Double-Edged

CHAPTER TWO | Always present day | July 19th

CHAPTER TWO Always present day July 19th

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THE YOUNG WOMAN LEFT the lobby, always striding lazily. She headed to the row of shiny elevators, which lined the wall on top of a three-step staircase. She pressed the button to call one and waited, playing with her scarf and admiring the geometric motif of the carpet in the hall.

She was deep in her thoughts, so she didn’t notice the dark-haired man, who was hiding behind a column.

Yet, the hair on her neck stood straight up, warning her of danger. The man watched her unwaveringly, a frown between his eyebrows.

She didn’t know that he had overheard her conversation with the clerk, and in a way, she didn’t care. She had already decided to move on. Now, she was anxious to leave the entire story behind.

The young woman went up to her suite, and in less than ten minutes, she returned downstairs. She hadn’t bothered to unpack upon her arrival that morning, so she didn’t need too much time to gather all her things.

She paid the bill, leaving another sizeable tip for the front desk clerk. The young man had helped her a lot and deserved it. Then she asked the valet to bring her rented car in front of the hotel.

She had rented a small convertible. It wasn’t fancy, just something she could use to get around. The valet had already lowered the top of the car, and that brought a smile on her lips. She felt that her vacation had finally begun.

The valet locked her suitcase in the trunk of the car. Then he left the bag with her laptop in the back seat. The woman offered him a folded banknote, together with a big smile, and the man bowed his head gratefully.

Once seated in the car, she turned the key in the ignition. Then she started her navigation system, inputting the address of the house she had rented on the shore.

Now, she felt safe enough, so she took her hat off, shaking her head. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders in thick, curly honey-colored waves, and the afternoon sun rays reflected shades of red in her locks here and there.

Relief set her free. Things would get back to normal now, and she wouldn’t experience any more restlessness or agonize over unanswered questions.

She had back the life she knew and loved. She had control in her hands once more. Now she would know where she stood with the people around. Happiness meant no more uncertainty to drive her crazy and fill her sleepless nights with anxiety.

The young woman drove her car slowly down the hotel driveway and turned onto the road toward the beach. A black SUV pulled out and followed her a few cars behind, but she didn’t notice. She didn’t think someone would follow her.

She drove prudently, as usual. She didn’t need to hurry. The house would be there for her whenever she arrived. She was on vacation, after all. She had done what she had to do, and now she would enjoy the sun and the ocean. She would lie on the beach in the morning and swim in the pool in the evening.

She planned to keep far from the world and stress. She needed peace and solitude for a change.

She had experienced some unusual feelings lately, although they had irritated her at times. They had brought some spicy restlessness, but she didn’t regret she had felt a little different for a while. It had been educational. However, it was nice to be herself again and get back to her old routine.

The vacation house she had rented wasn’t far from the hotel. She arrived at her destination in only fifteen minutes.

She drove in front of the bungalow erected right on the edge of the beach. There, she stopped the car to admire the little house and the surrounding area for a few moments.

She liked her oasis of peace for the following ten days. The view and the sound and smell of the ocean made her stop regretting that she had left Montreal and taken a few days off.

After a few minutes, the young woman drove her little convertible under the shelter improvised for the parking of a car and turned off the engine. She got out of the car and put up the top. She had paid for insurance but didn’t want any problems at the return of the vehicle.

The woman breathed the salty air of the sea greedily. The breeze tousled her hair, and she grinned. A brief jolt of pleasure crossed her body. She hadn’t taken a vacation for more than a couple of days for a long time.

She took her suitcase out of the trunk. Then she opened the back door and picked up her laptop. She followed the paved path to the house and looked for the house keys. The broker had told her that she would find them under the flowerpot on the right of the door. She unlocked the door and went inside.

The interior looked as the broker promised, and even better than she had expected. She never trusted the photos displayed next to rentals and had thought that the broker praised the house to make her lease it.

In spite of her reservations, the house was full of color and cozy at the same time. The furniture in the living room appeared light and comfortable. She left her laptop on the top of the little coffee table and went to have a look at the bedroom.

She needed to climb a flight of stairs to get there, but the room pleased her. The sunlight warmed the yellow of the walls and the brick-colored cover of the bed.

She knew she could find her peace of mind there. She had already connected with the house and felt as if she belonged there.

She left the suitcase on the floor next to the bed. She didn’t bother to change out of the designer dress she was wearing. Determined to enjoy the rest of the afternoon, she went out on the patio facing the sea at the back of the house.

On her way out, the young woman poured a glass of wine and picked up her cell phone. She knew that the man would call. He would always call, and she didn’t think that he would break his habit just then.

On the patio, a big colorful umbrella threw a shade over a few wicker armchairs and an oval table for six. The woman left her glass on the table and turned to look at the beach.

Beyond the patio, two deck chairs waited for her on the edge of the pool if she wanted to sunbathe. If she walked a little farther, maybe for a two–minute stroll, she could enjoy the waves of the sea.

She also left her cell phone on the table and sat in one of the armchairs. She stretched her legs onto another chair and relaxed. The last few days’ tension seeped out of her body slowly.

The woman closed her eyes for a few seconds and let her mind wander. She didn’t want to think of anything but disperse the impressions of that day. She wanted them behind in the past where they belonged. She had already fulfilled her purpose.

She had barely decompressed for a couple of minutes that the phone rang. She glanced at the display reluctantly. It read private number as always. She scowled, and that made her look much younger. She resembled a spirited teenager.

Experiencing a perverse streak, the woman let the phone ring a few times before answering.

“Hello!”

“Kate? Is it you, sweetheart?” the very well-known male voice came over the line.

“Yes, it’s me, of course,” she said, trying to stop a growl in her throat.

That was a stupid question. No one else would answer her phone.

Besides, in such moments, she utterly loathed the word sweetheart. She couldn’t discern sincerity or insincerity in the man’s words, and that distressed her. It drove her crazy.

Kate didn’t understand why he was the only person she couldn’t read. It bothered her not to know what he was thinking and what his intentions were.

“Thank you, my love. I got it. You are fantastic,” he continued, and the tone of his voice woke the butterflies in her belly.

The man’s voice was low and hoarse. She pictured a cowboy with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigar in the other. It was probably a reminiscence of her childhood days when she loved watching westerns.

Goosebumps covered her arms at the sound of his voice, and she resented herself because her IQ dropped to two digits. She thought she was smarter than that.

‘Of course, I am,’ she thought, ‘fantastically stupid, maybe,’ but she replied something completely different, “Is then everything alright?”

“Yes, my love,” the man replied and then paused for a few seconds. “You sound so close now. I usually can’t hear you so well,” he mentioned.

“Maybe you’ve got a good line,” she replied glibly, and her lips curved in a scornful smile.

Of course, they had a better connection. They were both in the same town, for Christ’s sake. Nevertheless, she didn’t intend to tell him that. She hadn’t gone through all that trouble to confess everything right then.

“Now everything will be all right,” the man continued in a firm voice. “I’ll finish everything here and come to you.”

“Don’t hurry on my account,” she replied without thinking, and then she closed her eyes tight in frustration.

Kate was afraid he would understand what she meant, and she wanted a clean break up. She didn’t feel like dragging that so-called relationship any longer.

“What do you mean?” he asked in the same hard tone of voice he used when he got angry.

His voice had a lower pitch now, and Kate perceived that hint of authority she loathed deeply.

Kate didn’t like his attitude. He probably thought she would respond to his demanding voice and behave accordingly. She knew that the reaction came naturally to him, and he couldn’t censor his words. Nevertheless, she still hated it.

“I mean that I might have to leave the country for a while, Ryan. Family problems, you know,” Kate said with nonchalance. “Of course, my phone won’t work outside the country. I don’t have roaming. I’ll call you when I can, all right?” she asked in a mollifying tone of voice.

Kate didn’t feel conciliatory right then. She merely wanted to end that conversation and cut all ties to him.

Ryan didn’t reply anything for a while, and the silence grew menacing.

“Are you still there?” she asked after almost a minute.

“Yes, I am. I’m here, Kate. And when I say here, that means here,” his reply came heatedly.

Not a second later, heavy footsteps sounded on the veranda surrounding the house. Kate glanced there, and her eyes fell on Ryan. The man was coming toward her, an ugly scowl tugging at the corners of his lips.

Ryan turned off his phone, looking at her steadily. The expression on his face didn’t announce anything good.