Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology

by Anthony, Jane

  Lavin was relaxed; the busy night had gone smoothly. She offered a kind smile across the floor at Heath when she caught his eyes on her. She stopped in the middle of the dining room, taken aback when Heath winked at her. There were no other female hostesses or servers near her. That wink was for her. That slight gesture got her picking up her feet as tired as they were, and she pushed on. Lavin was on the final service to her table. With a table of this size, she was sure to receive a hefty tip.

  “Does anyone have room for dessert this evening?” she asked. Most often the diners would make room for dessert. In addition to their sweet selections, she would serve up cups of fresh hot coffee or tea. Coffee was an easy pour, Regular or Decaf. However, if a cup of tea was ordered it was more time consuming. The restaurant was still old school for tea selections, which meant holding the carved wooden box filled with a variety of teas for the diner to select. Next, a quick trip was made to an adjacent room of the restaurant for the glass pot of boiling water. Lavin’s fingers held the handle tightly. Returning tableside, Lavin smiled pleasantly. After serving the desserts, she filled their cups. One male at the table was very animated while talking. His hands moved in the air, and Lavin tried to dodge them to pour his hot tea.

  “Sir, sir, excuse me.” She successfully poured the steaming water into the cup where he’d placed a decaf green tea bag.

  Pulling back from the table, the man again swung his arm while talking to those dining with him. It would have been a nonevent, except Lavin was caught in the thrust. The teapot of hot water tipped against her thigh. She juggled the glass kettle and held it steady so as not to fall to the floor. All the while, the piping hot water escaped. Instantly, the heat ripped through her. She kept her momentum moving and tried to keep from screaming out from the pain piercing through her. Once out of the range of diners, she tossed the glass toward the floor and fled to the staff ladies’ room. Her voice was escalated, and her words hollered out in between the stabs of pain. “My leg is on fire! My…fucking…leg is…BURNING UP!” Each sight movement increased the pain. “OOOUUUUUUCCCCCHHHHH!” She grabbed wildly at the paper towels next to the sink and saturated them in cold water. Lavin lay on the floor, dabbing her leg, hoping the pain would subside. “This…hurts…so…bad.” Even though the tears were of no comfort, her cries grew louder. Had the pain not taken over her mind, she would have tried to get to the first aid kit in the restaurant kitchen.

  Heath observed her quick departure from the dining room. Tears filled her eyes. He looked back at the table she was attending and knew something bad had gone down. Heath quickly followed her to find out what happened.

  Hearing painful sobs and moans as he walked down the hall where Lavin had disappeared instantly alarmed him. Normally, he would have asked another girl to check on her in the ladies’ room, but the cries he heard worried him. Heath flung the door open to see Lavin lying on the floor clenching her leg. Cautiously, he approached her; she let him hold her. He felt her seeking comfort. Heath was immensely concerned. He would give her all he could offer and lessen anything that pained her. Heath loved that she was clinging to him until his eyes searched her body and stopped.

  Through her black fishnet stockings, her skin was already blistering. Her thigh looked like it had been instantly painted red through the tiny squares. He was no expert in first aid or burns to the body, but he knew this was really bad. He cautiously and gently pressed the cool wet towel to her thigh, just grazing the edge of her wound. His palm felt the warmth coming from her and not the type of heat he wanted to generate. Her cries didn’t subside.

  “Lavin, just breathe, think of something good. I’ll get you to the hospital. You’re going to be all right. I have you. Hold onto me.” Trying to stay focused and calm, his words were clear, but his eyes were not. Her pain was his pain. Her tears brought clouds to his eyes, and he looked away as his eyes moistened. His strong arms lifted her. Heath carried her across the tile floor and was met with an open door as David entered the bathroom.

  Another waitress had told David that Lavin left abruptly after spilling something on herself. David didn’t know it was this serious or that it was scalding water until he saw her leg and blistering wound. David began dialing 911 immediately, following behind Heath’s steps and allowing him to continue comforting her. He knew there would be nothing going on with them in this situation.

  Speedily, the ambulance arrived, and David chose not to leave the restaurant to attend to Lavin. Not that Heath gave him a chance to. Heath released his arms as he transferred Lavin to the arriving medical help. Then he helped himself into the back of the ambulance. As the paramedic took over, he gently caressed her shaking hand the entire ride. The paramedic was able to lay her leg out straight.

  “OOOOOUUUUU!” Lavin screamed in pain as the paramedic shifted the fabric embedded in her blistering skin. Blood had already risen from her open skin. Heath never wavered in his efforts to keep her mind on something far from this horror. The ride seemed long and each bump in the road brought more tears of pain.

  “Lavin, I want you to think of something good; try your best to concentrate on what you love. How about you think of yourself dancing across the stage. All eyes on you. You are trained to dance, lovely in your pale pink leotard, stockings, and worn pink ballerina shoes. Lavin, you look perfect and lovely, and right now you need to perform your best. I need you to escape in your dancing for a little while. You know that makes you feel so good inside, so go there.” Heath didn’t know any of the music that Lavin danced or practiced to, but he was determined to take her there. He watched her bite her lip to tamp down the pain.

  As the paramedic pricked her arm to get her IV started, Lavin didn’t flinch. She had done exactly what Heath told her to do and escaped into the music. There was real music, as Heath nervously hummed any song that came to mind. Her cries began to soften into moans and then to slight whimpers as she drifted off the way Heath wanted her to.

  In her mind, she danced the performance of a lifetime. Her parents were finally proud. She wanted to dance for herself. Study dance and one day maybe teach others who had the dream and passion inside them. The song choice she was dancing to was odd. Not the normal selection for her routine. She went with it though, improvising the moves in her head. Hearing the music repeat itself, she made up new dance steps. In addition to the pleasant music she heard, there were sirens in the background, throwing her dance steps off.

  All too soon her performance came to halt. The music silenced. Darkness fell onto the stage she had illuminated in her mind as Lavin slid into a pain-induced unconsciousness. She was now in the hands of the doctor. Heath paced the floor in a continuous pattern, doing a dance of his own. He would not rest until he knew she would be all right. He was thankful the ambulance got her to the hospital swiftly. Now if he could remove their boss from their lives just as easily things would be great. Lavin would improve and hopefully get to know Heath better as well.

  At the hospital, Heath messaged David that she was being treated. Heath felt no obligation to supply any further information to his boss. Heath knew David had wormed his way into Lavin’s life and pussy, but he hoped not her heart. As much as Heath detested the thought of David and Lavin having sex, he focused on one day being the one with her. And not just for a night. He wanted more. He wanted to break the awful pattern of different girls and one-night stands. Although it initially felt good, it left him empty afterward.

  He was at a turning point. He thought his fun days of hot sex and drinks were evolving into a need for something more. Something of substance and depth and emotions. Heath wanted a partner. A woman to love him. Sure, he’d felt momentary pleasure with each new conquest in his bed. Unfortunately, he remained alone in his heart the morning after.

  Lavin had been capturing his heart and mind for so long. He’d pushed those thoughts away as he hadn’t wanted to hurt her. He wasn’t certain he knew how to be boyfriend material. He hadn’t committed to anything in his life accept the restaurant b
usiness his father had built. He’d thought a woman would mess that up. When his mother died, it broke his father for a long time. Heath wasn’t sure he could love someone that hard and bounce back after she was gone.

  The restaurant lifestyle was one of many long hours and minimal free time; many women didn’t understand that. Without having a woman in his heart, he could work tirelessly forever. His father had finally become very proud of him, and Heath didn’t want that to diminish. When Heath walked away from Lavin quickly or looked the other way, it was because she was touching his heart. He’d hoped he could gain her attention soon. In another month, the season would end. He didn’t want to think of the idea of her not returning to work and moving on. He couldn’t assume that she would work here year after year. Still, with a full month to approach her, Heath kept focusing on that, but each day it was harder to see her and have her turn away. Something had to give with both of them.

  Tonight, her accident had his attention tenfold. Something had shifted inside, and if he got the opportunity, he would tell her how he felt. How he’d carried a torch for her for so long. How he got excited to see her at each shift. His heart warmed with every smile she sent his way.

  Business continued as usual back in the dining room of the restaurant, with several of Lavin’s co-workers covering her tables. David would have liked to be by her side on the way to the hospital, but she was his employee, and he made certain the ambulance took her swiftly. The restaurant would take care of all her medical expenses. David knew she was in good hands once they took her off to the hospital. They could help her and treat her. David could only return to doing what he did best, managing the restaurant. His focus was on the rest of the night going smoothly. In fact, his focus wasn’t rattled at all when Heath opted to go in the ambulance with Lavin. There wasn’t a connection between those two. David pushed on with his duties and stopped to ask the patrons if they were enjoying their meal. He made his rounds on the dining room floor and eventually spoke to the diner that caused the hot water fiasco. The gentleman asked David if his server was okay. David casually stated she was going to be fine, not making much of the earlier mishap on the dining floor. David then immediately diverted the conversation to a favorable topic. “Would you care to meet the chef that prepared your delicious meal this evening?” The guest jumped at the offering and was pleased that he and his friends would meet the chef. The meal was amazing and they wanted to thank him personally.

  The close of the night had David walking the entire restaurant to make certain all the after prep was done for following day. He switched the lights off after checking each room. The restaurant was dark and silent. Even David’s phone remained that way. He had sent several messages to Lavin asking her to reach out and update him on her status when she could. He could have easily contacted Heath, but David refused to ask anything from him. Not having anything more to do at the restaurant, David locked up and headed to the hospital in the hopes of seeing Lavin and making sure her burn wasn’t that serious and that she would be back to work and to him soon.

  Arriving at the hospital, David took a close parking spot and headed directly to the main information station. When he inquired about Lavin Williams and her status, he was informed she’d been released a half hour earlier. “How could she leave if she arrived in an ambulance?” David wondered why she hadn’t called him. He knew anyone would have come to get her, but he wanted her to want him to be her first choice, and he wasn’t.

  He was told a tall dark-haired girl picked them up. “Oh, I see.” He’d fallen short in being there for her. Apparently, she was with Tyra, and he could not forget Heath had been with her too. Again, he tried to text her, not wanting to wake her if she was resting. Tomorrow, he would try to charm her and explain why he couldn’t leave the restaurant. That his position required him to make certain the restaurant kept running smoothly. After all, he surely didn’t want any bad reviews against him. He wanted all the bad to be shone on Heath.

  Once they’d entered Lavin’s room, Heath had carefully laid Lavin on her bed. A troubled moan had escaped her lips. Tyra settled next to her on the floor. She hadn’t wanted to lie with Lavin and risk any more pain if she moved on the mattress. The burn was intense. The hospital cleaned her leg and bandaged her wound, but it would be some time before it healed. Not to mention the pain and soreness she would endure. Heath had propped his head on a pillow and leaned back on a chair in her room. His comfort hadn’t mattered; being with her was all he’d been concerned about. He knew waking would bring her pain, and he wanted to help her through it in any way he could.

  He’d noticed the texts from David earlier and silenced her phone. She didn’t need to deal with that. Heath had finally sent a text after so many kept arriving.

  I am fine and resting but will not be at work the next few days. Doctor’s orders. Lavin

  That would surely keep him appeased, and he would stop bothering her.

  Heath had fallen asleep for about an hour, but when the screams of pain rang out, he awoke and was immediately at her side. Her hand in his, he tried to talk to her about dancing and if her Jeep had been serviced. When had she last washed her Jeep? What did she wear to bed? What was her favorite food? Any topic he could throw at her to get her mind off her leg.

  Tyra made a light breakfast for Lavin to eat so she could take her pain medicine. Heath held the toast with strawberry jelly to her lips, urging her to eat. “You need this or else you can’t take the pills. Please, just small bites. Take a few and then we can get you some relief.” Lavin searched his eyes as he pleaded with her over a piece of toast.

  She wanted to laugh, but the pain kept that from occurring. Obliging his request, she polished off several bites and half a glass of orange juice. Although she could feed herself and drink by herself, she let Heath take care of her. When the pain medicine kicked in, she drifted off for the rest of the day. Tyra and Heath agreed to take turns checking in on her. When they arrived for their shifts, they informed David she was still resting peacefully. The more she slept, the better; her body would heal faster the more she rested.

  Heath also knew he wanted to keep David away from Lavin. Beginning that moment, he would try as hard as he could to do just that.

  7

  Present Summer Season

  Not Leaving Her Side

  Work resumed as usual. Lavin missed a few days and then decided it was time she returned to her shift. With one minor change. She was unable to wear the black fish net stockings as they pressed into her bandaged wound.

  “Shit, these won’t work.” Lavin ripped the stocking from her legs, balled them up, and tossed them toward the laundry bin, missing the opening and falling onto the pile of the other clothes where her aim was off.

  David cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. Once all eyes were focused to him, he then began with his nightly staff meeting.

  “This evening we have another full house. I will need extra eyes paying attention to every detail for all the customers. Lavin has a keen eye. She has expressed retuning to work already, but I told her to take another day or so.” His eyes traveled to the far side of the room, and his voice halted.

  Showing up bare legged to her shift turned a lot of heads. Not only was her skin pale and perfect from her ankles to her thighs, but the uniform looked much shorter without the dark stockings she normally wore. Tugging at the edges of her hem, she entered the main dining room for their employee meeting.

  “Lavin, so glad you could join us; I was just talking about you.” David’s smile brightened with her in the room. However, part of it was looking at her bare legs and knowing he would tap that ass soon enough, either before the shift or after. He would be gentle at first since she’d just been burned, but his cock ached, and he needed release. He smiled so happily, thinking of bending her over his desk, releasing the zipper on his gray pants, and dipping his cock at first then plunging farther and farther. He adjusted himself while all eyes were still focused on Lavin as the employees
welcomed her return.

  Heath could not tear his glance or his thoughts from her. He would dedicate himself tonight to helping her on the floor. Looking at her legs, he thought not of them wrapped around his head, but the pain she must still feel. The edge of the white bandage was showing, and he knew it rose upward about seven inches. She would heal in time, but there would definitely be scars. Heath didn’t care. He saw so much more within her than just the beauty on the surface. He never looked within the women he’d dated or slept with. Hell, Lavin hadn’t been either of those, and he’d searched within her already.

  “Okay everyone, Lavin has returned, so let’s get set up for this evening and remember to give the best service that Arden’s strives for.” David approached Lavin after he concluded his nightly speech.

  “May I see you for a moment before your shift? You have some accident papers to sign off on,” he added with a wink.

  “Sure, let’s get them taken care of.” Her lips pressed into a courteous smile. David’s wink did nothing for her, certainly not what Heath’s had done.

  David’s dick jumped; he wanted her to take care of him first. The paperwork could wait.

  Heath watched the motion in David’s pants. Heath didn’t want Lavin ever touching that man except to take her paycheck from his hands. Heath had to do something and wasn’t quite sure what, but he needed to intervene and right now.

  Immediately after the employees dispersed to their areas, Heath gathered the tray of the employee’s nonalcoholic drinks to clean up and clumsily banged into Lavin. Trying not to hit her leg, he tapped her other side. She went with his diversion and screamed out in pain.