"Got everything she needs?" David had ambled back across the room, books tucked under his arm.
Lee frowned at the open bag, and then decisively zipped it closed. "I think I have enough. I don't know where her toothbrush and stuff is, but I'll have Marika pick some things up for her."
Standing, she grinned at the priest. "C'mon padre, let's get you out of the gorgon's lair."
He shook his head in mild exasperation, but she could see the twinkle in his pale eyes. As they left the room, and he locked the padlock, she asked, "So how come Rhi calls you Ichabod?"
"You can't see the resemblance?" David asked drolly.
Lee stared at him, then started to laugh. She was still chuckling as they exited the house and locked it behind them. She tossed the stuffed gym bag into the back seat and slid into the passenger's seat as David started the car.
As they pulled away, the priest said, "I'm glad you were along. I don't think I'd have felt very comfortable going through Rhiannon's...things."
Lee flushed, wondering for an instant if he'd seen her examine the bankbook, but then she realized what he meant. Jokingly she asked, "Not into ladies lingerie, Father?"
Deadpan, he answered, "I find they just don't make them in my size."
Lee lost it then, letting the fear and anxiety of the day wash away in gales of laughter. When she finally stopped, wiping the tears from her eyes, she found David had a small, wicked grin lingering on his thin lips.
Impulsively, she asked, "David, why did you stop me in the hospital? Doesn't it make more sense to you to have Rhiannon stay with Dana and me?" She'd wondered if it was because he didn't want Rhi associating with a pair of lesbians, but that didn't feel right. He struck her as open, warm and completely non-judgmental. Besides, if that had been the case, he'd hardly have favoured Rhi staying with Marika, though it was possible he didn't know the lawyer was gay too.
Turning serious, the priest considered her question, choosing his words carefully. "It was more instinct than anything else, Lee. I think...I feel, that those two need each other right now. They went through the same trauma, and I believe they can help to heal each other." He shrugged and gave her a little apologetic grin. "I didn't mean to interfere. I know Rhi thinks the world of you and your partner. I just...sometimes I get this overwhelming feeling, and I've learned to go with it."
Lee pondered his words. She wasn't as convinced, knowing her old friend as well as she did. While sure that Marika would be kind to her young houseguest, she still couldn't picture the lawyer in a care-giving role, unlike her partner who was a born nurse. Hmm, he might have a good point though. 'Rika sure was determined about this.
Dismissing her lingering reservations, Lee decided she and Dana would just have to make a point to be frequent visitors to Marika's condo the next few days.
Chapter Twelve
MARIKA SPENT A COUPLE of hours that morning in her office, making arrangements to juggle appointments and picking up what she needed to work from home. She also left instructions for maintenance to replace all the carpet in her waiting room. When they tried to tell her that they could just replace the acid damaged patch and steam clean the blood away, she had instantly rejected the suggestion. When Rhiannon returned to work, Marika didn't want the slightest reminder in their office of what had happened that awful day, not even a vaguely discoloured spot on the floor or an imperfectly matched bit of carpet. That being accomplished, the lawyer left to pick up her assistant from the hospital.
When Marika arrived at Foothills, Rhiannon offered to let her out of their arrangement. Sensing that her assistant was wavering at the prospect of staying in her boss' home, the lawyer gently reminded her of David's warning. Much to her amazement, it served to immediately eliminate any further objections, and Rhiannon had meekly accompanied her to the car.
Marika watched closely as Rhiannon eased herself out of the car and reached into the back seat for the gym bag. The lawyer raised one eyebrow in rebuke and firmly took the bag away, shifting it to her far hand. She debated internally whether to offer support, but knew it wouldn't be welcomed. Instead, she simply walked close beside the young woman as they made their way to the bank of elevators from the parking garage.
As they rode the elevator up, Marika stole a surreptitious look at her guest. Rhi appeared pale and fatigued. She held her right arm tightly against her body, minimizing the limb's movement. The lawyer hoped that her assistant wouldn't resist the suggestion of a nap once they got to the apartment. She had no doubt that it would take a while for her guest to feel comfortable, and as much as possible, she wanted to quickly ease Rhi into a routine of resting and recovering.
When they reached her unit, Marika unlocked the door and held it open for her guest. She smothered a tiny smile at how warily Rhiannon entered, and stifled the urge to ask what the young woman expected to encounter in her home.
Spooky greeted them, strolling up and sniffing at the stranger.
"Behave yourself, Mister. Try to keep the attitude to a minimum," Marika cautioned her pet as she tossed her keys on the side table. She was pleased when Rhiannon knelt and clumsily held out her left hand to the cat.
Spooky ducked his head, running his body under the outstretched hand with an audible purr. Both women chuckled, and Rhiannon stroked the luxuriant gray and white fur several times before standing. She swayed a bit, and Marika took hold of her uninjured left arm.
"Hey, why don't I show you where your room is?" the lawyer suggested. "If you want to, you can lie down for a nap. I'm just going to catch up on a few things in the den, and I'll wake you for lunch if you like."
She was relieved when Rhi accepted her suggestion readily, having half expected an instant demurral. Leading the way down the hall, she gave a quick tour of the condo.
"Kitchen, living room and dining room are that way," Marika said, pointing to the right. "The den is next to the master bedroom, and the bathroom and utility/laundry room are across the hall. When you need towels, you'll find the linen closet beside the bathroom."
Drawing even with her bedroom, she gestured for Rhiannon to enter. "This is your room. There's an en suite, but you'll probably want to use the bathtub in the main bathroom to keep the stitches as dry as possible. Dana will be over tonight to take a look at them and show me how to care for your wound until...well, while you're here."
She broke off awkwardly, watching as her assistant surveyed the large, tranquil room, and then turned to her with a frown. "Everything okay?" Marika asked, wondering if she'd overlooked something when she'd prepared the room for her guest's arrival earlier that morning.
"This is your room," Rhiannon said bluntly.
"Well...yes, but it's yours while you're here, and I'll take the daybed in the den."
"I can't kick you out of your own room," the young woman stated firmly. "I'll take the den."
Marika sighed. She knew it had been going too smoothly with her recalcitrant assistant. Might as well get the first battle over with. Deliberately keeping her voice calm but resolute, the lawyer said, "No, it will be easier on your wound if you should take the bed. The better care you take of it, the sooner you'll be out of here and independent again, right?"
Inwardly, the lawyer crowed when Rhi reluctantly nodded. She congratulated herself for couching her rationale in terms the young woman would respond to, but knew this was probably only the first skirmish.
Setting her assistant's gym bag on the embroidered boudoir chair, Marika wondered for a moment if she should offer to put things away, but decided the suggestion would trespass on Rhiannon's unspoken, but formidable personal boundaries.
"Um, well, I cleared some space for you," Marika said, crossing to the bureau and opening the top drawer. "And Lee couldn't find your toothbrush and things, so I bought some basics and left them in the en suite for you. Why don't you get yourself settled, take a nap, and I'll call you in about an hour or so for lunch?"
Rhiannon still stood stiffly in the centre of the room, but she gave her b
oss a curt nod. Marika smiled encouragingly at the young woman then left her to her own devices, closing the door softly behind her.
Crossing the short distance to the den, the lawyer shook her head, and for the umpteenth time since the previous day, questioned her sanity. What the hell do I know about looking after someone? Especially someone who resents being looked after? She was grateful that Lee hadn't pushed for the reasons behind her insistence on bringing Rhiannon into her home. Marika was well aware it made no logical sense at all. She only knew that she needed to do this, both for her assistant and for herself.
Glancing at her watch, the lawyer decided she had at least an hour to work before she had to consider putting lunch together. Entering the den, she sank gratefully into her padded, leather executive chair, and swiveling slowly, stared sightlessly across the wide desk. Finally, forcing her mind back on her work, she booted up her computer and logged into her office files.
* * *
Rhi put the last of her meagre attire in the drawer and slid it shut. She turned and, leaning back against the dresser, stared at the bed she was to sleep in. The queen-size bed was neatly made with rose-coloured sheets and a pale pink, hand-sewn quilt that reminded her of the inside of a shell her father had once shown her. Piles of lacy pillows banked against a French provincial headboard. The assistant was half-convinced she'd never be able to rest in such finery, but an unexpected yawn persuaded her to at least lie down for a few moments.
Kicking off her shoes, she gingerly sat on the bed, favouring her shoulder while trying not to disturb the banks of pillows too much. She sank back into the soft bed and sighed with pleasure. It was radically different from the thin, lumpy pallet she'd slept on for the last decade. Deciding it would be all right to rest for a few minutes, she closed her eyes and, without conscious thought, was asleep in moments.
When Rhiannon awoke, it was with an instant sensation that she wasn't alone, and her eyes flew open in alarm, only to find her boss leaning against the open door, arms crossed, with an odd expression on her face. Rhi watched her watcher, noting the slightly confused look in expressive gray eyes. She wondered what was baffling Marika, and was uncertain if she should again offer to go home. Then the older woman smiled at her, and Rhi's doubts eased.
"Feel like some lunch?"
Marika's voice was casual, but warm, and Rhiannon nodded, rolling slightly to get up before a wave of pain stilled her motion. Her involuntary moan brought the lawyer instantly to her side, and slender hands steadied and assisted her to sit up.
Embarrassed, Rhiannon mumbled, "Sorry 'bout that."
"There's nothing to be sorry about. You're not going to be 100% for a few days yet. That's why you're here, so please let me help where I can."
Her boss' voice was so matter-of-fact that it assuaged Rhiannon's nagging worries about imposing on the woman. Wordlessly, she allowed the lawyer to assist her to her feet. She noticed that even though Marika immediately stepped back to allow her room, those keen gray eyes regarded her closely. As they left the room, the blonde was never more than an arm's length away.
Lunch turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Rhiannon hadn't suspected that her elegant boss had a domestic side, and was mildly amazed at the lovely meal laid out for just the two of them. She wondered if Marika always ate like this, or had gone to some lengths just for her.
After a day of hospital food, Rhi decided she wasn't going to waste time analyzing the lunch. She nodded her thanks as the lawyer filled her plate with chicken salad and pushed the tray of still steaming, thickly sliced French bread towards her.
When Rhi found it difficult to butter the bread with only one hand, Marika quietly took over. Muttering her thanks, Rhiannon dug into the salad, enjoying the flavour of the cold chicken, greens, orange slices and almonds in a lightly piquant dressing.
"Wow, this is great!" Sure beats the hell out of my cup-of-soup and bologna sandwiches.
The lawyer smiled, obviously pleased with the compliment. "Do you like iced tea?"
Rhi swallowed before answering. "I don't know. I don't think I've ever had any."
Marika raised an eyebrow, but only said, "Well, try it and if you don't like it, I'll find something else."
She found she did like the iced tea, as well as the fresh blueberries served over yogurt for dessert. There was little conversation during lunch, but neither woman seemed uncomfortable with that. Rhi tried to help Marika clean up afterwards, but the lawyer shook her head.
"No, that's okay. I've got it. Once you've got two working arms, you can help out again."
"Once I've got two working arms, I'll be out of your hair," Rhi pointed out reasonably.
"You're not in my hair."
The words were soft, and Rhiannon couldn't see her boss' face as she loaded the dishwasher, but she sensed the sincerity behind them. Her reaction to those words surprised her. A week ago, she'd have been embarrassed or uncomfortable by such an expression, not that her standoffish boss would have offered it then. Now–now, she felt an inexplicable pleasure at the sentiment, but as always, sought safety in silence.
Marika closed the dishwasher and, facing Rhi, thrust her hands in her pockets. "I should get more work done this afternoon." Before her guest could interrupt, the lawyer said with a little grin, "No, you're not allowed to help. You're supposed to be resting."
Rhiannon frowned, simultaneously averse to not pulling her weight and worried about missing more days' pay. She was mentally marshalling her arguments to be allowed back to her job, when Marika again broke into her thoughts.
"Rhi, you do know you're on full pay and benefits while you recover, don't you?"
Startled, the young woman gaped at her boss, wondering when the lawyer had added mind reader to her professional accomplishments. Marika smiled gently. "Considering you could sue the firm for inadequate security on the job, I'd say it's the least they could do."
Indignantly, Rhi protested, "I wouldn't sue!"
The lawyer chuckled. "I know that, but they don't. Besides you were injured in the line of duty. You're entitled to be paid until you're able to work again."
Rhi fidgeted restlessly in her chair. No longer tired after her nap, she wanted something with which to occupy herself. Again Marika appeared to read her mind.
"I have a small collection of videos and a better collection of CDs. You're welcome to use them, or you could watch TV or read."
"Read?" Rhiannon perked up. "Do you have some books I could borrow?"
Marika laughed. "You could say that. Come with me."
The assistant trailed her boss out of the kitchen and back down the hall to the den. Following the lawyer into the room, Rhi stopped short and stared. Slightly smaller than the master bedroom, one wall of the room was lined with built-in floor-to-ceiling bookcases and an attached sliding ladder allowed access to the upper shelves. A mahogany double pedestal desk with a padded leather chair sat at one end of the room, angled so the occupant had a view out the large windows. Two large file cabinets sat beside the windows. A daybed and side table lay alongside one wall, with a black leather recliner and reading lamp in the opposite corner. The condo's predominant colours of gray and white with rose accents continued in this room, but the bookcases were the same mahogany as the desk and file cabinets. It was a peacefully inviting room, and Rhi had no doubt that her boss spent many hours in there.
An amused voice said, "Help yourself to any of the books you want. I'm just going to get some work done." The lawyer switched on the mini-stereo sitting on top of one of the cabinets, and took a seat at her desk, booting up the PC.
Rhiannon listened to the soft, mellow instrumental music for a moment, not recognizing the piece, and then began her inspection of the impressive library. Starting at one end, she moved swiftly past the legal and reference books to find shelves of fiction, non-fiction, classics and contemporary works, and even a wide-ranging collection of traditional fairy tales from many lands. Feeling like a kid in the candy store, she gleefully opened one
book after another, reading the cover pages and trying to decide which one to choose. Finally settling on an old favourite she hadn't read in years, Rhi glanced at the recliner and bit her lip, unsure if her presence would be an annoyance while her boss worked.
"You're welcome to read in here, Rhi," Marika said. "You won't be a bother; and I can tell you from experience, that's the most comfortable chair in the house."
Shaking her head a little at her boss' prescience, the young woman sat carefully in the chair, then frowned as she realized the handle to recline the La-Z-Boy was on the right. Before she even had time to form the words, Marika was kneeling at her side, pulling the lever for her. Rhi grinned with delight as the chair went back and her legs went up. She wiggled into the comfortable depths, and nodded her thanks when the lawyer snapped on the overhead lamp.
The two women spent the afternoon quietly, each intent on her own pursuits, with little conversation until Marika asked Rhiannon if she'd like a snack. Lost in the streets of London with Oliver Twist, the young woman looked up from her book, and glancing at the wall clock, was startled to realize three hours had flown by. She grimaced as she noted the throbbing in her shoulder had increased too.
"Sounds like a good idea, boss. And I think it might be time for another happy pill too."
Marika was quickly at her side, pushing the lever back and offering a hand to assist Rhi out of the chair. The young woman accepted gratefully. Now that she was no longer engrossed in her book, she was feeling the full effects of the wound again.
"Um, if you don't mind, I think I'll just go lie down for a while."
"Not at all. You do whatever you want to, Rhiannon. Rest when you need to. That's the whole point of being here. Do you need any help?"
"No, thanks, I'm just going to take a couple of pills and nap for a bit." Rhi moved stiffly out of the room, but stopped at the door to smile at her hostess. "I don't think I've said it, but I really do appreciate all you're doing for me." She left then, but not before she saw the look of surprised delight on Marika's face.
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