Mercer Street (American Journey Book 2)

by John A. Heldt

  "How are you doing, honey?" Susan asked Amanda a few minutes later, after their waitress had brought them pomegranate margaritas. "You seem to be feeling better today."

  "I am," Amanda said. "I'm still a little weak from all the puking last night, but I feel good. I just needed some rest and a few laughs. I'm really glad we went to the lecture."

  "I am too. It was interesting."

  Amanda sipped her frozen concoction, put her glass on the table, and settled into her seat in the padded booth. She gazed at her mother.

  "Do you believe in all that time-travel mumbo jumbo?"

  "I don't know," Susan said. "I suppose anything is possible, but I don't believe we will see time travel in our lifetimes. I think those physicists who tested the possibilities a few years ago are right. We don't have the means to travel through time and may never have the means."

  "It is kind of cool to think about though."

  "It is."

  "Grandma is definitely into time travel," Amanda said. "I think she's into Professor Bell too."

  Susan laughed.

  "I suspect you're right. Thank goodness she's too old to mess around."

  Amanda looked away, toward the entrance of the lounge, and broke into a grin.

  "Are you sure about that?" Amanda asked.

  "Am I sure about what?"

  "Are you sure Grandma is too old to mess around? Because if you're not, you may want to warn the man on her arm."

  Susan turned her head. She smiled and laughed when she saw Elizabeth approach the booth like a duchess with attitude. Geoffrey Bell, her duke for the night, walked closely at her side.

  "There you are," Elizabeth said when she reached her family. "You should have waited for me to order the cocktails. I told you I wouldn't be long."

  Susan raised a brow.

  "If I recall, Mother, you said you might be gone all night."

  Elizabeth lifted her nose.

  "Perhaps I did. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I captured a man and brought him back with me," Elizabeth said. "Susan and Amanda, this is Geoffrey Bell, the professor you abandoned tonight."

  "Hello," Susan and Amanda said in near unison.

  Bell extended his arm and shook two hands.

  "It's a pleasure, ladies."

  Susan glanced at Amanda, who mooned over Bell like a star-struck groupie, and then at her mother, who offered a self-satisfied smile. When neither said a peep, she turned to Bell and ended a few seconds of awkward silence.

  "Care to join us, Professor?"

  "I'd love to," Bell said.

  Susan didn't wait for Elizabeth to suggest a seating arrangement. She slid to the end of her bench and patted the unoccupied space at her side. She watched with amusement as Bell filled the space and her frowning mother settled for the seat beside Amanda.

  "Can I order you a drink?" Susan asked her neighbor.

  "I've already done that," Elizabeth said with obvious irritation. "The professor and I are each having cognac. It's a spirit that lends itself to serious conversations."

  Susan smiled.

  "That's good. We wouldn't want to have a frivolous conversation on vacation."

  Bell laughed and looked at Amanda.

  "Are they always like this?"

  "No," Amanda said. "Usually they get along."

  Susan began to say something but stopped when the waitress brought the "serious" drinks to the table. When the server disappeared, she looked at Bell.

  "We all enjoyed your lecture, Professor. Please forgive Amanda and me for not sticking around to meet you afterward," Susan said. "I hope you're not offended."

  "I'm not," Bell said. "I'm delighted you attended the lecture in the first place. I'm sure you could have done other things tonight besides listen to an academic push far-fetched theories."

  "Do you think time travel is far-fetched?"

  "I don't. I think it's as possible as a manned mission to Mars. What I'd really like to know, though, is what all of you think. I don't believe I received your completed questionnaires."

  "That's because we didn't fill them out," Susan said. "Amanda and I escaped to the lounge the minute you finished speaking."

  "I take it you caught the featured entertainment," Bell said.

  Susan blushed.

  "No. We missed it. Which is probably a good thing. We're too old for strip shows."

  "Speak for yourself, dear," Elizabeth said.

  Bell chuckled.

  "That makes me feel even better," Bell said. "It warms my heart to know that three lovely ladies passed up an attraction like the Leather Boys to hear me speak."

  "I'd do it again," Susan said. "As I said, I enjoyed your lecture."

  "I did too," Amanda added.

  Susan sighed.

  "I must confess, though, that I didn't give your questionnaire a second thought. What kind of feedback did you want?"

  Bell glanced across the table at Elizabeth and Amanda before turning to his right. He already had Susan's complete attention.

  "I didn't want feedback at all. I wanted your thoughts on time travel."

  "Well, if you want, you can ask us your questions now. We're in no hurry to call it a night," Susan said. She looked at her mother. "At least I'm not."

  "Very well then," Bell said. "I'll ask. My three questions are straightforward. The first, in fact, is very straightforward. I simply want to know if you believe time travel is possible."

  "I do!" Elizabeth insisted.

  "I know you do. You said so on the walk over," Bell said. He smiled and looked at Amanda. "Do you feel the same way, young lady?"

  Susan watched with interest as Amanda squirmed. She didn't know how she would answer the question, but she was certain she wouldn't describe time travel as "mumbo jumbo."

  "I'm open to the concept, Professor. I don't think time travel is possible now, but I do think it may be possible in the future," Amanda said. "Like you said in your lecture, there is a lot we don't know about physics and the world around us."

  Bell nodded and moved on to Susan.

  "How about you? Do you agree with your daughter?"

  "I do," Susan said. "I believe time travel is possible. I just don't think it's something I'll see in my lifetime. I told Amanda as much before you joined us."

  "Thank you for the answers, ladies. I can tell they are honest and heartfelt," Bell said. He paused to sample his cognac. "Now let me ask you another question. If you had the chance to travel back to the 1900s and return safely to the present day, would you do it?"

  "Why the 1900s?" Amanda asked.

  "Let's just say the period is relevant to the question."

  "Oh. OK."

  "Would you travel back to the twentieth century if given the opportunity?"

  "I would," Amanda said. "If I could go back to any year and come back in one piece, I would. I can't imagine anything more interesting."

  "That's a good answer. It's one I hear a lot," Bell said. He looked at Susan. "Would you also participate in such an opportunity?"

  Susan looked at the professor and smiled. She could see why this guy packed lecture halls. Geoffrey Bell made even something as frightening as time travel sound like a field trip.

  "I would," Susan said. "I would without hesitation."

  "I must admit your answer surprises me. Would you not be afraid you might never see your family again?"

  "You're looking at my family, Professor. I have one child, no living siblings, and no husband. My husband, Bruce, died in June."

  "I'm sorry to hear that," Bell said. "I assume from your answer that if you had the chance to travel to the past, you would take your mother and daughter with you."

  "That's correct. Though I would travel enthusiastically, I would not travel alone," Susan said. "I would never do something that crazy without my family."

  "I see."

  Bell looked at Elizabeth.

  "Does the same hold for you?"

  Elizabeth nodded.

  "It does," Elizab
eth said.

  Bell turned his head.

  "Amanda?"

  "I feel the same way," Amanda said. "Even if the time-travel process were a hundred-percent foolproof, I would never travel without my mom and grandma."

  Bell smiled.

  "I can tell from your answers that there is a lot of love at this table. I appreciate your answers, ladies. They tell me much about you."

  Susan put a hand to her chin and studied Bell closely. She wasn't sure where he was going with these questions, but she admitted she was intrigued. She couldn't remember a time, at least not since college, when a man had prompted her to think.

  "You said you had three questions," Susan said to the professor. "What's the third?"

  "The third question is sort of a follow-up," Bell said. "If you agreed to travel to the twentieth century, why would you do it?"

  "That seems an odd thing to ask."

  "Why?"

  "Why? Because the answer is obvious," Susan said. "Traveling through time would be fun. It would be exciting, interesting, and certainly educational."

  Bell grinned like a teacher who had just reached a struggling student. He let his eyes linger and then slowly shifted his attention to the youngest person at the table.

  "Would you travel for the same reasons?"

  Amanda nodded.

  "Yeah. I would," Amanda said. "I studied history at Illinois, Professor. I studied the twentieth century. To see it up close and personal would be a blast."

  Bell smiled again.

  "Elizabeth?"

  "I would also do it for the fun," Elizabeth said. She grinned. "Traveling to the 1900s, or any period, would be more enjoyable than dating three men at once."

  Bell laughed. When he collected himself, he looked at Elizabeth more seriously.

  "Is that your only reason?"

  "No," Elizabeth said. She gave Susan a knowing glance. "I would also do it to see people I once knew and perhaps right some wrongs from my past."

  Bell gazed at the old woman admiringly.

  "That's a lovely answer. I think most of us would correct our mistakes if given the chance," Bell said. "Would you do anything else?"

  "Yes," Elizabeth said. "I'd retrieve my wedding ring!"

  Bell glanced at Elizabeth's left hand and then at her face. He tilted his head.

  "Aren't you wearing it?"

  "This is my second wedding ring, Professor. I left my first on a picnic table in Miami, Oklahoma, on June 19, 1958, two days after I eloped with my husband."

  "This sounds interesting," Bell said. "Please tell me more."

  "There's not a lot to say," Elizabeth said. "On our drive to California, Cal and I stopped in Miami for the night. About halfway through our picnic at the city park, a bee stung me on my ring finger. When my finger began to swell, I slipped the ring off as fast as I could. I didn't want doctors to have to saw it off later."

  "What happened then?"

  "Cal took me to the hospital before I went into shock. I'm about as allergic to bee stings as a person can be."

  "Let me guess what happened next," Bell said. "In the rush to get to the hospital, you left the ring behind. Is that right?"

  "That's right. We went back for the ring an hour later, but we couldn't find it," Elizabeth said. "Someone had apparently taken it."

  "You said this happened on June 19, 1958?"

  "I did. Cal bought me another ring, of course. It was bigger and flashier than the original, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't the first."

  "What kind of ring was it?" Bell asked.

  "It was a diamond solitaire," Elizabeth replied. "What made the ring special though was the inscription on the platinum band. Our jeweler, a good friend, was a one-of-kind artist."

  "Did you ask him to engrave the new ring?"

  "We couldn't. He died the day we reached Los Angeles."

  "How awful," Bell said.

  "I was upset, of course, but I quickly put things in perspective," Elizabeth said. "The ring was just a ring. I still had my husband and a promising future. I had fifty-six years with a wonderful man. When I look back at the past, that's what I remember."

  "Once again, my dear, you've expressed yourself beautifully."

  "Thank you."

  "No. Thank you," Bell said. "Thank you for being so candid. You ladies have provided me with just the kind of input I was looking for."

  Susan smiled as she assessed her charming new acquaintance. In less than an hour, Geoffrey Bell had gone from a stranger on a stage to a person who connected with three women better than their fathers and husbands. She jumped back into the conversation when it appeared to be veering in a different direction.

  "I'm flattered by your interest in our responses to your questions, Professor, but I don't understand why they are so important to you," Susan said. "We're just three people from one of your many audiences. Surely our answers aren't that insightful."

  "I disagree," Bell said. "They are as insightful and useful as any I've heard. More important, your views on time travel are potentially relevant."

  "Relevant? How so? How could our input be relevant to something that even you concede is more fiction than fact?"

  "The answer to that question depends on whether you want to continue this conversation. If you do, your insights, opinions, and values could be very relevant. There is more to time travel than I revealed in my lecture. If you would like to hear more, I would be happy to say more."

  "Now that's an invitation I can't refuse," Elizabeth said.

  "Me neither," Amanda added.

  Susan looked at Bell skeptically.

  "Just what do you have in mind, Professor?"

  "Come to my place and find out. My wife and I maintain a beach house about a mile from here," Bell said. He pulled a pen and a business card from his jacket pocket, scribbled something on the back of the card, and gave it to Susan. "If you're interested in taking this discussion to the next level, please be at this address at noon on Wednesday. Jeanette and I would love to have the three of you for lunch."

  Susan furrowed her brows and stared at Bell. When she didn't see him alter his matter-of-fact expression, she broke into a tentative smile.

  "All right, Professor. We'll be there, all of us," Susan said. "You have a date."

  CHAPTER 6: SUSAN

  Wednesday, September 7, 2016

  The beach house near Shoreline Park was no seaside shack. With windows for walls, lofts for bedrooms, and a stainless-steel kitchen the size of Texas, the octagonal residence was a splashy tribute to glass, metal, and excess.

  Susan settled into a white mid-century sofa, which she shared with Elizabeth and Amanda, and took a few sips of French roast. When she finished, she placed her ceramic mug on a walnut coffee table, put her hands in her lap, and smiled at her hosts.

  "Thank you for lunch and the tour of your wonderful home," Susan said. "I've seen many lovely houses in my life, but I must admit I haven't seen one like this."

  "I'm glad you like it," Geoffrey Bell said. He smiled at his wife, who sat beside him on a couch that faced the visitors, and then returned to Susan. "As I mentioned earlier, though, it's not our home – or at least not our primary one. Our permanent residence is a 117-year-old Painted Lady in the West Adams district of Los Angeles."

  "A Painted Lady? Oh, my. I thought only San Francisco had those."

  "There are still a few in this part of the state, but their numbers are dwindling. Jeanette and I have done our best to restore our mansion to its original splendor and encourage similar preservation efforts in Southern California."

  "Where do you live in Illinois?" Jeanette Bell asked.

  Susan shifted her attention to the missus, a friendly, cultured, articulate redhead who bore a striking resemblance to the actress Julianne Moore.

  "I live in Lake Forest, a suburb of Chicago," Susan said.

  "I know it well. I spent a summer there. It's a beautiful town," Jeanette said. She smiled at Susan and then looked at the senior citizen next
to her. "How about you, Mrs. Campbell. Where do you live?"

  "I live in Lake Forest as well," Elizabeth said.

  "Do you live near the water?"

  "I do now!"

  Susan and Amanda laughed.

  "Did I miss something?" Jeanette asked.

  "I'll let my daughter explain," Elizabeth said.

  The Bells turned again to Susan.

  "Please excuse my mother," Susan said. "She never passes an opportunity to answer a question in an amusing way. She moved into a cottage, behind my home, about six months ago. The cottage is fifty feet from Lake Michigan."

  "Did you move to live closer to your family?" Jeanette asked.

  "No," Elizabeth said. "I moved because I got tired of stumbling down the stairs of the big house my husband left me."

  The Bells laughed.

  "That's as good a reason as any," Geoffrey Bell said.

  Jeanette offered Elizabeth a kind smile.

  "Geoffrey told me that your husband died just two years ago. I'm sorry to hear that," Jeanette said. She turned to Susan. "He also told me that your husband died in an accident in June. I'm sorry to hear that as well. That must have been difficult."

  You have no idea.

  "It was," Susan said. "This has been a difficult summer. That's why we decided to follow through with plans to come out here. We decided that we needed to get away from Chicago and clear our heads before getting on with our lives."

  "Have you been able to do that?"

  "I think so. I have, anyway. I've been able to put quite a few things into perspective, including my new status as a widow and my fledgling career as a novelist."

  The Bells leaned forward.

  "You're a novelist?" Geoffrey asked.

  "I am," Susan said. "Have your heard of the Sinful Spouses series?"

  "I can't say I have."

  "How about my latest novel, The Merry Wives of Wheaton?"

  "No," Bell said. "I haven't heard of that either."

  "Don't feel bad," Susan replied. "You're in good company."

  "What are your books about?"

  "They are mostly about life in the soulless suburbs, misbehaving housewives, and the scoundrels who help them misbehave," Susan said.