1997 (90s Flashback Series Book 2), page 19
We reluctantly pull apart, Kurt with a lazy smile on his face, and me with flushed cheeks.
“Maybe I could change my flight,” he says.
“Well, decide now, because I have stuff to do if you don’t need my car.”
Kurt looks at me and I can see the longing. “I want to…”
“But it would just be putting off the inevitable,” I reason.
“You’re right. Okay. I suppose we should go.”
Kelsey hands Kurt a small plastic container containing a mini mudcake. “You can have this to remember Anna by.”
He takes it, laughing. “Thank you.”
“Anna, do you want to lock up and I’ll help Kurt put his suitcase in the car?”
“Sure.” I head over and turn the key in the lock before pulling down the security door and locking it too.
I head back over to the car.
“You can drive,” Kelsey says, handing me her keys. “And Kurt, I’m letting you sit in the front passenger seat, just this once.”
“Thanks, Kelsey,” he says, appreciatively.
“You can drop me off at home on the way, and then Anna, I expect you to bring this car home safely.”
“I’ll treat it as if it were my own.”
We drive via the Valley, where Kelsey lives with Jackson, and she waves to Kurt. “It was great meeting you! I hope it’s not the last time I get to see you!”
“Me too. Thanks again, Kelsey.”
Kurt and I drive in silence for a few minutes.
“This is a bit weird, isn’t it?” I say eventually.
“Yeah, I guess. Considering we really only met properly yesterday. Unless you count…”
“I’m sorry I didn’t hang around at the speed-dating thing. It wasn’t a great night for me. I’d had a lot to drink and then I had a bit of a disagreement with Billy…”
“Rachel told me. I am so sorry about that. I sort of hold myself responsible. Billy used to be a good friend, but he’s changed a lot in twenty years. And not in a good way. At all.”
“You weren’t to know.”
“No, but if I hadn’t brought him along, maybe we would have had a bit longer to get to know each other.”
“It’s over now. We’ll just have to make the best of it.”
Once at the airport, I pull into the drop-off zone and get out to say goodbye. Kurt wraps me up in a huge hug and I cling to him as if I’m never going to see him again. Which, in the back of my mind, I realise is a distinct possibility.
“I know it was way too short, but I’m still glad we got to do this,” he says.
“Me too.”
He kisses me softly. I want to remember every single second.
A taxi honks at us, wanting to get into our space.
I hold up a finger to say I’ll just be a second, but the moment is over. Kurt drags his bag towards the door, looking back at me with a mixture of longing and regret. It’s exactly how I feel.
“Bye, Kurt,” I whisper.
“Bye, Anna,” he calls back.
I get back in the car and drive away, feeling empty.
TWENTY-THREE
I feel out of sorts for the next few days. Kurt is in transit for the first two, so I don’t even get to talk to him until Wednesday. Even when we finally do, I can already feel the immense distance settling in between us. It’s hard to remember what I’m supposed to already know about him, and what I learned from visits back to 1996 and 1997. I can tell he wants to get to know me better, but he’s busy with work, and the time difference makes it difficult for us to understand each other. If I’m organised, I can catch him just before I go to work, and before it gets too late at his end. Or I can talk to him after I get home in the evening, but it’s early there.
By the end of the week, I’m questioning whether I should have bothered meeting him at all.
On Saturday morning, Kelsey shows up at my place at 6am. She rings my mobile to wake me up and demands to be let in.
I answer the door, rubbing my eyes. “What on earth are you doing here this early?” I ask.
“I’ve decided you’re going to go back to 1997.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I’ve seen how bummed you’ve been the last few days. You need a bit of fun in your life!”
“I don’t know…it feels kind of irresponsible.”
“I’ll look after the café, so don’t worry about that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! You have more chance running into Kurt there than you do here.”
“But it’s not the same version of him.”
“Does it matter?”
“Yeah, it does.”
“Just do it.”
“I don’t know. It would feel weird. Almost like I’m cheating on the real Kurt with a lesser version of him.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. If you wanted to find the other me there, I wouldn’t be offended. I’d think it was cool. In fact, look me up and hang out with me today and then report back tomorrow.”
I laugh. “Okay. Thank you. I really appreciate you looking out for me.”
“Hey, that’s what besties are for. But before you find me, why not go to Kurt’s place this morning? I’m sure you could come up with a great excuse to convince him you need to spend some time together?”
“Maybe I will.”
I mix up a dose of the compound and drink it before I have a chance to overthink the situation any further. I lie down and close my eyes. I am actually quite looking forward to a day of escapism. And even getting to see Kurt again. I know he won’t remember me, but at least he’ll still know who I am once I wake up. Just minus whatever we talk about today.
It’s an overcast, humid morning in Shell Beach in 1997. I get up and look out the window. The clouds are hanging low in the sky and everything is grey. Not ideal, but at least it’s not raining. I have a quick shower, put on a little polka-dot dress and sneak downstairs.
Everyone is still in bed, so I leave a note saying I’ve gone out and grab the car keys.
The road isn’t too busy, and I get to Maroochydore just after 7am. It’s probably a bit early to knock on Kurt’s door, so I go to a nearby shop and buy a bottle of orange juice to drink down at the river.
I’ve decided when I see Kurt, I’m going to use the same story I went with last time, and ask him if I can borrow a few albums for a party at Rachel’s.
At 8am, I knock on the front door and wait.
After a moment, it opens and he’s standing there. He doesn’t say anything for a moment, and just stares at me. My brain goes blank and I totally forget my story.
“Uh…hi…”
“Anna?”
My eyes widen. “You know who I am?”
He looks a little shell-shocked, but nods.
“How?”
“I think maybe you should come in and talk to my guest. I have a lot more questions of my own.”
I step inside. Kelsey is sitting on the couch. “Surprise.”
“So you decided to come too?” I ask. “Why didn’t you tell me? And what about the café?”
“Don’t worry about the café. That bit’s been taken care of. And I didn’t tell you I was coming here because I wanted to arrive first and make sure that this…” She points to me and Kurt. “…happened smoothly.”
“Can someone please explain to me what’s going on?” Kurt asks, confused.
“Ah, yes. Sorry.” Kelsey turns to me. “Anna? Do you want to do the honours?”
“Oh, um, we’re friends with Rachel and we were hoping to borrow some albums for a party we’re having…”
Kelsey laughs delightedly. “You went with the same story as last time. Excellent. I mean, why bother reinventing the wheel, huh?”
I give her a warning look. Kurt is looking at me, dazed. “So is this a dream, or what?” he asks.
“We don’t think it’s a dream,” Kelsey explains. “But if it makes it easier for you to comprehend, by all means, call it that.”
I gape at Kurt. “Wait, what? What do you mean by ‘is this a dream?’” I turn to Kelsey. “What did you do?”
“Okay, well I guess now that you’re both here, I should explain a few things.”
“Please do,” I say, nervously watching Kurt. He keeps looking around the living room as if he’s seen a ghost.
“All right, so Anna, I brought future Kurt back here. I figured it was the perfect way for you to get to know each other better, even though you’re living in separate countries. And also, he’ll believe you when you tell him everything else.”
My brain is scrambled. “But…how? How on earth did you pull that off?”
“It was actually easier than I thought. You know that cake I gave Kurt to remember you by?”
I nod.
“I put a dose of the compound that I stole from your jar in the middle of it, and then I wrote a note saying he wasn’t to eat it until Friday night.”
“Didn’t you think that was weird?” I ask him.
“A little. But Kelsey came up with a really convincing story about how the French wait a few days to eat their desserts, because it gives the flavours a chance to fully blend together.” He thinks for a second. “Although, now I say it out loud, it sounds pretty silly to have to wait for a specific time.”
Kelsey waves a hand dismissively. “Anyway, I’ve started to explain to Kurt what’s happening, but I thought I’d leave the rest of it up to you. Now that you’re here, I can go. Have fun! And I’ll see you, Anna, tomorrow.”
She skips off, whistling to herself.
I’m still standing in the doorway, dumbfounded.
Kurt flops down on the couch. “What’s this compound Kelsey’s talking about? Is it LSD or something?”
“No, no. It’s not like anything else out there. As far as I’m aware. I got it from the supplement company that sponsors me. It allows you to spend twelve hours in 1997.”
“Why 1997?”
“I don’t know. Last year, it took me back to 1996.”
He looks overwhelmed. “So we’re actually time travelling?”
“Sort of. But nothing we do here will change the future, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
He smiles dryly. “Oh, that’s okay, then.”
“I’m sorry Kelsey tricked you into doing this. I would never have let her if I knew…”
“Okay, wait. Start at the beginning.”
I take a deep breath. “You really want to know?”
“I have twelve hours here, don’t I?”
“I guess you do.”
“Then yep. I want to know.”
I cautiously enter the living room and sit down beside him.
“Last year, this supplement showed up in one of my deliveries, and when I took it, I blacked out and woke up in 1996. Most of the day was the same as the first time around, except for one thing. I met you.”
I can’t read his expression. “Really.”
“Yep. You were working at the record store and you took me into the back room and played Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands to prove that vinyl sounds better than CD or cassette.”
He laughs, surprised. “That does sound like something I’d do.”
“I’ve been back here nine times now, and every time I visit, I end up seeing you—and almost always randomly.”
“Is that right?”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I don’t know what to believe.” He waves his hand around the living room. “I mean, I’m here, aren’t I? This is clearly an exact replica of the house I rented back in 1997.”
“It’s not a replica. It’s the real thing.”
“If you say so. Then what happens now?”
“I don’t know. Is there anything you’d like to do? I can leave you to explore on your own if that would make you more comfortable…”
“No. Don’t leave.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
“I should have known there was something weird with that cake. The middle was purple and it tasted like chlorine. I was kind of disappointed that your cooking didn’t live up to my expectations,” he says, lightly teasing.
“Do not judge me on that. I promise my cooking is amazing. Are you hungry? I can make you something now?”
“Uh, I don’t remember ever having much food in my cupboards, so you might be hard-pressed to locate the ingredients you need.”
I go over to his kitchen and open the fridge. “You have the basics…eggs, butter, milk. Let me make you breakfast and we can talk more.”
“I just had dinner in London.”
“Well, it’s breakfast time here, so I’m afraid you’re going to have to deal with it.”
He chuckles. “Point taken.”
I decide to make French toast, and quickly go back to the shop where I bought my juice to purchase a thick-sliced loaf of bread.
“Tell me about the other times we met here,” he says when I return. He makes his way around the living room, occasionally picking up a book or furnishing and marvelling at it.
“Um, there was one time when you were playing Frisbee and fell on top of me at the beach.”
He laughs. “I was always smooth like that.”
“And there was the time we had an early dinner together at Sizzler and you were surprised I liked seafood, because none of your friends did.”
He nods, as if what I’m saying rings true.
“And you told me on a Monday night at the end of June that the Jewel Box constellation would remind you of me from now on.”
His eyes widen.
“Apparently you got a tattoo of it the next day,” I confirm.
He slumps down onto the floor. “This is insane.”
“I know.”
“How…um…how far have we…?”
“We haven’t slept together,” I reassure him. “Although, I did try one time and you weren’t impressed. Granted, you were still dealing with Charli. Actually, it was the same night that she gave you that scar.”
“Holy shit.”
“Sorry, I know this must be a lot to take in. How about we just have breakfast and forget about the fact we’re in 1997 for a while?”
“How can I forget that? Just looking at you reminds me of where we are!”
I hand him a plate of food. “Here. Maybe eating will make you feel a bit more normal.”
He takes it and eats it slowly. Despite what I’m sure is a ton of information to process, he smiles.
“This is pretty good.”
“Does it make up for the mudcake Kelsey contaminated?”
“Almost.”
I don’t say anything for a while, letting him eat and think. I mindlessly flick through his albums in the crate on the floor and spot the Stone Temple Pilots’ album Core. I slot it into his CD player and skip to the song Plush.
He looks at me. “I suppose it’s no coincidence you picked that song.”
“Nope. And there’s another song I introduced you to once that you really liked.”
“What’s that?”
“Darkness.”
That seems to be the clincher for him. He finishes eating and crawls over to sit beside me.
“Anna, I have no idea what’s happening here, but it feels like the universe is trying to tell me something. And I don’t want to ignore it.”
My heart starts hammering.
“What does that mean?”
He gently strokes my face. “It means I want to see where this goes. And if we have to meet back here in 1997 to actually spend time together, then so be it. I don’t suppose you can send me some more of that compound in the mail?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” I laugh.
He leans forward and gently kisses me.
“I can’t wait to get to know you better, Miss Anna.”
“And I can’t wait to learn more about you. I know almost nothing of your life after 1997.”
“That’s a relief.” He kisses me again. “It would be disappointing if you already knew everything about me. How about we spend the day showing each other our lives here, and we can catch up on the future at the same time?”
“That sounds perfect.”
He helps me to my feet and takes my hand.
“I know we haven’t been acquainted long in my memory, but this feels right. And it might sound weird, but I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather choose to embark on this crazy adventure with.
I squeeze his hand.
“I feel the exact same way.”
THREE MONTHS LATER…
“Come on! We’ll be late for the show!”
Rachel is hustling us up the street towards The Triffid in Newstead. I’ve never seen a gig at this particular venue, but I’m looking forward to experiencing it for the first time. Jackson and his partner Cash are beside me and Kelsey is tagging along behind with Joe, who is down visiting for the weekend. I have to keep reminding myself not to call him Mr. Green. I’m loving that he and Kelsey seem to be besotted with each other. Joe won’t reveal how he felt about Kelsey back in high school, claiming he never saw students in a romantic way, but he has hinted that out of everyone he taught, she stuck in his mind the most.
I glance back and see Kelsey whispering something in his ear. He laughs.
“What are you up to?” I ask her.
“Nothing. Well, nothing you’d be interested in. Unless you want to know the colour of the lingerie I purchased from Victoria’s Secret today?”
I wrinkle my nose. “Please, no.”
“See? Not everything revolves around you, Anna,” she teases.
“Yes, but tonight I feel like I’m way out of the loop. You all seem to know what we’re doing, but for some reason you don’t want to tell me!”
“You’ll understand why soon.”
I look at Rachel. “This isn’t going to be like that dark dining experience, is it?”
“No, no. But, um, aren’t you forgetting a certain cousin of mine you kissed that night?”
I sigh sadly. “Don’t remind me.”
I’m so happy to be out with my friends tonight, but I really wish Kurt could be here too. He’s still in London, although he is definitely making plans to move back to Australia before the end of the year. We continued to catch up in 1997 once a week for a little while after Kelsey first drugged him, but the compound started to run low, and I wanted to save a few doses in case of an emergency. What kind of emergency might require a visit to 1997, I’m not quite sure, but you never know.
