Absolute Zero

by Anlyn Hansell

  “Don’t be a brat, Annie.”

  “Don’t be a dick, Ian,” she shot back quickly.

  “Mouth,” he breathed out with a small shake to his head. His thumb rubbed her lips softly before he pulled his hand away lest she decide to bite it off. Her eyes pretty much confirmed the threat.

  “I’ll go. But I’ll be back. I’ll bring you something to eat, eh?” He stood, gazing at her with what could only be described as a loving look, if she cared to decipher it further. Unfortunately, her mind was more focused on murdering him at the moment.

  She watched him walk through the room and disappear around the corner but not before he turned and gave her one more look.

  Oh, what he must think…

  “So, I think you should know…” Irene started.

  “You’re still here?” Anne sneered.

  “Shut up.”

  “Hey! I hardly think…” Anne attempted to sit up before Irene’s words halted her.

  “I went through the same thing,” Irene stated.

  Anne’s eyes fastened on her.

  “Breast cancer. Double mastectomy, check-ups, positive CEA, scared shitless both times. I get it,” she stated as she sat in the spot vacated moments ago by Ian. “What did you have?”

  “Breast cancer, double mastectomy,” Anne answered numbly.

  “Yeah. See? So we do have something to talk about. Although, I never had my breasts reconstructed. Never even thought about it. After my husband died, I guess I just thought no one else would ever look at ‘em again.”

  “It might be your personality,” Anne blurted. Surprisingly, Irene smiled.

  “Maybe. I’m sorry I’ve been so…short with you. It’s nothing personal,” Irene stated. “I’ve just been a rather shitty mood for the past fifteen years,” she added.

  “Fifteen? That’s all?” Anne asked with an involuntary smirk.

  “Yeah, well…if you had the life I had, you’d probably be a bitch too,” she commented wryly. “You know, if you want to talk about your CEA results…”

  “I don’t.”

  “Stop interrupting. You know I was scared too. Two times! They came back positive two times for me and you know what? It was nothing. I got it checked out and…it was Ok,” she stated with a slight shrug.

  “I…I don’t want to know. I told myself I wouldn’t go through it again. It was awful.” Anne stated with widened eyes.

  “You’re telling me. I thought I was going to puke my small intestines out. Well, that coupled with the headaches and fatigue? I know some people can handle chemo and lucky them. It wasn’t like that for me,” Irene said.

  “Me either,” Anne admitted.

  “Right. But…when you have people you love; you almost have to go through it. Don’t you have anyone…?”

  “Not…” Anne thought of Beth before continuing, “well, maybe.”

  “Maybe Ian? You know, I think that man is sweet on you. You’re very lucky if that’s the case,” she gave her a sly smile.

  “I’ve wanted him to find someone. He deserves to be happy. He’s a good man. He just got screwed by…ugh, never mind. I don’t even like thinking about her.”

  “Tell me,” Anne prompted causing one of Irene’s gray brows to shoot up. “I may be a little…I don’t know…sweet on him too,” Anne added softly.

  “Well then, isn’t that something? Good for him. Good for you. She really did a number on him, but I’m glad to see he’s finally over it.”

  “He told me…”

  “He did? All of it?” Irene interrupted.

  “I think so. How do you know? I thought you don’t gossip?” Anne asked with a wide grin.

  “Honey, I know everything in this town. I clean half of their houses. If you only had a clue…My daughter Kelly used to be Shelby’s maid. She worshipped that woman and for what? I have no idea. Shelby Collins was the most self-absorbed person I have ever met. Such a phony. My daughter was very impressionable, I guess. Do you know she dyed her beautiful brown hair blonde? I could have killed her, I was so pissed off. She couldn’t idolize Margaret Thatcher or, I don’t know…Janet Reno…”

  “Janet Reno? For real?” Anne asked with a smirk.

  “Whatever. She…ugh. You know? I’ve never had anything but issues with that girl. George died and left me with two teenagers to raise. Caleb was always a good kid. Kelly kind of took after her Dad except she had a drug problem, he was more of a functioning alcoholic. He electrocuted himself at work. Freak accident, actually they found alcohol in his system, not surprising,” she scoffed before shaking her head. “Two weeks after his funeral I found a lump in my breast. I thought for sure the world was out to get me, I swear. I was trying to get through chemo; Kelly was in and out of rehab. I thought she finally kicked the habit. She got a job working for that woman. You know? I haven’t seen her for two years. She left the night of…the night the accident happened. Now she just sends me her shitty texts every once in a while. She knows she screwed up, leaving Shelby alone like that. I know that now. I just wish…Anyway, now you know why I’ve been so…pissy.”

  “Pissy?” Anne laughed out.

  “Caleb’s word. Not mine.”

  “Hmm.” Anne settled herself more comfortably in the bed.

  “So, I’ll finish cleaning; maybe let you get some rest? Do you want something to eat?”

  “Nah…” Anne mumbled, her eyelids drooping.

  “Good. I can’t cook worth a shit anyway. Shay says you’re a good cook, though.”

  “Shay?”

  “Sure. I love that woman. She heads up the Breast Cancer fundraiser, you know. I have a special spot in my heart for people that go out of their way to help us unfortunates out,” she reached out and gave Anne’s hand a squeeze.

  “Her husband, on the other hand…”

  “Rand? You don’t like Rand? Everyone loves Rand,” Anne stated, confused.

  “Not me. I used to clean their house too. Then he sticks her on a budget. Says she stays home so she can clean. You take away my income? I hate you forever. She told me he’s saving for a boat, though. He better buy her a damn boat,” she mused.

  “That’s what I told him!” Anne smiled.

  “Good. She deserves a boat. Now, get some rest. Ian’s got you covered for dinner, I guess. Lucky girl…if I was only twenty years younger…” she stated more to herself before giving her hand a pat and standing.

  “Irene?”

  “Yeah?” She stopped in mid step.

  “Thank you.” Anne stated quietly before closing her eyes.

  Irene stood motionless for a few moments, staring at the lovely woman before her.

  *****

  “She’s still asleep.”

  “Did you talk to her?” He asked tentatively.

  “I did. I feel like an ass for being so rude to her,” Irene admitted.

  “You are an ass. And you’re rude to everyone, by the way. And yet, I still like you more than most people I know. I’ll head over there soon. Food should be out any minute now. Thanks for staying with her. I’ll pay you for the houses you missed today…”

  “That’s not necessary,” Irene stated into her phone. “You were right. We do have a lot in common, I think. She doesn’t want to go for a follow up appointment, you know.”

  “Well, we’ll just make her, eh?” Ian stated. “I’ll be there soon,” he added before pressing the button to end the call.

  *****

  “I’ll be fine. Thanks for dinner,” she sat back in her chair and watched him as he watched her carefully.

  “I’m not leaving. I want to talk.”

  She contemplated the half eaten plate of food in front of her.

  “Were you going to tell me about this? Ever?” he asked quietly.

  Her head stayed in the same position but her eyes glanced up at him. “I don’t know. This was never supposed to happen. We weren’t supposed to…”

  “Fall in love?” he supplied for her.

  “Something like that.
I don’t do lasting relationships, Ian. How can I? It’s like I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop,” she stated before pushing away from the table and grabbing her plate. “Besides, it’s not as if this thing between us doesn’t come full of obstacles. Professionally, logistically…”

  “So move to Scotland. Lena wants you to teach her how to cook, we have the Oxford project, Lachlan wants to utilize that brain of yours, I want you in my bed,” his last comment caused her eyes to roll as she grabbed a plastic container from the cabinets above.

  “It’s not that easy. I’m an American citizen, just in case you forgot,” she scraped the chicken into the container and placed her plate in the sink.

  “So what? You’ll get a work Visa, people do it all the time.”

  “I have projects here; I have responsibilities in this facility,” she continued on. Actually, it would be the perfect opportunity for him to tell her about selling the American facility, if he chose to do so.

  “They’ll live without you. I can’t.” Strong arms snaked around her waist and pulled her body against his. His warm breath tickled her ear before his lips caressed her skin.

  “Do you want to know what I told you outside the airport? Do you remember?”

  “You mean the gay dinosaur thing?” she asked softly, a smile spreading on her lips.

  “I told you that you are the love of my life.”

  Air seemed to whoosh from her lungs as her stomach flipped at his words.

  He was turning her to face him. His hands gently cupped her face on either side as he stared down at her. “I meant it. I still mean it. I love you Annie. I have to have you with me. I don’t want to be apart from you. I was going to ask you to stay when you came to Scotland, but I’ll ask you now. Will you?”

  Her mouth opened and closed, her eyes closing briefly before fluttering open again. “I need to think,” she rasped out with an accompanying groan.

  “Can ya think quick? I have to go back tomorrow. I had to charter a flight.”

  “Tomorrow? Already?”

  “I’m signing the contracts on the new building, finally.” He emphasized. “Never mind that, you seem disappointed. I think you might miss me, or something,” he whispered with a hopeful expression on his face.

  “I’ll be there in two days. We can talk about it then. Why the rush?” she asked.

  “No rush. I‘d just like to know where we stand, that’s all,” he stated simply.

  “Hmm,” she seemed to consider for a moment before pushing against his chest gently. “Well, that’s definitely something to think about,” she stepped past him and wandered from the kitchen.

  “Where ya going?” he asked as he watched her turn the corner into the living room. A few seconds later music poured through the house, something familiar, almost haunting.

  “Pink Floyd?” he asked as she returned to the kitchen, grabbed her full wine glass and headed toward the sliding glass doors.

  *****

  “It’s called putting things into perspective,” she replied before taking a sip from her glass and setting it on the wide arm rest of her chair.

  “Do you do this often?”

  “Only when I need to remind myself how insignificant I truly am.”

  “You’re not insignificant,” he chided.

  “Yes I am. So are you. We all are actually,” she stated softly as her eyes focused on the clear, black sky above. “It’s so vast. The Universe is infinite. The sun goes up and comes down every day, the moon comes out; stars shine every night. It defies comprehension. What happens if the sun just up and burns out one day or what if earth decides not follow its’ rotational path or maybe the moon just stops its’ orbit? We’re just this tiny planet in a solar system among other solar systems in a galaxy among other galaxies that goes on forever. I’m just one person on this tiny planet. No matter what happens to me, whatever issues I deal with, it doesn’t really mean anything in the grand scheme of things.”

  “That’s…depressing,” he muttered as his eyes turned toward her profile.

  “Is it? I don’t think so. Besides, it helps me cope.”

  “And Pink Floyd…?”

  “The Wall is a masterpiece of lyrical genius, my friend. Don’t knock it. This is my favorite song on the album by the way.”

  Comfortably Numb played in the background.

  “It’s a lively tune,” he quipped causing her eyes to crinkle.

  “Anne?” he asked after a moment.

  “Hmm?” she responded, her eyes still fixed on the sky above.

  “I’m paying off your debts. You don’t need any more stress in your life,” he stated, waiting for the outburst. She didn’t disappoint.

  “What? NO! I got myself into that mess with my vanity. I deserve to deal with those bills. I came back with a new face and a new body and I did that to myself. Don’t you dare even think about paying those bills,” she blew out. “For a seemingly intelligent person, I got carried away. I admit that. It was dumb, but there is no way I’ll let you fix it,” she grated out as her head swiveled towards his.

  “Too late,” he said simply as he shot her a look meant to end the argument. Her mouth opened and closed before she finally spoke.

  “I’m paying you back, you arrogant…you…ugh! What is the matter with you?!” She thumped her head back on the chair, her eyes refusing to meet his any longer.

  “I won’t apologize. You can be angry at me, I don’t care. Besides, there’s something much more important we need to talk about,” he stated softly.

  “Would it be too much to ask that you go away?”

  “Irene says you don’t want to go to your follow up appointment,” he ignored her last comment.

  Her face immediately drew into an even deeper frown.

  “It’s none of your concern,” she stated in a bland tone.

  “It is my concern…”

  “It’s my body,” she stated as if he said nothing.

  “Wrong. This belongs to me,” he pointed a finger at her heart. “It just happens to be encased in this,” he waved his hand to indicate her body. “So yes, it is my concern.”

  “What if it’s bad? What if…I just don’t want to go through that again. You have no idea.”

  “You’re right, I don’t. Whatever the outcome, we’ll get through it together. You have to go, Annie. I’ll make you if I have to. I can be verra convincing, ya know.”

  A spontaneous smile spread on her face before she could stop it. “Careful. Your Machiavellian tendencies are pouring over into your personal life,” she commented dryly.

  “My…Ha. Maybe your Napoleon complex is clouding your assessment.”

  “Is that a short joke?” she asked as her head turned toward his.

  “Maybe…”

  “Did you know that Napoleon was actually of average height? It’s true! He was always surrounded by his Imperial Guard which was made up of above average height men, so he just appeared short. So there…” she stated with a firm nod.

  “Fascinating,” he replied as he hefted himself from the chair and stood before her. He reached both hands out, prompting her to take them with her own.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Taking you upstairs so I can make love to you. I get all hot and bothered when you start with your random factoids. Come on,” he grasped her hands and pulled her up and into his arms. She was done fighting.

  “Can you do it hard? I think I’d like it hard tonight,” she whispered against his lips.

  His answer was a loud, drawn out groan.

  *****

  Confidential.

  Lovely. Faxed sheets with “Confidential” were just basically tossed on her desk for anyone to see.

  Ian was right. This place is a joke, she thought as she swiped them off the surface and shoved them in the top manila folder before settling herself in the chair behind her desk. She immediately fired up her computer and waited with tapping fingers in the empty office. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair
, a fair reminder of her bedroom escapades with Ian last night.

  Oh, that man. The things he could do. If her body was an instrument, he played it expertly, she thought as a smile spread on her face. He had left early in the morning after practically holding her tightly to him the whole night. It was almost impossible to sleep with him rubbing her, kissing her, whispering the sweetest words to her. She would pay for it today at some point. She would most likely keel over from lack of sleep, emotional drainage or whatever else would serve to turn her brain to mush.

  It was worth it.

  Two days. Two long days until she would see him again. They would drag for sure…

  The count on her inbox climbed as she watched it. Thirty three emails. Two of them were from Ian, she noticed. The rest were…

  Temple University. That one caught her eye and she clicked on it immediately.

  To: ABennett@Dunmed.com

  From: CHBrock@Temple.edu

  Subject: Please call me as soon as possible.

  No text. Just a subject. She checked the time on her computer and took a chance. Dr. Charles Brock answered on the second ring.

  “Brock,” he stated in a clipped, almost impatient voice.

  “Hello. This is Dr. Bennett? You left me an email…” she started before he cut her off.

  “Why would the owner of your company call and ask for a complete listing of the projects and the funding we’re working with?” he asked. His tone was pure confusion.

  Anne’s pulse sped up considerably as her hand clenched the receiver. “I…ahh…what?” she asked in a breathless voice.

  “He sent an email yesterday. Is there something we should know about? That’s highly unusual, you know.”

  “I’m not…did you…did you send it to him?” she asked as her fingers starting going numb from the tips.

  “Yes. Can you please explain to me…” he was saying something else but the blood was rushing in her head, drowning out his voice.

  “Umm…so. Ok…” she mumbled. “I need to…call someone and I’ll get back to you,” she managed to say.

  “Please call me back as soon as possible. That solution is supposed to be here today, if you recall…”