Solace In Switzerland Read online

  Alice strolled over to the pool table. The woman was busy lining up her last shot.

  “Play you for the next game,” said Alice.

  She straightened up and gave a scrutinizing stare .

  “Okay,” she agreed.

  “Let’s make it interesting. Loser pays the tab.”

  The woman pondered briefly, then nodded.

  “Sure.”

  “Great,” said Alice.

  “I’ll grab a stick and you grab the drinks?” Alice proposed without hesitation.

  The woman agreed and returned with drinks in tow as Alice finished re-racking the balls. Elsa handed Alice one of the drinks.

  “The bartender said this is for you,” she added confusedly.

  Alice took the beverage and heartily gulped, the flavor and coolness refreshed her palate. She stopped about two-thirds of the way down when she noticed the woman’s mouth gaping at her. She set down the drink and asked who should break. The woman offered to allow Alice to break, but she declined the privilege.

  “Elsa,” said the woman as she leaned forward and held out her hand.

  “Alice.”

  The two shook hands and began their match. Alice inspected her adversary as she bent over to aim. She was wearing a brown leather jacket with a white blouse and light blue jeans. Her long, blonde hair fell forward along her face as she bent over to aim, and she had to stop to sweep it back behind her ear. Elsa hit the cue ball sending the other balls scattering about the table. One striped ball fled into a corner pocket. Elsa stood back and smiled in accomplishment. Alice allowed herself a tiny grin.

  Elsa walked around the table, sizing up her next move.

  “Where are you from?” asked Elsa. She had noticed Alice’s accent.

  “The U.S.,” she replied.

  “Ah,” Elsa acknowledged. She began to aim at her next shot. “What brings you here? Vacation?”

  “Uh, work...actually.”

  She took a shot.

  Crack!

  A ball went into the corner pocket. She immediately began looking for her next shot.

  “What kind of work do you do?”

  Alice hesitated at answering.

  “I’m a writer.”

  Elsa looked at Alice and grinned.

  “Oh yeah? What kind of writer? Like a magazine? For travel or something?”

  Alice shook her head.

  “Books. Novels...I write novels.”

  Elsa straightened up and leaned on her pool stick.

  “What kind?” she inquired with a grin.

  Alice took a sip of her drink.

  “Romance,” she said wearily as she gazed at the balls scattered on the pool table.

  Elsa smiled as she looked across the table at the Alice. Elsa had eyed Alice when she first entered the bar. She immediately found the woman with her long brown hair and slender frame attractive. Now, she discovered that this woman was intelligent and creative, as well. The cherry on top.

  She leaned onto the table and took her shot. The cue ball hit its desired target, but missed the pocket. Elsa straightened up and sulked a little, though she tried to hide it.

  “What kind of romance? Like steamy romance?” she continued.

  Alice chuckled.

  “Romance,” she answered.

  “Anything I would know?”

  Alice shook her head as she looked over the spread on the table.

  “Doubt it.”

  “Yeah, me too. I don’t really read romance,” said Elsa.

  Alice nodded as she leaned forward and hit the cue ball. It hit the two ball to where it covered a corner pocket. She stepped back to allow her opponent to take her turn.

  “Are you really not going to tell me what you’ve written?” asked Elsa.

  Alice stood quietly as she looked back at Elsa.

  “Okay, at least tell me the name of one of your books.”

  She took a shot and got a ball in.

  “The Ultimate Journey,” Alice finally said.

  Elsa pursed her lips.

  “It sounds like a travel guide, not a love story,” she joked.

  “It’s the most popular thing I’ve written,” Alice shrugged.

  Elsa took another shot and missed. She went and sat down at the table near their game. She took a sip of her beer as she watched Alice lined up her next shot. Alice walked over to the same side of the table as Elsa and leaned on the table to aim. Elsa caught herself ogling at her opponent’s butt. Alice shot and missed. She straightened up and walked over to her drink. Elsa peeled her eyes from the breathtaking scenery that was her opponent and stood up to take her shot.

  “You could write anywhere. Why come here to write?” inquired Elsa.

  “Why not?” replied Alice. She finished her drink and raised her glass. “Another?”

  Elsa looked over at her drink. It was still over half full. She shook her head. Alice walked over to the bar and ordered another drink. She came back with another vodka tonic and two shot glasses full of vodka. She handed one to Elsa. She accepted and they clinked their glasses together in cheers before taking their shot. Elsa took her turn and made two balls in. She teased a smile at her losing opponent.

  “Maybe I should order another drink,” she joked.

  Alice hadn’t made a single ball in. She smiled courteously. Elsa missed her next shot. She walked over to take another sip of her drink while Alice had her turn. Alice eased up to the other side of the table directly across from Elsa. She bent over and aimed. Elsa had a perfect view Alice’s cleavage in her navy blue v-neck blouse. Elsa gulped hard and gawked at her cleavage. Alice shot and missed, again. She seemed unphased by it. Elsa confidently went and lined her sights for her next shot.

  “Where are you staying?” asked Elsa.

  She shot and made a ball in.

  “Down the street,” she pointed in the direction of the house.

  Elsa thought for a moment.

  “I don’t know any hotels that way.”

  “It’s not a hotel,” she answered.

  Elsa shot and missed. She now had one striped ball left on the table. Alice had all of hers left.

  “Do you want another drink? Last chance.” offered Alice.

  Elsa smiled in pity. She agreed it was the last chance because she was about to win. She shook her head.

  “Suit yourself,” said Alice.

  Alice took off her black coat and draped it over the chair next to where Elsa had sat down. She took a sip of her drink and pulled up her sleeves. Alice walked around the table, surveying her options. She stepped back and continued to look it over. Then, she walked around near Elsa and eyed the table, again. Elsa caught herself gawking at Alice’s rear, again, though she heartily tried not to. Finally, Alice moved around the table once more and made her shot. A solid red ball sank into the side pocket. Alice stood up and began moving toward her next destination before the cue ball had even stopped. She bent over and aimed as the cue ball came to a stop right in front of her cue stick. She shot and sank another ball into a corner pocket. Elsa raised her brow as she watched in shock. Each time Alice hit the cue ball, it knocked its target into a pocket, and then lined up for the next shot with care and precision. Alice maneuvered around the table in an apparent sequence. Elsa sat and watched in awe. She was beginning to realize she had been duped.

  Alice sank her last ball into a pocket and stopped to take a sip of her drink. Only the eight ball remained.

  “You’re a pool shark,” Elsa asserted, half-amazed, half-amused.

  Her opponent was becoming more interesting by the minute.

  “Last call,” said Alice with a devilish smile.

  Elsa smiled and leaned forward in her chair to watch Alice take her last shot. Alice stood at the far side of the table with the cue ball. The eight ball hugged the wall by a corner pocket near Elsa. Elsa’s ball blocked the pocket closest to the eight. Alice would have to hit the eight ball and make it bank the wall to get it in a pocket. She called her shot. Elsa look
ed on and bit her lip in anticipation. Alice looked up from the cue ball at Elsa. For a moment, she lost her breath. She was taken aback by the beauty of her opponent. It was a feeling she had completely forgotten.

  She returned her sights to the cue ball. She hit it hard, sending it smacking into the edge of the eight ball which bounced off the wall behind it. The eight ball banked off a side wall and mosied down the green, inching its way toward the corner pocket. Elsa’s ball remained untouched and the cue ball bounced off a wall and then another. The eight ball slid into its intended pocket.

  “Awww…” sulked Elsa.

  Alice tensed up as she watched the cue ball move daringly close to the side pocket. It crawled to a stop as it teetered on the edge of the hole. Alice sighed. Then, the cue ball dropped in.

  “Shhhhhhhiiiit.” Alice mumbled.

  “Scratch!” cried Elsa.

  Elsa smiled devilishly at her opponent. She had won by default. Alice tilted her head back and sighed. She shook her head as Elsa stood up.

  “So, you’ve got the tab, then,” she asserted.

  “Yeah….about that.” Alice explained her financial situation to Elsa. Elsa smirked and placed her hands in her back pocket. “I can pay you back tomorrow. If you could just wait,” Alice pleaded.

  Elsa grinned.

  “Promise?”

  She nodded. Elsa’s smile grew bigger.

  “Well, how do I collect my winnings?” Elsa inquired.

  “Here.” Alice walked over to her coat and pulled out her cell phone. “Give me your number.”

  “How does that help me?”

  “Well, I’ll give you mine, then.”

  Alice gave Elsa her cell number.

  “How does that work? Is there a country code or something?” asked Alice.

  Elsa explained, then Elsa tried texting Alice to make sure her number worked. Alice read the message.

  How does it feel to lose?

  Alice stood with her mouth agape. Elsa gave a big grin.

  “That’s just cruel,” said Alice.

  Alice finished her drink and Elsa paid the tab. Alice walked outside. The change in temperature surprised her. She immediately grabbed her arms and huddled.

  “Burr!”

  She looked around. It was snowing. She gawked at her surroundings. It was beautiful.

  Elsa walked outside and found Alice looking up into the sky with twinkly eyes. Alice glanced over at Elsa with a smile.

  “It’s snowing!” she exclaimed with joy.

  Alice held out her hand and let the snow fall on her hand. She smiled in amazement. Elsa found the sight amusing. Snow was a normal part of life for her. It was more of an obstacle and nuisance than a welcome friend. She watched as Alice marveled at the white scenery accumulating around them. Alice threw her arms out and gazed up into the night sky. Elsa hadn’t looked at snow with such wonder and joy like that since she was a child.

  Poof!

  A ball of snow smacked Alice back into the present. She put her arms down and searched for the source of this intrusion. She found Elsa smiling back at her. Alice grinned and immediately began making her own weapon of retaliation. She knelt down and packed the snow in her hands into a ball.

  Poof!

  Another snowball hit Alice in the shoulder. She looked up and gawked. Elsa laughed.

  “You’re fast,” said Alice.

  Alice stood up, weapon in hand and aimed at her enemy. She threw the ball towards her target. Elsa dodged it and laughed heartily. She felt like a kid, again. Alice made another snowball and moved onto the sidewalk closer to her target. Elsa ran around the corner of the building and leaned against the wall. Alice inched her way toward the corner, snowball in tow. She poked her head around the side and was met with Elsa plopping a handful of snow straight onto her head. Alice smiled with disbelief and delight. She was vanquished. Elsa laughed cheerfully. Alice shook the snow off her head. She looked up to find Elsa’s eyes meet hers. They gazed intently at each other, both yearning for the other’s affections. Elsa slowly leaned into Alice. She looked down at Alice’s soft, succulent lips, then back at her wide brown eyes, searching deep for a sign that her desires were reciprocated. She leaned in further. Alice held fast, her breath growing heavy, her eyes longing. Elsa moved closer until their noses were almost touching. She stopped short and looked down at her crimson lips, then back up at her eyes. They kissed. Slowly, their lips caressed each others’, swimming in the soft, warm delight they harbored. They kissed harder and more passionately. Alice caught her breath and began to pull away. Elsa placed her hand on the back of Alice’s neck and pulled her in closer, relishing the feel of her silky brown hair against her fingertips. Elsa’s heart raced. Alice pulled away. Elsa immediately yearned for her touch, again, but ignored the urge. She stood watching Alice, instead.

  “I should go,” said Alice.

  “I’ll pay you back, tomorrow,” she finished as she turned around and began walking up the sidewalk.

  Elsa watched her in dismay.

  “Are you walking home? It’s not far is it?” inquired Elsa.

  Alice shrugged.

  “Maybe a quarter mile. I’ll be fine.”

  Elsa wasn’t familiar with the standard measurement system, but she knew it was too cold for a stroll the way she was dressed.

  “You’ll freeze. Let me drive you home,” she offered.

  Alice looked down at her feet. Her shoes were already soaked through and her stockings were damp.

  They pulled up in the driveway of the quaint little cottage. The trip had been awkwardly quiet, but brief. Elsa put the car in park and looked over at her passenger. Alice sat in silence, staring at the dashboard. Elsa leaned over and brushed Alice’s hair behind her ear. She leaned over further for a kiss.

  “Thanks for the ride,” said Alice.

  Elsa stopped her advancement. Alice unbuckled her seatbelt, still refusing to look at her escort. She opened the door and got out. Elsa watched in confusion as Alice walked up to the door and went inside. Elsa resolved to let it be and left.

  Alice closed the door behind her and listed against it as she looked up at the ceiling. She stood there for a moment, then decided sleep was what she needed. She changed clothes and washed her face, then jumped into bed. She stared into the darkness, tossing and turning. Thoughts rushed through her head. After doing this for a couple of hours, she conceded that she couldn’t sleep. She got up and and grabbed her laptop. She opened up a blank document and immediately began typing. Words poured out with alarming ease. She typed and typed. Paragraphs turned to pages and pages to chapters. She couldn’t believe it. She was writing, again!

  Alice awoke in bed with her laptop still open. Apparently, she had fallen asleep while writing. The battery had died from being left on. She got up and looked for her charger. She plugged it into the laptop, then searched for an outlet. She was dismayed to find it wouldn’t work with her American style plug. She looked outside. It was still dark. She looked at the clock: 8:09am. She wrinkled her brow, then shrugged it off and began making coffee. She turned on her phone to check if the time was right. She was surprised to find that it was and that she also had a text message from an unfamiliar number. She opened it and realized that it was Elsa.

  Ready to pay off that debt?

  She sighed. She had almost forgotten about that. She went online with her phone and checked with her bank to make sure that her credit and debit cards were no longer frozen. They were clear. She poured a cup of coffee and took a sip while she pondered. She needed to go out anyway to get an adapter for her charger and she needed groceries. The only food she had available in the house was what little she had found in the freezer: a loaf of bread and some frozen vegetables. Though, she was weary of seeing Elsa, again. She reluctantly agreed to meet her at a little bakery in town. She took a taxi in and stopped at an ATM on the way to obtain cash. She was grateful to find that her card worked fine both times.

  Elsa waited anxiously inside the bakery. She ha
d hardly slept a wink the night before from sheer excitement for the next day's possibilities. She sat waiting, fidgeting with items on the table. The prospect of a new love interest was always thrilling, but for some reason this time felt even more exhilarating. Maybe, it was the challenge of winning Alice over. Obviously, she reluctant. Elsa wondered why.

  Alice entered the shop and looked around. She was overwhelmed by the delectable smell of fresh baked goods. She hadn’t had breakfast, yet, and the sight of various types of delectables made her mouth water. She found Elsa sitting at a small table against the wall to her left. Elsa spotted her, too, and her face lit up. Elsa was practically glowing. A big grin swept across her face as she stood up to greet her. Alice walked over to the table.

  “Hi,” they both said practically at once.

  “Have you had breakfast, yet?” asked Elsa.

  “No, I’m starving,” answered Alice.

  They ordered some coffee and split a cinnamon roll.

  “Have you had one of these, yet?” asked Elsa.

  Alice looked down at the huge cinnamon roll that lay between them.

  “Everyone’s had a cinnamon roll, before,” she smirked.

  “Not like this.”Elsa broke off a piece and offered it to Alice.

  She grabbed it and took a bite. She nodded as she chewed.

  “It’s good.”

  Elsa smiled as she placed a piece in her mouth.

  “You know where I can find an adapter for my laptop charger?” asked Alice.

  Elsa nodded.

  “And groceries?” she added.

  Elsa smiled.

  They spent the day strolling through the local street markets, buying produce and chatting.

  “So, why aren’t you at work, right now. It is a weekday,” said Alice.

  “I work when I want. Like you,” she added.

  “You’re a writer?”

  Elsa shook her head and grinned.

  “An artist.”

  “What kind? Performing arts? Like a street mime?” Alice joked.

  Elsa chuckled.

  “A painter.”

  “Oh, what do you paint.”