Forever Layla: A Time Travel Romance (9 page)

“Who is this?” Mom smiled at me and then Layla.

Layla extended her hand to Mom. “I’m Layla. David and I are old friends. I needed a ride to the grocery store
, so he helped me out.”

Mom noticed my hand still on Layla’s back.

“Friends?” Her eyebrows rose as she said it.

I dropped my hand and let it fall to my side. “Right, we’re friends.”

“Well, I always love meeting David’s friends.” Mom turned to face me. “Why don’t you bring Layla over for your birthday dinner tonight?” She turned her attention to Layla. “Just steaks by the pool.”

I shook my head. “She wouldn’t—
”

Layla interrupted me. “I don’t have any plans. I’d love to come.”

“Good, that settles it. We’ll grill around six and bring a swimsuit.”

“I look forward to it.”

Mom walked on, and I turned toward Layla. “What were you thinking accepting her invitation?”

“She’s my future mother-in-law. I should get to know her. She seems sweet.”

“But…what will we say? She’s going to have questions. Questions we can’t answer.”

“We’ll make it up as we go. It’s worked so far.” She turned back to the meats. “I plugged the fridge in before we left. I hope it’s cold enough for the food when we get back.

She finished grocery shopping, and I paid the cashier before taking the heavier bags and walking out with Layla. We put them in the truck and headed back to the old office. I waited on the sofa while she got ready to go meet my family. I looked around the room and realized it was quite boring. I’d have to at least find a radio to send back with her or something. Maybe a deck of cards to play solitaire.

She stepped out in a pink baby doll shirt and short khaki shorts and the wedge sandals she got at the beach. “How do I look?” She flattened her shirt with her hand. “I don’t have an iron here so…”

The blonde hair and dark lashes really did make her look like a Bond girl from the old movies Dad and I used to watch. My eyes were drawn to her frosty pink lips that matched the top. “I think you’re breathtaking.”

Layla lowered her head and glanced up under h
er lashes as her cheeks grew scarlet. “Thank you.”

I opened the house door and motioned for her to exit,
and then ran ahead of her to my truck to open the door.

“You are such a gentleman. I could get used to this.”

“Plan on it.” I reached out and touched her cheek with my palm. I just had to keep touching her to make sure she was real. That all of it was real.

“We need to get going. I don’t want to be late meeting your family.”

“Right.”

I jogg
ed over to the driver’s side, got in, and pulled out of the driveway. We sat in silence for about a minute before I felt that I needed to prepare her.

“My mom is quite protective of me. I’ve told you the way she always discouraged me in my interest in girls. She’s got my life mapped out to parallel my father’s. Don’t be surprised if she starts out really nice but then turns a bit condescending.”

Layla nodded. “I remember you telling me at the beach.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Yeah, but I think that’s normal.”

“Then why did you agree to her invitation?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m trying to get to know you, and knowing your family is part of knowing you.”

We pulled up to my house
, and I parked in the drive. I stepped out and went around the truck to open the door for Layla, but she’d opened it already.

“I’m sorry
. I’m just not used to people doing things for me.”

She looped her arm in mine
, and we headed for the backyard. I opened the wooden privacy fence gate and motioned her in.

Mom was seated by the pool, watching Mandy
and her friend Lori swim, while Dad used a spray bottle of water on the grill. Smoke billowed up as the fire hissed at the spray.

Mom noticed us and stood. “There you are. We were afraid you two were going to stand us up.” She grabbed me and gave me a hug. “I’ve missed you this week. We all did.”

“I didn’t,” Mandy called from the pool.

“I didn’t miss you either, squirt
.” I returned her gesture and stuck my tongue out at her.

Mom took Layla by the arm and led her to my dad at the grill. “George, this is Layla, David’s friend.”

Dad extended his hand to shake hers, only to realize he had an oven mitt on it. He shrugged his shoulders and laughed. “Sorry.” Then he took the mitt off and tucked it under his other arm. He took her extended hand and shook it. “Very nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you,” Layla answered and smiled. She glanced around the yard and up at our house. “You have a lovely home.”

“Thank you,” Mom answered as she motioned her toward the table she’d been sitting at when we first arrived. “Please have a seat.”

Layla
sat down, and I sat down beside her.

“Are you a senior at Chesnee High School? I’ve never heard David mention you?”

“No, I don’t go to the high school.”

Mom
opened a cooler. “Would you care for a soda?”

“Water would be fine.
”

Mom smiled.
“Let me run in and get you a glass.”

Layla shook her head.
“No, please don’t go to any trouble.”

Mom stepped into the house through the patio doors
, and I let out a sigh. I leaned closer to whisper, “We should just go right now.”

“We can’t do that. She’d hate me forever.”

Mom came out with the glass of water. “Here you go. So Layla, tell me again how you and David met?”

Layla looked at me and smiled and then at my mom. “I met him a long time ago, actually,
and then we ran into each other at the beach this week.”

“Ah, so you two hung out all week at the beach?” Mom looked at me for that question.

“Sorta.”

“If you don’t go to Chesnee,
which high school do you attend?”

“I…I don’t attend anywhere. I’ve already graduated high school.”

“I see. I didn’t think you looked like a high school girl. Exactly how old are you, might I ask?”

“Mom!” I felt my ja
w tighten. “That’s kind of rude.”

“Only to ask women of a certain age.” Mom smiled at La
yla. “I’m pretty sure she isn’t over thirty.”

“I’m twenty-four.”

Dad gave me a thumbs-up and a wink before mom turned to look at him, and he turned his expression to a somber one.

“Twenty-four?” Mom swallowed.

“Is there an age limit on my friends now, Mom?”

“No, I’m just…What could she possibly have in common with a high school kid?”

“I’m not a kid, Mom. Today’s my birthday—I’m eighteen. I’m now a legal adult.”

Mom glared at me.
“Being an adult is about more than a number.”

“Mom did you invite Layla here to insult us both or to celebrate my birthday?”

Dad stepped over to the table from the grill and placed a hand on Mom’s shoulder. “David’s right. This is a welcome home and a birthday party. We want to hear all about the beach and the band.” Dad looked at me and glanced over at Layla and gave me a look of approval. He was standing just behind Mom so she couldn’t see. Then he said to me, “Why don’t you show Layla the house while your mom and I talk?”

I stood and took Layla’s hand and helped her up. “Come on, Layla.”

I pulled her to the back door of the house and opened it for her and followed her inside, before pulling the door shut. Then I turned to face her. “I am so sorry for that. I thought she’d at least be a little subtle.”

Layla shook her head and smiled
. “She’s just being a mom. Someday when I have a son…” She stopped at that, and her expression changed, and she looked away from me.

“What’s wrong?”

She wouldn’t turn back to face me, so I stepped around to look at her. She was holding back tears, swiping them from her eyes with her hand.

“What’s the matter?”

She shook her head and choked back a sob. “I’m just realizing… I know too much about us.”

“Too much?”

“I’m understanding the curse of it.”

“Curse, how can it be a curse? If you know about a problem already, you can do something about it. Fix it.”

She nodded and gave me a half-smile. “Maybe. I will be thinking about how or if I can.”

“You could tell me
, and we could think about how to fix it together.”

Layla

I LOOKED INTO THOSE BLUE
eyes glowing with the innocence of youth and grinned at him. His words were proof of his age and inexperience. He didn’t know what was ahead. He was eighteen with his whole future ahead of him. To him the future was paved in gold from the end of a rainbow. There was no way I would ever take that from him. I knew my job—it was to save everyone else.

I forced a smile as I lied
. “Maybe I’ll tell you later, but not tonight.” I took his hand and looked him in the eye. “What I was going to say about your mom is, she wants the best for you. She’s older and lived longer and knows more. She’s just trying to guide you somewhere good. Somewhere safe. That’s what I would do if I ever had a son.”

His face turned pouty. It was going to take some getting used to that this David wasn’t the more mature, more adult David I knew about in the future. I looked at him and reminded myself that he would get there. That I would help get him there. I started for the door beside me. “Now, show me around this huge house. This is three times the size of any place I’ve ever lived, except the girl’s home.”

He took my hand and pulled me toward the adjacent room. “This is the den…”

Chapter 9

David

I PULLED THE TRUCK UP to the old dental office and put it in park before cutting the engine. We sat in silence until Layla spoke. “Your dad was friendly.”

I smiled and let a small laugh escape. “My dad was impressed.”

“Your little sister is sweet too. I always wanted a sister.”

“You are welcome to have mine.”

“Very funny.”

I finally opened the door and stepped out of the truck, slammed the door shut
, and jogged around to Layla’s side. She finally waited for me to open the door.

“I remembered to wait.”

“You did.”

She stepped out of the truck and moved closer to me. The air between us grew still
, and I swallowed before I grabbed hold of her wrists and pulled her closer. The energy between us was fully charged. She lowered her head, and then glanced up at me under her long dark lashes, and bit her frosty pink lips. I moved my hands from her wrists to her face, as my thumbs caressed her cheeks. My fingers brushed her blonde hair away from her face. I leaned in and our lips touched.

She made every sense become a thousand times more aware. Her hair was pure silk to my fingertips. She smelled like a garden after the morning dew, all clean and floral and like sweet fruit all at once. She tasted like salt and sugar. I felt so much in that moment
–I had no known words to express the feelings. Maybe the words didn’t even exist for mortal tongues. It was like the flashes but magnified and made into real flesh. I had to wonder if falling in love felt like this for everyone, but at the same time thought that impossible. This had to be rare. It was too perfect.

She pulled back and caught her breath. “We need to stop now.”

I nodded, took her hand, and walked her to the door. “Can I come in?”

She hesitated. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We seem to be moving so fast, no matter how we try to slow the pace. We’ve known each other a week.”

“But you’ve known me longer.”

“Not this you. I mostly knew you from a distance before.”

“I won’t stay long. I just want to make sure the place is empty, you know, go through and check the closets and all before I leave you here.”

Her expression looked like she wanted to say, ‘awww.’ “O
kay, you can come in and make sure I’m safe.” She stopped and pointed at my chest with her index finger. “Just make sure I’m safe from you, too.”

I put up two fingers. “Scout
's honor.”

Layla let us in
, and I stepped in front of her to stop her from entering first. Then I stepped in and looked around for any signs of changes or disturbances, and I listened. I walked to the kitchen and pulled open the pantry and the cabinets large enough for a person to hide. I stalked down the hall and checked behind doors, and each room and closet before I walked back to the front door. “All’s clear.”

She stepped in and made her way to the bathroom and closed the door. “Thank you f
or checking the house out. I’ve never had a guy act so protective of me before.”

“What kind of guys do you date in the future?”

She called out from behind the door. “I don’t date often. Most guys want a girl who will earn her dinners by the third date. I usually Dutch date for that reason. But then they think that means a hookup immediately because it’s not a date, just connecting to meet needs. I don’t want to feel obligated to anyone. I guess you’ve noticed that about me?” She stepped out of the bathroom wearing my t-shirt and boxers just like at the beach.

I swallowed and nodded and tried to concentrate on her face and her words. “I thought guys were supposed to take a girl out because he enjoyed her company and to expect no more than a thank you in return.”

She stepped toward me and put a palm to each of my cheeks. “That right there is why I love you.”

I sucked in a breath as my eyes grew wide.

She let go of my cheeks and turned and walked to the couch. “Not that kind of love…not yet anyway.”

I let the air out with that and followed her. She grabbed the comforter I’d brought and the pillow and started making a bed for herself on the couch.

“We will get to that though so be prepared.” She plopped on the sofa and pulled the blanket up around her. “Remember, I know things. From what I understand of our future, we are the real thing.”

I stepped closer and crouched by the couch to be at eye level with her. “But knowing things is a curse too. You said so.”

Her expression turned melancholy. “Some things. I’ll spend most days pretending I don’t know those things. Or figuring out a way to change them.”

“If you tell me, I can help you figure it out. I am kind of smart.”

She smiled at me. “I’ve heard that. Aren’t you that genius who invented time travel?”

“That’s what I’ve heard.”

I moved back and sat on the coffee table in front of her. “So, what are your plans for tomorrow? I can come by after school.”

She smiled. “That’s right. You still have another month.”

“Yeah” I shrugged at the reminder of my status as a high school kid.

“I was thinking I’d go job hunting. Are there any insurance agencies within walking distance? I looked through your mom’s trunks
, and there are a few suits and things I think I can make work.”

“Yeah, right down the street is Watson’s. They are a family here in Chesnee
—they run it. They’re the only good office in town.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, there’s also Farm National Auto, a chain insurance company. Dad used to have insurance with them when the old guy, Drake Duke Sr., ran it. He died and his son took over. Dad said he was always a joke. His name was on the sign along with his dad’s as a courtesy from his father. He was never actually in the office until his dad died. He’s always passed out at his desk. My folks quit messing with him and moved over to Watson’s. I wouldn’t bother with old Drunk Duke.

She sighed and took a deep breath. “I’ll keep all that in mind.”

I stepped toward her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll let myself out and lock the door. Sleep well.”

“I’ll try.”

I walked out the door, locked it, and got in my truck. The whole thing with Layla was surreal. The week before spring break, my only thought had been about finishing with a good GPA to get the scholarships I’d applied for. Now I was thinking about how I was supposed to prove to Layla that I was ready to move from being a kid to a man.

Surreal. Utterly surreal.

Layla

I FOUND THE FARM NATIONAL Auto office pretty easily. There are only two main streets where businesses were located in Chesnee. I pushed the glass door open. The black heels I’d found in the trunk were a little snug, especially after walking a couple blocks there, but I refused to so much as wince as I stepped into the office.

“Hello, is anyone here?” I called out.

No one answered, so I stepped around the front reception desk. “Hello?”

I walked to the opened door of the one and only office and looked inside. A too thin man with lines on his face and sparse strawberry blond hair lay drooling on the desk calendar underneath him. Beside him was an empty bottle of Jack Daniels and an empty glass.

“Hello, Mr. Duke?”

He answered with a loud snore and a snort.

The door behind me chimed as someone stepped in.

I spun around and pulled the door closed. “Can I help you?”

A man in a t-shirt, jeans, and a ball cap stepped in. “Hey, I wanted a quote on some insurance for my car.”

I smiled at him. “Sure, come have a seat.” I motioned for him to take a seat at the front desk.

I turned on the computer, knowing I didn’t have the pass code. A black screen with bright green writing came up. I punched a few attempts at guessing the code, but wasn’t accepted.

“Ugh” I grimaced at the man. “My computer is still down.” I grabbed a paper and pen off the desk. “
Let me get your information—your name and phone number, and I will call you back with a quote as soon as they get the computers up. The main office swears they will be back up by this afternoon.”

I tried to remember all the questions the program at my old office required for a quote. I took all his information before stand
ing, taking his hand to shake, and smiling at him. “I will call you this afternoon, tomorrow at the latest.”

He nodded and turned to leave.

Once he was gone, I began rummaging through the desk and binders on the table beside me, looking for the number to the main office or IT. I found the number and dialed it. A man answered.

“Hi, this is Layla at Drake Duke’s office. I’m the new office assistant. He had to step out, and I cannot for the life of me remember the pass code he gave me. I just started so I’m not in the system yet.”

“Drake is supposed to call this in himself.”

“Well, he’s not available
, and I can’t sell or service anyone for the company until I’m in.”

“Another new office manager? That’s like five this month. Tell me the truth, did he step out o
r pass out?” The man snickered.

“We’ll just say he’s indisposed.”

“I’m tired of making these codes for him to just run off all the office girls.”

“Well, I plan to stick.”

“Good luck with that. Here’s the code I assigned to the last one. If you’re still there tomorrow, I might make up a new one.”

He gave me the code
, and I thanked him before logging in. The screen was black with neon green writing. I read the prompts at the bottom and moved the mouse around but there wasn’t a cursor on the screen. I leaned closer to read and the commands along the bottom were for the f1-12 keys.

“What is this?”

I played around with it, trying to become familiar with the archaic technology. I grabbed the notepad beside me and starting taking notes for what all the function keys did. By lunch I had it all worked out and got the quote ready for the guy who had been in earlier.

Man, insurance was a lot cheaper in 1994.

I called and left a message for the guy telling him his quote. Once I’d done that, I went back into Mr. Duke’s office and tried to wake him. All he did was swat at me and babble nonsense. I looked around and found his wallet and car keys.

I looked at
them and pondered the risk to my idea. If it worked, I could end up with a job. If it didn’t, I would probably end up in jail. I grabbed the wallet, keys, and a stack of business cards from his desk and made for the parking lot. I found the black Cadillac parked just outside, unlocked it, and got in. I started the engine and put the car in reverse and backed out into the street. I drove about another block to the grocery store where I’d met David’s mother the evening before. I walked inside to the bakery and ordered five cookie trays and took them to the register where I purchased them all with Duke’s credit card. After I took them to the car, I placed the trays in the backseat and drove down the street a bit farther. I pulled into the first used car lot I saw and took the tray of cookies and business cards in.

“Hey guys, here is a little gift from the office of Drake Duke
, and here are some business cards. Could you pass these along to people buying cars?”

The guys took the cards and cookies
, and I returned to the Cadillac and drove down a bit farther and did the same thing at the next used car lot. I drove a few more miles and did the same at the Ford place and finally down a bit farther where I dropped a tray and cards at a real estate office before heading back.

Around four o’clock, Mr. Duke stumbled out to my desk as I was writing out my third policy of the day.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked, scratching his head.

“I’m your new office assistant.” I stood and grabbed the stack of policies I’d written in his name. “I need you to sign these and send them in to the main office. One guy is bringing his wife back in tomorrow to discuss life insurance. We started chatting
, and I found out they just had their first baby. I got them thinking about securing his future. Anyway, it’s been a busy day.”

Mr. Duke rak
ed his thin fingers through his long comb-over style hair and stared at me. “I need a drink.”

“Of coffee?” I jumped up and poured him a cup. “I just made a fresh pot.” I handed the mug to him before reaching into my desk for the aspirin bottle. “Take a couple of these with it.”

He took the pills and tossed them into his mouth before swallowing a gulp of coffee. Then he struggled to focus on me. “I’m sorry. I can’t remember your name.”

“Layla.” I grabbed the stack of contracts. “I will put these on your desk for you to sign. I’ve collected payments today and have the receipts in the cash drawer. I was looking at the contest the main office has going on for an office bonus. I’m going to win it for you.” I walked the contracts into his office and placed them on his desk and stepped out of his way so he could sit.

“We haven’t won a contest bonus since my dad died two years ago.”