That Weekend...
Page 8
He smiled. “Good.”
She swallowed. This would be the point where her mother would mention something about her future at the station. What she could do to ensure she was next in line for a promotion. If he had any suggestions for how she could improve. But Ava wasn’t her mother and she didn’t feel like upsetting this friendly balance they’d found, so she smiled back and said, “I should try to do some work.”
“Me, too.”
But it was a few more seconds before Ava looked away. And even once she did, she could still feel Jake watching her. She picked up her BlackBerry and started typing.
It might be too late to call her mother, but Jilly probably wouldn’t even leave her apartment until midnight. It worked for Jilly, but the past few years Ava had found herself choosing a quiet night in over a night on the town most weekends.
I’m broken, Jillsy. Literally broken. As in I slipped on some black ice and broke my wrist. Not the festival start I was looking for.
Oh, my God. Are you okay? Do you have to leave the festival? Are you sure it’s not just a bad sprain?
Ava wished it were only a bad sprain.
Like Shakira’s hips, X-rays don’t lie. I have to go in for surgery tomorrow. Minor, according to the doctor, which just means that they aren’t knocking me out. Ugh. I almost think I’d rather sleep through the whole thing. Jake had to come and rescue me. Can you believe it?
Ooooh...Jake rescued you? Details, please.
Ava reminded herself that there was nothing going on with Jake and no reason for anyone to act like an excitable teenager. Especially her.
Whatever you’re thinking, it wasn’t like that. He got me to the hospital and is staying with me to make sure I’m okay. That’s all.
Has he been upgraded back to McHot Stuff?
Ava fanned her face and hoped Jake wouldn’t notice.
I don’t know why you started calling him that anyway.
Uh...because you so clearly have the hots for him.
She fanned a little faster.
No, I don’t. But I may have to rethink the whole evil thing. He’s been really great. He even stuck around because he knew I was nervous.
He hung around in the waiting room for you? Awww. That is so sweet. I definitely think he needs to be upgraded.
Ava snuck a peek at the man in question, but he was simply typing away on his laptop, unaware of the conversation he was currently featuring in.
No upgrading! He’s probably just hanging around to make sure I don’t bolt presurgery. I have a private room.
Wait...what? He’s there with you now? Oh, yeah. You are so into him again. *bamp-chicka-bamp-bam*
Ava dragged her eyes away from Jake before he sensed her staring and caught her in the act.
Uh, hello? This is not a porno and I don’t like him that way. I just think I might have been wrong about him. (I know, I know. Pigs are flying.) I’m willing to admit that maybe I judged him a bit harshly. He’s a good guy.
You want to marry him and have his babies.
She rolled her eyes.
What are you, twelve? Can’t I just say that he’s a nice guy?
No. Admit your love for him.
Not for the most beautiful shoes on the planet.
You’re a nut.
A nut who knows the truth. You want him to be your lov-ah.
Some days, there was just no stopping Jilly.
No, I don’t. Gah. I just think...oh, I don’t know.
“I just think...oh, I don’t know.” He is totally upgraded. You’re crushing on him! McHot Stuff rides again!
Ava tried to muffle her snicker. She stole another peek at Jake and wondered what he would think about Jilly’s nickname for him.
Am not crushing.
It’ll be much easier if you’d just admit it. Hey, maybe your hot festival love affair can be with him!
Ava heard the rustle of clothing as Jake shifted and knew the exact moment his eyes fell on her.
I admit nothing, and quit making me laugh. I think he’s onto me. He’s watching me now.
He’s staring at you? Right this second? *mrawr*
She didn’t dare check, but the tingle beneath her skin made her certain.
No mrawring. And yes.
There is so mrawring. More important, do you like it? (When he looks at you, not the mrawring.)
Ava wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. The tingling was unsettling, but in a good way. Probably just a sign that she’d been out of the dating game for too long. Maybe she should start going out with Jilly on the weekend more often.
Of course not. I mean, I don’t really care. He can stare at whoever or whatever he wants.
You can’t even lie via email.
Busted.
Believe whatever you want. I’m not lying.
You know...your lying is only going to hurt you and your future lov-ah.
Ava thought she did a pretty good job of stifling her laugh, but the new email alert on her BlackBerry said otherwise. It was from Jake. She darted a glance over at him, but he appeared to have returned to typing away on his laptop.
To: Ava Christensen [[ava_christensen@entnewsnow.com>
From: Jake Durham [[jake_durham@entnewsnow.com>
Subject: What’s happening over there?
Funny website?
To: Jake Durham [[jake_durham@entnewsnow.com>
From: Ava Christensen [[ava_christensen@entnewsnow.com>
Re: Nothing exciting
I think I might be giddy from the meds.
She scrolled back to her text conversation with Jilly.
Ack! He’s onto me. He’s emailing me now. I had to blame the medication.
I heart him. First he saves you, now he’s writing you love letters? *swoon* He’s the bestest boyfriend ever! P.S. That old “Oh, it’s just the medication” line never works.
Ava almost choked trying to contain her laughter.
Seriously now. Quit making me laugh! (And he’s not my boyfriend.)
Yes, he is.
Ava’s chest was starting to hurt from trying to maintain her silence.
No, he isn’t. Oh...just forget it. I know you and you’ll just keep writing back that he is until you wear me down.
Too true. (You know me so well.) Don’t you feel better for admitting it? Now, you have a good night and you can fill me in on the rest of your hot hospital romance tomorrow.
To: Ava Christensen [[ava_christensen@entnewsnow.com>
From: Jake Durham [[jake_durham@entnewsnow.com>
Re: Just wondering
Was that a snort?
To: Jake Durham [[jake_durham@entnewsnow.com>
From: Ava Christensen [[ava_christensen@entnewsnow.com>
Re: FYI
Ladies do not snort.
To: Ava Christensen [[ava_christensen@entnewsnow.com>
From: Jake Durham [[jake_durham@entnewsnow.com>
Re: You sure?
It sounded like a snort.
To: Jake Durham [[jake_durham@entnewsnow.com>
From: Ava Christensen [[ava_christensen@entnewsnow.com>
Re: Surer than sure
It was probably your chair.
To: Ava Christensen [[ava_christensen@entnewsnow.com>
From: Jake Durham [[jake_durham@entnewsnow.com>
Re: The chair is innocent
Nope. I just moved in it and nothing. I think it was a snort.
/> To: Jake Durham [[jake_durham@entnewsnow.com>
From: Ava Christensen [[ava_christensen@entnewsnow.com>
Re: It was not a snort
I should probably go to sleep. I have a big day tomorrow.
To: Ava Christensen [[ava_christensen@entnewsnow.com>
From: Jake Durham [[jake_durham@entnewsnow.com>
Re: For the record
You blush when you lie.
To: Jake Durham [[jake_durham@entnewsnow.com>
From: Ava Christensen [[ava_christensen@entnewsnow.com>
Re: It was still not a snort
Good night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
JAKE STEPPED OUT OF THE CAB and hurried into the hospital. His neck hurt like hell, not that he was going to tell Ava. He could already picture her smug smile when she told him so. It made him grin even as he rubbed the offending area. In truth, he wasn’t sure he could blame the chair. He often woke up with a stiff neck when he was stressed and he was definitely feeling pressure today.
He’d stuck around at the hospital long enough to see Ava safely wheeled into surgery, then hustled back to the hotel for a quick shower, a quicker breakfast and to make a few very important phone calls.
After reassuring Brandon that Ava was really okay and he didn’t need to feel guilty about not answering his phone last night, Jake had sent the young cameraman off to cover a panel since it was something that didn’t require Ava’s presence. Brandon was fully capable of linking up his mics for sound and filming the whole thing on his own. Jake would view the footage with him later this afternoon to see if there was anything interesting they could turn into a piece. At worst, they’d get a sound bite or two. Maybe not enough to make a whole story, but something good for the cuts to and from commercials.
He’d also called the station and had his assistant email him a schedule for the other reporters to see who was available to fly out at a moment’s notice. Although the doctor had said it was unlikely that Ava would need to miss any work, Jake wasn’t taking chances. If the surgery was harder on her than expected, he needed someone in town by tomorrow morning. He’d had his assistant call to see if there were still seats available on tonight’s flight. There were, but Jake really hoped he wouldn’t need to use one.
The waiting room near discharge was empty. Jake found a seat in the corner and killed some time flipping through an old Reader’s Digest. Ava was being discharged now. He wasn’t meeting Brandon until one, but he had a lot to do before then. Including getting Ava settled in her hotel room with anything she might need for the rest of the day.
He stood when she was finally wheeled into the room, surprised by the little spark that flashed through him when she smiled in his general direction. Her arm was fully casted in black, but the color in her cheeks told him that she was feeling a lot better.
“You look good,” he told her.
She rolled her eyes at him. “I’m not that drugged up,” she said. “I only had a local anesthetic, so I’m well aware that my hair is a rat’s nest.”
It was pulled back into a tidy ponytail and didn’t seem ratty to him at all. She looked sporty and cute, but he kept that to himself. He wasn’t entirely sure where they stood after yesterday, but it seemed prudent to let her set the tone. “Ready to go?” He glanced at the nurse, who nodded.
“More than ready,” Ava said. Jake fell into step beside her, watching as she fidgeted in the chair as though wanting to leap out of it. The nurse pushed faster, probably used to difficult patients who attempted to thwart hospital procedure.
“How did everything go?” he asked, partially because he wanted her opinion on how she was feeling—the doctor had said that Ava would be the best judge of whether she was ready to return to work—and partly because he thought it would keep her from making a run for the exit. He didn’t know if there was some sort of paperwork for a breakaway patient, but he didn’t want to find out.
Distracting her seemed to work or, at least, settled her into the chair as they wheeled down the hallway. “It was gross.” She shot him a look. “You didn’t tell me that part.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t think it was gross.”
“Yes, well, you probably think the greatness of a movie depends on how many helicopters are in it.”
“That’s just fact.”
She snorted. “Clearly, you can’t be trusted.”
“Are you trying to tell me that Die Hard isn’t a classic?”
She craned her neck to look at the nurse. “See what I have to deal with?”
The nurse nodded. “My husband makes me watch it every year at Christmas. His version of a holiday film.”
“Don’t give him any ideas,” Ava said. Jake noticed that she seemed happy to give the nurse the impression they were a couple. He probably shouldn’t like that so much. “Anyway, I was awake for the whole thing, so I could hear it and it was nothing like they show on TV. Well, maybe it was like what they show on those real-life operation shows, but I don’t watch those. I can barely watch hospital dramas.”
She sighed heavily, looking so adorable that Jake had to bite back his grin. He didn’t think she’d appreciate it.
“What do you think of the cast?”
He eyed the dark weight covering her arm. “Very black.”
She nodded. “It goes with my outfits.”
“Then it’s very stylish.”
“You’re learning.” She sighed again. “But it’s going to be a huge pain.” She looked at the nurse again. “Can you recommend a good hair salon?”
Huh? Now Jake was confused. What did a hair salon have to do with her cast?
“I can’t get it wet,” she said in response to his questioning look. “Also, no picking at it or jamming hangers inside it.”
“Is it itchy?”
“Not yet, but I’m prepared.”
The nurse rattled off a few salon names as she pushed them toward the pneumatic doors where Jake had paid a taxi to wait for them. Ava shivered when the blast of cold air hit her, but tried to give back his coat when he slipped it around her shoulders.
He shook his head. “Easterner, remember? You need it more than me.” Besides, he liked the way she looked all bundled up in it.
She looked as if she was debating arguing with him for a second, until another cold gust blew past them. She shivered again and tugged the coat more tightly to her with her lone good arm. “Thanks.”
“Doing okay?” he asked once they were both safely in the cab and on their way back to the hotel.
“Not bad. Not great, but not bad.”
“How not bad?” Jake needed to know. He’d managed to get DVDs of a couple of the movies being screened today. Since she was out of commission, she couldn’t attend them personally, but he hoped that she’d be up to watching them later. Tomorrow was the interview circuit, where media and movies collided in a frenzy of questions and promotion. If she couldn’t do it, he was going to have to watch them himself and spend the night prepping for the reporter he’d have to fly in.
The cab took a sharp turn, pressing her up against his side. She stayed there after the vehicle straightened out. “I’m okay. I don’t feel one hundred percent, but I guess that’s expected.”
He liked the way her body felt against his, even with his coat in the way. “Well enough to do a bit of work?” He told her about the films he’d charmed out of the festival’s media department. “I thought we could watch them together later.”
“Oh?” Sh
e lifted her eyebrows at him, but didn’t shift away. A definite improvement.
“I had to miss the screenings, too,” he pointed out. “We’ll order in some room service and hunker down.” He kept plan B to himself.
“We could,” she mused. “Or you could have the night off since you didn’t get one last night and I could handle the movies alone.”
Despite the ache in his neck, Jake didn’t regret spending the night when she’d needed him. “I’d like to watch them, too.” And while he could give her the movies to watch this afternoon, watching them alone this evening with nothing but food and drink for company didn’t hold the same appeal. “So, my room or yours?”