Page 8 of Twin Flames
Cara shoved her phone back into her handbag. She wouldn’t tell Daniel she was having lunch with George; partly because she didn’t understand what was going on, and partly because she was certain he would disapprove. And she wouldn’t blame him. No, best keep it to herself.
She didn’t want to miss a minute with George. This marvellous serendipity would be over soon enough, and she’d return to her busy yet rather mundane social life.
‘I’m off to Seville next week. I’m speaking at a conference,’ she said.
‘Really? What a coincidence! We have an office there, and I have a house in the city. It’s an amazing place.’
‘I’ve travelled to Spain a lot but have only been to Seville a couple of times. I’d love to see more of the city if I get a chance. You know how it is with these events; you end up travelling all over the world and only see the inside of hotel conference rooms.’
He knew exactly how it was. They discovered they had much in common through their work and had travelled to many of the same important cultural centres on the trail of historical research.
‘Isn’t it odd that we’ve never run into each other before?’ said Cara.
‘Yes, it’s strange, especially since we seem to know many of the same people.’
The conversation took a more personal turn, and Cara told him how her father had rescued her from a children’s home, and later adopted her.
‘What an incredible twist of fate. To think, you would have had an entirely different life but for the events of that one day.I sometimes wonder where I’d be now if I’d made different choices. I have a daughter. She can be a bit of a handful, like most teenagers, I suppose. But she’s quite wonderful. My wife assures me she’ll calm down soon enough.’
George’s innocent account of an everyday exchange with his wife twisted her gut. She felt as though she’d been knifed. His fingers were bare: he wore no wedding ring. She’d just assumed he was single.
Why did I think that? Because in my visions he’s married to me!
It was all wrong that he was married to someone else.
Caratook a slice of bread from the basket and poured too much olive oil on it. The excess dripped off the surface and splashed onto the table.
George grabbed a napkin and mopped up the mess.
She hoped he wouldn’t notice her gutted expression. She knew she wore her feelings on her face.
‘We were married in our early twenties,’ he continued, seemingly unaware of the effect his revelations were having on her.
‘Our parents were, in fact, still are close friends. They planned our marriage really. We were just kids. Joanna was my first proper girlfriend. It happened so fast. We thought we knew it all back then.’
Cara tried to look nonchalant.
What the hell!
Why hadn’t she considered the possibility he was married?
Well, you’re engaged, she berated herself.
It didn’t stop her having intense feelings for George. She didn’t want to volunteer any information about Daniel, but George asked how long they’d been engaged and she felt obliged to reply. She thought she saw a shadow cross his face but couldn’t be sure. Perhaps he was only interested in herin a professional capacity; he was married after all. It was immediately obvious they could collaborate to enhance their careers. They enjoyed each other’s company, and it seemed as though they would work harmoniously together. But Cara couldn’t shake the visions of them in another life. She briefly considered mentioning it to him but dismissed the notion. He’d think her insane. She glanced at the clock again. It was almost three. George noticed and signalled for the bill.
He touched her arm as they exited the restaurant. Her mouth was dry and she struggled to swallow.
‘Thanks so much for a lovely lunch,’ she said, trying to sound casual.
George escorted her to the door of her black BMW.
They stood together for a moment in the car park, neither knowing what to say but enjoying their proximity.
Cara forced herself to move away, and she slid into her car.
George closed the door after her and then poked his tousled head through the window. She was joyful in his presence. There was something about him that made her feel alive. The discovery that he was married hadn’t dimmed her feelings for him. He was her husband in another time.
Don’t be a fool, Cara.
