TURN BACK THE TIME, BABE. BOOK 8. CHALLENGING THE DOORS OF TIME

PLEASE STAY A WHILE

AMANDINE'S POV

- Good morning.

- Good morning. I will be with you in a minute.

Slipping into hotel Savoy's barber's shop was maybe one my biggest milestones within the mission.  My mission, if anything. Actually I still couldn't believe this key moment had arrived. I couldn't imagine I had to take the reins in such a drastic way and I wasn't sure about my success but I had to try no matter what. Noone could say Amandine Soler was going to give up just like this.

As usual I regretted about the shed tears. One only thing could make me happy, things could work out as I planned them. This mission and life in general didn't work like this, I had learnt the hard way. Your plans were one thing and what life had in store for you another one. But my plans were not selfish at all. I just wanted Freddie's happiness, that kind of happiness he achieved till his death with the man who won his heart. Just the thought of he could keep Jim away from his life made me cry, I had to control myself a little bit better. Though Freddie got very nervous seeing someone crying and wanted to stop my tears even having a chance to pool them in my eyes, he also taught me to understand there was nothing wrong about crying and show my vulnerability once in a while.

My trouble was that my hypersensitivity was more acute within the mission. At every level. My explosive arguments with Wish, the way I zealously took care of Farrokh, the way Rudi stormed into my heart, my acute protective instinct that made me exposed my life and mental health. I knew I was strong and I had the guts when it required but I couldn't fight against my hypersensitivity. It was a lost battle.

If Freddie was all messed up and at this stage didn't know what he wanted, I had to work my way to make him see the obvious thing. I had to play my role.

The man who had adressed to me at the Savoy was not Jim and I started to fear it was his free day or simply he didn't work there anymore. But my doubts vanished away when I spotted him emerging from one of the doors in the background. I sighed in relief.

- Hi, Jim -I came up to him trying my best to hold back my emotions.

- Jacqueline?

I played a faint smile. He couldn't recall my name but I didn't mind. As long as this angel was the one who forgot my name, he was forgiven.

- Amandine -I rectified.

- Sure. Sorry for my poor memory. What brings you in?

- Could you do something with my hair? It has grown too long -I rolled it through my fingers, hesitant.

- Are you sure? I wouldn't cut it too much. Let's take a look.

Jim came up to me and touched my dark locks, watching my head from every angle. It was funny how much this mission had helped me to relax my attitude towards someone touching me. I felt increasingly confident at that level despite the fact my own painful background and my still near traumatic experience.

Nevertheless, in spite of I had been in a sort of surreal haze for weeks after having defeated that monster, I had the urgent and surprising need of physical touch. First of all Wish to whom I owed my life and I would always be in debt with her and afterwards I needed the touch of all the people close to me. Feeling myself touched increasingly became something that didn't mean any offence even though I had been submitted to horrible abuses so recently.

So Jim's fingertips in my hair were not a threat to me. Didn't make me feel vulnerable but strong and self-assured about my next goal.

- Do you know this is a barber's shop, right? -Jim smirked.