“Gabe,” she practically wailed.
“Don’t move.”
He kicked his shoes off and removed his shirt before moving close again. A shiver ran through her body.
“Let me see if I can warm you up.” Again, he let his hands slide over her body until he reached her clit.
She panted and arched her head back. So close.
He moved his hand away, stepping back one more time.
“No…please.” She started to turn.
“Stay as you are. Don’t move. We’re almost there.”
He pulled off his jeans and briefs, pausing long enough to sheath himself in a condom from his wallet.
He turned her around and lifted her onto the counter. He wouldn’t tease her any longer. He lowered his mouth to her, licking and sucking on the swollen nub until she was at the edge once more. He straightened and entered her in one hard stroke. She cried out as her orgasm overcame her. Locking her legs around him as he thrust into her, she rode the waves of her climax even as another built.
He was perilously close to his own orgasm when he whispered, “Come for me now.”
She threw her head back and soared into ecstasy with another cry, taking him with her.
He wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, completely spent, but when his brain began to function again, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to their bed. Still in a haze of post-orgasmic bliss, he disposed of the condom and climbed into bed beside her.
“Absolute perfection,” he whispered, pulling her close.
“Mmm. Perfection,” she purred.
Chapter 20
Saturday dawned cold but sunny. Knowing Gabe had to work that night, Elsie intended to let him sleep as long as possible, so she padded into the kitchen to make a much needed pot of coffee. As it brewed, she glanced into the living room and grinned. Her small suitcase, Gabe’s backpack, and the shopping bag containing his birthday gifts still lay where he dropped them by the door.
After they recovered from the incredible kitchen counter sex, they revived long enough to eat his mother’s homemade clam chowder while curled up on the couch in front of the television. Then they had another round of soul shattering sex and slept in each other’s arms for the rest of the night.
Once fortified with coffee and a banana—oh, how she wished bananas grew in Scotland—she tidied up. She put the toiletries away in the bathroom, added the dirty clothes to the hamper, and started a load of laundry. Then, she unpacked the bag containing Gabe’s presents. His mom and dad had given him a new pair of trousers, a nice shirt, and a sweater. She would hang them in the bedroom closet after he woke.
Angie’s collage was beautiful. It was a wonderful thing to be able to take photographs and hold on to memories in such a tangible way. She thought about her parents. She couldn’t remember what her father had originally looked like, and she only had fading memories of her mother. She knew with certainty that when she returned, her memories of what Jo and Aldous looked like would also eventually wane.
And Gabe? With memories of him making love to her so vivid, she didn’t want to believe that someday she would be unable to remember his face, his smile, the sparkle of his eyes. But if these emotions she felt were Elizabeth’s, perhaps those memories would be even more fleeting.
She looked at the words written so beautifully around the pictures.
Music is the voice of the soul.
Her thoughts turned to Geordie and the night she had met him. He had said something about how much he loved to see the pleasure his music gave people. When the tune leaves my fingers and reaches the hearts of those listening, it gives me joy. When it stirs their feet and they dance, becoming one with the melody, we are connected in an extraordinary way. It feeds my soul.
Gabe’s guitar stood in a stand in a corner of the living room, but she had never heard him play it. She would like to hear him play at least once before she had to leave.
She sighed, laying the collage aside and pulling out the cookies and chocolates. She chuckled when she looked at them. She hadn’t realized it when she purchased them, but the cookies had been made in Scotland and the chocolates in Italy. It was really kind of perfect, but just like the card with the drawing of the bird in the nest, she was the only one who would ever know what it meant.
She retrieved the card from the bag and opened it. She didn’t know many words, but she had very carefully copied the words Happy Birthday on the inside of the card and added Love, Elizabeth. There was so much more she wanted to say. Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for teaching me letters and numbers. Thank you for the day at the flower market. Thank you for pizza and pasta and bagels and bananas and peanut butter. Thank you for letting me glimpse this incredible love you have for Elizabeth.
She tucked the card back in the envelope and put all of his birthday cards in a stack for him on the table.
The last gift she removed was Luke’s. He liked woodworking, and like Angie, he had made Gabe’s present. It was a wall clock, the back of which he’d fashioned using old, weathered wood. It was rustic and very beautiful. The rough wooden background reminded her of the knot representing the pocket watch, carved into the tree of life on the Sinclair’s doors. A tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at the clock. Time was passing. She couldn’t stop it, and this was the first time she had allowed herself to admit that she didn’t want to go back.
Ever.
She didn’t want to leave her parents. And she didn’t want to leave Gabe.
But it isn’t you he loves, Elsie.
At that thought, she couldn’t hold back. She put her face in her hands and gave into sorrow. She fought desperately not to sob, fearing that it would wake Gabe.
Eventually, she managed to regain control and stop the flow of tears. She washed her face, poured another cup of coffee, and put the laundry in the dryer.
By the time Gabe awoke, all evidence of her breakdown was gone.
Chapter 21
Elsie decided immediately that she didn’t like it when Gabe worked nights. He had been gone for less than an hour based on Luke’s clock, which Gabe had hung in the living room that afternoon.
She tried doing some work in her workbooks, but couldn’t concentrate.
She tried watching television, but without Gabe to explain things, she didn’t understand a lot.
Eventually, she went to bed, but without his comforting presence, she didn’t sleep well. After waking nearly every hour throughout the night, she gave up just before dawn and got out of bed. She started the coffee brewing, wrapped her cast as best she could, and took a shower.
A little before eight in the morning, keys rattled in the lock as Gabe let himself in. He looked at her and frowned. “You look like you got less rest than I did. It was a quiet night, and I was able to get two short powernaps. Did you sleep at all?”
“Honestly, not much. I knew it would be hard not having you here, but it was worse than I thought.”
“I’d say you could take a little nap with me today, but that might make it even harder for you to sleep tonight.”
Her heart fell. All she wanted was to crawl back into bed next to him now that he was home.
“Let’s go to Mass, and then maybe you should call the Sinclairs. You could go for swim and have some stimulation, then meet me back here for an early dinner before I go to work.”
She didn’t want to be away from him all day, but he was probably right, so when they returned from Mass, she did just that.
Dixon arrived by half past ten. She kissed Gabe goodbye and left him to get what sleep he could in the darkened apartment. She enjoyed the day with the Sinclairs, and she had the opportunity to have a long talk with her mother about love and time travel.
Dixon had her home by five, just as Gabe was just waking up. They ate the leftovers from his birthday dinner. After he left, she cleaned up the dishes and stared at the empty apartment. Just as it had the night before, her anxiety rose as darkness fell. She finally forced he
rself to do some pages in her workbooks.
At about eight, she nearly jumped out of her skin when the phone rang. She answered it tentatively. “Hello?”
“Hello, darling, it’s Mom.”
“Uh…hi.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, fine, it’s just Gabe isn’t here. He’s working nights and I…uh…”
“Aren’t used to being alone?”
“I guess not.”
“Actually, that is why I called. I figured he was working nights this week, and I wanted to check on you.”
That completely surprised Elsie. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“Are you okay alone?”
“I didn’t sleep well last night, but I’m really tired tonight. I think I’ll be okay.”
“Well if you need someone to talk to, just call. I don’t care what time it is.”
“I don’t want to bother you. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“Darling, I do actually understand what you are going through. Your dad is a surgeon, remember? When he was on call, he often had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night. I hated it. I called my mother, of course.”
Elsie laughed. “Okay. I will call if I need you.”
“Good. Now, I also figure that with Gabe needing to sleep during the day, it might be good for you to get out. I’ve cleared my schedule tomorrow. There’s a wonderful spa here in the Fitzwilliam. We can have the works.”
“I don’t know exactly what a spa or the works are.”
“You’ll love it. We’ll have facials, salt scrubs, a full body massage, and top it off with manicures and pedicures.”
Pedicures? Elsie didn’t know what the other stuff was, but Gabe had mentioned that his mom and sister loved pedicures. “Okay, that sounds great. Can I be home by five?”
“You can be, but then you will be sitting alone in an empty apartment for hours. Maybe we could have dinner together in my suite, and I’ll see you home by bedtime.”
“I don’t know…”
“Whatever you want is fine, but see what Gabe thinks before you say no.”
By all that’s holy. Charlotte seems to be adapting. “Okay, I will.”
“Good. I’ll send a car for you at nine.”
“Perfect.”
“Then I’ll say goodnight, and I’ll see you tomorrow. But, darling, I mean it. Call if you need me.”
“I will. Goodnight.”
The phone rang again just after ten.
“Hello?”
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“Gabe.” Her voice was heavy with relief. “I couldn’t imagine who was calling this late.”
“I had a few minutes, so I thought I’d call to check on you.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“Are you okay?”
“I still wish you were here. I don’t like being alone, but I’m okay.”
“I wish I was there too. I think it will get easier with time.”
Time. There it is again. “I’m sure it will. My mother called a little while ago.”
“Did she? Why?” Gabe tried not to let it show, but it was clear to Elsie that the tense relationship with her parents bothered him.
“Actually, she called to commiserate with me. She said she figured you were working and that I might be missing you.”
“She did?”
Elsie smiled at his incredulous tone. “Yeah, she did. She said she remembered what it was like when my father was called into the hospital at night. She liked it no better than I do.”
“Wow. I forgot that once upon a time, renowned thoracic surgeon James Quinn served call duty just like we ordinary mortals.”
Elsie giggled. “Does it make him seem more human?”
“A little.”
“My mom also said she cleared her schedule for tomorrow so we can go to the spa for the works.”
“That’s great, just what you need. But be sure to tell the massage therapist that you have broken ribs.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“No, really, you’ll love it. They just have to be very gentle when massaging over your broken ribs.”
“Okay, I’ll tell them. I told my mother I wanted to be back by five, but she suggested that I have dinner with her so I have less time alone.”
“As much as I would love to see you before I go to work, I think she is right. I suspect the long evening alone is what makes you more anxious than anything else.”
“So you’re okay with that?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay.”
“Look, sweetheart, I have to go. Sleep tight, and I’ll see you in the morning. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
~ * ~
After the day she spent with Charlotte, Elsie was forced to add one more thing to her list of remarkable twenty-first century things.
Spa days.
Elizabeth’s mother and Gabe had been right: she had loved every minute of it.
It was nearly half past five when she returned to Charlotte’s suite that evening feeling relaxed and pampered. Realizing that Gabe would be up and getting ready to leave for work soon, Elsie asked, “Would you mind if I gave Gabe a quick call?”
“Not at all, darling. I’ll just step out onto the balcony and enjoy the evening skyline.”
It was kind of Charlotte to give her privacy, but it was cold out, so Elsie didn’t talk long. Gabe promised to try and call her after she was home.
Elsie opened the sliding door to the balcony, thinking to join Charlotte for a minute, but as soon as she had taken the first step, she was gripped with a horrible fear of falling. Instinctively, she took a step back into the room.
Charlotte turned toward her and smiled. “It looks like you haven’t forgotten your fear of heights.”
That was clearly another of Elizabeth’s memories pushing through because Elsie had never been afraid of high places.
“Don’t worry, darling. I’m coming in. It’s too cold to stay out here long anyway, and our dinner should be arriving soon. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of ordering for both of us. The chef prepares some excellent middle-eastern dishes, and you’ve always been partial to exotic food.”
Elsie smiled. Well, she couldn’t expect Charlotte to give up all control at once. “I’m sure it will be great.”
And it was. She thought nothing could be better than Italian food, and while she wouldn’t admit it to Gabe, this came close.
Charlotte also took the liberty of ordering drinks called lemon-drop martinis. By everything that was good and holy, Elsie thought it might be the most wonderful drink she’d ever tasted.
Charlotte raised her glass to Elsie. “Here’s to spectacular mother-daughter spa days and even more spectacular lemon-drop martinis.”
Elsie tapped her glass against her mother’s. “I’ll drink to that.” She’d heard someone say that on television and was chuffed to be able to use it.
Charlotte frowned. “Why have we never done this before?”
“Maybe we were always too busy?”
“I suppose so, but we should do it more often.”
“I agree. I’m sure Elizabeth would love it.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Keep talking, maybe she didn’t notice. “Did you call this hummus? I really do like it. Do you know how to make it?”
“What did you just say?”
“Do you know how to make hummus?”
“Before that.”
“Well, just that I like the hummus.”
“No. You said Elizabeth would love it.”
“Did I?”
“You know you did. What did you mean?”
“I suppose…it feels like Elizabeth is a different person. And when her memories—uh, that is, my memories—come back…well, I’ll be Elizabeth again.”
“Elizabeth, look at me.”
Elsie, who had been looking anywhere but at Charlotte, finally made eye contact with her.
&nbs
p; Charlotte continued. “I am a lawyer. Over the years, I have learned how to recognize lies, especially when the person telling them isn’t accustomed to lying. Now tell me again, what did you mean by Elizabeth would love it?”
Elsie didn’t want to tell Elizabeth’s mother about the pocket watch. She tried again. “It’s just as I said, it feels like Elizabeth is a different person.”
“I’m sure it does. But feeling that way and actually internalizing it to the point that you refer to yourself as a separate individual are two completely different things. Fugue states are one symptom of dissociative identity disorder. I don’t think believing that Elizabeth is a different person is a good sign. Have you expressed this to Dr. Rose? If not, we need to see him immediately.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and started pushing the buttons.
Elsie put a hand on Charlotte’s arm to stop her. “No, we don’t. Dr. Rose is aware of why I think of Elizabeth is a different person. He understands it, and it isn’t part of any disorder.”
“How is that possible?”
Elsie sighed. “What I am about to tell you is going to be hard to believe. After I’m done, you will probably want to call Dr. Rose, and you can do that. But let me tell you first.”
Charlotte eyed her warily. “All right. I’m listening.”
“Promise that you’ll let me finish the story before jumping to the conclusion that I’ve lost my mind.”
“Elizabeth, darling, maybe it’s better if we just call Dr. Rose.”
“Please, I’m just asking you to suspend disbelief for a few minutes.”
“Fine. I’ll listen and try not to judge.”
Elsie nodded resolutely and launched into the story of the pocket watch, soul exchange, and time travel.
For her part, Charlotte listened until Elsie reached the end of the story before saying anything. “That’s what you want me to believe? The soul of a twenty-one year-old peasant from thirteenth-century Scotland has taken up residence in my daughter’s body? And vice versa?”
“That is what happened.”
“And Dr. Rose believes this? If that’s the case, I’m filing a malpractice suit and finding you another psychiatrist.”
Once Found: The Pocket Watch Chronicles Page 18
