“I have some material I want you to read before Bernice leaves the hospital. It might make you stop and think before you light up around her again.” Dr. Becker’s tone was serious, all traces of his earlier humor gone.
It was serious stuff, Toots knew. She and Malcolm Moretti had both had a hand in contributing to Bernice’s heart condition.
Maybe it was time to give some serious thought to giving up her habit. She and Sophie could quit together. It was supposed to be easier to quit with a partner. Support each other and all.
“Take these, read them when you can. Now I am going to call it a day. Bernice is in the trusted hands of one of my colleagues for the night, Dr. Clark. If there are any problems, he’ll be able to handle them.” Dr. Becker gave Toots a handful of pamphlets.
“Thank you. I mean it. You probably saved her life, and I can’t tell you what that means to me.” Toots had already held out her hand to shake the good doctor’s when she remembered her earlier reaction. Too late, he took her hand in his. Sparks flew up and down the length of her arm, stopping at her fingertips, where they were still tingling when she pulled her hand away.
Dr. Becker looked at her then. Really looked at her. Not like a doctor views a patient, but the way a man looks at a woman. A woman he was attracted to. “I’ll look forward to your thoughts.” He nodded at the literature he gave her, then turned and walked away.
“Of course.” Toots watched him as he pushed the steel doors aside.
All that time, Sophie stood there observing her, a shit-eating grin on her face.
“Are we thinking of a number? Maybe ... nine?”
Toots grabbed Sophie’s arm and led her down the hall to the waiting room. Inside, she practically dragged her across the floor to the worn beige sofa.
“Now tell me exactly what that meant? Exactly, Sophie.” Toots’s eyes flashed with excitement.
“I don’t have to tell you anything. That look in your eyes says it all. It’s okay to be attracted to Dr. Becker, Toots. He’s certainly eyeballing you. Has since the minute he laid those sexy blue eyes on you.”
Flustered, Toots brought her hand up to her chest. “That’s a crock. I have no interest in a man. I told you, when I buried Leland, that was it for me. Eight times for Sophie. Eight times I walked the walk, and I swore I would never do it again. I would like to believe I’m a woman of my word. So, there.”
But it seemed clear Toots was trying to convince herself as much as Sophie that she was immune to the handsome doctor’s attention. “Besides, I’m over with that half of my life. I have two businesses to run, two houses to care for, a daughter, you, and now Bernice. Where in the world would I ever find time for a ... relationship?”
“You’d make the time, Toots, just like me. I’m going to tell you this, and if you laugh, I swear I’ll deny it. It kills me every time I see Goebel because I know it’s only for a short time. I’m so worried about the moment he leaves, I can hardly take pleasure in the fact that he’s here. Tell me, Toots. Do I have it bad or what?”
Chuckling, Toots took her friend’s hand in her own. “If anyone deserves to ‘have it bad,’ it’s you, Sophie Manchester. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. So you miss Goebel? Do you tell him? Does he ask you to visit him in New York? Has he said, ‘Hands off, Sophie, I’m taken’?”
“No, he’s content. At least I think he is. I care about the old fool. Is that crazy or what? I’m so damn glad he lost all that weight. Oh, I liked him before he lost the weight, but he’s healthier now. His energy is twice what it was when we first met. You know we really should think about giving up the cigs. Maybe we could get those new pills that help you quit. I’ve seen them advertised on TV.”
“I was thinking the same thing when I saw Bernice. I feel partially responsible for her condition. All these years I’ve huffed and puffed around her. And Abby! What if she’s suffered from my bad habit? God, I don’t think I could live with myself!”
“Stop it, Toots. You’re tired, and you probably need a cigarette,” Sophie grumbled. “If you don’t, then I do.”
Toots nodded and glanced at the stack of papers in her lap. “Here, let’s look at this stuff, then I won’t have to lie when he asks me if I did.”
Toots read from the first pamphlet she opened.
“Exposure to toxins in secondhand smoke can cause asthma, cancer, and other serious problems. Secondhand smoke causes or contributes to various health problems, from cardiovascular disease to cancer. Understand what’s in secondhand smoke and consider ways to protect yourself and those you love from secondhand smoke.
“The dangerous particles can linger in the air for hours. Breathing secondhand smoke can irritate your lungs and reduce the amount of oxygen in your blood.
“Secondhand smoke contains thousands of toxic chemicals, including carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, lead, and nickel. Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke—big surprise there—includes the smoke that a smoker exhales and the smoke that comes directly from the burning tobacco product—”
Sophie held her hand out. “That’s enough. I know all this. I’ve read it myself a hundred times. Makes all smokers sound like idiots.”
“Okay. So we’ll think about giving up our smokes? I know one thing, though. It will be a cold day in hell before I light up in Bernice’s presence again.”
“Yeah, me too.” Sophie sighed. “Are we going to spend the night here, or what?”
“You can go. I want to stay. Like I said, I want to be here when she wakes up. I’m afraid that Dr. Lowery might be lurking around. I should’ve said something to Joe, had him alert security or something. What if he comes after Bernice?”
“You really need to get a grip. You haven’t slept in two nights, and your imagination is working overtime.”
“Mine?” Toots said incredulously. “You think my imagination is working overtime? You, my friend, need to get real.”
“I don’t have control over the stuff that I see, at least I haven’t learned how to turn it off and on. But I will. I know it can be done. I’ve read about it. It takes a lot of practice, focusing on the moment. Can you believe we’re even talking like this? It blows my mind.”
“You need to go home, Sophie. You’re tired, I’m tired. I’ll just lie here on this old sofa and rest a bit. The nurses will come and get me if there’s any news.”
Toots placed the stack of papers on the table, then removed her shoes. “Go home before I kick your butt.”
Sophie removed her shoes and curled up in a ball on one end of the sofa. “I’m too tired to drive. Here”—she tapped the opposite end of the sagging sofa with her bare foot—“there’s plenty of room for two.”
Toots curled up at the other end of the sofa. Within seconds, they were sound asleep.
Chapter 29
Abby wanted to make sure she’d reported the story of Laura Leigh’s disappearance precisely the way Chris had told it to her. She hadn’t even taken her usual liberties with the story to spiff it up. This story would be told with the skill of a consummate professional. Laura Leigh wouldn’t approve. Abby simply did not care, but she knew Chris would.
All she really wanted was to make that man happy. She had no clue how to tell him so, when she would, or even if she could. Learning that he wasn’t in love with that twitchy-nosed, two-bit, B-grade actress was the best news she’d had yet.
She read through her copy one more time.
MISSING ACTRESS ALIVE AND WELL!!!
Solved! Missing actress Laura Leigh was found alive and well by Mammoth Lakes authorities when they were alerted to a possible location by Mr. Christopher Clay’s cell phone GPS.
Laura Leigh was last seen leaving LA’s popular nightclub Hot Wired with entertainment attorney Christopher Clay. When Miss Leigh failed to call her family after three days, a missing persons report was filed. A one-hundred-thousand-dollar reward was offered for any information leading to her whereabouts.
Will Mr. Clay collect the hefty reward?
When he’d discovered his client at the nightclub, she’d just learned she was no longer being considered for the role of Ella Larsen in Bloody Hollow, Two. After indulging in one too many alcoholic beverages, Miss Leigh stormed out of the club in a rage. Mr. Clay proceeded to follow her. When he saw that she was out of control, a danger to herself and other motorists on the road, he called her on her cell phone and insisted that she pull over. When she did, Mr. Clay joined her in her car and left instructions with his auto repair shop to tow his Camry away until further notice.
When police learned the location of the vehicle, they went so far as to comb Mr. Clay’s car for trace evidence. KABC reported that Mr. Clay was a “person of interest” in Laura Leigh’s disappearance.
Mr. Clay stated to a reliable source that Miss Leigh made several threatening remarks, and he feared for the public’s safety. The source asked that the actual threats made by Miss Leigh not be disclosed to the public at this time.
Lucky Leigh! Mr. Clay just happened to have keys to a luxury cabin hideaway on Mammoth Mountain. Unlucky Leigh. Unlucky Mr. Clay. He and Miss Leigh became stranded in what meteorologists last week were calling “the storm of the century.” Thanks to Mr. Clay’s survival skills, the couple was found when Mr. Clay’s stepmother, Theresa Loudenberry, followed up on a missed call she had received from her stepson.
Abby admitted to exaggerating Chris’s survival skills, but what the heck, she didn’t want the world to know he’d had a generator and enough food and water for another few days. She knew he’d like that little bit of embellishment.
She uploaded the same pictures KABC had used in their reports, skimmed through the brief report again, then clicked SEND. It would go through the proper channels immediately. Abby directed that the story be placed below the top fold.
She’d been alerted to another story. Another possible player in the Maximillian Jorgenson tragedy—courtesy of Sophie, and another one of her visions.
Chris heard the ping on his Mac, letting him know he’d received an e-mail.
Abby.
He opened the attached file she’d promised to send. He read the article once, then again. Downright boring. He liked it that way. And he loved that bit about his survival skills.
Yep, he was going to marry the woman. She just didn’t know it yet.
Chris had spent the rest of the night snapping pictures inside his condo while it was sparkling clean. He had a pal who was in real estate, and sent him the info, the photos, and the asking price. He knew it wouldn’t stay on the market for long, so he scanned a few apartments, deciding they were just more of the same old, same old. He wanted a home, which was the purpose of selling his condo. Maybe he’d look for a little ranch house in Brentwood.
Suddenly, Chris decided there was no time like the present. If he didn’t at least tell Abby he loved her, he would never get to marry her. He’d been waiting for that perfect moment, one like they’d had at Pink’s two years ago. He had to tell Abby that very minute how he felt about her.
He grabbed his cell phone from the table and punched in her number.
She answered on the first ring. “What?”
“Did I ever tell you your telephone etiquette sucks?”
“What?” Abby said again.
“You need to learn how to answer the phone properly.”
“You called me just to tell me that? Chris Clay, have you been nipping at the bottle?”
He cracked up laughing. “Nipping, Abby? What’s that? A new Hollywood term for drunks?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “No, Chris, it’s not. Now tell me why are you calling me at this ungodly hour? I have to be at work in a few hours. Unlike some people I know.”
“Didn’t you just call me half an hour ago? What’s changed, Abby? The dogs not keeping you warm enough?”
“Chris, the next time I see you, I swear I’m going to smack you right upside the head. What in the hell has gotten into you?”
“You, Abby. You’ve gotten into me. And that’s why I called. I couldn’t wait another minute to tell you that I love you.” There, the cat was out of the bag.
“Did you hear what I just said, Abby? ... Abby?”
“I heard you, Chris. I heard you.” She was breathless.
“And? Aren’t you going to tell me what a jerk I am? Call me a few choice names? Smack me right upside the head?”
She was stunned, surprised, and over the moon. Totally over the moon. He’d said the three words she’d been waiting to hear from him for longer than she cared to admit. She was over the moon. Big-time. Very, very big-time.
“No, Chris, I don’t want to do any of those things to you. What I want is for you to get your butt in that boring Toyota Camry you drive and come out here so I can tell you I love you back to your face.” Abby was practically flying.
“I’m on my way, sweet girl, I’m on my way.”
Chapter 30
“Wake up, sleepyheads. Someone wants to see you,” Dr. Becker said in a very loud voice.
Toots jumped so fast it startled her. Groggily, she looked around the room. It took a couple seconds before she realized where she was. The hospital waiting room.
Bernice.
Toots sat up, and grabbed her shoes. “Is she awake?”
He nodded. “And asking for you and your friend ... sort of. Said something to the tune of ‘tell her to get in here before I have to come and kick her wrinkled old ass’. Of course, I knew you’d want to know.”
“How was she able to speak with a ventilator?”
“She motioned for a pad of paper. The staff is amazed at her progress. Once we get her settled in a room, I’ll take her off the ventilator.”
“Wonderful,” Toots said.
She poked Sophie, who was snoring softly. “Wake up. Bernice is asking for us.”
To Dr. Becker, she said, “Do you ever sleep?”
It dawned on her she was wearing the same outfit she’d had on all day yesterday. She’d slept in it, and knew she appeared unkempt. Her makeup, at least what was left of it, had to be smeared all over her face. Her mouth felt like she’d gargled with toilet water. “I’m a mess. I’ll hit the ladies’ room and be right there.”
“To answer your question, I slept in the doctors’ lounge, just in case Dr. Clark needed me.”
Toots smiled. “That’s considerate of you, Dr. Becker. I like considerate doctors. Excuse me,” she added as she started to make her way to the door. In her disheveled state, she didn’t want to remain in the presence of the handsome doctor a second longer than she had to. I must look like puke warmed over. Damn. I’m starting to think like Ida.
She raced out of the waiting room and down the long hallway to the ladies’ room. She tended to immediate business first, then looked at herself in the mirror. “Good grief. If I had even the slightest chance with Dr. Becker, it’s sure as hell gone now. I look like a wild woman.”
“I knew you were interested in him,” Sophie said from inside another stall.
Toots about jumped out of her skin for the second time. “Damn, you’re gonna give me a heart attack one of these days. What did you do, follow me?”
“Yep. I had to pee.” The toilet flushed, and Sophie came out of the stall. As usual, she looked like she’d just stepped out of a bandbox.
“How come you don’t look half as shitty as I do?” Toots asked.
“I brushed my hair.”
“Oh.”
“Hurry up, Bernice wants to see you. Oh, I almost forgot. Dr. Becker mentioned Dr. Lowery was here this morning looking for you.”
Toots whirled around. “What? Why is he still here?”
“Probably wants that five-million-dollar check before you change your mind.”
Leave it to Sophie to cut to the heart of the matter. “Well, I’ve decided I’m not giving it to him. I won’t be taken advantage of like that slimy doctor tried with Ida. What is it with doctors these days? What happened to the good old-fashioned caring doctors? All they want n
ow is money.”
“I don’t think Becker wants your money. He wants you, Toots, and don’t you dare say another word. Let’s get the hell out of here before someone starts to suspect we’re lesbians.”
“You’re disgusting, did I ever tell you that?” Toots splashed her face with cold water, rinsed her mouth out, and brushed her hair, pulling it back in a loose ponytail. She added a touch of lipstick and pinched her cheeks. She was too pale.
“More than once.”
“Do you realize we haven’t smoked the entire time we’ve been here?” Toots asked, as they traveled back down the long hall to the recovery room.
“Don’t remind me. It was the first thing I thought of when I woke up. That and coffee,” Sophie said.
They entered the recovery room, where Bernice was wide-awake. Toots stood by her bedside, tearing up again. What the hell was wrong with her? She didn’t want to smoke, she was bawling like a baby all the time, and she might be interested in another man. This was not a good thing. Especially the man part.
“Bernice, oh you sweet old thing. What did you do?” Toots leaned over the bed, careful not to tangle herself in all the tubes and wires coming out of Bernice’s body.
Bernice rolled her eyes, ever the smart-ass.
“Okay, I know what happened. What I want you to know is that we’re all here, even Goebel. We’re going to nurse you back to health. Mavis is going to plan a heart-healthy diet for you so you can treat those new arteries with tender loving care. And no more visits to that damn butcher shop, either.”
Bernice reached for Toots’s hand. One by one, she pulled her fingers back until the only one left was her middle finger. Then Bernice turned Toots’s own hand to face her.
They all burst out laughing.
“I think she’s trying to tell you to go f—”
“Sophie!” Toots hissed.
“Oh. Well. I meant she is trying to tell you to get screwed. Right, Bernice?”
“Naughty, naughty. Shame on all of you,” Dr. Becker said. “In here less than a minute, and you’re already getting my patient riled.” He looked at her monitor and checked the tubes around her surgical site. “Looking good, Miss Bernice. Lookin’ good.”
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