“You have the list, right Rae?” Jill inquires.
I nod.
“Okay then,” Mikaela nearly squeals. “I think we are ready for Clark to take us.”
I know we need to take security with us, but I don’t have to like it. I honestly am not sure if I will ever be able to get used to it. Mikaela puts her arm around me.
“Don’t worry, Rae. I asked for a car we usually don’t drive, and I asked them to give us some space, at least enough to not elicit attention. Also, Sasha is already outside the building making a spectacle since she’s supposedly waiting on me.”
“She’s doing what exactly?”
I can’t help but laugh.
“I’m not even sure, but I trust that it’s something completely off the charts. She loves stuff like this, trust me. We just made her day. Now come, we are leaving from the garage.”
I follow my two friends to the private elevator. We reach the parking garage in no time, and Mik takes the lead.
“Come on, you daft boogers, carry on. I don’t have all day!” Mikaela shouts over her shoulder in a surprisingly convincing British accent.
Jill and I both exchange a look before we burst out laughing. I almost choke on my laughter when I see Rose, Mika’s house manager, getting out of a car and collecting bags from the trunk. I look at Mikaela and nudge my head in her direction. Jill turns her head to to see what we are looking at. The three of us turn silent and exchange some glances.
“Perfect timing,” Mikaela whispers conspiratorially. “Let’s put our disguises to the test,” she adds with a wink.
We nod in unison and trail behind Mikaela, making sure to put our oversized sunglasses firmly back on our noses. She puts a huge smile on her face as she approaches Rose.
“Hello there, luv,” she says in the same British accent she used moments ago. “Need any help?”
Rose looks surprised by the offer for a moment, and then she smiles. I am sure that the jig is up.
“That’s very kind of you to offer, but I got this. Thank you though.”
Mikaela doesn’t seem to share my concern.
“Not a problem, darlin’,” she says brightly, still in character. “Ta-ta.”
Mikaela waves, and we continue to follow along behind her. I can’t help the curious side of my personality that causes me to glance over my shoulder. Rose doesn’t seem to have recognized us at all. In fact, she is just going about her business, gathering her things and walking toward the elevator. When I turn back, I see I wasn’t the only one making sure that we didn’t get recognized. The three of us watch the elevator door close, and when it does, we collectively let out a deep breath and burst into a fit of laughter. This attracts the attention of Clark and Andrew, who is usually assigned to Mikaela, and they come rushing toward us to see what the commotion is about. Mikaela is the first to speak. She removes her oversized glasses.
“Calm down, boys. It’s only us.”
Clark is as stoic as ever and simply nods. Andrew, however, is a different story. Although he’s trying real hard to follow suit, I note a twinkle of amusement on his face.
“We can take the Range Rover as you requested, Ms. Kingsley. We are ready to leave whenever you are.”
“Now is as good a time as any.”
I am not sure if the three of us can just have fun anywhere, or if I have just been cooped up for too long, but the trip to the grocery store is a blast. The security team stays at an acceptable distance, making me feel less awkward, although we are attracting enough attention with our nonstop laughter. It feels good though, strolling through the store and gathering the ingredients I need for tonight’s meal without people feeling the need to snap a picture or whisper things behind my back as if I can’t hear them.
“I will tell Mika to ask Eric to join us for dinner tonight because I am not sure he can handle so much estrogen by himself,” I say with a chuckle as I pull out my phone to punch in a text.
Mika responds promptly, letting me know that Eric would love to join us. We navigate through the store rather quickly, and soon we are standing in line to pay for our goods. All of us are having such a great time, and none of us want to go home just yet, so we decide to find a nearby restaurant and have lunch. After all, we got dressed up, and now we have somewhere to go. We are almost to the front of the line when I look over at the magazine rack by the register. I usually skim over the headlines as I wait in line, sometimes even flipping through a magazine if I find an interesting caption. My eyes scan the selection of magazines and newspapers. I immediately regret even looking this way as I see that today’s front page is about Jasper’s murder. Jill must see what I am looking at because she promptly steps in between me and the magazine rack.
“Not today, Satan,” she declares dramatically.
I smile at my person; she always has my back. We’re up next, and I step forward to pay for the groceries. Andrew and Clark approach to take the grocery bags, and we trail behind them, letting them lead us back to the car. Since Mikaela is more familiar with the area, we let her choose where to have lunch. She chooses a place called Morelli’s. It’s apparently very close, and Mikaela assures us that the food there is incredible. We arrive at Morelli’s about twelve minutes later, and the second we step foot inside the restaurant, all my senses are assaulted in a good way. My mouth waters as my nostrils are caressed by the aroma of freshly cut vegetables and meat broiling in the distance. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until this moment. My belly is grumbling, clearly telling me to feed myself. The hostess leads us to a table at the far end of the restaurant and presents us with menus.
“Your server will be with you shortly,” she says politely, although she sounds slightly bored.
She must repeat that phrase a hundred times a day. We thank her, and moments later our server, Frank, is taking our drink orders. We all decide that we deserve a cocktail, and we order pomegranate martinis.
“You should keep them coming,” Jill adds with a wink when Frank delivers the drinks to our table, which earns her a grin from the admittedly handsome waiter. He takes his leave after he collects our food orders.
“Is it me, or was he kinda hot?” Jill whispers conspiratorially.
I chuckle.
“He wasn’t bad-looking,” I answer noncommittally.
“He’s cute, although I prefer dark hair instead of blond,” Mikaela chimes in.
Our eyes meet as she makes that statement, and I immediately think of Eric. The two of them have incredible chemistry, and I wonder if they were ever a thing. I don’t get a chance to ask because she raises her glass.
“Cheers, ladies. To wigs, makeovers, and cocktails.”
“Cheers,” Jill and I chime in as we clink our glasses.
The best thing about these two women is how easy conversation flows. We are very different people, but we share the same sense of humor, and our personalities just click. By the time our lunch arrives, we are halfway through our second cocktail, and I can feel it. I excuse myself from the table to use the restroom. I make my way through the dining room, scanning it for the bathrooms. Of course, they are all the way across the restaurant. I walk past the hostess stand to get to the bathroom when I see Eric walk in, followed closely by another man that I don’t know, and Mika. My breath catches, and I’m not sure why I am startled. For a mere moment I am frozen in place, and my heart stops for a second. I realize that although I left my oversized glasses on the table, Mika won’t recognize me looking like this, and I smile to myself. I assume that the man with them is a business associate, and I don’t want to embarrass him by having his girlfriend dressed as if she’s stalking him or something even crazier. I’m relieved when I note that none of the men have even noticed me. I avert my gaze and walk toward the sign that indicates where the bathrooms are. I turn into the hallway below the sign and see the door to the ladies’ room ahead. Before I can make it to the door, I am grabbed by the wrist, spun around, and pushed up against the wall. I open my mouth to scream, but I am
dumbfounded when I look up to find Mika staring down at me. He places his hands onto the wall on either side of my head, effectively caging me. He says nothing, not a single word. Instead, his lips curl into a wicked smile, and he crushes his lips onto mine in a demanding and hungry kiss. I instinctively and instantly surrender to him, opening my mouth slightly, allowing him to deepen the kiss. When he grinds his pelvis against me, I moan into his mouth, and that is when I realize two things: we are in a public hallway indecently making out, and Mika doesn’t know who he’s making out with.
Anger ignites deep within me. Just as I brace myself to push him off me, he pulls away and rests his forehead on mine. Before I can say anything, he opens his mouth.
“I’ve been waiting all day to do that,” he says as he gently places a peck on the tip of my nose. “I’m not sure about the contacts, though. I miss your dark eyes, Sweet Pea.”
I stand there gawking at him, completely and utterly flabbergasted.
“So, you did know it was me. How did you know?”
He chuckles.
“Oh baby, I’d know you anywhere. Did you really think that a wig and some contacts could fool me?”
He bends to kiss me sweetly on my lips.
“Don’t you know by now that I don’t need to see you to know that you’re near?”
Another sweet peck on my temple.
“And how could you possibly think that I would kiss any other woman like this?” he says hoarsely before crushing his mouth on mine again.
There is no denying that the man knows just what to say to sweep me off my size seven and a halves. I melt into him once again, forgetting that we are in a public hallway and surrendering to our passion. Tongues are dancing and swirling, teeth are nipping and biting, and when I suck on his tongue, he makes a guttural sound that has me pulsing at my core.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Kingsley?”
We pull apart at the angry-sounding voice. My eyes are wide, and my pulse is accelerated. Mika smirks at me, winks, and then turns around, shielding me.
“What?” he says in an innocent tone.
“Dude, we are friends, more like brothers. And I love you, so I feel like I can tell you this. You’re an asshole.”
My mouth drops open. What crawled up his butt?
“How can you risk ruining everything you have with Rae, just for some cheap thrill? In fucking public, no less. What the fuck is wrong with you? I thought that she was it for you, and now this?”
Eric Hardwick just earned himself a huge amount of brownie points.
“Are you done now?” Mika chuckles.
“I fail to see why this is amusing to you,” Eric bites.
Mika steps aside and pulls me forward.
“I believe you’ve met my girlfriend?” he says smugly.
I roll my eyes.
“Hey Eric,” I say, smiling sheepishly.
Eric squints his eyes, and his nose wrinkles up some.
“Holy crap,” he mutters before he lets out a hearty laugh.
I smile at him. I apologize for the confusion and briefly explain why I am in disguise. They both immediately guess that Mikaela is involved.
“Don’t be mad at Mikaela. She only did what I asked her to do, and we brought security with us.”
Mika grins at me.
“What makes you think I’m mad, Sweet Pea?”
I shrug, smirking back. Our eyes meet, and I fight the urge to throw myself into his arms again. Eric must feel the mood change because he clears his throat. I turn to face him.
“Thank you for what you said earlier.”
“Hey, if I don’t set him straight, who will?”
“Well, you’ve just earned yourself extra dessert tonight,” I say with a wink.
“I can’t wait. I hear you’re one helluva cook.”
I beam.
“I’ll certainly do my best. But I better get back to girls. They must be wondering if I fell in the toilet.”
I walk over to Eric and throw my arms around him, pulling him in for a hug. If I wasn’t already endeared to him, I certainly am now.
“Okay, that’s quite enough now,” Mika grumbles.
Eric and I both chuckle as we release our hold. I turn and step into Mika’s arms.
“Calm down, Captain Caveman. It was just a friendly hug,” I say, smiling.
Mika makes a noncommittal sound, and it makes me chuckle.
“I’ll see you when you get home, baby,” I mutter against his lips.
He smiles.
“Don’t give that wig back just yet. We can have a little fun with that later,” he says, waggling his eyebrows.
I playfully hit him in the chest.
“Pervert.”
“Only for you.”
We say and kiss our goodbyes, and I hurry to rejoin the girls. The two of them are talking up a storm and laughing loudly. I suspect that they may be a cocktail ahead now. I slide into my seat and take a bite of my salad.
“You and my brother seriously need to get a room,” Mikaela says in a matter of fact tone.
I almost choke on the bite I just swallowed. I feel the heat rise in my cheeks, and I start coughing loudly. I know that I must be as red as a tomato right now; my embarrassment, combined with the hacking up of my lungs, will do that. Jill and Mik are howling with laughter.
“Did you really think we wouldn’t come looking for you? You were gone for quite a bit,” Jill says, shaking her head.
“Oh God,” I mutter, mortified.
I cradle my head in my hands, utterly embarrassed, much to the amusement of Jill and Mikaela. The two of them continue to good-naturedly torture me for a while, and the rest of our afternoon is filled with fun and laughter. When we finally head back to the apartment, I’m overflowing with happiness.
Dinner last night was fabulous, not just because the meal was delicious—although the pesto chicken with triple cooked potatoes, vegetable medley, and raspberry and strawberry shortcake were pretty damn good, if I do say so myself—but it was mostly the excellent company that made the night memorable. Besides Mika, Eric, Mikaela, and Jillybean, Sean and Sasha ended up joining us for dinner. Although we had a lot of fun, I feel a little rough this morning. The girls and I already started drinking cocktails in the afternoon at lunch, and the alcohol was still flowing in the early morning hours. I am more than a little grateful that I have switched shifts with Laura, the nurse who usually works the night shift, for the week. She needed to swap a few days, and although I wasn’t relishing the idea of working nights—even for just a few days—right now I am grateful I swapped with her. I get to Hillcrest a little earlier than I usually would for a shift so that Laura can tell me what to expect during the night shift. I expect to find her in Mr. King’s suite, but when I get to the break room to grab a quick cup of coffee, Laura is already waiting for me.
“Hey Rae.”
“Hey girl, are you taking a break?”
“Well, Mr. King is still with Dr. Hayes, so I thought I’d come get a cup of coffee since I’m caught up with all my charting.”
I’m annoyed that Layla is showing interest in Mr. King. I feel protective of him; after all, he has been my patient for some time now. Although he doesn’t speak, I feel like we have somewhat bonded. I suppose that since she specializes in mental health, her interest isn’t that strange. Mr. King’s condition has been improving in the last few months, and I am sure it is a very interesting case for anyone in her field. The last thing I want tonight is to run into her.
“You ready to do the bedside shift report?” Laura asks.
I force a smile.
“Sure.”
I trail behind Laura, and we make our way to Mr. King’s suite. Just before we reach the door, it opens and out steps Layla.
Of course. Perfect.
She looks gorgeous, of course. Her red hair is perfectly styled with a front braid that flows into a wavy side ponytail. She is wearing an eggshell-colored, sleeveless button-up shirt with a beautiful pair of soft
pink, high-waist dress pants paired with matching heels. Her makeup is flawless, and she looks like she just walked off a runway, not from a patient’s room after working all day. The look on her face when she sees me is positively malevolent. I raise my brow, and she immediately schools her features into a semi pleasant expression. After all, we have an audience.
“Hello Raeva, how lovely to see you again.”
It takes just about everything I have to keep the scoff I want to let out inside.
Two can play that game.
“Hello Dr. Hayes, very nice seeing you again as well.”
I’m smiling so widely, my face hurts. We step aside to let her pass, and I have to talk myself out of sticking a foot out to trip her. I have no idea why this woman makes me so hostile. Laura and I do bedside shift report swiftly, and she takes her leave. I’m not alone for long and am soon joined by Ashley, the nursing assistant on night shift. I’ve met her a few times, but this is my first time working with her. She helps me get Mr. King ready for bed. After we get him into the bed, Ashley offers to get us some food, which I really appreciate since it will be hard for me to go anywhere. I give her my debit card to pay, since she is picking the food up. While she is gone, I decide to go check on Mr. King. He’s seems to be sound asleep, and I back out of the room to take my leave when I see a bright light beam on the dresser right beside the door. It’s a cellphone, which is weird, because Mr. King certainly doesn’t have one. Mine is in my pocket, and I know for a fact that Ashley has hers because she just texted me asking me what kind of drink I want. Curious, I pick the phone up and take it into the living area. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out whose phone it must be. I must admit that it’s harder than it should be not to go through it, but I resist and instead walk over to her office. It is almost 9:00 p.m., and I am sure she’s already left the building by now. Her office is down the hall from Mr. King’s suite, all the way at the other end, but still too close for my taste. Honestly, her office could be across the street, and that would be too close. I reach her door, and I note that it’s slightly ajar. I raise my hand to knock on the door, and just as I am about to make contact I hear voices, so I stop mid-air. I try to not make out what they are saying, but it’s hard.
After Tomorrow (Kingsley series Book 2) Page 7