Sixes & Sevens (Seven Hearts Book 1)

by Kelly, G. E.

  “Well, that doesn’t sound so bad,” Jaycee responded with a smile.

  “No,” Marc said with a laugh, “it’s not bad at all. In fact, you may start begging me to bring you back after today.”

  “Hmm. We shall see. I promise I’ll give it my best try,” Jaycee said.

  “It’s a spa, you really shouldn’t have to try to do anything. Simply follow their instructions, and let them know if anything makes, or will make, you uncomfortable.” Marc’s instructions were followed by the arrival of an assistant appearing to fetch them for their first appointment.

  “Mr. Wallner, Ms. Monroe, right this way please,” the assistant said. The woman led them down a wide corridor, until they stopped at a door that looked exactly the same as every other door on this floor. Inside the room were two privacy screens, two massage tables, and a set of nimfadoro males. Marc simply nodded at the men before heading behind the screen, on the left side of the room, to change into a towel. Jaycee was escorted into the screen on the right and shown where to store her clothes, as well as where the towels were hidden. She could hear the rustle of fabric coming from Marc’s screen as he stripped down and wrapped a towel around his waist. Jaycee’s ears turned pink, but she managed to pull herself together and remember to undress herself. She left her panties on.

  Jaycee wasn’t mentally prepared for the sight of Marc standing before her in only a towel. While the towel was long and hung low on his waist to down just past his knees, it revealed more skin than it covered. His chest was lightly muscular and hair-free. His waist was lean and toned. Marc didn’t have any tan lines, not that she’d been looking…much. The lure of his bare body was simply too much for a good—previously sheltered—girl to resist. Especially when she was so attracted to him, and it wasn’t just the kindness he’d shown her since they’d met all those years ago. He simply was extremely attractive, on top of being a caring, affectionate guy.

  Shaking her head, Jaycee realized one of the masseuses had been trying to get her attention. How embarrassing, she’d been caught gawking! Jaycee casually slid her gaze to Marc to see if he’d noticed. Oh, he’d noticed all right. He was watching her back with a wide smile on his face. Noticing her return to the real world, Marc smirked, crinkling his eyes in amusement.

  “Sorry,” Jaycee said to the masseuse.

  “No problem, please follow me. Climb up on the table and lie facedown. You can leave the towel arranged over your waist,” he said in a low tone.

  “Okay,” she said, but she sounded unsure. Her breasts would be exposed on the sides, wouldn’t they? It didn’t really matter, she supposed. The only one who would care was Marc, and he would be busy getting his own massage.

  Events didn’t exactly go as she’d envisioned. She almost fell off the table, twice. Once when she got on, and the second time when she had to turn over. It was a disgraceful display that left Marc trying hard not to laugh as he assured she wasn’t hurt. Her body was fine, but her pride took a hit. She supposed she must have looked funny with her limbs flailing and her towel practically ready to fall off.

  The massage itself was lovely. Marc had chosen Swedish for her first massage. While she felt a bit uncomfortable with a strange man touching her, she was almost 100 percent sure he was gay, so at least he wasn’t hoping to cop a feel. It surprised Jaycee that Marc was okay with a man giving him a massage, but then maybe as a model he was used to male designers and tailors touching him for work. Either way, she was grateful. The man had magic fingers, he knew just how to dig out those knots she’d been developing on her upper back, shoulders, and neck. It was where she tensed when she was stressed, which she’d had plenty of time to do lately. Jaycee wondered if any of the guys were good at giving massages…it would be much better with someone she was more comfortable with. Besides, she’d rather not show the side of her breasts to just anyone.

  Jaycee rolled her face to the side. Since she was lying on her back, she could see the room. Instead of enjoying his massage, she found that Marc was watching her. He seemed to be deep in thought. Staring back, she hoped he’d tell her what was on his mind.

  “You’re so beautiful. Are you enjoying the Swedish?” Okay, that wasn’t what she’d hoped he’d say, but at least he was blinking normally, and speaking to her now.

  “Yes. You?” she replied hoping he’d divulge what he was really thinking about.

  “Mmm.” Then again, maybe he wasn’t having deep thoughts. Men were so confusing.

  After the massage, they’d been given body scrubs, mud baths, and an assortment of other treatments whose benefits Jaycee wasn’t sure about. While she didn’t enjoy them as much as the massage, she was glad to spend the time with Marc. Before she knew it, the day had gone by, and it was time to head home for dinner. Jaycee’s skin felt smooth and soft. Her muscles were loose and limp and her mind was calm. Maybe Marc had the right idea. She could get used to feeling like this.

  Jaycee and Marc were rather quiet on the way home, while they’d talked about their favorite things during the day, they were both too mellow to talk now. Staring out the window, Jaycee watched the city roll by. She had learned a few new things about Marc. His birthday was May 17. He was three years older than her, though not the oldest of the guys. Lee was the oldest, turning twenty-three this year, then Marc, Jonathan, Alec, Garrett, and finally Sean. The last three being the same age. Jaycee was secretly glad they were older than her. She’d never thought of herself with a younger man. The idea just didn’t appeal to her.

  Black was Marc’s favorite color, though he liked most colors just fine. His favorite snack was any kind of spicy chips, while his favorite food was lasagna. Marc wasn’t a big sports fan, but he liked playing soccer with Sean—though Sean’s favorite was baseball. It felt juvenile, but Jaycee wanted—but probably wouldn’t ask—each of the guys to fill out a survey about their likes and dislikes, their birthdays and such. Sure, she knew she’d learn those things eventually, but it would be nice to know them now. Especially when she wanted to do something nice for them in return. They’d been so good to her, but she didn’t know what they did and didn’t like, and she’d be rather upset at herself if she chose the wrong thing.

  Dinner was a family affair like always. The menu tonight was baked chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans. Jaycee was glad the food was soft, as her throat was starting to hurt. She’d felt fine all day long, but now at dinner she’d discovered it hurt to swallow. Jonathan noticed first, of course, but she’d encouraged him to finish dinner before trying to diagnose her.

  “All right, open wide and say ‘ah.’” Jonathan had pulled out a medical bag after dinner, and directed Jaycee to a chair in the dining room under the light. Using a tongue depressor, Jonathan got a good look at her throat. He took her blood pressure and temperature too. “Well, I’ll need to get a swab of the back of your throat, but it’s looking like strep,” he said

  “Strep?” Jaycee wasn’t familiar with the ailment, but she knew it wasn’t good.

  “It’s a rather contagious bacteria that is very common in young adults, especially in a college environment. We’ll put you on a round of antibiotics for ten days, twice a day. Are you allergic to penicillin? No? Good, then let’s try amoxicillin. It’s the most commonly used antibiotic for this sort of thing.” Jonathan pulled a long cotton swab out of his bag. “I just need to swipe the back of your throat, and then I’ll run it over to campus and get it checked out. I’m pretty sure it’s strep, but since there are other ailments with the same symptoms, we need to be sure. Antibiotics won’t help you if it’s actually a virus.”

  “What do I need to do?” Jaycee asked.

  “Open your mouth, and stick out your tongue. It might be better if you close your eyes. Usually patients find it easier if they can’t see it coming,” he answered.

  “Okay…ahhh!” Jaycee did as he asked. “Gwack!” Jaycee coughed, followed by a round of gags as the swab hit the back of her throat.

  “You did great, sweetie. Marc, will
you keep an eye on her while I head over to the health center?” He asked.

  “Sure…should we be worried about catching it? You said it was very contagious.” Marc replied.

  “Well, since the incubation period can be two days to around a week, it’s likely we’ve already been exposed to the germs. There isn’t much to do now but wait, and make sure she’s comfortable. Jaycee, you should drink plenty of fluids, but warm drinks can help soothe the ache.” Marc sighed at Jonathan’s answer. While Marc wasn’t mad, he wasn’t looking forward to everyone getting strep. Alec was a terrible baby when sick. If Jonathan had taught him correctly, Jaycee would still be contagious for another twenty-four hours after she took the first dose of antibiotics. Marc just wanted her well.

  Returning from the health center, Jonathan found Jaycee and Marc right where he’d left them. Apparently Sean had run to the store to grab a couple of dry-erase boards, and some other sore throat conveniences. Eventually, someone would need to run to the pharmacy to pick up Jaycee’s prescription because the test confirmed that it was confirmed as strep. Jonathan ordered Jaycee to lie down on the sofa while the guys brought everything to her. Kleenexes, cough drops, books, and everything else the guys thought she might need were piled on the coffee tables around her. Garrett even gave her a bell in case she needed something, but couldn’t ask for it because it hurt too much to speak.

  She felt miserable, but pampered. She prayed the guys wouldn’t fall sick too, but Jonathan hadn’t given her much hope of that coming to pass. Besides, she’d already kissed a couple of them, and the others were always touching and kissing her face…it wouldn’t be hard for them to catch it. Not that she knew when she’d contracted it, or from whom for that matter. Jaycee felt terrible that she’d gone out earlier in the day, but hoped the spa followed the strict business practice of wiping everything down with sterilizer. Marc volunteered to pick up Jaycee’s meds, and he hurried there and back—like the hourglass was running out of sand. Jonathan measured out the liquid and fed Jaycee her dose.

  Although Garrett had given her the bell, Jaycee wound up texting the guys instead of speaking. It was tiring trying to type on such a small screen, so Jaycee was thrilled when Sean returned with the dry-erase board. Her throat had only gotten worse all evening, till she was feeling miserable. The guys turned the television to a rom com and let her relax. They gathered other chairs around the sofa and talked in low tones, hoping to let her sleep. Tonight would have been Sean’s night with Jaycee, but he would have to wait till she was better, or at least, not apt to give him what she had. Tonight, the guys would all sleep in their own beds, but none of them were thrilled about it. Despite being vulnerable to illness, they agreed they’d rather stick close to Jaycee, but she would hear none of it. Even as she fell asleep, she ordered them to sleep in their own beds.

  “I hate seeing her like this. Poor Princess has had terrible luck since she met us,” Alec groaned.

  “I think her luck has been terrible for years, don’t blame yourself,” Marc offered in comfort.

  “How long will she stay sick for?” Sean asked.

  “It’s hard to tell. I guess it depends on how early we caught it, but considering how messed up her throat looked, she’s not likely to get better overnight.” Jonathan answered sadly, wiping his glasses.

  Slowly the guys got up, and headed to their bedrooms. Jonathan was the only straggler. He couldn’t stand to see her hurting, and he was worried about her temperature. Despite her threats, he decided to sleep in a chair beside her. Throughout the night he checked her temperature with a swipe to the forehead, his sleeping beauty would require more than that to wake her up. Her temperature climbed slowly, but never quite reached a true fever. It wasn’t a bad circumstance, it only meant her body was fighting hard to cure her. He hoped she’d win the battle quickly. School would be starting very soon, and while he could write her a doctor’s note, he hoped she’d be well enough to attend. It didn’t look good to miss the first day.

  Phosphenes (lights you see when pressing your eyes)

  January 10, 2016

  The next morning found several more of the household sick. Garrett, Lee, and Alec had all developed signs of strep. Jonathan took swabs of all their throats, and took them to his lab early in the morning. Breakfast wasn’t their usual affair, as half the crew was denied eating anything but soft foods. They were given oatmeal by Jonathan’s orders. Air mattresses had been placed in the living room for the fallen to lie on. Since they were all sick, there was no longer any reason to be keep anyone separate. Not that the guys had been avoiding Jaycee. On the contrary, they’d paid more attention to her since she’d fallen ill.

  Jonathan was kept busy at work, as the campus was apparently facing a rash of cases of strep throat. Jonathan had taken to wearing a mask and gloves at work. He wouldn’t be much help to anyone if he became ill as well…though he didn’t hold out much hope. Two of the nurses had fallen ill already so he was short staffed and running out of patience. Why couldn’t people just stay home when they knew they were sick? Or, at the very least, wash their hands! As a doctor, he felt it was his duty to remind people to take the proper precautions when sick, but it always fell on deaf ears. He couldn’t blame those people who had no other option, if you needed to make a living you did what you had to do. He believed that as a society we’d gotten rather complacent about the severity sickness could cause some. The elderly and children usually took the brunt of it, but those who were already ill were at elevated risk as well.

  Jonathan asked Sean to take the day to run errands for him. Sean picked up prescriptions for the guys, and fetched supplies for Jonathan. He even wound up doing some office work by the end of the day. As if having strep floating around campus wasn’t bad enough, there were other germs spreading too. Sean was glad to help, even when he was feeling run down he kept a fast pace and a smile. There were times Jonathan was so proud of Sean. Jonathan was lucky his parents had adopted Sean. He’d gotten a brother and a friend at the same time. He worried about Sean getting sick, but Sean didn’t seem bothered.

  “The math is against me, so it’s gonna happen. But it doesn’t matter. We know what to look for. I’ll keep an eye out for symptoms and we’ll catch it early,” Sean assured him.

  “I’ll remember that when you’re complaining your throat is on fire,” Jonathan shot back with a smile.

  “I’m sure you will,” Sean said fondly.

  Jaycee had finally taken to using the dry-erase board as her means of communication, but eventually it turned into games of hangman and tic-tac-toe with Garrett and Alec. Alec really was a baby when he was sick. He made the others fetch everything for him, whining all the while. His charm and personality completely abandoned him when he was unwell. Garrett, on the other hand, stayed much the same, as he never spoke up regularly. While they played games, he’d turned on a sporting show about rodeos. Jaycee tried to picture him on the horses, instead of the real riders. When she imagined him wearing chaps and a cowboy hat, it made her smile. Besides his boots, which were mostly covered by his jeans, Garrett didn’t exactly dress like a cowboy. Button up shirts, even in plaid, weren’t delegated to any one group. During work hours, if he wore a hat, it was a hard hat.

  That night, Lee came in looking red faced. He had a fever and a sore throat, it had spread again. While Lee looked like something the cat threw up, he didn’t act ill, but he did plop unceremoniously down beside Jaycee without saying a word. He rested his head in her lap, and gave her sad eyes. She picked up the board and wrote, “I’m sorry.” To which he replied, “Don’t be. Now I can stay home with you.”

  By the end of the night, the only person not sick in the house, was Jonathan. Either his immune system was heads above the rest, or his busy schedule kept him away from their germs for longer. Whatever the reason, he used the time to write notes for each of the others, excusing them from classes on Monday. Lee and Marc used their doctor’s notes to excuse themselves from their obligations as well. Self-def
ense and the agency would have to survive without them for a couple of days. They could go back after twenty-four hours, but only if their symptoms were gone.

  Jonathan had spent so much time tending ill patients, he was feeling the strain. He pressed his hands against his eyes, trying to relieve the tension, until he saw phosphenes. He decided to take the day off too, so he could tend to his family. He called another doctor in to replace him for a few days. Better safe than sorry. His replacement was a highly recommended specialist, and they had studied together in med school. He wouldn’t have any trouble picking up Jonathan’s patients.

  While it was supposed to be his day with Jaycee the next morning, he’d need to forgo that for now. Although he would spend the day with her, cooking and taking care of the guys, it wasn’t what he’d had in mind. He probably needed to call his parents and reschedule their visit, not that it would go over well. Since they weren’t overly involved parents, when they did take the time to visit, they expected Sean and Jonathan to drop everything, and dance to their tune. This time they would be sadly disappointed.

  Jacqueline and Ronald Kavanagh had been touring the Mediterranean on their yacht, but they decided to come home to spend a day with their sons once or twice a year. They weren’t mean people and they didn’t treat others impolitely, except that they were very selfish. Ever since Jonathan was very young, they would take off to see the world, leaving Jonathan in the care of hired help. After Jonathan got a little older, he started complaining more about their absence, eventually they decided to adopt a child. The Kavanaghs weren’t cruel on purpose, they were just blinded by money and intrigue. So, when it came to adopting a child, they still wanted only the best. Sean’s academics were well above average, and while he fell shy of genius, he wasn’t far off. Considering Jonathan’s larger brain, they often saw life on the same level. As children, they both found their parents’ indifference appalling and in adulthood, tried their best to avoid the inevitable social interaction with them.