Time After Time

by Melody Foster

  “I’m really sorry. I’m Tyler,” he said. “Mrs. Blackstone sent me to pick you up. But since you, Miss, did not expect me and there were no way I could reach you on your cell phone. I had to rely on the description that I was given.” He puffed, running out of breath some more,” And I am really sorry, but it took me a few guesses and by that time you were gone.” He continued babbling, uncharacteristically for his age.

  “It’s quite all right, Tyler. Nice to meet you.”

  “I parked right there, on the VIP parking lot, very close,” he explained. “I hope it’s no trouble for you if we go there.” Tyler was still nervous. He grabbed her bags from the floor and continued to talk about something, walking. Rebecca could not concentrate on his words as they went on around her in faint buzz.

  Why was he so shaky and worried, anyways?

  The ride through the city and to the exquisite suburban community was quiet. Tyler had probably depleted his talking quota, Becca thought to herself with relief.

  Lidia was waiting for them on a front porch, when the car wheeled through the gates to the huge colonial style house, surrounded by lush, tropical greens.

  “Here comes my girl! I cannot thank you enough for making this trip for me, Becca!”

  Of course Lidia was happy for her anticipated big move to the island. But, Rebecca could not imagine this fine, aristocratic city women living in an isolated villa for the prolonged period of time.

  She wondered why Lidia even needed her here in Miami. She must have packed everything a long time ago. Her house was so meticulous, inside and outside. And her staff was all stressed. Just look at Tyler!

  She probably is a control freak, as Roman said.

  “I still feel lonely in this house now that William’s gone. It feels empty,” Lidia said quietly as if she wanted to avoid any questions.

  “I understand how hard it can be. I lost people I loved too.” Becca meant every word she’d said.

  ***

  After a busy day packing what seemed like an endless amount of stuff, the two women settled down for tea on the outside veranda. Lydia’s phone had not stop ringing and beeping all day. She was calling and texting, arranging a lot of things for the time she was going to be absent. That was alright with Becca. It gave her the opportunity to ponder some things Lidia had mentioned to her today. She hinted to Becca that Joe was very interested in her plans and wanted to visit Villa Grande too. He was expected to be there as soon as they arrived.

  Here comes more trouble!

  To be busy meant to relive herself of the constant mental chatter that was going on in her head. She was trying to come to terms with the news of her actually being pregnant. And Austin? Oh, that man had no idea how delighted she was about the fact that the baby was his. Would he want it? Regardless, she was determined to keep it to herself. She was supposed to feel like a woman who was ten-weeks into pregnancy, wasn’t she?! But right now she wasn’t able to feel much of anything. She forgot about her body.

  Becca mentally recalculated the dates in her head for the thousandth time since the visit to the gynecologist’s office. The numbers didn’t necessarily make the most sense, but the fact that she was always struggling with her irregular periods could explain it.

  Lidia reached for the phone again and blinked with surprise reading the message on a screen. “We will have a guest tonight.” She drummed with her pristine fingernails on the table and said wearily: “You met Austin at the wedding. Right?” It was more than a question. It was a worried statement.

  The world started to tumble down around as her. Becca tried desperately not to blush.

  How much weirder could this get?

  “Yes, indeed.” Becca was beyond okay. Now, somehow, she should excuse herself and leave.

  Becca should have planned to stay in the hotel. But Lidia had insisted that she would stay at her house. She shouldn’t have agreed!

  “I know, dear,” soothed Lidia. “You don’t need to explain. Joe told me that night at the wedding, that you left to see you old friend you haven’t seen in years.”

  “Oh!” That was a relief! At least Lidia already knew that part.

  “I wanted to make sure that you were safe that night. Joe was quite concerned about you disappearing into the night. He told me that you were not feeling that well.”

  That is very odd!

  It had never happened. Joe was concerned?! No way in hell!

  “And he told you that I went to see Austin, of course?” Becca could not believe it how easy rumors could spread.

  “Well, that’s how I knew about it anyways. So, when we finalized the other day, that you would be coming to help me with the move, I ran into Austin and happened to mention it to him. Knowing that you two were old friends...” Lidia paused for a moment, not hurrying to continue. Waiting for Becca’s reaction.

  Becca did not say anything. Thinking, the blood angrily pounding in her head: Son-of-a-bitch!

  “You must know then that Rom and Austin are half-brothers. Technically. Biologically. I do sometimes find great similarities in them, you know. Despite the age difference and the upbringing.”

  Becca was amazed at this woman, how easily, matter-of-factly, she was talking about it.

  “I know, Lidia. Roman told me about Austin that day too. I was surprised. But, we did not go into any details. It was his big day after all.”

  Becca wished she could move the conversation away from that day. Away from her visit to Austin’s yacht.

  “Then, you must know that my son is not very fond of his half-brother. He is just too young, I think. He believes that he has nothing to do with Austin. But my husband was of a different opinion. You see, William grew fond of Austin before he died. It was a heartbreaking reunion for both of them. William never had a chance to know Austin’s mother.”

  It took some time for Becca to process what Lidia had just told her. How could it be that the man did not know the mother of his own child? Unless, and this was something out of a science fiction, Austin was conceived in a dish. Her mind was so attuned to all the infertility information she went through, sourcing for the answers to her own problems, that, at the moment, that sudden idea did not seem so farfetched at all.

  “I understand,” she said automatically.

  The sound of an approaching car brought her back to reality. The dark slick Austin Martin came to stop with a loud squeal of tires. A tall fit man in a suit stepped out of it. He held a huge bouquet of wild flowers in front of him like a torch, blocking his face.

  “That’s him!” Lidia almost jumped from her seat. “Always such a gentleman!” she added in delight. When they hugged as if they had not see one another for ages, it was easy to see that these two people were closer than Becca had realized.

  FOURTEEN

  As suddenly as he had arrived, Austin was gone, leaving two women puzzled and almost speechless. He promised to return for the lunch the next day.

  Rebecca could not hide the huge smile on her face when Austin gave the flowers to Lidia. It was so sweet and heartwarming. She thought it might be a special occasion. But she couldn’t remember anything aside the fact that Lidia was moving.

  Austin helped her out with that: “To the best grandmother in the universe!” His words were so sincere and simple that Lidia had to restrain a sniffle.

  “You know, I always wanted to have a lot of children,” Lidia told Becca after Austin had left. But I waited too long for my perfect man. When Austin’s father finally got to know Austin about three years ago, before his death…” Lidia seemed to melt down even more, remembering her late husband, “…he told me how much this boy meant to him. William was a very good man. He always dreamed about that moment. He even wrote some letters. He would be so happy for Rom and Cadence too with their triplets!”

  Becca nodded, hoping her smile looked natural. Inside, she felt like she was ready to cry and blurt out her own story. That would not be good. It was not in her plans to let anyone—except for her best friend Cadence
—know about the secret identity of the father of her child. What Austin meant to her.

  ***

  Next morning they were done picking and packing all the hundreds of “necessities” Lidia could not do without on the island, including her numerous workout outfits. Roman promised his mother he’d build a full-size gym at the south end of Villa Grande. Lidia was really looking forward to that, especially after they determined the location facing the beachfront would be the best.

  “You girls will have some fun in there! “Roman had told her.

  Becca had been jittery all morning, despite her attempts to keep herself cool. She could not relax. It seemed like lunch with Austin was going to burn a hole into her brain, no matter the outcome of his visit.

  Was she even expecting any “outcome”? How foolish of her!

  It was as clear as the blue sky above her head today, that Austin’s visit had nothing to do with her. Really. He was here simply to wish Lidia good luck on this new chapter in her life. She understood that two of them had become close after William passed away. But her gut told her that there was something else hidden behind the obviously friendly visit.

  The way Austin gazed into her eyes yesterday, the gentle brush of his lips against her cheek when he greeted her. It was all telling her that there must have been more. That she somehow mattered to him.

  No! It was just wishful thinking. She had to be stronger, less susceptible to his natural charms. Dreams never came true. At least, not for her.

  She decided that the best way to deal with her growing anxiety was to occupy herself with some useful things. She knew that cooking always calmed her and put her in a meditative state of mind. So, she headed to the kitchen and joined Lidia, who was setting the table.

  “The last meal,” half-joking, Lidia spread her arms out at the beautiful dining table and smiled.

  “Wow!” said Becca. “It looks amazing! I love those fancy sandwiches you made. Good that you are coming to live with us, Lidia. The villa’s staff needs some creative guidance. They look very healthy, too!” Becca was surprised to discover that this woman could actually cook. She definitely did not lie, complementing her. The food on the table looked fresh and delicious. Becca knew that by now all Lidia’s staff had been dismissed.

  Lidia made sure everyone of her small maintenance team would be placed somewhere else and not left without the job, while she was gone. The only person going to stay and housesit was Tyler, who had brought Becca from the airport. He was the oldest employee. He’d been with them since Roman was a toddler. He was almost like a family. Lidia told her that the man had a serious health issues and she could not let him go. He would not be able to find a decent job.

  The approaching footsteps announced Austin’s arrival. Becca quickly turned around, just in time to see the hottest eyes ogling her behind. Austin looked immaculate in his button-down just-out-of-the-cleaners, pressed, long-sleeve shirt. It hugged his taut, muscular body in all the right places.

  Oh, God! The image of him pressing her down on the silk bedding sprang to her mind. He felt that too—and quickly turned his burning eyes away from her to say hello to Lidia.

  Having lunch together with Austin and Lidia was a new experience for Becca. Oh God! How she loved to see this man devour his food. She never thought she would enjoy such a trivial aspect of everyday life. He was not any random man, she reminded herself. He was the father of her future child. Becca imagined her son growing up and looking exactly like Austin. She had to stop herself from doing that because she was losing the thread of the conversation they seemed to be having.

  “…absolutely thrilled! Are you, Rebecca?” the last piece of Lidia’s sentence startled her.

  What were they talking about? Ah, the new life, Lidia was embarking on.

  “I agree,” she nodded. It was the safest reply Becca could manage. It worked. Relieved, she reminded herself that she should really follow Roman’s rule number one with Lidia. Always agree with her.

  They kept talking about some future plans for Austin and what he wanted from life. This kind of philosophical general talk surprised Becca. The three of them were having a very good time, enjoying the moment. It had been so long since Becca had had this type of conversation, abstract but meaningful. Austin was an intellectual man. She began to understand better his friendship with Lidia.

  ***

  It was late Friday night. Lidia and Becca were sitting by the huge bay window, both watching the red hot sun setting over the ocean. When Becca was little, she used to spend all her summers at her grandparents’ beach house. Watching sunsets was her favorite activity. As she grew older and became busier, she did not do it as often as she wished.

  “I suppose you knew Austin from your high school years, or were you just neighbors?” Lidia looked up at Becca.

  Becca gave a polite answer, the sort she’d give to any new acquaintance, curious about something she wanted to hold private.

  “Both. His mother had a small vacation property near my grandparents’ where I used to spend all my summers. And I knew him from the city too. We went to the same high school.”

  “Guess you would know his mother then?” Lidia sighed and sipped her cold tea from the fine china cup, carefully placing it back on the gold-rimmed saucer.

  Becca did not know much about Austin’s mother. She remembered seeing her a few times. At sixteen, anyone over twenty-five was considered old, she remembered.

  “She was good looking woman,” Becca said. “I’ve seen her few times. But I didn’t know her. She was very private. My grandmother was the complete opposite.”

  Becca loved her grandmother more than her own mother would stand. She picked up a chocolate truffle from the crystal on the coffee table and unwrapped the silky shell holding it. The divine candy melted in her mouth. It felt like she could use it as a medicine for her jumpy nerves. How cruel it was that they did not have anything like that on the island! If she did not watch it, Becca would end up few sizes larger very fast. Then she would not have a gorgeous slim body like Lidia had at her age.

  “I did not have a chance to know her either. Austin never wanted me to. After William died, Austin and I became so much like a mother and son! He let me attend her funeral five months ago. Austin does not have a lot of relatives from his mother’s side, you know. Even at his age he is so tender to women, so sensitive. You saw him today. But you should know something about him, Becca. He is not a very good marriage material, as it might seemed.” And then she took a sharp turn in their conversation from Austin to Becca, as if she did not want to expand on her last statement.

  “Do you date?” she asked abruptly.

  Was Lidia probing her? Testing?

  “Why?”

  “Emancipated women do not need to.”

  And judging, too?

  “Really, I am teasing, dear. I know your life on the island is pretty secluded. Do you know how hard Joe fell for you? Poor guy doesn’t know what to do. He thinks that you are all he ever wanted. But I see that you are interested in your old flame.”

  Becca blushed. Was she that obvious today? Or that was a conclusion from the wedding night? Whatever it was, Lidia was taking too much of an interest in her life. And Becca did not like it.

  “We just met. I could not possibly know Joe that well.” She shrugged, ignoring the comment about Austin.

  “I have known Joe since he was a boy,” Lidia continued. “William and his dad, Peter Snowden, were close friends. They worked together too, acquiring the new gas exploration deals. I never cared to learn what exactly that was. But Peter had to travel a lot with William around the world. Joe often stayed with us. He does not remember his mother. She died in childbirth. He’s around Austin’s age--a very nice boy. He was...”

  “I see now why Joe was the Best Man at Roman’s wedding. They must be like brothers.”

  “Even more. They are business partners. I blame his influence for Roman dropping out college in his final year to start their business venture. R
oman needed a man like Joe to help him with all the money his father left to him. Most of it is still in trust until Roman turns twenty-one.”

  Becca knew most of this from Cadence and was pretty sure that Lidia had guessed it. Lidia wasn’t a woman who would share her whole life story after having known someone for only a few hours. Becca wasn’t even a family member. Yes, she knew a lot about what was going inside their family. Lidia must have had her own reasons for talking with Becca about all this. Did she expect Becca to pour her heart out to her? That would not be like her.

  Becca sensed that it might be harder than she thought to avoid a clash of personalities at Villa Grande.

  FIFTEEN

  Becca was sitting in Austin’s car parked in front of the Box Office of the Fancy Place, hoping that whatever he had planned would not work out. Her idea of spending time with Austin tonight did not include entertainment. All Becca wanted was a quiet dinner at a low key diner.

  She counted in her head. Seven weeks, two days and twelve hours. That’s how long it had been since Austin’s muscular, pumped-up arms had held her tight to his chest and demanded that she promise to take care of herself until he came back for her.

  Did he remember that? Stop it, Becca!

  She needed to accept the bitter truth that Austin Stevens most likely asked every woman he slept with to do just that. It was a very charming easy way out of her life. And in return, he promised nothing! But, somehow, it felt so good, so sweet. However, she had to remind herself over and over again that their hours together had nothing whatsoever to do with him inviting her out tonight. It was just Austin Stevens, acting the perfect gentleman as Lidia put it. Always a gentleman.

  Lidia and Becca were invited to spend some time together tonight. But the wicked woman politely refused Austin’s invitation, giving herself an excuse to do some final arrangement before she left.

  After tasting Austin’s demanding lips that night, Becca got crazy cravings for them. He gave her more pleasure than she’d ever dreamed possible before she left his yacht the morning after. She stared at her reflection in the car mirror, waiting for him, and tried to see if she looked any different. She was pretty but never beautiful. She wanted to look sexy for him tonight. If he hadn’t fallen for her yet, she would do everything in her power tonight to make him. He would not simply take her this time. She would make him beg her to give her naked body to him.