The Parking Space

by Angela Archer

“How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine. Can I just go back to my room now?”

  She laid her hand on my forehead. “Well, you don’t have a fever, nor have you had any further reaction. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you still can’t . . .” She grabbed a pair of rubber gloves and pulled them down over her hands. The white sticky latex fought her movement. “Let me treat the sting one more time, then your husband can take you back to your room.”

  “He’s not my husband.”

  “My apologies, your boyfriend, then?”

  I shook my head.

  “Helen and I are just friends.” Rick uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “However, I will be helping her back to her room and staying with her for a while just to make sure she’s okay.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” I said.

  “Someone needs to stay with you for a while,” he argued.

  “He’s right. If you plan on going to your room alone, then I’ll keep you here.”

  I closed my eyes. My words hissed through gritted teeth. “Fine.”

  The nurse stuck the ear tips of her stethoscope inside her ears and pushed the diaphragm against my chest. She listened to my heart for a few seconds, before moving to the front and back of my lungs, each time telling me to breath in and out a deep breath.

  After she was done, she yanked several gauze pads from a bedside cart and soaked them in a bowl of vinegar while she grabbed an industrial-size box of baking soda. With a few flicks of her wrists, the gauze swept over the raw skin where the jellyfish stung me.

  I closed my eyes, inhaling a deep breath to distract myself from the pain.

  She sprinkled on the baking soda and the white powder bubbled and fizzed when it hit the vinegar.

  “I want you to come back and see me again tomorrow, all right?”

  “Okay.”

  “Try to stay off the leg for the rest of the day and tonight, too. I’ll have the front desk call a cart driver for you. He’ll be waiting out front when you’re ready. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything stronger than over-the-counter pain medication; however, I’ll here is a few doses in case you want to take them.” She handed me a pill bottle that made the same noise as a baby rattle.

  “Thank you.”

  I climbed out of the bed as she left the room, pulling the medical cart behind her. As I hobbled around the bed, Rick rose to his feet. He drew my arm over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around my waist.

  “You don’t have to do that. I can make it to the front desk.”

  “You don’t like people helping you, do you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You haven’t wanted my help at all this afternoon.”

  My guilt stung through my embarrassment. “I’m sorry.” I hung my head. “It’s not that I don’t want anyone’s help—”

  “You just don’t want my help.”

  “No, no, that’s not it. I guess I just felt . . . felt a little . . .”

  “Embarrassed?”

  My cheeks flushed fire hot. I opened my mouth to answer him, but the thought of uttering the only word I could—yes—proved too difficult, so I nodded.

  “You don’t have to feel that way. I don’t feel uncomfortable about it—especially since I was only helping a friend.”

  “A friend? Doctor Stark—”

  “Rick.”

  “Rick, we’ve known each other all of, what, twelve hours?”

  “Well, technically we’ve known of each other for about a week, remember?” He winked as he mocked.

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  We continued past the front desk, my pace severely slow, though I desperately tried to hide my pain and mask my inabilities.

  “Dr. Stark?” A woman called out from behind us.

  I turned to face her just as Rick, and I jerked my head with the sight of the beautiful woman that now walked toward us with a beaming smile on her face.

  Who was this woman? And how did she know Rick?

  “Mrs. Bouveau? How are you?”

  With his question, she grasped both of his outstretched hands and kissed the sides of both of his cheeks.

  “I’m just fine, darling. How are you?” Her thick French accent purred. “I didn’t expect to see you around here. I thought you’d be back in the states by now.”

  “I decided to take a few days to just enjoy the island. Have a tiny vacation since I’m already here.”

  “But of course, why not. There is plenty to do on zee island, no?” She winked. “Just think of it as another perk if you move here.” Her eyes danced from him to me. Nearly as tall as Rick, her long legs were like that of a sleek gazelle. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know your friend. Hello, I’m Natalie Bouveau.”

  “Helen Wright.” As I tried to shake her hand, she leaned in, awkwardly kissing both of my cheeks too—a customary French greeting that I wasn’t used to.

  “My apologies, ladies.” Rick motioned toward the both of us. “Helen, this is Natalie and she is the one veterinarian on the island.”

  “Oh.”

  “She’s also Franck’s wife, the manager of the hotel. Natalie, this is Helen she is a patient from San Francisco who I happened to run into while having dinner one night.”

  “Well my cat, Charlie, is the patient. Not me.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you.” Her attention turned back to Rick and her tone changed, bordering on being pushy, and yet, hesitant at the same time. “So have you thought any more about my proposal?”

  “I have, but still haven’t made a decision yet.” Rick shoved both of his hands into the pockets of his pants. His shoulders slouched slightly as he looked away from her for a moment. “However, I must say this is quite the place, that’s for sure.”

  “Yes, it is. And, of course, take your time. I don’t mean to rush you in any way.” Natalie gave him a wink then clasped her hands together. “Well, I should let you two be on your way. I have come to fetch Franck for lunch. I have been so busy the last several months that I swear sometimes I forget what he looks like.”

  “I should get Helen back to her room, anyway. Unfortunately, she received a sting from a jellyfish while we were snorkeling this afternoon.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that that happened to you.”

  “It’s quite all right.”

  “Did you see ‘zee medical nurse from ’zee hotel?”

  “Yes, we were just there.”

  “Well, I hope you feel better soon.” She paused, her eyes focused on Rick once more with as though thought suddenly slapped her in the face. “Since you are still here,” she said to him, “you might as well stop by ‘zee clinic again. I’m sure some of ‘zee patients could use your healing touch before you leave.”

  “Oh. Okay. I’ll think about it.”

  “Please do. You could even bring Miss Wright if you want. Show her around.” She smiled at me. “It’s not much, but at least we are able to save as many lives as we can.”

  “I’d love to see the clinic.”

  “You would?” Rick asked. He jerked his head slightly and blinked a few times as he looked at me.

  “Of course, I would.”

  “Well, okay. I guess I’ll bring her by when she’s feeling better.”

  “Excellent.” Natalie clapped her hands. “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Wright. And Rick, it was a pleasure to see you again.”

  “You, too, Mrs. Bouveau.”

  As suddenly as the woman appeared, she vanished down one of the long hallways behind the receptionist desk. Her arrival and departure left my head spinning and the weight of her words pounded down upon my shoulders.

  I had forgotten the reason why he was here, and had forgotten that he might leave San Francisco.

  “You ready to get back to your villa?” Rick asked.

  As I opened my mouth to answer, a flash of chocolate brown hair on the back of a man’s head brushed through my line of sight. The way the stranger’s
ears stuck out from behind and the way he moved caught my attention and twisted in my stomach.

  Tom?

  I shook my head and closed my eyes.

  No, it couldn’t be. Tom wouldn’t be stupid enough to come here. I must be seeing things.

  When I opened my eyes again, the tall figure I thought I saw vanished without a trace as if it was nothing more than a figment of my imagination. My brow furrowed as I searched the faces all around the lobby. New arrivals checking, seasoned travelers checking out, and bellhops hustling around with different luggage carts all seemed to come from every direction.

  And none of them looked like the mirage I thought I’d seen.

  “Helen?” Rick grabbed my arm, jerking my focus onto him. His eyes narrowed. “Are you in there? Hello?”

  “Sorry.” I pressed my palm into my forehead. “I’m . . . just tired, I guess.”

  “Let’s get you back to your villa.” Rick wrapped his arm around me once more, helping me through the lobby. “Well, this sure turned out to be quite the day, didn’t it?”

  I snorted a laugh. “Yeah, one I could have done without.”

  “Why don’t we just forget about everything that happened and start over?” He playfully bumped his shoulder into mine. “Deal?”

  My eyes shot to the ground and I tucked my hair behind my ears as he helped me into the awaiting golf cart. Even though I still felt utterly mortified, I didn’t wish to continue to act ungrateful.

  “Deal.”

  He sat on the bench seat next to me and adjusted his weight, rocking the tiny motorized parts of metal. “To the overwater villas, please,” he said to the driver.

  “Yes, sir.”

  The ride to my villa took longer than I thought it would. The cart bounced and jerked as the driver maneuvered down the path past the beachfront condos, the pool, the tennis courts, and through countless palm trees. Our shoulders brushed several times.

  Each touch was just another moment. Both a rush of excitement and embarrassment spread through my skin, searing my frayed nerves like the tentacles of the jellyfish all over again.

  This handsome man had to pee on my leg.

  Had to pee on my leg.

  My shoulders cringed with every thought as the cart pulled up alongside the main dock pathway to all the overwater villas. Rick bounded out of his seat, nodding to the driver as he circled around the cart to help me.

  “Thanks,” he said to the man.

  “Yes, thank you,” I added.

  The driver nodded. “Do you guys need any help?”

  “Nah, I’ve got her.”

  “Well, have a nice day.”

  “You, too.”

  I slid from my seat into Rick’s arms, holding on to him for balance. His embrace was strong, and his body felt solid against mine. I thought of him removing his shirt on the boat just hours ago and the image of his bare chest and chiseled abs set fire to my skin.

  “Thank you.” My voice was nothing but a whisper as our eyes locked.

  “You’re welcome.” With a swift shift of his weight, he scooped me up into his arms.

  A squeal left my lips. “What are you doing? I can walk.”

  “Yeah, but you’re slow. We can get you there faster if I just carry you.”

  Crap. He has a point.

  “Okay, well, that . . . that I can’t argue with . . .” I pointed down the dock, trying to make the best of my mortification. “Home, Jeeves.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  TWELVE

  I ROCKED FROM side to side in Rick’s arms, a comfort that relaxed my body and melted the stress of the day. I laid my head on his shoulder. Faint remnants of his cologne tickled my nose with rustic scent.

  “Helen!” Lisa screamed my name in the distance, the shrillness in her volume caused me to flinch. “What the heck happened? Dr. Stark? What . . . what is going on? What are you doing here? Why are you carrying Helen?”

  She darted toward us, leaving Ben behind as she sprinted.

  “Hey, Lisa.”

  “What happened?”

  “I got stung by a jellyfish.”

  “A jellyfish? How did you get stung by a jellyfish?”

  “It happened when we were snorkeling.”

  “You went snorkeling?” Her gaze shifted from me to Rick, then back to me. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she exhaled a deep breath. “Okay, okay, back it up. What is going on? I’m so confused.”

  As Ben finally reached us, the two men nodded toward one another, but Lisa intervened before they could utter a word to one another.

  “Dr. Stark, why are you here? And how did you two run into each other?”

  “I hate to cut your questions short, Miss Carter, but if you don’t mind, can we continue this conversation in Helen’s villa?” Rick adjusted my weight against his chest.

  “You can put me down, Rick, I can walk.”

  “Rick?” Lisa’s head jerked as she glanced from me to him then back to me.

  “I’ll put you down when I’ve reached your couch, okay?” Through the amusement in his voice, a hard, stern determination focused the hazel hue.

  “Fine. Fine.”

  He strode past Lisa and Ben, who moved out of his way then followed close behind him. I glanced over his shoulder, catching the confused, and yet, intrigued bounce in her step.

  “Where is your room key?” Rick asked as he approached the front door.

  “It’s in my back pocket.”

  He set me down, allowing my arms the freedom to dig into my shorts for the tiny silver trinket. Before I could even think to try to stick it in the lock, he grasped the key from my hand and unlocked the door.

  “Ah, don’t even think about it.” He pointed his finger in my face.

  “I can at least make it inside.”

  “I think you should just let him handle it, Helen.” Delight flecked Lisa’s voice.

  I shot her a glare. “Who asked you?”

  She cocked her head to the side, and winked while a smirk spread across her face—an all too familiar smirk that I’d seen countless times when she was pushing me toward a man.

  Before I could open my mouth in protest once more, he scooped me back into his arms and carried me to the couch. The fluffy cushions were nothing compared to his warmth.

  Lisa wasted no time in flopping down in the chair next to me s Rick strolled off toward the bathroom.

  “Uh, care to enlighten me on a few things you didn’t mention to me last night when we spoke on the phone. You know things like why he’s here and why you two are together, or, oh I don’t know, that you even bumped into him at all. Why didn’t you tell me he was here?”

  “Because I knew how you’d react. And I didn’t know what to make of the situation, yet.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Aha! I knew you. I knew you two would hit it off.

  “Oh, now, slow down there, roadrunner. He’s made it extremely clear that he’s not looking for a relationship.”

  “Oh, please, men say that all the time, and then change their minds. Heck, Ben even said it to me when we first met. Within a week, he’d called me ten times asking me out.” She waved her hand as though to exaggerate her point and winked. “For all you know—”

  “Oh no.” I raised my hand to her face. “Don’t say it. I know what you’re thinking. This is not the start of a relationship.”

  “That you know of.”

  “You’re impossible.” I reached for one of the decorative pillows and covered my face with it for a moment, toying with the idea of throwing it at her head.

  “Am I?”

  “Oh, shut up.”

  She opened her mouth to retort once more, but thought better after Rick strode back into the room. While Ben rounded the couch to her chair, Rick made his way over to me and handed me a glass of water.

  “Where’s your phone?” he asked.

  “It’s over on that table. Why?”

  “I was going to call room service and order a couple bottles of water and lunch
for us.”

  “Us.” Lisa’s tone clawed up my skin, her mocked hint toward some sort of romance between us obvious to everyone in the room.

  “Someone needs to watch her for a possible reaction.”

  “Well,” the letter ‘l’ lengthened through her voice. Her tongue rested between her teeth as she glanced at Ben. “I guess we’ll get out of your way, then. We have to meet our parents near the front desk in a few minutes, anyway.” As she stood to leave, she pointed her finger at Rick. “Promise me that you’ll take good care of her.”

  “I promise you I will.”

  “Wait . . . what are you doing in Bora Bora, anyway?”

  Ben stepped forward and reached for Lisa’s hand. “Honey, we should get going. We don’t want to be late and keep everybody waiting.”

  “I know, I know, I’m just wondering why he’s here of all places.”

  “Oh for the love of Pete, Lisa, he’s here for a job interview.” While I didn’t mean to shout, by the time I’d finished my sentence, my volume nearly surprised me.

  “A job interview?” Lisa glanced between Rick and me.

  “Honey, I don’t think that’s any of our business.” For the first time, annoyance flickered in the deep brown of Ben’s eyes. Whether or not the stress of the week had gotten to him, I didn’t know, but it was the first time he’d ever taken any kind of a tone with Lisa that I knew of.

  “It’s quite all right,” Rick assured. “There has been a clinic here that has expressed their interest in my employment, yes, however, I haven’t decided on the position yet.”

  “But wouldn’t that mean you’d move away from San Francisco? What about your practice? Or . . .” She glanced at me. “Or anyone that might interest you?”

  “Don’t you have to meet your parents,” I interrupted—my tone crisp enough to give Lisa the stern warning that she needed to stop.

  “Fine. Fine. We’re going. We’re going.”

  I laid my head back against the couch pillow as she and Ben left, shutting the front door behind them. Sudden exhaustion plagued me along with an empty stomach that growled with a loud rumble.

  “You doing okay over there?”

  “Yeah. I’m just tired.”

  “I understand. Here’s the menu for the room service.” Rick handed me the leather-bound binder. “Pick out what you want and I’ll get it ordered for you.”