Special Delivery

by Traci Hohenstein

  “Dr. Love.” I answered the phone.

  “Hi, it’s Julie.”

  “Who do we have tonight?”

  I had a couple of patients ready for delivery. Which one was it, I wondered.

  “Janessa Myers.”

  “What? Janessa is only a few weeks pregnant. What is she doing in L&D?”

  “She’s not.” I could hear the faint voices of other nurses in the background. “She’s in the ER with bleeding and cramping. She asked Dr. Malone to call you.”

  Dr. John Malone was one of the ER physicians I knew well. His wife Patti was a friend and we played tennis occasionally.

  I had already put my salad back in the fridge and grabbed my purse.

  “I’m on my way.”

  *

  By the time I got to the ER, Janessa had already been to ultrasound. I met Dr. Malone coming out of her room.

  “What’s going on?” I asked him.

  “We just got done with an ultrasound. Despite her heavy bleeding, there’s still a heartbeat. I advised her to go home and get some rest.”

  “Okay. Thanks, John.”

  I pulled open the sliding glass door and walked into her private room. Janessa was lying in the hospital bed with her eyes closed. Apollo was sitting by her side.

  “Hi. You must be Apollo?” I extended my hand.

  Apollo stood up and shook it. “Thanks for coming, Dr. Love. I’ve been terribly worried about Janessa. She’s doing so much.”

  At the mention of her name, Janessa opened her eyes. “Oh, hi. You’re here.”

  “I just spoke to Dr. Malone and he said you can go home. Get some rest.” I looked at Apollo. “Complete bed rest. That means only getting up to go to the bathroom. I’ll stop by tomorrow and check on you.”

  “Will I lose the baby?” Janessa asked.

  Just a few days ago she didn’t know whether or not she wanted to keep the baby, and now she was worried about losing it. I hoped this meant that Janessa had taken the time to really think this through and make a decision that was best for her and not for her father.

  “I don’t know, Janessa. Only time will tell. Sometimes these things happen and we don’t know why. The only thing you can do is take it easy – put your feet up – and limit your activities.”

  Apollo put his hand over Janessa’s belly. “I’ll take good care of her.”

  Chapter 17

  Venus and I walked into Jules’s studio and were greeted by his assistant Angelina. My mouth watered at all the fabulous clothes hanging on racks. Rows and rows of colorful blouses, pants, and dresses.

  “Jules will be with you in a moment. He’s been stressing about getting the new men’s line out in time for fashion week.”

  Angelina looked like a fashion model. She was about 5’11” and wore a pair of black skinny jeans with a loose white peasant shirt. A cigarette patch was visible on her arm under the sleeve.

  She noticed me looking at it. “Trying to quit. When I used to model, the only way I could stay skinny was to smoke a pack a day.”

  “Hope! Venus!” Jules shouted as he lumbered into the front of the studio.

  Jules did not look like what you’d think a fashion designer would look like. He was 6’4” and stocky with a full beard. He favored jean overalls and cowboy boots when he was working in the studio and looked like he’d be far more comfortable out in a corn field. Come to think of it, I remember Aubrey telling me that he was originally from Alabama.

  He leaned down and gave us a quick peck on the cheek.

  “Wait till you see what I have for you!” Jules said enthusiastically in his deep southern accent.

  He led us to the back of the studio where more racks of gorgeous clothes waited for us.

  “I personally selected this outfit for you,” Jules said as he handed me a beautiful pink sleeveless tea-length dress with a full skirt and a skinny silver belt around the waist.

  “Thanks, Jules. It’s beautiful.”

  “And for Ms. Venus, how about this?” He handed her a cream-colored suit with a hot pink slinky camisole to wear underneath.

  “Angelina will help you. I’ll be back to check on you in a few moments.”

  There were two small wardrobe screens to change behind. While Angelina helped me with the dress, I could hear Venus cooing over her outfit. I walked out to see her standing in front of the mirror. The outfit was stunning and fit like it was specially made for her.

  “How do you stay so thin after eating all those biscuits and scones?” I marveled at her size two figure. In Hollywood, anything over a size four was considered large. I was a size six and slowly working my way up to a size eight if I kept eating Frederick’s pasta.

  “It’s all in moderation, darling.” Venus studied her reflection in the mirror. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail with some loose bangs framing her heart-shaped face. She had a creamy, soft complexion and blue eyes. Totally out of place among Hollywood’s bleached, tanned bombshells that dominated the place. Venus was refreshing to hang out with after dealing with Hollywood Barbies all day.

  “You’re so beautiful, Hope, you’d look smashing in any size,” Venus said. And that’s why I love her!

  I swirled around in my new baby pink dress. Sequin accents adorned the neckline and hem. The color complemented my skin tone and made me look radiant. I was in love with this dress.

  “You look like a princess,” Venus said.

  Jules whistled as he walked back into the room.

  “You’ll knock them dead, kiddo.” Jules turned me around and nodded his satisfaction. “Magnificent.”

  “Now, how about we find some matching shoes and then have some lunch,” Venus suggested.

  “Sounds fabulous.” I reached up on my tip toes and gave Jules a kiss. “Thank you, darling.”

  “Before you go, let me show you what the male models will be wearing at the show.” Jules asked Angelina to bring him the rack.

  Venus burst out laughing when she saw what Angelina rolled in.

  “This is my new summer line for men.”

  The rack held rows of colorful swimsuit briefs. Really short, tight swim briefs. I could just imagine Brad wearing one of those.

  Venus plucked a swim brief off the line and held it up. It was stretchy, tight, lime green fabric with tiny alligators on it.

  “Maybe I should order one for Mr. Vanderbilt?”

  Chapter 18

  The fashion show was being held at the exclusive Beverly Hills Garden restaurant. The room was decorated in an understated fashion with white linen tablecloths and delicate pink roses as centerpieces. Brad was backstage getting ready with the other male models. When I saw Brad, I had to stifle a laugh. He was wrapped in a towel with several people surrounding him. One lady ran a comb through his hair while another touched up his makeup.

  He fixed his eyes on me. “I just got a spray tan,” he said through clenched teeth. “California Gold, the lady called it. What the hell have you gotten me into?”

  Angelina walked up with the pair of lime green swim briefs on a hanger. “Here you go. Time to get dressed.”

  Brad’s eyes widened. “Oh, no. I’m not wearing that. Where are my clothes?” He looked at me for help. “You said I would be modeling casual wear.”

  “This is what all the male models are wearing.” Angelina pointed to the other guys slipping on their swim briefs.

  “You’ll look great.” I tried to sound encouraging. “It’s for a good cause.” I reminded him.

  “No wonder they insisted on a spray tan.” He reached out and grabbed my arm. “You owe me. Big time.”

  I fished my handwritten speech notes out of my Chanel bag. “Time to review my speech. I’ll see you out there.” I took another look at the swim briefs Angelina handed to him. “Good luck. Or should I say, ‘break a leg.’”

  *

  The ladies thoroughly enjoyed the male model fashion show, and my speech went off without a hitch. I have to say that when Brad walked down the runway, m
y heart did this weird flip flop and I experienced the same chills I’d had at lunch with him. Venus must have noticed because she had given me one her famous smirks. I was starting to look forward to the dinner with Brad.

  Aubrey had come up and gave me a big kiss on the cheek. “Thanks so much, Dr. Love. The show was a hit, and we sold out of tables at the luncheon. I’ll get the final figures tomorrow, but I bet we raised over a quarter of a million dollars today.”

  “That’s wonderful, Aubrey. Glad I could help out.”

  She leaned in and whispered to me, “Your new doctor was a hit, too. What a fab idea to include him in the show. He’s sooo hot.”

  Venus playfully punched my arm. “Yes, he is hot.”

  Dr. Kelso had covered for us on our day off, and I was glad to go home and relax before dinner. I hung up the pink dress and slipped into my bathing suit. Frederick had had someone come by to fix my long-broken hot tub, and I was going to try it out for the first time in months. I poured myself a generous glass of wine and eased my way into the tub. The hot water bubbled all around me. The water felt great and melted the stress away. Seven o’clock finally rolled around and I took a shower and got dressed. Since this was strictly a business dinner, I picked out a sensible outfit. Something I would wear to work. A simple black jersey BCBG dress with my favorite Jimmy Choo slingbacks. I wore my hair down and put on just a touch of makeup. The doorbell rang as I was putting on my gold loop earrings.

  Brad stood on my doorstep looking so handsome it was irritating. He had worn dark denim jeans with a light blue polo shirt and brown loafers. No socks. “Hope, you look very nice.”

  “Thank you. You, too.” I opened the door wider to let him into the foyer. “It looks like most of your spray tan has washed off.”

  “Yeah, I don’t do California Gold that well.”

  “For what’s it worth, I thought you looked great. And all the ladies seemed to like it too.”

  Brad laughed. “No offense, but most of those ladies were of the age of needing strong prescription eye glasses.”

  “There were quite a lot of younger women, too. They all commented on how nice you looked.” I grabbed my Louis Vuitton on the hall table. “I’m ready. Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  Chapter 19

  We drove along the coastline headed toward Marina del Ray. Brad pulled up to a restaurant called The Warehouse that was located at one of the marinas. It overlooked stately yachts and large sailboats. The maître d’ sat us at a table next to the window where we could watch the boats coming in from the ocean.

  “Ever been to Catalina?” Brad asked me.

  “Sure. A couple of times with friends. It’s a great place for beach bonfires and cookouts.”

  “I’d like to buy a boat once I get settled. Catalina is one of the places on my to-do list to visit.”

  “I didn’t peg you as a boating person.”

  “I owned a boat when I lived in Alabama. I didn’t get to use it much, but when I did, I took my friends water skiing on a nearby lake.”

  The waiter came by to take our drink order and tell us about the nightly specials. I realized that I was ravenous – I hadn’t eaten much at the luncheon.

  “How did you find this place?”

  “A friend of mine brought me here on my first night in town.”

  “You’ve already made friends?”

  “Another doctor I know from med school moved here several years ago…”

  The waiter interrupted our conversation and brought our drinks and took the dinner order. I got the seared scallops and shrimp and Brad ordered the lobster special.

  We gazed out the window at the sun setting in the horizon. The purple and orange hues of the sky were gorgeous. Brad was the first to break the silence.

  “You’ve got some interesting patients at the practice.”

  “Never a dull day. That’s why I love this job.”

  “I think it’s amazing that your father started this niche practice. How did that happen?”

  “He never told you?”

  “No. Just that he’d been delivering babies since the early sixties.”

  “My dad got his medical license in 1961. He started a very modest practice with a loan from my grandmother – my mom’s mother.” I paused to take a sip of my wine.

  “Times were hard. The Pill had made its debut and was catching on. Not as many women got pregnant. One night my dad was driving home in a bad rainstorm after being at the hospital all day. He saw a limo pulled over on the side of the road. The chauffeur was soaking wet, jumping up and down in the rain trying to get someone’s attention. My dad pulled over. The chauffeur said his employer was in the back of the limo, ready to deliver her baby. They were on their way to the hospital when the limo broke down. He asked if my dad could give them a ride. My dad grabbed his medical bag out of the back seat and explained that he was a doctor.”

  “What luck,” Brad said.

  “Turns out it was a lucky day for both the woman and my father.” I paused again while the waiter brought over an appetizer.

  “He found the woman in full labor with the baby’s head crowning. The husband was in the backseat with her in full panic mode. He had his hand on the baby’s head trying to push it back in.”

  Brad looked at me incredulously and laughed. “No way.”

  “True story. Cross my heart.” I continued with the story. “Anyway, my father delivered the baby, but as he held him, he realized the baby wasn’t breathing. He performed CPR while the mother looked on crying and pleading. After five minutes or so, he gave up and handed the baby to the mother.”

  I shook my head, remembering the story I’d heard so many times. “She removed her shirt and laid the baby on her bare chest. As she rubbed the baby’s back, she sang a beautiful song. My dad said he was mesmerized by her voice. A few minutes later, a tiny sound came from the baby. My dad instructed her to keep singing and rubbing the baby’s back. They loaded everyone up in my dad’s car and he drove them to the hospital. After making sure everyone was in good hands, he left and drove home.”

  “And that was it?” Brad asked.

  “Not quite. My father went about his business and forgot all about it. A couple of weeks later, my parents got a visitor at the house. My mom answered the door and saw this gorgeous woman standing there with a baby in her arms. A handsome man stood next to her with a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of fine brandy. She invited them in. Dad was working in the garage, tinkering with his train collection. She told him that he had visitors. My father grumbled about it. He didn’t like to be bothered while messing around with his toys. My mom tugged at his arm, telling him to come see who his guests were. It got his attention, because she never got excited about anything. She was normally reserved and quiet.”

  “I see you take after you father, then,” Brad interjected.

  “Ha. Very funny.” I smiled warmly at him. “Anyway, my father got up and went to see what had my mom all in a tizzy. There on the sofa was the woman who he’d helped on the side of the road that rainy night.”

  I paused and took a couple bites of the yummy crab claw appetizer.

  “So they came by to thank your father?” Brad asked.

  “Not only to say thank you. That woman helped my father’s practice become what it is today.” I grabbed a napkin and wiped the corners of my mouth. “The woman was none other than Leigh Ellen Barnes.”

  “Leigh Ellen Barnes? The Leigh Ellen Barnes?”

  “Yep. The most famous sixties actress and singer of all time.”

  Leigh Ellen Barnes started her career as a child actress in the forties and by the time she was in her late twenties she was one of the world’s most famous actresses. She starred in roles along with Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Steve McQueen. She also recorded several hit songs.

  “I can’t believe your father didn’t recognize her that night.”

  “He had no idea he said. He was so focused on delivering the ba
by and then making sure the baby and mother were okay when he took them to the hospital.”

  “But your mother recognized her?”

  “She was speechless when they came to the door,” I said. “Leigh Ellen thanked him for saving her baby’s life. She said if he hadn’t stopped that night her baby would’ve probably died. She did a few TV and tabloid interviews and told the story of how Dr. Frank Love delivered her child and saved his life. Within a few weeks my father’s practice was booming with new patients…mostly high profile Hollywood starlets.” I took a sip of my wine. “And that is how Hollywood Healthcare for Women became what it is today.”

  “Now, that’s a story.” Brad held up his wine glass. “To Hollywood Healthcare and new beginnings.”

  I clinked his glass with mine and took another sip of wine. I’d noticed that Brad was very attentive and really seemed to enjoy my company. Was I seeing a different side of Brad? Maybe I was a little too hard on him.

  Chapter 20

  We were just finishing our dinner when I heard someone from across the restaurant call out Brad’s name. I turned to see a woman waving at us and walking toward our table. She looked vaguely familiar. When she got closer, I noticed she was very pretty, thin, and blonde. She was fashionably dressed in a coral sundress and strappy sandals.

  “Bradley. So nice to see you!” she said when Brad stood up and hugged her. She returned his embrace and gave him a huge kiss on the lips. I was stunned.

  Brad turned a little pink.

  “Olivia, this is Dr. Hope Love. Hope, this Dr. Olivia Campanelli.”

  Ahhh, that’s where I knew her from. Olivia was a renowned cardiologist in Hollywood. She’d just released a well-reviewed diet book aimed at people with cardiovascular disease.

  “Nice to meet you, Olivia.”

  She merely nodded her head at me. All her attention was focused on Brad.