The Drifter (13 page)

“I can give you time,” he said. “I have plenty of that. As long as you want. I’ll be here for you.”

“No,” Eve said. “I want you to take the job. We both need to work. In case this doesn’t happen for us.”

“You can’t think that from the start,” Charlie said. “You have to believe in us.”

“I believe in the us that’s here right now. And I believe there might be an us in a month and maybe a year. But this—everything we’ve shared in this bedroom and in this house, and a few other places, too—that’s a fantasy. We have to start to live in the real world.”

“I don’t want the job,” he said. “I don’t want to go back to Everest again. I’ve just barely recovered from the first trip.”

“It’s a wonderful opportunity. You said so yourself. And I’ll miss you when you’re gone. But you’ll come back. This time, I know you’ll be back.”

Charlie searched her face, as if he were hoping to find a trace of uncertainty there, a chink in her
logic. This was for the best, Eve mused. He had to see it the way she did. If they continued as they’d begun, the fantasy would slowly fade and they’d be left wondering if the emotions that accompanied it were fading, too. This way, they’d force themselves back into reality, before it was too late.

“All right,” Charlie said. “I’ll do whatever it takes. I won’t always like it, but I’ll do what you want.”

“And if you’re not happy, you’ll tell me. You won’t sneak around with other women, you’ll just tell me so we can end it without any drama.”

“It’s not going to end,” Charlie said.

Eve grabbed the coffee mug from the beside table and took a sip. “I spoke with Lily about your idea. About the dehydrated foods. She’s doing some research, but she thought it was a really good idea.”

“It is,” Charlie said. “Listen, I’ve tasted every brand out there and there just isn’t much variety. The food needs to taste…interesting. And it has to be packed with carbs.”

“I’m going to work on some things while you’re gone,” Eve said. Though the words were difficult to say and even more difficult to imagine, Eve knew she’d be able to get along without him. A month was a long time. Six weeks even worse. But it would never come close to five years.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” he said.

“You’ll be fine.”

“You could always come along,” Charlie said. “We’ll spend a lot of time at base camp and you’ll get a chance to see how the cooking is done there. The Sherpas are amazing cooks. They do a lot of vegetarian dishes. You could get some new recipes.”

“I can’t be away from the restaurant for that long,” Eve said.

“Why not? A lot of great chefs travel. And Asia is a great place to study food.”

Eve had always wanted to experience the culinary world beyond the borders of her own country. She had the money to travel, but there always seemed to be something important keeping her home. “Maybe another time. Things are so busy right now with the investors and the new restaurant in Seattle and the cookbook and the television show. And Nepal isn’t just a quick plane ride with a comfy hotel on the other end. It takes planning.”

“All right,” Charlie said. “But you do have to promise me one thing. That when I get back, we’ll take a trip together. Just a long weekend. Anywhere you want to go. San Francisco. New Orleans. Some place with really great food. And we’ll eat our way through the weekend.”

Eve smiled. It sounded like a perfect plan. Something she could look forward to upon his return. “All right,” she agreed.

For the first time, she allowed herself to believe they had a future. He would come back to Boulder,
they would pick up where they’d left off. And maybe, someday, she could say without a trace of hesitation that she loved Charlie Templeton with every fiber of her being, with every molecule in her body and every inch of her soul.

T
HE
D
ENVER AIRPORT
was bustling with travelers as Eve and Charlie wove through the crowd on the way to his gate. Though Eve had known this moment was coming, she found herself completely unprepared for the emotions that accompanied it. Charlie was leaving for Boston and a few days later, he’d be on a plane bound for Nepal. He’d be halfway around the world and difficult to reach.

In the week before his departure, their relationship had continued to edge toward something permanent. She packed up her things at Lily’s and moved into his house, hanging her clothes beside his in the empty closets and filling his kitchen cupboards with all of her cooking utensils and spices.

Though the house had been furnished as a rental, Charlie had urged her to buy new furniture and redecorate while he was gone. He’d brought his friend Jack over to discuss the changes she wanted to make in the kitchen and Jack had agreed to help her find a good contractor.

But Eve hadn’t wanted to think about redecorating. She’d only been interested in knowing where he’d be, what he’d be doing and whether any of it
was dangerous. Charlie had tried to calm her fears and to that end, had decided to set up an easy way for them to communicate on a daily basis.

He had a satellite link-up on his laptop, so he’d gone out and bought a brand-new computer and set it up in a corner of his living room, along with a program that operated a video link over the Internet. They’d first tried it with Charlie locked in the bedroom and Eve sitting in the living room.

When the link-up worked, they explored all the possibilities that video calling offered, including those of a sexual nature. Eve felt a blush warm her cheeks. Though sex in the privacy of their bedroom was comfortable for her, she had a difficult time sending images of her naked body out into the world.

“You’re going to call me as soon as you get to Boston, right?” Eve said.

“I will,” Charlie said. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to Boston with me? It’s just a few days. You could fly out there with me now and fly back here when I leave for Nepal.”

“I can’t,” Eve said. “I have to go to Seattle the day after tomorrow to look at a few locations for the restaurant. I’m cooking for my investors and then I have to spend a few days here in Denver, talking to a production company about the cooking show.”

“See, you’ll be so busy, you’ll hardly notice I’m gone. Six weeks will fly by in no time.”

Eve stood next to him as he checked in and
dropped off his luggage. They wandered over to a row of seats, then sat down. Charlie reached out to take her hand. He drew it up to his lips and pressed a kiss on the back of her wrist. “God, I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” she said. A shiver skittered through her body and she glanced away. She’d been meaning to talk to Charlie about something before he left, but she hadn’t had the courage to bring up the subject. It was now or never.

“Will there be women where you’re going in Nepal?”

He frowned. “Sure. There are a lot of women involved in climbing expeditions. The season will be winding down on Everest. Why do you—” He paused, then smiled. “Are you worried I’m going to…what do they call it?”

“Stray,” Eve said. “Because, I know you’re used to having women around to satisfy—your—you know, needs?” Charlie laughed out loud and Eve felt her face warm. “It’s not funny. I’m serious.”

“You’re ridiculous. You don’t think I can go six weeks without sex?”

“Have you ever gone six weeks without sex?” she asked. “I mean, during your adult life?”

Charlie thought about it. “No, I guess I haven’t. But that doesn’t mean I can’t.” He grabbed Eve’s arms and turned her to face him. “Eve, listen to me very carefully. I want you and only you. I’m not going to
go sleeping around just to scratch an itch. You are the only person I want to be intimate with, do you understand?”

Eve nodded. “I do.”

“Good. Now, can we stop talking about sex? It’s making me really horny and finding a place to take care of my needs in this airport is going to be impossible.”

“See,” Eve said. “You get turned on so easily. I think it’s going to be much harder than you think.”

“It is much harder than you think,” Charlie said, glancing down at his lap. “But that’s all your fault. You’re the one who does this to me. That’s why I set up the video link on your computer. So we could take care of these things when they come…up.” He sat up straighter, wincing slightly as he moved. “Now, can we talk about something else? Tell me about the new sofa you want to buy.”

Eve chatted about her plans to redecorate the house, promising him that she’d clear all her choices with him. But she knew the conversation was just a clever way to distract her from the inevitable.

Charlie looked at his watch, then sighed. “I’d better go. I still have to go through security.” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Eve swallowed hard as his gaze caught hers. “Right,” she muttered. “I guess this is it.”

“It’s all right, Evie. We’ll say goodbye really quick.
And before you know it, you’ll be here again, picking me up.”

“You are coming back,” Eve said.

Charlie stood and pulled her to her feet. “I am coming back. I promise.” He leaned forward and kissed her, this kiss filled with so much longing that Eve felt tears well up in her eyes.

“Have fun,” she said, her voice choking with emotion. “But—but not too much fun. Not that kind of fun.”

“Evie, don’t you know? I love you. The only person I want to be with is you.” He reached down and picked up his boarding pass and passport. “I’ll talk to you later tonight after I get settled in Boston.”

Eve nodded. “All right.” She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, then realized she didn’t want to let go. “Go. Before I start blubbering like an idiot.”

“I can’t,” Charlie said. “You’re holding on too tight.”

Eve quickly released her grip. Brushing a tear from her cheek, she gave him a little wave and he started toward the gate. Eve felt panic wash over her. What if she never saw him again? What if he met with an accident on Everest or his plane crashed or—he met some beautiful woman and decided to run off with her? There were things left to be said between them.

“I love you, Charlie Templeton,” Eve shouted.

He stopped, then slowly turned around, a wide
grin on his face. “I love you, Eve Keller.” They stared at each other across the waiting area for a long moment. Then applause suddenly broke out among the passengers standing there.

Eve laughed and blew him a kiss and Charlie pretended to catch it and put it in his pocket. He gave her one last wave before heading into the security area.

Walking back toward her car, Eve said a silent prayer that everything would go well with his trip and he’d make it safely home again. This man meant everything to her. Though she found those feelings difficult to admit, that didn’t make them any less intense.

“I do love you, Charlie,” she murmured.

“H
EY
, C
HARLIE
! Y
OU HAVE
a visitor!”

Charlie glanced up from his laptop and groaned. He’d been at base camp for a week and already he’d garnered a reputation. Most of the guys there called him “whipped.” A few used the word “obsessed.” It was only the women who showed the slightest bit of admiration for his chaste ways and his devotion to his girlfriend back home.

Sure, he spent a lot of time on the computer. When he and Eve couldn’t get a video link, they wrote each other long letters, detailing all the things they’d done that day. And when the video link was working, Charlie shut himself up in his tent and enjoyed the pleasures of Internet sex.

At first, Eve had been a bit embarrassed, but as time went on, she looked forward to their “interludes.” A week ago, she’d showed off a sexy new
bra and panties, which were slowly peeled off before getting down to business.

Charlie had been adventurous in the bedroom in the past, but he’d never experienced this kind of sex. Without the ability to touch her, everything happened in his head. The orgasms were at times incredibly intense and at other times, almost soothing.

“Templeton!”

“Go away,” Charlie said.

He’d been in a bitch of a mood the past five days. He hadn’t been able to reach Eve in more than a week and he was beginning to worry. She’d sent him a short note saying she was going to be traveling and might not have access to a computer for a while. Charlie found it a bit odd that she couldn’t find a single computer in an entire week.

He’d decided to call the restaurant and find out where she was if he didn’t hear from her by the end of the day. It was easy to let his thoughts run away on him, especially when they were so far apart. Maybe she met another man. Maybe Matt was romancing her again. Or maybe she’d just lost interest.

Charlie watched as a shadow crossed in front of his tent. “Don’t think this is going to work again,” he shouted.

Yesterday, some old friends from an American expedition had decided to play a joke on him. They’d told him they were sending a girl over to his tent to help him out with his “problem.” Though sex at base
camp, or anywhere on Everest, was considered taboo by the locals, most of the climbers didn’t abstain when the opportunity presented itself.

But when Charlie stepped out of his tent, he had found a huge blow-up doll, mouth agape, dressed in a climbing harness and crampons. The entire camp was gathered to see his reaction. Though he took it with good humor, Charlie realized how many people didn’t really believe he could be faithful to Eve.

“Just leave the doll,” he called. “Stake her to the ground so she doesn’t blow away. I’ll get her back to you guys later. I know how much you’ll miss her.”

“Ah, Charlie. I think you better come out here.”

With a low curse, he got up from his cot and crossed the spacious interior of his tent. Grabbing the tent flap, he tossed it up and stepped into the bright sunshine. His eyes took a while to adjust to the light and he squinted, holding his hand up to shield them. “I know you think it’s funny. Ha-ha. Charlie Templeton has a girlfriend. Charlie Templeton is in love. Go ahead, laugh it up. But don’t tell me that if you guys found the perfect woman, you wouldn’t do everything in your power to make her happy.”

He pulled his hand away from his eyes and saw Mark Eaton standing in front of him, a satisfied smirk curling his lips. “Well, I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear that,” he said.

“Hi, Charlie.”

The sound of her voice sent a jolt of surprise
through his body. At first he wasn’t sure if he was imagining what he heard. Charlie slowly turned, then gasped at the sight he found.

Eve, dressed in a hodgepodge of outdoor gear, standing in front of him. In one quick motion, he scooped her up into his arms and kissed her, cupping her face in his hands as his mouth found hers.

When he finally took the opportunity to grab a breath, he looked down into her bright eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“You told me I should come. And I had a few weeks free, so I thought I’d see a little bit of Nepal.”

He laughed, then kissed her again. “How did you get here?”

“It wasn’t easy,” she said. “I called twenty different tour companies before I found one that had a spot open. Luckily, I didn’t need a visa, but I did have to get a bunch of shots. I was on a plane for a day and a half. Then I was stuck in Lhasa for two days getting used to the altitude. I spent another day bouncing around in a van. But the trip has been incredible, just like you said it would be. I saw a monastery and I’ve eaten really incredible food. And if I don’t sit down right now, I think I might just fall down.”

He pulled aside the tent flap and showed her inside. She glanced around at the spacious interior. They’d set up a comfortable tent for him at base camp with plenty of room to work and sleep. The production company considered him the “star” of their film, and
he was happy to be treated as such. Now he realized how lucky it was that he had room for two.

“How are you?” Charlie asked, gently drawing her down to sit on the cot.

“Good,” she said. “Tired.”

“The altitude can take some getting used to. You’ll just be a little breathless or lightheaded for a while. But if you feel sick you should let me—”

She put her finger over his lips. “Aren’t you going to tell me how much you missed me?” she teased.

“I missed you a lot,” he said, her finger still touching his lips.

“Aren’t you going to tell me how good I look?”

Charlie chuckled. “You look really good,” he said.

She reached for the zipper of her jacket and slowly drew it down. “Aren’t you going to tell me how much you want me?”

Charlie held his breath as she stripped off everything but her bra and panties, the same bra and panties she’d shown him via videophone. “I’ll never stop wanting you,” he murmured, reaching out to smooth his hand along her thigh. “So, Evie, what exactly does this mean? What did you come all this way to tell me?”

She smiled. “I want a life with you, Charlie. I want you there when I open my new restaurant in Seattle. I want you to taste my recipes for my new cookbook and I want you to stand in the wings while I tape
my first show. I want to start our business together. I want to travel to all the places you mentioned and more. We’ll eat our way around the world. And I want to—”

Charlie pressed his finger to her lips, then softly shushed her. “Just say it, Evie. Be brave and just say it.” He drew his hand away from her face.

“I love you, Charlie.”

He knew it was a moment he’d remember for the rest of his life. All the details would come back to him years from now—the wind flapping at the tent, the scent of her hair, the way her skin felt beneath his fingertips. “And I love you, Eve.”

“We’re going to have a wonderful life together, Charlie,” she said. “With lots of adventure. And I think we should start that life right now.” She pushed him down on the cot, then crawled on top of him.

“Bring it on,” Charlie said with a laugh.