by M. J. Duncan
“No offense, Mal, but you look like shite,” Max greeted her as she entered his office.
He and Thad were sitting across from each other in the sitting area in front of his desk, and both of them were eyeing her with such obvious worry that she didn’t even bother to try to lie like she had with Leanne.
“I feel like it, too,” Mallory admitted with a little shrug. “But I’ll live. Are there any changes to the program for this afternoon?” she asked as she set her things on the floor beside the chair closest to the door.
Max shook his head. “No. Well…” His voice trailed off as he glanced at Thad, who nodded almost immediately, and Mallory cursed her foggy braid for not allowing her to follow the silent conversation happening in front of her as she took a seat between the two men. She didn’t have to wait long, however, to find out what she was missing because Max continued in a gentler tone, “Go home. Charlie can handle first chair for this one.”
“I’m fine,” Mallory protested weakly.
“Then you can be fine tomorrow night,” Max argued, his expression kind but firm in a way that told her he wasn’t going to change his mind. And, honestly, if she weren’t feeling so awful, she would have kissed him for it. “But if you’re not feeling better, for the love of god, just call in sick. When is your next performance with The Royal Ballet?”
“In a fortnight.”
“All the more reason to rest while you can,” he declared with a definitive nod. “Have Leanne order you a car and try to go get some rest.”
Mallory blinked slowly and, too worn-out from the journey into the Centre to put up even a half-arsed argument, nodded. “Thank you. I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Thad assured her with a kind smile. “We’re not going anywhere here, so you just worry about you for right now.”
“Right,” Max agreed. “Do you want help getting your things downstairs?”
“No, thank you. I’ll manage,” Mallory said as she grabbed the straps of her violin case and briefcase so she could shoulder them as she got to her feet. She had lost her balance when she had tried to get to her feet on the tube earlier, and didn’t trust herself not to get lightheaded if she were to bend down to gather her things. Forget having Leanne call her a car, if that happened he’d have his poor secretary escort her all the way home just to make sure she got there safely. “Sorry, again.”
“It’s fine,” Max said as he got to his feet. He followed her to the door and cleared his throat to get his secretary’s attention. “Leanne, could you order a car to pick Mallory up at the main entrance as soon as possible?”
“Of course,” Leanne confirmed as she reached for the phone on her desk. “Is there anything else?” she asked as she began punching in a phone number from memory.
“Not right now,” Max said. He gave Mallory’s shoulder a squeeze. “Ring Leanne when you get home so we know you made it back okay. Okay?”
“Okay,” Mallory rasped as Leanne murmured something she couldn’t quite understand into her phone.
“Car will be outside the main doors in ten minutes,” Leanne shared as she hung up her phone. “The driver you had last time is on assignment, so she couldn’t get him for you. Said she’s sending over a driver named Curt instead. Insists he’s just as amazing as Noah, and that he has a full ginger beard that can’t be missed, so you’ll know it’s him.”
“Ginger beard,” Mallory repeated as she adjusted the straps over her shoulder. “Right.”
Leanne eyed her critically for a long moment and then looked at Max. “I need to stretch my legs a bit. All right if I kip out for fifteen minutes or so? I think I’ll stop for a tea on the way back—would you like anything?”
Max smiled. “Not a problem at all. And no, thank you. I think we’re good for now.”
“Brilliant.” Leanne grabbed her purse and arched a brow at Mallory as she waved a hand toward the door. “I’ll walk down with you, then, if you don’t mind?”
Mallory shrugged. Even her fogged brain could connect the dots of what was happening around her, and she murmured, “Not at all,” as she started for the door. She had yet to win a battle of wills with Leanne when she was in peak form, so she knew she didn’t stand a chance right now. And, truthfully, it was nice to know that she had people looking out for her. “Thank you,” she added softly.
“Of course,” Leanne replied simply. There was a protectiveness to the way Leanne walked beside her that made Mallory’s lips twitch with a small smile, and she fiddled with the strap of her violin case as they stepped into the lift. She was thankful that Leanne understood that she didn’t have the energy to walk and talk at the same time, and she only broke the silence that settled between them when the coffee cart in the lobby came into view. “Let me get that tea real quick. Your car won’t be here for another five minutes or so, anyway.”
Mallory just nodded as she followed her to the cart. It was warmer here in the middle of the building than just inside the doors anyway, so she was fine staying under the secretary’s watchful eye for a few more minutes.
“Hello Fiona,” Leanne greeted the woman working the cart with a warm smile. “Can I get a decaf black tea and one of your special immunity teas, please?”
Fiona’s keen green eyes sized Mallory up immediately, and she nodded as she began pulling little airtight containers from beneath the counter. “Good call,” she said as she added an empty tea bag and a jar of honey to her collection. “Coming right up.”
“I have tea at home,” Mallory protested as she watched Fiona begin measuring different leaves into the disposable tea bag. All the other times she had stopped for a cup on her way into work she’d been given a cup of hot water and a tea bag she could have bought at the store, and she wondered if this kind of treatment was always available, or just for Fiona’s best customers.
“No this tea, you don’t,” Fiona quipped without looking up from her work.
Too tired to argue and realizing that it wasn’t worth the effort anyway because she was clearly outnumbered, Mallory simply nodded and unzipped her bag to get her wallet.
“I got this,” Leanne murmured, placing a hand on Mallory’s arm.
Mallory shook her head. She was fine being mothered into submission about the tea, but she was more than capable of paying for it herself. “Leanne…” Her argument trailed off at Leanne’s determined expression, and she sighed. “Thank you.”
“Good girl,” Fiona chuckled. “So, Lee, how’s your husband doing?”
Mallory took a step back to not completely eavesdrop on the women’s conversation and pulled out her phone. She debated texting Addison to tell her that she was heading home from work early, but eventually decided against it. Addison was meeting Gabs, Matt, and a few of the other dancers from the ballet for lunch, and she didn’t want to interrupt their fun. Plus, by sneaking home for a nap, perhaps it would allow her to rally enough to make it through the evening she’d planned without letting on just how awful she felt.
Addison deserved a romantic night out and, sick or not, she wanted nothing more than to spoil her silly on the one night of the year where over-the-top romantic gestures were perfectly acceptable.
She didn’t have the energy to bother scrolling through Twitter or playing any of the mindless games on her phone, so she just slipped it back into her bag and made her way to a nearby bench to wait for Leanne and Fiona to wrap things up. It was nice to not have to think for a few minutes, and she closed her eyes as she slid down on the bench so she could rest her head on the back of it.
“Here you are, dear,” Leanne interrupted her quietude a few minutes later.
Mallory sighed as she blinked her eyes open. “Ta,” she murmured as she sat up to take the paper cup from her.
“Fi says to give it five minutes or so to steep, and then it’ll be ready to go.”
“Five minutes,” Mallory confirmed as she got to her feet. She hefted the straps of her bags higher onto her shoulder and nodded to assure Leanne that she was
okay.
“Right, then. Off we go,” Leanne declared as she turned toward the corridor that would take them to the Centre’s main entrance. “Your car should be here soon.”
A sleek black Town Car was pulling up to the curb just as they exited the building, and Mallory offered Leanne a weak smile as the driver—who did, in fact, have a most impressive ginger beard that made him look like he was plucked straight from the Highlands—climbed out of the car.
“Ms. Collingswood?” he asked as he hustled to the back of the car to lift the hatch on the boot.
“That’s me,” Mallory confirmed. “I’m good just keeping this with me.”
“All right, then.” The driver nodded as he slammed the lid. “My name’s Curt, if you need anything, Ms. Collingswood,” he said as he opened the rear passenger door for her.
“I’ll call in the morning to check-in and see how you’re feeling,” Leanne said as Mallory made for the car.
Mallory nodded. “Thank you for the tea. And walking down here with me.”
“Of course, dear,” Leanne replied kindly. “Get some rest, okay?” she added as she half-turned back toward the building.
“I shall try,” Mallory promised as she offered her a wave. She slipped her things from her shoulder and bent down to lay them far enough inside the car that she could safely climb in after them. Curt held his position by her door and waited for her signal that she was ready to go and, once she was situated, she gave him a small nod.
She sighed as he pushed the door shut and relaxed into her seat as she folded her hands around the warm cup of tea on her lap. Traveling by car like this was so much nicer than dealing with public transportation. It was truly a shame that she couldn’t possibly justify the expense to make it an everyday thing.
“Where to, Miss?” Curt asked as he slipped behind the wheel. He typed her address into his GPS as she rattled it off, and nodded when a route popped up on the screen. “We’re good to go,” he announced as he buckled his seat belt. “Will have you home in a jiff.”
“Thank you.” She took a sip of her tea as the car pulled away from the curb and let her head fall back onto the headrest as the warm liquid worked its way down her throat. She couldn’t make out just what kind of tea leaves Fiona had mixed in the brew, but it was delicious. And if it indeed ended up to be some kind of immunity booster to help her get over this virus she was suffering faster, she would be stopping by Fiona’s cart every morning for a cup.
Especially given the fact that their second performance of Evolution was only a fortnight away.
It was easy to let herself drift off a bit as the car made its way through traffic, and she was genuinely surprised when Curt announced, “Here we are.”
“Brilliant.” Mallory blinked her eyes open and sat up straighter in her seat as she reached for her briefcase. “Just let me get my card to settle the fare.”
“It’s already been covered, Miss.” He smiled at her in the rearview mirror. “It was handled when the reservation was called in.”
“Of course it was,” Mallory murmured, shaking her head.
He chuckled. “Just let me hop on out, and I’ll come get your door for you.”
Mallory nodded. After riding with Noah for a week, she had been properly trained to wait but, even if she hadn’t, she didn’t have the energy to argue with him about it. She slipped the straps of her violin and briefcase over her shoulder when he opened her door, and murmured, “Cheers, mate,” as she eased past him.
“Have a good day, Miss,” he replied cheerily as he slammed the door shut.
She glanced over her shoulder at the car as she pushed the door to her building open, and smiled when Curt doffed an invisible cap at her before pulling away from the curb. She had no idea where the car service found drivers like him and Noah, but if the rest of their ranks were as thoughtful, it was a wonder that any other company managed to survive competing against them.
Her apartment was delightfully warm after the chill of the stairs leading up to it—she had turned up the heat a few notches before she’d left despite the hit her gas bill would take for it just so she could come home to a warm house—and she hummed softly to herself as she set her things on the apothecary’s table inside the door. Because she would be needing her coat later, there was no point putting it away, so she just shrugged it off and folded it atop her things on the entry table. She kicked her heels off and left them on the rug in the foyer—she’d be needing those later, too—and raked her hands through her hair as she started down the hall for her bedroom.
Once she’d changed out of her blacks and into her comfiest sweatpants and a faded henley she’d had since her final year at the Royal Academy, she set her alarm clock for an hour before she needed to leave to pick up Addison for dinner and climbed into bed. She grabbed the pillow from Addison’s side of the bed, burrowed beneath the duvet, and sighed as the familiar scent of her lover enveloped her. Fully relaxed for the first time since she had gotten out of bed earlier, it wasn’t long before she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The steady beep of her alarm clock pulled her awake some hours later, and she yawned as she rolled onto her back and stretched her legs. Her head was a little clearer, and she felt marginally better than she had earlier which, she figured, was as much of an improvement as she could reasonably expect. Only the allure of seeing Addison was enough to coax her from the warmth of her bed, and she shivered as she threw back the covers. A glance in the mirror in the corner of her room was enough to confirm that her hair had been thoroughly ruined by her midday nap, and she shook her head as she turned toward the bathroom to see if she couldn’t salvage it without having to shower again.
The low hum of Addison’s voice, which seemed to be coming from her kitchen, gave her pause, and she blinked in confusion as she turned away from the bathroom and instead padded toward the rear of the apartment.
“Yeah, everything here is going great,” Addison said, her voice quieter than usual, in a way that made Mallory think she was trying not to wake her. “Really, Mom. You guys are going to love her as much as I do.” She laughed. “No, it’s not too cold. It’s definitely warmer than that one year you guys flew up to New York.”
Mallory’s pulse stuttered at the warmth in Addison tone when she said “as much as I do” and she combed her fingers through her hair to tame the worst of her bedhead as she rounded the corner to the kitchen area. Even though she was beyond confused by Addison’s presence, she could not help but smile when she spotted her sitting atop the counter beside the stove.
“Oh!” Addison grinned at her as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. She looked as beautiful as ever in a pair of skinny jeans and an ivory sweater, and Mallory arched a brow at the sight of her largest pot boiling away on one of the burners. “Mal just woke up, so I gotta go. I just have to let this simmer for another hour or so, pull out the chicken, shred it, strain the liquid to get out the gunk and add everything back into the pot to cook…right?” She nodded along with whatever it was her mother said in response as she beckoned Mallory closer. “Perfect. I will definitely call you back if I have any more questions. Thanks for your help. See you in a week. I can’t wait to show you guys around some more. Love you, Mom,” Addison said before she pulled her phone away from her ear and disconnected the call. She shook her head as she set her phone onto the counter. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t.” Mallory smiled at the way Addison hooked her legs around her waist to pull her in closer. “I had set an alarm before I fell asleep.”
Addison wrapped her arms around Mallory’s neck and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” Mallory lied automatically as she sank into Addison’s embrace and took advantage of Addison being taller for a change to lean her head on her shoulder. She sighed at the feeling of Addison’s fingers scratching the back of her neck and snuggled just a little bit closer. “That feels nice.”
“Good,” Addison
murmured. She leaned her cheek against Mallory’s forehead and let her right hand drop to drag up and down Mallory’s spine. “When was the last time you took some Tylenol?”
Mallory shrugged. “Before I headed in to work.”
Addison hummed and pressed another lingering kiss to her forehead. “You should probably take some more. You’re warm.”
“Yeah.” After a long pause, Mallory added, “Not that I don’t like this, but dare I ask why you’re here?”
Addison gave her a light squeeze before pulling away enough to look at her. “Will texted me that Max sent you home. And when you didn’t answer your phone when I called to check on you, I decided to come over just to make sure you were okay.”
“Will texted you?” When Addison nodded, Mallory asked, “Why?”
“The real question, sweetie, is why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t want to interrupt your lunch.”
Addison shook her head as she ran a light hand over Mallory’s forehead and down her cheek to cup her jaw. “You wouldn’t have interrupted anything. You are a million times more important to me than anything in the world, and I would much rather have you tell me that you’ve been sent home for being ill than to hear it from Will.”
There was a hint of steel beneath the gentleness of Addison’s tone that warned her not even to try to argue, and Mallory nodded. “Okay.”
“Good.” Addison dipped her head to brush a soft, chaste kiss over Mallory’s lips, and her eyes shone with affection as she pulled away. “I love you.”
Mallory couldn’t contain her smile as she murmured, “I love you, too.” She groaned as she felt a sneeze coming on and turned her head just in time to avoid letting it go in Addison’s face. “Sorry.”