Turn Back Time (The Full Circle Series Book 1) Annette Anders (shoe dog free ebook TXT) 📖

“Oh, boy. He’s one of those people you have to meet in person to get the full picture.”

“What does he do for work?” Julia asked. “How old is he? Girlfriend, wife? Hobbies?”

“He is thirty-five, the best friend of Stella’s brother, and his work is his hobby, or vice versa. Revan works as a documentary photographer, but he’s also doing freelance photography. He goes to politically unstable countries and war zones with a news team, and then combines the assignment with a private side trip to some other hot spot. Heaven knows how he comes up with all his destinations.”

“Sounds as if he’s looking for adrenaline kicks?” Julia asked and picked up a chunk of tuna with her fork.

“You can say that again! And it’s why he doesn’t do relationships. He says it’s not fair to a woman to live in constant worry over whether he’s coming back alive or in a wooden box,” Stella added with a side glance at Naomi.

“Even though there might be women who understand it’s part of who he is.” Naomi twisted her mouth and looked at her hands. “He’s the best friend you can imagine, and he’d do anything for those he loves.” She quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and reached for her fork.

Stella gave Naomi’s shoulder a gentle rub. Her friend could put on a tough show, but in one case she wore her heart on her sleeve. And everybody in their small group of friends knew it...all but one.

“I can’t wait to meet him,” Julia said with an encouraging smile for Naomi.

“Are you going to call your friend and tell her you cut the trip with Merveille Tours short?” Stella asked, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah, tonight, from the hotel. I don’t think she’ll be surprised to hear it. Harry had affairs for years, but he never tried anything with me or anybody else who’s close to Emily. This was a new low, and it will be the last straw for her. She started divorce proceedings about two years ago, when their youngest kid finished high school, but Harry begged and whined and, for reasons that baffle me, she called it off.”

“Maybe she still loves him,” Naomi said, her voice steady and strong again.

“No, and I don’t know if she ever was in love with him. They met when she was a senior in college, at a career fair where he was one of the recruiters for some large company. She got pregnant not much later, and believed marriage was the right thing to do.”

“So, he’s older than she is?”

“Yeah, quite a bit. Even back then I thought it was sleazy when he started something with her.”

“What about their children?” Stella said. “How will they react if she files for divorce?”

“They’ve witnessed enough scenes over the years, and they aren’t close to him. I was serious this morning when I told him I won’t try to stop Emily. She’s young enough to find someone who treats her with respect and shows her real love.”

“Will he make it difficult for her?” Naomi wanted to know.

“With him you never know, but I don’t think so. He owns a head-hunting business, even though he prefers to call it consulting, and it wouldn’t be good for his reputation if this got out. In the past it was hard to prove anything, because the women he approached kept it quiet. But this time he made the mistake of putting his hands on me. And I don’t shy away from the media,” Julia speared an olive with her fork before putting it in her mouth and biting down slowly.

Their hotel was in a well-kept neighborhood, mainly residential, but with little stores and small restaurants scattered throughout. Stella found the combination charming.

After they finished checking in, she looked around the lobby. Mix-and-match chairs and sofas in vivid patterns invited guests to make themselves comfortable, and Andy Warhol-style artwork covered the walls.

She said, “Revan would love this hotel. At home, he prefers monochrome décor, but I know he loves bold accents.”

“Let’s hope we’ll be sitting here with him soon,” Naomi replied. “As soon as Julia’s done at check-in, we’ll decide what to do next.”

“I have to write to Luca, and I also promised David to let him know when we’re here.”

“You know you broke your promise—no, our deal—not to mention his name on this trip. Ha! I’ll get to pick your first date after we’re back at home.”

“Go ahead and scroll through your Rolodex of discarded dates. I can manage to get through an evening listening to baseball statistics or stock market trends.” She yawned for good measure.

Naomi laughed, “No, I’ll find someone more exciting for you. Scout’s honor!”

“Are we back to Girl Scouts? You haven’t been a Scout in how many decades? Anyway, they don’t count anymore.”

“Okay, I’m done,” Julia announced, and waved her key card.

When they walked into their room, all three stopped and laughed. Three beds stood close to each other, headboards against the wall, with just enough space for nightstands between them.

“Somebody’s been sleeping in my bed,” Naomi whined and plopped on the middle bed.

“As long as nobody’s been eating from my bowl of porridge, I’m fine,” Stella said.

“Guess I’ll take the broken chair,” Julia laughed.

“Which bed do you want, Julia?” Stella said.

“I don’t have a preference, go ahead and pick yours. All I need is a pillow and an outlet to charge my laptop and phone!”

“Then I’d like the one near the balcony.”

Julia put her purse on her bed and shoved the suitcase next to it. “How ’bout we all get settled in, and in thirty minutes go look around the neighborhood. The Luxembourg Gardens aren’t far from here. And the Montparnasse Cemetery is also close by. We could take a self-guided tour there before they close at sunset.”

“Are you switching professions? Shall I call you Caroline?” Naomi rolled over on her stomach.

“Sure, go ahead, Goldilocks,” Julia countered without missing a beat.

Stella went to the