Smooth Moves

by Betty McBride

  “This morning and I drank a little juice that Ben brought with him. I’ll be okay. It’s just the stress.”

  Following her out the door, he pulled her into his car, “I don’t care if you smoke in here. I just want to talk. How much did you hear of what I told your uncle?”

  “That Ben was pretending to be you.”

  Taking a deep breath, he repeated, “Candice, I’m in love with you. Trust me; I’ve never eaten potato chips and a candy bar for breakfast with anyone else.” When she started to say something, he held a hand up, “When I’m not with you, it drives me nuts. When I am with you, I want to get closer. Even if we hug, I can’t seem to get you close enough. Everything reminds me of you. I can’t sleep. I’m not hungry unless it’s for what you’d eat.”

  Her eyes widened, realizing she felt the same exact way. She’d tried to rid her mind of him but couldn’t. Unaccustomed to trusting someone with her emotions, she stayed quiet until he said, “You said you thought you’d found love. Well, you have.”

  Not willing to admit it just yet, she shook her head, “I didn’t mean…”

  He pulled her to him, “Then why have you been juicing while away from me?”

  She put a hand on his chest, “I wanted to get healthy again, Rich. Look, I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I still don’t know who to believe here. I just discovered that your brother pretended to be you so my entire first impression was wrong. I thought it was you flirting with me but it was just him trying to get me to work under your so-called healthy umbrella. You’re moving too fast here. I need space, Rich.”

  Reluctantly letting her go, he nodded, “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. Come home with me while your uncle is in the hospital. Show me you’re juicing recipes. I know you’re confused about my intentions but, I can assure you, I need help running the shop. You would be great. Not because of your health but because of your skills, Candice.”

  Chapter Seven

  She wavered at his sincerity but repeated, “I need space, Rich. How is coming to stay with you giving me space?” A wave of nausea suddenly struck. Frowning, she jerked the door open and turned quickly as her hand shot to her mouth. Rich rubbed her back as she heaved over the parking lot. When she’d finished, he softly asked, “Does the Lupus cause you to get that sick?”

  She weakly shook her head, “I better not be getting sick.”

  “That’s more reason you should stay with me, Candice. When your uncle gets back, you can’t have germs floating around the house. I don’t care if I get stomach flu but your uncle can’t in his current condition.”

  Realizing the truth in what he said, she nodded, “All right. Let’s go tell the doctor that I’ll be back in the morning if I feel better.”

  As they slowly walked back inside, he felt her forehead, “Any other symptoms? Maybe you should get checked out while you’re here.”

  Grimacing at the thought, she shook her head, “My immune system is wacky. I probably picked up something. After all, it is a hospital.”

  After speaking with the doctor and, unable to find his family anywhere, Rich fussed over her all the way back to the car. After a stop to get crackers and chicken soup before her apartment provided clothing, he told her not to worry about anything as he headed to his house. Even though she was still queasy, she didn’t want him fussing over her.

  He was having none of it, scooping her up and carrying her into his house. After he deposited her on his couch, he held up a finger, “I need to call my mom and see what’s going on then you’re going to eat some chicken soup.”

  At her cringe, he cocked an eyebrow and laid a hand on her forehead again. Frowning, he grabbed a blanket and tucked it around her, “You feel cold, Candice. You need to put something in your stomach in case you get sick.”

  “Just give me some crackers, please.”

  He handed them over. Pulling up his mom’s number, he sank onto the sofa beside Candice. She could feel the exhaustion of Lupus creeping in, knowing the stress had been a trigger. Resting back onto the couch, her gaze flew to Rich when he said, “Mom, if he’d quit treating everyone around him as if lucky to be walked on…I wouldn’t have nailed his arrogant ass.”

  Pulling the blanket around her, Candice laid her head on the armrest. Rich immediately pulled her toward him, resting her head in his lap and stroking her hair as he told his mother, “Isabella’s just as self-absorbed as Ben, Mom. Tell her to get off her high horse and quit threatening me.”

  He said goodbye after a minute, sighing as he asked Candice, “Do you want to call the hospital and check on your uncle?”

  Nodding, she took the offered phone and discovered he was doing okay. As she handed it back, she told Rich, “They said they might release him tomorrow.”

  At her exhausted appearance, he quickly said, “He’ll come here then. I’ll have someone stop by and care for you both. Do you think it’s the Lupus?”

  She nodded again, “It’s probably a mild flare-up. It should pass in a few days.”

  Stroking her hair, he asked if she could eat chicken soup. She sat up and said she’d try. When he was gone for longer than expected, she moved into the kitchen and found him cooking homemade soup.

  “I thought you’d bought the canned kind.”

  “That stuff is loaded with processed crap which would probably make you worse.” Her eyes widened as he pulled a dish of chicken from the oven and set about deboning it. She breathed, “I didn’t know you could cook too.”

  “It’s a hobby I enjoy. When I wasn’t acting confident for the cameras, I was mixing juice and cooking. It’s relaxing.”

  “What didn’t you like about the commercials? I mean that’s usually a dream job.”

  Turning, he frowned, “The judgmental atmosphere along with people expecting others to hand them whatever they want. Entitlement fits Ben because he winks and gets whatever he wants. For a while, I laughed it off but then I couldn’t stomach it any longer.”

  “Why didn’t he do the shoots in the first place?”

  Tilting his head, he shrugged, “Ben has always been persuasive. When he’s speaking to someone, they’d never know he was secretively looking down his nose at them. He’s very charming when he wants to be but cross him and he’ll strike like a snake.” Sighing heavily, he added, “Besides, he had his eyes on the women so much that some of the juice was lost when refrigeration units failed and he didn’t catch it.”

  Needing something to do, she asked if she could help him. He shook his head, “It’s already in the mix. All it needs now is stirring occasionally. In fact, it should be done within minutes. What articles are you working on?”

  She told him about bidding on a place for a health food magazine. Grinning, he nodded, “Your blog is damn good. I can’t see them not hiring you on.”

  “You were right about my clients paying positive attention when I wrote about becoming healthy.”

  “I’ve seen it done before, Candice.”

  She nodded, “Sorry I was so self-centered. I didn’t realize I was until Uncle Mike pointed out that I didn’t listen very well and lived inside my own head too much.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You had to be self-centered because you thought you were all you had. When looking at the bigger picture, it’s understandable.”

  Watching him taste the soup, she grabbed bowls and spoons before retrieving the crackers. When she moved back into the kitchen, he was ladling soup into the bowls, “Thanks, Rich. I wish we’d started out this way instead of…”

  “Why don’t we start over, Candice? Now that you know my family and I’ve met your uncle, we can be a little more understanding about where everyone’s coming from.”

  She nodded, “That sounds great.”

  Settling around the table, she had to admit that the soup was excellent. Since she’d messed around with various spices and herbs within the juices, she asked what he’d added. Her eyes widened when he said, “You tell me. What do you taste?”

  She didn’t want to b
ring up the past so she didn’t mention the first meeting where his brother had asked the same thing. Instead, she named a few items that he agreed over before adding a few himself. Feeling better, she motioned toward the patio, “Come outside with me.”

  As he placed the leftovers in the refrigerator, he said, “Sleep in my bed and I will.”

  “You’re not going slow, Rich.”

  He pulled her with him outside, “Waking up to someone who loves you is healthy, Candice.”

  “Please don’t do that.”

  “I can’t help it. I need you to believe me.”

  She lit the cigarette before saying, “I believe you care about me, Rich, but…”

  When she didn’t continue, he said, “I’ll make you a deal. The room you were going to stay in will be where your uncle stays. I won’t have you sleeping on my couch. We don’t have to do anything but sleep. I want to wake up with you in my arms.”

  Wanting the same but afraid of getting hurt, she took a puff of the cigarette to buy time. He pulled her to him, “I’ll try to think of us as friends, okay? If you’ll attempt to believe that my feelings reach beyond mere caring for you.”

  Waving the smoke away from him, she stepped away to stub out the cigarette. He pulled her back to him, “Don’t worry about a little smoke, Candice. I just want to feel you in my arms.”

  Sinking into him, she wrapped the blanket around them both. With exhaustion creeping in again, she yawned and nuzzled into his chest. She couldn’t deny that being there felt wonderful and completely right. When he asked her again, she nodded against his chest, “Okay but no…”

  “…funny stuff. What about stimulating?”

  When she playfully slapped his arm, he laughed, “Choose a different word then. You’re the writer here. I’m just clarifying my limits.”

  She looked up to ask if he were ready to go to bed now but when his head dipped toward hers, eagerly received his kiss. Knowing she’d told him to take it slow, a huge part of her only wanted to surrender completely and tell him she felt the same way he did.

  Even though she constantly refused to give in, she clung to him when he picked her up and went inside. When he asked if she wanted anything more to eat, she asked if he had any juice blended. After they drank a small glass, she smacked her lips and smiled, “Cherries, bananas, spinach, and broccoli.”

  He nodded, “Cherries are good for sleep.”

  “I know. I wrote about it in my blog.”

  After snapping his fingers, he lifted her to him as she said, “I can walk, Rich.”

  “That’s beside the point, Candice. You look exhausted and those cherries work really fast.”

  She rolled her eyes but snaked her arms around his neck, releasing him when he stopped at his bed. Toppling them both onto it, he dragged the blankets and sheets back before leaving her side.

  “I’ll get your suitcase.”

  Waiting for him to return, she flipped on the TV and settled on a local news channel. He’d just returned when a journalist announced a salmonella outbreak which had been traced to a specific manufacturer. Rich froze, “We use their spinach.”

  Looking around for his phone, he swiftly went into the living room to find he’d missed two calls and a text. He immediately called his mother who told him spinach wasn’t the only source. After a short discussion, she said they’d opted to shut down for the next couple of days while they cleared the old produce while trying to find another source.

  The news was fine by him but his gaze flew to Candice when she moaned and curled around her pillow. He told his mother he’d get back with her and said to Candice, “You drank the juice Ben brought, didn’t you?”

  She nodded, causing him to cringe and grab his laptop, “Candice, I think you may have a slight case of food poisoning instead of a Lupus flare-up.”

  He checked her forehead but it didn’t feel feverish, “It says here that it should run its course from four to seven days. You should drink plenty of fluids. I’ll try to find a different source for vegetables but, in the meantime, you should drink plenty of water. The good news is that it’s not catchy.”

  She gasped as a stomach cramp struck. Shaking her head in disbelief, she said, “This will cause a Lupus flare-up.”

  Rubbing her back, he said, “Don’t worry about the Lupus. You’ve seen worse.”

  He went to get her a bottle of water but when he returned, she was in the bathroom. He helped her back into bed afterward where she curled up in his arms. Throughout the night, he proved that he was a light sleeper. Every time she awoke with illness, he was there to comfort and aid.

  When she awoke the next morning, he was already awake and offering biscuits or crackers. She took the lightly buttered biscuit while saying, “I actually feel better. You said it lasts four days?”

  Nodding, he turned the TV to a movie and asked if she felt okay to do a little work while he went to get her father. She agreed to try so he gathered her laptop and made sure she had water and crackers by the bed, “If you want some soup, there’s plenty in the fridge but I should be back in under an hour.”

  She kissed him goodbye and settled in front of her laptop. Jumping back and forth between article and blog, she lost track of time. When she heard a car pull into the drive, she glanced at her clock and realized she felt much better. She pulled herself off the bed when she heard her uncle’s voice.

  Encountering them in the hallway, she started to ask how he felt but he beat her to it, “I heard you have food poisoning, Candice. Are you feeling any better?”

  She nodded, “A little but don’t worry about me. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m good. Rich insisted on hiring a pretty little nurse to come help.”

  Her eyes narrowed as they flew to him. He quickly said, “With your Lupus flaring at the food poisoning, I want you to rest. After all, that’s what all the sites I checked last night say. I figure the nurse can care for Uncle Mike while I care for you.”

  Uncle Mike looked on with a peculiar expression. Staring at Rich, she missed her uncle’s slight smirk as Rich continued, “Her name’s Nadia. She’ll be here shortly. Her bedside manner is impeccable.”

  A stab of jealousy struck her at the way he said it. Her uncle rerouted her thoughts when he motioned toward the bed, “The doctor said I have to rest and I’m starting to feel winded.”

  She flanked his other side, helping Rich get him to the bed. Knowing her uncle, her eyes widened at his slow movement. Always spry, she’d never seen him weakened by anything. Worried now, she asked Rich, “Can he eat some of that soup? Did you find a different source for the fruits and vegetables? That juice will be healthy for him, right?”

  Rich nodded, “He can have some soup. The doctor doesn’t want him consuming salt and we have to watch any vegetables that can thin blood.”

  The doorbell rang so Rich asked her to tuck him in while he got the door. Her uncle patted her hand, “Don’t worry about Nadia’s flirtatiousness. She visited me in the hospital. I think that’s just her bedside manner.”

  Alarmed now, Candice tried to hide her emotions but her tone signaled her disgruntled state, “I’ll be right back.”

  Spinning around, she made it to the door before a lilting laugh made her pause. Biting back a growl, she rushed forward but a wave of dizziness had her gasping as she grabbed the doorframe. Rich appeared with the petite and very pretty nurse practically hanging on his every word.

  Candice blinked rapidly, striving to correct her sense of balance, and said, “I need to lie down.”

  Rich laughed at something the nurse said, oblivious to Candice’s current distress. Candice immediately disliked the nurse, scowling at Rich as she repeated her need louder. His gaze jerked to her, “Oh, what are you still doing up? Come here. Nadia, this is Candice. She’s a victim of the salmonella outbreak, has Lupus, and is hardheaded.”

  The nurse showed a beautiful smile, “You must be Mike’s niece. He talked about you nonstop. It’s so nice to meet you. If you need a
nything, just yell. I’m used to caring for multiple patients.”

  Disarmed by the woman’s kindness, Candice nodded, “Likewise. Rich will be close by, won’t you, Sweetie?”

  At the endearment, his eyebrows flew up, “I will indeed.” Turning to the nurse, he said, “If you need help with anything, let me know.”

  Candice tensed, wanting to smack him, but grunted when he swept an arm under her knees. Cradled against him, she smiled at the nurse while trying to keep sweetness and rid the triumph from her expression. Nadia’s smile widened, “Oh, look at you. It must feel wonderful having such a handsome man dote on you.”

  Candice’s gaze flew to Rich who blushed. Her hand balled in his shirt as she said with a syrupy tone, “It definitely is. Can we take the doting into the bedroom now?”

  His chest shook with silent laughter as he moved toward his bedroom while softly saying, “Candice, do I detect a bit of jealousy?”

  Frowning, she shook her head, “What are you talking about? Jealous of what? She’s here for my uncle, right?”

  He sat her on the bed as he nodded, “She’ll also help you while I go to the local grocers and gather some stuff for juice. Don’t hesitate to call her, okay?”

  “How long is it going to take? Why can’t I come with you?”

  “It shouldn’t take long and you need bed rest too.”

  Suddenly wanting him to stay close to her, she frowned, “Okay but hurry up.”

  He kissed her forehead as if she were a little girl. She tilted her face up for a real kiss but he threw a quick goodbye over his shoulder and sauntered out the door. She watched him pause to ask if her uncle or Nadia needed anything. Grumbling as the nurse flirted with him, she pulled her laptop toward her and continued with her work.

  Chapter Eight

  Rich grinned as he swung behind the wheel of his car. Nadia was a long-time friend of the family and had no designs on him but Candice didn’t need to know that. He’d asked her to flirt outrageously with him, hoping it would cause Candice to become jealous. After speaking with her uncle, Rich had learned of the many times she’d held back tears and growled over the commercials for Smooth Moves.