“Maybe a little, but not too much.” He could see that she wasn’t buying it. “No, really. I’m okay. I want to get the surgery over with so I focus on healing. I’m good, don’t worry.” Saying it out loud solidified it in his mind. He really had come to terms with the whole situation.
“Good, I’m glad. Okay, let’s do it.” Zoe put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb.
They got to the hospital in plenty of time for Vlad to get checked in. “Who will be waiting for you Mr. …”
“Bejsiuk.” Vlad pointed to Zoe sitting in the waiting room. “That beautiful creature will be waiting for me. Dr. Zoe Millis.” He figured he’d throw the doctor in there, just in case there were problems and she needed the pull to get information.
“Is she a relation?”
Vlad gave the receptionist a dazzling smile that had her smiling in return. “Not yet. My family lives in the Ukraine, so my fiancé over there volunteered to take care of me today.”
She was smitten. Vlad’s smile tended to do that to women. Putting her chin in her hand, she eyed him dreamily. “So that’s where the nice accent comes from.” Seeming to suddenly remember that Vlad was a patient, and not her own personal eye candy, she sat up straight and got back to business. “Yes, okay. Please take a seat. A nurse will be calling you shortly.”
Vlad grabbed a magazine that he had no intention of reading and sat down next to Zoe. “Well, that’s that. Now I wait to get called back.”
Zoe grabbed his hand. “You’ll be fine. You’ll just go to sleep and when you wake up, I’ll be there. Then you can start the healing process. Concentrate on that. Just imagine how good it will feel to walk around pain-free again.”
Good God, she was going to scream! Vlad had to be the worst patient in the history of the world. Zoe had rescheduled her appointments for the day of and the day after Vlad’s surgery to take care of him. Before they even left the hospital, she was regretting it.
He was funny when he first woke up in the recovery room, but it was short-lived. She could tell he was out of it from the anesthesia, because he couldn’t stop telling her how hot she was. He also kept asking her—rather loudly— if he’d ever ‘tapped that.’ The nurses thought he was adorable. Zoe thought he was annoying. To shut him up, she quietly told him that he had indeed ‘tapped that’—for the fifth time.
“Daaayyyam, baby. You’re so hot. We’ve really done it?” He tried to grab her arm to spin her around.
Zoe slapped his hand away. “Stop, Vlad. Just drink your juice.”
“Come on, just turn around. I wanna see that ass.”
“Vlad, please quiet down. We’re in the recovery room. Do you remember that you had surgery?”
Vlad scrunched up his face like he was trying to concentrate. “Oh, God. Am I okay? What happened?” He didn’t even wait for her to answer him before he tried to grab her again.
When Dillon, the nurse, came in to check on him, Vlad informed him that he’d slept with Zoe.
“You see how hot this girl is? We’ve had sex. Lots of sex, right? Shit, what was your name again?”
Biting her bottom lip, desperate to get Vlad off the subject of sex, Zoe asked the nurse if Vlad’s reaction was normal. “He doesn’t seem to remember who I am. He’s also single-mindedly focused on sex. And he’s not quiet about it.”
He tried not to laugh as he answered her. “He’s fine. People react differently. Men almost always focus on sex if there’s a pretty lady around—anesthesia or not.” He winked at her to put her at ease. “You qualify. He’s a lucky guy.”
“Thanks, but how long will he be like this?”
“It varies. Since he’s still so out of it, let’s see if we can get him to go back to sleep.”Dillon walked over to Vlad and checked his vitals.
“Mr. Bejsiuk? How are you feeling?”
“I feel fucking fantastic. You see my girl? I can’t remember her name, but she’s fuckin’ hot, isn’t she, man?”
Dillon ignored his question, but gave him a friendly smile. “How about you do me a favor and take a little nap? It’ll help us get you out of here faster and then you can go home with your beautiful girl.”
“Yeah, sure. Anything to get to her quicker.” Vlad winked at the nurse. “We guys gotta stick together.” His speech slurred as his eyes slowly shut.
Dillon motioned Zoe to the area just beyond the curtain. “He should be asleep in a few minutes. When he wakes up again, we’ll see how alert he is. You can stay in here if you want.”
“Thanks, Dillon.”
When Vlad woke up the second time, he was his usual self. He didn’t remember being awake previously, but from what he was told, it sounded like he was pretty funny. Zoe didn’t to seem agree.
A day later, Zoe was folding some of Vlad’s laundry when he walked up behind her.
“What are you doing? I can do that.” He grabbed her around the waist and carefully pulled her back against him, kissing her neck. “Remember, I’m supposed to be up and moving around.”
“I know. I needed something to do while you were in the shower.”
“If you had joined me in there, like I asked you to, you would have had plenty to do. I had a terrible time reaching my back.”
“Your back, huh? I don’t thinks so. You’re supposed to be up and about, but you’re also supposed to limit your hip movement. If you’re really that impatient to have me again …” Zoe ran her finger from his bottom lip down to his belt buckle. “See what your physical therapist says.”
“Tracey? If I ask her, she’ll tell me I can never have sex again. I’ve only seen her once so far and I can already tell she’s vindictive. All I did was suggest that it might be better for a man to help me with the first couple of sessions. What if I had fallen? Of course, now I know she could hold me up. By pure stubborn will if need be.” Vlad had gotten off on the wrong foot with his PT. She didn’t seem to take it personally, though, thank God.
“Oh, I like her. She sounds like just the kind of therapist you need. Speaking of therapy, are you ready to go? I want to stop at my house and grab a couple of files on the way.”
“Yeah, I’m ready. For the record, though, I think it’s stupid that I can’t drive for four weeks. It’s not like it takes that much pressure to push a gas pedal down.”
“Yes, Vlad. Anyone who knows you knows how you feel about not being able to drive. Honestly, get over it. You’re worse than a child.”
Therapy was the usual fun time he was becoming used to. His drill sergeant made sure he did every single freaking exercise. And she was not pleased if he didn’t do them to perfection.
“Come on, Bejsiuk, clench those muscles. My eight year old could do it better.”
“Well, maybe if you weren’t pinching my ass, I could concentrate. You know I’m taken, Tracey. I think you need to look elsewhere.” He clenched his glutes as tightly as he could and grimaced at the sharp pain he felt.
“Yeah, that’s another thing, Vlad. Did you take your pain pills today?”
“I don’t need them.”
“Yeah, you do. It’s not unmanly to take your pain pills. If you can’t mask the pain enough, you can’t properly do your exercises. If you can’t properly do your exercises, you won’t get your full range of motion back. Didn’t you tell me that you want to skate again?”
She knew very well that he wanted to skate again. He let out a breath and hung his head. “Yes, I want to skate again. Fine, I’ll take my pills, but only when I’m doing my therapy.”
“And when you go to bed to help you relax and heal. Suck it up. It’s not forever, but it is important. Now, let’s do some hip abductions, shall we?”
“Oh, yes please. I love them so.” Vlad groaned as he rolled over onto his side.
She smiled in that evil way of hers. “I know. Fifteen please. Nice and slow.”
He knew she took her job seriously, and that she only wanted to help him heal, but God she was a bitch sometimes. “I’m on it.” She made him start over—twice
.
As the weeks went by and Thanksgiving loomed ever closer, Vlad began to see a lot of improvement in his hip. He supposed he had Tracey to thank for that. She may have pushed him relentlessly, but he knew he wouldn’t be as far along as he was if she hadn’t.
Zoe was sitting at her kitchen table, while Vlad stood at the window, staring blankly out at the darkening sky. They were supposed to be planning their Thanksgiving dinner, but Vlad’s attention was elsewhere. “What are you thinking about so intently over there?”
“I was thinking about Tracey, believe it or not. I think she may be the devil in disguise, but look at how well I move already. I might get her and her family some Leafs tickets. What do you think? Is that too much?”
“I think it’s a great idea. I’m sure she’s earned them.” Zoe smiled at the offended look he gave her.
Eyes wide, eyebrows raised, he asked, “Earned them? Did I tell you how she taunts me when she feels like I’m not working hard enough? She tells me that the Leafs’ goalie is the best she’s ever seen, and if it were him in therapy, she’s sure he’d work harder than me.” Vlad laughed as he realized her methods worked. He did work harder, just to prove her wrong. “I’ll be damned. It works.”
“Good for her. I know you, Vlad. I’ve also had you in therapy. I’d be willing to bet you battle that poor woman at every appointment.”
Vlad didn’t exactly admit to it, but he did shrug his shoulders as he said, “Maybe.”
The day Vlad’s family arrived was a crisp one for San Diego. The air was cool with a tang of all things autumn riding in the wind.
Zoe had gone all out decorating her house. She said it was to make his family feel welcome, but Vlad thought she again, used them as an excuse to go shopping. It was no secret that Zoe loved to shop.
The stairway leading up to the door outside was lined with large bales of hay. The smell of them reminded Vlad of days spent in his uncle’s barn as a little boy.
Pumpkins of all sizes sat on various bales, while others sported strings of leaves in brilliant hues of red, yellow and orange. Standing sentry at the door was a life-sized scarecrow with a beady eyed crow perched on his shoulder.
Vlad got past all of the outside décor only to be assaulted with the interior decorations. He looked around in awe. Zoe had been very busy since the last time he’d been there.
“Holy shit, Zoe. When did you get all this stuff? It looks like autumn threw up in here.”
“Really…you don’t know the first thing about making a house homey. Your place is full of black granite and chrome. Maybe I went a bit overboard, but it’s important to make a good first impression. I want my home to feel welcoming.”
“You know, some might say that you’re overcompensating because you’re not convinced of your own self-worth.”
Zoe looked at him, head cocked in thought. She seemed to discount what he said and shook it off. “Wait, I know why you said that. You’ve been reading my Psychology Today journals again, haven’t you?”
“Well, I’m bored.” Since he didn’t have a physical outlet at the moment, he needed something to occupy his mind. He was tired of watching TV and cruising around the Internet, so he figured that learning about Zoe’s world would give them something else to talk about. It was only fair. She knew all about hockey, after all. “And you’re changing the subject. Do you really think you need all this stuff to make your house ‘homey’?” He waved his arm around the room and waited for her answer.
The world’s biggest cornucopia sat proudly on the dining room table. It was overflowing with mini pumpkins and gourds of varying sizes and colors. A large brown velvet bow graced the wide-mouth opening, ribbons spilling over the sides.
All of the windows had some sort of decoration on them. The ones in the living room had strings of pinecones and leaves draped in soft folds over the curtains. The windows that didn’t have curtains were adorned with gel cling-ons.
It was complicated, but classy. Zoe had a way of making things that could be tacky—like the gel clings—look like a sophisticated design made especially for the space they inhabited.
He still couldn’t help himself. He felt his lips turning up as he took it all in.
Zoe saw him looking all around. She also caught the tilt of his lips. “Don’t you dare laugh.” A reluctant smile formed on her lips as she tried to see the house as Vlad did. “It’s too much, isn’t it?”
Taking one last look at a couple of black crows sitting on—what else—a pumpkin, Vlad shook his head. “It looks great, Zoe. It really does. My family will love it.”
Thanksgiving Day arrived with much fanfare. The triplets were out playing with a soccer ball on the beach, supervised by Vlad’s father, Vladimir, Sr. Emma was helping Zoe get her last minute touches on the dishes for dinner, and Vlad was lounging in the living room talking to his aunt and uncle.
Only a little over twenty-four hours had passed since their arrival, and already Zoe felt as if she’d known them forever. They were such a fun loving family.
Dinner was a boisterous affair. The triplets never stopped talking and bickered constantly. Vlad’s uncle and father argued about hockey strategies while Emma, Zoe, and Aunt Anna tried to have a civilized conversation, which was next to impossible over the din of the other conversations flowing around them. Vlad couldn’t have been happier. He had gone too long without having a chance to visit his family.
He took a minute to think about how good his life was at that moment. Vlad was feeling like a new man. He had an exciting new job to look forward to, his hip was healing nicely, and he’d finally gotten the girl of his dreams. Everything was just sliding into place.
The only problem was, when things seemed too good to be true—they usually were.
Vlad’s penthouse was filled with aromatic bliss. The smells that pleasantly assaulted Zoe’s nose upon entering were spicy and fruity with just a hint of savory bacon cutting through the sweetness.
It was the day after Thanksgiving, and Vlad was hosting a late brunch. Zoe had tried to decline the invitation in order to give Vlad a chance to visit with his family alone, but he’d have none of that. “You are part of my family, Zoe,” he had said, encircling her with his arms. So, there she was—the triplets and their parents in tow.
Sasha, Julia, and Lena were still giggling and talking nonstop … in Russian. Vlad told Zoe that they were talking about how fun the ride over was. He had hired a limo to bring them over to his place. It might have been overkill, but Zoe couldn’t fit six people in her car, and he knew the girls would get a kick out of it—and he was right.
“Please speak English, girls. Remember Zoe doesn’t speak Russian yet.”
There was a chorus of apologies, and off they were again, this time jabbering in English.
“Yet? I doubt I’ll ever speak Russian, Vlad.”
“Sure you will. I’ll teach you slowly, over time, moya lyubov.”
“What did you just call me?”
Vlad smiled and pulled her close, putting his lips to her ear. “Moya lyubov. It means ‘my love’ or ‘my sweetheart.’” He felt a shiver run down her body as he placed a kiss just below her ear and then let her go.
Emma was calling them into the kitchen to help carry the many dishes that made up their brunch to the table, when the doorbell rang. Vlad walked over, opened the door, and froze. He was staring at a little girl who looked eerily like his mother. Confused, he called back over his shoulder, “Uh, Mom?”
Emma peeked out from the kitchen and promptly dropped the glass casserole dish she was holding, splattering French toast and shards of glass everywhere. “Oh my God. Who is that, Vlad?”
Vlad looked at Zoe, silently pleading for help. His entire family was in his kitchen. All of them. This little girl, who looked to be about seven or eight years old, could only belong to one person.
Zoe walked over to the door and held out her hand to the older man who was standing next to the sullen looking child. “Hello, I’m Zoe Millis. Can we help
you?” It was obvious that the girl was related to Vlad, and Zoe could only guess how. It was also painfully obvious that Vlad didn’t know what to do. Zoe wasn’t exactly sure herself, but he was still frozen in the same spot, hand on the doorknob, looking back and forth between everyone in bewilderment.
The gentleman reached out and shook Zoe’s proffered hand. “I’m Thaddeus Blake, ma’am. I’m Carla Bonner’s attorney and was a close friend of her father’s.” He looked at Vlad and gave him a tired smile. “Vlad Bejsiuk?”
Vlad finally unfroze and let go of the doorknob. When he allowed himself another peek at the girl, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. “Yes, I’m Vlad.”
Those three little words had the girl’s lip trembling. She was the saddest little girl Vlad had ever seen in his life. In that split second, he swore he’d do whatever he could to make that sadness go away. His chest hurt with the need to do so. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was looking at his own child. He felt it bone deep. She felt like his. Carla Bonner—that seems like a lifetime ago.
Vlad wasn’t thinking straight when he moved forward and abruptly pulled the girl into his arms, scaring her with his abrupt hug. “My God. Carla Bonner’s your mother.” He pulled back just far enough to tilt the girl’s chin up so that she was looking at him, her eyes filled with tears. He spoke quietly, trying not to spook her further. “Do you know who I am, little bit?”
She immediately stiffened in his arms. “Yes, you’re my father, but I’m not little, and I’m not a bit.” She pushed him away and turned to bury herself in Thaddeus’s jacket, sobbing like her world was ending.
Vlad didn’t have the first clue what he was supposed to do. He looked to Zoe again for guidance. She was a therapist, surely she could help him. “What do I do?” he whispered to her. “I don’t know what to do.” He’d never felt so helpless.
Goalie Interference (NHL Scorpions) Page 10
