by Celya Bowers
“I couldn’t imagine not owning a vehicle. Thanks for going with me.”
“You know I’d walk on hot coals for you.”
“And I’d do the same.”
“Why don’t we celebrate you getting a new ride?” Manny asked as he played with the passenger side mirror.
Kayleigh shook her head. She couldn’t hide her yawn any longer. “I’d love to, Manny, but I’m so tired right now I can barely keep my eyes open. Thank goodness I don’t live that far from downtown.” She parked beside Manny’s black car.
He opened the door and looked at her. “Call me when you wake up. I’ll come over and we can celebrate at your place.”
Kayleigh smiled. “Sure.” She glanced at her digital display. It was almost seven. She doubted she’d wake up before the morning.
CHAPTER 5
When Kayleigh woke up Monday morning, the room was spinning out of control. She slammed her eyes shut and hoped it was just one of those crazy dreams she’d never had. She opened her eyes again and the room had slowed down but it was still moving, this time counter-clockwise.
Slowly she sat up and squinted at the clock. It took a few minutes for the numbers to come into focus. It was six o’clock in the morning. She looked down at the floor, or what she hoped was the floor. The hardwood floor was moving. She wanted to put her feet down, but hesitated. What if this wasn’t a dream and she fell through it?
Come on Kayleigh, this is a bad dream, she told herself. She put her foot down and relief flowed through her as she felt the hardwood. Feeling confident, she put her other foot down and stood. She took off for the bathroom and someone or something tripped her. She fell flat on her face.
When she opened her eyes again, it was daylight. She tried to stand up, but her legs refused to do their job. She could feel the panic rising in her body. She had to calm down. Breathing in and out deeply, her heartbeat slowed down and Kayleigh tried to stand again. Using the queen-sized bed for support, she was able to rise and sit on the bed.
Something was definitely wrong with her and she needed help. She reached for her bedside cordless phone and dialed Harley’s number. It was a struggle, and it took her three tries, but she finally got her friend on the phone. “Help,” was all Kayleigh could muster before everything went black.
* * *
The next time she opened her eyes, Harley was standing over Kayleigh’s bed mumbling something about going to the doctor. Harley’s pale round face was etched with worry. “This is a lot more serious than your being tired from midterms and stressed about your dad’s death.”
Kayleigh shook her head and squinted her eyes at Harley. The sunlight coming through the blinds felt like laser beams aimed directly at her head. She placed her hand over her face to protect her eyes. “I go tomorrow. I have to work today. You know those reports are coming in. I have to look them over.”
“Save that talk for someone who will listen,” Harley said. “I called Manny. He’s going to meet us at the doctor’s office.”
Kayleigh heard the tone in her friend’s voice. There was no room for discussion, and she didn’t have the energy for one anyway. “I need a shower.”
Harley chuckled. “Honey, you’re about thirty minutes too late.”
Kayleigh looked down and noticed she had on clothes. Not the nightgown she had on earlier, but blue jeans, a blouse, and tennis shoes. “How long have you been here?”
“About two hours.”
“What is wrong with me? I thought you’d just gotten here.”
Harley helped her sit upright. “I don’t know. When I got here, you were dead to the world. Thanks goodness I have a key or I’d still be knocking on your front door.
I thought a shower would help you wake up, but it only helped a little.”
She didn’t like the idea of being that helpless, but thanked her friend anyway. “Thanks, Harley.” She leaned against her friend. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Never mind all that mushy talk now. Let’s get you to the doctor.”
Kayleigh nodded, hoping it was just exhaustion, but knowing deep down in her heart it was much more.
* * *
Finn listened to his client with feigned interest, wondering if it was too soon to put his plan into action. He hadn’t felt this anxious in some time. He hoped it wasn’t an omen of things to come.
“Finn, are you listening to anything I’ve just said?” Mario Santos asked. “My son had this really hot tip, but I wanted to run it by you first.”
Finn looked at the elderly gentleman sitting across from him. Mario was one of his first clients, and he owed him more attention than only half his brain. “You’re right, Mario. Leave the information with me and I’ll give you an answer by tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks, Finn.” He pushed the documents across the desk. “It must be a woman.”
“Why would you say that?” And was he that damn obvious?
“I’ve been married twenty-five years, and I know that look. When each one of my sons came home with that look, they were in love. So is it love?”
“Hardly.”
Mario rose and extended his hand to Finn. “Good luck, and I’ll wait to hear from you.”
“Thanks, Mario.”
After Mario left the office, Finn decided it was time.
He picked up the phone and dialed Kayleigh’s work number, which was listed on her paperwork. He could always claim he was calling to verify some information. He smiled as the phone rang, but the smile soon turned into a scowl when her voice mail announced she was out of the office for the day.
* * *
After being poked and prodded, Kayleigh waited for the doctor to enter the small exam room. She shivered in the paper gown. “It’s cold in here,” Kayleigh mumbled. “Are you cold?” she asked Harley.
Harley sat in the chair in the corner of the room. “No, it feels fine to me. You’re just anxious. I can’t believe Manny didn’t want to come in here.”
“You know he hates doctors.” Kayleigh looked around the sterile room. “What do you think he’s going to say?”
Harley closed her magazine. “I think he’s going to tell you to rest more, probably stop eating out so much, and take a vacation, for goodness sake.”
Kayleigh hoped not. “Maybe he can give me a shot. I’m sure there’s some kind of miracle drug to perk me up.”
The door opened and Dr. Preston walked in with her chart in his hand. “Good morning, Kayleigh.” He closed the door and took a seat in front of her.
“Hey, Doc. I have the flu, right?”
He shook his head. “Not exactly,” he said, reading her chart. “Your blood pressure is low.”
“I’ve been feeling tired lately. As you know my dad passed away recently,” Kayleigh reminded him.
“Yes, I know. Are you in school this semester? How’s work going?”
“Yes, I’m still taking classes, and work is fine. Cut to the chase.”
Dr. Preston laughed. “That’s my Kayleigh. You’re so much like your father. Yes, it’s more than a simple cold. With the symptoms Harley told me about earlier, and the results from blood work, you’re in the beginning stages of lupus. Have you heard of it?”
“I don’t know.”
Dr. Preston reached inside the nearby desk drawer and took out a few pamphlets. “Lupus is an inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body. There are several different types of lupus. I’d like to run some more tests as soon as possible, so we can fight this thing properly. I believe in being proactive. Knowledge is our friend.” He handed her the pamphlets. “Read these and please, please pay close attention to the information.”
“Why am I so tired?”
“Part of the disease, I’m afraid. That’s why you getting the adequate amount of rest and a healthy diet are your best defenses. There are some medications I can prescribe down the road, but for now I’d like to try to keep you off medications as much as possible.”
“Why?”
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“The more you can fight this without the aid of medicine, the better it is for your body.”
“So I’m going to feel like crap for how long?”
He laughed. “Just like your father. I’m going to give you a B-12 shoot to boost your immune system. If you notice any changes in your health, contact me immediately.”
Kayleigh didn’t like the sound of that. “What kind of changes?”
“Well, like a fever spike, if you have another episode like this morning, fainting or anything that results in a trip to the ER, call me.”
“Is this going to get worse?”
“Unfortunately, yes, unless you change your lifestyle.”
“Do I have an option?”
“No.”
* * *
“Oh, my gosh! I have to tell Uncle Teddy before Dr. Doom calls him,” Kayleigh sighed. “He’s going to flip when I tell him. He’s been prodding me to have a check-up for months.” She sat in the passenger seat of Harley’s car. “Do you mind taking me to his office? I can’t really tell him this over the phone.”
Harley nodded. “You know I don’t mind, and I agree with you. Your godfather would be crushed if he heard you were sick from someone else.”
Kayleigh looked over at Harley. They were direct opposites, from their temperament right down to skin color. But Kayleigh felt as close to Harley as if they were sisters. “Do you mind going with me?”
Harley parked in front of the building. “You know you don’t even have to ask. I know you’d do the same for me.”
“Thank you, Harley.”
“Don’t you even start looking at me with those puppy dog brown eyes, and make me start crying!”
“No, because then I’ll start crying and I can’t face my uncle with tears in my eyes.”
When she did see her uncle she burst into tears. Thank goodness she held it in until they were in the solitude of his office.
Uncle Teddy waited patiently until she got it out of her system before he started with the questions. “How far along are you? What can be done?”
She answered his questions as best she could. “I’m taking this one day at a time. I have to make a lifestyle change and plan to ease up on my school schedule.”
Ted looked at her with those intense blue eyes. “I trust you to do the right thing. Remember, honey, this is your party. Only you can keep this thing at bay. All the medicine in the world isn’t going to help if you don’t change how you’re living.”
She knew that, but it was still frightening when Uncle Teddy said it. “I’m going to change.”
“I hope so. Your life is riding on it. You know I’m going to stay on you, and since your doctor is a friend, I’ll be keeping a close eye on you.”
She walked around the desk and hugged him. “I would expect nothing less. I love you.” She kissed him on a chubby cheek. “I’m going home to take a nap.”
“Good. I’ll be checking on you.”
Kayleigh hugged him again and left the office before she started crying again.
* * *
“So, what are you going to do about school?” Harley asked as she drove back to Kayleigh’s house. “I mean, it seems a shame for you to drop all your classes when there’s only about eight weeks to go.”
“I’m not going to drop out.” She turned to Harley. “But I do plan to get as much rest as I can between work and school for the rest of this semester. Then I’m going to take the summer off and take a lighter load in the fall semester.”
Harley waited a beat before speaking. “Kayleigh, Dr. Preston seemed pretty adamant about you taking a lighter load now. What happens if you get sicker?”
“I’m hoping I don’t. I don’t want to lose all the time I’ve put in this semester. I’ll quit volunteering, and maybe take some time off from work.”
Harley sighed as she parked in front of Kayleigh’s house. “I know how hard your head is, and this is probably the closest I’m going to get to you really taking it easy.”
Kayleigh unbuckled the seat belt and got out of Harley’s car. “Pretty much. Thanks for taking me to the doctor.” She yawned. “I think I’m going to take a nap. That shot the doctor gave me was supposed to give me some energy, not take what little I had away.”
Harley laughed. “Well, I’ll stay just until I know you’re safely in bed.”
Kayleigh knew the mother in Harley was coming out and she wouldn’t ever think of leaving until she tucked Kayleigh in. “I’m just going to check my messages and then get straight into bed.” Kayleigh unlocked her front door.
“OK.” She followed Kayleigh inside the house.
Kayleigh picked up her phone and noticed a strange number in the caller ID. “Finn called me earlier today. I hope there’s nothing wrong with all that paperwork I filled our last week. I can’t imagine going through that again.” She looked at Harley, and noting that romantic look on her face.
“Maybe he wants to talk to you on a personal level. Oh, oh, call him.”
“All right.” She dialed the number on his business card. He picked up on second ring, and so did Harley on Kayleigh’s other phone.
“Finn Callahan.”
She took a deep breath. “Hello, Finn. You called me earlier today. Is anything wrong with my money?”
He chuckled. “No, Kayleigh. You’re money is doing just fine. I was calling on another matter.”
“What kind of matter?” Kayleigh noticed Harley waving at her and mouthing the words ‘I told you so.’
He shuffled some papers around and cleared his throat. “Well, I wanted to know if you, but this in no way is tantamount to my handling your financial matters,” he took a deep breath.
“Finn, if you’re trying to ask me something, you’re going to have to just come on out and say it. I don’t bite. Usually.” Kayleigh couldn’t decide which was worst. Finn’s hedging or Harley doing the kissy face thing.
He coughed loudly, trying to cover a laugh. “You really don’t hold back, do you?”
“Not anymore. Now what are you trying to ask me? Is it something Uncle Teddy should know about?”
“Not at this juncture.”
Was she going to have physically beat it out of him, Kayleigh wondered. “You were saying…”
He hesitated. Then he took a deep breath. “There’s a Shakespeare play this Saturday evening at the Arlington Theater, I was wondering if you would like to attend it with me. We could meet there, of course.”
Now Kayleigh was the one who was silent. What should she do? Were both Manny and Harley correct and she hadn’t noticed his attraction to her? Was she that out of it she didn’t notice this gorgeous man checking her out?
“Kayleigh, are you still there? We can grab a bite to eat afterwards, if you like?”
Still she was silent. Maybe he just wanted some companionship? Hadn’t Harley been telling her she needed to get out more?
“Kayleigh, if you don’t say something I’m going to think you don’t want to go.”
“I’d love to go,” Harley said for her friend.
Kayleigh walked over to where Harley sat and pinched her friend.
“Ow!”
“Kayleigh, is everything all right? If you don’t want to go, I quite understand, and will not hold it against you or your portfolio.”
Now he sounded upset. Darn that Harley. “Everything is fine, Finn. I would like to go with you on Saturday. My co-worker is here and she hit her foot on the table,” Kayleigh said.
“Oh, I noticed you weren’t at work today. Will you be there tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’ll be there.”
“Good, I’ll call tomorrow with the details. Have a nice evening.”
Kayleigh looked at the phone as she pushed the end button. “What just happened here?”
“You have a date with Mr. Hottie! I can’t wait to tell Manny. You know you love Shakespeare. This a win-win for you. Going out with a hot guy and seeing a great play. Maybe you’re on the road to getting some.”
; “I should make you go on that date, since you agreed to it. I can’t believe you did that.”
Harley laughed. “You know you’re excited. If I was single, I’d be jumping with joy. Between that sexy accent, that body, and that gorgeous tanned face, I wouldn’t know what to stare at first.”
Kayleigh wanted to throw Harley out of her house and throw a really good fit, but that was take too much energy. “All right, so now I have a date with my financial planner. I’m sure that’s breaking a rule with the banking community.”
Harley stood and walked toward Kayleigh’s bedroom. “We’re going to have to find you something ultra sexy to wear.”
Kayleigh reluctantly followed her friend down the hall to the master bedroom. “Harley, it’s just a Shakespearean play in Arlington, then maybe something to eat. Very casual. He probably just really wants to see the play and doesn’t want to go alone.”
Harley stepped inside the bedroom, heading straight for the walk-in closet. “When are you going to move into the master bedroom? It’s been a few months since your dad passed.”
“I know. I just can’t bear to clear out his stuff. Maybe this summer while I’m not taking classes.”
Harley shrugged, not believing Kayleigh for one second. She continued searching in Kayleigh’s closet. “You need something that’s going to pop his dreamy eyes out of his head, but you don’t want him thinking you’re easy.”
Kayleigh knew what she had to do. She walked to Harley and placed her hand on her shoulder. “Harley, we have plenty of time for you to come over and pick out something for me to wear. Right now, I’ve got to take a nap.”
“All right, Kayleigh. Call me when you wake up.”
Kayleigh yawned as she nodded. “Definitely.”
“Then we can talk about Mr. Hottie.”
CHAPTER 6
Saturday evening, Finn was a nervous wreck. He was acting like this was the first date he’d ever been on in his entire life. It took him hours to get dressed, and then he couldn’t decide whether to drive his truck or car.
Finally, his practical side kicked in and he was able to focus on the task at hand. Trying to make this date as casual as possible, he decided to take his truck.