Veteran Dreams (Forever Young Series)

by Cherron Riser

  The look in his eyes showed the turbulent emotions rolling through his mind. Lita wondered if he had thought after a while she was just going to leave. “I’m glad you want to be here with me, but I want you to be here because you want to be and not …”

  “Stop it. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to. So, can we just move on, relax, and watch the movie?” Lita leaned in and gave him a kiss, then rested against him. She was sure his insecurity was justified. He had just gone through a divorce because his wife hadn’t been able to handle his condition.

  Chapter 16

  Alex sat in the waiting room, tapping his fingers on his knee in anticipation. It was always that way when he saw a new doctor. It was awkward to explain everything that had happened. Not to mention, going over the details was not the most comfortable conversation to have. He hadn’t even had that conversation with Lita yet even though he wanted to.

  The idea of being that vulnerable, or having flashbacks, was not something he was ready to face. Not with her. Honestly, not with anyone. One day, if things went well between him and Lita, he would have the strength to open up to her. However, before he did that, he had to make sure she was serious about the two of them. Clara had already broken his heart; he didn’t need it to happen again.

  His thoughts had taken over his mind so much, so he hadn’t realized the nurse was calling him. Snapping back to the present, he blinked and smiled at the woman standing before him. “Umm, I’m sorry. I think I just got lost in thought.”

  “It’s all right. This happens from time to time. So, are you Alex Houston?” the nurse asked again. The woman before him was lovely with a welcoming smile. She had long braids in her hair which were pulled back and decorated with little silver clips. Her eyes were a soft amber color which shone with joy and matched the smile spread across her lips.

  “Yes, I’m Alex.” Alex still felt a bit hazy.

  “Well, I am Rita, and I am going to take you back so we can get your vitals and talk with the doctor. Would you mind following me?” He liked she didn’t ask to push him. It would happen a lot at doctor offices, which made him angry at times.

  “Well, it is nice to meet you. Sorry if I seem out of it. I just have some things going on that has me a bit distracted.” Alex followed along.

  The doctor’s office was nothing special. Like many others, it had ugly blue carpet and drab light-blue and dark-blue walls with pictures of flowers and lakes hung every couple of feet. It was generic yet meant to be comforting. Nothing about it eased Alex’s nerves.

  Rita went about doing the usual triage, checking his temperature, blood pressure, and other vital signs, all while asking him a string of questions which he had answered on the form and turned into the front desk. Part of him had always wondered why they had to fill out so much paperwork when everyone he spoke to planned to ask the same questions over and over.

  Sighing deeply, Alex went through the whole process and then was taken to a room to wait for the doctor. Rita said it wouldn’t be long, but Alex knew it was a standard statement. For all he knew, Alex would be stuck in the office for hours waiting for someone to remember he was there. It had happened before.

  To his surprise, the wait was shorter than he expected. A loud knock sounded, which made him jump and turn toward the door. Panic raced through him, and it took him a moment to recover. Loud noises did not go over well for him. “Mr. Houston. I’m Doctor Cressler. It is nice to meet you today. How can I help you?”

  “Well, I just moved here and am looking for a full-time doctor. I am hoping to find someone who can help me progress some. For five years, I have been told I can heal and maybe gain some function, but I haven’t seen any of that,” Alex explained.

  “I see. I spent some time looking over your records. You went through some extensive treatment, but it does note little progress toward regaining movement and function of your lower body. There are notes in it stating you may have been having the trouble due to your own mental blocks. Would you like to talk about it?” the doctor asked.

  Would he like to talk about it? No, he really didn’t. The doctor was busy looking down at the file and not actually paying attention to him. There wasn’t much for him to say about the past. He had been injured, badly, and come home to a less than supportive family. Clara was supposed to have loved him till death do they part and all that crap, but she gave up on him before he was released from the hospital.

  Did he want to talk about it? No, but if it would help, he would do the best he could. Alex went into as much detail about what had happened as he was comfortable going into, and all the while the doctor jotted down notes and made noises to say he was listening. It was awkward, but hopefully, it would help.

  “Well, I would certainly recommend you staying in physical therapy but also seeking some mental therapy as well. I would also like to discuss some other treatment options. Medicine has come a long way, and if you are serious about wanting to see yourself healed, there are procedures we could look into. That is all up to you, but first, I would like to see how things go for the next month. I am ordering PT three times a week and referring you to a counselor to speak with at least once a week. I would like to see you back in a month.” The doctor finally took the time to look him in the eyes. His words were a little vague. What was this treatment he was referring to?

  “Counseling didn’t really help much in the past,” Alex said, not wanting to go through all this again with yet another stranger.

  “Maybe you didn’t want it to work. If your wife wasn’t supportive, then you probably didn’t put your best foot forward when it came to therapy. I’m asking you to try again, this time, with your newfound motivation.” Dr. Cressler was not backing down. Sighing, Alex gave into it and went to the front desk to set up his appointments. It was a start. Maybe, whatever this treatment plan was, it would actually help.

  ***

  All the talk about getting back to singing and writing had Lita’s brain working on overdrive. She had been reading some of her new stories, but they all seemed silly and juvenile to her now. What she really needed was to write something from the heart. So, Lita decided to do just that.

  She brewed up a whole pot of coffee, popped some popcorn, and sat in her recliner with her laptop on her lap. Instead of plotting something out, which seemed horrifyingly intimidating, she just started writing about the past. She wrote about that night with Alex, and the fantasy she concocted late at night when she was lonely. Blushing a bit, her fingers began to fly over the keys, knocking out word after word, page after page. It was a complete fantasy but fun to write.

  In her story, Alex came back for her before leaving for boot camp. He told her he loved her and couldn’t leave without knowing she would be there waiting for him when he got back. It was sappy and silly, but she was enjoying getting some creativity flowing. The longer she wrote, the more ideas seemed to pop into her mind.

  She decided to open another Word file and jot down some of the story ideas she had so she wouldn’t forget, but she wanted to finish what she had started. The story she wrote wasn’t long, but it was fun and made her smile thinking of all the possibilities.

  Then her story went into a sexier direction. Lita could feel the blush rise in her as she let the words flow. She had gotten so distracted that she jumped when her phone rang. Alex. He had gone to the doctor earlier and had promised to call her and let her know how the appointment went. She hoped it had gone as well as he had wished.

  “Hey! Sorry it took me a second. I was writing, and when you called, it freaked me out.” Lita said answering the phone.

  “Writing? Really? Well, that is music to my ears. Next, I am going to get you on a stage again, and then I will really be excited.” Alex’s voice was smooth and sexy. Damn, if only he knew how excited she had made him in her story. Just hearing him talk had her wanting more.

  “Yeah, well, I am just messing around right now. You know, seeing what I can get done. I didn’t want to try anything serious until I
was sure I could get into it, but I am having fun.” Lita closed the lid to her computer so she wouldn't get distracted by the sexy scene staring back at her. She slid the computer to the side and got up to get a drink. Her bones creaked, and her muscles ached for a stretch. How long had she been sitting there? Making her way to the kitchen, she decided to change the subject before Alex got too nosy about what she was writing. “So, how did the appointment go? Did you like your doctor?”

  Alex sighed deeply, making her wonder if the appointment had been a bust, but she would wait until he answered. “Well, it was like a lot of doctor visits. I answered the same questions a million times, went through my life story, and heard about how I am holding myself back.” Alex’s confident sensual voice sounded a little more discouraged.

  “Well, are you?” Lita asked and then gasped. Had she just questioned that? Surely, Alex was doing all he could to get better, right?

  “Maybe I am. He prescribed physical therapy three times a week, starting tomorrow, and wants me to talk to a shrink. Then after a month, if he feels like I am ready, he wants to talk to me about some treatment options. I don’t know. He didn’t go into a lot of detail about it, but he said it may help me a lot.”

  “Look, I know you have had a difficult time with all of this. You didn’t have a lot of support, and things felt hopeless, but just like you believe in me, I believe in you. So, how about you give it your all. Maybe you will see a difference?” Lita wanted to support him. She wanted to see him better and not just because part of her hoped one day they could do more than make out. She wanted him happy and feeling like he was the man he always believed himself to be. No, Alex didn’t go into detail about how he felt or what had happened, but Lita could assume being injured like he was had caused him to feel less than human and less of a man. Lita didn’t see him that way, but she certainly could understand it. Hopefully, with time, he would see it too.

  “Things are different now, so I am going to do my best to go into all of this like the fresh start it is supposed to be. Thanks for being so supportive of me, Lita. You have no idea how much it means to me to have you in my life.” Alex answered. “Now, tell me, what were you writing about?”

  “You.” She was so thrown off by his question, she didn’t even have time to stop herself, and when she told him, the blush on her cheeks turned ten shades redder. “Oh crap. I didn’t mean to say that.”

  “Oh really. Now you have to tell me more. Were you writing something like you used to?” Alex teased. She loved the more playful sound in his voice. It was much better than the way he talked when he was explaining his medical issues.

  “That is none of your business, and no, you can’t read it. I told you earlier I am just messing around, and when I write something serious, you will be the first to know.” Lita laughed, glad he couldn’t see just how embarrassed she was by having told him. At least she hadn’t gone into detail.

  “I’m going to hold you to that, Lita Reigns. Now, I am going to let you get back to work, and I am going to hunt down some food and get some rest. See you this weekend, okay?” Alex was laughing between his words, and if she could, she would have thrown a pillow at him. He was lucky he was on the other end of the phone and not on the other end of the room.

  “Sounds great. I will see you later. Have a good night and call if you need anything.” They hung up the phone, and Lita went to find her own source of nourishment before going back into her little fantasy.

  Chapter 17

  Over the last couple of weeks, things had started to really shape up for Lita. She had gone on a couple of dates with Alex, as well as gotten some real work done with her writing. For the time being, she was working on short stories which she might later put together to make a collection. Getting back to writing seemed to be helping her with her day job too. It took a lot of creativity to work on a marketing campaign, and with her mind in overdrive, she had been able to come up with some great ideas to help her team.

  It was an exhilarating feeling and one she hadn’t felt for many years. Which also put her in the limelight with her boss and gave her more work to do. Not that she minded, it made her feel proud she was finally moving forward in her career. For years, she had felt stagnant and stale. Now, she was working on some one of the larger accounts. If all went well, she would more than likely get a promotion, which would put her one step closer to reaching her goals.

  Lita had everything laid out on her desk, trying to write out her proposal and set up her PowerPoint presentation for the client. The presentation was set two weeks away, and she needed to have everything perfect before then. Mrs. McDowell walked over to her desk, something she seldom did, and startled Lita out of her focus. “How are things going?”

  Jumping, Lita looked up and smiled. “Oh, umm, well, it is coming along. I am still trying to make sure I have the basic outline done before I leave today, then come Monday, I am going to start putting together each section of the proposal and start on the PowerPoint. I should have everything for you to approve by Friday next week.”

  “I hope you are able to get it all done. This is a huge account and can really boost the firm's reputation and bring about more big-name clients. Before long, maybe we can bring our business to national clients and make a name for business here in Birmingham. It would be wonderful. We could rival other larger southern cities like Atlanta.” Barbara seemed more than excited about getting the new client, and that put more pressure on Lita to make everything perfect.

  “It would be wonderful. I would much rather build and grow with you, and I am starting to feel a little more at home here.” Lita gave her best smile.

  “Yeah, you are from a much smaller town. Well, I am glad you are happy here. You really are one of my best workers, and I don’t know what I would do without you. I thought for sure I would have lost you to some big firm in New York or something.” Barbara patted her on the shoulder then walked away. “Keep up the good work. You are doing perfect!”

  Yeah, all the pressure. Not to mention, others had heard her words of high praise, which put a target on Lita’s back. Even Oliver, at the end of the day, was here to make money and progress up the ladder. To prove her fears true, Oliver poked his head around the corner. “You certainly are getting a lot of attention here lately. You went from skirting by to being put on the largest account we have.”

  “Yeah, it is a nice feeling. I have also been writing again. In the last couple of weeks, I have managed to write five short stories. Something I haven’t done in a long time. I think it has helped get those old creative juices going,” Lita explained, not wanting to start a pissing contest with someone she considered her friend.

  “Well, that’s good. I guess it helps you have the new boyfriend too. Seems getting lucky now and then has helped get your juices going too.”

  Lita was surprised by the snarky remark, and she was sure it showed on her face. “Look, first of all, what I do and don’t do in my private life is no business of yours or anyone else's here. Second, I work hard for this company and have for years. I don’t discount that everyone here works hard too, and I know I am lucky to be given this opportunity. As my friend, you should be happy for me.” Lita let her anger come through in her voice. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it in.”

  She didn’t wait to see Oliver’s reaction to her words. He would get over it in a day or two. He always did. Instead, she went back to her outline and making sure she had it all in order. The details of the product were laid out at the beginning, followed by the listing of the ad campaign she would run for the product. Second, she had a campaign planned for the company itself. They wanted to completely overhaul their marketing strategy and rebrand to reach a wider audience. It was a lot of work and something which would take months to achieve. However, if done right, it could bring a lot of business to the company. Lita wanted to do well, not just for what it would do for her but also what it would mean for both the company she was working fo
r and her current employer.

  Once again, she got lost in her work, and as the time went on, she didn’t realize how late it got. At least, not until she felt a hand brush against hers. Startled once more, she turned to see Alex there beside her, dressed nicely as if ready to go out. Then she remembered they had plans to meet up with Regan and her new girlfriend, Sierra. This would be the first time she would meet Sierra, and Regan had told her how important it was for her to approve. Likewise, Lita wanted Regan’s opinion on Alex. Kammy hadn’t been very supportive.

  “Hey, we need to get going. Are you about ready?” Alex asked, giving her one of his devilish smiles.

  Oliver came out from his cubicle with his things, and his eyes grew wide. Lita hadn’t talked a lot about Alex’s condition, mainly because it wasn’t anyone else’s business. The look on Oliver’s face said it all. He could not believe the man in the chair was the amazing boyfriend who had her excited and feeling lively. Putting on a smile, Lita stood and started to get her things together. “Yeah, sorry, I was focused on getting this put together. Let me get my stuff together, and I will be ready.”

  “Were you planning to change, or were you going in your work clothes?” Alex asked seeing Lita was still a bit of a mess after a long day’s work.

  “Umm, yeah, I have a change of clothes in my car. It shouldn’t take me long to get ready. Sorry again. Just give me a few minutes.” Lita gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out to the car to grab her dress.

  It only took her ten minutes to get changed and freshen up her makeup and hair. When she walked out of the bathroom, she looked like a different person, but Alex looked a little annoyed. Screwing up her face in confusion, she walked over to Alex to find out why. “Hey, are you okay?”