by Riley Baxter
“How about we do a conference call in a month to set up next year’s vacation destination?” Rachel suggested completing the circle. “I had a blast with you guys as usual,”
“Alright Sisters, if it’s meant to be, Myles and I will see each other again,” Kayla said with a sigh. “In the meantime, I’ll have my assistant send you all meeting invite for our conference call when I get back to the office on Monday.”
Two hours later, the sisters formed another circle at the airport to say their, “see you laters” Kissing and hugging, the girls headed off with Kayla and Rachel heading back to Ohio. Reia, Caressa, and Jocelyn headed to their cars in the long-term parking garage.
They had another memorable vacation together and couldn’t wait to plan the next one.
~Chapter Seventeen~
Myles and his Grandpa had scheduled their return flight for later in the day, so they could do some sightseeing in Orlando. But Myles hadn’t been in the mood to sightsee, he still felt aggravated about not meeting up with Kayla. Their time together had meant a lot to him, and he’d wanted to see her beyond the cruise. They hadn’t even exchanged phone numbers. He’d decided to make sure he located her when they returned to Ohio. He’d surmised that since they only lived an hour away from each other, how hard could it really be?
Now, two months later, Myles was starting to believe that maybe it was hard to bump into Kayla even with their small location distance. Since returning from vacation, it seemed as if the word had spread about his abilities as a surgeon. His patients had increased, and he was feeling as if he hadn’t taken a vacation at all. His days were spent either in surgery or surgery consults. His nights were filled with visual reels of his time spent between Kayla’s luscious legs.
This nightly reminder of her also caused him to wonder why he hadn’t forgotten about her yet. He even laughed when he remembered their disastrous introduction. “How did I go from wanting to wring her neck to wanting to penetrate her with a ring on my cock?” he muttered to himself as he reviewed notes from his patient’s previous surgery.
“Dr. Feelgood, your 12:30 pm is here,” Cathy called from his doorway.
“Ok, thanks, Cathy. Send them on in,” Myles said.
“Sure thing, Doctor,” Cathy replied grinning at him.
Myles had noticed how Cathy looked at him since he’d returned from vacation. Grandpa Feelgood had insisted that his assistant might have a crush on him. He’d have to keep an eye on her to make sure no lines were crossed. He liked her, but he wasn’t interested in any romantic involvement with her, he only had eyes for a certain spitfire he’d affectionately named, Honey Bee. No other woman would do at this point. He wondered just what his Honey Bee was up to right this minute as stood up to greet the man entering his office.
At that moment, Kayla had just picked up her office phone. Her assistant informed her of a conference call holding but didn’t provide any other details. Using her professional voice, she stated, “Hello, this is Ms. Banks. How can K.M.B. assist you today?”
“Kayla, cut the damn professional tone, it’s us,” Rachel yelled through the phone.
“What the HELL is going on that we’re on a conference call again? We just talked last month and set up our next vacation,” Kayla said annoyed by Rachel’s tone. Then she heard sniffling. “Who’s crying, what’s going on, did somebody die?” she fired off in rapid succession.
“Slow down Kayla, one question at a time,” Jocelyn stated “First off, Caressa is crying. Second, a lot is going on. And third, no nobody died. Caressa, you want to tell her what’s going on?”
Next, she heard more sniffling. “Kayla, I think we’re gonna have to reconsider our plans for next year,” Caressa admitted sadly.
“Uh, ok that’s not a problem. But Sis, what’s going on? I need more info than that. You’re starting to scare me,” Kayla said with concern.
More sniffling.
“Ok, obviously Caressa is too damn emotional to say it, so I will do it for her,” Reia came on now. “Kayla, Caressa is pregnant. We’re gonna be aunties again!”
“Pregnant, what the hell? Caressa, stop crying and tell me how you got knocked up,” Kayla said.
“I blame you and Rachel for this damn baby,” Caressa whined through her tears.
“WHAT?” Rachel and Kayla exclaimed at the same time.
“Yep, it’s both of your faults, and I want child support and babysitting commitments from both of you,” Caressa demanded.
“Let’s get back on track here, I’ve got to get back to work,” Jocelyn stated.
“Ok, picture this,” Caressa started, “It was the afternoon after we returned from the cruise. I had the day off work and little did I know, but Brian had also taken the day off work. He surprised me by bringing me lunch from Bubba Gumps. Y’all know how much I love fresh seafood. Well, so does Brian and he missed me so much that after eating his strawberry shortcake off me, he proceeded to remind me of what absence does to a starved man. That damn man knocked me up that day when he forgot the condom in his haste to reacquaint us. The doctor confirmed this afternoon that I’m eight weeks. There you have it, baby before ring. This is so not how I expected it to go!” Caressa cried harder.
“Damn it, Caressa, will you stop all the tears and the Ms. Sophia impersonation,” Kayla chided. “Brian is going to marry you. He loves you, and if you would see the blessing of this baby, you would know that this is anything but the defeated outcome you are acting like it is. Now I’ve got to get back to work, I have an actual conference call in the next fifteen minutes, and I need to prepare. Call me later Sisters.”
“I completely agree with Kayla even though she didn’t express it in the politest way,” Reia came on. “But we all know it’s because she’s missing you know who but won’t admit it.”
Ignoring Reia’s comment, Kayla promised to touch base that evening and hung up going back to her work day. But instead of getting back to work, Kayla sat staring out of the window replaying her time with Myles. She was missing him and his Feelgood magic. “I’ve got to track that man down, enough time has passed now.” But before she could harp on it too long, Rachel entered her office for their business conference call. They had a potential client to vet, and it required both of their input.
~Chapter Eighteen~
Two weeks later...
Kayla and Rachel were in Springfield, meeting face to face with the client from the conference call two weeks prior. The meeting had been successful, and they’d set up a follow-up meeting in another two weeks to discuss logistics. Excited about how well the meeting went, Kayla and Rachel proceeded to her car.
As they were exiting the elevator in the outdoor parking structure, Kayla wasn’t watching her step and missed the hump on the ground. She yelled out in pain and fell to the cement reaching for her right foot.
“Kayla, oh my God are you ok, talk to me!” Rachel exclaimed bending down in front of her.
“I can’t move, my foot Rachel, and my ankle. Oh god, it hurts!” Kayla cried.
Panicked, Rachel immediately dialed 911 and told the dispatcher to send an ambulance. She relayed to them what had occurred and hung up when the dispatcher confirmed that medics were in route to their location.
Twenty minutes later, the ambulance was in route to the E.R. at Mercy Health. Still crying, Kayla looked down to see that her right foot was severely swollen. The swelling had forced the EMTs to cut off her pump.
“Ma’am, we’ll have you at the hospital in a few minutes. I’m sorry we can’t give you anything for the pain. But we think it’s best to wait until the doctors evaluate you before administering any medication. Can you tell me what happened, so we can relay it to the hospital staff upon arrival?” the female EMT asked.
“I was walking to my car with my friend and felt a pull on my foot as I wasn’t paying attention. I have never felt anything like it before, and it’s excruciating. Is anything broken?” Kayla cried.
“I can’t tell if anything is broken based on al
l of the swelling. You swelled up fast, and that’s very concerning to us at this time. The doctor’s will x-ray you and provide you with more information. Is there anyone we need to call for you?” the EMT asked.
“No, my friend is behind us in my car, she’ll contact everyone once we know what’s going on. Thank you for your kindness.”
Just then, the ambulance pulled into the emergency room entrance. The EMT’s took Kayla into an open room. Kayla heard them briefing the nurse on what had occurred.
Once they were done, the nurse came in to take her vitals. “Hi Ms. Banks, my name is Sasha, and I’ll be taking your vitals as well as taking you down for an x-ray. When we come back, the on-call doctor will come in to see you.”
“Ok, how long do I have to wait before you can give me some pain medication? I’m in a lot of pain,” Kayla whined.
At that moment, Rachel walked into the room concern etched all over her face. “Kayla, you have my heart racing. What are they saying? Do I need to call your parents?”
“Rachel calm down, please. And hold off on calling my parents for now. I don’t want to worry them just yet,” Kayla said uncertainly.
“Ok, Ms. Banks I’m ready to take you for x-rays now. Let’s see what’s going on with your foot,” Nurse Sasha said as an aide came in with a wheelchair.
A half hour later, Kayla was back in her room and waiting for the on-call doctor to come in to see her. “Rachel, how long are they going to make me suffer? This really hurts, can you see what’s taking so long,” she whined.
“Ok, let me see what the holdup is,” Rachel stated moving to the door.
Five minutes later, Rachel and the nurse walked in and neither made direct eye contact.
Kayla instantly knew something was wrong. “Just tell me, neither of you are looking at me, so I know it’s bad.”
“Ms. Banks, you tore the ligaments in your right ankle. They are so badly torn that we must begin prepping you for surgery. I’m sorry,” the nurse said looking away from her.
Thirty minutes later, a drugged and dazed Kayla sat in pre-op waiting for the surgeon to come see her. In walked a handsome doctor who looked to be in his early 60s. He put her in the mind of Kevin Costner. “Hi Ms. Banks, I’m Dr. Palmer, and I’ll be performing your surgery today. You managed to tear the ligaments in your foot, and I need to go in and correct that damage to prevent any long-term effects. The surgery should be over within two hours if all goes well. Do you have any questions for me?”
“Nope, let’s get this show on the road,” Kayla stated, ignoring her fear.
“I will stop in the waiting room to talk with the family before surgery. And then I will make sure I’m back to round on her when the surgery is over,” Dr. Palmer stated to Myles.
Myles nodded at the doctor as he walked into the operating room. He’d only been briefed on the patient’s condition. Dr. Palmer had another emergency with a patient and called him in for this, knowing he was already in the hospital visiting a follow up patient that he’d operated on. He’d agreed to do the surgery for Dr. Palmer knowing that he might have to cash in the favor at another time. “Alright ladies and gentlemen, let’s get to work. Is our patient still under?”
“Yes, Dr. Feelgood, she seems to be a hard sleeper, so I’ve only had to adjust her anesthesia slightly,” the anesthesiologist stated.
“Ok great. Let’s get started then, scalpel,” Myles prompted reaching for the instrument.
~Chapter Nineteen~
Three weeks post-surgery…
Driven by Rachel, Kayla arrived at Elite Orthopedics for her post-surgical follow up. Dr. Palmer had come in to see her once she was moved to a room after she’d left recovery. He’d informed her that she would have this follow up.
“I appreciate you driving me here Rachel. I would have had to hire a driver to bring me here to Springfield. I’ll treat you to lunch once we leave, ok?” Kayla said walking into the office.
Rachel, walking in front of Kayla held open the door for her as she zoomed through on her scooter. “Of course, what is a sister for? But you know I like expensive meals.” She chuckled.”
Kayla’s fall caused her to pay closer attention to everything on the ground these days. It had been a rough road these past three weeks. Last week, she sent Rachel and one of her senior administrators back to Springfield to handle their newest client. The charge nurse at the hospital had informed her that she would be off work for a minimum of eight weeks. Coming to the desk, she grabbed the pen, then she heard a familiar voice laughing and talking.
“Cathy, get out of here, you know we can’t do that right now. Maybe we can take care of that once I finish my scheduled appointments,” Myles said oblivious to Kayla staring at him.
Kayla couldn’t believe that Myles was standing here. After all this time, she was now in the same room with him. Then to see him flirting with his assistant? Guess he’s gotten over me and our week together meant nothing to him. I should have known better.
The nurse at the desk looked up and spoke politely, “Welcome to Elite, what’s your name and which doctor are you here to see?”
“Uh, uh, my name is Kayla Banks and—and, I’m sorry what else did you a-ask?” Kayla stuttered out.
Myles looked stunned and shot his gaze over at the receptionist’s desk. “Honey Bee?”
Rachel witnessing the transaction taking place in front of her started laughing. “I’ll be damned. What are the odds? None other than Dr. Feelgood!”
Kayla still silently reeling from Myles encounter with his assistant decided that she couldn’t be seen by any doctor here. “I’m sorry, I’ll need to cancel my appointment for today as well as have my records transferred elsewhere. I can’t be seen by any of your doctors. Have a good day.” With that, she started slowly backing away from the desk. But she only got so far before her little scooter was stopped halting her retreat towards the door.
“Kayla, are you really going to act like you don’t see me or heard me call you?” Myles asked looking aggravated by her actions.
“Seems to me you were pretty occupied, so it shouldn’t matter to you one way or another,” Kayla snapped angrily.
“Listen, why don’t you come to my office and we can talk? I think we have some unfinished business,” Myles stated with raised brows.
“How about you and Cathy finish your discussion and you pretend like you didn’t see me today?” She snatched her arm out of his hand and proceeded out the door.
Rachel still smirking from what she witnessed, patted Myles on the back. “Guess YOU gon learn today, not to Fuck wit Kay,” with that said she laughed and went after Kayla.
Kayla sat in the car fuming all the way back to Powell. She couldn’t believe she was in Myles’ practice. She also couldn’t understand his conversation with his assistant Cathy. At that moment, her brain brought their discussion regarding his having difficulty forming romantic relationships as well as his thoughts on Cathy. Unable to keep quiet anymore she busted out with, “How dare that bastard act like we meant nothing to him? Did you see how cozy he was with that Cathy? What the fuck was that? He spent a week between my legs telling me how he wanted to see me beyond the cruise, yet he made no attempts to let his actions walk faster than his legs!”
Treading lightly not to set Kayla off further, Rachel tried to diffuse the situation as she pointed out, “Now Kayla, you didn’t put forth any effort to find Myles either. You can’t put it all off on him. And the way he had you wide open on the cruise I expected you to track him down in Springfield already.”
“Whose fucking side are you on? I didn’t ask your ass all of that!” Kayla exclaimed still pissed off.
Throwing up one of her hands and trying to still be conscious of the need to be in control of the wheel, Rachel decided this was not an argument she needed. “How about we call the others and get their opinions? I’m not about to be the only one in the cathouse.”
“Fine, we’ll call them as soon as we get to my house,” Kayla grumbled.
/> An hour later, Kayla was no happier than she’d been at Myles’ office or the car ride home.
Reia, Caressa, and Jocelyn agreed with Rachel’s assessment. They had told Kayla that she had to own some of the responsibility if she’d wanted to see Myles beyond the cruise.
Kayla huffed. “Damn it, that didn’t go the way I anticipated.”
~Chapter Twenty~
“This shit ain’t over,” Myles had grumbled as Kayla rolled out of his practice and his life.
Turning toward his receptionist, he’d decided to do something that could possibly get him in trouble with the ethics commission. “Mary-Ann, can you give me that lady’s address and phone number? I need to try and talk her out of leaving the practice,” Myles said in a tone that was implied to be professional. He was feeling anything but professional as he’d wanted to race after Kayla and force her to talk to him, but this was his place of business, so he’d let her get away temporarily and only temporarily.
So now, a week later, he decided he’d waited long enough. “If Kayla won’t come to Myles, then Myles must come to Kayla.” He paraphrased the Turkish proverb to fit his needs. He drove an hour to her home address and went right up to her door, knocking insistently.
Finally, she opened the door.
“We need to talk. May I come in?” he asked.
“Myles, how did you get my address? W-we never exchanged contact i-information,” Kayla stuttered surprised to find Myles at her door.
“Honey Bee, if you let me come in, we will discuss that and so much more. May I come in? You aren’t properly dressed, and the neighbors might see you?” Myles breathed out taken back by Kayla’s wardrobe.
She was wearing a long t-shirt that stopped dangerously high on her legs.