“Hi, Robert. How are you? Is your mother more amenable with her new nurse? Did you get my text this morning about the limo that Jenna rented to take us to Austin tomorrow?” I usually asked all my questions at once, as Robert would rather speak uninterrupted.
He answered my questions and continued to tell me about his day, uninterrupted. “Hello, sweets. My day is going well although it could be better. I met with mother’s attorney yesterday. He said mother will need to cut back on her traveling or do without her private duty nurse. She did not take well to the news and has taken to her bed again. I think he’s being a little unreasonable and I told him so.”
I looked out of my window at the busy street in front of the building as I listened to the latest dilemma of my possible future mother-in-law and tried to follow along. Since some of the hospitals had their own in-house nursing agency, several hospitals did not renew my contract. I had expanded my agency to private duty nursing a year ago. My clients were wealthy and able to afford private nurses, whether it was medically necessary or not.
“…Sadly, sweets, that includes you, too.” Shit! I’d lost him somewhere in the one-sided conversation and tried to catch up as he continued…” Don’t take it personally that she won’t see you next Wednesday for dinner. She’s upset but will revert back to herself soon.”
I scrambled to interject something intelligent in the conversation as Robert paused as if waiting for a response from me.
“Don’t worry about it, Robert. I, ah…that is, you will help her figure it out.” Really! I can’t believe that is the best I could come up with. Was it too late to make a New Year’s resolution? I didn’t care, I was making one anyway…pay keen attention to anything your boyfriend has to say. Yes, I can do that.
“Sorry about the limo, lovie. I will fly to Austin tomorrow evening. This ordeal with her attorney has upset her and I need to make sure she will be OK for the weekend.”
“I understand, Robert. I will miss your company on the ride to Austin. Until tomorrow night then.” I felt a little guilty for not insisting that he stay in Houston, but I also wanted him to attend the party.
“Thank you, sweets. Goodbye.”
And just like that the conversation was over. I looked down at the phone and convinced myself that Robert was good for me, just what I needed in a companion. At 40, he seemed like an old soul. We’d met at a charity fund raising event six months ago for battered and abused women. He was representing his company law firm. On a very small scale, I donate an item for the silent auction like I’ve always done over the past few years.
Robert was very sweet that night and gave me a ride home. I had attended the event with one of my best friends, Mia Lambert, who swore she had the worst headache of her life and had to leave early. She then texted me and said that Robert caused her horrific headache due to his boring stories and my audacity to actually listen to them.
She was such a brat! But I loved her dearly and the following week she showed up at my office with lunch and asked my forgiveness for being rude and ditching me. Mia was from a very rich Texas oil family. Refusing to go in to the oil business, she’d defied her father’s wishes and became a nurse. To her father’s delight, upon graduating from college she decided to follow in her older brother’s footsteps and work in the family business after all…but as the Director of Nursing in the company’s employee medical clinic.
The afternoon was just as busy as the morning. At 6 p.m., I stood at my desk allowing the blood to flow into my now aching legs. The private duty patients all had nurses lined up for the weekend shifts, the hospitals that requested nurses were staffed and Andre and I had face to face meetings next week in San Francisco with several hospitals for possible contracts.
I powered off the Mac computer and the company name and logo scrolled across the flat screen…
Bluebonnet Nursing Agency.
My mind was drawn back to the gorgeous painting in my reception area. It was an original by G. Harvey, one of America’s renowned Texan artists.
It had been painted from a photograph that was taken 10 years ago and housed in a rustic wooden frame. The painting was a field of bluebonnet flowers, with a girl in the distance walking in the field, her head turned to the side. She was looking back at the camera, a gorgeous smile on her face, her dress billowing in the wind around her knees.
I shook my head to clear the memories of the painting and its depiction of the 20-year-old girl, so much in love and full of hope. Thankful for the knock on the door of my office, I called for the person to enter as thoughts of the carefree, idealistic girl were pushed back into the recess of my mind as a sad unfulfilled dream.
The last one to leave, I made my way out to my car, an Infiniti G37 sedan, and headed Midtown to meet Mia and Veronica for a margarita at Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen. Pulling the keys from my purse, I handed them to the valet who winked at me. I smiled back at him and went into the restaurant to meet my friends. The place was packed which was typical for a Friday evening. I grinned as I saw them waving to me on the outside patio and headed their way.
“Not that you don’t look great, chick, but you look like you need one of these.” Mia greeted me with a hug and placed the frosty mug of frozen goodness in my hand. I took a long sip of the margarita and plopped down in my seat. We immediately started talking about the party, the limo for us, and a party bus that Jenna rented for several of my Houston friends that didn’t want to drive to Austin.
All three of our phones were buzzing with texts, Facebook messages and tweets with news of the party tomorrow night. We giggled and flirted with some guys at the table across from us. One of them bought us a round of drinks for my birthday. He blatantly hit on Mia and charmed her the entire hour we were there.
We had a two-limit drink since we were our own designated drivers. The valet reluctantly handed over the keys to Mia while ogling over her convertible Aston Martin. I shook my head at the attention she drew. As if she wasn’t gorgeous enough with platinum blonde hair, a petite size four, and baby blue eyes, she drove an equally gorgeous car. Outrageous in all that she does, Mia loved attention and got plenty of it wherever she went. Veronica and I grinned at her as she slid into the uber swanky car and sped off. The guy that was flirting with her on the patio stood up at the table and whistled. His friends gave him a hard time since Mia hadn’t given him her phone number. More relaxed now that I had some time to unwind from my busy day, I headed home.
I called Jenna and chat about the party tomorrow night. She filled me in on the activities taking place in her backyard. Along with tending her magnificent yard, Rojellio, her gardener, tended to her botanical garden and greenhouse that has been featured in Nature and Botany as well as House & Garden and Southern Living magazines.
After taking a shower, I gratefully slipped into a nightshirt, poured a glass of chardonnay and sat on the small patio in my backyard. Reluctantly I allowed my mind to drift to my parents. I did not have the privilege of knowing or having any memory of them. I’m often told that I look a lot like my mother. I miss not having the structure of a traditional family that so many of my friends did have, but I was grateful for all the love and affection that Aunt Suzette showered on Jenna and me.
Since she was 7 when our parents died, Jenna remembered them well and took on the role of my protector after their passing. It seemed hard for her to give up that role in my life even now that I was an adult. When she was away at college, she called me every day and we would chat about our life and missing each other. She listened to me complain about boys that I liked who didn’t know that I existed, or not fitting into the popular groups of girls that always seemed to date the entire high school football and basketball boys’ teams.
Despite not being the most popular girl in high school, I managed to do well with grades and was on the track and field team and my tennis game wasn’t bad either. I also made some great friends along the way, like Jeremy who was a math genius, who’d gotten a full sc
holarship to MIT. He’d covered for me more than once in my junior year when I dated a boy that Aunt Suzette did not approve of. I was thrilled that he would be coming to the party as he was living in San Francisco since starting his own IT company a few years ago.
I finally slid into bed between the cool cotton sheets a little after 10 p.m. My weary body, helped along with the alcohol, pulled me into a deep sleep. I dreamt of the girl in the field of bluebonnet flowers and how much in love she was with her boyfriend.
Chapter 3
Saturday morning I dressed in a long cotton summer maxi dress, with sandals, and pulled my long hair into a ponytail, sans make-up.
Mia walked into my bedroom and shoved a Starbucks Grande Caffe Latte with a shot of double espresso into my hand. I greedily gulped the hot, delicious liquid.
“You sure know your way to a girl’s heart.” I gave her a hug and took another sip from the cup.
“Seriously? I wish I knew what the hell they put in that cup for you to act so strange.” Mia didn’t drink coffee. I laughed as we headed out to her car.
“Happy birthday and all that jazz, friend.” She looked across at me and winked. Her face held a smug smile. Her surprise gift to me was this morning’s activities and I had no idea what she has planned. Her instructions were to dress casual with no makeup.
“OK, spill it. Where are we going? And could you try not to kill us before we get there?” I hung onto the seat for dear life as Mia hit the gas and the car sped onto the freeway.
“You snooze, you lose, baby girl,” she yelled over the music of Lady Gaga as she weaved through traffic. “This is Houston. The traffic’s always a bitch, but don’t worry your pretty head about it, you will be just fine.”
She had the top down on her convertible this morning. Mia was a spitfire. Her perfectly proportioned figure may be petite but she had a huge attitude that served her well to get her own way. Luckily, under that fickle and brash exterior, she was an extremely poised and polished person with a kind heart, but only a few knew that about her. She would much rather come off as a hard-ass.
By some miracle, we exited safely off the freeway a few miles later and seemed to be making our way to The Galleria Shopping Center. She pulled the Aston Martin up to the valet and jumped out before the guy could open her door.
“Yeah, it’s a beast, my good man.” Mia handed over the keys to the man who was grinning from ear to ear as he stepped back to admire the car. She shoved some bills at him but he shook his head and put his hands in the air.
“Lady, you don’t even need to tip me for this one. Just a few spins around the block is all I need to make my day.”
Mia laughed and shoved the money in his shirt pocket.
“Nah, just park him somewhere where he can be admired.”
“It’s a him? I thought it would have a name like Candy or Monique.” He slid into the seat.
“It’s only a car for Christ’s sake,” I said, shaking my head, although I should be used to the reaction of Mia and her car by now.
“Ah…did she just go there?” He looked at Mia with raised brows.
“Disrespectful wench,” Mia replied as she walked up to me and pulled my neck in a hug. We laughed and headed into the mall, took an elevator to the 30th floor and stepped into the ultra-modern salon.
“Oh, wow! What a treat.” I did a happy dance as I looked around the room in amazement.
“You like?”
“Like? No, I love! This is awesome. So you must know someone that knows someone to get in here, and so early; it’s only 9 a.m.” Philippe Salon and Spa was the most exquisite, outrageously expensive and snazzy spa in Houston…in the country for that matter, with at least a three-month waiting list for the ultra-rich and famous. He also has one in New York, Chicago, LA, Tokyo, London, Paris and several other cities around the globe.
He was well-known for his signature skin and hair care products. All of his spas employ an impressive list of world-renowned dermatologists for those wanting more bang for a whole lot of bucks. Collagen, Restylane, Botox, peels and infrarey therapy are but a few among many other professional services offered.
“Um, I hate to break it to you, love, but I know Philippe personally.” Mia winked at me as a handsome young receptionist greeted us.
“Good morning, Miss Lambert. So good to see you again.” He slipped mimosas into our hands as Veronica stepped in the door behind us.
“Happy birthday!” she squealed, while pulling Mia and me in for a group hug.
“Thanks. It is indeed happy. I mean, how could it not be when I’m in one of the most prestigious spas in like, the world.” I took a moment to gawk at the spectacular crystal chandelier hanging overhead, priceless art on the wall, floor to ceiling windows showing off the skyline of the city, and baroque paintings on the ceiling of angels and cherubs.
“Good morning, ladies. My name is Gish. Please allow me to take you to your first station.” We followed Gish into the massive salon where we were met by an entourage of people ready to pamper us with wraps, facials, massages and everything that makes for a delightful morning of indulgence.
After our rounds of luxurious pampering we were sated and full due to being served endless decadent chocolate covered strawberries, Champagne and Sterling Caviar. Grinning like idiots, we headed back to the lobby where we were greeted by none other than Philippe himself.
“How is my Houston princess doing today?” He embraced Mia and gave her a kiss on the lips. “Lovely as ever I see.” He held on to her with an arm around her waist.
“Flattery will get you everywhere with me, as you well know.” A smile played on her lips. A delicate blush crept up to Philippe’s cheeks.
“These are my besties…like best friends ever, Zoe Caine, the birthday girl, and Veronica Saldana.”
Philippe kissed our cheeks and settled back in a friendly embrace with Mia.
“I’ve heard a lot about both of you from Mia and delighted to finally meet you. How was your time at the spa?” He was tall and handsome with dark brown hair and green eyes. An expensive grey lightweight summer suit showed off the dark striped pink button down shirt that he wore without a tie.
“We had a fabulous time. Four hours simply flew by,” I said.
“Well, you must plan to stay longer on your next visit.” He flashed us a fabulous smile and graciously escorted us to the elevator and down to the valet, all the while his arm never leaving Mia’s waist.
“When will I see you again, lovely Mia? I’m only in town for a few days and I will be crushed if you don’t have time for dinner. Better yet, how about a quick trip to New York?”
Veronica and I dropped a few steps back and looked at each other with our mouth agape. I whispered to her about Mia’s charming admirer and being left in the dark about him.
“Philippe, I am so busy. You can’t just pop into town and try to whisk me away. I have a job, you know.” She pouted prettily and made excuses about how hectic it was at the office.
Veronica and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. We couldn’t wait to get all the details of her and Philippe. Why would she not tell us that she knew him? Like, personally and most likely intimately. We shared everything with one another, or so I thought.
We stepped outside to a beautiful sunny afternoon. There was a limo and driver waiting for us. Mia made plans for the limo to pick us up here since we had a few drinks and we would leave for Austin now. Our bags and clothing for the party were neatly packed in the limo. Someone would pick up Mia’s car later and deliver it to her loft.
“Zoe, enjoy your birthday party. It was a pleasure meeting you and Veronica,” Philippe said. He kissed Veronica and me on our cheeks. We slid into the luxurious vehicle with soft leather seats that enveloped our relaxed bodies.
Mia was about to get into the limo but was detained by Philippe. He pulled her into his body and swooped down to claim her lips in a long passionate kiss. Mia whimpered and slid her arms aroun
d his neck.
Veronica’s slammed both her hands over her mouth and stared at me. I shrugged my shoulders at a loss for words.
A few moments later Mia slid onto the seat of the vehicle and Philippe closed the door behind her.
“Spill it, Mia.” Veronica wasted no time getting to the details of her and Philippe.
“There is nothing to tell,” Mia said, as she jutted her chin out in defiance of the question.
“Liar, liar…something is going on with that fabulous piece of man and we want to know what, when and for how long,” Veronica went on as I nodded my head in agreement.
“Well, it was a long time ago.”
“That’s it? That’s all we get?” I asked as the limo pulled onto the freeway.
“It was about a year ago. I met him in New York and we hit it off. Well, sort of…anyway, it was only once and now…well, I’m not sure; I mean, he wants more, but I’m way too busy,” she blurted out and twisted the top off a bottle of water. This so not like Mia to be nervous or evasive, even on a matter intimacy.
“And why are we just finding out that you had a thing with the fabulous Philippe?” I asked, not satisfied with her answer. She seemed to be leaving some juicy details out and I wanted to know what one of my ‘besties’ as she’d called Veronica and me, was hiding from us.
“Look, Mia, there is obviously something going on. Like some chemistry and as for being too busy…your father owns the corporation. You always take off whenever you want to and I fill the position with a temp nurse from the agency,” Veronica piped in. We all knew that she was a daddy’s girl and used to having her own way. I saw that she was getting frustrated, and gratefully answered my phone that was ringing.
After a brief conversation with Jenna, we decided to put the topic of Mia and Philippe on hold. Snuggling down into the plush pillows and soft throws that Jenna requested we have for the trip, we all agreed that a nap was called for. I smiled as I thought of Jenna not missing even the smallest of details when it came to entertaining.
Forever Rain (Rain Will Fall Trilogy #1) Page 2