The Procedure

by Tabatha Vargo

  Sadness darkened her eyes. She looked up at me beneath dark lashes, making me shift in my chair.

  “Why are you doing this for me, Roman?”

  She stuttered over my name, but she said it with such conviction that I couldn’t lie to her. The truth hurt, and I hadn’t felt the sting of my past in a long time.

  “You remind me of someone. Someone I should have done more to help… but I didn’t.”

  I could tell she wasn’t sure how to take that, and I was sure she was dying to ask questions. Holding my breath, I hoped she wouldn’t. In the end, she was content with letting me keep my regrets private.

  “So when do we start?”

  I smiled, pulled open the drawer in front of me, pulled out my prescription pad, and picked up the pen off my desk. Scribbling across the front of it, I ripped the paper free. Before handing it to her, I got up and walked around the desk to sit on the edge next to her.

  “Soon, but first, you have to do something for you.”

  “For me, but why?”

  “Because you deserve it.” I grinned and handed her the paper and a business card. “Remember, doctor’s orders.”

  SERENITY SPA & RESORT.

  I held the matte, black card with the two words in blue up in the air and matched the front of it to the sign on the building. It wasn’t what I expected, and I was grateful for that.

  When it came to Miami, it was either go big or go home and when you pictured a spa and resort, it was towering levels, pools the size of small countries, marble floors, and stone walls. While Serenity Spa wasn’t exactly the equivalent to Chucky Cheese, it was modest and felt perfectly… serene.

  While his procedures were unorthodox, I wasn’t exactly going to complain about Roman’s doctor’s orders.

  Walking up to the building, I breathed in deep and the sweet waft of jasmine and lavender instantly calmed my senses. Stepping inside was nice and cool compared to the not-so-nice heat of Miami. Music made up from the sharp keys of a piano and wild nature sounds floated through the reception room, recreating an incredibly realistic ambiance of a secret oasis in the middle of a blazing dessert.

  The wall behind the massive cherry desk was made up of a black, coal-colored rock. The sounds of the water rushing over the rocks made the room even more soothing. The floor-to-ceiling rocks and water wall created the coolest indoor waterfall I’d ever seen. Openings on either side of the wall led to the back room.

  The sound of birds taking sudden flight from the speakers above had me nearly ducking the same time a petite woman walked around the waterfall and up to the desk. She smiled at me, holding in her laughter.

  “Don’t worry, it happens to everyone.” Looking from side to side, she curved a hand around her mouth, leaned in close, and whispered, “I think they do it for security entertainment.”

  We both laughed and her easygoing nature radiated off her, melting my embarrassment.

  “You’re new,” she said.

  “Yes. How did you know?” Did I look that stressed?

  “Most of our customers are regulars, so we can always recognize a new face. We like new faces. What time was your appointment, Ms.…?”

  She pulled out a clipboard with a list of names filling up the entire page.

  I bit the inside of my lip and cringed. “Mrs. Aldridge and I’m sorry. I’m afraid I didn’t make an appointment beforehand.”

  “Mrs. Aldridge,” she said in recognition, making a face like she should have known exactly who I was when I walked in the door. “Of course. We’ve been expecting you.”

  “You have?” I looked confused, and she laughed.

  “Yes. Mr. Blake made sure we were expecting you. If you follow me, Ms. Collette wants to meet you first. She likes to meet all of Mr. Blake’s referrals.”

  The way she said referrals made me think she had the wrong idea.

  “Oh, no, I’m not… it’s not like that with Roman, I mean, Dr. Blake and me. We’re,” I searched for the right words, “just friends.”

  She stopped suddenly and turned on me. “Oh my God, Mrs. Aldridge, I’m sorry. I wasn’t meaning to imply anything.”

  Gone was the calm, cool, and collected side of the receptionist as her face flushed with embarrassment and wild eyes flew to the door in front of us and then back to me, silently pleading her apologies.

  “Mary?” a muffled voice called from the other side. “Is that you? Why on earth are you trying to communicate with me through the door?” There was a short pause and then the door flew open. “Why am I trying to communicate through the door?”

  An older woman, dressed in a silk-and-lace modern pantsuit with a knot of silver hair on the top of her head, stood in the doorway. Her eyes found mine, and she pulled her cashmere sweater closed.

  “You must be Mrs. Aldridge.”

  “Yes, Ms. Collette, she is.”

  The beautifully antique woman before me made me want to deny my married name and turn around and run. Suddenly, I thought I knew why Mary was so afraid I might say something.

  I lifted my hand. “Yes, but please, call me…”

  “Samantha,” she said with almost no emotion. “A pretty name indeed.”

  I swallowed hard. “Yes,” and then my faced burned hotly, “and thank you.” If she turned me away right now, I wouldn’t even blame her. “I feel a bit embarrassed that everyone seems to know who I am, and I don’t know… I mean Roman, Dr. Blake, didn’t mention… anyone. Specific,” I added quickly.

  She seemed to be inspecting me. Part of me was tempted to grab Mary by the shoulders and use her as a human shield… but then Ms. Collette did something completely unexpected. She smiled… and I watched while her face transformed.

  “Yes, my grandson is a fickle young man like that. But over exaggerative he is not.”

  I frowned, confused, and then the first part of what she said registered. “You and Roman… I’m sorry. He didn’t tell me you two were related. Honestly, he didn’t really tell me anything about this place.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me one bit,” Mary said. “Mr. Blake and Ms. Collette are modest in their achievements. Ms. Collette owns this entire establishment.”

  “Nonsense,” Ms. Collette chided with affection. “I was merely taught it isn’t proper to discuss such things in public.” She was motioning for me to follow her. “Come, come. Thank you, Mary.”

  I nearly fell over, trying to catch Mary’s attention before she disappeared back to the front. “Thank you, Mary,” I called after her. When she turned to look at me, I smiled reassuringly.

  She almost fell over in relief. “It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Aldridge.”

  “You too.”

  I was tempted to mouth if it was okay to follow Collette, but she turned away before I could. Inside Ms. Collette’s office, I was wrapped in complete femininity. Soft colors and frilly décor inspired the room, setting it apart from the serene theme on the other side of the door.

  “Mary is a sweet girl, often speaking without thinking, but she means no harm.” Ms. Collette sat down behind her desk.

  Suddenly feeling like Ms. Collette had eyes and ears everywhere, I worried about Mary. “She seems very sweet and made me feel right at home here. This is a lovely office by the way. The whole place is amazing. You’ve done a remarkable job with the design.”

  “Thank you. So tell me how you met my grandson. You don’t look like you’re one of Stein’s patients.”

  I didn’t miss the way she crinkled her nose at Roman’s partner’s name or his choice of practice. Flushing, I wondered how she would feel if she knew that I had practically begged Roman to do the very things she turned her nose up at.

  “No, I’m not one of Dr. Stein’s patients.”

  “Good.” She fell back against her chair. “He’d be a stupid man to try and mess with a face or body like yours.”

  Well played, Roman Blake. Send in your sweet grandmother with compliments and intimidation. Well played, indeed.

  “Thanks, ma’am
.”

  She waved a wrinkled hand in front of her face. “Please, call me Collette.”

  I smiled. “You don’t sound…”

  “British? I’m not. I was born here in Miami. Roman’s mother, my daughter, met the man she said she was destined to marry during a summer vacation trip to Oxford.”

  I could hear it in the way she talked about Roman’s father that he wasn’t exactly Collette’s first choice for her daughter’s happily ever after. “That sounds romantic.”

  She smirked. “That’s exactly what Elizabeth said,” she said, sighing.

  “You thought it was cliché?”

  “Actually, yes, I did. She was too young to give up everything she did for a boy, but she did. Because of that choice, she gave me Roman and Rachel, so I could never be upset with her for that.”

  “Roman has a sister? Do she and their parents still live in London?”

  Her eyes narrowed curiously. “You really haven’t known Roman very long, have you?”

  I let out a nervous laugh. “Not at all, but I’m happy I met him.”

  “You know, you just might be exactly what my stubborn grandson needs.”

  I flushed. “Oh, no, it’s not like that. I’m…”

  “Married? So I’ve heard. Roman also said it wasn’t like that between the two of you, but I know my grandson.” Instead of elaborating, she stared at me intently for a couple of more seconds. “Well,” she finally said. Taking a deep breath, she used the surface of her desk to stand. “I won’t keep you any longer, dear. You didn’t come to my spa to talk to an old woman.”

  “Don’t be silly. I’ve enjoyed our conversation. Maybe we could have lunch sometime?”

  She smiled. “I’d like that. You looked just about as knotted as a raggedy old shoestring when you came in, and I think I might have made it worse.”

  We walked to the door of her office together before she stepped in front of me to pull it open.

  “I promise that it has nothing to do with you.”

  “Well, either way, my staff will make you feel like a brand-new woman. Marcus will take very good care of you.”

  It turned out that Collette was not an exaggerator either. Twenty minutes later, I was sprawled, facedown, with only a towel to cover me as Marcus indeed took good care of me.

  I spent the first twenty minutes of my massage trying to cover things that I was ashamed of, but once his capable hands released the stress that held my muscles bunched tightly, I no longer cared what he saw or thought.

  A deep cleansing facial with botanical herbs and purifying oils took care of months’ worth of dead skin. A mani and pedi made my hands and feet presentable for a night on the town. After a quick, but yummy, lunch, I was ready for my hair appointment.

  Four hours of complete pampering, a sassy new haircut, and some highlights later, I was on my way with a promise to have lunch very soon with Collette. I didn’t feel like a completely new woman, but I knew it was a start in the right direction.

  Pulling into the parking lot of Georgina’s, I cut the engine and inhaled the smell of Italian food. It wasn’t Mama Maria’s, but it was the second best thing and I was starving.

  Picking up the doctor’s note Roman had given me, I stared at the second thing he’d prescribed. Written in his actually quite legible doctor’s scribble was, lunch with a friend.

  Lunch with a friend sounded lovely. The only problem was that I had no friends. I wanted to actually enjoy myself, and I knew if I invited one of the country club wives, I’d be too nervous and ready to leave as soon as I could.

  So content with spending the day by myself, I made reservations, taking the time to dress up and do my hair and makeup before leaving. I loved my new hairstyle, and I’d even learned a few makeup tips from, Gina, the cosmetologist at Serenity Spa. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone but myself. I wanted to forget everything going on at home like Roman had said to do, and I wanted to go have some me time.

  “A table for one for Aldridge,” I said to the hostess when I walked up to the podium on the outdoor patio.

  She nodded and smiled as she grabbed a menu. “Right this way,” she said, getting ready to lead me inside, but a quick glance around had me stopping her.

  “Actually, do you think I could sit out here? It’s a beautiful day.”

  She smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

  “Thank you.”

  I followed behind her as we weaved through the outside tables. She stopped at a table for two next to a small garden.

  “Is this okay?”

  I inhaled the sweet smell of multi-colored blooms and peeled my jacket from my body. “This is perfect,” I said, sitting down.

  “Great. Your server will be right with you.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled up at her as she handed me a menu.

  I was accustomed to going to Starbucks alone, but never out to eat. My uncomfortableness prompted me to eat outside where there were less curious stares in my direction wondering why I was unworthy of someone else’s company.

  Swallowing hard, I ignored the few eyes that I felt pelting me like a hailstorm and let my eyes move over the menu.

  Instead of deciding on my meal, I sat there, wondering when eating alone had become taboo in the eyes of those who had someone at their table. Why could I not enjoy a lunch by myself without being judged?

  Lost in my own little world, I barely heard my name being called next to me.

  “Samantha?” Roman’s voice moved over me, leaving chills in its wake.

  I looked up to find him and two other men standing just on the other side of the iron gate that lined the patio seating. He was dressed in slacks and a solid color T-shirt, and I almost didn’t recognize him outside of his white coat and teal scrubs.

  He towered over me, a grin transforming his lips into something I couldn’t quite name, but it made my stomach tighten slightly and I wrote it off as nerves. I realized I was just sitting there while three pair of eyes stared at me, waiting for me to do something, anything.

  “Roman,” I finally blurted. “What a nice surprise.” I smiled.

  “How are you?” he asked as if we hadn’t seen each other in years rather than days.

  “I’m great. Just following doctor’s orders.” I gestured to my table.

  His eyes moved to the empty seat across from me before clashing with mine again. “Are you alone?” he asked.

  I nodded, swallowing hard. “Yes.”

  I knew my face was on fire while I tried to focus only on Roman, who seemed to forget he hadn’t arrived here alone. The two other men stared at me like I’d just arrived on a spaceship from another planet. As if realizing for the first time that he wasn’t alone, Roman turned toward the two men.

  “I’m sorry. Rick, Jerry, this is Samantha Aldridge. Samantha, these are two of my colleagues.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you two.”

  “Aldridge? As in Michael Aldridge?” the one named Rick asked.

  He was the shorter of the three men, and possibly the youngest.

  I smiled, and there was a source of pride behind it. I’d always felt it whenever someone recognized Michael and his accomplishments, for all the hard work he done to get where he was. It made me feel proud to be his wife, the one who had stood by him for all those years and the one who still stood here. But now, with that feeling also came the humiliation that they knew everything I was standing by.

  “Yes. That’s my husband.”

  “He’s a good man. A damn hard worker, too.” The older man, Jerry, smiled at me. He didn’t seem to know my husband’s history, so there was no added sympathy in his smile. “But I always say that behind every hardworking man is a damn good woman.”

  I was sure that I’d never smiled so big in my entire life. Jerry didn’t realize the strength it took not to get up and kiss him for his words or how much I desperately needed to hear them.

  “I will definitely be sure to tell him that.”

  They all laughed, although
Roman’s didn’t seem as genuine.

  “Why don’t you gentlemen go on in and get a table? I’ll be right in,” Roman said to his colleagues.

  When the hostess took the others inside, Roman turned toward me once they were out of view. I flushed as he gave me a complete once over.

  “I like the new look.” His eyes moved past my chin and slowly over my neck and chest before his eyes clashed with mine again.

  “Thank you. It was much needed. When I went to pay for my day at the spa, the bill had already been taken care of. Please let me...”

  “No,” he said sternly. I bit my lip, wanting to argue, but the way he said the one word made me think twice about arguing with him. “So the ladies there took good care of you?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “Well, it was actually the hands of Marcus, but yes, everyone there took very good care of me.”

  “Ahh, yes, Marcus. I forgot he still worked there.”

  I knew I was being silly thinking I heard a trace of jealously there, but I let myself enjoy the feeling even if I knew it wasn’t true. “Kind of like you forgot to mention your grandmother owns the spa.”

  “Guilty. She didn’t drill you with inappropriate questions, did she? She forgets to mind her own business when it comes to my love life or lack thereof.”

  “She was lovely. In fact, we made plans to have lunch.”

  He groaned. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

  I laughed. “Honestly, she was perfect.”

  “Sounds like the making of a friendship.”

  I nodded. “I hope so.”

  “And if memory serves me correctly, isn’t there supposed to be a friend involved here?” He moved his fingers, gesturing toward my table, and his eyebrows lifted as he stared down at me knowingly.

  “Yes, I suppose there is, but that’s where the problems lies.”

  Without asking if he could join me, he moved around the gate and slid into the seat across from me. “And what problem is that?” A small smirk moved across his thick lips.

  I took a deep breath. “Well, I don’t really have any friends. As sad as that sounds, I can be honest.”