by Jenny Lykins
She pulled off a slice, stringing out until the cheese until it snapped, then offered it to him. He held the wedge in the palms of his hands, his brows dipped into a questioning vee.
"Oh. You eat it like this." She grinned and strung out a slice for herself. "It's very important now," she instructed with a straight face, "you always eat the pointed end first. Otherwise it doesn't taste the same."
Reed took a bite with one eyebrow quirked, as if trying to figure out how that could possibly make it taste different.
His face changed to a look of pleasant surprise. "This is absolutely delicious." he declared. "What did you say the ingredients are?"
Elise popped the tops of two sodas and handed him one. "Oh, pepperoni, onions, tomatoes, olives, green peppers." She stopped and took a long drink from her Coke and went on. "Of course, you can put anything you want..."
Reed had eyed the opening in his Coke can, then imitated Elise by tipping it up and taking several long swallows. A mist of soda came spraying out of his mouth in a strangled cough. He jumped to his feet, gasping for breath.
Elise sat frozen.
Reed croaked, "What in the name of God is this? For God's sake, Elise, the stuff came out my nose!"
Oh no! She felt those giggles rising up again and she knew she couldn't control them. She bit the inside of her mouth and bowed her head, biting harder as the urge grew. Her shoulders started to shake, and the harder she bit the harder she wanted to giggle. She gave up the effort and let it out, laying back on the table and holding her side, laughing until it was out of her system.
"Oh, Reed!" she gasped, "I never dreamed! I guess it may take some getting used to, at that. It's a carbonated drink. They use carbonated water. That's what caused the...well, didn't you drink champagne back in your time?"
Reed had never been so embarrassed in his life.
"Of course I have had champagne, but not in a series of large gulps!" Reed looked down at Elise, still reclining on the tabletop. One foot dangled over the side from her fit of laughter. He was struck, not for the first time, by how attractive she was. She smiled up at him, her golden brown hair tousled, half of it swaying off the table. Velvety green eyes danced with mischief, and he felt even more embarrassed by his coughing fit.
"Besides, you cannot convince me that you compare this beverage to champagne!"
"Oh, no! No way. Just that they're both carbonated, or bubbly. I've never thought about it, but I guess there is sort of a knack to drinking soda without having that happen." This last comment ended with a suspicious quiver in her voice as Elise elbowed her way to a sitting position.
"The only other time I've had a reaction like that was when I downed my first shot of whiskey," Reed grumbled, trying to reestablish a semblance of masculinity instead of that of the village idiot.
"You know," she began, clearly attempting to placate him, "I'm really amazed at how well you've dealt with your situation. I can't begin to imagine what I'd do if I found myself even a few years in the future, not to mention one that doesn't resemble what I came from. I'd probably be a basket case, pinging off the walls. But you're...well, you're handling it really well." She shook her head and gazed up at him with a look of wonder.
Reed was glad to know he wasn't "pinging," whatever that was. He felt a little better and reached over to snap off another slice of pizza, which was easier to do now that it had cooled a bit. He took a few bites before speaking.
"From what I have witnessed of you, Elise, you would arrive at any place in time and settle in without help from anyone. I am just thankful I have you to help me through this, and most importantly, that you believe me. I am trying desperately to believe it myself."
The two sat quietly for a while and watched the river as they finished off the pizza. Elise tore bits of crust and tossed them to some cardinals nearby. He'd never before been with a woman who was so dominant and in control, and the whole concept made him uncomfortable. Yet he also realized that he felt an admiration and attraction for this woman he'd known only a few hours - an admiration he'd never felt for any other woman. He was surprised that the independence she exhibited made her more attractive to him, not less. Yes, he thought, the independence, the green eyes, the sense of humor and...those long, smooth legs. He felt as though something had just clicked into place in his life.
A dull roar started down river and built. Reed rose with a look of concern.
Elise groaned and mumbled that there was just no getting away from exposing him to the modern world.
She yanked on his sleeve for attention and managed to say, "It's okay," just as a strange boat came roaring around a bend, pulling behind it a man standing on what appeared to be boards. As the boat drew even with the park the driver cut the engine and the man went down. He swam to the boat and handed up the boards, then hoisted himself up a ladder.
Elise and Reed watched the boat chug its way to the park. When it stopped at the edge of the river, two couples came out from beneath the canopy of the boat and pulled out a picnic basket.
"GOOD LORD!" Reed exploded. Elise grabbed his arm, snatched up the sodas and chips and threw the pizza box into a trash can.
"Let's go, Reed. I'll tell you about it on the way to the car. Those are called string bikinis. It's what women wear when they want to get a tan."
*******
The drive back to the plantation was relatively uneventful, considering all the possibilities. Elise was amused at how Reed took great interest in the different types of cars they encountered. He nearly broke his neck at one point when he jerked around to watch a motorcycle speed past them in the opposite direction. This was followed by a flood of questions - how does it stay upright, why did the driver have a huge, round helmet over his head, when was it invented?
After a while the conversation lulled and Elise slid a tape into the tape deck. Strains of the "Emperor's Waltz" filtered through the car. Reed leaned his head back onto the pale leather seat and let out a long sigh.
"Finally, something familiar." He sighed again, and Elise watched him relax for the first time. "It's nice to know that at least the music hasn't changed."
She opened her mouth to tell him that music had indeed changed but decided he could wait a while for the shock of rock music, blues, and jazz. She wouldn't even try to explain rap. He'd had enough to absorb for one day.
She noticed in her musings that Reed had taken the tape deck and music in stride, without the look of incredulity so many other things had garnered. He really was very resilient.
As the music moved into her favorite part of the waltz she scrunched down into the seat and leaned her head against the headrest. She indulged in the same daydream she always did at this point.
"Do you know what I've always wanted to do?" she questioned wistfully, almost to herself. "I've always dreamed of being in a huge ballroom, wearing a long, flowing gown and waltzing around and around, intoxicated by the music, my partner, the moment..."
Reed remained quiet, and Elise continued to enjoy the little scenario playing out in her mind. She ached a little for what would be, to her, the perfect romantic evening. It didn't even cross her mind that she had opened up more of herself to this man than to any other man in her life. She had never before shared a fantasy.
Reed wondered at her wistful look. He couldn't believe she'd never experienced a ball. After all, Oak Vista boasted a wonderful ballroom Did she have a particular person in mind she wanted to dance with?
The Jag, as Elise called it, rolled through the avenue of oaks and slipped under the rising shed door at the back of the house.
As they climbed out of the car and headed for the house, he wondered at
why her simple statement had stirred such foreign feelings in him. He didn't have time to explore the cause though. As they approached the back door, a strange, intermittent ringing sounded from within. Elise broke into a run, fumbling for house keys along the way. Alarmed, Reed ran behind her. She rammed the key into the lock, turned the knob, and they both
stumbled into the kitchen just as the ringing blasted again.
Elise ran to one of those strange boxes and picked up the top half, put it to her ear and said "Hello." A choppy conversation with it followed while she dropped her keys into her reticule and sank to the kitchen chair.
"Oh, no. How did you do that?" She paused. "Yeah, that'll do it everytime." Another pause. "Don't worry, Lettie. I certainly don't expect you to clean a house with a broken arm. You just...yes...uh-huh...well, you take as long as you need. I don't create so much clutter that I can't handle it myself for a few weeks. Okay...you take care. Let me know if you need anything. Okay. Bye bye."
No sooner had she fit the box together than the thing let out another ring. Another disjointed speech ensued. After a few minutes she seemed to decline some kind of offer, then replaced the top of the box back in position.
When she turned back to Reed, she bestowed a hesitant smile. First, she explained that the phone was similar to what she'd used to call in the pizza. Then she said, "That was a friend of mine, wanting to get together for dinner, but I told him I had a house guest and we'd have to make it another time."
Him? She told "him?
He felt a stab of...what? Jealousy? Fear at her leaving? He wasn't sure. He'd never had occasion to experience either of those emotions before, and he wasn't comfortable with how they made him feel. Indeed, he was surprised at himself for feeling them at all.
An awkward silence descended between them, then Elise did a little drumroll on the counter with her hands.
"Hey, I bet you'd like to freshen up. Would you like a shower or bath, Maybe a shave? I've got extra razors and I think I've got some clothes here that might fit."
"If it would not inconvenience you too much," he said. Anything to get this awkward moment over with.
Elise showed Reed to the guest bath. She explained the use of each facility, except those she'd given a red-faced explanation for earlier, then showed him how to turn on both the shower and bath and adjust the temperature. She pulled out huge fluffy mauve towels, a disposable razor and shaving cream, both of which called for a brief lesson in their uses. She even found a new toothbrush and toothpaste, prompting more instructions with the toothpaste pump.
"I'll see if I can round up those clothes while you're in here. They'll be on the bed outside the door."
Reed nodded. He looked anxious to try out these new gadgets, so Elise backed out the door and closed it behind her.
While Reed enjoyed his very first steaming shower, Elise dug through a seldom used drawer and came up with an old pair of jeans, oxford shirt, socks and underwear. She was sure Don wouldn't mind Reed using them. Her close friends, Don and Jan Sevier, kept a change of clothes at her house all the time. One or both of them would come over and exercise her horses if she was out of town for any length of time. They also made sure Alan, a neighborhood kid, kept the horses fed and watered.
She waited for Reed across the hall in her favorite room. Her den was the only completely modern room in the house, aside from the kitchen and the upstairs bath. She had tried to maintain the integrity of the antebellum home throughout the rest of the house. Her den was where she came for a dose of reality.
She'd chosen creamy, wall to wall carpet. She had enough hardwood floors to keep clean everywhere else. The walls were forest green, the furniture and accents shades of cream and green. Her decorator had said she'd had nightmares over this room, but it was exactly as Elise wanted it.
Deep in thought, she didn't hear Reed step out of the bedroom and into the doorway of the den. She was unprepared for the jolt of pure, scorching lust that flashed through her when she looked up to see him watching her. Lord, it'd been a long time since a man had had that affect on her. She schooled her features to something besides a drooling idiot.
There he stood, framed in the doorway. The clean smell of shaving creme and soap drifted to her. His damp hair had been given a token combing but curled with a mind of its own. Don's jeans fit him as though tailor made, but the oxford shirt pulled across his shoulders so the top few buttons had to be left open. The vee created there exposed dark curls against a tanned chest and a collarbone so well-defined Elise had to fight the urge to trace the outline with her fingertips. She continued to stare, not caring if she looked like a starving woman within reach of a banquet.
Reed braced both hands on the frame of the door and leaned forward. The shirt stretched tight across his broad chest and taut stomach. He smiled with a look of ecstasy.
"That," he declared with enthusiasm, "was one of the most relaxing experiences I have ever enjoyed. Folding myself into a hip bath never felt so wonderful."
He let go of the door frame and ambled into the room. The blood raced through her veins when he looked at her, a soft smile on his lips.
He began to roam around the room, taking in all the modern conveniences. Elise hopped up from the couch and followed him as he circled the room. She began to explain what she could about all these "new-fangled inventions," breathing deeply of his clean, masculine scent. Lord, her soap had never smelled so good.
She explained the light switches and wall sockets and pointed out a cordless telephone. She dialed the time and temperature number and let him listen. Of course, he had to try it himself after that. She opened the wet bar and showed him the bar-sized refrigerator. She flipped on the stereo and filled the room with music, then switched it off and opened the cabinet that held the TV. When she reached for the "on" button she positioned herself so she had a perfect view of Reed's face.
He didn't disappoint her.
When the picture expanded onto the screen his head jerked back several inches. Bewilderment captured and held his features. He turned to Elise, then back to the TV, then back to Elise.
The movie on the television was an old, black and white Errol Flynn swashbuckler that had been colorized. Reed watched a ship pull alongside another. Errol Flynn swung across the ocean onto the other ship and began one of his infamous sword battles. Reed turned once again to Elise and shook his head. He managed to utter "How...?"
She didn't even try to pretend she knew the workings of a television set. She described how most of the things were shows, like a play only filmed with cameras - descendents of the daguerreotype - that took moving pictures. She didn't get into the concepts of commercials, talk shows, news broadcasts, or any other kind of show. Even if she knew the intricate workings of a television, Reed would never be able to understand the technology.
After he recovered from the biggest part of his shock, he continued around the room. He stopped at the bookshelves, glanced over the titles of several books and commented that none of them were familiar to him. Moving on and finishing the circuit of the room, he ended up in front of the cold fireplace.
Elise sank to the carpet, then curled up her legs and patted the floor for him to do the same.
He looked self-conscious, but lowered himself to the floor - apparently not an area of the house he was used to occupying. It took several attempts at repositioning to make himself comfortable.
"Why don't you kick off your boots? I'm not a real formal person, as you've probably noticed." Elise shoved the back of one Reebok with her toe, then repeated the action on the other shoe. She wiggled her toes for a minute then jumped up and grabbed the heel of Reed's boot.
"Here. I'll help you. I know you guys wouldn't even take off your jacket, let alone boots, in front of a woman."
"Here, now!" Reed yelped, but the first boot was already off and she had the other in her hands. She wondered if he felt the same surge of heat at their touch as she did.
It wasn't long before he began to relax. Even though he’d managed to retain an outward calm during the day, inside he had to feel like every nerve in his body was screaming. At least that's the way she would feel, and his next words confirmed it.
"My mind feels as though it is tearing in two, both from denying even the most remote possibility of my being catapulted into the future, and knowing without a do
ubt that I am unargueably not in my own time."
Elise nodded with sympathy and tossed him a couple of throw pillows. He followed her lead. Propped in a semi-reclining position, he tried to get comfortable.
"Tell me about yourself, Elise. Maybe your story will shed some light on my being here."
Elise was hesitant with talking about herself, but she could see Reed's point. Perhaps their paths had been destined to cross.
She focused on a spot on the wall and began her story, explaining that she was an only child and that her parents, Philip and Anne Gerard, were both deceased.
"My mother died of breast cancer when I was fifteen, and Dad never got over the grief. He really tried to be the father he had been before Mom's death, but grief nearly consumed him. Three years after Mom died, Dad was found dead in his office. A heart attack was the official cause. I believe he willed himself to die.
"Being eighteen and the only living relative of my parents, I inherited everything. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to get me through college." Afterward, she'd gone straight into her chosen field. She skimmed over this area, unprepared to explain Air Force pilot training and all that came after it.
She moved on and mentioned how she'd come to buy this house.
"It was rumored the original family was ready to sell. There were several heirs, and none of them lived in New Orleans. Most of the furniture was still here, in the exact same places their ancestors had chosen. It spoke so vividly of the respect for their heritage that I decided then and there to buy everything and leave it as it was." With the money she'd stockpiled while in the service and her job with the airline, she was more than able to qualify for any loan.
"I immediately contacted the family, confirmed the rumor, and negotiated a deal we were all happy with."
The antebellum period had always held a fascination for her. She'd even joked that she must have been a Southern belle in a previous life.
"I tried to leave the house as close to the mid-1800's as I could, but I had to have a few modern touches."
