Re-Runners First Life: A Time Travel Suspense Series (14 page)

Chapter 2

1983

Brisbane, Australia

‘But darling, why do you want to fast-track your studies and more importantly, why do you want to move to the college when home is so close?’ Kate’s mother looked at her with a mixture of concern and confusion.

Several months within the loving embrace of her family had healed Kate and given her time to think about her future. It had also shown her she couldn’t live at home anymore. To her parents she was their eighteen year old daughter, but in Kate’s head she was a woman the same age as her mother and with a world of adult experiences. She couldn’t grow and do what she needed to do, in the guise of a teenager.

Her father had remained silent throughout as Kate outlined her plans for her future university years, but now he spoke, ‘Now love, let’s hear Katie out. She has proved she is academically able to take on the extra semester.’

He looked to Kate and added with a smile, ‘Your high school results were outstanding. I think what concerns your mother is that you are young and working hard for what you want is all well and good, but you need time to have a bit of fun.’

Kate leaned forward and grasped their hands. ‘I know you are worried, but I promise I will take time out. Being in the college will make it easier to socialize, but also easier to study.’

Kate didn’t plan on doing much socializing, but she needed to reassure her parents. A science degree was in the bag, she knew it all and more. She’d already applied for the Mentoring Program which meant extra time with the university professors and only available to a small number of exceptional students. She’d been offered a placement in her last life, so she knew this would be no different, except this time she would push to complete her degree in the fastest possible time and then do her Honors year in Psychology. She wanted answers and the tools to understand herself and why she had surrendered to Eric’s control, but she also wanted to get on with her life.

‘The student loan will cover my tuition and I’ll get a job to pay for my accommodation,’ Kate told her parents.

Her father answered, ‘If you plan on working as hard as you say Katie, you won’t have time for a job. We will look after your accommodation and HECS can look after your tuition.’

A happy smile lit up Kate’s face as she stood and wrapped her arms around her mom and dad. ‘Thank you, thank you. I can do this. I’ll make you proud.’

‘We’ve always been proud of you Katie. We just want you to be happy.’ Her father’s voice was rough with emotion.

Her mother sniffed. ‘Will you visit on the weekends? Sunday lunch?’

‘Of course.’ Kate gave her another hug.

ooooo

University entry went as smoothly as Kate had expected and best of all, Melanie and she would be living in the same college house.

The next few weeks were a flurry of orientation tours, sporting events and the famous toga parties. Every faculty did their own thing, but the joint events held by the Student Council were the highlights. Kate dragged Mel along to each one of them. She was determined to build a lifetime of wonderful memories. She knew better than all the young people she now mixed with, that life was unpredictable, life was short and life could be filled with crippling regrets.

The one thing she didn’t know was why she was here and how long she had in this new life. The other thing that disturbed her nights was dreams of Mia. They seemed so real. She could feel the weight of her baby in her arms, then wake and find only emptiness and then the tears would start. She missed her beloved daughter every day and it was a hurt she buried deep. She knew in this world Mia would never exist and that was both good and bad. She also knew she would never have another child. The uncertainty of her situation wouldn’t allow it. The only thought that kept her going was the belief that in some other parallel world, Mia was growing up happily in the arms of her sister.

Chapter 3

1984

Los Angeles, USA

Money had never been an issue for Christian. Before he had planned and invested well from the proceeds of his parent’s legacy, but now he also had the advantage of hindsight and he intended using it. In the last two years his personal wealth had grown exponentially and he now held the bulk of it in several off-shore accounts with fictitious names. He had constructed a maze of shelf companies and with his advanced computer knowledge, he covered his tracks well.

The how and when of his previous demise was still a mystery, but at least by being more adept in the area of his finances, he felt he was securing another backdoor to his identity.

The shrill ring of the phone cut through the rendition of Christian’s favorite piece;
Winter
from
4 Seasons
by
Vivaldi
. As one hand slid the volume control down, the other picked up the phone.

‘Good morning, Sally,’ he said softly before she had a chance to identify herself. Christian knew who the caller would be. He’d left a message for her, but she was also the only person who knew his number.

A fleeting thought touched the edge of Christian’s consciousness.
Sally? Could she be the one who gave me up to the police?
He dismissed the notion as soon as it came.
No, Sally would never betray me
.

There were some things he knew with absolute certainty and Sally’s complete loyalty to him was one. Yes, he had allowed her to get closer to him than anyone else, but he doubted she could ever make a definite connection between him and the killer they called
le Segador
. In any case, he could bend Sally to his will without any effort. She was his completely and she would not,
could
not, betray him. They had found him some other way. He just had to work on it.

In the meantime, he felt like celebrating. He was almost ready to enjoy his next kill and the anticipation was exhilarating. ‘I’ve booked our usual table at
lo Mangio.
Shall I meet you there or pick you up from your apartment?’

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Excerpt from

Love Me, Love My Sister

To follow…

It's been 10 years since Beth Taylor has seen the man she secretly gave her heart and body to as a teenager and now he's her boss.
Their relationship grew from the letters that passed between them when he was fighting in Vietnam and she was a high school senior; but he believed the letters where coming from Beth's beautiful older sister Jennifer, whom he had met in a Sydney nightclub the night before he was deployed.
Can Beth put her feelings behind her and work with Nic?
When Jennifer comes to town with Nic in her predatory sights, will Nic forgive the woman he believes broke his heart and again fall under her spell?
Can Beth stand by and watch it happen or should she tell him the truth of the deception she and her sister committed all those years ago?

1982 - Sydney - Australia

Beth felt unsettled. Coming face to face with Nicholas Baxter a week before she had expected, had not been a part of her plans; nor was meeting him in his office in fifteen minutes. She wasn’t ready for this.

Her initial discussion with Michael Masters, the General Manager of Baxter Constructions had gone well. They had head-hunted her, after all. This was her dream job and she’d already decided that a teenage infatuation wasn’t going to keep her from it.

Michael’s casual announcement that CEO Nic Baxter had arrived back from Singapore earlier that day had sent her into a spin of emotions she hadn’t expected.

At least a coffee and a chat with Michael had steadied her nerves, but not enough. She knew that as the new head of the Interior Design department, she would be expected to have regular meetings with senior staff... and that included Nic, but just not yet!

Not ready.. not ready.
The mantra played over and over in her head.

Beth had been involved in several government projects since her return from the UK over two years ago and despite Baxter Constructions being the foremost private company in the area of environmentally positive construction, she had so far managed to avoid coming across Nic Baxter in a professional or private setting. But this job was a great career leap for her. To be in charge of the Interior Design arm of the company and with the promise of complete creative control was a dream come true. It was what she wanted and Baxter Constructions was the leader in this field. The unfortunate fact that the owner happened to be Nic Baxter was a problem she believed she could handle. She’d been so confident that she was mentally and emotionally prepared for this meeting, but the racing of her pulse told another story.

Michael stood and opened his office door. ‘You look a little tense. I promise he won’t bite, despite his reputation,’ he joked. ‘I’ll give you some time alone and then meet you on the top floor in fifteen minutes.’

ooooo

Beth stared at her reflection in the mirror of the staff bathroom. She felt sick with nerves and her face was drawn and pale. She quickly began digging into her handbag for makeup to improve the pasty pallor of her skin. She had ten minutes left before she was due in Nic Baxter’s office. Her hands shook as she tried to apply her lip-gloss.

‘Maybe the coffee didn’t help after all,’ she mumbled. Her green eyes looked huge in her face and she gave her cheeks a pinch to encourage some color. What surprised her most was her reaction to the news that Nic had arrived back early.

Ten years is enough time to get over a schoolgirl crush. I am over it – I AM.

Stepping back to get a better view of her reflection, Beth began a silent observation. Tall and slender she may be, but still a curvaceous woman; not a skinny eighteen year old. A woman who had seen the world and at twenty-eight was one of the most sought after specialists in the new area of ‘environmental design’. Her hand reached up to smooth her hair, fashioned in a perfect chignon. The severe style was flattering and emphasized her high cheekbones and determined chin. No baby-faced chubbiness there. No, Nic Baxter would not recognize her from the brief glimpse he had of her all those years ago. As for the night they had spent together then, he would never make the connection. In the darkness of the room he thought she had been her sister Jennifer. She smiled confidently at her reflection and ran her hands over her smart designer suit.

Stop thinking Beth, and BREATHE.

Minutes later Beth entered the outer office to the penthouse suite and was greeted by a hearty voice, ‘Well, you must be Elizabeth Taylor. A more beautiful namesake there’s never been. Your mother’s choice or your fathers? She is my favorite movie star... Elizabeth Taylor that is. They don’t make stars like that anymore. My, you’re a tall one, my dear.’ The introduction was delivered in an Irish brogue, without pause and at shotgun speed.

Beth took the hand that was offered by the rotund woman with the big smile.

‘I’m Dulcey Porter, but everyone around here calls me Mrs P. I’m Mr Baxter’s personal assistant.’ She waved her over to a lounge against the wall. ‘Have a seat, my dear. He won’t be long.’

Beth guessed that the woman must be about sixty years of age and looked as though she would be more at home in her kitchen with a hoard of grandchildren at her heels. Her opinion soon changed as she watched with fascination as Mrs P simultaneously worked at her computer, slipped through a mountain of files, answered the phone and carried out a conversation with her, all without missing a beat.

They both turned to the sound of the elevator doors opening. Michael strode through the room with a big smile and headed in Mrs P’s direction. He gathered her up in a big bear hug. ‘Ahh Mrs P, I haven’t seen you all day,’ he laughed.

Dulcey chuckled and swatted his arm. ‘Off with you, Mr Too Charming for His Own Good. I’m trying to present a professional front for our new Department Head and now you’ve gone and made me look silly.’

‘No-one could ever make you look silly Mrs P. We all know this company would collapse in a heap without you.’

Michael turned to Beth. ‘I didn’t ask before Elizabeth, but as we are all on a first name basis here, except for Mrs P of course.’ He winked at Dulcey. ‘What name do you prefer? Elizabeth?’

Beth smiled and thought for a moment. ‘Professionally I use Elizabeth, but my family call me Beth.’

‘Then Beth it is,’ answered Michael. ‘I hope we will soon all feel like family to you.’

Mrs P smiled at him. They obviously had a great working relationship. Beth had noticed that the same camaraderie was evident with all the staff she had met so far.
I’m going to enjoy working here.

A soft beep sounded. Mrs P looked up from her keyboard. ‘You can go in now.’

Beth stood, squared her shoulders and pasted a smile on her face. She looked far more confident than she was feeling as she walked through the door Michael held open for her. A wall of glass displaying the magnificence of Sydney Harbor was the first thing she saw. She was mesmerized. Michael made himself comfortable on a leather sofa and indicated that she sit on one of the chairs fronting the large antique desk. Still standing, Beth quickly scanned the empty room and returned her gaze to the startling blue ocean and sky.

‘It’s hard to drag yourself away, isn’t it?’ a deep voice came from behind her.

She turned quickly, as Nic Baxter entered the office from a bathroom discreetly hidden behind a wall of mahogany paneling. Head bowed, he rubbed his head vigorously with a small hand towel. His hair was damp and darker than she remembered, but she could see the golden strands that ribboned through it. She was taken back to the first time she had seen him. The powerful, wide shoulders and trim waist were still there and he moved with the same smooth grace.

Couldn’t he have at least lost a bit of hair or developed a paunch
, Beth sighed to herself.

‘Please take a seat.’ Nic indicated a nearby chair as he moved behind the massive desk. ‘You’ll have to excuse me. I haven’t long arrived from overseas and needed a wakeup call, hence the head wetting.’

His jacket had been discarded over the back of the leather office chair and he had rolled his shirtsleeves to the elbow, exposing tanned, muscular arms, sprinkled with sun-bleached hair. She watched him absently run his hand through his hair to bring some semblance of order. It only made him look more sexily male.
He’s a damn Greek god,
she moaned softly.

Suddenly she was fixed in his gaze, like a startled rabbit in the light. She’d forgotten how blue his eyes were.

‘Did you say someth....’ he began, pausing as he looked at her completely for the first time. A slight frown creased his brow as his gaze travelled over her, taking in everything in a quick but thorough perusal. ‘Have we met before?’ he asked.

Beth felt her heart skip.
No, surely not. He couldn’t remember. He couldn’t
.

She looked at him and in a steady voice, lied. ‘No... No we haven’t.’

He held her gaze for what seemed like an infinitely long time and then shook his head. ‘Of course not. Just for a moment there, you reminded me of someone.’ He smiled briefly. ‘Well, let me officially welcome you to Baxter Constructions, Elizabeth. Call me Nic.’