Kate Hoffmann - The Drifter

“It’s all right, Evie. We’ll say goodbye really quick. And before you know it, you’ll be here again, picking me up.”

“You are coming back,” Eve said.

Charlie stood and pulled her to her feet. “I am coming back. I promise.” He leaned forward and kissed her, this kiss filled with so much longing that Eve felt tears well up in her eyes.

“Have fun,” she said, her voice choking with emotion. “But-but not too much fun. Not that kind of fun.”

“Evie, don’t you know? I love you. The only person I want to be with is you.” He reached down and picked up his boarding pass and passport. “I’ll talk to you later tonight after I get settled in Boston.”

Eve nodded. “All right.” She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, then realized she didn’t want to let go. “Go. Before I start blubbering like an idiot.”

“I can’t,” Charlie said. “You’re holding on too tight.”

Eve quickly released her grip. Brushing a tear from her cheek, she gave him a little wave and he started toward the gate. Eve felt panic wash over her. What if she never saw him again? What if he met with an accident on Everest or his plane crashed or-he met some beautiful woman and decided to run off with her? There were things left to be said between them.

“I love you, Charlie Templeton,” Eve shouted.

He stopped, then slowly turned around, a wide grin on his face. “I love you, Eve Keller.” They stared at each other across the waiting area for a long moment. Then applause suddenly broke out among the passengers standing there.

Eve laughed and blew him a kiss and Charlie pretended to catch it and put it in his pocket. He gave her one last wave before heading into the security area.

Walking back toward her car, Eve said a silent prayer that everything would go well with his trip and he’d make it safely home again. This man meant everything to her. Though she found those feelings difficult to admit, that didn’t make them any less intense.

“I do love you, Charlie,” she murmured.

“HEY, CHARLIE! YOU HAVE a visitor!”

Charlie glanced up from his laptop and groaned. He’d been at base camp for a week and already he’d garnered a reputation. Most of the guys there called him “whipped.” A few used the word “obsessed.” It was only the women who showed the slightest bit of admiration for his chaste ways and his devotion to his girlfriend back home.

Sure, he spent a lot of time on the computer. When he and Eve couldn’t get a video link, they wrote each other long letters, detailing all the things they’d done that day. And when the video link was working, Charlie shut himself up in his tent and enjoyed the pleasures of Internet sex.

At first, Eve had been a bit embarrassed, but as time went on, she looked forward to their “interludes.” A week ago, she’d showed off a sexy new bra and panties, which were slowly peeled off before getting down to business.

Charlie had been adventurous in the bedroom in the past, but he’d never experienced this kind of sex. Without the ability to touch her, everything happened in his head. The orgasms were at times incredibly intense and at other times, almost soothing.

“Templeton!”

“Go away,” Charlie said.

He’d been in a bitch of a mood the past five days. He hadn’t been able to reach Eve in more than a week and he was beginning to worry. She’d sent him a short note saying she was going to be traveling and might not have access to a computer for a while. Charlie found it a bit odd that she couldn’t find a single computer in an entire week.

He’d decided to call the restaurant and find out where she was if he didn’t hear from her by the end of the day. It was easy to let his thoughts run away on him, especially when they were so far apart. Maybe she met another man. Maybe Matt was romancing her again. Or maybe she’d just lost interest.

Charlie watched as a shadow crossed in front of his tent. “Don’t think this is going to work again,” he shouted.

Yesterday, some old friends from an American expedition had decided to play a joke on him. They’d told him they were sending a girl over to his tent to help him out with his “problem.” Though sex at base camp, or anywhere on Everest, was considered taboo by the locals, most of the climbers didn’t abstain when the opportunity presented itself.

But when Charlie stepped out of his tent, he had found a huge blow-up doll, mouth agape, dressed in a climbing harness and crampons. The entire camp was gathered to see his reaction. Though he took it with good humor, Charlie realized how many people didn’t really believe he could be faithful to Eve.

“Just leave the doll,” he called. “Stake her to the ground so she doesn’t blow away. I’ll get her back to you guys later. I know how much you’ll miss her.”

“Ah, Charlie. I think you better come out here.”

With a low curse, he got up from his cot and crossed the spacious interior of his tent. Grabbing the tent flap, he tossed it up and stepped into the bright sunshine. His eyes took a while to adjust to the light and he squinted, holding his hand up to shield them. “I know you think it’s funny. Ha-ha. Charlie Templeton has a girlfriend. Charlie Templeton is in love. Go ahead, laugh it up. But don’t tell me that if you guys found the perfect woman, you wouldn’t do everything in your power to make her happy.”

He pulled his hand away from his eyes and saw Mark Eaton standing in front of him, a satisfied smirk curling his lips. “Well, I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear that,” he said.

“Hi, Charlie.”

The sound of her voice sent a jolt of surprise through his body. At first he wasn’t sure if he was imagining what he heard. Charlie slowly turned, then gasped at the sight he found.

Eve, dressed in a hodgepodge of outdoor gear, standing in front of him. In one quick motion, he scooped her up into his arms and kissed her, cupping her face in his hands as his mouth found hers.

When he finally took the opportunity to grab a breath, he looked down into her bright eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“You told me I should come. And I had a few weeks free, so I thought I’d see a little bit of Nepal.”

He laughed, then kissed her again. “How did you get here?”

“It wasn’t easy,” she said. “I called twenty different tour companies before I found one that had a spot open. Luckily, I didn’t need a visa, but I did have to get a bunch of shots. I was on a plane for a day and a half. Then I was stuck in Lhasa for two days getting used to the altitude. I spent another day bouncing around in a van. But the trip has been incredible, just like you said it would be. I saw a monastery and I’ve eaten really incredible food. And if I don’t sit down right now, I think I might just fall down.”

He pulled aside the tent flap and showed her inside. She glanced around at the spacious interior. They’d set up a comfortable tent for him at base camp with plenty of room to work and sleep. The production company considered him the “star” of their film, and he was happy to be treated as such. Now he realized how lucky it was that he had room for two.

“How are you?” Charlie asked, gently drawing her down to sit on the cot.

“Good,” she said. “Tired.”

“The altitude can take some getting used to. You’ll just be a little breathless or lightheaded for a while. But if you feel sick you should let me-”

She put her finger over his lips. “Aren’t you going to tell me how much you missed me?” she teased.

“I missed you a lot,” he said, her finger still touching his lips.

“Aren’t you going to tell me how good I look?”

Charlie chuckled. “You look really good,” he said.