only two empty spots at the huge mahogany bar and proceeded to pour them each a beer from the tap, their usual.
Smiling, Libby grabbed a stool and sat. “Hey, Giorgio, how’s business?”
“Never better, my lovely, never better.” He bestowed a grin showing straight white teeth made brighter with his dark, suntanned complexion. He set their drinks down in front of them. “Especially now that you’re here.”
Bev tossed out a throaty laugh. “I thought you were after me, not my best friend.”
Giorgio chuckled. “There’s room in my heart for both of you.” He bowed. “Now, if you two beauties will excuse me, I have work to do. But I’ll be back,” he added in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, waggling his eyebrows up and down. He left to attend to the several customers who held up empty glasses at the other end of the packed bar.
Libby nursed her beer and let her mind wander as her gaze swept the crowded room.
Bev set down her glass and crossed her arms, giving her a penetrating look. “OK, tell me what happened. Start from the beginning and let’s see if we can figure this out.”
Libby reached over and squeezed Bev’s wrist. “I knew I could count on you.” For the next thirty minutes she recounted her adventure as Bev listened intently.
“Wow, what a fantastic story,” she said once Libby finished. “Hot damn! Maybe I should try wishing under these trees. It sounds like fun. Just thinking about living in 1874 makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It really is magical—you know, the fairies at work.” She winked.
Smiling, Libby took a drink. Leave it to her friend to veer off the main topic of conversation and allude to her precious fairies and their magic. Bev even had a fairy tattoo. In fact, she had two tattoos, both hidden from the casual eye and both commemorated her beliefs. One, a small unicorn, was just below her right hip bone. The other, on her left buttock, was a fairy with wings and Bev’s personal tribute to their friendship. Bev never doubted Libby’s time travel dream and always said how could she believe in one and not the other?
“Well? What do you make of it?” Libby prodded when she hadn’t said anything else. “I can’t think of any reason I would go back to that particular time in history after making my wish.”
Bev took a swig of beer. She put the glass on the bar and wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. “I’m still reeling over the fact that you went back in time. I need to think about it for a minute .” She put her chin on her hand, her elbow supported with her opposite hand. After a minute, she shook her head. “I’m coming up empty.”
“I have a theory.” Libby shrugged. “I was meant to see the farm in the beginning. My theory falls apart because there’s enough known about the original place that I already had a good idea of what it must have been like. Of course, nothing is as good as reality. I mean , being there sure beats reading about it in some book.” Just remembering it all sent chills up and down her spine. “The rolling hills, different landscape with a timeless feel, clean air that makes it seem as if a gray lens was peeled away from everything in sight, and the silence of no traffic, it was all so unbelievable.” She left out all the negatives. “I only wish I knew why the trees took me back to that specific time and why the farm?”
Bev’s sigh came out in one long exhale. “Maybe it was some quirk of nature and we’ll never know.”
“Maybe. I still feel there’s a reason. It’s hard to explain. Like I needed to be there to realize why I exist.”
“That makes sense. Do the trees still call to you?”
“I’m not sure.” Libby offered a wan smile. Bev had a way of simplifying things. “I didn’t feel it when I woke up. I’m kind of afraid to go near them. What if they take me to the past again?” She frowned at the thought.
“You worry too much.” Bev waved away her concerns. “You came
Smiling, Libby grabbed a stool and sat. “Hey, Giorgio, how’s business?”
“Never better, my lovely, never better.” He bestowed a grin showing straight white teeth made brighter with his dark, suntanned complexion. He set their drinks down in front of them. “Especially now that you’re here.”
Bev tossed out a throaty laugh. “I thought you were after me, not my best friend.”
Giorgio chuckled. “There’s room in my heart for both of you.” He bowed. “Now, if you two beauties will excuse me, I have work to do. But I’ll be back,” he added in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, waggling his eyebrows up and down. He left to attend to the several customers who held up empty glasses at the other end of the packed bar.
Libby nursed her beer and let her mind wander as her gaze swept the crowded room.
Bev set down her glass and crossed her arms, giving her a penetrating look. “OK, tell me what happened. Start from the beginning and let’s see if we can figure this out.”
Libby reached over and squeezed Bev’s wrist. “I knew I could count on you.” For the next thirty minutes she recounted her adventure as Bev listened intently.
“Wow, what a fantastic story,” she said once Libby finished. “Hot damn! Maybe I should try wishing under these trees. It sounds like fun. Just thinking about living in 1874 makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It really is magical—you know, the fairies at work.” She winked.
Smiling, Libby took a drink. Leave it to her friend to veer off the main topic of conversation and allude to her precious fairies and their magic. Bev even had a fairy tattoo. In fact, she had two tattoos, both hidden from the casual eye and both commemorated her beliefs. One, a small unicorn, was just below her right hip bone. The other, on her left buttock, was a fairy with wings and Bev’s personal tribute to their friendship. Bev never doubted Libby’s time travel dream and always said how could she believe in one and not the other?
“Well? What do you make of it?” Libby prodded when she hadn’t said anything else. “I can’t think of any reason I would go back to that particular time in history after making my wish.”
Bev took a swig of beer. She put the glass on the bar and wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. “I’m still reeling over the fact that you went back in time. I need to think about it for a minute .” She put her chin on her hand, her elbow supported with her opposite hand. After a minute, she shook her head. “I’m coming up empty.”
“I have a theory.” Libby shrugged. “I was meant to see the farm in the beginning. My theory falls apart because there’s enough known about the original place that I already had a good idea of what it must have been like. Of course, nothing is as good as reality. I mean , being there sure beats reading about it in some book.” Just remembering it all sent chills up and down her spine. “The rolling hills, different landscape with a timeless feel, clean air that makes it seem as if a gray lens was peeled away from everything in sight, and the silence of no traffic, it was all so unbelievable.” She left out all the negatives. “I only wish I knew why the trees took me back to that specific time and why the farm?”
Bev’s sigh came out in one long exhale. “Maybe it was some quirk of nature and we’ll never know.”
“Maybe. I still feel there’s a reason. It’s hard to explain. Like I needed to be there to realize why I exist.”
“That makes sense. Do the trees still call to you?”
“I’m not sure.” Libby offered a wan smile. Bev had a way of simplifying things. “I didn’t feel it when I woke up. I’m kind of afraid to go near them. What if they take me to the past again?” She frowned at the thought.
“You worry too much.” Bev waved away her concerns. “You came
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