Chapter Eighteen

 

 

 

Alex swore and threw his tablet across the room. He watched with grim satisfaction as it shattered and fell to the floor in pieces.

“Bad news?”

And, of course, his father had to be there to witness his slip of composure. “Just some disappointing news, Papa.”

“Just disappointing?” He eyed the remnants of the tablet skeptically. “What happens when you get news that’s truly upsetting?”

He huffed an amused breath. “You don’t want to know.”

That made his father smile a little. “Was that the latest doctor, then?”

Alex didn’t really want to share the news with his father but knew that he wouldn’t leave without discussing things. “No one thinks that they can do anything to help me.”

“Thinks or knows they can do nothing?”

“I know what you’re going to say.” As much as he hated to admit it, it was probably time to admit that there was nothing that was going to bring his memory back.

“Don’t you think that it’s time to give up on it, then?”

Alex was thinking the same thing. How long had he wasted on this madness? He’d flown back from Paris a few nights before and had checked in with the specialists in Nice for a report that hadn’t met his expectations.

“Have you spoken to Maia lately?”

He hadn’t. He’d been so caught up in research and traveling between experts and work sites he barely had time to sleep let alone text or call Maia. Alex was sure they could survive time apart. Wasn’t she the one who insisted they be grown-ups?

“No. Why do you ask?”

His father pulled out a copy of Pulse. Alex had read Maia’s report on their hotels and was pleased with the result. The spread was tasteful and detailed with photos that were alluring.

Alex nodded approvingly before his father produced another issue of the magazine. He chuckled. “Checking out the competition, Papa?”

Guillaume ignored his son’s comment. He quickly flipped through to find the page that he wanted, folded the magazine back and handed it to his son.

Alex took it and read. It was an article by Chloe about the nightlife at the new resort in Mexico that Maia had been sent to. The other woman’s writing wasn’t at the same level as Maia’s. It was quick, to the point. Hardly compelling. He scanned her drivel about the amazing restaurants. That was until his eyes reached the photos. His jaw clenched the instant he saw the pictures. Maia and Tomas. It was as if something in his head imploded with each photo. They looked so content. Sharing a smile over their meal, walking together on the resort grounds, there was even a picture of Maia pulling him closer.

Jealousy, pain, anger all hit his gut at once. He didn’t want to believe that she would cheat on him but photos didn’t lie. How could she betray him? It was true he hadn’t called her or texted in a little while but did that warrant her running off with someone else?

His father handed him another one with a feature on the Singapore F1 where Maia was at a table with racer and notorious womanizer Riccardo Vitalli, enjoying drinks. He crushed the magazines in his hand and tossed them aside. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Papa.”

“I showed it to you because I wanted you to see what you were doing.” He patted his son on the shoulder. “When was the last time you talked to Maia?”

“A few days ago.” It wasn’t the case and they both knew it. He revised his answer. “A couple of weeks.”

“Are you sure?”

The tone of his father’s voice irritated him, but he pulled out his phone to check his outgoing calls. According to the listed dates it had been a couple of months at least since he’d last called her. He had to have texted her more recently than that. He checked. Those too were far down the list. And there were a few texts from her that he hadn’t seen. He flicked through them and he could see that she’d progressed from flirty, to worried, to resigned. The few messages she’d left were the same. He swore under his breath.

“It might not be as bad as you think. You know as well as I do how easily a photo can be manipulated and misconstrued.”

Sure, it could have all been very innocent. But what were the odds of she and Tomas accidentally meeting up when he knew Maia was flitting from one side of the planet to the other while Tomas did the same? It had to take some coordination to find the time and meet.

Alex gritted his teeth. But from the way that she’d behaved when they were together, she was as enamored with him as he was with her. She had to be. He couldn’t be the only one to feel the chemistry, the connection.

But she and Tomas did have a past. One that Tomas made clear he had been eager to resume. With him out of the way, had the other man simply stepped in? Had Maia let him?

Anger flared. Was this some game for her? A way to get back at him? She’d said she didn’t blame him for how things ended the last time, but had she meant it? He had to wonder if her hatred of him ran deeper than even she realized.

Alex raked his hands through is hair. “When was that published?”

Guillaume shook his head. “The last is from this month. The other, from the month before.”

“But the photos could have been taken at any time between this week and the last time I saw her, couldn’t they?”

“It’s fathomable. But I want you to use your head. I don’t think that Maia would do anything to hurt you. If you look at the photos, it’s all very innocent.”

He didn’t want to look at them again. But he picked up the magazines and smoothed the pages so he could get a better look. He scoured the images of Maia and Tomas closely. Sure enough they were just eating. Maia looked more interested in the content of her plate than what was going on around her. In the one of them walking, they weren’t so much together as Tomas following her. And the one of her pulling him toward her, a closer inspection of her hand showed it was flat. She had been pushing him away. It didn’t mean that it was all innocent off camera. His eyes zeroed in on the one of her kissing him on the cheek. But it didn’t warrant jumping to conclusions either. Chloe had taken the pictures wanting things to look suggestive, even if there was nothing in them to warrant speculation.

Fury at himself and at Chloe descended in a red haze. He didn’t even bother looking at the other magazine. He had been the one to push her away. If she thought he had cut her out of his life again, why wouldn’t she look for someone else?

The thought of Maia in another man’s arms twisted his gut.

Alex quickly picked up his phone and dialed. “If you’ll excuse me, Papa, I’ve got some things to sort out.”

“Of course, son.” His father gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Just trust in your feelings for each another. Don’t let outside forces influence you.”

“Stop worrying, Papa.” Alex couldn’t say the same for himself. He studied his father a moment. He wasn’t as concerned as Alex was. “You believe things will work out for us?”

“Son. You two are good together if only you could just get away from these walls you put up around yourselves. First you don’t believe her, then she finally lets you in, then you find a way to distance yourself with this fool’s errand.” Guillaume closed his hands over Alex’s shoulders. “You have a real chance at happiness here. Don’t let it slip away because you can’t let go of the past.”

Guillaume left his son to contemplate what he was doing to his life.

 

* * * *

 

Maia got on the packed train to Zermatt not too long after dinner. Already the snow had started to come down. It was hard to imagine that the fluffy flakes would turn into something life-threatening as the world outside slept under a thick white blanket while they rushed past.

She settled back and attempted to do a little reading on her phone. It would be so easy right now just to curl up in a ball in her seat and fall asleep. Maia forced herself to focus on the words, refusing to give in to the urge.

The same page had been staring her in the face for quite some time when a pleasant voice over the PA broke the silence. The discontented murmurs from around her washed away the hazy clutches of sleep. Whatever was just said wasn’t good news.

The voice spoke again, this time in English. “Please be advised that because of adverse weather conditions, we will be unable to continue to Zermatt…”

That was all Maia needed to hear. Skiing was going to have to wait, apparently.

It was chaos at the terminal. Inconvenienced travelers always made the worst kind of anarchy. She avoided all the shouting and finger pointing, searching instead for somewhere quiet to try to call and find out if there was any other way of getting to the resort.

Staring out at the snow, she dialed ahead to the resort but got nothing. Another call to Jo met the same fate. Cursing the god of cell reception, she looked around for an alternative. The few payphones were at the end of long, winding lines that discouraged her from joining.

She avoided them and headed toward the waiting area but that was filled as well. Maia was about to give up when she spotted the two Aussies from dinner. Looking for a little camaraderie, she headed over.

She was greeted with broad smiles. “G’day.”

Maia gave them a small smile. “Not really. It looks like we’re stuck here for a while.”

They shared a look before they turned back to her. “Actually, we were able to get a helicopter to take us the rest of the way. If you want, we could give you a lift.”

She looked at the curtain of white falling outside. “What about the weather?”

“It’s not that bad yet. If we get out of here now, we can beat the worst of it.” The tall one smiled. “Better than spending who knows how long stuck here, isn’t it?”

It was. Almost anything with a bed would be at this point. “Which way?”

She received jovial claps on the back as they walked with her to the helipad.

 

* * * *

 

Maia kept a white-knuckled grip on the handle as the helicopter dipped and plunged as it was buffeted by the wind. Garrett and Dane, her two new friends from the Land Down Under, seemed to find her terror hilarious, like just about everything else. The two thrill seekers loved every moment of it.

“You have to meet up with us for some skiing. We can make a day of it. Or two!” Dane jostled her shoulder with his, chuckling when she flinched as the helicopter shuddered.

“If we survive this.” They lurched again, throwing them up in the air for a second before crashing back into their seats.

That and her comment gained more uproarious laughter.

Maia ignored them in favor of concentrating her energy on not vomiting, passing out or falling out of the helicopter. The last two weren’t likely, but the first…

“You guys have to let me pay for this.” Her stomach rolled. Wasn’t she paying for it already?

“Money is irrelevant. You come skiing with us and we’ll call it even.”

Maia wasn’t sure if she agreed or not. All she wanted was to be on the ground again.

She closed her eyes and hung on.

Luckily the pilot felt the same way about getting to the ground ASAP and they flew to the car-free town in record time. The instant they landed, Garrett helped her out, while Dane took her bags. She must have looked really bad because their jovial mood was subdued as they helped her to the hotel.

She could only remember thanking them, the receptionist’s concerned smile and a blurred trip to her room before falling face first into the bed.

First impressions of the place would have to wait until she could see straight.

 

* * * *

 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Girard. I can’t tell you where Maia is.”

Alex scrubbed his hand over his face. He’d finally managed to get a hold of Maia’s editor, Jo, but the woman was being less than cooperative. “Please. I’ve been trying to get a hold of her and haven’t been able to. Have you been able to reach her? Have you spoken to her lately? Gotten a text?”

There was a slight hesitation. “I heard from her a couple of days ago.”

“But nothing since?” His stomach clenched. “I know she keeps in constant contact with you. The only time she didn’t was when we were stuck in Belize. Are you telling me you aren’t worried about her?”

“Are you saying you are?” she asked icily.

Had Maia been sharing with her boss about what was going on with them? “Of course I am. So if you could please tell me where she is—”

“I’m not going to do that, but when she checks in, I’ll let her know you’re looking for her.”

He clenched his fist around the phone. It might not have been what he wanted but it was better than nothing.

Alex managed to grind out a less than pleasant sounding, “Thank you.”

He hung up and dropped the phone on the table. Well, he’d gone and made a total mess of things. Maia was out there somewhere and he had no clue where. He couldn’t find her. She wasn’t answering his calls or his texts. He wasn’t even sure if she was getting them or if she was ignoring him or had changed her number. Which he wouldn’t blame her if she had done either one.

Alex could only imagine what she was thinking. What she thought of him. For the second time, he’d disappeared on her. Only this time he’d done exactly what she’d thought he’d done the first time. The irony was almost laughable.

He had to find her. All he wanted was a chance to explain. And perhaps beg for forgiveness.

That was if she would even give him the time of day. If he was Maia, he’d have a few choice words for him.

After his father had left him to think, Alex realized that what he was doing was insane. He had the chance for something new and pure and he had all but thrown it away because of his quest to sate his own desires. Not a thought was given to what Maia wanted or needed.

Maybe what she needs is someone else?

The thought of her with anyone other than himself veiled his vision in a red haze. It wasn’t an option. He might not have been reunited with her for very long, but he knew that they belonged together. That he couldn’t be without her.

An email notification pinged on his phone and Alex took a quick glance, sure that it would be nothing more than junk or status updates on work sites. But he caught Maia’s name just before the screen went black again.

Snatching it from the table, he tapped the screen until the email opened in full. He had asked all the hotels within their scope to look out for her name and that of the magazine she worked for and even Chloe’s name on the off chance that either of them had checked in. He never expected to see Maia’s name since she seemed to be avoiding him, but there was always the chance. No matter how slim that was.

And as luck would have it, it had happened. The reservation was under her own name but according to the records, she’d checked out almost as soon as she’d checked in. It didn’t matter. She had been in Zurich a few days ago. He did a quick search for any new resorts in the area and was rewarded with one in Zermatt. She had to be there.

Triumphant, he saved the information and immediately called his pilot. She was so close. He could be with her again within a few hours. He imagined her glowing and flushed as they made love next to a cozy fire and his body tightened in anticipation.

He outlined his intention to the pilot, but was surprised by the response.

“I’m afraid we can’t travel to Zermatt right now, sir.”

“Why not?” Alex was about ready to strangle the man through the phone. He needed to get to Maia and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

There was an audible gulp from the man on the other end of the line. “The weather won’t allow it. I can probably take you to Geneva but that might be as close as we’ll be able to get.”

Alex’s stomach clenched. Maia was trapped in a storm? “Then Geneva it is. Be ready within the hour.” If that was as close as he could get to her at the moment, he’d take it. There had to be other ways of getting to her and he’d find one once he got there. He would reach her even if the only way to get to her was by dogsled.

“Yes, sir.”

Preparations for the trip were made quickly. Once he had told his father his intentions and made a quick stop in the city, Alex boarded the plane. He just hoped Maia was okay and that she would give him another chance.