at his face. Wayne drew back. What had happened to her?

  “Read the LA Times! It’s all written on the third page,” she said through clenched teeth.

  Wayne opened the paper on that page and saw a photo of himself hugging Ashley. The title of the article read: “Pop star Chad Keeney and The Jackal’s Wayne Bonner in love triangle with ex-lead singer Ashley Greendale.” Next to the photo of him and Ashley, there was another one where Chad was hugging Ashley.

  “What the hell…” Wayne exclaimed, but Olivia interrupted him spitefully.

  “So, did you sleep with her?”

  “Ashley?” He laughed, but her expression made him stop.

  “For Christ’s sake, Olivia, that’s just a paparazzi lie. I did see Ashley yesterday, but Chad and I are not in a relationship with her. Besides, my old buddy Chad is gay. It’s hilarious to think the three of us could be in a love triangle.” He tried to touch her, but she screamed in rage.

  “I don’t give a fuck if you sleep with her or not; do it if you want! But I won’t let people think you’re cheating on me.”

  Wayne gave her a scolding look.

  “Baby, what’s more important – the truth or what people would think?”

  “I can’t believe you don’t realize what you’re doing to me with this story! The directors will sneer at me behind my back and the viewers will pity me. No, this just has to stop!”

  “So what do you want me to do? Give a press conference?” he asked her ironically.

  “Not just that.” Her eyes flashed. “Sue the publisher!”

  He gaped, wondering if she was serious.

  “Olivia, that… that… That’s just plain stupid. If I do it, it would mean there was actually truth in their scribbling.”

  “If you want us to stay together, you’ll do what I tell you to do! Period.”

  An almost indiscernible smile stole across his face.

  “Very well, then, I suggest we split up because…”

  “I’m sorry, but there’s a little problem – the contract we signed before we got engaged.”

  He looked at her, stupefied.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His voice was ice cold.

  “Oh, nothing, only that insignificant contract according to which you owe me half of your assets if you break our engagement.” She smiled.

  Signing a contract before even getting married? That was absurd.

  “All right, I’ll talk to my lawyers and they’ll get things going,” she told him and left the room.

  Wayne lay back on the bed, his mind buzzing with anxiety. Was she serious? Could she really take away half his assets? He knew now why he’d never marry. That whole fucking out-dated institution called marriage was a true nightmare. This time, his thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone. He saw Ashley’s name on the screen. He remembered that yesterday, before they had separated, he had asked her to keep in touch. Although he didn’t feel like talking now, Wayne accepted the call.

  “What’s going on, Ash?” he asked her straight away.

  “Well, I only wanted to let you know that our trip will take place this afternoon at Harry’s lab. Will you join us?”

  “At what time?”

  “We agreed on five.”

  “Give me some time to think about it; I need to check something, and I’ll return the call. It turns out I’m also not that happy with my present.”

  After he ended the call with Ashley, Wayne browsed the contacts in his smartphone – the name of his lawyer had to have been saved somewhere. He knew himself well enough to guess he’d saved the contact as “lawyer” and not under his real name. His guess turned out to be correct. Without hesitation, he pressed on the contact and waited. After the third ring, he heard the thick voice of a man. Wayne introduced himself and asked him if he had ever signed a pre-engagement contract with Miss Hamilton.

  “That’s just crazy! It’s the first time I’ve heard about such contract!” he exclaimed. He could tell the lawyer was grinning on the other side of the line.

  “I remember, Mr. Bonner and will find a copy immediately to reference for your information.”

  After less than an hour, the lawyer called Wayne. The news wasn’t good.

  “Yes, sir, I searched through your digital database and indeed, it turned out ‘Harper and Smith’ sent you a copy of a contract you and Miss Hamilton signed three months ago.”

  Wayne’s hair stood on end.

  “The contract says you’re obliged to compensate Olivia Hamilton with half of your assets in case you break your engagement.”

  “But how… why…?” How could he have signed such an absurd thing at all?

  “Can I dispute the validity of this contract? I must have been drunk to sign it!”

  Now Wayne could clearly hear his lawyer’s chuckle.

  “I can’t know that, sir, but the contract is completely valid. Your signature, as well as your fiancée’s, was recorded in the presence of a notary public. Of course, you may dispute its validity or at least demand that it be cancelled, but in both cases it will have to come to court.”

  “Shit!”

  “What do you want to do, sir?”

  Wayne sighed.

  “Leave the things as they are.” He ended the call and soon after that called Ashley.

  Chapter 19

  “Are you ready?” Harry asked the members of The Jackal before they lay down on the floor. Ashley nodded, aiming a look at her friends. Everyone had come. They had been surprised, though, to see Wayne there as well. Hadn’t he said just a day before that his present life was much happier than the one he’d previously had? Wayne had answered their questions evasively:

  “Smart men don’t get into relationships with despotic bitches.”

  Smiles had appeared on his friends’ faces.

  “Now relax and feel how your whole body grows heavier. Your arms are heavy, your back, your torso, your legs, your feet – your whole body is heavy, heavy, heavy…” Harry was giving his instructions. He prepared the solution and injected each of the participants in the experiment with a dose. He looked at the clock on the wall – it was five fifteen sharp. He wondered how long the trip would take this time.

  ***

  “All right, all of us are here in the club, right?” Ashley asked in The Viper Room.

  “Yup. We are all here,” Wayne answered.

  “Okay, let’s head closer to the stage and wait to be called,” Ashley instructed.

  “So how are we going to perform our songs now?” Chad asked.

  “The same way we did ten years ago.”

  “Oh, no! Do you mean we have to make fools of ourselves again?”

  “Wayne, it won’t be a bad idea for you to swallow your huge ego just for a moment!” Ashley scolded and turned her back to him.

  “Man, you’re lucky you don’t have to deal with women,” Wayne whispered to Chad. “I’m seriously considering switching teams so that women stop commanding me all the time”

  “No, no, don’t think this happens automatically,” Chad replied.

  Soon the club manager called them up and they got on the stage. Ashley greeted the visitors, introduced her band The Jackal and started singing. The producer was listening to them closely during the whole time. At first, his sharp eyes were fixed on them, but during the second song, Ashley noticed how he was just smoking his cigar nervously and looking around. Their third song didn’t trigger particular excitement among the audience, either. When they finished, Ashley winked at the boys happily – everything was going according to the plan. They got off the stage and went to the producer. Mark Harris began to speak immediately:

  “You performance wasn’t bad, guys but…” He put out his cigar in the ashtray and threw a ten dollar bill on the table.
“It’s not what I’m looking for. Anyway, I wish you luck and all the best!” He rose and hurriedly made his way through the crowd. Soon after that, he was on the ground floor, exiting the club. In his hastiness, he didn’t even notice the obvious joy in the musicians’ eyes. Harris regretted having wasted several hours of his time listening to the performance of a band that didn’t seem to have any chance of becoming the next hit.

  “Well, for a failure I think it was pretty successful, don’t you think?” Ashley cried joyfully and hugged her three friends.

  “I suggest we celebrate it!” Wayne said eagerly, and soon after that, the members of the band found themselves at the bar.

  “Not to rain on your parade, but when are we going to return to real life?” Craig asked.

  “Good question, buddy. Well, I suggest we do that now. We have no other business here, do we?”

  Everyone nodded in agreement.

  “Let’s dance something in order to send a signal to Harry!” Ashley offered. She started dancing and the rest followed her. This attracted the attention of a few of the visitors and they could hear their approving exclamations and whistling. Ashley and her friends didn’t have time to react because the space in front of them began to fade out. In the next moment, they found themselves lying in Harry’s lab.

  “A great achievement; that was a record time! The trip lasted only two minutes!” he exclaimed joyfully.

  “That sounds impressive, but have our lives changed?”

  “I don’t know, I need to check that.” He opened the browser in his smartphone and typed their names. Ashley, of course, was first.

  “Good news, Ash! You’re not on Wikipedia!” Harry cried. After a while he added, “None of you are on Wikipedia; neither is your band. It looks like you’re completely unknown.”

  “Is that good news?” Wayne asked sarcastically, but everyone ignored him.

  “Should I take it, then, that we’re back to our old life?” Ashley rose and went closer to the scientist.

  “Yes, I guess everything is already the way it used to be. The best way to check it, however, is to go to your homes and see if it’s all right.”

  “Great idea! I’m planning to take advantage of it.” Craig rose, too. “Thank you Harry, from the bottom of my heart, and you, too, Ashley, Chad, Wayne.” He hugged them all one by one and then went outside. The warm summer wind caressed his face. He saw his old car – the Ford Mustang – in the parking lot, which was a good sign. It seemed like everything was falling back into place. He hesitated for a moment, then pressed the pedal and started. He couldn’t wait to see his family.

  Craig found his wife cooking dinner. Compared to the luxurious Beverley Hills villa, his home looked modest and small, but it didn’t matter when the people whom he loved were in it.

  “How is my darling?” He hugged her around the waist and began dancing with her happily.

  “What’s the matter with you, sweetheart?” She laughed, but kept on dancing with him.

  “We are celebrating,” he replied.

  She didn’t bother asking further. She assumed it was connected with his job as an executive manager.

  ***

  When Ashley returned to her small apartment in Redwood City, she instantly went to her daughter’s room.

  “Look who’s here!” her mother said aloud, and Briana turned in surprise.

  “Mommy!” the little one cried.

  “That’s right, Mommy’s here with her little girl and she’s not going anywhere.” Ashley hugged her tightly, as though she were afraid somebody would take her from her.

  “What’s up, Mommy? Why are you crying?”

  “It’s all right, baby. Mommy’s crying because she’s happy.” Ashley wiped her eyes and looked at her mother with gratitude.

  “You react too sentimentally, as usual.” Ashley’s mother gave her a critical look.

  ***

  Chad threw the car keys onto the table in the living room. The place was quiet, so he guessed Martin wasn’t back from the theater yet. He had just sat down and was relaxing on the couch, his eyes half-closed for a nap, when his boyfriend’s voice startled him.

  “Wake up, sleepy! I have a great surprise for you.” Martin sat on the couch next to him.

  “Humph… what is it?” Chad didn’t move.

  “My parents are coming to San Francisco for the weekend and I want you to meet them.” He smiled widely. “Isn’t that awesome?”

  Chad smiled in return and hugged him. It was so nice to be at home and be himself.

  ***

  Wayne had expected that his girlfriend Cassidy would make a scene because of his absences and the lack of attention he’d been demonstrating for her recently, but instead, she gave him a warm welcome.

  “You’re really not mad at me?” he asked her, surprised.

  “What for? It’s just the way you are, and I’ve accepted that.” She looked him in the eyes. “But it hurts me when you cheat on me.”

  “I swear I never slept with your friend…” he began, but she interrupted him, placing her finger on his lips.

  “How about we take a walk?”

  The two of them went out and the cool summer wind made them feel fresh. They had the whole evening ahead of them.

  Epilogue

  A year later

  “Can I take your order, ma’am?” The waiter was standing, waiting to write down the orders of the newly arrived customers – three men and a woman.

  A year had passed since Ashley, Craig, Chad, and Wayne’s group trip, and they had gathered now at Gordon Biersch where they traditionally met.

  “A glass of mineral water with some lemon in it, please,” Ashley answered, still looking at the menu. She didn’t feel like drinking alcohol that night.

  The waiter turned to the men. All three of them ordered different types of alcoholic cocktails.

  “So, Ash, how is your business going?” Craig asked when the waiter left them.

  “Very well, actually; I’ve made over five thousand dollars in profit for the past month. Almost four times the amount I earned back at Starbucks.”

  “Can you remind me what it is you do?” Wayne asked.

  “I import clothes from Mexico,” Ashley grinned.

  “Maybe I should join you. Ever since I quit Cisco Systems and began working for Network INC, I’ve been earning half as much,” Craig inserted.

  “But I guess your working hours are a lot less too, right?” Chad said.

  “Well, yeah, that’s why I left Cisco – to spend more time with my family. But if there was a way I could manage my business without having to work thirteen hours a day, I would be up for it.”

  “I’ll think about your offer, Craig.” Ashley took a sip of water from the glass the waiter had just served.

  “It’s interesting that you decided to have your own business, Ash. I don’t remember you showing any interest in entrepreneurship before,” Wayne said with curiosity.

  She smiled.

  “I guess our time travel trip takes the credit for that.” She stared into Wayne’s eyes. “I feel I am not the only one here whose life has been radically changed by our experience.”

  “Absolutely,” Craig confirmed. “The changes haven’t even bypassed Wayne, who’s getting married…”

  “What?” Ashley and Chad instantly turned to Wayne. “You and marriage?” They turned their eyes back to Craig. “You must be kidding!”

  “No, he’s not,” Wayne said before Craig had the chance to answer. “Cassidy and I are getting married next spring.”

  “Jesus, what’s happened to you?” Chad asked, stunned.

  Wayne chuckled.

  “After spending some time with that witch Olivia Hamilton, I really began to value Cass. She won’t make a problem out of the smallest thing, and I will try to be as discreet as possible.”

  “You and marriage! That’s absurd!” Ashley kept on thinking about it. She couldn’t imagine her old buddy getting married.

  “And yo
u, Chad, what good news are you going to tell us?”

  “Well, I was wondering when to tell you…” He paused and then a smile stretched his lips. “This fall, I’m beginning to teach History of Art at San Francisco University.”

  “Kudos!” The other men slapped him on the back and he assumed a very proud expression.

  “How did that happen?” Ashley asked.

  “Well, I wasn’t satisfied with my job as a freelance photographer and, besides, I had a university degree. After last year’s experience, I made the decision not to waste any more time and…” Chad chuckled. “And I applied for the position of junior assistant. They accepted me.”

  Ashley nodded approvingly.

  “And there’s one more thing.” Chad paused before he fired, “I finally came out to my parents.”

  All of them knew Chad was afraid of his religious parents’ reaction. His father was a priest at a Baptist Church and his mother a social worker at The Red Cross.

  “What you’ve done takes balls, buddy!” Craig nodded at him understandingly. “If any of my daughters told me she was gay, I would support her completely.”

  “Oh, I’ve always liked lesbians…” Wayne began but Ashley interrupted him:

  “What are you talking about, Wayne?” His comment had made her think. She had never considered the possibility that her child might be gay. She assumed, as if by default, that Briana would be straight. But if one day she told her she was gay, she would accept that fact.

  “So what was your parents’ reaction?” she asked Chad.

  “Well…it turned out they had known I was gay for a long time,” he laughed. “My father said he realized it the first time he saw the Wicked and Dreamgirls posters on my wall.”

  “Yes, parents sometimes know us better than we think.” Ashley had hardly said this when her cell phone started ringing. Peggy’s name was on the screen. Ashley wondered what Peggy wanted. She hadn’t heard from her friend since leaving Starbucks.

  “Hello? Ashley, I hope I’m not bothering you…” Peggy began a bit uncertainly and for good reason – it was past nine in the evening.