Truths and Travels
Karla and Tristan awoke, their fingers still entwined. It took a minute for them to realised they were no longer in the Louis-Philippe room; instead, they were sitting in their box at the opera, watching the curtain close on the third act.
"Tristan?" Karla asked nervously as she looked up into his confused face. "What just happened?"
He shook his head. "We clearly achieved whatever it was that we needed to do for the Phantom and Christine."
"But everything stayed still here!" Karla pointed out as she rose from her chair and began to pace. "We did go back in time, didn't we? I didn't imagine it?"
Tristan glared at her as he stood in front of her, preventing her agitated pacing. "We went back in time, Karla!"
"But…"
He grabbed her shoulders. "We made love didn't we? Are you telling me that wasn't real? I remember, and know that was very real." Tristan watched as Karla chewed her lip remembered their time spent together in Christine's bed the night before – over a century ago.
Raising his brow in frustration at her confusion, Tristan pushed the lever that opened the hidden panel in the column and began to descend down the dark corridor down to where they had spent two months in the past.
"Tristan, what are you doing?" Karla demanded as she rushed after him, clutching his hand tightly.
Erik smiled smugly to himself as he watched the couple walking hand in hand down to his house on the lake. He knew what the man was after, and decided it was the least he could do to repay them for what they had done for him and Christine.
He recalled waking one morning in Christine's bed, with her head on his chest and his arms possessively around her waist. They were both undressed.
Christine had missed her monthly flow.
Karla sat at the table in the corner of the bar where she had arranged to meet Tristan after work. She sat sipping a soft drink as she glanced around at the patrons. Tristan had called to tell her he had been held up at work, he promised he would be there by half-past. Karla looked down at her watch. He had seven minutes.
"Is that a mirror in your pocket?"
Karla glanced up and stared at the owner of the faintly slurred voice. The man had sandy blonde hair and was casually dressed in a shirt and jeans. She raised her brow in a perfect imitation of Tristan before turning her attention back to the doorway to watch for Tristan.
Not to be deterred, the man continued, "'Cause I can see myself in your pants."
Karla rolled her eyes at the seedy pick-up line, wondering what book he got it from. "I'm waiting for my boyfriend. He should be here any minute."
"I'll keep you company while you wait, then. I'm Tony." He held out his hand for Karla to take.
"You really don't have to do that," Karla tried to get rid of the man again.
Tony shrugged and slid into the stool opposite.
Karla kept her focus on the entrance and smiled when she saw Tristan enter. He was dressed as he typically was, he tie loosened, the top buttons of his shirt undone and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Karla felt her breathing quicken at the sight of the gorgeous man she was dating.
She smiled softly when his eyes found hers across the room. He was heading straight for the table she was unfortunately sharing with Tony when he was stopped.
"Tristan de Valence, right? My name is Ryan Stanton; I bought a property a few years ago from your company. I am interested in joining your team and was wondering if you were hiring at the moment?"
Tristan shifted his attention from Ryan to Karla. She was sitting with a relatively handsome man – if you went for blondes, and he didn't think Karla did. The sight of her in the company of a man who was not himself filled him with rage. He wanted to walk out. But, at the same time, he wanted to walk up to her and either drag her away or beat the guy.
"We are always interested in employing new agents," Tristan responded noncommittally as he stepped past Ryan.
Karla saw Tristan watching her intently as he crossed the room, his eyes had darked with anger as he regarded the drunk at the table with her. She bit into her lip.
"Karla, what-"
"You're late," she said with a pout as she slid off the stool and into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. She stepped away and sat down before introducing him to Tony. "He was just keeping me company while I waited for you. Thank you for doing that, but as you can see, I'm no longer alone," Karla addressed the last part to her intoxicated companion.
"Are you sure you want me to leave you, I mean-"
"The lady has asked that you leave her alone," Tristan said in his coldest voice as he stood over the other man. "A gentleman would honour her request. Leave."
Tristan watched him go before turning back to Karla. He shook his head at his choice of words. It seemed as if the Phantom had rubbed off on him during his time in the past. However, judging by the way Karla hugged him tightly it was the correct choice.
Drinks and dinner that night seemed to be a turning point in their relationship. After work most nights, Tristan would join Karla in her little apartment for dinner, then, with a lingering kiss, leave for his studio. The weekends were typically spent together. Given the amount of time Tristan spent at Karla's, it seemed fitting that for their anniversary she gave him his own key.
Karla was painting on a Saturday afternoon when Tristan paused in the doorway and knocked on the jam to get her attention. She smiled at him as she put down her palette and brush and joined him in the kitchen.
Tristan had always respected her request that he never enter her studio unless invited. She did not like the idea of someone seeing her work unfinished and criticising her, thinking incorrectly that it was complete. Until she met Tristan, she had never had anyone to show her work to and have it critiqued fairly. Of course, there was Mya, but the boutique owner did not have an eye for art and thought all her paintings looked 'pretty, but dull'.
"I have to go away for a few weeks," Tristan began, desperate to get this announcement over and done with. He and Karla had not been away from each other for a period longer than a day. This would be a very significant step in their relationship – at least as far as Tristan was concerned.
"Why?"
"I'm going to London on business. I want to extend de Valence Realty to London, then eventually all over England. I have a few contacts that I wanted to meet with and get the venture started."
"I see."
Tristan stared at her for a moment, unable to comprehend her reaction. He was convinced she was holding back something from him – whether it was despair or delight, he didn't know. He had images of her and numerous other men together while he was away. A woman like his mother would use this as an excuse.
"I see. Is that all you are going to say?"
Karla shrugged as she turned away so he would not see the tears in her eyes. He had never told her of his plans to franchise his business. Everything seemed to be going so well between them – she should have known better.
She looked up at Tristan to see a muscle in his jaw ticking. He was furious with her lack of reaction. She turned to walk away to prevent the fight.
"Dammit, Karla!" He grabbed her upper arm and spun her around to look at him. The anger flashing in her eyes caused him to step back. "Why can you not accept that I am trying to expand my business and make an international name for myself?"
Karla refused to answer. She was likely to regret anything that came out of her mouth.
"Do you have a problem with the fact that I am excelling at what I do, while you are nothing but a struggling artist who has no idea what she is supposed to be painting? Now that you don't have your singing, you have nothing."
Karla gripped the bench to prevent from collapsing at Tristan's hurtful words. Never had she imagined he could be so cruel or that he would betray her deepest secrets in such a fashion.
"Get out." The words were said softly, but a barely contained fury charged the air.
Tristan took one look at her expression, grabbed his coat and keys and left.
Hours after the argument, Karla lay in bed crying. She had kicked Tristan out and had no idea where he was. She didn't care, she told herself. But that was a lie. Everything he said to her was the truth. She didn't know what she was supposed to be painting. She was no longer selling as many paintings as she did a few years ago. She was more successful as the teenage girl who sang with her father.
She curled deeper under the covers and ordered herself to sleep.
Karla felt the covers move and the bed shift beneath her. She was reaching for her lamp when she felt a gentle arm wrap around her waist.
"I'm sorry. God, Karla, I am so sorry," Tristan whispered softly in her ear. "I shouldn't have said a single word I did."
"You were right though," Karla conceded as she pulled his arm tighter around her. "I am struggling, and I don't know what to paint."
"You will find it; I know you will, sweetheart." He leant over her, his lips finding hers easily in the dark. When he pulled away, breathless a few moments later he sighed.
"I was filled with images of my childhood. When my father went away on business, my mother would have her lovers over to the house. If I ever saw them, she told me they were measuring for a piece of furniture or were there to offer her business advice."
Karla was horrified at the image he continued to slowly show her of his childhood, growing up with parents who had no notion of honouring the vows they made or keeping this from their young son. "Is that you think I will do?"
Tears shone in Tristan's eyes as he nodded, relieved she could not see him in the dark room. "I haven't exactly had the most wonderful examples of trusting relationships," he responded dryly.
"I was trying not to cry at the thought of being without you for two weeks. We have barely spent a day away from each other since we went to the past." Karla paused as she raised a hand to touch his face. "Tristan, you need to believe me, I do not want another man in bed with me."
"I realise that now. I cannot tell you how sorry I am about everything I said."
"Shh." Karla held him close as she ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to comfort him. "Just promise me you will ring every night you are away."
Tristan smiled, pleased Karla was not the kind of woman to hold a grudge. "I promise."
Tristan turned his head to look at the clock on the bedside table. The glowing numbers read eight-eleven. He was reluctant to move from the bed where Karla was sleeping peacefully across his body, but he knew he had to get to work. He brushed the hair from her face, promising himself four more minutes in bed before he had to dress and get back to his studio to get ready for work.
When his time was up, Tristan slipped from the bed, careful not to disturb Karla. He dressed quickly, placing Karla's pyjamas neatly at the foot of the bed and tucking the blankets tightly around her. He penned a quick note, left it on the pillow next to her and locked the door behind him.
A little over an hour later, Tristan, filled with unexplained warmth, walked into the office. He was vaguely aware of a few of the agents looking at him with curiosity, but none of it seemed to matter.
"Where's Karla?" he asked Charlotte, quickly coming down to earth when he saw her desk was unoccupied.
"She's in the kitchen. She must have seen your car drive up and rushed to get you a coffee and some food, I think. She said something about you probably not sleeping well last night if you were late," Charlotte responded, thinking nothing of the innuendo of Karla's muttered comment.
Tristan stared blankly at his employee for a brief moment before heading to his office, a small smile lighting his face.
The door of his office opened before Tristan had settled himself to reveal Karla balancing his coffee, a pastry and a stack of papers. As he considered his lover and the soft glow in her emerald eyes, Tristan noticed she had left her hair down this morning. She was wearing a charcoal skirt and a pale pink blouse and not looking quite as polished as normal.
"Morning," Tristan said as he crossed around to Karla's side of the desk and took the plates out of her hands.
"Good morning," Karla responded. The two stared at each other for a long moment in silence. Feeling slightly awkward, Karla retreated behind her professional façade. "The papers-"
The sentence was cut off when Tristan grabbed her around the waist and kissed her passionately. One hand was buried in her hair, while the other held her tight against his body. Surprised by his sudden movement, Karla could do nothing but grip the lapels of his coat.
Out of breath, Tristan set her away. He placed a few light kisses on her lips as he waited for her to regain her balance.
"I brought you a coffee and some breakfast," Karla said huskily, trying to remember why she went into his office in the first place. "I figured you wouldn't have had time to eat before you came to work." She smiled a secret smile.
"Thank you." Tristan was touched by the little act of thoughtfulness. "I'm sorry I -"
"Thank you for my rose," Karla said brightly as she cut him off. She knew he was going to apologise for not being there when she woke. He had said as much on the note he left on her pillow, along with a stylised drawing of a rose. She knew that was the price she had to pay in their relationship. She was fine with that – for now.
Besides, she thought as she sat down in the chair across from him, if Tristan was another five minutes late, or they arrived at the same time, the staff would have a field day with theories about office romances. As it was, they were already speculating who Tristan had spent the night with that he would arrive at work twenty minutes late – and smiling.
The night before he was booked to fly to London, Mya convinced Tristan and Karla to join her and Aleksandr for dinner. Much of the night was spent discussing the upcoming wedding and each couple's dating history. Mya had a few stories of how Aleksandr would surprise her with flowers and lunch to share at the shop when they had started dating. Tristan's eyes took on a thoughtful shine as he listened to the couple teasing each other about their dates.
"Have you seen the Tank lately?" Karla asked Mya as took a bite of her dessert.
Mya nodded. She knew who the Tank was; a woman at gym who wore very little shorts and a crop top to flaunt her muscles. The Tank as they affectionately called her pushed herself and made most of the people in the class feel pathetic. "She's only doing the afternoon classes. Do you think she's pregnant?"
Karla shook her head. "I don't know, but she had definitely let herself go. I think it's since she got married a couple of months ago."
Mya smiled in contentment with Karla.
"I'll have to be careful not to let myself go! Speaking of marriage, when are you going to get married?" Mya asked with a wicked smile. She had watched the pair all night and had seen how well they interacted. They were very much in love and she was convinced they were ready to commit.
Karla felt her jaw drop at her friend's pointed question. Marriage! She looked at Tristan to see that his defences had once again been sturdily rebuilt. She had been working so hard on getting him to open up, and now, he was closed and detached again.
"Uh, we haven't thought about marriage." At this stage, she added silently to herself.
"We have only been dating for a few months. It is too soon to consider getting married," Tristan agreed. He had seen the curious looks from Mya and knew he needed to respond too.
Karla looked between Tristan and her friend and wondered if she should have told Mya a bit about Tristan's childhood. Perhaps if she knew what he went through, she would never have asked such a question. She shrugged.
"Tristan is planning on extending his business to London," Karla said proudly in an attempt to recover the relaxed atmosphere which had been lost.
While mixing paints, Karla stared blankly at her canvas, considering her future with Tristan. Having spent three months living with him under the Opera House she could not doubt they could live together happily. Now that the man was off on a business trip in London, Karla realised just how much he meant to her. She could not imagine her life without him.
He had been gone only three days, but was not expected back for another week – if not longer. He only told her a few days before he planned to fly out that he was going to London on business.
"Will you fly home for the weekend?" Karla asked hopefully as she stood with him at the gate.
"I won't be able to, sweetheart. I want to set up a branch of de Valence Realty in London in the fortnight I'm there. I'm going to be working all the time and getting little sleep."
He raised a hand and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers.
"I have to go, they're calling my flight," Tristan said, a note of desperation creeping into his voice. "While I'm gone, sweetheart, you need to look for your muse. And, I want you to keep an eye on things here for me; make sure my employees are doing what I am paying them to do."
He had kissed her passionately then quickly boarded the plane, only pausing to wave goodbye to her before he disappeared from view.
Karla began to dab the paint onto the canvas when the phone rang. She grabbed the cordless on the second ring, hoping it would be Tristan.
"Hello, sweetheart. You're painting?" Tristan asked when he heard the radio in the background. "Have you found your muse?"
"Not yet. Although, I am pleased how my painting is coming along." Karla paused when she considered her recollections of the nineteenth century Opera House she was currently painting. "You can see my painting for yourself when you come home next week. I want to hear how things are going for you over there."
Tristan laughed at her none-too subtle attempt to change the subject, and then began to tell her of his meetings with banks and real estate agents. They chatted for several hours when Tristan looked at the clock.
"It must be almost eleven o'clock! I'm sorry I've kept you up."
"I enjoy just talking to you, Tris. I've missed you," Karla confessed softly.
"I have to go, I have breakfast meeting in the morning. Sleep well, sweetheart."
