Fast Forward Read Online Free Page B

moments later an engine revved, building to a crescendo before abating in the distance. I rushed to the window to watch, but the car didn’t fly. What a disappointment. If the universe was going to hold me captive in the future, you’d think it’d have the decency to provide technology that was more fun to experience than an egg boiling wonder machine.
    The arrival of a tall white vehicle with fake flowers protruding from its top had me glued to the window, as a man walked up the pathway to our front door, a bunch of colourful flowers in his hand. Ryan removed his apron and opened the door at the exact moment a bell sounded and he took the flowers from the man’s hands, thanking him.
    “Special delivery from Her Royal Highness,” he said in a posh voice, handing me the flowers.
    “Who?” I asked, turning the card over to read the greeting.
    Wishing you love and luxury on your birthday ~ Selena xx
    Selena! I had to speak to her. She’d help me make sense of what’s going on, she’d believe me when I tell her what happened. “Where’s my phone?” I asked Ryan, plonking the flowers on the kitchen bench.
    He looked at me like I’d asked him where my feet were. “Your phone?”
    “Yeah, I need to call Selena, right now!”
    “Then you better get your e-pad from its charger, Mum.”
    There’s that e-pad word again. I turned side to side, not knowing what on Earth I was supposed to be looking for. Ryan came up to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “It’s okay, Mum. I’ll get it. You just sit down and relax, okay?” He led me to the chair and then disappeared into my bedroom, before emerging with what looked like a wristwatch. Just like the one William had used that morning. “Here you go.” He strapped it to my wrist. As soon as the clasp locked it made a subtle beep sound. He pinched the tiny screen and flicked his fingers in front of me, and I jumped in shock as a holographic menu appeared before my eyes.
    “Selena, Selena …” he said, scrolling through the screen with his finger. “Here she is, although I bet you won’t be able to reach her as usual.”
    Why the hell not? We spoke to each other pretty much every day. I pressed her name and the holographic screen disappeared. “Where’d it go?”
    Ryan scoffed at my technological incompetence and pinched the e-pad, drawing an imaginary line to my ear, just like William had done himself when his e-pad rang. “When you call someone, the screen disappears, remember? Just pinch and flick if you want the menu back again. Geez, Mum, you’re only fifty, not a hundred and fifty.”
    I walked back into my bedroom, not only to speak to Selena privately, but to get away from Ryan. It was all too much. He couldn’t possibly be my son, could he? We looked nothing alike and any son of mine would surely have a classier appearance and less burping tendencies.
    The ringing on the line persisted, until a click ensued, followed by a stranger’s voice in an American accent.
    “You’ve reached Ms Westley, personal assistant to Selena York. I’m currently unable to take your call, please leave a message with your name, access number and reason for your call. Alternatively, please contact Ms York’s agent at The Fulton Agency in West Hollywood, on 555-6772.”
    Access number? Reason for my call? I just want to speak to my friend!
    Beep !
    “Crap!” Oops, didn’t mean to say that out loud. “I mean, hello! I need to speak to Selena urgently, this is Kelli Crawford, er … McSnelly. I seem to have misplaced my access number, but she knows me, we’re best friends, so if you could have her call me that would be awesome, I mean, wonderful.” I tried to change my speech to better reflect a fifty-year-old woman. “It’s regarding a rather pressing matter relating to something that happened twenty five years ago and if I could only speak to her as soon as possible, that would—”
    Beep !
    Geez, they didn’t give much time to leave a complete message. And