Special Delivery

by Traci Hohenstein

  Venus answered the door in her black yoga pants and a sports bra, her body still glistening with sweat from the workout with her trainer.

  “Hey. Come on in.” She leaned in to give me a quick air kiss. “How’s your dad doing?”

  I followed Venus into kitchen. “He’s doing better, thanks.”

  Venus pointed to a carafe of wine on the counter. “Help yourself. There’s some cheese and crackers in the fridge. Give me a minute to towel off. I’ll be right back.”

  After tossing and turning all night, thinking about Mr. V and what he was doing behind Venus’s back, I knew I had to let her know sooner rather than later. If the situation were reversed, I had no doubt that Venus would tell me straight away. She’d have my back.

  I nibbled on a piece of cracker and washed it down with a gulp of red wine. I wondered how in the hell I could tell Venus that her husband was having an affair. With a man. Oh, boy. This was going to be hard.

  Venus re-entered the kitchen wearing her bathing suit, a towel around her shoulders. She swam every afternoon after her yoga session and swore that it kept her strong and limber. Swimming was like Valium to her.

  “What’s going on? Is everything okay with your dad? Brad?” She asked me.

  I knew Mr. Vanderbilt would most likely still be at the office or having drinks with clients. Or whoever. He was rarely home before ten in the evening.

  “Yes, everything’s good.” I fidgeted with my hair.

  “Well, come on then. Something’s on your mind. Spit it out. What is it?” Venus grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge.

  Like a Band-Aid on a hairy arm, I thought. Just rip it off quickly.

  “Mr. Vanderbilt is having an affair.”

  Venus looked at me. She was strangely calm. “Yes, I know.”

  I must have looked shocked because she added, “Remember? I told you that at dinner a few weeks ago. He comes home smelling like a hooker. Cheap cologne.” Venus twisted the top off her water bottle and took a sip. “Did you see the bastard out with someone?”

  I slowly nodded my head.

  “Damn. To think of all the money I’ve been paying out to that private investigator and he hasn’t found anything. Yet, my best friend sees him with another woman. Go figure.” Venus laughed. “So what does the little hussy look like?”

  “Well, that’s the funny thing,” I said getting up my nerve. “It’s not a woman.”

  Now it was her turn to look shocked. “What do you mean? He’s shagging another man?”

  Again, I nodded.

  She contemplated that for a minute. “How do you know?”

  Here comes the hard part, I thought. Telling her that I’ve known for a few days.

  “When I was in Palm Springs, my mom and I went out to dinner at the Chop House. I saw Mr. Vanderbilt at the bar – a private table – with another man. They were, um, kind of holding hands across the table.” I blew out a breath. There. I’d said it. It was out there now. No going back.

  “Are you sure? He told me he was there with clients that weekend. Golfing.”

  “I’m sure. I was just a few feet away when I saw it. It was definitely a romantic gesture.”

  Venus looked skeptical. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Call me when you were in Palm Springs?”

  “Honestly, I didn’t know how. I thought it through several times. I wanted to be wrong. But I know what I saw. And with everything going on with my dad, I just…” I let the thought go.

  Venus took a big swig of her water. She seemed to be processing the information. “Well, thanks for finally telling me.”

  I got up from the bar stool. Venus isn’t a touchy-feely kind of person. We rarely hugged, but I felt like she needed one. I started toward her, but she waved me away.

  “I need to get my laps in. I have a busy day. We’ll talk later.”

  “I’m so sorry, Venus. If you need anything…”

  She headed for the door, and I followed her out. “If there’s anything I can do…I’m so sorry.” I whispered.

  She didn’t respond and just shut the door behind me.

  I know I messed up by not telling her sooner. I hoped she’d cool down and call me later. We’d never had a fight, so I didn’t know what to expect. Giving her some space and time to process the information was probably the best thing to do right now.

  Chapter 26

  “Okay, here we go. Right hand on hip, chest out, and lean towards me.” Under five feet tall with long blonde hair and wielding a camera that was probably half her weight, the photographer shouted directions at me.

  We were shooting the LA Style magazine article I’d agreed to do on location at the Beverly Hill Garden Park. The article was scheduled for the spring issue, so resort cruise wear was apparently featured. Positioned in front of the famous fountain, I was wearing my third outfit of the morning – a bright turquoise maxi dress with silver beading and a pair of matching silver strappy thongs. My long brunette hair was tamed and curled and pulled to the side in a fashionable ponytail. Shimmery sterling silver earrings adorned my ears and about twenty-five silver bangles slid up and down my wrist. I thought I looked like a mermaid, ready to dive into the deep blue sea.

  The air was chilly, and I sipped a cappuccino between takes.

  “Give me two more good shots, Hope, and we’ll be done for the day.”

  Smiling my best smile, I posed for a few more photos. My facial muscles hurt from all the smiling and my teeth chattered from the cold weather. As soon as the photographer said we were done, I headed back to the small RV that doubled as wardrobe and make-up.

  Rochelle was waiting in the trailer for me.

  “Good shoot, Hope. I’m super excited to see how the spread will turn out. Did you have a chance to fill out the questionnaire?” She asked with enthusiasm.

  “Sure did. Let me get out of this dress and I’ll give it to you before I leave.”

  In the bathroom, I ripped off the fake eyelashes, scrubbed three inches of makeup off my face, ran a brush through my hair, and secured it with a large clip. Brad was covering the morning patients, and I’d promised him that I’d be back after lunch. Glancing at the clock, I had about fifteen minutes to get there. Quickly, I dressed in black trousers, a white button-down tuxedo shirt, and black heels. I grabbed the questionnaire out of my Chanel bag and handed it to Rochelle on my way out.

  “Thanks, Hope. I think you’ll be very happy with the spread.” Rochelle chuckled. “And maybe get a date out of it. You looked gorgeous out there.”

  With the luck I’d had with men lately, I wasn’t holding my breath. As I’d told my mom, I was doing this for publicity. I didn’t expect my phone to ring off the hook with eligible bachelors.

  I arrived at Hollywood Healthcare for Women with a minute to spare. Heather was back in the break room finishing up a salad and drinking a diet Coke.

  “Hey, Ms. Fashion Model. What happened to all your makeup and fancy clothes?”

  “I couldn’t stand the pancake makeup, and the fancy clothes were a bit itchy for me.” I scooped up a tomato Heather had shoved to the side of her plate and popped it into my mouth. “Sorry, I didn’t have lunch. I’m strung out on cappuccinos.”

  “See? You’re already eating – or not eating – like an anorexic fashion model. Did you have a smoke while you were at it?”

  I gave Heather a sarcastic eye roll and opened the fridge to scrounge up something to eat.

  “You know I’d be the last person to forgo food in the name of beauty.” I found a muffin that looked edible and grabbed that along with a bottle of water. When I closed the fridge, Brad stood in front of me. Startled, I jumped back.

  “Oh, hey. You scared me.” I stared at him. He was dressed impeccably as usual in dark trousers and a pin-striped, button-down shirt. He looked as handsome as ever.

  “How’d your photo shoot go?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Good, I guess. It was freezing this morning.”

  “Yep.” He looked at the muf
fin and water I was holding. “Lunch?”

  “Yep.” I answered back. Things were a little awkward between us, and I suspected Olivia had something to do with that.

  “So, you ready to go?”

  “Yeah. Did I miss anything?”

  “We have Kasey ready to go for her scheduled C-section tomorrow. She just left.”

  Kasey’s twins were scheduled to be delivered and I had asked Brad to assist me.

  “I’m taking the afternoon off. Mr. V has some houses to show me. I’m ready to get out of the tiny condo I’ve been renting.”

  “Okay. See ya in the morning.”

  Heather seemed to be really interested in her salad, but I knew she was absorbing every word of our conversation.

  “Heather? Lunch time is over. Let’s get going.”

  Janessa was waiting for me in exam room one. I grabbed her chart off the door and walked in. She was alone.

  “How’s it going, Janessa?”

  “Great. The bleeding finally stopped. I still have a bit of nausea and I’m tired, but other than that, I’m good.” She fiddled with her pink gown. “Can I go to work yet? They’ve had to rearrange the shooting schedule because of my absence.”

  “First things first. Let me take a look at you.”

  I carefully examined her. “You’re right. The bleeding has stopped, the cervix is nice and closed, and the baby’s heartbeat sounds good.” I looked over her latest scans. “The ultrasound pics look good too.” I patted Janessa on the arm.

  “So I can go back to work?”

  “I don’t see why not. You’re right at twelve weeks.” I sat on the stool and looked her directly in the eyes. “I suppose this means you’re keeping the baby?”

  “Of course!” Janessa looked at me like I was crazy. “Apollo wants to get married as soon as possible.”

  I guess all the hysterics and drama that I’d seen a few weeks ago were forgotten. I was happy for them and knew they would make great parents.

  “Well then, good luck! Just don’t overdo it.” I collected her chart and stood up. “I’ll see you in a few weeks for your four-month check-up. We may be able to find out the sex if you want.”

  Janessa nodded excitedly. “Okay, see ya then.” She gave me a hug. “Thanks, Dr. Love.”

  After a full afternoon of seeing patients, I was ready for a quick nap before heading to the hospital. Tonight was my night to be on-call, and then at seven a.m. Brad and I would deliver Kasey’s in-vitro twins.

  Chapter 27

  While Kasey got prepped by the anesthesiologist, Brad and I scrubbed up for the surgery.

  “Big day,” Brad said while he grabbed the brush and began to vigorously scrub his hands and arms.

  “Yep. This is the best part of the job. Look how happy they are.” I pointed toward the operating room window, where we could see Kasey getting her spinal epidural and Sherry sitting by her side, stroking her hair and whispering reassurances.

  “I agree. This makes it all worth it.” Brad smiled at me. Gosh, he was gorgeous. “Ready?” he asked.

  “Yes.” He held the door open for me and we walked into the bright operating room.

  Twenty minutes later I was slicing open the uterus and pulling out the first baby.

  “It’s a boy.” I handed the baby over to the nurse so she could clean him up before giving him to Mom.

  Kasey had let me in on a little secret at her last appointment so I wouldn’t be “shocked,” as she put it, when I delivered the baby. Sherry was Afro-American and Kasey was Caucasian. They hadn’t been able to decide on the ethnicity of their donor, so they’d compromised and used two – one Caucasian and one Afro-American. Put it in God’s hands, is what Sherry said. They’d already had one surprise at Kasey’s five-month ultrasound, when they’d found out they were having both a boy and a girl. Now, the big question was, “what color will they be?”

  Sherry started laughing when she peeked over the curtain as I pulled out the first baby. “Looks like I won that one.”

  The little boy was a beautiful mocha color and he had a head full of black, kinky hair. Kasey giggled despite being strapped to the table.

  “Here comes the sister,” I said as I pulled out the second baby.

  I looked at Brad in surprise as the baby come out. He looked as stunned as I felt. Sherry looked over the curtain and gasped. The whole room went silent.

  “It’s a girl.” I finally found my voice. This baby had milky white skin, tufts of blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. Just like Kasey.

  Sherry started laughing.

  “What? What’s wrong?” Kasey said with worry in her voice.

  “Nothing, honey. Looks like it’s a tie.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Baby girl looks just like mommy. She’s white.”

  “Don’t kid around with me.”

  Sherry got up and went over to the crib where the nurses were weighing and cleaning up the babies. She took a couple of pictures and showed them to Kasey.

  “Oh my goodness. How beautiful.”

  “Wait till your momma sees this,” Sherry said. “We got some explaining to do.”

  After a few minutes, the nurse brought both babies over to Sherry and Kasey. I let Brad have the honor of cleanup and stitching while I walked over and visited with the happy couple.

  “Miracles do happen,” I said, and looked up at Brad.

  “Yes they do,” Sherry agreed.

  After a long night at the hospital and then Kasey’s two-hour C-section, I was exhausted. I couldn’t wait to get to my own bed and take a long cat nap before seeing patients in the afternoon. Grabbing a bottle of water, I sat down on the couch in the doctor’s lounge and contemplated taking a shower at the hospital before heading home. That way I could go straight to bed. Brad walked into the lounge, interrupting my thoughts.

  “Hey, you’re still here.” He walked over to the fridge and helped himself to a juice. “I just checked on Kasey. She’s doing well. Babies are healthy. You should’ve have seen her family. They were going nuts over the babies.”

  Brad was smiling ear to ear. He obviously loved his job and genuinely cared for his patients. I had to admit my father was right. Brad was a perfect match for our practice.

  “Those babies were the cutest I’ve ever seen. I suspect they’ll be on TV once the news stations get the story.” I got up from the couch and started for the line of lockers that the hospital medical staff used. Digging through my overnight bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt. When I turned around, Brad was standing right in front of me. He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “This morning was amazing,” he whispered.

  I don’t know what happened next. Blame it on lack of sleep, lack of sex, or what…but I kissed him. At first it was soft and sweet and delicious. Then Brad pushed himself against me, shoved his hands into my hair, and returned my kiss with more urgency. It was hot, it was passionate, it was…

  “Stop!” I pulled myself away from him. My head spun and my heart pounded.

  “Hope.” Brad’s face was flushed. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know…”

  “It’s okay.” I scooped up my clothes and rushed into the ladies restroom. After catching my breath, I stripped off my scrubs and stepped into the shower, standing under cold water. I couldn’t wrap my head around what just happened. On the one hand, it was great. Brad was an excellent kisser. On the other, I was mad at myself for letting it happen. Brad was my business partner, not my boyfriend.

  I shampooed my hair and scrubbed my body until it was raw. Trying to wash away the memory of the most passionate kiss I’d ever had.

  Chapter 28

  With the Heart Ball just three weeks away, I knew I had to get busy. I still needed to buy a dress and get a date. Venus had finally called and we’d worked things out. She thanked me for telling her about Mr. Vanderbilt. Apparently she’d confronted him, and although he denied having an affair, he’d moved out of the house. S
he’d already called our mutual friend and fierce divorce attorney, Ava Spivey, and started proceedings.

  We decided to go to lunch today and afterwards, go shopping for the Heart Ball. I waited in the kitchen for her to arrive. Frederick was cooking up something delicious, as usual, and the house was spotless. I really didn’t know how I’d lived without him for so long. Frederick had even organized my closet by color and designer. He was the perfect house husband, sans the sex.

  I looked at Frederick standing at the stove doing his thing. He looked kind of cute with his apron decorated with hot peppers.

  “I’m waiting on Venus to pick me up. We’re going to buy our dresses for the Heart Ball,” I said, eyeing the dish he was baking. “What is that?”

  “Baked eggplant parmigiana. Will you be home for dinner or shall I put it in the fridge for you?”

  “I should be home.”

  “It’s okay if I leave early today?” Frederick asked me.

  “Sure. Hot date?”

  Frederick smiled at me. “Something like that.”

  A horn beeped outside. “That’s Venus. Have fun tonight. I’ll see you later.”

  Grabbing my favorite Coach bag, I headed out the door. Venus was waiting in her limo. She was fortunate enough to have a personal driver and lived a life of luxury. The driver held the door open for me as I slid in the back next to Venus.

  “You look nice.” I admired her Alice and Olivia mini dress and Ferragamo pumps.

  “You, too. I don’t think I’ve seen that dress on you yet.”

  I looked down at my dark blue Escada dress. “Yeah, I forgot I had it. Frederick cleaned out my closet and then organized my clothes by designer, color, and season.”

  “Really? That guy is too good to be true.”

  “I know. Right? I found about twelve outfits I had bought and forgotten about. It was like Christmas, all those new outfits with price tags still on them.”

  “I have a special surprise for you.” Venus smiled and handed me a glass of white wine.