TURN BACK THE TIME, BABE. BOOK 7. THE WILL TO CARRY ON

NOW I KNOW

AMANDINE POV

I brushed my teeth fiercely till my gums were bleeding. I looked at my face in front of the mirror, full of dried trails of water. A trickle of blood crossed my bottom lip and started to wash out my mouth eagerly.

I put the toothbrush into my Captain Hook small glass and bowed down my head into the washbasin, letting the water could soak up my hair. Then I soaked up my still flushed face. I was furious.

Thick black trickles fell down my eyelashes full of mascara. Why did I put that ridiculous makeup? I seldom painted my face. Sometimes I used the eyeliner and put some red on my lips. Deep red looked good on them but most of the time I used to go out with my washed face. And my hair used to look perfect. I took good care of my hair, sometimes a little too much.

The night started off beautifully and had in store a perfect plan to me. There was nothing better than go and watch Bohemian Rhapsody film for the 18th time.

In earlier times except the one my parents went with me and another one with two of my cousins, I had gone alone to the movies. Loneliness was a bonus for me. I had finally believed I didn't fit completely in this society and enjoyed doing things on my own most of the time.

I had never had one single friend in my life. All the people who I met in my childhood became my enemies. Some of them were disappointing and hurt me utterly and some of them just came into my life a little bit too late. When my trust was completely shattered and was unable to try to make a friendship properly.

Certainly I'd never fallen in love with anyone except Freddie Mercury. And even that was entirely a different thing. Not a romantic feeling or something though it was unmistakingly love with capital letters. You could say my trust in human beings had been reduced to the highest degree. To such and extent that I withdrew into myself and my only meaningful cravings for me were the piano, the music, the gardening and my job as veterinary. I always had trusted much more in animals than people.

There was no chance to meet someone because I didn't usually go out. I lived only for my work and my hobbies. I had no friends and romantic love didn't get into the equation. Actually, that kind of love frightened me.

I had a correct relationship with my two workmates in the veterinary clinic. Two girls. When they asked me for my telephone number in the most direct and to my eyes rude way, I just told them I didn't usually give my number to anyone. I imagine didn't sit well. From then on, our relationship was strictly professional. I was the best when it came to dismiss all kind of chances, I know. But I always showed my claws before someone could scratch me.

The only man with whom I was close, apart from my father, my brother and my cousins, was my boss. A nice man who made me feel comfortable and appreciated in my job. Something very important to anybody's growth.

His name was Serge. He was 50 years old but looked younger and a bit like Hristo Shopov, the bulgarian actor. His shaved head, intelligent eyes, nice smile. He delegated a lot of things on me and that didn't help to keep the harmony with my two workmates. They started to accuse me of sleeping with him and a lot of awful things.

The pressure that those two old bags put on me day after day with their eyes and words, took its toll on me and finally I quitted a job I really liked. Serge was a good man and tried to make me change my mind but I'm the most stubborn woman in the world. When I take a decision it's really hard retracing my steps.

Once I was no longer his employee, it seemed that Serge felt free at last to invite me to have some coffee and have a chat at his place. I refused that proposition flatly. "Then what about your place? Would you feel more comfortable there?" I stood there staring at him in disbelief and shook my head. Comfortable? What for? What was he talking about? "Alright. We can meet at the coffee shop around the corner".