If Only for a Time Read online

  “Why civil engineering, though?” Akari asked, taking another photo as the mist sprayed gently over the plants, listening to Rebekah’s enthusiastic descriptions of her world.

  “That’s what my mother always asked. It seemed the most logical path to make a difference in the construction environment. My dad was a contractor, you see, a regular builder really. He worked hard his whole life, doing the same thing day in and day out. Nothing ever got any better. The buildings never changed or advanced. He had such amazing ideas but nobody ever took him seriously because the engineer always knew best, apparently, and the contractor should know his place and do what he’s told. I knew I had to get my engineering degree so I could make the changes from within. A female saboteur.”

  “How’s that been going for you?” Akari scoffed cheekily.

  "It's a work in progress,” she sighed. “Getting the degree was one thing. It's easy if you keep up and study hard, but out in the field it's a whole different ball game. Nobody takes me seriously and I have to prove myself time and time again. I see now why so many female engineers quit within their first or second year. I promised myself that I’m not going to be just another statistic. Eventually, they will have to listen to my ideas. Even if that means I have to work twice as hard as the men on my team."

  She sat down next to a tortoise sculpture so Akari could take a photo that neither could ever share on social media without being exposed for bunking lectures. They wanted the memory nonetheless. The whole place seemed magical.

  “I know the feeling. It’s not much easier in Japan,” Akari sighed. “But you can’t say anything. You just need to shut up and be grateful for the projects they send your way, which are usually the ones nobody else wants or someone has already messed up.”

  “It’s unfair and often frustrating, but I’m determined. That’s why it’s so important that I take all the opportunities I can get, including this trip. Nobody else was available on such short notice when my colleague had to cancel last minute. It was only two weeks ago when a staff meeting was called to arrange other plans!”

  “That’s crazy! Luckily you don’t need a visa for Singapore. Still, how did you manage to rearrange your life so quickly? It took me months to plan. My husband wasn’t too impressed with the idea initially.”

  “It wasn’t that tricky really. I just had to get ahead with my work and move some meetings around. On the personal front, there was nothing to arrange. I don’t have any dependents. And I don’t just mean kids. I don’t even have pets or a house plant! They would die,” she joked, “but I’d rather be married to my job at this stage than be stuck at home with a bunch of toddlers. I’d feel so trapped.”

  “You can’t work at that pace forever, though; you’ll burn out,” Akari cautioned as they went up another level to another climate zone, inside what felt like a giant snow globe. Minus the snow.

  “I’m still young and this is all I want.”

  “What about a boyfriend?”

  “Ha!” Rebekah laughed. “Those just slow you down and take your money. Besides, most men are intimidated by strong women. Don’t get me wrong, I do have my fun, but I can’t deal with a full-time ‘other’ right now. I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself. Besides, I’m more efficient on my own. I like my freedom. Matters of the heart just short-circuit my brain so I find it best to avoid it all together.”

  “Your speech sounds well-rehearsed.”

  “With a family like mine, asking for grandkids since I turned twenty-three, it has to be. They keep wanting to know if I’m a lesbian or what’s wrong with me. This isn’t exactly the most conventional life choice, but I couldn’t imagine my world any other way. What about you?”

  “Me? Like I mentioned, I’ve got a husband at home. No kids yet. We’ve known each other since we were kids. He’s also an engineer. I couldn’t imagine my life without him. His support gets me through it all. If I didn’t have him to go home to, I don’t know what I’d do.”

  “Easily negated with a large group of friends,” Rebekah countered.

  “Ah, you’re one of those.”

  “Oh no, I’m terrible at being a feminist if that is what you’re implying. I hate taking out the trash or if a guy walks through a door in front of me. I just mean that I can get the emotional support from my friends, and when it comes to the sex? Well, let’s be honest, I’m a twenty something single woman living in the city, so that’s not a problem right now.”

  “Don’t you want more than that?”

  “Maybe one day, but I’ve spent so long building my world the way I want it, I can’t risk someone coming in and trying to change it all. Until I find someone who can actually fit into my life without me having to compromise, I’m okay with things this way. For now, I have to focus on my career. I’ll focus on a relationship later when I’m more established in the industry.”

  “So… what about Emile Martín?” Akari teased and Rebekah felt herself blush involuntarily.

  “What about him?”

  “I see the way you look at him,” Akari countered.

  “Don’t be silly. Besides, he’s probably married anyway.” Rebekah tried to dismiss the thought, picking up her pace to avoid where this conversation was heading.

  “I didn’t see a ring on his finger. You never know,” Akari continued.

  “You’re being ridiculous. Come on, let’s go. I still want to see the Crystal Cave and you’re just talking nonsense.”

  Rebekah hoped that the crystal caves and exotic gardens would get the thought of the beautiful Argentinian out of her mind.

  Chapter Four

  They returned from their devious adventure in time to clean up for the official meet-and-greet evening ball. The event was neatly planned on the official conference program, and also inserted on the back side of the lanyard hanging around everyone’s neck. At this event, the eyes of strangers usually only met after an automatic glance to the identity card around their neck. Nobody had to wonder what was next, or the name, country, and company of the person they were trying to network with.

  Unlike last night’s tossed together outfit, Rebekah took her time to get ready, ensuring the finest details of her accessories matched the elegantly long black dress she brought. The sleek chiffon fabric left her back exposed, and she polished off the look with pearl earrings, black heels and hair straightened over her naked shoulders. She was dressing to impress. She even spent time on her makeup, which normally was a five minute ordeal, and finished with a coat of fierce red lipstick. She hadn’t worn this dress since an award ceremony the year before and she felt like a new person in it now.

  She glanced at herself in the mirror, turning around to get a better look of her outfit from all angles. She was ready. She wasn’t sure for what, exactly, but she was ready.

  She slipped her room key into her clutch and made her way to the tenth floor. The reception was to be held at one of the hotel’s many fancy restaurants. The venue was already abuzz with an assortment of accents mixed together jovially.

  Rebekah instinctively scanned the room for Emile and tried not to show her disappointment when her search proved futile. Akari waved at her from the other side of the venue next to a big glass window, and Rebekah grabbed a glass of red wine and floated in her direction. Everyone seemed different all dressed up, but she became distracted as she stared out over the illuminated cityscape in front of her.

  “Nice dress,” Akari said reaching for one of the hors d'oeuvre trays a waiter was circulating among the crowd. “Took you long enough to get ready.” Akari herself was dressed in a classy blue dress.

  “Thanks, might as well do it properly,” she shrugged, still staring out the window with her back turned to the crowd. She should be aggressively networking, but instead, her head was someplace else. Even now, she still only had one thing on her mind or, rather, one person.

  “You should learn to take a compliment better.” The face she involuntarily craved suddenly appeared, his reflection appearing amongst
the city lights. Rebekah spun around, smiling from ear to ear despite herself.

  “Hi Emile!” She nearly blurted out in a squawk. Really? Could I be any more awkward? She thought to herself.

  "She's right. Stunning dress. Although I think it's definitely more than the dress," he said as he smiled.

  Rebekah tried hard not blush, but she couldn’t keep the rosy color from creeping over her cheeks. If anyone asked, she would blame her flushed face on the wine.

  "You look beautiful," the charming, confident man said as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

  She tightened her grip on the empty glass to try to stabilize herself. That familiar scent, even stronger up close, made her want to follow him around wherever he went. She still couldn’t place the smell or even figure out why it was having such a powerful effect on her.

  “You don’t look too bad yourself,” she replied, admiring his perfectly tailored black suit, complete with a matching thin tie and crisp white shirt. “Although a tad like the waiters I must admit.”

  “In that case, can I get you a refill m’lady?” He bowed dramatically and she laughed.

  “I thought you’d never ask.” She held the glass out to him and he waved over one of the staff members.

  “There you go.” He grabbed two glasses and placed one in her unsteady, nervous hand. “Fair point by the way. I’m not used to the waiters dressing so formally. Next time I’ll have to rethink this look. I was going for young and sophisticated, but I suppose resembling a waiter works too.”

  “What? Don’t you spend your life at fancy gala dinners and balls?”

  At this point Akari had been long forgotten and subsequently moved on to another circle, sensing the pointlessness of trying to get a word in with these two.

  "My life is not quite as glamorous, I'm afraid. I think I spend more time in a t-shirt and overalls on building sites than in fancy suits at conferences," he said humbly as she gulped down her wine. “I mean, I didn’t even know what to do with my hair, not being allowed to wear a hard hat to the conference and all.”

  Add a great sense of humor to the package―check! Rebekah thought.

  “One would never think that, you looked so put together today during your talk.”

  “And what about the other speakers this afternoon?” He grinned, knowingly.

  “What…what do you mean?” She blushed, trying to act nonchalant.

  “Wherever did you run off to after lunch, Miss Edwards? It is Miss, right?" He looked at the name tag around her neck that had become everyone’s permanent accessory, her all-access pass for the fancy hotel. Okay, some people look at the name tags first. Except Emile’s gaze had been locked on hers from the moment they met.

  “Yes, it is Miss. You noticed my absence?”

  “There are only one hundred fifty people at this conference, Miss Edwards, of course I noticed. Besides, I was looking for you. Naughty, naughty girl,” he grinned. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” He winked.

  “Phew, what a relief,” she said dramatically, finishing off her wine in a bigger gulp than she would have normally attempted if she weren’t so nervous. “I wouldn’t want to get into trouble. I’ll have to copy your notes for those missed sessions it seems.”

  “I’m afraid mine wouldn’t be of much use to you.”

  "Oh, why not? I thought you were such a diligent student. I mean you're wearing a tie and all."

  “Well, I must confess, my mind was wandering far away and not even Professor Jones-Reed’s captivating talk on solar installations versus heat pump alternatives could keep my attention.”

  How could one man be so charming? Rebekah wondered, completely engrossed, studying his every detail without missing a single word, a single gesture. She was greedy for his knowledge and wanted to know everything about him.

  “It sounds like you were terribly distracted. What were you thinking about?” She grinned coyly, the wine finally easing some of her nerves. She felt the blush in her cheeks begin to trickle down her body towards the familiar ache between her legs. It’s the wine, she repeated to herself.

  “Dance with me and I’ll tell you.” He took both their glasses and set them down on the table nearby, firmly grasping her waist before she even had time to respond.

  “But this isn’t even real dancing music,” she protested half-heartedly, letting herself be swept away by the smell that had drugged her mind since he first sat down next to her for lunch. Rebekah folded her arms around his shoulders and rested her face on his neck, careful not to get her red lipstick on his impeccable collar. Even wearing her heels, he was tall enough for her to fit perfectly into the strong body gliding her across the dance floor.

  “Nonsense, all music is dancing music.”

  Nobody else was dancing, it seemed as if the crowd was preoccupied with networking and the open bar kept the waiters busy. Everyone was chatting away merrily, enjoying a momentary escape from their real lives and plotting to solve the world’s problems all within the span of a single conference.

  “This place is so beautiful,” Rebekah said as he slowly spun her past the giant window again, lights blurring in a twirl.

  “What is it with you and that view?” He grinned, pulling her back in as they danced closely.

  “It’s not just me and this view, it’s me and all the views.”

  The song ended and they sat on the couch by the window, fresh drinks in hand. “I don’t know, I suppose it’s that feeling of being on top of the world. That freedom and especially in a new city. It’s gorgeous. It makes me feel like I’m in a movie.”

  “You’ve never been to Singapore before?”

  “Ha! I’m a simple country girl, Mr. Martín. I only left the small town world for the first time two years ago. This is my first time in any part of Asia.”

  “Some part of me envies that. I’m on my second passport in three years because I just fill the pages so quickly. Eventually, all the cities blur together in a mess of airports and different plug adapters.”

  “Don’t your people miss you?” Rebekah was trying to get more information out him, but did not want to be appear obvious.

  “I think everyone’s used to it by now. If I’m ever home for an extended period of time, we all just end up getting into each other’s hair. Besides, I’d get bored without the constant change and there is nothing I fear more.”

  “Sounds familiar,” she agreed, putting the glass down.

  “Your life could never be boring. You see the world with such a childlike wonder.”

  “That’s quite a claim, you’ve just met me.”

  “I’m good at summing up people.”

  “Oh, is that so? So what does your summary say now?”

  “Well, it says that you’d come with me right now if we could sneak away without attracting any suspicion,” he whispered into her ear.

  Her breath caught in her throat. “Nothing wrong with that ego of yours,” she grinned, getting up.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Like you said, we wouldn’t want to attract any suspicion.”

  It took every bit of her self-control, but she walked to where Akari was talking to a Dutch researcher from Deloitte who had led one of the sessions earlier in the day. Emile was right, she would’ve followed him instantly if they weren’t here, if they weren’t them. Technically, this was still a work function and she had to remain professional. The alcohol was making it easy to forget she wasn’t at some fancy party with friends; she couldn’t just relax and let go. That’s why she had to walk away instantly, to try and regroup before she completely lost herself in his irresistible charm. She peeked up and saw him disappear into the sea of faces, slapping old acquaintances on the back and making the rounds expected of him. Even from afar, he had a certain presence.

  Rebekah suddenly felt paranoid. Did anyone see them dancing? Did it look too intimate? She eagerly waited for Akari to wrap up her conversations so that she could drag her away for a heart-to-heart. Akari was t
he closest thing to a friend she had in this place and hiding in her room to figure out her emotions seemed immature. Akari was her best bet, but she seemed to be engulfed in whatever she was walking about. A lifetime passed as Rebekah’s mind raced nervously.

  She knew she was completely swept off her feet but she longed for a second opinion or, rather, some validation of reality. This wasn’t what she had in mind for this conference. This overwhelming feeling of attraction was more than she could handle.

  Chapter Five

  “Oh look who’s finally decided to remember I exist,” Akari smiled in her normal sarcastic manner as they strolled to the other side of the room where it was quieter.

  By now, Rebekah had learned that her friend didn’t really mean anything by these kinds of remarks. It was just…Akari.

  “I’m sorry, I got distracted,” Rebekah offered meekly.

  “It’s fine, who can blame you? If I wasn’t married, I’d be gunning for that piece of ass as well. I mean look around us, everyone here is basically one step away from a senior citizen and they look like they’ve been hiding in a dark cave for months. That man is definitely a catch.”

  “Yeah, he’s okay,” Rebekah said modestly. She felt her gaze being pulled towards Emile’s gravitational field even from across the room. He was talking enthusiastically with a group of delegates who had gathered around him. Even from where she stood she could see the way they were looking at him, hanging on his every word.

  How can he be so perfect? Rebekah thought.

  “Okay? If that is the way you act around men you think are okay, I’d love to see how you are when you actually have a crush on someone. You looked like a teenager on a first date when you two were on the dance floor all anxious and starry-eyed.”

  “Shit, do you think anyone noticed?” she asked nervously.

  “Of course not. They don’t even know who you are. Come with me,” Akari said, heading for the door.

  “Where are we going?” Rebekah queried, but followed nonetheless. She could feel his gaze on her as she walked out the door and she resisted the urge to look over her shoulder.