by Michelle, T.
“I didn’t say anything about being paid.” He smiled.
Before Tabitha could form a response, he moved off into the trees, whistling for his dog. Kristen pulled up behind Jared and bounced out. Tabitha smiled and shook her head at the foolishness.
She’d always loved being around Kristen from the moment she’d seen her hanging upside down on the monkey bars in kindergarten. None of the other kids would even attempt to sit on the top much less hang by the knees. Then some boy had yanked one of Kristen’s golden ponytails and down she’d come, hard. But, she’d found her feet and beat that boy to a pulp before the teachers could get her off of him.
From that day forward the two had been inseparable. They became known as the Trouble Twins – Kristen the boldly mischievous, Tabby the more reserved, crafty one. They were at the complete opposite ends of the spectrum from each other, all the way down to looks. Kristen was taller, around 5’8” and built like Marilyn Monroe – all curves and sex appeal with golden hair that hung down her back and big smoky blue eyes. She laughed loudly, went for everything with gusto, and was loyal to a fault.
Tabitha, however, faltered a bit on this scale. She was small – the smallest member of her family, standing all of 5’3” and barely filling out a size 3 jean. Even though she wasn’t completely lacking, she had no hourglass figure to boast of, in fact, when puberty had struck them (Kristen more so than Tabitha) she had borrowed Kristen’s bras to stuff. What she did have was a good dose of the family’s American Indian and Irish genes coursing through her blood blessing her with black, glistening hair and round, piercing blue eyes. Not that she paid heed to it anymore, but it usually brought her more than enough attention in the absence of a long pair of legs.
Kristen popped up alongside her, hoisting the large black bear further up on her hip. “Where do you want this?”
They made their way into the house and deposited the plants and animals in the guest bedroom. Kristen raised the blinds covering one of the windows and they both stared out at the man playing catch with Sam.
“Jesus, he is beautiful, isn’t he?” Kristen breathed.
“You should go for him.” Tabitha turned her back on the scene and busied herself situating the stuffed animals about the room.
“Why don’t you?” Kristen flopped onto the bed, snagging Tabby’s wrist and dragging her down as well. “He seems to have an affinity for you.” She waggled her eyebrows up and down.
“Oh, please. I’m just his pet project. He probably feels sorry for me because his dog did the damage.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yep.”
“I don’t agree. Would he really be setting you up with a place to stay and a job just because his dog attacked you?” Kristen began braiding Tabby’s hair, a habit she’d had since grade school. “The signs posted at the front of the drive definitely exonerated him from liability. You entered at your own risk.”
That was true, however Jared’s behavior reeked of guilt.
“God, I could sleep for a week on this bed.” Kristen slid down, flopping the long plait over Tabitha’s shoulder and nuzzling up next to her.
“I know. I love it.”
“How long do you think he’ll let you stay?”
“He said I’d be covering the phones while he takes the remainder of his vacation. I guess a week or two. That should be plenty of time to find a waitressing job or something.”
Kristen pointedly looked at the arm casted and hung from a sling about Tabitha’s neck then rolled her eyes. She found the energy to remove herself from the seductive confines of the bed. “Okay, kiddo. I need to get going. My clients are throwing a fit at my absence this past week.”
Tabitha walked her out to the sleek black Mercedes. “Kris, you didn’t have to do this, you know.”
“I know – but you would have done the same for me. I’ll call you tomorrow. Don’t do too much.” She folded herself behind the wheel, waving behind the windshield.
“Thank you. Be careful!”
Tabitha watched her drive off then turned to the task of locating her backpack. The house seemed different somehow. She seemed removed from it all. She shoved her unhampered hand into the pocket of the jeans Kristen had brought up for her. In fact, she had brought two pair up to the hospital room one night to replace the torn ones Tabitha had been wearing. Kristen was the most thoughtful, caring friend she could have ever asked for.
“You want me to put this in the bedroom for you?” Tabitha looked up at Jared’s question and saw the backpack dangling from his hand.
“Yes, please.” She followed him down the hall and unpacked her belongings into the whitewashed dresser and closet. Jared stood, leaning against the edge of the door while she did this, content to study her movements.
“You’re moving well.” Suddenly he clapped his hands together loudly. “Okay – you should get started on Monday that will give you the weekend to relax. Let the fun begin.” He heaved himself off his post and sauntered out of the room. Tabitha suddenly felt like maybe she’d bitten off more than she could chew.
The office was located to the left of the bathroom at the end of the L-shaped hallway. It was as pristinely organized as everything else in Jared’s life and she found it easy to maneuver about. It was a large room, boasting several filing cabinets and two huge desks: one set up for working manually at, the other for the computer.
Tabitha had not done much work on a computer and spent the first week familiarizing herself with it as well as her boss’ preferences. For the most part, he was easy to work for. He came and went, sometimes leaving the house for long periods of time, made long, difficult phone calls regarding his patient load, and taught her how to use the book-balancing software and file paperwork away.
By week number two, Tabitha was on a roll. Even with the one-arm handicap, she managed to keep the office running smoothly. At night, she usually made herself a small bowl of cereal or fruit if Jared wasn’t home then crawled into bed. She slept soundly – the nightmare not haunting her for a change. On Wednesday, Tabitha woke feeling energized and decided to dress a bit better, now that she could manage somewhat without the use of her left arm.
She decided on a pair of jeans and turquoise tank top with a built in bra. Trying to fasten a bra with only one hand was impossible. Plus, that way at lunchtime, she could take Sam for a walk. She couldn’t manage to tie her hair up, so she brushed it until the blue-black shine cascaded down her back. A little makeup was applied to her cheeks, eyes and lips. She felt good for the first time in three weeks.
She patted Sam’s head as she passed him in the hall. They’d become good friends in the past days, having spent many a night together. At first, it was difficult. Tabitha’s fear would skyrocket at the sight of the dog, but now, she realized that he was essentially harmless. He’d just been trying to defend his homestead that night. They took walks together, played catch, and at night he slept at the foot of her bed if Jared wasn’t home, which made her feel safe in the darkness.
The phone rang as she entered the kitchen. It wasn’t yet time for office hours, so Tabitha let the machine get it.
“Jared, it’s Amanda. Give me a call.” Ah, The Girlfriend. Or that’s what Tabitha assumed she was. Amanda was the person he’d been talking to right before she’d been taken to the hospital. She called every day or two and that usually signified Jared being in a bad mood and indisposed for the night.
Tabitha found she liked the isolation her location brought her - the starry nights, no traffic or city noise. Plus, it wasn’t as though she were stranded. Her car had been fixed while she was in the hospital – a new radiator, hood, fender and bumper, along with a brand new back axle and set of tires. Her first week as Jared’s employee, the car had been repainted and now she drove an emerald green Camry. It felt like a new car. Even though she couldn’t manage to drive too much, there was cause for a cruise to the store on occasion.
She hadn’t had time to sit d
own and go over all the bills she’d accumulated with Jared. In fact, they had yet to determine when her last day working for him would be. With it being the middle of the second week, she knew it was time to approach him on the matter.
The day went as they all did: she was able to fend off the calls, schedule a few appointments, retrieve the mail from the end of the drive, and update the records. A cool breeze had blown in, lowering the temperature to the tolerable upper 80’s and at dusk she ventured out to the local market to pick up some groceries and much needed dog food. Sam ate like a horse. Jared was just entering the house when she pulled up behind his SUV. She slipped the handles of the three plastic bags around her right wrist and hefted herself out of the car.
As she came up the porch, Jared stepped to one side, creating a steeple with his arm as he pushed the screen door open for her. He looked down at her with one of his rare, although becoming more frequent, smiles. “Did you have a good day?”
She stopped. “Yes. Nothing much to report. No emergencies.” She took a step to move past him.
“I thought I’d cook dinner tonight. Hawaiian chicken, steamed vegetables. What do you think?” He snatched the bags from her arm. “Feel like having dinner with the boss tonight?”
That surprised her. “Amanda called, I thought you’d be going out again tonight so I picked up a frozen pizza.”
Tabitha thought she saw a spark of anger flash in his eyes. “Nah, I’m too tired. I thought I’d stay here the rest of the weekend and just relax a bit.”
They moved into the house. Tabitha let a couple observations she’d had come to the surface. “I was under the impression that you were supposed to have been relaxing for the past two weeks.”
He slid into one of the dining chairs as she poured out some dry food for the dog. “That didn’t happen. Had a couple of problems to deal with so the vacation idea, as usual, went flying out the window.”
She stood up from the crouch she’d been in and turned towards him. “Then what have I been here for?”
He just stared at her and folded his arms over his chest. Whenever he took that pose, Tabitha had to find something else to look at. Crossing his arms revealed the fine cut of his biceps and forearms, it bunched up the muscles in his broad chest, too.
“Would you hand me a beer?”
Even though she’d seen the six-pack in the fridge, she hadn’t seen him drink, assuming it was for guests or something. She passed a bottle to him and seated herself across the table.
“Jared, we need to discuss how much longer you will need me here.” She studied the fingers of her hand where they protruded from the cast. They were finally resuming their natural shape and color.
Jared continued to stare at her for what seemed like eternity.
“Hello?” She prompted.
He finished off the beer then moved around the table to retrieve another one. “Well, in order to get some semblance of time off, I’m going to have to do it in spurts and since I figure you’ve still got about three and half weeks left in that cast, you could just remain here until your arm heals.” He didn’t retake his seat at the dining table, choosing rather to stand with his hip leaned against the corner of the kitchen counter.
There was really no reason not to stay and help out. She enjoyed the quiet, the lack of boredom and the $400.00 Jared gave her at the end of every week. It enabled her to pay some toward her bills, make her auto insurance payment, deposit into her meager savings and still have a little spending money. Two more days and she’d have another paycheck to put towards the debt. With three more weeks of work, she’d have over a thousand. That was good money for her, more than she would have been making at the Ropes Academy.
Her parents wouldn’t be worried. She’d cheated by buying some postcards in town and sending them off periodically during the last two weeks. Her mother wouldn’t know the difference in that the campsite was actually located on the other side of Austin from Giddings. She’d finally be proud that Tabitha had accomplished something she’d set out to do. Of course, she’d have to eventually come clean to her parents, but she wasn’t up to the task just yet.
“Okay.” She answered. “I’d like to give you some money out of my pay this week. You know, to go towards hospital charges and your fee.”
“I don’t think all the paperwork has been completed yet. I’ll check with the hospital on Monday, but I’m positive they haven’t gotten an itemized statement put together.”
“It’s been two weeks!” Tabitha didn’t think hospitals normally delayed on billing out to patients.
“I know, but they usually don’t set an account up until 30 days after a patient leaves.”
Tabitha grasped at a wild urge and helped herself to one of his beers. The cold liquid felt good sliding down her throat, cooling her belly. As she passed by him, he made as if to say something to her, but hesitated. She stopped and looked at him expectantly, wondering what was going on in those bright green eyes of his as he just blankly stared at her again.
“You look like an elf.”
She blinked. “Pardon me?”
His hand slid down a strand of her hair. “You know, a pixie. You’re so small with that pitch black hair and those saucer-sized blue eyes.”
What was he doing? She stood rooted to the spot trying to figure out his motives.
“I’ve been called an elf all my life. Mostly by my family. I’m the smallest by about 4 inches and 30 pounds.”
“Yeah, you are a tiny thing.”
“Thanks for the reminder.” He still had a hold of her hair, so she wasn’t about to risk it being pulled by moving away.
Jared seemed to come to some sort of decision in his head. He dropped his hand and took another swig of beer. “I just thought that it probably isn’t prudent for you to drink too much, being so small.”
To that, she answered by pulling a large amount of the amber liquid into her mouth, making her cheeks bulge, before gulping it down. She slipped out the back door and plunked down on the porch swing. When were people going to stop reminding her of things she shouldn’t or couldn’t do? It was impossible to get away from. Almost as if no one thought she had the faculties to make those decisions for herself.
She must have sat outside for over an hour before the next thing she new, Jared was calling out through the open door that dinner was done. The one can of beer had relaxed her though and she moseyed her way back in to the house.
“Is there anything I can do?” He’d already set the table, piled the plates high with meat and veggies and was cutting up some bread.
“Grab us a couple more beers, Chugger.” He responded without looking up.
Apparently he’d gotten over his worry that she’d give herself alcohol poisoning. She snagged two more bottles, noticing that he’d put another six-pack in to chill.
Jared shoveled a couple of bites in his mouth, still impressing Tabitha that as quickly as he ate, he did so with impeccable manners. She was apparently watching him intently and when he looked up, he called her on it. “Do you not like the food?”
“What? Oh, no. It’s fine. I was just thinking.” She pushed some cauliflower on to her fork.
“What were you thinking about?”
She swallowed the bite. “Nothing in particular.” Her face was getting redder by the second.
He grunted and refocused on his food.
They finished at the same time; Jared’s plate wiped clean, hers still half full. Jared pushed back away from the table, pressing his back into the chair. “Oh, much better.” He exclaimed on a sigh. He’d emptied another beer and went to get a fresh one. By her count, he was working on his fifth now.
“Hey, do you mind clearing the table?” He called out. She shook her head at him. “Just pile the dishes in the sink, I’ll get them later.”
He headed outside, calling Sam after him. Tabitha decided to attempt loading the dishwasher. It was a bit rough going, but not too bad. A couple of times she chased a plate around the basin with the
scrubber, but corralling her temper allowed her to back the damned thing up into a corner and attack it clean. By the time she’d finished, her slight beer buzz was gone. She opted for another to revive the warm, fuzzy feeling.
She joined Jared on the back porch where he was lazily tossing a stick out over Sam’s head and waiting for the Mastiff to bring it back.
He held out a hand to help her sink down on to the first step next to him. Between the arm in a sling and the bottle filling up her other hand, it was the only way she was going to sit down without the risk of falling.
“It’s going to be a nice evening. Woo!” He suddenly exclaimed, leaning back and slapping a leg. “Man, I needed this after the week I’ve had.”
Tabitha sat in stunned silence. Was he really talking about something as mundane as the weather and work? She figured she’d better catch up to the good buzz he obviously had going and knocked back the beer in her grip.
It took awhile before he spoke again, both of them comfortable to sit in the solitude surrounding them. “What do you think about when you’re out here?”
Tabitha didn’t know how to respond to such a deep question. Especially coming from the seemingly emotionally stunted man sitting next to her. “Well, I guess I try not to.”
“I think about how badly I’ve abused myself.” He took a swig of beer. “And about how much I hate the city - the people, the traffic, the steel and cement. I just hate it.”
“Then why don’t you move out here?”
“If it were only that easy.” He sounded angry at something.
“Nothing’s easy. But, I don’t see why a successful doctor can’t move his practice.” Not being able to move didn’t make any sense to her at all.
“It’s not my patients.”
“Then what?”
“Amanda.”
“Ah, The Girlfriend.” He sent a questioning look and laughed a bit at her label.