by Gina Ardito
She didn’t answer my question. Instead, she asked, “Did you drive yourself here, Ms. Soto, or is there someone in the waiting room with you?”
I had no idea why that mattered, so I gave her the truth. “My boss brought me.”
“What’s his name?”
“Colin. Colin Murriere.”
She turned to the nurse. “Get him.”
“No.” I held up a hand. “Wait. Why?”
The doctor jerked her head at the nurse, who took off out of the room.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Panic grabbed me by the throat. “Why do you need to speak to Colin? You’re going to tell him I’m okay to work, right? Please? I have to be at work tonight. I don’t get paid sick leave and I can’t afford to miss a night.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Soto,” she said, “but I’m recommending you have a chest x-ray at the hospital. I think you may have broken a rib or two.”
Ariana
Something was wrong. Grandpa and I were on our way into the pizza place when his cell phone rang. He fumbled in his pocket while opening the door to Dino’s and prodding me inside.
“Grab a booth and sit while I get this, doodle,” he said as he answered the call.
“Okay.”
I slid into one of the orange booths and pulled a blue crayon from the can on the table. The tables were all covered with white paper so kids could draw all over without getting in trouble. While I began drawing minions, he stood near the order counter, talking low—too low for me to hear. That made me want to hear more. I managed to catch the words, “How bad?” and “How long?” but nothing more than that.
“Got it,” he said. “Buzz me when you’re done.” He hung up and slid into the booth across from me. “Change in plans, sweetheart. It’s just you and me for a while. Chef Colin took your mom to the doctor, and she needs some x-rays. So whaddya say we grab a couple of slices here and then go to the movies?”
Shocked, I stopped drawing and stared up at Grandpa. Mom went to the doctor? Why? Mom never went to the doctor. “Is my mom all right?”
“She’s fine. She was in an accident last night on her way home.”
“What kind of accident?”
“A little fender-bender with the bus she rides. The bus company is asking all the passengers from last night to see a doctor to make sure they’re okay.”
I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t fall for his easy explanation. Something didn’t seem right. “But she’s okay, right?” I insisted.
“You saw her this morning,” he answered, which really wasn’t an answer at all. “She was fine then, wasn’t she?”
“Uh-huh. Just tired.” And cranky because Chef Colin was in our house. I rolled the blue crayon back and forth over the crisp paper. Skritch! Skritch! I didn’t feel much like drawing anymore. “But she’s always tired.”
“She’s a busy lady.”
“But she’s gonna be okay, right?” I added again.
“She’s gonna be just fine,” he said. “I promise.”
Okay. Still, I didn’t like the idea she had to go to the doctor. She really needed someone to take care of her. I was going to have to work hard if I planned to make Chef Colin into her Prince Charming.
Lucinda
To his credit, Colin limited himself to one “I knew it” when he was ordered to take me to the emergency room. He also called Sidney, explained the situation, and asked him to keep Ariana busy away from the house until we got back. Once at the hospital, we cooled our heels for an hour or so before I was brought into an exam room and ordered to strip and put on the obligatory open-in-the-back dishtowel they called a robe. Another twenty minutes and I was wheeled to radiology for the x-ray. More time spent waiting, another trip in the wheelchair back to the ER area, and I sat and waited some more. Finally, Dr. Florentino, the E.R. doc on call, entered and introduced herself. She was younger than I expected—around my age, maybe a little older—and very pretty, with a slight resemblance to a young Julia Roberts.
“What brings you here today, Ms. Soto?”
I gave a brief rundown of my experience with the bus accident—again—and followed up with the stat center’s recommendation that I needed an x-ray to determine if I had actually fractured my rib.
“Okay,” she said. “Well, even if you have fractured your rib, it might not show up on an x-ray, but let’s start with the physical exam and we’ll take it from there.”
At her direction, I slid the hospital gown off my left shoulder and relaxed on the exam table. Although, maybe “relaxed” wasn’t the appropriate term. I reclined on the cushioned table, stiff as cheap tequila and waited for the inevitable questions. She didn’t disappoint.
Her lips pursed as her fingers trailed the white scars left by the knife blade so many years ago. “Ms. Soto, do you fear for your life at home? Are you currently being abused in any manner?”
“No,” I replied, fighting to keep from squirming.
Disappointment creased her features. “You do know the police have a list of all the victims involved in this morning’s bus accident, right?”
She was quick, I’d give her that. “I know what you’re getting at, Doctor, and I appreciate your concern. Let me see if I can move this along for us both. I was involved in an abusive relationship about eight years ago, but I got out. My hus—abuser is now dead. I really was in last night’s bus accident.”
“And the gentleman who brought you here today?”
“My boss.”
The creases relaxed, leaving her face flawless once again. “Well, that explains the older injuries I’m seeing here.” She flipped open the manila folder she’d dropped open on another counter. “And the x-ray findings in here. You did have a fractured rib. I’m guessing it’s more than five years old at this stage, based on the calcification, and healed as well as it’s going to. What you sustained in the bus accident is superficial.”
For the first time all day, I managed a smile. “So I can go to work?”
She wagged a finger at me. “Light duty for the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours.”
Once I’d shrugged the robe back into place on my shoulder, I hopped off the table. “I can do that.”
“Hold up,” she said, a hand on my wrist. “We’re not done yet.”
“What?”
Her tone was clinical, but her eyes reflected compassion and, perhaps, admiration. “You were lucky you got out alive. Do you know how close you came to dying? If that rib had splintered...”
“I know.” And I did. It was the one and only time in my life Lady Luck had shown me kindness, and I had to be grateful she chose that particular event. If Sidney hadn’t found me that night... I shivered.
“If you need anything,” she said softly, “come back here. No questions, no reports. Okay?”
I liked her. She was concerned without going into warm and fuzzy territory, skilled but not arrogant, and asked the right questions without coming off as nosy. “Thanks. But I’m good. Really.”
“Okay, then. Get dressed and I’ll see you out.”
A few minutes later, the doctor walked me down the hall and slapped the steel panel to open the automatic doors between the ER and the waiting room.
My shadow hadn’t even crossed the landing when Colin shot to his feet and rushed toward us. “Well?”
“I’m fine. I can work.” I resisted the urge to add, “So there.”
“Restricted duty,” Dr. Florentino added. “No lifting anything over fifteen pounds for the next several days.”
“What about the rib fracture?” he asked her.
I waved a hand, eager to get home now that I had my clean bill of health. “Old news.”
“Good luck, Ms. Soto,” the doctor said and turned to head back through the double doors.
I thanked the doctor and practically skipped out of the hospital.
“Wait. Hold up,” Colin called, catching me outside the entrance, near the curb. “What did you mean ‘old news,’ Lucie?”
Walki
ng at top speed through the parking lot to his car a few rows back, I tossed over my shoulder, “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
He stopped in the road, forcing a taxi to drive around him, horn blaring. “How’d you get the doctor to give you an okay?”
“Secret handshake,” I retorted. “It’s a girl thing.”
“Bull.”
I reached the car and waited beside the passenger door, hands on my hips. “So then, if you don’t believe that, she must have been telling the truth about my condition, right? I mean, it’s not like I could bribe her to lie.” The wind roared, and I bounced on my toes to keep warm in the chilly air. “Will you unlock the doors already? I’m freezing here.”
The alarm beeped, and the lock clicked. Opening the door, I practically dove into the passenger seat. I sat there , teeth chattering, while Colin took his sweet-ass time walking around before climbing into the driver’s seat. Once he slammed the door closed, he remained immobile, saying nothing, this goofy expectant look on his face.
“Come on,” I said. “Start the car. I want to get home before Ari shows up.”
“Not ‘til you tell me why your fractured rib is ‘old news.’”
My face burned. “That’s none of your business.”
“You don’t have to tell me.” His eyes narrowed to slits. “Rob did it to you, right?”
I shrugged. “Let’s just say he enjoyed kicking me when I was down.”
“Jee-zus.” He gripped the steering wheel, white-knuckled, his head bent toward the dashboard. “And Sidney knew?”
The fact he didn’t look at me helped give me the courage to provide the barest facts about that miserable night. “It was only the one time...”
“What happened the one time?”
I shook my head, lips clamped shut. I couldn’t say more. The details were too gruesome. Only Sidney and I knew what happened that night—along with the ER staff who kept me alive.
“Please,” I murmured. “Don’t make me revisit that night, okay?”
He looked at me then, his eyes misty. Or maybe the tears filling mine made his appear that way. “Okay,” he said through a roughened throat.
With a push of the button, he started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
Once we reached my house, Colin pulled into the driveway, cut the engine and placed a hand on mine before I could open the door.
“Please. Let me help you.”
Buried in the dark of my memories, I pulled away from the light he offered. “I don’t need your help.”
“I know. But I need to do this.”
Understanding dawned. Sidney had reacted the same way for the longest time after that horrible night—as if seeing the brutality one man could inflict, he had to prove to me (and himself) that a real man was more apt to gentle behavior. I didn’t particularly like playing injured damsel, but I understood the reason. Resettling into the passenger seat, I dropped my hands to my lap. “Okay.”
When he opened my car door, he leaned in and wrapped one arm around my waist. The scent of warm male skin drew me in. How long had it been since I allowed myself to fall into a man’s strong arms? At least one husband ago. I sank into him without thinking twice. He never staggered or stumbled as he swept me out of the car and toward the front door—almost in a dance. The man had always moved with this perfect grace—another quality I used to love but now resented in him.
My imagination raced backward to a night club called Promises, Promises and a hot summer evening when I danced with the hottest guy in the place. His hands were planted on my rocking hips, pinning me to his hard gyrating pelvis. Heavy drumbeats thundered from the club’s multitude of speakers, but couldn’t compete with the way my heart hammered. My throat and mouth dried to dust, and I licked my lips as I stared up into eyes that seemed to bare every secret locked in my soul. He dipped his head, drew me closer, and he kissed me right there in the middle of the dance floor. In that one perfect moment, the world melted away, and I knew I would never again fall in love so hard, so fast, so much.
“Got your key?” he asked, drawing me back into the present.
“Huh? Yeah. Right.” I fumbled in my purse and found the house key, handing it over to him.
After pushing open the front door, he brought me into the living room and sat me on the couch, leaning close as he settled me against the lumpy cushions. God, he smelled good! His breath mingled with mine, and my lips parted. Just a taste. A quick taste...
“Lucie?” My mom called from the kitchen. “Is that you?”
I snapped back against the sofa, but I was no match for Colin in speed. He jerked away and straightened to stand over me.
“Uh-huh,” I called back.
“Where were you guys?” The question preceded Mom’s emergence in the doorway by seconds. She stopped in mid-stride and looked at Colin. “You’re still here? Where are Ariana and Sidney?”
I would have expected her to show a little more animosity toward him. Until I remembered, she’d seen him this morning with Sidney while I was sleeping off the effects of the bus accident. Boy, I would have loved to witness that showdown. but I had more important matters to discuss with her. I had to come clean.
“Mom? Could you sit down please? I need to tell you something.”
Her eyes turned to flint while she inched her way to the chair, never averting her gaze from Colin. “What? What’s wrong? Where’s Ariana?”
“She’s fine,” I assured her. “She’s with Sidney at the movies.”
Her tension visibly grew. Her hands clutched the arms of the chair, and she perched on the edge of the cushion. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I replied. “Actually, it’s kind of good news.”
She didn’t so much as blink. “Uh-huh...”
I gave her a brief rundown of the bus accident, which earned me a blistering commentary on my early morning deception, and followed up with the events of the afternoon. When I reached the end, she glared at Colin for a good long minute, then her face broke into a smile. “Thank you for caring enough to insist my idiot daughter see a doctor.”
“You’re welcome,” he murmured, ducking his head.
She stood, without a glance in my direction, and headed straight for Colin. She gave him a huge, squishy hug and kissed his cheek. “Come into the kitchen. I’ll make coffee.”
“I’m fine, thanks,” I snapped.
Mom’s attention zipped to me. “No thanks to your own stupidity. If it hadn’t been for Colin...” She actually patted his shoulder.
I’d seen enough. Clamping my lips around a frown, I eased off the couch. “I’m going to jump in the shower before work.” The only benefit of this exchange: I could leave these two alone and not come back to find blood on the walls.
Chapter 8
Ariana
When Grandpa brought me home after the movie, I found Chef Colin sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee with Grandma. They were whispering to each other, and the serious expressions on their faces made me shiver.
“Heidy-ho!” Grandpa Sidney called out.
Immediately, Chef Colin and Grandma yanked away from each other and forced these smiles that looked totally fake. That scared me even more.
“Where’s Mommy?” I asked.
“She’s getting ready for work,” Chef Colin said.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s got some bruises,” Grandma said as she rose from her chair. “But she’s going to be just fine. She needs to rest a lot, so she’ll need some help with all the work she does around here. ”
I didn’t hesitate. “I’ll help her.”
“I know you will,” she said, then turned to Grandpa Sidney. “Sidney, thanks for taking care of Ari for us. I’ll walk you out.” She led him out of the kitchen, whispering to him in low tones like she had with Chef Colin.
I looked at him as they left the room, trying to measure the truth in his expression. “Is Mommy really going to be all right?”
“With your he
lp,” he said, “she’ll be fine in no time. Your grandmother’s going to help, too. And so will I. By the time we’re all finished taking care of her, your mom will be good as new.”
Hope sparkled like fireworks inside me. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? “You’re gonna help us take care of Mom?”
“Mmm-hmm. Abuela and I were just discussing that when you came in. Mom’s not allowed to do any heavy lifting so that’s where I come in.”
I knew he was prince material! If he helped take care of Mom, I’d be able to teach him all he needed to know to be her perfect Prince Charming. I couldn’t believe it. This made my plan so much easier. I felt bad Mom was hurt, but if all she needed was to rest, and with all of us to pitch in to help, she’d be better soon.
“When do we start?” I asked, fighting to keep from bouncing on my toes with excitement.
“Right now. I’m going to need an apprentice maître d’. Are you up for the job?”
“Yes!” I didn’t bother to fight the need to bounce now. “Yes, yes, yes!”
“You’ll need a uniform. White shirt, black pants or a black skirt. Got anything in your closet like that?”
I stopped bouncing to think. “I’m not sure.” Actually, I knew I didn’t, but I hoped I could come up with something.
“Not sure about what?” Grandma said as she came back into the kitchen.
Chef Colin looked up from my worried face. “Ari needs a white shirt and black pants for work tonight.”
I grabbed his hand before Grandma could tell me no. “I’ll find something. Really.”
“Does she have anything like that?” he asked my grandmother.
Grandma shook her head. “She had a white blouse and black skirt from last year’s spring concert, but there’s no way it’s going to fit her this year.”
No! I was watching my dream slip away because of a dumb outfit.
Chef Colin sighed. “I’m afraid, then, I’ll have to come up with another alternative.”
I was going to cry. I just knew it. I couldn’t let him change his mind. It meant too much for me to be there. I had to find something to wear. “Please, Chef,” I begged. “I’ll dig out last year’s outfit. Maybe it still fits.” I’d make it fit.