Adventures of Alexis Davenport Series

by West, Shay

Alex forgot about the woman in the mirror until her phone buzzed in her back pocket. Knowing how her mom felt about cell phone usage at the table, Alex excused herself and went to the restroom. She locked herself into the stall and grabbed her phone from her pocket. Jenn’s text demanded to know how she did on the test.

  Alex’s fingers flew over the keys, telling her best friend she passed with flying colors and that she had also seen another woman in the rearview mirror.

  -What did she look like?

  -Only saw her eyes

  -That’s not helpful

  -Nothing I can do about it

  -I have to write something down in the book

  -She had blue eyes and looked tired

  -That’s better than nothing. U find Sean or Gavin?

  -No. Will try again tonight

  -Text me if U find anything

  -K

  Alex exited the stall and stood in front of the large mirror hanging over the twin sinks. She leaned forward, hoping her reflection would change to that of the woman she had seen earlier. Despite the danger, Alex knew the woman had to be in trouble. I’m the only one who can help her.

  She jumped when the door opened on her right. Alex blushed and grabbed some towels, pretending she had just washed her hands. She made her way back to the table and found that dinner had arrived. Her stomach was all fluttery and killed her appetite. It worried her that she was so eager to travel back in time again. The evil Traveler had nearly killed her several times. Next time they met, she might not be so lucky.

  Am I turning into an adrenalin junky?

  On the drive home Alex had a hard time keeping her eyes on the road. They kept darting to the mirrors, hoping for a glimpse of the woman. She hurried to her room as soon as they got home, eager to start searching for Sean and Gavin again. Alex refused to admit that the two might have been killed by the evil Traveler.

  They have to be alive! I can’t do this on my own.

  ***

  Drifter hurriedly placed the sliver of mirror in his pocket as men filed in the barracks. He forced the pleasantries past clenched teeth, wanting nothing more than to be left alone.

  He pointedly ignored the men by turning to face the wall. Rage boiled inside, making him feel like a tea kettle. The urge to hurt someone, to kill someone was hard to fight.

  Despite Master’s warning, Drifter took the piece of glass out of his pocket and watched it shimmer in the light. He concentrated on his reflection, willing it to change to that of another man, a man who also wore a uniform, a man his Master wanted desperately to help.

  Drifter stared at the man in the mirror and smiled.

  CHAPTER 9

  ALEX TYPED FURIOUSLY on the keys, growing more frustrated by the minute. Every Gavin or Sean she found wasn’t the ones she was looking for. Fear forced bile up through her throat as her tummy flipped-flopped. She refused to listen to the voice in her head insisting that Gavin and Sean were dead.

  If they were dead, it meant she might be next.

  Her phone buzzed. She picked it up and swiped her finger across the screen.

  -Any luck?

  -No. Ready to give up

  -Just keep looking. Can I help?

  -U don’t know what they look like

  -Good point

  Alex looked back to her computer screen. She bit her lip, wondering what she should do. If she was seeing someone in the mirror, it meant the evil Traveler was about to head back in time to cause mischief. But she didn’t feel the same as she had when seeing another girl’s face instead of her own. At those times, she felt out of control, as though someone were forcing her to stare into the mirror. She couldn’t take her eyes off the stranger’s reflection even if she’d wanted to.

  This time had been different. She had been able to focus on her mom asking her questions, was able to glance away and back again.

  What does it mean?

  She stared at her computer screen, wondering what she should do. Searching for Gavin and Sean was proving a worthless waste of time. I could go back in time again and ask them about what happened on the way home tonight. Jenn’s idea flashed through her mind. Alex wasn’t sure she could travel back in time to find out who the strange girl was in the rearview mirror. When she had done it to visit Gavin and Sean, she knew enough details about Sean to hone in on him in the right time period.

  How can I find someone just by their eyes?

  Alex decided to search for Gavin and Sean a few more minutes before attempting to locate the woman in the past. She scrolled through pages of pictures of people named Gavin and Sean together in the same photo. Her eyed grew heavy.

  Her breath caught in her throat. It’s them! Alex clicked on the picture, palms sweating and heart racing. The webpage opened and she stared at the picture at the top of the article. Alex scrolled down to read the post, hoping it would have some way to contact the pair.

  There!

  Alex clicked on the blue link. It led her to a blog titled Traveling Twosome. She laughed out loud when she realized they were authors writing about their adventures through time. Jenn’s gonna be pissed. She clicked on the Contact Us link at the top of the website.

  What the heck do I say?

  She twirled a piece of hair in her hands while she stared at the white box where she was supposed to type in her message. From the look of things, the two were doing quite well with the writing thing. Alex was afraid to post too much information in case they had an assistant that answered their messages. The last thing she wanted to do was draw unwanted attention to herself or to them.

  She took a deep breath and began typing: Hey guys, it’s Alex. Hope you remember me. I came to see you ages ago to do some research on ancient Egypt, namely King Tut and his wife. You were so much help that I thought I would ask for it again. Please contact me as soon as possible.

  Alex put in her full name, email address, and hit send before she could change her mind. There was nothing in the message that would indicate that she was anything other than someone in need of their writing expertise.

  She glanced at the clock. It was just past ten thirty. She knew she should get some sleep as she had an early shift at the store tomorrow but her mind was whirling. Alex knew it would be awhile before she could get to sleep.

  Try the mirror thing.

  Alex went to her bathroom and grabbed her hand-held mirror. She adjusted the pillows behind her back and settled back, holding the mirror in front of her face. Her breathing deepened as her gaze unfocused. She conjured the image of the strange woman’s eyes in her mind, willing the mirror to change to the woman.

  After a few minutes Alex tossed the mirror off to the side. A pair of tired blue eyes just wasn’t enough to go on to zero in on the woman from the past.

  Maybe I’ll see her again in a larger mirror.

  ***

  The alarm blared. Alex groaned and reached out to hit the snooze button. She snuggled down in the covers.

  “You better not have hit snooze young lady.”

  Alex threw a pillow at the door. She sighed loudly and dragged herself from the sanctuary of the bed, hoping a hot shower would wake her up. Before she went to have breakfast, she checked her email, disappointed when she saw an empty inbox.

  “I don’t know why you insist on staying up so late when you know you have to work early the next day.”

  Alex mumbled at her mom as she reached for the cereal.

  “I’ll be in the men’s store today so you’re on your own with the women’s spring inventory,” Patricia said.

  She didn’t mind doing inventory. If she could choose, she’d rather be in the back than working the floor. For some reason, Alex didn’t feel comfortable talking to costumers and working so hard to make a sale. Most of the women who shopped in Uptown Girl were snooty and looked down their noses at Alex and her aunt. It drove Alex up the wall.

  “Doesn’t it bother you when those women treat you like you are some sort of inferior human being?” Alex asked her aunt.

&nb
sp; “Not at all. One thing you’ll learn as you get older, Alex, it’s that you can’t control what other people think of you or even how they treat you. I am nice to them regardless and that’s all I can do. If I let their behavior change me, they win.”

  Alex thought her aunt was being a pushover. When she heard the stuck-up tone of voice from customers, Alex wanted to tell them to go shop somewhere else. But she held her tongue and plastered a smile on her face. Causing a scene would cost her aunt business and Alex didn’t want to do that.

  She yawned as she opened box after box, sorting the folded clothing onto the large cart and hanging the other garments on the rolling rack. She lost count several times and was forced to start over, trying to make her sleep-fogged mind focus on the task at hand. While she enjoyed being in the back of the store, she didn’t want to get behind and end up having to stay past the end of her shift. She was eager to get back home to see if Gavin and Sean had contacted her.

  “Why don’t you grab some lunch for us, Alex?”

  “Okay, Aunt Karen. Where should I go?”

  “How about something to go from that Fifties diner down the street? Here’s some cash. Grab something for your mom too.”

  Alex pocketed the money and grabbed her purse. The sun was shining and it warmed her skin. She picked up the pace, feeling more alert with each passing step. The diner was empty so their order was finished quickly. She made her way back to work, opening the door to Downtown Boy to drop off her mom’s lunch.

  Her mom was behind the counter, ringing up a tall man wearing jeans paired with a dark suit jacket. Alex didn’t get the look. She thought guys should either wear a suit or casual, not both. Her mom’s cheeks were flushed and she giggled at something the man said. Alex watched as the stranger took his time grabbing his bag from her mom’s hand, his hand lingering a little too long on her mom’s slender fingers.

  “I brought lunch,” Alex said loudly, stepping up to the counter, trying to put herself between the fancy man and her mom.

  “Oh, is it lunch time already?” Patricia asked.

  “Yup. Here you go.” Alex handed her mom the Styrofoam container.

  “Would you care to share lunch with me, Bruce?”

  They’re on a first name basis?

  “I’d love to but I have to get back out to the job site. Maybe I could come back and take you to lunch sometime.” Bruce stammered and stared at his shoes.

  Patricia cleared her throat. “Well, ummm...that’s really nice of you to ask.” She glanced at Alex. “I’ll let you know, okay?”

  “That sounds good. I’ll see you soon. Well, not really soon, I mean, I shouldn’t need any more clothes really soon since I just bought some...”

  Alex stared at Bruce. He was carrying on like a middle-schooler asking his first girl out on a date. He’s a grown man! She felt sorry for the guy. Her mom wouldn’t dare go out with a guy that blathered on like that.

  “I have Monday off. We could do lunch then.”

  Alex choked on her soda.

  “Are you okay, Alex?”

  She barely felt her mom pounding her on her back. She was still reeling from hearing her mom ask this doofus out on a date.

  What is she thinking?

  While her mom walked Bruce to the door, Alex stared at the man’s back, willing him to leave and never come back. He had no business nosing around her mother like some love-sick teenager.

  “What’s with that guy?” Alex asked when her mom returned.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, come on! He’s a dork, mom. What’s he thinking, asking you out like that?” Alex’s anger grew as she noticed that her mom was wearing make-up. She couldn’t even remember the last time her mom had worn make-up.

  She did when dad was around.

  As always, thoughts of her father sent her blood pressure soaring and her mood deflating. She had never forgiven him for walking out on her and her mom. He had served her mom with divorce papers on Christmas and had given up custody of Alex. He didn’t even want visitation. Most days, Alex refused to think about the man. When his face or name popped into her brain, she squashed it before it could take over and make her miserable.

  “We’re both single, Alex. Grown up people go on dates too. And Bruce is not a dork.”

  Alex ignored the tone in her mom’s voice that normally warned she was being pushed too far. “Don’t you think it’s a little too soon to be seeing someone?”

  “It’s been years since the divorce, Alex.”

  “What do you even know about this guy?”

  “His wife died five years ago, his kids are grown and out of the house, he owns a successful winery in Palisade, he loves to camp and hunt, his favorite movie is Star Trek: Wrath of Kahn, he likes country music—”

  “Okay, okay, I get the point.” Alex turned and walked out of the store.

  “Alex, wait!”

  She ignored her mother’s voice. Alex opened the door to Uptown Girl so hard that she nearly ripped a customer’s arm off as she excited the store. Ignoring the woman’s indignant gasp, she stomped into the back of the store, more to escape having to deal with customers than because she really wanted to finish the inventory.

  Her hands shook as she held the clipboard. I can’t believe it! She lost count of the new pastel tank tops. She threw the clipboard across the room, salty tears of anger trickling down her cheeks. She grabbed her phone out of her back pocket and sent a text message to Jenn.

  -Why are you so upset?

  -Seriously? How would you feel if your mom was dating someone?

  -I don’t know. Kind of weirded out, I guess

  -Exactly

  -What’s he like?

  -Total dork. Can’t believe mom even likes him

  -That sucks. Sorry

  -Yeah. Last thing I need is a new dad

  Alex locked the phone before ramming it back into her pocket. She fetched the corkboard, forcing her mind to focus despite her whirling thoughts so she could finish inventory and leave. Although it meant a ride home with her mom in the same car. She groaned.

  At the end of her shift, Alex waved good-bye to her aunt and stalked out of the store, still fuming about the man that had flirted with her mom. She sat on a bench outside Downtown Boy and waited for her mom to meet her. The two walked to the car in silence, which suited Alex just fine. She didn’t want to hear any more about Bruce the Dork.

  I wonder if Sean and Gavin got back to me? The thought made her heart race and she forgot all about her mom dating.

  When she got back to her room, she shut the door and grabbed her laptop. She tried to calm her nerves as she logged in to her email. A gasp escaped when she saw an email from Sean and Gavin. Her finger hesitated over the button, scared it would be some spam reply from an automated site or that they would say they didn’t remember her and for her to leave them alone.

  Alex took a deep breath and opened the email, nearly weeping in relief at what she read:

  Dearest Alex,

  Sean is right beside me as a write this and is as ecstatic as I am. I almost didn’t believe it was possible. But looking back now, it seems so obvious. I should have realized the possibility of contacting you in the present. I apologize for the oversight and causing you undue stress. Sean hasn’t encountered the evil Traveler since the one trip to Egypt. That is enough for me to say that this man is somehow tied to you and you alone. Sean and I are going to be in the US next month for a science fiction convention. We will extend the trip so we can spend some time visiting with you. Please write us back at this private email address so that we can communicate freely. If you travel again, please be careful. I have a bad feeling about this Traveler.

  All our best,

  Sean and Gavin

  Alex held her hands to her mouth and giggled with relief. She couldn’t believe that she would be seeing the pair in a month. She copied the email address they gave into a new message and wrote back to them, making sure to include her address so they could get a h
otel nearby.

  As soon as she hit send, she sent a text message to Jenn and told her to get on Facebook so they could chat. Alex was tempted to call her best friend and tell her the news in person but she was afraid of her mom hearing the conversation. Other than Sean and Gavin, Jenn was the only one who knew her secret of being able to travel back in time.

  And she intended to keep it that way.

  Alex yawned, her body exhausted after the long day at work. She thought the relief at having reached Sean and Gavin had a lot to do with how tired she was. She felt as though a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. A small part of her felt guilty of putting the two men in harm’s way but she needed their help. Gavin was a Master and Sean had been traveling longer than she had. Their knowledge and aide could save her.

  CHAPTER 10

  ALEX AWOKE to the sound of her mother’s laughter echoing down the hallway. She put the pillow over her head, willing the noise to stop so she could go back to sleep. This was her only day to sleep in since she worked every Saturday morning at the store. She opened one eye, stared at her alarm clock, and blinked a few times to clear her vision.

  It’s barely eight o’clock!

  As she rolled out of bed, she wondered who in the world her mom could possibly be talking to at this hour. Alex doubted her aunt was awake this early. She tiptoed over to the door but couldn’t hear anything with it closed. She opened it slowly, holding her breath as it creaked ever so slightly.

  Her mom laughed, a deep, throaty laugh that Alex hadn’t heard in years. It was one she had reserved for her dad when he was being particularly charming. It was the kind of laugh a woman saved for someone special.

  She’s talking to him.

  Alex couldn’t even bring herself to say his name, even in her mind. The words were still too muffled to make out. She shut the door, her face flushing in anger. In her excitement of finding Sean and Gavin, she had forgotten about her mom’s love interest. She brushed her teeth furiously, contemplating barging into her mom’s room and demanding to know who she was talking to, perhaps shouting at her for waking her up so early on her only day to sleep in.