by Ellie Mack
The orderly arrived with a wheelchair to wheel me down to the gift shop. “Is that really necessary?” I eyed the wheelchair with disdain.
“Safety precaution. Hop in, we’ll make it fun.” He was a handsome young man with a creamy chocolate complexion, tiny dreads in his hair, a diamond stud in his left ear, and a brilliant smile. I climbed into the wheelchair reluctantly.
“The sports model is in the shop. It has flames on the side panels and glass packs on the underside.”
I chuckled. “Thanks for the image.”
“No, seriously. They let me design fun wheelchairs to brighten the patients’ days. Right now, the sports model is over on the pediatrics floor. I made one that looked like a beach buggy with an umbrella, and another like a golf cart with tropical flowers on the side.”
“Those do sound cheerful.”
“Trying to patent them. Make their hospital stay just a little brighter.”
“That’s brilliant.”
“Thanks. Arms and legs inside the vehicle while it is in motion. You’ll notice the first scenic overlook up ahead.” It was a balcony that overlooked the main entrance below.
“To the left is our tropical oasis filled with a variety of aquatic life.”
I couldn’t see what he was talking about until we got off the elevator. In the left corner of the entryway, was a tropical scene with an aquarium built in. It was indeed filled with fish of a variety of colors. A towering palm tree rose up in the back behind the aquarium and several tropical plants filled in around the sides.
“Just ahead is our shopper’s paradise.”
“OK, well that’s a stretch,” I guffawed as he rolled me into the gift shop.
“Roll with it.” He shrugged.
I rose from the wheelchair, searching for a notebook or journal. I was a bit shaky on my feet, but Evan hovered nearby.
I found a journal that was purple with a Celtic motif on the front and a packet of gel pens. I grabbed a few snacks to take back to the room with me, as well as a few truffles at the checkout counter. Content with my purchase, I eased back into the chair.
“Pain meds wearing off?” Evan asked as he adjusted the footpads.
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“The wince.” He turned me in a circle and headed back towards the aquarium.
“Can we stop and look for a bit?”
“Sure.” He pushed me close and locked the wheels before sitting on the brick edge around the tropical plants. “Tell me about yourself, Ms. Winters.”
I shook my head then shrugged my shoulders. “Not much to tell. Nothing exciting.”
“Aw, come on. Everyone has a story.”
I sighed. I watched the neons dart about the tank. “Nearly a year ago I was a college student in my last semester of school. My Mom had stage four cancer that had metastasized to other organs and her bones, and just shortly before spring break, she passed away. That sort of started the ball rolling for a bad year all around. My fiancée was killed in a plane crash a couple months later. I lost my scholarship had to drop out of school, lost my job, lost my title.”
“Title?” Evan looked up from the spot of the floor that had been fascinating to him.
“Lightweight MMA champion, but I lost my title.”
“No kidding? That’s cool.” He sat up a little straighter.
“Then things started to turn around. I’m a singer at a local club now.” I turned towards him. I realized that he was only asking as a courtesy as a hospital employee, but it made me think. “Thanks. You can take me back to the prison cell now.”
“Nah, it ain’t no prison cell. You’re getting out today anyway. Maybe I’ll be the one to escort you when you leave.” He turned me around backwards, pulling the wheelchair into the elevator.
*****
It was after six when Tara showed up. I had already had a dinner meal, which wasn’t nearly as good as the roast beef sandwich.
“Sorry, they were short-handed on the floor. Cindy called in sick again. I hope they give her a warning, this is like the sixth day in a few months.”
I looked up from the journal that I had been pouring my soul into. “We have a problem.”
“Oh? What’s that?” She sat in the hard back chair at the end of the bed.
“I can’t drive while I take these meds.”
“Not a problem, I know how to drive.”
“I have to have someone with me for the first forty eight hours.” I chewed my bottom lip.
She stared at me blankly for several minutes before responding. “I can call Aunt Carol, see if she can come stay with you while I am at work. I’m scheduled for ten hours tomorrow.”
I hadn’t thought about Aunt Carol. “What about Devon?”
“He’s been busy with this case. I doubt that he would have time to even drop by.”
I had gotten used to seeing him around. I couldn’t hide my disappointment. “Oh.”
She adjusted in the chair uncomfortably. “Are you ready to go now?”
“Yes. I was just waiting on you.” I gathered my things, dropping the candy wrappers into the trash and sticking the journal and pens inside my purse.
Tara buzzed the nurse that I was ready to sign out. Sandy, the night nurse gave Tara all of the papers after she went over the instructions with her. Evan showed up with the wheelchair with a grin on his face.
“I brought the sports model this time.” He turned the wheelchair showing off the flames that graced the side of the chair.
I couldn’t resist once we were moving and started singing.
“My Maserati does 185, I lost my license and now I can’t drive.”
The next lines from the song made me contemplate as I sang them inside my head. ‘Lucky I’m still sane after all I’ve been through. . .’ The journal was a start, but I needed help. I couldn’t seem to break out of the funk that I had fallen into. I didn’t want to end up at forty, drunk and washed out. I made up my mind as we rolled past the aquarium, I needed to see my grief counselor more often, or a psychologist.
Tara shared her day at work, conveying her frustrations in the job, and the joys that she found in nursing. She had always wanted to be a nurse. It was good to see her happy again. After a few minutes, she changed the subject. “So, there’s this intern I’ve been seeing. His name is Morgan.”
I didn’t catch it at first.
“We have a lot of things in common and we even like the same food. Is it okay if I ask him to come over to meet you? I’ve been telling him all about you.” She never seemed to miss a beat as she drove towards the apartment.
“Morgan? Wait a minute. What about Devon?”
“Pfft. Well, we had a talk. We agreed that we are better off as friends because the chemistry just isn’t there.”
“Is that the tension I felt at the hospital?”
“Not exactly. I was super pissed at him when he broke up with me. I knew all along that he still had a torch for you, but I got to the hospital and he was caressing your forehead before you regained consciousness. I went into a jealous rage with him, asking him how long you and he had been dating behind my back. He backed up and said I had it all wrong. After I calmed down, though, I knew you wouldn’t do that.”
She pulled into the parking space at the apartment then turned off the engine and turned towards me.
“It was a huge blessing in disguise. I have been wanting to date Morgan and didn’t know how to break it off with Devon. We just weren’t clicking. But, when I thought about him caressing your forehead . . . Roxy, he still loves you. There has never been anyone else but you. He is obsessed with you and regrets breaking it off with you. He told me he broke up so that you wouldn’t sell yourself short, and I think you two should get back together.”
“Wow! That’s a lot to process all at once.” I opened the door, swinging my legs to get out. “I didn’t realize that you two were broken up, but it didn’t seem like you were into him, more like you were passing the time.”
“
Yeah, we kind of were. I think it was a safe thing for both of us.”
“Interesting.” Each step laced with pain as I flexed my knees walking to the door. “Doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven him.”
Tara helped me settle into a comfortable spot on the sofa then went into the kitchen to see what we had for food.
“Um, the cupboards are just about bare. A few cans of soup, some dry pasta, a couple cans of green beans. Will you be OK if I run to the store?”
I pulled the blanket around me. The pain medicine was wearing off and I wasn’t supposed to take it on an empty stomach. “Is there any crackers? Or bread that you could make me a piece of toast?”
“Bread is stale. Let me see . . . we have some, hey! Why don’t I make us some French toast? You can take your meds, I‘ll run to the store and be back in just a few. I can let Mrs. Rodgers next door know you’re alone and if you need anything, you can call her. But, I shouldn’t be too long.”
“Sounds great.” I wondered if I could just take the meds since I had eaten at the hospital, but then French toast sounded good. The sad excuse for chicken parmesan still let a bad taste in my mouth.
Tara worked in the kitchen for a short time before walking in carrying two plates of French toast. “voila!”
She had sprinkled powdered sugar on them, just as I liked. “Thank you.” I took my first bite of warm French toast. “Mmmmm.”
The next day, Devon arrived before Tara left for work. The tension between them was obvious. She conveyed to him all the instructions for my care before she left.
“Tara said you two broke up.”
He sat in the recliner, sighing. “Yeah. It just wasn’t working. I’d rather have her as a friend and never could get past the friend zone with her.”
“So . . . you’re both OK with it?”
“Yeah, we just need to work out a few awkward things. How are you feeling?”
“Fine at the moment. A little soreness, but not unbearable.”
“I’ve got Mrs. Rodgers on standby in case I get called in.” He moved over to the sofa next to me. “What do you want to watch?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know what’s available.”
He clicked through the viewing options until he found one that he liked. “This one is supposed to be really good. I rarely have time to go to the theater anymore. I can get us some drinks and popcorn and we can start it.”
“Sure.” I didn’t know anything about the movie. I hadn’t kept up with movies. I know I saw a few previews on TV, but I didn’t have a clue as to what was out.
A few minutes later, he returned with two glasses of tea and a large bowl of popcorn. He sat right next to me with the bowl resting between our legs. “You need anything, just let me know.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead.
We sat quietly watching the movie. I wasn’t ready to jump into a full-blown relationship with him, but I had to admit, that I enjoyed having him close. I didn’t realize that the movie he picked out was a romantic comedy.
The characters were thrown into an awkward situation in close contact. The antagonist held the guests of a small private resort hostage while making demands that the owners turn over a fortune in jewels.
Devon would interject occasionally about how incorrect the storyline was to real life detective and police procedures.
I shushed him, saying it was just a story.
When the hero risked his life to save the heroine from certain death from the antagonist, Devon took my hand in his.
“I wouldn’t mind going to a tropical resort with you, Roxy.” He leaned over, his lips brushing mine. It was the barest of contacts, but incredibly sexy.
I turned towards him, allowing the kiss to continue. He caressed the side of my cheek with his fingertips as he deepened the kiss.
The movie forgotten until his finger grazed near the cut on my forehead. I gasped from the pain the slight contact caused.
“I’m so sorry.” He pulled back.
“It’s fine. It’s just really tender.”
“I should have known better.” He took a big swig of his tea.
“You were saying something about Chad, about videos.”
He studied the contents of his glass.
“You said that he posted them on some porn site and that they were made when I was underage. Whatever it is I need to sign, or do, to put him in jail, I will.”
“You will?” He looked surprised.
“Yes. I have done some stupid things in my life, but I think the whole Chad episode was by far the stupidest. Maybe if I come forward, some of the other girls will, too. Do you know who the other girls are?”
“Some of them. Knowing that one woman came forward might encourage them to come forward and press charges as well.”
I squeezed his hand. “Let’s see if they make it off the island.”
CHAPTER 31
The second day after I was released from the hospital, I had several visitors. The guys from the band came over bringing me a bouquet of flowers. Johnny D brought me a music notebook that was filled with staff paper so that I could work on my songs.
Mike brought a container of chicken and dumplings and a foil pan filled with barbecue ribs. He stayed for an hour, regaling me with his love for cooking. He shared some good news, the concert that he had booked at the local auditorium was sold out.
I couldn’t believe it.
Mike urged me to get the rest I needed and recover fully, but my mind was already in high gear for the concert. I had work to do. I needed a lot of practice, I had songs to write, and I had to figure out how I was going to go on stage with this shaved spot on my head.
Devon stayed with me most of the time, having to step out a few times for calls. He returned with Chinese carry out just before Mike left.
“Make sure she gets her rest,” Mike tipped his hat as he pulled the door shut.
“Oh, my God! The concert is sold out!” I grabbed his forearm, my eyes wide with excitement.
“What concert?” Devon asked.
“Mike scheduled a big premiere concert at the auditorium. Said that it would get the attention of talent scouts.”
“That’s great, Roxy.”
I was practically bouncing with excitement. I leapt into his arms, squeezing him in a tight hug.
Devon seemed startled at first, then wrapped his arms around me, and soon his lips found mine. We stood in the living room, locked in our embrace.
Gentle flames licked through my core as our kisses deepened. His touch on my arm caused rivulets of fire that made a trail straight to my center. Warmth spread from my inside outward. I knew my face was flushed, I could feel the heat in my cheeks. His hand caressed lower, grazing over my hip.
My hands slid down his arms, stopping to feel the definition of his biceps before I reached behind him, caressing his strong back. He felt like he had been carved from marble, a true masterpiece in flesh.
It had been a long time since I had felt desire. Maybe it was one of those lucky to be alive things, but every neuron seemed to be firing at the same time singing ‘yes, yes, yes’ inside my body.
Devon backed us up towards the bedroom, slowly lowering us to my unmade bed. I scooted a big wad of the comforter out of the way, smoothing it down. He lay me on my back as he climbed up beside me.
I unbuttoned his shirt as he kicked off his shoes. A moment of hesitation flashed across my mind, but I shut it out. I wanted to feel alive. I wanted this. I would deal with the fall out later.
I kissed him aggressively, pulling him down atop me, his bare chest pressed against my breasts, the full length of his torso pressed against mine. I could feel he was ready, his hardness pressed between us. There was no time for words, only actions.
He began unfastening my jeans when his phone went off.
“Ugh. Damn it!” He reached for his phone, standing to his feet and pacing around the room. “Uh huh. Can’t you just tell me over the phone?”
There was a long silence as he stood with
his hand on his hip, his hip jutted out, his impressive erection bulging in his trousers.
“Uhhh.” He closed his eyes tilting his head towards the ceiling. “Fine. I’m on my way.”
His lips were pursed as he stepped back over to the bed. “I can’t even begin to tell you how frustrating this is.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Can we continue this?”
I nodded in agreement again. I was almost afraid to speak. I knew he had to go, but this was frustrating for me as well.
I watched as he buttoned his shirt and tucked it inside his trousers before he put on his shoes. “Sorry about this. Hazards of the job.”
He kissed me once before he left, then I was left alone. It was nearly two hours before Tara was expected to get home.
I looked around, wondering what I should do to take my mind off what almost happened, but didn’t. I reached for my journal. I took it and the zipper pouch filled with my colored gel pens back to the living room. Turning on the TV, I found a movie to have on for background noise that if I got interested in was fine and if I didn’t, at least I didn’t feel all alone.
I had filled several pages since I bought the journal at the gift shop. I made headers for sections to deal with one topic at a time to keep it sorted in my head. The first one was Mom.
I poured out my heart, grief, sense of loss, until I felt I could write a letter to Mom. I wrote pages of what I would like to talk with her about. I told her about Luke, about his plane crash. I cried to her about how my life was ruined, then a few pages later, how things have turned around. I told her that I was sorry for being a selfish daughter, for not coming home and being with her before she died.
I told her that I thought about her every day, that I would hear her voice and guidance to make my decisions. Today I wrote about the singing.
Mom,
I haven’t told you before now because the emotions have been too much. When I got the job at the bar, well, it is more than a bar, but I have already told you that. I have been singing with the band. I am pursuing my dreams, Mom, just as you always told me to do.
I was always pursuing the safe path, but when the rug was yanked out from under me, I had nothing to lose, nothing to take chances on. Mike booked a concert for us at the local auditorium. It seats five hundred people and it’s sold out. SQUEE! Can you believe it? I am going to write a bunch of new songs for the concert. We are going to cut our own demo CD and see if we can’t get a music contract.
