Destined to Play

‘Thank you, Alexandra. You won’t regret it, I promise.’

He excitedly reaches for the waiting glasses of champagne. ‘Let’s toast. To the next forty-eight hours.’

To which I can’t help but think, Oh dear, but toast him nonetheless and allow the bubbles of the champagne to join their butterfly friends in my stomach.

Before I can come to terms with the reality of my agreement, he says, quick as a flash, ‘Right. AB, where’s your phone?’

Of course, I will need to let others know of my sudden change of plans, the forthcoming consequences to my family and friends finally dawning on me.

‘What am I going to say? What will they think?’ I am talking out loud as I fumble around in my congested handbag and locate my phone. Reservations once again creep into my thoughts. Am I doing the right thing? Was it a moment of weakness or desire that made me say yes? Undoubtedly both!

‘Jeremy, maybe I shouldn’t … it’s not right …’

‘No buts, no regrets, AB!’

Jeremy bounces right next to me on the lounge, as if sensing my apprehension and second thoughts. He snatches the phone out of my hand and strides to the other side of the room. The excitable puppy is turning panther-like with frightening ease and grace.

‘Let me take care of that for you,’ he says with a huge grin on his face.

He has completely regressed. Where is the distinguished, globally acknowledged and multi-award-winning medical research doctor? I am apparently back at uni with my cocky mate, still teasing and tormenting me.

‘Please give it back.’

‘Not on your life, sweetheart, you’re mine for the weekend. You just said so yourself. Don’t worry, I will send through a message on your behalf.’

I have no idea whether he is serious or not.

‘I am more than capable of sending a message from my own phone.’ I walk over to where he is standing, my hand outstretched, waiting. ‘Give it to me, now.’ My voice is stern as he ducks and weaves, manoeuvring himself away from me like a complete idiot.

‘I need to call home. JEREMY!’ I scream at him as he continues his childish movements around the room.

‘No, you don’t need to call home. You just told me they are in the wilderness, with no phone reception for the next week. There is absolutely no reason you need to call them or worry about it.’

So that explains the intense interest with which he was listening to my plans. I should have known he had an ulterior motive.

‘Jeremy, stop mucking around.’ Panic starts to permeate my voice as he runs into the bedroom closing the door behind him.

‘This is not funny. Give me my damn phone, you bastard.’ I furiously pound on the door he is obviously leaning against to keep me out.

‘Ah, there’s the feisty Alex I know. There’s the spark I’ve been hoping for … Now, whom do we need to inform of your intriguing change of plans? Your brother. And Trish, she can then send to the others … oh, and Sally. That should just about do it, shouldn’t it?’

‘Jeremy, don’t you dare!’ I am seething.

He comes out from behind the door, ensuring I am well away from him as he reads out the message. Before I can respond, he presses Send.

‘You didn’t?’ I gasp.

‘There, you are officially mine for the next forty-eight hours.’ He looks like the cat that swallowed the canary.

He then turns off my phone, walks over to the cupboard, opens the door, presses a code to open the safe while blocking my view, places the phone inside and promptly locks the door.

He spins around to see the look of absolute shock on my face.

‘What the hell do you think you are doing?’ I explode. ‘I need to have that phone with me. Anything could happen.’

I feel as if he has temporarily disconnected me from my life. I realise that is exactly what he is hoping to achieve. I find it a very strange, weird sensation, being completely uncontactable.

‘Explain to me, AB. Are you saying that the world won’t survive with your phone switched off for a couple of days, or you won’t?’

The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes clearly tells me that any arguments regarding this matter will be futile.

‘Why are you doing this?’

‘Simple. I’m being selfish. I know that you are always available to your family and friends and I have no intentions of sharing you with anyone else this weekend. That means no interruptions.’

I stare at him dumbfounded. ‘When did you become so bossy and controlling?’

‘I had a good teacher at university, and I’ve been practising for the past few years,’ he says, winking at me.

As I move toward the cupboard, his octopus arms grab me around the waist and hoist me into the air before firmly depositing me on the lounge.

‘I don’t think so.’ He is grinning now.

‘We are not at uni now, Jeremy. I’m a grown woman, for god’s sake!’ I sound like a school teacher. He stands over me, eagerly anticipating my next move.

‘Fine,’ I say, folding my arms across my chest, clearly not happy. ‘Well, you put your phone in as well — that’s only fair.’

He laughs. ‘You always did have to have the last word, Alexandra, didn’t you?’

He turns his phone off and with elaborate arm movements, opens the safe, places his phone next to mine and swiftly locks it again.

‘Done.’

Part II

‘Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.’

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘It’s exciting, isn’t it? When was the last time we had an opportunity like this, to catch up, play, explore and talk into the early hours of the morning? It will be great fun. I have it all planned.’ His energy on the lounge next to me is almost infectious as I attempt to maintain a nonchalant demeanour with him.

‘I’m not sure whether that makes me feel better or worse.’ Although my comment is said lightly, there is a heavy truth underlying my words. He notices my fingers trembling again and my glass balancing precariously in my hand. He takes it from me, presumably as a precautionary measure.

‘Honestly, Alex, all will be well. I know this is a big decision for you but you know I would never hurt you and that deep down, we have both wanted this to happen for ages. We just haven’t had the opportunity. Let’s just seize the moment we’re in right now, as per Eckhart Tolle.’ He pauses as his grin steadily pries his lips open. ‘Thanks for the books by the way, there was a lot of truth in them.’

I roll my eyes in utter disbelief but can’t prevent the smile curving at the edge of my mouth.

I had sent him The Power of Now and A New Earth for Christmas a few years back. I remember talking to him on the phone, overflowing with praise for the books and their life-changing messages. Serves me right, I suppose; maybe it is karma coming right back at me, to challenge me. Here I am, thanks to Jeremy, well and truly living in ‘the now’ for the next forty-eight hours.