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

“I’d like to go shopping,” Naomi announced. “I spotted another Galeries Lafayette store over there,” she pointed to her left, “and then I’ll hang out at the hotel until I meet Kai.” She didn’t look at Stella.

“As long as you don’t try to sneak into the catacombs...”

Naomi mumbled something, but didn’t clarify when Stella gave her a questioning look.

“How are you getting to the park? Do you know where it is?” Stella asked.

“I’ll look it up and take the metro.”

“I have an idea,” David said.

“Uh-oh,” Naomi quipped.

“Stella and I are meeting at seven. Let me arrange for a taxi to pick you up at quarter of seven,” he said, “It can drop Stella off first, then bring you to the park to meet your friend.”

Naomi nodded and said, “Good thinking, Danvers. You’ve earned yourself a check in the plus column.”

David shook his head with a grin, then asked Stella, “Wanna go to the Eiffel Tower? You said you’d like to go to the top, and afterward I can either walk you back to your hotel or we’ll find something else to visit.”

“Can we grab a sandwich somewhere on the way? I’m really hungry again.”

David laughed, “What happened to the old Stella?”

“She changed…” Stella said quietly.

CHAPTER 29

David—July 2018

D

avid sat in one of the oversized chairs in his hotel’s lobby. It was classy, with a touch of modern, decorated in shades of beige and white, with the inevitable black item of furniture as an accent. Huge flower arrangements and potted plants were scattered throughout the wide space, which now basked in the fading sunlight of the early evening beaming through the domed glass ceiling.

His attention didn’t sway from the entrance doors, except for the occasional time check on his phone. It was 7:05.

Where is she? She’s always on time. His palms were sweaty—and sitting still was almost impossible. What if she changed her mind?

After spending today with Stella, being around her and watching her take in as many details of Paris as possible, he was happier and more content than he’d been in a long time. You know exactly since when…

But did she feel the same? Did she only let him hold her hand and kiss her cheek to placate him? He didn’t get that impression this afternoon. First, they visited the Eiffel Tower, and then went to the Centre Pompidou. David recalled her reaction when she saw the Stravinsky Fountain in front of the contemporary museum, how she stopped walking and gasped.

The memory of her eyes widening and the slow smile spreading across her face filled him with longing.

They spent a long time at the fountain. She wanted to know what it represented, and he summarized a quick google search result, “There are sixteen sculptures, and each is inspired by one of Igor Stravinsky’s compositions. The black metal sculptures were made by Jean Tinguely, and the abstract, colorful ones by his wife, Niki de Saint Phalle.”

“I love how all the pieces are spraying water while they twist in different directions.”

He thought of the fountain as a complicated, animated 3D puzzle. Every piece of art in the water basin seemed to dance to their individual rhythms, but if one stopped moving, the whole effect would be destroyed.

He knew he needed to fix what he destroyed last year. And he knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Saying sorry wasn’t going to cut it. Tracy Chapman nailed it in her song, “Baby Can I Hold You.” He just hoped he’d somehow find the right words.

In his mind, he formulated dozens of apologies, but he knew none were good enough.

Would he be able to share his biggest fear with her, something he’d never told anyone else?

Or would he lose her before he had a chance to win her back?

And—where is she??

A waiter crossed the lobby and asked him, “May I bring you anything to drink, monsieur?”

If he ordered a whiskey and a glass of Stella’s favorite wine, would she think he presumed to know what she wanted? The Stella he used to know wouldn’t. But he wasn’t sure how the new Stella would react. What was it she mumbled earlier about the old Stella? “She changed…”

Time changed people.

Disappointment changed people.

He remembered when Stella almost guiltily ordered a glass of champagne with lunch at the charming patisserie on their way to the Eiffel Tower, and how much she enjoyed it.

“A bottle of Dom Pérignon, please.”

“How many glasses?” the waiter asked.

“Two. Thank you.” He didn’t drink on a regular basis, but he allowed himself an occasional glass of whiskey or wine with dinner on days when he wasn’t performing.

David jumped out of his chair when Stella walked into the lobby, and for a moment time stood still. Her black sleeveless dress hugged every perfect curve of her beautiful body. He wanted to memorize every detail. His eyes soaked her in, down to the dark pink nail polish on her toes.

Hell, Danvers, don’t go all soft and mushy over nail polish. But it was her nail polish, and on her toes, and its effect on him was the opposite of soft and mushy. Very opposite, and very inappropriate timing.

She waved when she saw him and hurried toward him. He met her halfway. “Stella, you look amazing.”

“Thank you.” The corners of her mouth curled up and he wanted to kiss her.

A pearl pendant hung from a delicate gold chain, resting below her collarbone. David remembered reading about an ancient belief about pearls being created from angels’ tears. He hated the idea of Stella crying, but after his dipshit move last year, she must have enough pearls for a triple strand necklace.

He cleared his throat and put his mouth close to her ear, “I love your nail polish and have to ask, um…what’s the color called?”

Her boisterous, buoyant laughter had people in the lobby turning to see the source, but so what? Hearing the carefree sound was worth it.

She beckoned for him to come closer again. “Shower with Flowers. Do you like it?”

“You have