Ella snapped up her bag, on her feet in an instant. “I knew this was a mistake. I knew it. From the moment I saw that website.”
He got up too. “Ella, wait, please!”
“Not only are you crazy enough to believe the site hype, you make up this insane, and might I addsexist,story to go along with it! Don’t try to contact me again.” She hurried past the waiters, who were trying to hide the fact that they were watching, out the door and into the parking lot.
“Wait, Ella, I can prove it!”
“Yeah, right.”
“There’s going to be a freak blizzard tonight. You’re going to be snowed in over the next couple of days. School’s going to be cancelled.”
Ella stopped short, keys out and ready to get into the car. “You can’t know that.”
“I read the article last night because I had a feeling you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Whatever. Just don’t contact me again.”
“If you decide you believe me,youcontactme.”
“Don’t be expecting it.” Ella got into her car and drove away, leaving Herman behind in her rear-view mirror.
Six
Ella woke up before her alarm clock went off, something she rarely did. Blinking, she realized it was because the light coming in from her window was extremely bright. Had she slept in? She checked the alarm clock again, but it still read 7 a.m. Feeling as if every nerve in her body was on alert, she walked over to the window and brushed aside the curtain to look out.
There was snow everywhere; catching the sunlight and reflecting it back brightly. Schoolwas definitely cancelled.
Ella was trembling. Before she had gone to bed last night, she had checked the weather report, and there had been no chance of snow whatsoever.
“There’s no way he could have known that when the television meteorologists didn’t,” she whispered. “No way.”
She hurried over to her computer, went immediately to the website and typed.
How did you do that?
As usualshe got an immediate response.It made headlines. I told you I read the article. Do you believe me now?
I believe something is going on,she replied.
What’s it going to take for you to believe me?
Take me back to your place.
Pardon me?
I want to see the future.
You can’t. That’s part of the rules. Unless you ’re permanently moving to the future, I can’t bring you here. Too much risk of you finding out what companies to invest in, becoming a multi-mill ionaire and somehow messing up the time stream.
Then I’m not going to believe you. It was some weird coincidence . . .
He didn’t respond for a while, and then came back with –I could take you into the past.
She stared at the screen. Surely she hadn’t read it right.
As long as we don’t visit the past during your lifetime, where you could alter something about your own life, I could take you. For an hour or so. It’s expensive enough, me travel l ing back to see you. Time travel costs really go up when you take a passenger.
Oh, of course. Stupid travel agents!she quipped, while still numb with shock.
