Chapter 29

Book:In Another Lifetime Published:2024-5-1

Lynn collected the sleeping pills for which she had obtained a prescription. She headed back to Lark’s place and placed them in her cupboard. Then she went to see Lark in his office where he was busy working on his latest novel.
He looked up from his computer when she entered his study.
“Hi there. Where have you been?” he asked smiling.
“Oh, I needed to go and get some things,” Lynn smiled. “I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Lark smiled. “Where are we going?”
“No, no, I mean just dinner here at home. I’m cooking. My treat.”
“I certainly won’t say no,” Lark smiled.
“Okay. Well, you just carry on doing what you’re doing and I will make dinner. I insist on doing it alone tonight okay?”
“Okay but just shout if you want some help,” Lark smiled.
“That will not be necessary,” Lynn said as she headed to the kitchen.
Lynn prepared everything extra carefully making sure it would be as delicious as it could be. She decided that she would mix the sleeping pills in the wine. There was no way she could separate the food beforehand. Besides, the spell needed to appear to have been broken by a kiss. It wasn’t exactly like the big moment of such a kiss would happen in the middle of them chewing away over their plates of food.
When the meal was ready Lynn called Lark and told him dinner was served.
Lark arrived at the dinner table and was amazed at the spread before them.
“What is the occasion?” Lark asked.
“I’ll tell you later,” Lynn replied with a twinkle in her eye.
They enjoyed dinner thoroughly and Lynn kept the wine flowing and filled up Lark’s glass regularly. When they had finished dinner they moved to the living room and sat on the sofa.
“So what is your big news?” Lark asked, intrigued by the cause for such a celebratory meal. “Did you land a big client?”
“First, let’s have a drink. Wine or coffee?” Lynn asked.
“I’ll have another glass of wine,” Lark said.
Lynn stood and carried their glasses to the kitchen. She opened a new bottle of wine and then removed the bag containing the powder from the sleeping tablets she had crushed that afternoon. She tipped the powder into Lark’s glass and then poured in the wine.
She returned to the living room and placed the glasses on the coffee table before them and then sat down on the sofa beside Lark.
He looked at her with anticipation.
“I’ve given what you said some thought.”
“What are you talking about?” Lark asked.
“The whole issue of whether you should kiss me or not,” Lynn said.
“Oh. I had forgotten about that,” Lark said.
“Well, I’ve given it some thought and I’ve decided that I want to kiss you anyway,” Lynn said.
Lark raised his eyebrows. “Why? What’s made you decide to throw caution to the wind?”
Lynn shrugged. “I honestly don’t know if I should believe you. It sounds like something that’s so unbelievably far-fetched that I struggle to believe it. And if I can’t believe it, why should I then believe that there might be another curse that will be activated when I kiss you? It’s pointless not believing in one curse but believing in another. If I’m wrong not to believe then so be it.”
“It’s not that simple,” Lark replied.
“Why not? It’s my choice. Please don’t get me wrong and think that I don’t believe you or think that you’re delusional. Quite frankly I don’t know what to think. I’ve always believed that you attract what you fear. So, if I start to fear what you have said becoming a reality, then it might happen. I’m not prepared to do that.”
“Okay, but I fear it. So by reason of your thinking, if I fear it, I can attract it and make it happen.”
“You might think,” Lynn replied. “I also however believe that what you fear about another cannot affect you. It is only what you fear about yourself.”
Lark was silent as he considered her argument.
“We can sit here and debate this forever,” Lynn said. “You told me because you wanted me to know what I might be getting into. I’ve given it a lot of thought and I’ve decided that I am prepared to take the risk.”
Lark was silent, considering. It was what he had wanted for so long, what he had given up on and stopped believing would ever be possible. Now at last here it was, offered to him on a plate. It was too good to be true.
Who was he to question how the universe worked? Maybe after so many years, the definition of the curse and its intention began to blur. He couldn’t be sure. What he did know was that while Lynn was beautiful, she looked nothing like Emma had looked.
Sasha looked much more like Emma. It just went to show that one could never tell. He looked at Lynn. She met his gaze evenly. He looked for fear in her eyes, in her face, but could see none. How could she be so certain after all this time? It was a massive risk she was taking. He had never believed in a secondary curse but ever since the idea had been planted in his mind, he had to admit that it was a distinct possibility. Anything was possible with magic.
And if there was no second curse, they would be free. Free to live the life of their dreams. At least the life of his dreams. He was not sure Lynn would ever understand what the life of his dreams looked like after so many years. After all, she could not remember back to when this all started.
In her eyes, he saw a willingness to believe. She had to love him deeply if she had considered the risks he had explained to her and she was still prepared to take the risk and suffer the consequences of whatever might follow.
As if reading his thoughts, she sat forward-looking into his eyes.
“I love you, Lark. I don’t know if I will ever believe what you have told me but I believe you would never hurt me. I also believe that no man would deny himself the opportunity to kiss the woman he loves so I believe you believe what you told me. Let go of your fear and let’s cross the bridge you’ve wanted to cross all this time. Maybe there won’t be another opportunity but if what you say is true, there’s an even better life beyond this moment…”
Lynn leaned over and picked up their glasses. She handed him his glass. He took it from her and smiled.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“I am. Now stop deliberating over this. I don’t want to sit and look at the man I love for the rest of my life as if he’s an exhibit in a museum. I want to kiss him, make love to him, travel the world with him, have children with him…”
“Whoa, slow down!” Lark smiled. “No need to run so fast!”
“What you don’t want to have children?” Lynn said feigning disappointment.
“No, I do, but you just seem to be running a million miles an hour. Let’s just take it one moment at a time.”
“As you wish, but this is one of the most important moments ever,” Lynn said and clinked her glass against his. “A toast. To a kiss and us.”
“To a kiss and us,” Lark echoed. They raised their glasses and drank.
Lynn made sure they finished their drinks first and then slid closer to Lark.
She leaned forward and taking his face in her hands, she closed her eyes and kissed him.
Lark did not respond and Lynn opened her eyes a moment later. Lark’s eyes were closed. She let go of his face and he collapsed back onto the sofa. He was out cold.
“Perfect,” she sneered as she looked at him. She moved him and made him more comfortable on the sofa and left him to sleep while she went and explored his study and the books at leisure.
When Lark woke, she would simply claim that he had passed out as a result of the spell being broken. She would never have to use the spell that made him believe he was transforming again because he wouldn’t transform anyway. It would seem to him that the spell had truly been broken. He had not seen the woman he spoke about in hundreds of years and what were the odds that he would ever see that woman again? She smiled believing she was almost home free.