Ready or Not

by Melissa Brayden

  “Hey. What are you doing here?” Hope managed to ask, glancing around the empty room as she noted that her own voice still sounded gravelly and unfamiliar.

  “Not your brightest question,” Mallory said and moved the cup with the straw to Hope’s lips so she could drink. The water was cool and refreshing, and she managed three swallows. “Good?” Hope nodded and Mallory set down the cup.

  “Where else would I be?”

  “At your place, living your life.”

  Mallory shook her head. “Not when you’re here.” She gently traced what Hope knew to be a large bruise around the side of her cheek. “Who did this to you?”

  “Teddy shouldn’t have told you about this.”

  “He said it was Dominic. They thought you were Kara?”

  Hope nodded. “Listen, Mallory. It was nice of you to come, but I’m sure you have things you should be doing. You and I are—”

  “At a hospital, while you’re getting better. And I’m here to help with that.”

  Hope found her eyes. “I don’t need your help.”

  “You seem to say that a lot. Problem is, I’m done listening. You need me and I need you.”

  Her head was swimming again and she felt a distinct lack of energy to push back.

  “I have people,” she managed to point out. “You can go. My mom stopped by earlier, and Teddy.”

  “I’m glad. But you and I are different, and you know it. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Those were the last words Hope heard as she drifted off again.

  I’m not going anywhere.

  She dreamt of her and Mallory walking along a beach, picking up seashells every once in a while and letting the day guide them where it might. They kissed when the sun went down and stayed up late talking. When she opened her eyes again, the clock on the wall told her it was nearly five a.m. Mallory was asleep in a chair to her right and rested her head on Hope’s mattress alongside her. Hope couldn’t believe it.

  I’m not going anywhere. She heard the words again in her mind as she glanced down at the sleeping woman next to her.

  Mallory looked angelic in the moonlit room. Hope lightly touched her hair, soft and silky. The sensation caused Mallory to stir and raise those big blue eyes to Hope. “You okay?” she asked in her sleepy Mallory voice. “Do you need anything?”

  Hope shook her head as sleep claimed her once again. This time she dreamt of a lazy morning, in which she awoke with Mallory in her arms. They’d teased each other before tossing on some clothes and heading to breakfast hand in hand.

  The room was much brighter when she woke the next time. She heard Matt Lauer’s voice from a television in the next room and wondered if Mrs. Warkowski was doing okay on her own. She glanced around her own room and realized that she, too, was alone, which left her feeling a little empty inside. Mallory must have snuck out sometime during the night, which was a good thing, even if it didn’t really feel that way.

  “Morning, sunshine,” Mallory said, coming around the corner. She wore the same blue top from the night before but looked fresh and chipper carrying a cup of coffee and shopping bag from the gift shop. How was that even possible, the chipper thing?

  “You’re still here,” Hope said as much to herself as to Mallory.

  “Of course I’m still here. How’s your head?”

  Hope checked in with herself and was surprised to find she didn’t have any sort of headache. That was a first in several days. “It feels great. My left side is still killing me though.”

  Mallory smiled. “I’m glad that at least the headache’s gone. The ribs are gonna take a while. I did some Google research on the computer at the nurse’s station. I also got the skinny from your nurse, Janine, since you fell asleep before filling me in. She thinks I’m family, so go with that. A concussion, two cracked ribs and one broken, which is horrible, but you might be out of here as early as tonight depending on what the doctor says when he stops by.

  “I also talked to my father, who’s already placed a call to the district attorney’s office. They owe him a number of favors and have promised to take a very close look at Dominic and company. Apparently, several other open cases are attributed to him, and this one serves him up on a platter. The DA is kind of thrilled, and my father thinks he’ll be picked up this morning.

  “In better news, the police already have the two guys that did this to you in custody. A witness from the scene picked out their photos from a lineup. Open and shut. So it’s likely they’ll roll over on ol’ Dominic if they’re offered a deal. Though the police do have more questions for you when you’re up for it.”

  Hope stared at Mallory nonplussed. “I don’t understand. You did all of that this morning?”

  She nodded. “I can get a lot done when I’m motivated.”

  “That’s an understatement. You scare me.” Hope shifted uncomfortably, her side still beyond painful. Each breath took its toll.

  “Hey, maybe don’t move so much, okay?”

  “Just frustrating being stuck in this bed.”

  Mallory nodded sympathetically. “Your nurse, Janine, says that breakfast is on the way in five minutes, so why don’t we sit you up a bit?” Hope stared at Mallory, mystified. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Hope shook her head. “I told you to go yesterday.”

  “Right. And I ignored that. Ready to sit up?”

  Hope nodded and, with Mallory’s assistance, managed to slide upward and rest against the pillows Mallory placed behind her. The world looked much better right side up. She found herself facing Mallory and took this opportunity to explain. “You and I, Mal. We’re tricky, so I think I told you to go because I didn’t want there to be any confusion about what was—”

  “I didn’t ask you to marry me, superstar. You prefer a friend right now to a girlfriend? Fine. We can be buddies. But you need someone, and that someone can be me.”

  Well, this was unexpected. She eyed Mallory skeptically. “So you’re my buddy now, huh? My pal? And that’s all right with you?”

  “That’s me. Buddy Mallory. Speaking as your buddy, do you think the break-in at the bar and what happened to you are connected?”

  Honestly, it wasn’t a crazy question and had been one she’d asked herself. “While I suppose it’s possible, they feel like separate events to me. Dominic wouldn’t sneak in and steal from me. He’s more of a taker.”

  Mallory nodded. “Given what’s happened to you, I want to help with the rent. You can think of it one hundred percent as a loan. I know it goes against what you’re comfortable with, but sometimes when rough times hit, you have to do what you have to do. I can charge interest if that helps.”

  Hope closed her eyes. She was already late in making the payment, and as she lay in that hospital bed, she’d been acutely aware of the seconds that passed and worried what each meant for her business. She could face eviction and lose the whole thing. So while she hated what she was about to say, honestly, in her present condition, she didn’t know another way. “Fine. But I will pay you back. I promise. Sixty days at the latest, and please, tack on interest.”

  “It’s a plan. You can write up the details for me. Oh, and here’s your breakfast, right on cue. Hi, Janine.”

  “Hey, Mallory. You were right about that spa discount. I booked a massage at Serenity for this weekend with that code you gave me.”

  “Perfect,” Mallory said, beaming. “You’ll love it there. Ask for the water with the fruit in it when you’re all done.”

  Mallory turned as Janine set a tray in front of Hope. “How do you feel about English muffins?”

  Hope shrugged. “I’m not picky.”

  “Better than most of my patients,” Janine said on her way out.

  “How do you want to do this?” Mallory asked, gesturing to the English muffin. “You can eat it plain, or with butter, or jam. So many options. Just tell me which.”

  “I can do it,” Hope said. Mallory raised an eyebrow and looked on as Hope ra
ised her arm and winced at the stab of pain that shot through her. “Fine. Yes, please, to the butter. And can I say that this sucks? Because it does.”

  “I know,” Mallory said, meeting her eyes. “But you’ll be back to yourself in no time. In the meantime, people are waiting on you hand and foot, which in any other circumstance would be awesome. Focus on that.”

  “Trying.” She watched as Mallory went about preparing her food, and something twisted inside of her at the care she took with each action. Mallory had been there from the second she heard what had happened and hadn’t wavered. Hell, her own mother had only stopped by for ten minutes to check on her, but this woman in front of her, who she’d repeatedly pushed away and shut out, was going above and beyond.

  For her.

  “How are you doing?” she asked Mallory. “It couldn’t have been comfortable sleeping in that chair.”

  “Better now. It’s been a hell of a fifteen hours, but I finally feel like I have a grip on everything that’s going on.”

  “That’s because you’ve seized the remote control.”

  Mallory smiled at her knowingly and set down the English muffin, which she’d broken into smaller sections. “Yes, a little of that.”

  “Are you going to head in to work now?”

  “No. I let my friends know what happened. They wanted to race down here, but I told them you might be discharged later, so they’re going to wait.”

  “Mallory?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’ve been great, but don’t feel like you have to miss work to babysit. You probably have some big important client meeting, for all I know. I’ll be okay if you need to go.”

  “I don’t have any big important client meetings that can’t wait. Plus, I have one goal, and one goal only right now, and that’s getting you well. All the rest can wait. Okay?”

  The sentiment struck a powerful chord in Hope and she relaxed against the pillow, emotion flaring in her chest as she watched Mallory try to figure out the TV remote. She was special. You didn’t encounter people like her too often in life.

  Hope filed that fact away.

  *

  “How in the world I let you talk me into this, I have no idea,” Hope said as they made their way gradually into Mallory’s apartment. It had been easier than Mallory thought it would be, getting Hope from the cab to the elevator. She could walk pretty much on her own, as long as they took it extra slow. Anything that required movement of her left arm was a bit more difficult, however.

  “Because I’m very persuasive,” Mallory told her, sliding the door closed behind them. “It’s a gift.”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “Hey!” Mallory said, passing Hope a glance.

  “Please. You love persuading people to do things.”

  She looked skyward. “Yeah, I kinda do. Let’s get you settled.” She stood nearby as Hope gingerly lowered herself onto the couch, just in case she needed help.

  “Now what can I get you? Nursemaid Mallory, here.”

  “I’ve had Buddy Mallory and now I get Nursemaid Mallory? This day just gets better and better. Water?” Hope asked. “I’d kill for some water. And maybe a sidecar of Scotch.” Mallory eyed her. “Kidding. The pain pills have me fuzzy enough as it is.”

  It had been just after eight that night when Hope had been officially discharged from the hospital and sent home with a bottle of pain pills and instructions to rest. The idea of sending Hope to her own apartment to fend for herself just wasn’t an option in Mallory’s mind, so she’d managed to convince Hope to stay with her.

  And after delivering the glass of water, Mallory turned her attention to unpacking the bag she’d packed for Hope earlier in the day, settling her in a bit. This presented a momentary dilemma for Mallory, because while she’d be more than happy to let Hope stay in her room as she always had in the past, she also knew that under the present circumstances, it was less than appropriate to push that angle. Hope was injured and skittish, and in this capacity, she was Hope’s friend. Nothing more. So instead, she carried the bag into the small guest room across from her own room and went about setting out Hope’s things for easy access.

  “Want to maybe get some sleep?” Mallory asked when she re-entered the living room and found Hope relaxing her head on the cushion. It was only nine thirty, but Hope’s body probably needed the extra rest and she looked beyond exhausted.

  “Just walking a little bit kind of took the wind out of me, but I think maybe I’ll watch some TV first, if that’s okay. I probably need to chat with Teddy too. Make sure everything’s okay at Showplace. And update Kara and let her know I’m out of the hospital. She’s been freaking out.”

  “Teddy’s a pro. That place is in good hands. You need to focus on you. Can you do that?”

  Hope nodded. “I can try.” After a brief phone call to Kara, Hope turned to an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and Mallory took a seat in the club chair next to the couch and looked over some of her notes from work. Every once in a while she’d catch Hope smile at something on the show or laugh quietly at the zany host with the spiky hair. It hadn’t escaped Mallory that she damn well could have lost Hope this week, and the idea was almost too much to consider. Watching her now, in this quiet moment, she knew how lucky she was that Hope was not only all right but going to make a full recovery.

  “Do you ever watch this show?” Hope asked her, gesturing at the credits now rolling on the television.

  Mallory focused on the question, pulled from her thoughts. “Once or twice. It’s much more fun with you in the room though. You seem to enjoy it. I like that.”

  “I do like it.” They shared a smile. “You’re super studious over there though. What are you working on?”

  “I landed us a new dog-food client not long ago. Brooklyn put together a great commercial spot for them, and now we’re trying to organize the logistics of the shoot. I’ve got some pricing that Samantha sent me for locations. I’m compiling it all to present to the client this next week.”

  “It’s fun to watch you work. You get the tiniest little crease just below your eyebrows when you concentrate.”

  Mallory absently touched her face. “Do I?”

  “You do. It’s kind of…well, you get one is all.” She was withholding, that much Mallory could tell. The air was thick between them. So much still unsaid about…everything. Hope moved them out of it. “I should probably get some rest. Thanks for all your help today.” She used the armrest to ease herself into a standing position and walked slowly to the guest room. As she moved, Mallory winced along with her, hating the fact that Hope was in pain and wishing she could do something, anything to take it away. “Good night, Mallory.”

  “Good night, Hope,” Mallory said. She gazed at the picture window behind her as the lights of the city danced and her heart thudded away, lonely for what had once been and longing for what would probably never be again. Life was tricky, that’s for sure, and matters of the heart were proving to be the trickiest. Speaking of which, she really owed her mother a phone call after the numerous voice mails she’d left. She’d get on that tomorrow and maybe—

  “Mallory,” Hope said quietly from the guest room. “Could you come in here for a sec?”

  “On my way.” Mallory set her notes on the coffee table and walked to the guest room. Hope had one arm free from her shirt and stood there looking beyond frustrated.

  “It’s stupid, but I think I need you to help me get dressed.”

  Mallory took a moment with that one before snapping to attention and taking hold of the situation. “Sure. No problem.” Totally professional. In fact, she excelled at professionalism. It was in her DNA. “So I’m thinking if you just let me slip this over your head. There. Perfect. And now I’ll slide the shirt off your left arm slowly. You only have to raise it a tiny bit. That’s it,” she said, sliding the shirt off Hope’s injured arm and freeing her of it altogether.

  She turned and folded the shirt, setting it on the night
stand before returning to Hope. Professional or not, she blinked at the expanse of skin on display to her now, the curvy tops of Hope’s breasts visible from the bra she wore. “Turn around,” Mallory said quietly. Hope met her eyes briefly but did so without a word. Mallory unclasped the maroon bra and set it with the discarded shirt on the nightstand. She’s injured, Mallory reminded herself, and should not be subject to objectification right now. She reached for the new T-shirt Hope had set out to sleep in, swallowing against the fact that Hope was topless and standing in front of her. Finally, giving her head a little shake, she refocused her actions and helped Hope slide into the sleep shirt. “And there you go,” she told Hope with a gentle pat to her good shoulder. “All good?”

  “Yeah. Thanks,” Hope said, meeting her eyes and holding on. The moment hadn’t been lost on her either, that was for sure. Apparently, chemistry superseded shattered relationships and broken ribs. They were human after all.

  “You’re welcome.” Mallory nodded an extra time or two and moved to the door as if on automatic pilot. “Good night again.”

  A week later, Mallory returned to her apartment for lunch, a habit she’d developed since bringing Hope to stay with her. Hope’s progress had been slow, which frustrated her, but it had been steady all the same. Today, Mallory found her scribbling notes on a pad of paper on the couch. “Thank God I’m right-handed,” she told Mallory when she arrived home. “Or I’d have thrown this pad across the room by now. It’s hard enough to hold it in place.”

  “You seem to be doing a good job from here. What fancy thing are you working on?”

  “A few ideas for Timmy’s cocktail menu. We did a conference call this morning. He’s looking for something that rotates seasonally. Summer’s up first, so I’m naturally thinking fruit-influenced.”