by Sloan Storm
“She’s in there,” the nurse said at last, as she gestured behind me.
I turned in place and looked down a short hallway, not more than about twenty feet in length.
“It looks like the lights are off in there,” I said, as I did a half-turn back towards the nurse.
“Mmm, hmm. Yes.”
“Why? What’s wrong with her?”
Over the next several minutes, the nurse explained she suspected Fiona suffered from an acute migraine, most likely brought on by stress. For the better part of an hour, Fiona had been unable to move, much less speak. The nurse had only been able to talk to Fiona in the past fifteen minutes. It was the nurse’s opinion that once she was able to get some of the things causing her stress under control, her symptoms should improve.
As she finished, I raised my hand to my chin and rubbed it, as I considered the fallout. If this handicapped Fiona to such an extent she couldn’t function in the lab, let alone do the presentation in St. Barths, well, I needed a new plan and I needed it fast.
“I see,” I said as my eyes met the nurse’s. “And, if removing the stress doesn’t help her to improve?”
The nurse glanced towards the room with Fiona in it before she replied. “Well understand, this isn’t really my area of expertise, Mr. Hawkins. To get a definitive answer, you’d have to consult with a specialist. I’m not in a position to…”
“Yes, okay, I understand,” I said with a casual wave, cutting her off mid-sentence. “Let me rephrase the question. If we’re able to get her past this initial episode and remove some of the stress… If the headaches were to clear up, it would be reasonable to assume they were acute and not chronic. Would that be a fair assessment?”
The nurse considered my question for a moment or so.
“Yes,” she said with a slow nod. “Of course, it’s still possible this is the onset of a chronic condition. But we’ll only know that for sure after the stressors have been removed, followed by a period of time to see if they return.”
“Okay, well, I think that answers my question.”
As I finished speaking, I gestured towards the dark examination room with a nod of my chin. “Is she asleep?”
“No. No sir, she hasn’t been sleeping. I’m keeping the room dark as it reduces the impact of light on her condition.”
“All right. Well, is it okay to go in and see her?”
The nurse answered in the affirmative but added I’d need to keep my visit as short as possible and keep my voice as close to a whisper as I could.
“Thank you,” I said, as I turned and began to walk towards the exam room.
“Of course, Mr. Hawkins.”
A few moments later, I eased the door to the room open. The hydraulic swing arm emitted a slow, persistent hiss. Cracking the door open just wide enough to fit inside, I walked through and closed it behind me as quickly as possible. Engulfed in near darkness, I turned towards the center of the room.
It took a moment for my vision to adjust, but when it did, I noticed the curves of Fiona’s figure as she lay on an exam table in the middle of the room. I walked towards her with a heel to toe motion, pressing the soles of my feet hard into the flooring to keep the sound to a minimum. After a half dozen steps or so, I stood over Fiona. Keeping the nurse’s admonition in mind about whispering, I started to speak with as soft a voice as I could.
“Fiona,” I began. “Are you able to talk to me?”
She shifted her body a bit as I finished speaking.
Under ordinary circumstances, the sound of her crinkling the thin paper covering the exam table would have hardly caught my attention. In the still quiet, however, it was noticeable. Fortunately, though, Fiona didn’t seem to be too bothered by it. With a slow roll, she turned her body in my direction. The harsh light of the hallway in the infirmary shone through a small window on the exam door. With her face half-concealed in shadow, Fiona looked at me through hazy blue eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Gabe. I-I don’t know what happened.”
“Well, according to the nurse, you experienced an acute migraine headache. She said it’s caused by stress.”
Fiona looked away from me. I sensed the regret she had over it. Even so, these things happened to people from time-to-time. Now wasn’t the time to wallow in it. We’d have to confront whatever it was that put her here and deal with it.
And in that instant, the perfect solution came to mind.
“Fiona,” I began, as I moved closer to her. “Look, I’ve got an idea. We’re going to take a few days off. Just you and me. I’ve got a standing reservation at a suite in a hotel and spa not far from here, about an hour’s drive. We’ll spend a few days there and unwind. You’ll be good as new, I promise.”
As much as she could, Fiona rolled her head back and forth on the pillow in disagreement.
“Thank you for the offer but I can’t afford to be gone from the lab, Gabe. Not right now.”
After a soft chuckle, I leaned against the bed. With a tender stroke, I swept the back of my hand across her forehead. I hadn’t been this close to her in a while and frankly, I missed it. There were any number of little things, of course, but mostly it was her voluptuous curves, perfectly kissable lips and the delicate fragrance of her perfume. As my fingers slid off her cheek, Fiona turned her head toward them, nuzzling her soft flesh against me.
“Fiona, I know what it’s like to work as hard as you have been, all right? I built this place from nothing, with my wits, my balls and a dream. Of all the people you know, I’m the one who relates to what you’re going through more than anyone else. And let me tell you, the body has a way of making choices the mind thinks are the wrong ones. Right now, what your body is telling you is that you need a break. There’s still a lot of work ahead, and now is not the time to be in a situation like this.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. So very sorry.”
“It’s okay, Fiona.”
She looked exhausted, utterly spent. In spite of her protests, I had the real sense she was on the verge of agreeing with me, so I moved in to close the deal.
“Look, this is my company and my investment. The simple fact is that I need you, Fiona. I need you healthy. I can reschedule things. There’s still enough time. You need this and I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer.”
She hesitated for a moment. “Gabe, believe me, I would love to, but I’ve got some family responsibilities outside of the office. They can’t be helped.”
Of course she spoke about her grandmother. I decided to see if she’d make mention of it.
“Why can’t they be helped? Do you have to be the one to do it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Can you hire someone? You know, to do whatever needs to be done while you come with me?”
“Of course I could, Gabe. But I can’t afford it. Anyway, I-I’d rather not discuss it.”
“No problem,” I said with a nod. “I understand. How about this… I’ll reimburse you for hiring someone. Just think of it as part of the vacation.”
Shaking her head, Fiona began to speak. “No, Gabe, I can’t, I…”
But no sooner had she started than she emitted a shaky moan. Wincing, Fiona slid her fingers into her hair and fell silent.
“This won’t do, Fiona. Get your home situation handled or I’ll do it for you. One way or another, you’re coming with me.”
She remained still for several moments until, without moving, she replied with a whisper, “Okay.”
FIONA
As it was, I really had no alternative in the matter. When it was all said and done, it was Gabe’s company.
So I did as he asked and found an in-home nurse to stay with my grandmother while we were away for a few days. I told her it was a mandatory work retreat Gabe wanted to hold to last-minute prep with the team. Whether she believed me or not, I wasn’t certain, but she didn’t press me either, so I assumed I’d more or less convinced her.
As far as Gabe was concerned, even
though I appreciated the gesture, I committed to keeping my guard up while we were away. Instead, I wanted to do my best to keep things cordial. I didn’t have the immediate sense that Gabe was taking me away for any other reason than what he told me, but I wasn’t absolutely certain either.
On a positive note, my migraine symptoms relented the day before our getaway, giving me a bit of a respite and hopefully an opportunity to get rid of some of the stress I’d been dealing with.
We rode along in the back of limousine with the windows down. I looked out into the distance, and with my arm extended, I made waves with my fingers, curling them up and down over distant trees and knolls. As the miles streaked away beneath the tires, I closed my eyes and exhaled the first deep breath I’d had in months. It was wonderful to be away from the grind of the lab and the relentless pressure of the Link Protocol presentation.
It wasn’t long afterward when Gabe spoke up to tell me about where we were going. I hadn’t asked. Knowing Gabe, I was certain it would be fabulous. All I had to do was relax and take it easy for a few days. Rolling my head in his direction, I opened my eyes with a slow blink. Gabe sat less than a foot from me. The warm breeze filled the backseat, causing his hair to swirl around his face as he looked at me.
As my eyes locked on his, I realized the idea of keeping my resolve was to be much harder than I planned. His tan jaw flexed, and as he began to tell me about the day’s activities, my tongue slid from between my lips. Lucky for me the air was dry, otherwise I would have no explanation for the lip licking gesture.
“You’ll love it, Fiona,” Gabe said with a quick wink. He paused for a moment and reclined into his seat. “Especially what we’re doing as soon as we arrive.”
“Mmm, can’t wait,” I said, as I smiled and rolled my head away from him, closing my eyes once more. A myriad of activities flashed in my consciousness. Mani-pedi, mud bath, hot stone massage… The list of pleasurable activities swelled as rapidly as my desire to kiss Gabe had moments earlier.
“Great. Hopefully you’ve never done it before. I’d love to be your first.”
Never done it before? Who hasn’t had a mani-pedi or a massage? After all, what else was there to do at a luxury spa and hotel? I tilted my head up and swiveled it in his direction. With one eye opened, I muttered, “Done what?”
Gabe winked.
Two hours later, a swirl of dust and dirt came up from behind us as Gabe hit the brakes on a Jeep we’d picked up as soon we’d arrived, bringing us to stop with a semi-slide. I waved at the cloud as it passed by, doing my best to keep the particles from flying up my nose. As I did, Gabe jumped out of the driver’s seat and headed around to the rear of the vehicle. In less than ten seconds he reappeared to my right, clutching a large knapsack.
“Come on,” he said with a smirk. “We walk from here.”
As grateful as I was to get away, so far this wasn’t looking like the kind of trip I had in mind. Images of pampering began to fade from my consciousness.
Unable to control myself, I exhaled and grumbled. “Really? Do we have to?”
Gabe scoffed. “What? Are you nuts? Don’t be ridiculous. Now come on. This will be worth it. Trust me.”
Gabe began to walk away, and the sound of dry leaves and trail scrub crunched beneath his feet. I was not a backwoods kind of girl. As I climbed out of the car, I cursed at myself. I didn’t want to come off as ungrateful, but at the same time, I was in no shape to hike for miles on end. Just then, I planted both feet on the ground and looked towards Gabe as he vanished into a thicket ahead. Looking up to the canopy above, I moaned and a moment later, I hurried after him.
After scampering down the trail, I turned in the direction Gabe had vanished in moments earlier, but he was nowhere in sight. I swallowed an anxious lump as I scanned the immediate area. After several moments, my voice crackled as I called out.
“Gabe! Where are you?”
Frozen in place, I thrust one hand down into the front pocket of my jeans. With my free hand, I reached down towards my charm bracelet and began to run my fingers over it. There was probably no reason for my concern, but it seemed as if I was alone all of a sudden.
Chewing my lip, I yelled once more. “Gabe! This isn’t funny! Where are you?”
After a few more seconds of silence, Gabe finally replied. “Up here! Keep following the path. I’m at the top of the hill!”
It didn’t take long, but it was an uphill walk, in a small mountain sort of way. At last, I arrived at the top, and as I did, I noticed Gabe there in the midst of preparing a picnic spread for us.
“Aww… a picnic?”
“Yep. Surprised?”
“Yes, of course.”
Gabe chuckled as he pulled a blanket out from underneath his arm. Grabbing one end, he snapped the rectangular cloth in front of his face and then guided it down to the ground. I watched in disbelief as he picked up the knapsack, placed it in the middle of the blanket and began to unpack its contents.
“Did you do this, Gabe? All by yourself?”
“What?” Gabe replied as he glanced back over his shoulder. A bottle of Reisling appeared as he pulled his hand out of the knapsack. “You say that like you don’t think I could put together a picnic.”
“Well,” I began, arching an eyebrow. “Did you?”
“Hmm, more or less,” he said, as he continued to dig through the knapsack, producing plates, silverware and condiments.
“What does that mean?”
Pulling out sandwiches piled high with delectable roast beef, containers of fresh potato salad and even some apple pie for dessert, he continued. “Well, I told the hotel concierge about the idea for the picnic, and she put all of this together. Like I said, it was more or less my doing.”
I chuckled and shook my head.
“Hey it’s the thought that counts, right?” he said. “Come on, let’s eat.”
Smiling, I took a seat next to him as he prepared a plate for me. After he passed it to me, I bit into the sandwich. The salted roast beef, tinged with a bit of horseradish, melted in my mouth. I covered my lips with my napkin and muttered, “Oh my God, that is so delicious.”
Gabe smiled as he tore a bite away from his sandwich as well. “Yeah.”
Taking in the ideal weather and scrumptious food, we ate in silence for a few minutes. I took a sip of the Riesling after I finished speaking. Light bubbles of sweet apple and berry flavor slid down my throat. Across from me, Gabe wiped his fingers as he took a break and put his sandwich down on his plate.
“Beats a massage any day, doesn’t it?”
I shook my head as I looked at him. “No.”
Gabe leaned back, bracing himself with his arms. “Is that right? So you mean to tell me all this effort I went through isn’t better than a massage. Is that what you’re saying?”
I smiled at him as he chastised me.
“Well,” I began. “First of all, you didn’t put the lunch together, you told me the concierge did it. And secondly, you told me we were coming to this resort so I could be pampered and get rid of stress.”
Gabe chuckled while I paused, but didn’t say anything.
“And thirdly… Are you crazy? Of course I love it, Gabe. No one has ever done anything like this for me. Thank you. It’s wonderful, and you’re very sweet.”
Gabe nodded as he leaned forward once more.
“That’s more like it,” he said with a wink.
I smiled, taking a sip of my wine as Gabe looked at me for moment.
“Hey,” he said, as he patted the ground next to him. “Come on over.”
GABE
Fiona set her glass down and stared at me.
“Gabe,” she began with a stammer. “I um, I don’t think I should.”
“Why? Are you worried my wild side might be too much for you to handle out here in the wide open spaces?”
“No.”
“Oh, I see. So you’re worried you won’t be able to control your wild side then. Is that it?”
“No, definitely not. I am in control.”
I patted the ground once more. “Let’s find out.”
Fiona grimaced at me for a few seconds before at last giving in to my challenge. She stood and began to walk across the picnic blanket, but as she did, a bit of it bunched up under her foot and tripped her. Clutching her wine glass, Fiona shrieked as she started to tumble in my direction. I shot upright and grabbed hold of her, stopping her at the last instant and guiding her safely to the ground next to me.
“Wow, talk about throwing yourself at me. Some self-control…”
“Hah, hah, hah,” she deadpanned through the beginnings of a frown.
As Fiona tried to gather her wits, I picked up her now empty wine glass and refilled it. Afterward, I passed the bubble-filled drink to her.
“You okay?”
Fiona took the glass from me. “Yes, thank you. I would have broken my neck if you hadn’t caught me.”
I leaned in towards her. “Yeah, probably. So… how are you gonna thank me for such heroic action?”
Fiona turned to look at me.
Midday sun shined down on us through the breeze-filled patchwork of leaves overhead. Looking into her eyes with an unflinching stare, I licked my lips. She took a quick sip of her wine, breaking her gaze. As she did, I reached up to her chin and slid a couple of my fingers beneath it. Curling them in my direction, I guided Fiona’s face towards mine.
“Well?” I said.
“Well what?” she whispered.
“Have you figured out how you’re going to thank me properly? You know from an almost certain death?”
Unblinking, Fiona sat motionless as I spoke to her. “No.”
“I have an idea.”
With that, I leaned in towards her. Fiona’s body stiffened as I approached. I continued until I came within a couple inches of her lips, where I stopped. By then, the breeze had died down, and as I looked into Fiona’s eyes the sound of her labored breath caught my attention.
