A Leap in Time (19 page)

“Okay.” Dad sighed then declared that our focus will be on teaching Marcus English. We all laughed. Dad stood and shook Marcus’s hand affectionately.

“Please forgive me for not asking her hand in marriage properly.”

Dad smiled broadly and pulled Marcus in for a bear hug.

Thank the heavens!
Mom followed Dad’s lead and took Marcus into her arms also.

“Well, do you at least have pictures? Did Marcus’s family attend?” my mom asked.

“Well, no, it happened so fast, we didn’t think of it. And yes, his parents were there.”

“All right. Will Marcus’s parents be coming here for the American wedding?” Mom asked.

“Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be able to make it. My mom has a hard time on long journeys. That’s why we decided to get married twice.” Marcus’s quick thinking may have saved the day from my tangled web of white lies.

“That’s unfortunate, but we’ll meet them some other time, I suppose. Maybe we can plan a trip to Italy in the near future.” My mom was relentless.

“Sure…yes,” I agreed.

The rest of the evening was uneventful.

A part of me still felt uneasy not telling them the whole truth—especially about my decision to move to Rome.

My mom had prepared both guest bedrooms. As we announced plans for bedtime, she dashed upstairs to place both towel sets in the larger of the rooms. The corners of his mouth turned up in a mischievous smile.

He better not get any ideas while we’re here. Married or not, this place was off limits.

The next morning, we all slept in, except Mom of course, who woke with the birds and was busy making omelets, French toast and God knows what else. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee was hypnotizing and I had no doubt that Marcus wished we could take a bagful of beans back with us along with a coffeemaker, space heater, laptop and television—his list was growing by the day.

During the night, my parents’ focus had changed from a large elaborate wedding to a small ceremony in our backyard. Mom’s only request was that I actually wear a white wedding dress, which seemed like a very reasonable request.

My parents were thrilled when we gave them free rein to plan as they wished as long as Charlotte could officiate the wedding and that the wedding takes place sometime next weekend.

I told them the developments with my apartment building and about the opportunity to buy my residence from Charlotte’s Dad. My parents exchanged looks of relief although I couldn’t imagine what they thought I was about to tell them. Sheesh, one small wedding in Italy and suddenly everything was a cause for alarm. Good thing I never mentioned the painting. I would be put in an insane asylum for sure. Relating to the apartment, all they had to say was that it wouldn’t hurt to further investigate the possibility of purchasing it.
Yes, but with what money, I wanted to scream.

We spent the remainder of the weekend relaxing and eating. We made plans to return the following Friday to relax before our big day. I couldn’t believe it, but everything was falling into place yet again.
Thank the blessed gods that brought us together
.

We arrived back in Los Angeles Sunday afternoon to the serenity of my beloved apartment. I poured wine, defrosted meatballs and boiled water for pasta. Marcus went in for a shower while I sorted through the mail setting aside bills to be dealt with later. A small yellow envelope fell from the pile prompting me to open it immediately.

Dear Lexi,

I hope the weekend with your parents was wonderful. I have a feeling it was everything you wanted and more. I was hoping to run into you before I left for Santa Barbara, but it’s now Sunday and no sign of you yet so I decided to write you in case our paths don’t cross again between now and the time you return abroad. You see, my sister Ester has been feeling lonely since her Daniel passed so I’ll be keeping her company for the next few weeks, maybe longer.

This is very important and I only wish I was there to relay the message to you in person. You’re privy to every piece of information and historical fact and event that took place in your new home, some of which is devastating and heart wrenching. Under no circumstance should you or Marcus attempt to interfere with historical events. I know it will be tempting especially as you become more attached to your new home and the people who occupy it. But you cannot change the course of history, Lexi. That’s the unspoken contract between the travelers and their host. Stay safe, and my love to Marcus. He will make a fine husband to you and a wonderful father to your children.

Love always,

Claire Ashton

PS I’ve decided to buy my apartment. The landlord offered an unbelievable price. By the way, if you need me, I’m at 805-555-2385.

Chapter Twenty-One

As hard as I tried to brush aside Mrs. Ashton’s words and focus on my resignation, I couldn’t stop thinking about her ominous warning. The thoughts made the drive to work a blur. Come to think of it, I couldn’t remember seeing a single traffic signal, street sign, or even a car along the way. I strolled through the parking lot and into the marble floor main lobby where multiple elevator banks lined each side.

Taking a deep breath, I walked toward the reception desk on the fourth floor. A few of the staff were gathered at the computer. The squealing and clapping indicated they’d had a successful night.

I greeted everyone and congratulated the team feeling proud at the tremendous recognition the firm was getting. A small part of me couldn’t deny how much I would miss all this. Throughout my time here, I’d worn many hats, juggled many projects and burned the midnight oil without a second thought. I loved my job and I loved the firm.

I stayed at reception for a while catching up then scooted into my office. I needed to muster the courage to resign from my dream job. With a heavy, conflicted heart, I logged on to my desktop and sorted through emails and meeting invites. The mail had piled up on the corner of my desk.

I dialed reception. “Hi, Marie. What time is Adam coming in?”

“Hey, Lexi. Mr. Ford should be here any minute. He wants everyone in the large conference room. He has an announcement.”

“Okay. Any idea what it’s about?”

“Sorry, other line is ringing.” She hung up.

An announcement? What could it be? Maybe he finally hired a new vice president to oversee the entertainment business side of the company while he continued to oversee the corporate non-entertainment industry clients.

Soon Adam’s brisk footsteps crossed the hardwood floor headed to the conference room. Crap! He really was only a few minutes away. I raced in that direction.

“Good morning, all. Sit, sit, please. I wanted to start by congratulating everyone on a fantastic event last night. The press is eating it up. Once again, our agency is front and center in the entertainment news, which brings me to a couple of things. To begin with, I wanted to thank Lexi for her continued dedication. Even in her absence, we were able to leverage her name by securing the majority of the press and confirm exclusive interviews. So, thank you, Lexi. After much thought, the partners and I have decided on a new Vice President of Publicity and Events. Actually, we are changing the title to Senior Director so that in time the candidate can grow into the role of Vice President. So, without further delay, please join me in congratulating Lexi Carter as our Senior Director.”

He stood, applauding enthusiastically. Everyone joined in. Seriously, what the hell just happened? I know I’ve been working tirelessly, but…Senior Director? I was speechless.
Crap. How can I resign now?

I stood on unstable legs to shake Adam’s extended hand. A thick fog swirled around me muffling the chatter and words of congratulations.
Holy hell! What a mess.

“One more thing everyone, to celebrate, we’re ordering lunch so please come back to the conference room at noon.” Turning to me, he said, “Nice work, Lexi. I hope you know how much we appreciate you here. Come to my office when you have a few minutes. I want to hear all about your vacation.”

“Okay, sure.” I staggered back to my office speechless and stumped by the new developments. As if my decision to leave wasn’t gut wrenching enough.
Hello Universe—what the hell?
And what in the world am I to do now?

I started to dial Charlotte’s office number, but hung up, did the same with Kate, and then did the same with Marcus and hung up before I finished dialing. I needed to think this through before talking with anyone. Right now, my mind was racing in a million directions creating a buzzing sound in my ears.

On the one hand, a promotion like this was what I’d been working toward, plus it could give me the extra funds I needed to buy my apartment. On the other hand, I couldn’t expect Marcus to remain in Los Angeles. What would he do all day? What would he tell his family? Unless we went back to spending just weekends together. That could work…for a while. I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I didn’t hear Adam’s knock.

“Lexi…In my office in five minutes?” He disappeared.

I paused at his door waiting for him to motion me in. The office was elegantly furnished: oversized pieces in dark wood with accent pieces in cream, yellow fresh flowers in tall vases. Beautifully framed photographs depicting random events that our firm participated in from press events to after-parties. They inspired fond trips down memory lane.

“Lexi, please…sit down.” He motioned to the Italian leather chair across from his desk. His office was my favorite spot on our floor. Large windows overlooked Sunset Boulevard. It provided a stunning view of the Strip from West Hollywood all the way to Beverly Hills.

“I wanted to thank you again for all your hard work. You truly are a tremendous asset to us. Thanks to you, this last year has been a series of successful high-profile press appraised events.” He was giddy with happiness.

“Thank you, Adam.” I felt humbled by his praise. “Uh, Adam, there’s something I need to tell you.” I paused. “Remember I told you that I was going to Italy for my vacation?”

“Yes, and I want to hear all about it.” He leaned in, interested.

“Well, my boyfriend and I decided to get married.” I didn’t wait for congratulations. I forged on. “We’ve sort of decided to try living in Rome for a while. If things don’t work out, we’ll come back to LA.” I didn’t dare meet his gaze burning through me.

“I see. So, you intended to resign today and we shocked you with this promotion.” He looked at me for a few agonizing minutes, cleared his throat and spoke again. “I’m not ready to accept your resignation. I think we can work something out. Let’s both sleep on it and regroup tomorrow morning to discuss scenarios. Would that be acceptable?” He opened his laptop indicating that our meeting was done.

I left without any more clarity than when I came in.
Crap!
What scenarios could he have in mind? Didn’t matter. Knowing the real truth behind our move to Rome made every scenario unfeasible.

Over dinner—that he’d prepared completely on his own—I told Marcus about the latest developments. We ate sautéed spinach with garlic, chicken cutlets and roasted potatoes—an impressive menu. I offered to thank him properly later. A loud chuckle erupted from his throat.

“What should I do?” I cradled my cheek in one hand while holding my wine glass in the other.

“I think you should accept the promotion. It is what you’ve wanted.” He was always so selfless.

The promotion meant a great deal to me, but not more than what Marcus meant. If accepting the promotion even remotely placed a wedge between us, I would gladly walk away.

“You are what I want.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Besides, staying here isn’t what’s best for us. It wouldn’t be right for one of us to find fulfillment while the other sits around waiting.”

“Everything will work out. Maybe we can stay here a little longer than we planned. Or maybe go back and forth forever.” He patted my shoulder. “We don’t need to decide that right now.”

“What would you do all day while I’m work? Wouldn’t you go out of your mind sitting around?”

“I admit things are complicated, but like I said, we’ll work something out.” He smiled seductively, his adorable dimples reminding me of the first night I noticed him across the room at Catina’s. I let him lead me to the bedroom where our bond was sealed once again.

I tossed and turned long after Marcus fell asleep. There was only one person who might be able to help: Mrs. Ashton.

First thing in the morning—before shower or coffee. I dialed the number Mrs. Ashton had left for me. It was six in the morning, but I knew she would be awake.

She answered after the first ring.

“Mrs. Ashton? I’m sorry to call you so early…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, nothing.” In one very long sentence I explained the problem.

“All right. That’s not as bad as I imagined.”

“What did you imagine?” I asked.

“Honestly, I thought the portal had shut.”

“I thought you said that would never happen?”

“It’s never happened, but I didn’t know what else would compel you to call me at six in the morning.”

Okay, she had a point. Maybe I jumped the gun a little by feeding into my state of panic.

“Right. So, what do I do?”

“Let me make some calls. I’ll get back to you. Email me his date of birth, age and parents’ names as quickly as you can to
[email protected]
.”

“Okay, will do. So, do you think it’s a good idea to stay here?”

“I’m not sure yet. Whatever you decide, remember, it doesn’t need to be permanent. Marcus can’t access the portal without you, you know.”

“I know.”

“I’ll get back to you as soon as I know anything.”

I dressed for work without waking Marcus. My mobile phone rang on the drive to work.

“Good morning, it’s Adam.”

Gosh, he sounded chirpy.
Crap!

“Good morning. Everything okay?”

“Yes. I wanted to let you know I won’t be in the office today, but I didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten our conversation…”

The signal was breaking up. I pulled over on Sunset Boulevard in anticipation of him saying he had changed his mind about the promotion.