(An excerpt from Chapter 31-Book 4 of A Time Traveler's Companion)
The sun was shining through my curtains when I woke up. Melanie
was right next to me. I gave her a gentle shake. She stirred and let out a big
yawn. When she opened her eyes and looked at me, a sweet smile spread across
her face. I laughed a little and asked, “What are you doing here?” She propped
herself up on one elbow and tried to kiss me.
“Yes, please,” she
responded. I chuckled and replied, “Alright then, let’s do it!” We traveled to
1978 and found ourselves at a nightclub buzzing with a dance-off marathon. I laughed and asked,
“Melanie, do you really think we have a shot at winning this?” as we hit the
dance floor. The music was pumping, with Heatwave's Groove Line blasting
in the background. And yeah, we totally got some disco outfits to fit in. Melanie
donned an adorable blue pastel floral satin mini dress with a low neckline cut,
while I opted for a simple yet flirty cotton blend beige spaghetti strap dress.
We both stepped out in stylish black wedge heels from the 1970s, and my pendant
glimmered under the vibrant lights of the nightclub. Traveling with Melanie is
a blast; she's all about having a good time. Even though we did not win the
contest, we had a lot of fun. Melanie brought us back to my room. The monolith
was right there, and I could feel my heart racing with fear. I glanced at
Melanie, but she looked completely unfazed, which threw me off. “Mr. Smith is
here,” I said. “Alright Birdie, I guess it’s time for me to head out. I love
our fun together, it was a blast,” she said, giving me a fiery kiss on the lips. I couldn’t help
but think that she was being too bold considering that he was there. She tapped
the quantum time manipulator on her wrist and vanished. I waited for Mr.
Smith to emerge from the monolith. He finally stepped out and he pulled me into
a warm embrace. “I want you to come with me. I need your support, my love, and
I miss you,” he confessed, kissing me. I didn’t mention anything about Melanie,
choosing to keep that topic to myself. Mr. Smith and I went to two planets,
then while we enjoyed a drink in the lounge room of the monolith, I figured it
was time to bring up something serious. It felt a bit risky, considering how
delicate the situation is.
“Mr.
Smith, I really hope you can find a way to get along with Melanie. Please
consider forgiving her for whatever happened in the past. Maybe you two can
come to some sort of understanding. The tension between you is hard to witness,
and it truly troubles me.” He looked disappointed for a moment, but then he
nodded. "Alright, but I believe we’ve come
to an understanding now. So, don’t fret, Remi." I furrowed my brow,
puzzled by his words. "What do you mean by that?" I asked.
“Listen Butterfly, Melanie and I have reached
an agreement. I'm fine with you spending time with her, provided she ensures
your safety while you both travel through time." I was baffled by the
sudden shift in dynamics. There had been so much tension between them, and now
it seemed perfectly fine for Melanie and me to spend time together. It left me
feeling bewildered. I wanted to dig deeper and ask more questions, but ultimately,
I decided to let it slide. I wish I had asked more questions; maybe then when I
found out what happened just before Mr. Smith, and I traveled to Greece, it wouldn’t
have affected me so deeply. Still,
I know I would have been angry regardless. I smiled and he took me home right
after we visited The New York World’s Fair in 1964.
