A Twist of Fate

by T Gephart

  “Lexi!” she squealed.

  “Hey Han!” I waved back, struggling with my suitcases.

  One of the two big, burly gentlemen walked over to me. “We will take these for you Ma’am.”

  “Thank you,” I responded just before I embraced Hannah in a big hug.

  “How was the flight?” she asked.

  “Flight was great but happy to finally be here.”

  Hannah introduced me to her two “friends”. The larger of the two and the one who helped me with my bags was named DarNell and the other was Bear (I was fairly sure that wasn’t his real name but I wasn’t about to argue).

  As we walked out the double glass doors we were met by a piercing, icy wind. It was December and there was already a light dusting of snow on the ground. I was thankful for my foresight as I snuggled into my pea coat, the chill soaking into my bones. Brrrrrr I was going to have to get used to this. The cold didn’t seem to bother Hannah at all as she continued to chat excitedly. Bear grabbed his mobile phone and dialled, telling the recipient of the call to “Bring the car around” he then hung up. Huh, a man of few words I take it.

  A big black Suburban pulled up to greet us, DarNell and Bear loaded my bags into the back as Hannah and I clambered inside the car. “We’ll drop you off at your apartment first and then if you aren’t too tired we can go back to my place. James and the boys are excited to see you!” she chattered. I fastened my seat belt and took a deep breath. I knew I would have to face Alex sooner or later, it was probably best to get it over with.

  “Sure, we can do that. I’m not tired.” I mumbled as my stomach knotted. DarNell climbed into the front passenger seat next to the equally large driver and Bear climbed into the seats behind us. All three men sat silent, looking forward apparently uninterested in our conversation.

  “So, how is everyone? How’s Mike doing?” I asked.

  “He’s doing great Lexi. He’s up and walking around. It’s still a long way off till he’s 100 per cent but he’s healing really quickly. The doctors are pleased.” She sighed. “The guys are all fine. Dan is, well...Dan. He went down to Cabo with some mystery blonde last week and ended up with a new tattoo that he doesn’t remember getting. Troy isn’t letting him live it down, making him paranoid that maybe he got something else while down there as well,” she giggled. “Troy and Jason have been having their own adventures. They went out one night in Troy’s VW Baha Beetle and ended up in Pennsylvania. Jase met some girl while he was there and is now kind of sweet on her so they have been talking on Skype and she sometimes flies up on weekends. Troy has been doing some work with the local high school’s marching band too, which is really cute. The cheerleaders have been all over him!” She smiled broadly as I nodded enthusiastically, willing her to continue. “James and I have been doing some redecorating” she whispered softly as she rubbed her belly.

  “What?” I screamed, startling poor DarNell who turned around suddenly. Hannah’s face beamed as she continued in her hushed voice.

  “It’s early days yet, we found out last week. We haven’t even told our families. By my calculations it was that night you and I got smashed on Tequila! Ha, can you believe it? I just had to tell someone. We are so excited!”

  “Oh my God Hannah, that’s fantastic. I am so happy for you both. You are going to make wonderful parents,” I whispered back. Obviously she trusted these men implicitly to be having this conversation where it could potentially be heard, but still I felt a little self conscious. I squeezed her hand; I was genuinely excited for her and felt so honoured that she had shared that information with me.

  “What about Alex?” I asked trying to sound indifferent.

  “Don’t ask!” she muttered. “Bear picked him up from the airport on Monday morning; he refused to tell anyone where he’d gone and has been on a bender since. He’s been out late every night partying and drinking and just generally being a class A jerk. James is a lot more patient with him than I am. I think it’s the hormones,” she mused, her tone trailing off. My heart skipped a beat and I felt like I was going to be sick. He hadn’t told anyone about what had happened, he had (as I had guessed) flown right home after our “talk”. I desperately wanted to see him, to make sure he was ok. To see his beautiful face smiling again but I knew I’d hurt him and he probably hated me. It was too late; I’d made my bed, now I had to lie in it.

  “Hmmm well I guess I’ll have my work cut out for me when I start on Monday. Sounds like a PR nightmare!” I tried to keep my voice from wavering.

  “Don’t stress Lexi, Chris is all over it. I didn’t mean to bring up work,” she apologized.

  For the rest of the drive, I was only half tuned in. Hannah animatedly chatted while I nodded and smiled in the right parts. My mind was tormented with horrible thoughts and my heart felt like it would explode in my chest cavity. I wasn’t sure if it was guilt or worry that consumed me. My head was still spinning when the car finally stopped.

  We had pulled up in front of a beautiful apartment building on the Upper East Side, a short walk away from Central Park.

  Entering my new apartment for the first time was surreal; I slowly roamed around the rooms and absorbed what was to now be my home. It was amazing, Chris had truly outdone herself and I loved it. My two bedroom, two and a half bath home was decked out with gilded art pieces while still outfitted with modern conveniences (I counted no less than 5 TVs). It was the perfect combination of classic and modern. The living room hosted a large over-sized plush cream sofa that was accented by equally large gold-blush and cream pillows. A small walnut side table along the wall hosted a tall glass vase filled with pristine white Lilies, drawing my eyes to the two double glass doors which opened up to my breath-taking private balcony where I could survey the view. I felt like a Manhattan princess. The Master bedroom was no less spectacular; an obscenely large bed took centre stage. The opulent, quilted bed head was pushed flush against the spectacular diamond patterned wall, while the opposite wall housed a massive gold framed mirror.

  “Do you like it?” Hannah asked, breaking the silence which had seemed to last an eternity.

  “It is amazing,” was all I could utter, rendered speechless by each new room and discovery.

  “Chris will be so pleased, I’ll let her know she can go ahead and sign a long term lease.” Relief was evident in Hannah’s voice. I strolled back into the living room where my suitcases had been placed (no doubt by DarNell or Bear, who had now disappeared back down stairs). I collapsed into the sofa, it’s soft pillows encasing my tired limbs. Hannah’s face smiled as she watched me study my surroundings.

  “It’s amazing,” I repeated, slightly overwhelmed with the turn my life had taken.

  “I can let you get settled if you like?” Hannah read my need to decompress before switching into work mode. “TJ can swing by in a few hours and pick you up. Let me know if you need ANYTHING!” Hannah explained as she made her way to my front door.

  “Thanks Hannah” I breathed as I struggled to my feet so I could say goodbye.

  “I’ll see you soon.” I hugged her tightly as she made her exit, “And thanks for meeting me at the airport.”

  “No problem Lex, see you in a few hours.” She smiled as she left.

  My heart stopped as my phone buzzed, I quickly picked it up to inspect my messages.

  Been arrested yet? :-P I have a friend on the force if you need anything. NYPD- New York’s finest – Matt xo

  I tried hard to not be disappointed. Alex hadn’t contacted me all week; he wasn’t going to magically start now. I missed our flirtations, his witty sense of humour but most of all, I just missed him.

  HA! Not yet but there is still time! Tell me more about this friend, Lexi xx

  I missed Matt - he had grown to be my best friend in such a short time. Perhaps that is why I had put off having a roommate for so long, knowing that inevitably the closeness in proximity would lead to another type of closeness, one that I had avoided for so long, especially with a man. I smi
led at the message; of all the things I was going to miss about my old apartment, I was going to miss him most of all.

  Call Alex. Just talk to him Lex, he will understand. xo

  It’s too late for that, this is for the best. I miss you xx

  It’s never too late! Call him! Miss you too Lexi, place isn’t the same without you xo

  I put down my phone on the coffee table. It was too late. What I had said to Alex the last time we spoke had clearly cut him deeply. He had tried to be patient with me, whittling away at my emotional wall. But in the end, the thought of a relationship scared me too greatly and I did the only thing I knew how to do to escape it. I knew by telling him I had no feelings for him that he would run, especially after pouring out his heart and telling me how much he wanted to be with me. His honour was too great; he had too much pride to stay where he wasn’t wanted. I knew that by causing him a little pain now that I would save us both a lot of pain later. It hurt me too; I missed his touch, his scent, his body... his smile. Ughhhhh I need to move on! It’s over!

  I dragged my suitcases into my bedroom and pushed them into my large walk-in wardrobe without unpacking them (seriously, real estate like this, in this location, must be costing a small fortune) and curled up on my new bed. I wasn’t tired, just a little emotionally drained. I sighed as I waited for sleep to come, my mind refusing to shut down. I closed my eyes hoping my mind would take my body’s cue when I was startled by my unfamiliar doorbell. I sat up. It was too early to be the driver to go to Hannah’s and he would have buzzed first. Could it be Alex? Did he want to see me? I leapt from my bed and raced to my front door. I paused to regain composure as I swung it open.

  “Hi! I’m Taylah, I live in 7B next door... You just move in?” The tall, sassy, attractive brunette questioned while she strained to peer inside my door. She had dark brown eyes, with perfectly manicured brows; her porcelain skin accentuated her dark features. Her hair was styled into thick chunks, which were layered and straight. Her lean frame, pressed against the doorway with her slender, artful fingers curled around an art deco pendant that hung from her long angular neck.

  “I’m Lexi, yeah... Just got here today,” I answered coolly, deliberately keeping the door and my body positioned so she couldn’t gain too much of a view.

  “Oooo you’re Australian,” she squealed. “We’ve never had one of those!” Her big brown eyes glistened with excitement.

  “Dave, get out here... we got an Aussie living next door” she called out to the hallway, her broad New York accent raising an octave. Great, I sighed, only I would move into an apartment where my neighbours were swingers! Matt was going to have a field day with that little gem!

  “Taylah, as much as I would love to socialize right now, I need to unpack. Maybe, we can catch up later?” I volunteered not wanting to be rude but equally not entertaining the notion of a threesome with Taylah and Dave.

  Before I was able to close my door, Dave stepped out in front of me. He was tall and grungy looking, kind of what you’d expect from a 90’s rocker. He had shoulder length shaggy brown hair with a neat beard and goatee. His arms were covered with large ornate tattoos. His tight black t-shirt and jeans did little to disguise his athletic frame. He was attractive in a dirty, bad boy sort of way but clearly this was of little consequence to him as he flicked his long fringe out of his dark eyes.

  “I’m Dave.” He offered his hand, his accent smooth, relaxed and very different from Taylah.

  “Lexi,” I replied as I accepted his handshake.

  “So Lexi, what brings you to New York?” Taylah mused, interpreting my pause as an invitation for further conversation. I might as well get this over with; my swinger neighbours obviously weren’t going to take the hint. I removed my extended arm from the door jamb and gestured for them to come in. Taylah wandered over to the sofa and made herself at home, Dave nestling closely beside her as I settled on the armchair opposite them. I spied matching wedding bands, which further puzzled me about their relationship.

  “I’m here on business,” I stated. “I work in Public Relations and I’ve accepted a job here.”

  “Oh, PR!” Taylah exclaimed. “How exciting, guess I can come to you for some juicy gossip! Representing anyone we would know?” she inquired, batting her long eyelashes.

  “A band,” I retorted offering as little information as possible. I watched as both Taylah and Dave’s eyes widened with excitement. I began to think this was a really bad idea. Damn it Lexi, you should have just shut the door.

  “Really?” asked Dave, “Which one?” his voice was no more excited than it had been when he greeted me.

  “Power Station,” I stated. Seriously was this a welcoming committee or an inquiry?

  Taylah grinned broadly. “Oh you work for James and Alex! Well there you go, small world.”

  “Oh, you know them?” I questioned, relaxing slightly.

  “Yeah, I’ve done some work with them, great guys,” Dave answered.

  “You’re a musician?” I quizzed, he didn’t look familiar, and surely if he’d worked with the band I would have seen him. His face, while strangely alluring, offered no hints of recognition.

  “Mainly as a session muso these days. I gave up on the road awhile ago. Didn’t enjoy the life. I co-write and produce a lot too. More creativity and a lot less grief,” he qualified. Taylah nodded in agreement.

  “So what do you think of your apartment?” Taylah asked as she glanced over the room’s interior. Huh? What an odd question. Where was this going? Obviously my mental acrobatics had translated to a puzzled look crossing my face as Dave let out a small laugh.

  “Taylah is an interior designer. She fitted this place out. Most of the building for that matter, she’s extremely talented.” He turned to look at his wife adoringly.

  “Dave, I wanted an honest unbiased opinion,” she chastised him, though I gathered she was not as annoyed as she was making out. “So what do you think?” She asked again.

  “This place is amazing,” I answered with no hesitation. “It’s classy yet modern and I love it. You did an awesome job.” I wasn’t lying, the place was amazing. It was completely different to my old Melbourne apartment but I loved it, it was decadent while still feeling inviting and homey.

  “Told Ya!” Dave piped in. “Extremely talented.” He gave Taylah a big squeeze.

  “Glad you like it” she responded while trying to brush off her husband’s PDA. “It was fun having a big budget, made me curious about who they were moving in here.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

  “Well on that note ladies, I’m going to have to love you and leave you.” Dave stood up and gave his wife a rather passionate kiss, that she tried to staunch “See ya babe.” He let out a throaty laugh before turning to me. “Nice meeting you Lexi, say hi to the guys for me!” He offered his hand before heading out the door.

  “He’s adorable but way too over the top” she breathed, “Guess that’s what you get when you marry an artist.” She smiled. I smiled back; maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad. I changed direction and decided to garner some further information from my quirky neighbour.

  “So Taylah, you lived here long? What’s the building like?” I asked relaxing into my chair. Her eyes lit up as if given permission to finally divulge all her secrets. She told me about the other occupants on our floor, what they did and who their significant others were. She giggled as she informed me of various factions that existed within the building and who was currently in a social media war with whom. She told me how she’d met Dave in California (where he was originally from) while decorating his sister’s house, and how she’d convinced him to move to New York. I found out she was also an avid blogger who had a wacky, yet very gifted sense of humour.

  Dave returned with a couple of chilled bottles of white wine about an hour later, after Taylah had sent him a bossy text. He settled them on the bench and dutifully left as I poured two glasses. I fired up my Mac Book and we laughed as we cyber stalked our neighbo
urs. She directed me to her blog, which I read as she glanced over my shoulder. I found her social commentary hilarious yet compelling. It was backed up with witty anecdotes while still being extremely intelligent and well written. Dave was right, his wife was talented.

  We had just polished off the second bottle and were still laughing at her conversation piece of various celebrities’ touchstones for sanity when my door buzzer demanded attention. “Hello” I asked curiously, the wine giving me a slight buzz.

  “Hi Ma’am, it’s TJ. Hannah sent me” the speaker responded. I had completely lost track of time.

  “I’ll be down in a couple of minutes,” I responded before flying into panic mode.

  “Sorry Taylah, I have to go. Thanks for the wine and the laughs. I’m sure we’ll chat later.”

  “See ya later Lexi,” she giggled as she ambled out my door.

  I ran into my bathroom and freshened up, reapplying a little make-up and some perfume before fussing with my hair. I smoothed it into a simple pony tail - it was the best I was going to be able to do. I switched off the bathroom light and grabbed my phone, keys and handbag. I closed my apartment door firmly as I slid on my coat and walked down the stairs to the lobby where TJ was waiting.

  “Sorry” I apologized, “I lost track of time.”

  “No problem Ma’am, the car is right around the back” he responded.

  “Please call me Lexi, TJ. Ma’am makes me sound like an old lady or a madam of a brothel, of which I’m neither.” I laughed, the wine tingling through my body.

  “I’m sorry ma- I mean Lexi. Habit, I guess.” He smiled, slightly amused by my analogy.

  The drive was quiet and peaceful, TJ hummed along to the radio which, combined with the thick, dark windows of the car, served to block out most of the city’s craziness. The sun had already set and the air had cooled further. I made a mental note that I was going to need a heavier coat if I was going to survive a North American winter. I watched as snow flurries blew around the car. In the darkness it seemed like they were toying with the glare of the headlights, the low hum of the engine easing my anxious mind into a steady, tranquil state.