by Roxy Wilson
The shock of his statement hit her like a slap. The man was obnoxious.
As she bristled, ready to give him a scathing response, Asher jumped out of his seat. “You’re the biggest moron that I’ve ever had the misfortunate to meet, man. Get the hell out!”
“You can’t kick me out.”
“Oh, yeah? Watch me do it” Asher strode forward and stood in front of Bryan. “I’ll throw you out if I have to do it myself.”
“Asher, leave him,” Layla interjected. She didn’t want a fight because of her. That would surely give the gossip columnists something to write about. She was lucky that so far, no one had mentioned her loss of hair, but this would certainly make matters worse. “Bryan, just go.”
With a loud snort, he gazed into Asher’s furious face, turned on his heels, and left.
Layla breathed a sigh of relief.
“The guy is nuts,” Asher seethed. “Don’t know why you put up with him.”
Bryan was always a little over the edge but ever since she rejected his advances, he’d become even more so. Now, he was downright insulting. Maybe it was time to change her manager. Of course, it wasn’t an easy choice. It would mean starting all over again with someone new, but if this kind of a behavior continued, she wouldn’t have a choice.
Just one problem to add to my mountain of chaos!
Layla flopped back into her chair. “Let’s just finish the work and go home.”
Like a true professional, she didn’t let her personal problems affect her work. Instead, Layla completed her shift and then bid goodbye to Asher.
“Are you coming to my place tonight?”
She nibbled at her bottom lip. Layla didn’t have a clue about how her mother was doing. Even though the woman made her crazy, she needed to see if she was doing okay. “I don’t know…I will let you know. Thanks for everything, Asher.” She gave him a warm hug before striding off.
When she got out of the studio, her phone rang. She fished it out of her purse. It was Gage. She hadn’t heard from him in a few days, but she assumed that he would take more time to decide on the future of their relationship. Perhaps he was already regretting his unkind words and wanted to apologize. “Hi,” she said as she put the phone to her ear. Layla hoped to hear some good news. “How are you doing?”
“Layla, I’ve thought about our engagement and came to the conclusion that we’re not the right fit for each other.”
What the hell is he talking about? They were together for two years. How come he never thought about it before? “What?”
“It’s just that…you don’t get along with my parents, and that can’t be good for our children, when we have them. And with your recent health problems…it’s too much.”
She was the one dealing with issues and yet, he was the one who complained of having too much on his plate. Damn him to hell! Layla fought the urge to bang the phone on the street. Good riddance! No way was she pleading with this guy. He didn’t deserve to be in her life. “That’s a good decision, Gage. I’m glad you thought about it. Goodbye.”
“Yeah—”
Layla cut the call and dropped the phone into her purse. A man who couldn’t be there for her when she needed him wasn’t worth her time. If he couldn’t deal with issues that his parents had with her in all this while, she doubted that he would be able to resolve them after they were married. What the hell had she been thinking about when she agreed to marry him? She must have been crazy to consider tying herself to this man for life. Even though she should’ve felt grief at the prospect of bidding goodbye to an old relationship that mattered so much to her not too long ago, now she only felt a sense of relief.
It’s a good thing that he was out of her life. She didn’t need him; she would deal with all her problems on her own, and she would be pretty damn good at it. More than devastation, she felt angered at the way he treated her. She hailed a crab. When she settled in it, her cellphone rang again.
If it were Gage, she wouldn’t pick up. Instead, it was her mother. Uttering a long sigh, she picked up the phone. “Hi, mom. How are you doing?”
“Where the hell have you been? I’m dying from a massive headache. Had the most terrible nightmare…when are you coming home?”
Layla intended to go straight home to check on her mother, but hearing the petulant tone in her voice, she knew going in now would be a big mistake. Mary was seriously hung over. Her mother clearly didn’t remember seeing her. It would better not to remind her about her haircut and her resemblance to her father until Mary was more in control. “I’m going to the hospital right now. Why don’t you eat something? If you want I can order it for you.”
“I just need some meds for this headache,” groaned Mary. “I can’t find any in your bathroom.”
“They’re in the kitchen cabinet, the one that’s on the right hand side. I’ll come in as soon as I can.” After she hung up, Layla rubbed her forehead. “Excuse me, could you to take me to General Hospital, instead?” she told the cab driver.
Within a few minutes, she stood outside the hospital. Although her test results were not in yet, this seemed like a good time to take up the volunteering project that she talked to Clint about. Thinking about him sent a thrill of delight through her. The man was pure pleasure. Perhaps it was odd for her to think about him just moments after she broke up with Gage, but the truth was that she never felt the instant connection with Gage that she now felt with Clint.
Still, she didn’t plan to seek him out.
It might be a good idea to take some time to heal before getting into another relationship. It amazed her to realize that Clint didn’t seem to care too much about her hair loss. He didn’t just see her as a beautiful doll he could parade in front of people he knew, but rather as a person who was more than just a pretty face. After years of being treated like a trophy, it was nice to be thought of as a normal person.
When she registered at the reception as a volunteer, Layla felt a faint burst of joy in her heart. At last, she was now thinking beyond her own problems and concentrating on someone else.
“Which department would you like to volunteer in, ma’am?”
She thought about Charlotte, and yes course, she did want to see Clint again, but more than that, she wanted to be with kids who were so much stronger and more resilient than she was. “In the pediatric oncology department,” she said.
She was given a badge and made to sign some forms. “You may go and show this to the nurse in charge. They’ll assign you the days when you can come in and spend some time with the patients.”
“Thank you.” While she climbed the stairs, Layla wondered if Clint was on duty this time of the night. He probably had clinic hours as well and was busy with outpatients. When she reached the ward, Layla showed her card.
“It’s nice to have fresh volunteers. Some of these children have been here for a long time, and it’s wonderful if someone reads to them or plays with them. Which days are convenient for you, ma’am?” the nurse asked.
She chalked out a schedule. Once she was done, Layla didn’t quite know what to do. She wasn’t due to start until the next day, but she wanted to spend some time here. “Would it be okay if I met some of the kids?”
“Oh sure, ma’am. Please go ahead. You can’t touch any of the equipment or medicines, but we do have an excellent collection of books here, and if you want, you can read to one of them.”
Layla made her way inside the ward. The sight of pale, ill children brought tears to her eyes. What had she gotten herself into? Was she up to the task? Suddenly, she wasn’t sure. What would she tell them? How would she introduce herself? As she stood rooted to the spot, pondering over her decision, her gaze was drawn to the girl on one of beds.
Charlotte?
She’d thought that the child was an outpatient. What was she doing here? Forgetting about her earlier doubts, she strode over to meet the girl. “Hi, sweetheart. How are you doing?”
The girl blinked her eyes. She looked pale and restless
. “Layla? What are you doing here? Did you get sick?”
She resisted the desire to bite nervously at her bottom lip. “No, dear. I came here to visit you and the rest of the children. When did you come here?”
“Last night,” she replied. “I wasn’t feeling well, so the doctor decided that I should stay here for a few days. When I’m better, I can go home. Is your hair all better now?”
Seeing that Charlotte’s mass of golden hair was half depleted, Layla didn’t hesitate to take off her wig. “No, it’s coming off a lot. I had to cut it.”
“Did it help?”
She sighed. “Not really, but I’m sure it will get better if I eat right, and when the doctors give me medicines, I can start taking those as well.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever get better.” Tears pooled in Charlotte’s eyes, and her lips trembled.
“You will,” Layla assured her. She wanted to pick up the child and take her back to her home, but this was the best place for her to get treatment. “Do you want to play something with me?”
Charlotte’s eyes brightened at the prospect. “Shall we pretend to be princesses? And when someone doesn’t do what we want, we can tell them to write lines for the fairytale we are in.”
“That sounds like a fun game.” Picking up the extra blanket that lay on the child’s bed, she tied it around her shoulders. “This shall be my dress, and I’m Princess Layla.”
Charlotte giggled. She took off her blanket and draped it around shoulders. “I’m Princess Charlotte, and I can do magic.”
Layla grinned, pleased that she was at least able to cheer up Charlotte a little. “Oh, can you? Show me.”
It was sheer delight to play with the child. Charlotte had an active imagination and she could form a story and build around it. Forgetting her own woes, she concentrated on bringing a smile to the child’s face. After about forty minutes, she sensed that Charlotte needed to rest. “Hey, sweetheart. Why don’t we stop now, and I can come back tomorrow to play with you?”
Rather than protest, Charlotte lay down for a nap. She didn’t seem to have much strength to continue. Bending a little, she dropped a kiss on the girl’s forehead and strode out. It was enough for today. Playing with Charlotte gave her more peace than anything else she’d done in ages. Her life was plagued by issues, but when she came here, she could forget everything else and help others who needed her.
As she said bye to the nurse, Layla heard Clint’s voice from behind a screen.
He was talking to someone else. “I’m very concerned about the progress of some of my patients. Have you seen any signs of mold in any of the wards or treatment rooms?”
“No, doctor. I’m sure you’re reading too much. It’s normal…for us to lose patients.”
“Not as many as these, Sarah, and not the ones I thought would pull through. I would like you to keep your eyes open for any sort of thing that might affect these patients. Perhaps some hygiene issues…I don’t know. I’m grasping at straws here.”
“I understand, doctor. We will all keep your concerns in mind.”
She shouldn’t have overheard the conversation, but now that she had, Layla didn’t want to hide the fact that she knew something that was meant to be kept among hospital staff. She strode out to greet him. “Hey, Clint.”
She’d assumed that he would be perturbed that she heard the conversation, but instead, he grinned. “Layla.” He bent to kiss her cheek. “What are you doing here?”
“Volunteering,” she said. They made their way out of the ward. “I saw Charlotte today. Wasn’t expecting to see her, though.”
“Yes, she hasn’t been doing too well and I just wanted to keep her for a few days.” He rubbed his jaw as he surveyed her. “I’m impressed with you though. It’s not often that people who think about joining the volunteer program, actually do it. They talk about it, they debate it, and then they decide that they either don’t have the time to keep it up or have other things that they need to finish. But you’re here, and that’s great.”
“I’m serving my own interest too. It’s nice to come here and see the kids.” Layla glanced down, only to realize she was still holding the wig in her hand. Clint didn’t seem to care. The way he viewed her was the same as when he saw her the first time or on the occasion after that. He didn’t seem to care about her hair loss. It felt intoxicating to know that she could be viewed as a person, even with an almost bald head. “You seem more worried than when I saw you before.”
He stopped in the middle of the corridor. “Guess you overheard that, huh? It’s just—I have this feeling that I’m missing something important with some of my patients. Their treatment is right on track. They’re being monitored, and the progress is good, and then suddenly…something happens and derails everything.”
It couldn’t be easy for him to live with tragedy on a regular basis. “Isn’t that the way cancer operates?”
“No, actually it doesn’t. Usually, I can tell the way it’s going to roll, but these days, I’m stumped.” He sighed and resumed walking. “I’ll get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, I think we should stop meeting at the hospital. Would you like to have some dessert with me?”
Astounded at his direct question, she stared at him. Here she was, literally a bald girl with few prospects, but he didn’t seem to care about that. “Dessert?”
“Sorry. I assumed you would have had dinner since it’s late, but if you want, we could have dinner first. I’ve been thinking about these Belgian waffles all day. This guy sells them from a cart, and they’re so good.” He smirked. “Simply divine.”
She laughed at his description. “Actually, I grabbed a quick sandwich before coming here, but I don’t mind tasting these divine waffles.”
“Let me just log out, and we’ll be on our way.”
“In the meantime, I’ll use the washroom.” She spared a rueful glance at her wig and hurried away.
On a date? With Clint? Layla couldn’t believe it. Hours ago, she didn’t have anything good happening in her life, and now suddenly, this guy made her feel as if she was someone worth spending time with, that she was important, and she mattered. Layla swallowed the emotions that spiraled inside her. She really shouldn’t read too much into his light offer. Perhaps he was only being sympathetic. Maybe this was his way of making her feel better about the whole mess that she was in.
The waffle cart was barely a block away from the hospital. The delicious aroma that wafted in lifted her spirits. “Smells great.”
“Oh, you’ve got to taste them. I bet this guy is secretly an alien who is selling an aphrodisiac that has been secreted inside these waffles.”
She laughed at his description. “And what is he trying to achieve by doing that?”
“Maybe the aliens are running an experiment on us.”
“That sounds like a diabolical scheme. We really should be careful.”
Clint signaled to the guy to give them two. “It might be better to eat as much as we can, so that others are spared.”
She accepted the first plate.
He took his from the man and paid him. “Let’s go sit over there.” He pointed to a bench.
At this time of the night, not many people were around. Layla enjoyed the first bite when she was seated. The Nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream melted in her mouth along with the tender waffle. “Oh, my God!” She closed her eyes in rapture. “This is really divine.”
“Told you, didn’t I?”
Quietly, they sat and enjoyed the waffles. It was a beautiful night. A nice breeze blew and there weren’t many cars on the road. Overhead, the curved moon shone, bright.
“So what’s really bothering you?”
She didn’t know what to say when he asked such a blunt question. “I’m losing my hair.”
“It’s not that bad. I mean, I know that to you, it seems like the end of the world, but really, it will get better. I don’t think that’s all that’s on your mind, though.”
Such a perc
eptive man. She didn’t know him that well, but until now the people she loved and cared for were the ones who hurt her the most in some way or another. Perhaps she might find solace in the company of a person she didn’t know that well. “I was dumped by my fiancé today. His excuse: his parents didn’t like me because I’m a model, and of course, now that I’m bald, I probably lost all my appeal.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but frankly, I’m happy about this.”
“Happy?”
“Sure. When you told me that you were engaged, my heart was broken, but now I’m feeling a little more hopeful about my chances.”
She glanced at him. Was he flirting with her? Damn right he was. Amazed, as she was that he could still find her attractive after he’d seen the way she really looked, Layla was also a little scared. Is this a joke? Maybe she could meet this light tone. “If I got involved with you, it would probably be a rebound thing, you know that, right?”
“Ah! I don’t think so.” He shook his head. “I’m too awesome. Once you fall in love with me, you wouldn’t want to let me go.”
The laughter that sputtered out of her was genuine. The man was insane. “Love? We haven’t even dated yet.”
“And whose fault is that?” he demanded. “I’ve been asking you out for ages and you’ve been blowing me off. So how about dinner?”
“I must be crazy.” She closed her eyes as if she wanted some holy intervention. “Okay, sure.”
“Great.” He pumped his hand in victory. “When and where?”
She didn’t know what to say. Layla finished her waffle. Striding over to the bin, she threw in the paper plate. “How about we fix the time and date when we meet next?” It would give her time to ponder over this some more. “I should go now.”
“I’ll drop you. Same place as yesterday?”
“Actually no. That was my friend’s house, as I told you. I’m going home tonight.”
“And this friend of yours…he’s not your fiancé, right?”
