“Swell,” he muttered under his breath. “They can add sexual misconduct to the list of my offenses.”
Who were “they” and what sexual misconduct?
“I just gave you a massage,” Killian volunteered to state the obvious.
He looked at her darkly and said, “We both know that. They don’t. All anyone will see is a young woman coming to my office late at night who also happens to be a registered nurse at the hospital I manage. You admit you don’t really have a license to practice massage but do it anyway because the elderly patients at the hospital love it. Do I look elderly to you, Miss Church?”
“No, of course not,” Killian admitted.
“My point exactly. To the rest of the Board of Directors who want me out of my position, this is sexual misconduct even if we both deny it vehemently,” Max retorted. “I should just fire Miss Mary. This is all her fault anyway.”
Two things that became clear to Killian. The “they” he was referring to were members of the Hospital Board…and… the old secretary, Miss Mary, was going to lose her job.
Killian’s head shot forward. “Please don’t. I know she is old. But the only thing that keeps her going is the routine she does every day working here for you.”
Max looked at her strangely. He rolled his eyes and exhaled through the mouth before walking to the wooden drinks cabinet and pouring himself a stiff whiskey.
Unknown to him, Killian herself was struggling to hold on. Every word he said confirmed her fear that he had no idea why she was in his office. The thought of taking possession of that enchanting cottage in the woods and turning it into a Nursing Facility for old folks faded with every passing second.
He sauntered back to where she sat, brandy in hand. He took the chair opposite her and stared at her intently. Killian knew he was probably seeing her for the very first time. It was a strange sensation, almost like a disappointment, being seen for the first time, since her hands had been all over his body.
He drank from his glass before setting it down, eased himself into the chair and said, “Tell me again, why are you up here in my office? Something about a cottage in the woods, you said.”
Killian narrated to him the story of accidentally finding the cottage. Further inquiry revealed it was an asset of the hospital so she wrote a letter addressed to the Board of Directors. Killian recounted how she made a number of follow-ups only to be told the Board couldn’t approve her request because the property belonged to the Saint Family. That was the reason Killian took the chance and came up here to his office hoping she could talk him to giving her a lease.
“And that’s where all this misunderstanding began. My usual therapist Piedra couldn’t be here tonight. I asked Miss Mary to search for a replacement. I mistook you to be that replacement. You acceded thinking I was going to let you have the lease if you gave me a massage,” Max concluded.
They both sat there in silence. Both felt like they just took part in a comedy of errors but it didn’t feel much like a comedy because both had something big to lose in the process.
Max Saint was the first to break the silence. “That cottage belongs to my mom. She lived there for a while with my grandma just before she died. Mom knew my Nana loved being surrounded by nature so she had it built for her in the woods. The hospital was close by so it was the perfect arrangement.”
“How old was your grandma when she passed away?” Killian asked.
“97-years old.”
“And your mom? Is she still…?”
“Yeah, my mom is 65 and still goes to Zumba class every single day. That woman is going to outlive me.” Max smirked.
Killian nodded her head not wanting to smile. Heaven forbid she send him the wrong signal and make him think they were conversing when in fact they were merely exchanging information.
“So…this cottage. Do you want to convert it into a Nursing facility for the elderly? Max asked.
Killian nodded, elated that he remembered.
Max walked to the window and stood looking out into the looming façade of the Maxwell Saint Sr Memorial Hospital. The hospital belonged to him and his family. All the idiots who composed the Board of Directors have been benefitting from his family for a long time. And yet these same doddering old fools had the audacity to threaten him as Chairman?
“Who the fuck do they think they are,” he murmured darkly.
But that possibility was always present because it was his own father Maxwell Senior who added the clause to the hospital charter giving the Board that same power. He needed to change that clause, but how?
He had to convince these old assholes that he was a changed man. He would suck up to them until he had them in the palm of his hand. Then he would set about changing the terms of the charter by giving only the Chief Operations Officer and the Board Treasurer power to remove the Chairman. His Uncle Tony was COO and his mom, Julia Saint was Board Treasure. His position was then guaranteed for as long as he wanted it.
The words of Uncle Tony earlier at the clubhouse echoed through his mind… “Get one of those actresses you love so much to pretend she’s a doctor …or even a goddamn nurse, and then announce to the world she is your girlfriend. That should appease those old fuckers.”
A wild idea was taking shape inside his head. The details were unclear but he would sort that out later. Topmost in his mind was, Killian Church had to be a decent nurse with a golden heart. If she cared that much for her elderly patients, he was certain her hospital record had to be full of citations and recommendations from them. Her plan of putting up a Nursing Facility that catered to the sick elderly was actually brilliant. It showed she had a compassionate nature. In fact, she had all the qualities that would appeal to the Board of Directors.
If she became his….
Maxwell Saint wheeled around to join the nurse who appeared to be lost in her own thoughts too. He splashed a friendly smile on his face and hoped he hadn’t scared her too much with his display of anger and irritation earlier.
“Miss Church, I-uhm-I was giving your request some serious thought,” he began.
He saw how her face suddenly changed from feeling desperate to being optimistic. Her body moved to the edge of her seat as she waited for him to finish his sentence.
“I am giving you what you want. You can have the cottage in the wood…”
“Oh, thank you,” she gushed in relief.
“…but I need you to do something for me…”
“Anything. I’ll do anything,” she promised.
He drew a deep breath and saw how happy she looked just thinking about that cottage. He hesitated. It dawned on him that his position as Chairman rested on whether she agreed to his terms. She may not really want it that badly after she heard what he wanted from her. But…he had to take his chances.
“I’ll give you the cottage if you pretend to be my fiancée to the members of the hospital Board.”
The smile on Killian’s face vanished as if someone moved the eraser bar in a child’s magnetic slate toy. Her face was filled with sudden loathing. It was high school all over again and Derrick Greene, the star football player of the school, was back in her life. He wooed her and pretended to be in love with her. He was the first boy who made her so happy, so desirable, that she gave up her virginity to him. On the night they did it, he asked for her panties as a souvenir. The naïve and stupid girl that she was, Killian gave it to him. She went to school the next day to find the piece of clothing with her name embroidered on it in full display inside their classroom. She was called a “pretentious ho” for even thinking that someone like Derrick Greene would actually fall in love with her. She endured the snide remarks and the cruel jokes until it eventually stopped. But Killian always carried the scar.
Maxwell Saint was in the same category as Derrick Greene. Killian instinctively knew that. She vowed that no one will ever be as cruel as Derrick Greene had been to her.
And yet, here was this man who fitted the mold so perfectly asking her to pre
tend to be his fiancée. Any relationship with someone like him -fake or real - would only end in someone being hurt, and most likely it would be her.
“You’re crazy,” she managed to say to him.
“I know,” he admitted sheepishly, “But it’s the only way I can think of to get those pesky people off my back. They would approve of the idea that you work as a nurse at the hospital. The hospital becomes something more real than just a topic that we discuss in every board meeting. If they hear about your plans of setting up a nursing facility for the elderly, they would applaud you for that and if you were my fiancée, they would be showing their approval for me as well. I only need to get on their good side so I can make the changes I need to secure my position as Chairman for as long as I want to.”
Killian understood perfectly. He would be using her to get what he wanted by giving her what she needed. On the surface, it was a win-win situation.
“You said you’d do anything just to have the cottage,” Max reminded her. “Maybe you only think you do but can’t put your money where your mouth is,” he added snarkily.
“W-what do you need me to do?” Killian asked, taking the bait, but still unsure if this wasn’t the most absurd thing she had ever heard.
“Well, we cannot just announce tomorrow that you are now my fiancée. We need to ease into it so we don’t arouse suspicion. That means people will be seeing us together more and more often. They need to assume that there is something going on between us. We wait for the right timing before we announce our engagement.”
Killian couldn’t breathe. She thought she was suffocating. The office felt hot and airless that she ran to the window for a breath of fresh air.
Max followed and stood beside her.
“H-how long can I have the cottage if I agree to pretend to be your fiancée,” Killian squeaked.
“You can have the cottage for as long as you need it…as long as you want it. That’s a promise,” Maxwell Saint replied.
Killian knew she was getting a good deal. If he succeeded in what he wanted and have it done in a few months, then they could stop pretending to be a couple. And she could have the cottage for as long as she wanted it. He made that promise.
Killian pushed all hesitations aside. “Alright. Draw up a contract transferring the lease of the cottage to my name. Sign it before I agree to be your fake fiancée.”
Max grinned and extended his hand sealing the contract between them. Yes, it felt like she made a good deal so she tried to ignore the small voice in her head that told her she just invited a whole shitload of complications into her life.
Chapter FIVE
Killian never expected that life as she knew it would make a 360-degree turn. She always knew she was an efficient and dependable nurse. She knew she was highly valued by the hospital for the kind of care that she gave to her patient. Her wall displayed citations and certificates of appreciation for all her hard work. She earned every penny she received. She loved her patients and her patients loved her back. In her own private universe, life was predictable and she was in total control of her life.
That was PRE-Maxwell Saint.
POST-Maxwell Saint was a different story.
Suddenly Killian was like a leaf floating in a swirling raging river that she had no control over. It was heady one moment and frightening the next.
When she agreed to be Max Saint’s fake fiancée, she expected that there would be changes to her lifestyle. Little variations that would not necessarily make an impact on her daily routine. She couldn’t have been more wrong. She didn’t actually feel it right away. Truth was, she didn’t have a clue what would happen.
When Killian reported to the hospital the next day, she didn’t expect to find a dozen long-stemmed pink roses in a crystal vase waiting for her at the Nurses’ Station. Instinctively she knew who sent it. It had to be Max.
The unexpected arrival of the expensive and beautiful arrangement had the other nurses all eager and excited to find out who was her secret admirer. She couldn’t stop them speculating who the flowers were from. The guesses were as varied as they were off the mark. One nurse guessed it was old Mr. Jones with the big pension in Room 207. Another said it was probably the new Muslim doctor. They always suspected he was some kind of prince back in his country. Linda, her friend, suggested it could be from Jean-Paul. Killian’s hand shook as she removed the card. It simply said, “Thank you.”
That would have been the end of it except that another expensive bouquet arrived the next morning, and the next, and the next. It came to a point that Killian was almost afraid to report for work because she knew exactly what she would find.
The playful teasing among the nurses suddenly took a turn to envy as everyone speculated who the secret rich suitor could be. It had to be someone really serious about Killian, they gossiped among themselves because nobody sent that kind of a gift as a joke.
Killian suddenly found herself the topic of speculation among her peers. It was no longer lighthearted teasing. Once jealousy entered the picture, the pressure to reveal to them who it was became almost brutal. No one believed her when she said it was nobody special.
Killian was looking forward to the end of her shift that Friday night. She and a couple of other nurses agreed to have some drinks at a nearby bar. Killian knew that she may need to dodge more of the probing questions about the secret admirer, but she was more concerned about making things right between her and the other nurses.
They were all giggling and laughing and playfully shoving one another like children let loose after a whole day cooped up inside the classroom. They noisily emerged into the lobby and headed towards the hospital doors leading to the exit. Dusk hadn’t yet fallen and the sky was a burst of the myriad colors of autumn.
Killian lagged behind and searched her purse wanting to make sure her house keys were there. She didn’t want to have to empty the contents of her bag later in the night if they planned on having a few drinks.
So engrossed was she in her search she didn’t notice that the other nurses had come to a halt gazing at a sports car that was parked across the sidewalk from the hospital entrance.
There was an audible gasp as some of the ladies recognized who was seated behind the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
“Oh, my God! It's him, it's him…”
“What’s he doing here anyway…?”
“I always thought he was older but I didn’t think he looked this delicious…”
“That must be a new car because I heard he totaled his other car and got a DUI. Well, guess who’s paying for that one. The hospital.”
Finding her keys and securing them in her pocket, Killian was eager to catch up with the rest of the girls. She hurried forward and bumped into the huddled group. She followed their gaze and recognized who it was the girls were gawking at.
The breath was knocked out of her mouth.
“Jesus,” she muttered.
It was Maxwell Saint and he was gliding down the driveway like a slinking panther to where they all stood gawking.
Killian was frozen to the spot even as the nurses moved aside to allow Max to pass through thinking he was headed for the hospital entrance.
It was surreal and like a movie in slow-mo. Max came to a stop in front of her. He stood so close Killian could smell the cologne he was wearing.
As if to make up for her loss of speech, all her other senses went to overdrive. Her eyes said Max Saint looked more delicious in broad daylight, sexier… even if fully clothed. Her eyes told her that the hair that lifted lightly in the breeze was not really just a product of an expensive salon. He really had good genes that produced great hair.
Her brain couldn’t jumpstart her ability to speak as she stared wordlessly into his face.
“Hello, Killian.”
She tried desperately to clear the log that has settled in her throat and managed a squeaky “Hello.”
If somebody had the quick reflexes to whip out their cellphone and video the encounter it woul
d have recorded a hilarious sight of a bunch of women with mouths wide open in total shock.
“Mr. Saint, errr-Max…What are you doing here?”
The moment the words left her mouth, she felt totally ridiculous. This was his hospital after all. He could ask her the same question and not feel as foolish as she did right now.
“I came to see you,” he replied loud enough for everyone to hear. “I was wondering if you like the flowers I sent.”
The girls gave a mutual gasp. Mystery solved.
“Y-yes, thank you they were beautiful.” She sidled close and whispered out of earshot, “and a bit over the top. Did you have to send one every day of the week?”
He threw his head back in a sexy laugh, inched closer, and whispered in her ear, “How else will people start talking about us? We need them to before we can make that announcement, remember?”
The Boss's Fiance Box Set Page 50