The Best of Forevers

by Hargrove, A. M.

  “Twenty-three,” she moaned.

  “How long have you been using?”

  “Since I was twenty. I never thought I’d get addicted.”

  “No one ever does. They always think they can stop whenever they want. That’s how heroin is.”

  “My boyfriend says he’ll kill me if I leave. I think I’m going to be sick.” Fear punched Gabby in the face. She understood how this girl felt and knew what it was like to be scared to death of someone.

  Gabby showed her where the bathroom was and could hear her gagging. She was curious if she even had anything in her stomach to throw up.

  Juliana came out and her skin was waxy looking. “I’m so weak.”

  “It’s the withdrawal and they’ll help with that at the clinic. Case will be here soon.”

  “Oh, God, I feel so awful.”

  Gabby walked to the window to look outside and that’s when she saw him. Danny was standing across the street, looking at her office building.

  Shit! What if he comes in here? What will I do?

  She prayed that Case would get here soon.

  “Gabby, my stomach really hurts. How long will this go on?”

  “As soon as you get to the clinic, they’ll give you something for it. I’m going to call them now and let them know you’ll be coming in. What’s your last name and when was the last time you used?”

  “My last name is Gibson and I used yesterday afternoon.”

  Gabby got on the phone and called the clinic to let them know Case would be bringing her in.

  Case finally arrived.

  “The clinic knows she’s coming in with you. Here are some bags just in case she gets sick on the way. I don’t think there’s anything in her stomach, but you never know,” Gabby said.

  “Hey thanks. You know how important this is to me.” He squeezed her hand.

  “It’s important to me too, you know.” She walked them to the door and when they left, she checked outside and didn’t see Danny anywhere, but she did see Sam. That provided her with the comfort she needed. She couldn’t shake the thought of Danny being outside of her office, though.

  For as crazy as her morning began, it turned out to be quite a good one. When her twelve o’clock appointment left, it was after one, and she had about twenty minutes until her next patient was due. She looked through her kitchen in search of something to nibble but only found saltines. That would have to do—she was not going to spend fifteen dollars she didn’t have on a pricey lunch. She heard her door buzz and was disappointed that her next patient was early.

  When she went out to greet him, she was surprised to see Sam instead.

  “Hello, Dr. M. I’ve brought you lunch.”

  “Hi, Sam. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know, but Mr. Hart asked me to. He said he doubted you had time to eat breakfast this morning and so, lunch.” He held up a white paper bag and a drink.

  Gabby’s stomach gurgled loudly in appreciation. “Ooh, sorry. I guess someone’s happy to see you.”

  Laughing, Sam replied, “I’m glad to make your stomach happy, then, Dr. M. Here.”

  She took the bag and drink from him, not knowing what else to do. “Um, Sam?”

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  “Are you still watching me?”

  Sam shuffled his feet a bit.

  “It’s okay if you are.”

  “Then, yes, ma’am, I am.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad you are.”

  Sam grinned as he walked out of the office. Gabby was glad he was on Team Gabby and not Team Danny. Sam was a large man. No—large was too small a word for him. Sam was gargantuan. He had to be at least six four but he was every bit as broad. One of his hands could easily encompass her neck, and she was quite positive he could snap it like a toothpick. That’s the kind of girth he carried. He wasn’t fat. Simply put, he was a giant.

  Gabby carried her lunch to the tiny kitchen and sat down to eat. The paper sack contained a chicken salad sandwich on multigrain bread, a container of orzo salad, and a chocolate chip cookie. At the very bottom was a bright red apple. This was more food than she ate at any meal. In fact, this was an entire day’s worth of food. It was a good thing the sandwich was cut in half, because she would save the other half for dinner. That and half the cookie and orzo salad. She wouldn’t have room for the apple so she could eat that for breakfast the next morning.

  Twenty minutes later, her afternoon patient rolled in and she was off to a busy rest of the day. She felt so much more alert, though, after that delicious lunch. By day’s end, she was ready to get home and change. She had to be at the hospital for her moonlighting shift at the clinic, though she had a little free time for herself before then.

  As she gathered her things, she grabbed the leftover lunch on her way out. En route to the subway, the skies opened up.

  “Dr. M.! Over here.”

  It was Sam calling to her from the curb. He sat in the car.

  “Come, I’ll take you home.”

  She hated to take advantage of him, but it was pouring and she’d be a drowned critter by the time she made it to her place. She nodded and darted to the car.

  “I’m so sorry, Sam. I’m making a mess in your car.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing, Dr. M. I’ll get it all taken care of after I drop you off. Mr. H. would be upset if he knew you were out in the rain as it is.”

  “Why would that bother him so much?”

  Sam didn’t answer and his eyes were plastered on the road straight ahead. After a couple of uncomfortably silent minutes, Sam eventually said, “Dr. M., I’m not really at liberty to discuss Mr. H. with you. I’m sorry, ma’am.”

  “That’s fine. I understand. But may I ask why he has you watching out for me?”

  “I don’t have the answer to that, ma’am.”

  “How much does he know about me?”

  “He knows that you work a lot of hours volunteering, besides your regular job.”

  “Hmm.” Gabby was curious as to how he knew that. Kolson was a mystery to her, but clearly he knew more about her than she knew about him.

  “I can tell you this, though, Dr. M. He’s looking out for your safety so you don’t need to fear him.”

  That’s what Sam thought. After this morning, Gabby had tons to fear where Kolson was concerned. He did things to her … made her feel things she’d never felt before and she was definitely not ready for any of that.

  * * *

  Danny seethed as he stood under an awning in the pouring rain and watched Gabby get into the waiting car. HTS. Hart Transportation Services. He recognized that company. So that’s who Gabby’s new little boyfriend was. It didn’t matter. Nothing was going to get in the way of his plans. He was going to have Gabby one way or another, even if it meant waiting patiently.

  He would strike when the time was right, when their guard was down. And it would all be worth it in the end. He smiled to himself and imagined how Gabby would feel as he shoved his dick inside of her again. His cock instantly stiffened at the thought. There was one thing that he loved, and that was hearing Gabby begging for him to stop. His breath came faster as he thought about the fear he would see in her eyes. It wouldn’t be long now, and he would be hearing those sweet words coming out of her mouth.

  Chapter 8

  When Gabby walked in the door, she kicked off her squishy shoes. She hoped they weren’t ruined. They’d taken a good drenching and a new pair was simply not in her budget right now. Her clothing stuck to her like glue and made her skin clammy. What she needed was a hot shower.

  The warm water felt divine as her body returned to its normal temperature. The shower relaxed her tension, but then her thoughts soon took her back to Kolson’s sensual kiss. It fired her up, making her hyperaware of the fact that she really couldn’t remember the last time she’d had an orgasm. She would have to remedy that by taking matters into her own hands, and soon.

  She opened the shower door and the cubbyhole bathroom
boiled with steam. Bumping against the door, she flung it open and went to get dressed. A thrill passed through her as she thought about working at the clinic. She adored the nurses there and while other people mentioned that it seemed depressing, she didn’t look at it like that. Gabby thought of it as a way to give back to the community and help others in need. The patients there were resistant to her help for the most part. Most were forced to see her. But if she could get through to one or two, then she walked on cloud nine for a week after.

  After a quick dinner of the remains of her earlier lunch, she grabbed her purse and coat and headed out. It was dark, but she took the subway anyway. The cost of a cab made it unaffordable for her. Constantly scanning for any sign of Danny, she was happy when she exited the train station.

  The security guard scanned her badge and she passed through the metal detector when she entered the hospital. This was a huge medical center in New York City, so they didn’t take chances.

  She found the clinic standing room only. Roberta, the head nurse on duty, said, “Hey, Doc, I hope you wore your comfy shoes tonight ’cause it’s gonna be a rough one, I’m afraid. We got ’em coming in from everywhere.”

  “We’ll get it done. Just like we always do, Roberta.”

  Gabby hoped they would find a way for a better intervention. She knew that many of these patients needed help before they started on drugs. And there wasn’t a way to make that happen. You could preach until there were no more words left. Even when she counseled teens whose friends had died of unintentional overdoses, they still went out and did recreational drugs. And most drug use started in the teen years. Most, but not all.

  Some of the patients she would see tonight would’ve started using because they’d been in an accident and couldn’t get off the pain medication. Whatever the initial problem was, Gabby’s focus was to get those patients clean and into therapy. There was usually one big underlying issue that kept them involved with the drugs: escapism. She was surprised she hadn’t gone down that path herself.

  By midnight, Gabby’s replacement had taken over and she was finalizing her paperwork.

  “Dr. Martinelli, are you about finished?”

  Gabby looked up at Roberta. “Yes.” She sighed.

  “Told ya it was gonna be a bad one.”

  “You know, I think I persuaded one patient to go to NA. So it was a success for me.”

  Roberta smiled. “That’s what drives you, isn’t it?”

  “Yep. Gotta get ’em cleaned up before anything else. It’s the same with sexual abuse and domestic violence victims.”

  “Anyone ever tell you how much we appreciate you around here? You come because you want to, not because you have to. That’s a huge difference.”

  “Thanks, Roberta, but I come because I want these people to get better. That’s it. I can’t imagine living my life dependent on any kind of substance, day after day.”

  “Sad, isn’t it?”

  “And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. What about those poor patients with schizoid personality disorder? People are so frightened of them because they don’t understand them. Mental illness is a terrible disease but there’s just not enough help for sufferers.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Right, Roberta, I’m preaching to the choir here, aren’t I?” Gabby laughed.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  “Hang on a minute. I need to check on a patient.” Gabby made a quick call to see how Juliana was and discovered she was doing as well as could be expected for the first day in rehab.

  The two women headed out together and rode the subway, but Gabby was unaware that she was being watched. And she didn’t know that Danny followed her all the way home. He grinned as the doorman opened the door for her. He took note of the address, the number of security measures, and how many men were in the lobby once she’d entered the elevator. Danny was no slouch. He walked around the block several times until he satisfied himself that this place could be a possible entry for him. He could rest easy now that Gabby was back within his reach. Soon she would be his.

  * * *

  Gabby was back at work the next day, but she felt achy. She missed her morning run, all because of Kolson. He’d made her feel unsafe. She analyzed the situation and felt silly about it now. She’d been in Manhattan for a while and never felt uncomfortable about her early morning runs. That was the only time she had to get her stress-relieving exercise in. Why did he make her feel guilty about it?

  She needed the exercise and couldn’t afford to join a gym. Her hours after work were usually taken up with volunteering at NA, the hospital, or the women’s shelter, so the mornings were her only option. She’d get a big can of pepper spray and be done with it.

  Her phone rang and she was secretly happy to hear Kolson’s voice.

  “Are you free for dinner tonight? I promise not to be annoying.”

  She could sense the smile behind his words. “I’m afraid I’m not. I’m volunteering at NA tonight,” she said.

  “Hmm. What about tomorrow?”

  She smiled. “Tomorrow would be nice. Does that promise extend until then?”

  He laughed at her question. “Yes, it does. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  She shivered when she hung up the phone, thinking about the way he’d kissed her.

  That night at NA when she saw Case, she decided to ask his opinion about the running thing.

  “Do you think it’s unsafe for a single woman to run alone in the early mornings?”

  “Of course it’s unsafe. Don’t you dare do it.”

  “But Case, it’s the only time I have.”

  “Then you need to carve out time somewhere else.” He stared intently at her. “Gabs, you’re playing with fire. Honest to God, I’m not fooling.”

  “Ok, ok. I won’t. Got it.” She groaned.

  “I’m only being protective. Besides, I used to be ...”

  “A cop. I know. And I appreciate you looking out for me.”

  “You sound more annoyed.”

  Gabby looked contrite. “I’m sorry, Case. I’m just being snarky and I shouldn’t be. You’re only looking out for me. I’m just frustrated that I can’t run and it’s the only time I have. I’m sorry I’m such an ass.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He hugged her and rubbed her head with his knuckle until she laughed.

  “Hey, can I ask a favor of you?”

  “Anything.”

  “Um, can you look someone up for me?”

  “You mean run a background check?”

  “Sort of.” She didn’t like asking him to do this but she needed to know more about Kolson. “I want information on someone.”

  “How much and what kind? Basic background stuff or more in-depth? You know I can pretty much get you anything you need.”

  She blew out a long breath. “Okay, here’s the deal. I met this guy a couple of weeks ago.”

  Case perked up and asked, “Did he mess with you?”

  “No. Nothing like that. Actually, he did the opposite. Helped me out.” Gabby smiled when she saw Case’s stance ease. “Hey, don’t get all big bro on me.” They laughed.

  “Okay, so what do you need?”

  “He’s kind of a … well, I’m not exactly sure. He’s wealthy and I’m sure he’s prominent, but there’s something mysterious about him. I just want to know more and I don’t think he’s the type to share.”

  “Have you asked him?”

  “No, and I don’t want to.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  Case rubbed his forehead. “I don’t really like the sound of this.”

  “Yeah, I figured you’d say that. But I know what I’m doing.”

  “Okay. You want financial records? Work history? Education? That sort of thing?”

  “Yeah, and family stuff too.”

  “You got it. But Gabby, I need one more thing. His name.”

  She laughed. “Y
eah, I guess that would help. Kolson Hart.”

  Case whistled. “The Kolson Hart?”

  “Um, I guess so.”

  Case shook his head. “You really do need to get out more. Kolson Hart is considered the most eligible bachelor in all of New York but he’s also the most elusive. He stays completely out of the limelight and refuses to be photographed. He’ll even hire a decoy if he has to make a public appearance. He’s the hard-driving business dealer who walked away from his father’s multi-million dollar business to start up his own. His company is called Hart Transportation Service and has contracts for the world’s top entertainers, millionaires, royalty, —you name it.”

  “I do need to get out more. Or run in the opposite direction.” Gabby smiled. “So, you think you can do this? I can’t pay you much.”

  Case flashed her a look that said it all. “Like I would charge you.”

  “But …”

  “But nothing. You do so much for me and my NA group. There won’t be any charging. And if you insist, I won’t do it.”

  Gabby held up her hands. “You got me. How long will it take?”

  “I should have something for you in a week.”

  * * *

  The following night at seven o’clock, Kolson Hart took Gabby to Le Chatelaine, one of the finest restaurants in Manhattan. It was said that reservations were impossible to get, but they must not have been for Kolson. The menu was in French, so Gabby had no idea what anything was, and Kolson, being the gentleman he was, took care of ordering for her, though only after checking with her over his choices. Gabby was glad—she’d worried she would make a fool out of herself.

  “So tell me, Gabriella, what do you like to do?” His mouth turned up as he grinned.

  “I love to volunteer at the women’s shelter and I also help out at Narcotic’s Anonymous. I moonlight at the substance abuse clinic at Bellevue too. I did my residency there so it was hard for me to move on.”

  “You’re a very busy lady. Why all the volunteering?”