His head jerked up at the sound, and he leapt to his feet when he saw her. “Lily. Thank God, I was so worried. Are you okay? I heard there was an accident,” he asked, his face wrought with concern.
“I’m fine but I won’t be in for the rest of the week. I need to take some personal time off. I’ll use the vacation time I’ve saved up,” Lily said.
Lucas shook his head. “It’s been busy this week, so I really can’t spare you. I’m sorry.”
“No, Lucas, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to sound like I was asking for permission,” she said, barely able to hide her trembling. “I’m telling you I have to take some personal time and I won’t be in until at least next Monday. In the whole time I’ve worked here, I haven’t asked once for time off. Now I need it, and I…I’m taking it.”
“My sweetheart–” he began.
She cut him off without a moment’s hesitation. “I am not your sweetheart,” she snapped. “We are co-workers and that’s it.”
“No, ma’am. I’m your boss but it seems you’ve lost sight of that, just like you’ve forgotten how many good years we’ve had together. I’m not your enemy, Lily,” he said with a sad smile. His cold eyes took in the diamond pendant and he stared pointedly at the swell of her breasts until she cleared her throat.
The bells chimed twice when the front lobby door opened. “Hi, can I help you?” Janice said.
Meg shook her head. “No, thanks–I’m with Lily. I’ll just wait right here for her,” she said, moving to stand by Lily’s desk.
When his phone rang Lucas answered it, listened for a moment then said in a clipped voice, “Thanks. I’ll call you back,” before hanging up. He glanced through his office window into the parking lot, scanning from one end to the other. “Where’s your car?” he demanded.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m driving Ian’s car,” she said, her chin rising a notch.
“Ian.” His lip curled into an unmistakable sneer. “Must be your foreigner boyfriend.”
“Lucas, stop,” Lily put her hands up, turned away and froze. Wait a minute… foreigner? My sweetheart? “You’ve been eavesdropping on my calls,” she accused.
“When you make non-business related calls from your office phone, it is my prerogative as your manager to listen in,” he explained with more than a hint of derision.
“Being my manager does not give you the right to listen in on my calls,” she said, her voice rising in growing anger. “It’s a blatant violation of my priv–”
“Oh, shut up,” Lucas interrupted. “I get exactly how it is. You got yourself a new boyfriend and now you’re too good for the rest of us. This is me you’re talking to, remember? You know, the guy you were going to marry before you took up with those…those…carnies.” He spat the last word. “Don’t you realize this isn’t what you need? You need a man who knows where you’re from and who you are, not some outsider who–” He stopped. When he finally spoke again, his words were slow and deliberate. “Where…is…your…ring?”
The hair on the back of her neck rose at the malevolent expression creeping over his face. “My…my what?”
“The one like this one,” he snarled, waving his right hand in front of her face. “The one we got when we promised to save ourselves for each other.”
What the hell is going on here? “I didn’t even know you when I got mine,” Lily protested. “The vow I took was to wait for love. I never made any promises to you.”
His eyes ablaze with anger and his entire body shaking with rage, Lucas exploded. “You fucked him. You were saving yourself for me, but no…you gave that bastard what was supposed to be mine. Mine, bitch. Well, when he gets tired of using you and moves on to a prettier face–and he will–don’t think you can come running back to me. You’re damaged goods now and I’m not settling for any man’s sloppy seconds.”
Blown back by his sudden outburst, Lily stood rooted to the spot but to her credit managed to recover quickly. “Wow…” she drawled with a bravado she in no way felt “…seriously? Are you finished? For the record, Lucas, you don’t get to talk to me like that.” She locked her knees so he wouldn’t see them shake.
“I’ll talk to you any way I like, bitch,” he shouted, slamming his fist against the wall for emphasis. “I used to have a lot of respect for you because I thought you were different, but now I find out you’re just like every other slut out there, spreading her legs for any man who buys her dinner. Is he the only one you’re fucking? Maybe I’m lucky I found out about you now instead of after I made the mistake of marrying you.”
“Yes, marrying you would have been a huge mistake,” Lily agreed, “because I’m in love with an amazing man who loves me and he is nothing like the nasty little man you’ve turned into. I don’t know what’s happened to you, and right now I don’t care. And just where do you get off following us around?” When his eyes narrowed, she snapped, “Yeah, I know all about the pictures.”
Guided by instinct, she didn’t mention the new knowledge of Ian’s ropes being sabotaged.
Lucas stood motionless as a frightening myriad of emotions stampeded across his face. “My sweetheart, I’m so sorry,” he apologized, his voice quiet. “I’m just so jealous at the thought of you…caring about another man, but I’ll wait for you to get it out of your system. I just want you back. Please, sweetie, give us another chance. I can be your handsome man.”
Lily stared in horror at his chilling mood swing. “No way in hell, Lucas. We’re done. I so do not need this shit.” Without another word, she turned and strode from his office. She grabbed the liner out of an empty trash can and raked all the personal items off the top of her desk into the plastic bag with one broad sweep of her arm. “I am officially tendering my two minute notice. You can mail my check,” she threw back over her shoulder as she emptied the desk drawers.
Lucas stood watching from his office door, hands braced on the doorframe. “You can’t quit,” he said in a strange choking voice.
“Watch me, asshole,” she shot back.
Every eye in the office was on her as she shoved the rest of her belongings into the bag. Lucas began to shake, his face growing crimson. “You fucking whore. You were nothing when I found you and you are nothing now,” he bellowed, his fists clenching at his sides. “If you walk out that door it will be the worst fucking mistake you’ll ever make. I’m the best thing that ever happened to you and we both know it.”
He took one long stride toward Lily but stopped short when Meg stepped between them. “You’re about to make a life changing decision,” she growled in a low, dangerous voice, “so you’ll be needing to think long and hard before you take one more step toward her.” Keeping her eyes trained on Lucas, she said, “Are we about finished here?”
“Damn right we are.” Lily grabbed her garbage bag and made a beeline for the door with her spine stiff and her head held high. Meg followed but once outside took the keys and guided Lily to the passenger side of the coupe. Lily’s last sight of Bell Insurance Agency was Lucas standing in the doorway watching them leave. Her blood froze at the twisted expression on his face and through the side mirror she read the parting words on his lips. “This ain’t over, bitch,” he said. “Game on.”
Once out of the parking lot, what remained of Lily’s courage deserted her and she dissolved into hysterics. Meg did not turn to go toward the hospital, but drove straight to Olde Towne. “How much did you hear?” Lily sobbed, mortified that Meg had witnessed the unexpected tirade.
Meg’s tone was deceptively calm. “Enough. What’s the ring he was blathering on about?”
Lily choked out the whole story about the ring, having to stop several times to catch her breath. She was still shaking like a leaf when they arrived at Meg’s apartment but the sobs had given way to hiccups, signaling the tears were nearing their end. Waving for her to take a seat at the kitchen table, Meg poured a single glass of red wine. She pulled a hand-lettered spice bottle out of the pantry and gave a good shake of t
he powdered herbs in it. After a quick stir, she set the concoction in front of Lily.
“It’s slightly bitter. Take a deep breath and knock it back,” Meg ordered, popping open a can of diet soda for herself and settling into the opposite seat. “You need to get yourself together before we go back to the hospital. Ian’s just beggin’ for an excuse to have a go at Lucas as it is. I’m glad I decided to go in. You know Lucas is stark raving mad, right?” When Lily nodded, Meg continued. “Good. Then I don’t need to convince you he’s a nasty piece of work. I’ll tell Dan what’s happened but I think it best for right now if Ian doesn’t know. He needs to concern himself with getting better.”
Lily nodded again and took a long drink of her wine. “Thank you for sticking up for me,” she said, grateful.
Meg shrugged. “It was nothing, dear. I’ve been pulled into a few pub brawls myself, given the brothers I have.” She winked. “Where we grew up, knocking heads was the second favorite indoor sport. The first of course, being the reason why there were so many of us around there growing up.”
Lily giggled at the mental picture of the dainty Meg mixing it up in a bar fight. Her mirth didn’t last long, however, as the image of Lucas’s anger-distorted face came rushing back. “I guess I just kept seeing Lucas the way he used to be. I didn’t notice how much he was changing.” When the next realization hit her, she put her face in her hands and groaned. “Crap, I just quit my job. What am I going to do now?” The tears threatened again, and she took a deep, shuddering breath.
“There now, love,” Meg soothed, patting her on the hand. “You know, we are woefully understaffed in the office and although I love the man more than life itself, Dan just isn’t one for paperwork and bookkeeping. Once the dust settles, maybe we have a place for you with us if you’re interested.”
Lily drained half of her wine in one gulp. “That’s very sweet of you, but–”
Meg cut her off. “But nothing. We can talk about it later and you can decide what you want to do then.” She studied her aluminum soda can for a moment then said, “Where does Lucas live?”
“He has a house in the Colony,” Lily replied, “it’s a nice older neighborhood about ten minutes south of here, right on the river. Why?”
Meg didn’t look up. “Just wondering how close he was to your apartment, is all,” she casually remarked.
“He always hated my apartment. He thought it was beneath him.” She grimaced. “His family comes from money, so he always made sure I knew he was doing me a favor by bestowing his affections on me.” She looked down at her now empty wine glass. “Whatever you put in the wine was amazing, Meg. I feel so much better now. What was it?”
The corners of Meg’s mouth tipped up in a smile. “You’ll need to ask Ian. He made it. ‘One shake for calming, two for sleep,’ he said. And it works like a charm every time. Don’t ask him today, though, he’ll want to know why I was dosing you.” Her cell phone rang suddenly, startling them both. With a happy grin she announced it was Dan, reporting Ian could finally have solid food.
Leaving Ian’s car in his garage, Meg drove them to the hospital in her boxy European sedan with Lily riding shotgun. They stopped at a Latin sandwich shop on the way and picked up six of the requested Cuban sandwiches along with several bags of assorted chips. “Six?” Lily exclaimed.
“How he’s eating is a good barometer of how he’s feeling. When he’s feeling good, it’s cheaper to clothe him than feed him,” Meg said, laughing, “but I’m hoping to rescue three of these sandwiches for us.”
* * * *
When they arrived at the hospital, they were delighted to find Ian sitting up in bed, having been liberated from the numerous tubes and monitors. His face lit up when he saw Lily and she threw her arms around him, remembering not to squeeze. He returned her embrace and laid his head on hers, eyes closed and lips curved in a contented smile.
“Brought you something,” she murmured into his chest.
Ian’s nose wrinkled in delight. “I smell food,” he said happily. He ripped the bag open to get at the pressed meat sandwiches, his eyes closing in sheer bliss at the first bite. “Oh, God. These are so good.”
“Yes, indeed. Cubans, as you requested, milord,” Lily said, tucking a napkin under his chin. “You might want to eat it slowly since you haven’t–”
Meg caught her by the wrist and snatched her hand away. “Best not get too close,” she warned. “You could lose a finger at the rate he’s going.”
“Thansh, Megs,” Ian mumbled around a mouthful of chips, inhaling the first sandwich and tearing into another. By the time he finished the second one, his appetite was satiated. He burped softly and leaned back, content. Lily sat on the bed next to him and he put his arms up to pull her closer, but then suddenly held her away at arm’s length.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“You tell me. I feel the tension in you,” he frowned. Without another word, he turned her away from him and began massaging her neck and shoulders with slow and steady pressure. “You want to tell me what’s troubling you?
“It’s just been a…very long day, and shouldn’t you be resting?” she asked.
“I am resting,” he said. “Hush, now.”
She sighed and allowed him to work the knots out of her shoulders. Meg smiled at them and took Dan’s hand. “We’re going to head over to the park,” she said. “Let us know if you need anything.”
Patting Ian on the leg Lily said, “Hold that thought, I’ll be right back.” She followed Meg and Dan out, and once in the hallway, pulled Meg into a tight hug. “Thank you for today,” she whispered.
Meg smiled broadly in response and winked. “Not to worry, dear,” she said. To answer Dan’s questioning look, she added, “I’ll tell you about it on the way.” They boarded the elevator and Lily waved as the heavy metal doors slid closed.
She pulled the door closed behind her and sitting down on the bed threw a coy look over her shoulder. “Now, where were you?”
“What’s that about?” he asked, nodding toward the door.
“Just…thanking Meg for helping me with my errands today.” And that’s the truth.
Ian chuckled and started at her head, stroking her hair and using his strong fingers to ease the tension in her neck and shoulders. She sighed. His touch was warm, rhythmic and soothing and before she knew it, Lily had fallen asleep in his arms.
23
As Ian had predicted, the doctor released him to go home the following morning. The discharge nurse prattled off a long list of don’ts. “No sexual activity” was all Ian heard. “Bollocks,” he muttered.
Lily smacked the side of his leg in exasperation. “Behave,” she warned, “or you’ll find yourself right back in here. Don’t think just because you’re getting to go home, you’re cured.”
Dan materialized around ten to drive them home and sat on the couch waiting for Lily to finish packing their belongings. “Here’s a thought,” Ian said, feigning sudden inspiration, “why don’t you bring Bella with you? So you won’t have to worry about her being all alone.” He cast a sidelong glance at Dan, who made a soft whistling sound ending in an explosion, his fingers fluttering toward the ground in a distinct crash-and-burn gesture.
Sticking her head out of the bathroom, Lily’s delighted smile made her eyes sparkle. “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”
“Positive, sweetheart.” Ian flashed a triumphant grin at Dan, who just closed his eyes and shook his head.
Ian was overjoyed to be home, but still weak and slightly green from the car ride, he made a beeline for the bathroom as soon as he set foot in the door. His elation was short-lived when he returned to the great room to find Lily struggling with the sofa. He watched in disbelief for several moments before asking, “What are you doing?”
Lily braced herself and yanked again to get the stuck pullout bed to unfold itself. “Mmm?”
“What are you doing?” he repeated in a frantic whisper. “You’re not sleeping there.”
Dan came through the front door, carrying the last of the bags up from the car. He looked quickly from Ian to Lily, then down at the stuck sofa bed and correctly assessed the situation. “Here, let me give you a hand,” he said, grabbing the handles and turning purple from suppressed laughter. “Ian, make yourself useful and grab some sheets. There’s a good lad.”
“Whose feckin’ side are you on?” Ian snapped, making his way carefully past Dan to disappear under the archway, muttering some very uncomplimentary things about his brother-in-law under his breath.
Dan said, loudly enough to carry down the hall to his beleaguered friend, “Right then, Lily–did you want your bags here next to your bed?”
* * * *
The next few days saw the threesome settle into a comfortable rhythm. Lily caught herself smiling more than once at Bella, who took on the duty of escort and tagged along behind Ian wherever he went. It became a common sight to see Ian dozing on the oversized couch, his tousled auburn head on the pillow next to a small black head peeking out from underneath the covers.
After trying unsuccessfully for several minutes to lure Bella into the kitchen one evening Lily asked, “What’s going to happen when I try to take my cat back home?”
The muffled reply from underneath the quilt was swift. “Am I detecting a note of jealousy?” Ian asked. He waved Lily next to him on the couch, and when she sat, pulled her close for a light kiss. “There’s plenty of room for the both of you here and quite honestly, the thought of two beautiful, purring females in my bed every night sets my heart aflutter.”
Lily’s eyes went wide with feigned drama, but the thought was so overwhelming she kissed him back to keep from replying. “I’m just here to keep you out of trouble,” she said in a frosty Mary Poppins voice. “We’ll just have to see where this leads.”
Celtic Knot Page 19