Learning to Trust

by Cynthia P. O'Neill

  That little sneak! Hannah! I could tell my expression was one filled with horror. “You didn’t,” I hissed. “You gave me enough a few days ago.”

  “Check your chest of drawers. You should have a wide selection of lingerie items, stockings, and garters, all by La Perla.”

  I could feel my face heat with embarrassment. I could understand the need for those items, but had to ask, “Why the cocktail and evening dresses? I don’t imagine I’ll need them for work.”

  His arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a warm embrace. “While that’s technically true, you will need to wear one when you attend the gala with me tomorrow, along with any future events.” His voice got soft. “I hate attending these things on my own and would love it if you’d accompany me from time to time.”

  My heart nearly broke for him. How could I refuse when he put it that way? “Fine, I’ll go with you, but you should know I can’t dance.”

  His lips hovered over mine, his breath washing over my face in waves of sensuality, “It’s all about who leads, Laurel,” he murmured as his tongue teased the edges of my mouth before plunging in.

  When we came up for air, I took a step back and began to sway. Garrett instantly took hold of my arms, steadying me. “I think it’s time we get you fed. Your sugar’s probably starting to drop again.”

  “That or you literally take my breath away.”

  Garrett led me into the kitchen, seating me on one of the barstools, and began to pull out plates and utensils, placing them on the counter in front of me. I looked at him with confusion, wondering why he was putting out place settings and how did he know where everything was?

  As far as I knew, I’d need to go grocery shopping over the weekend to fill both my pantry and refrigerator with enough food to last a week, at least until Grace got here and we went shopping together. When he opened the refrigerator, I caught a glimpse of pre-made meals, salads, juices, and every other item I’d think to have already in place. What the hell is going on?

  He seemed to be looking for something particular, and I could hear him mumbling to himself as he pulled out a few containers. He grabbed my plate and began piling on food until I had several pieces of a turkey wrap sandwich, a spring salad, and some fresh fruit to nibble on.

  “Why is my refrigerator full? Is the pantry the same way? Who did all this?” I was beginning to feel like this new portion of my life was leaving me with an inability to make my own decisions and it scared the crap out of me. Would he always be so bold?

  He came around with his food and sat down beside me. “This last week, and especially today, has been very trying for you. I’m not trying to take over things; I just wanted to give you one less thing to worry about over the weekend. You’re in a new city about to start a new job, you have some unpacking to do, an event to attend, and work to prepare for. I figured the last thing you needed was to worry about food, so I made sure you had enough meals to last you for a week. Plus, I had the kitchen fully stocked with any items you might want to potentially eat or cook.”

  I let his words sink in as I began to take a bite of my wrap. He was right, of course. I would’ve been lucky to manage some cereal and maybe peanut butter sandwiches this weekend. I leaned over, placing my hand on his arm and squeezing. “Thank you. While I’m upset that you’ve gone to such extremes, and I’m still trying to comprehend why you and Mr. Waters would do all of this for me, I have to admit that you’re right. I wouldn’t have had the time to shop.” I savored another bite of my wrap. “Where did you get these wraps from? They’re absolutely delicious.”

  “Mr. Waters had his personal cook fix up some things for you. I hope you find them to your liking.”

  I was about to get off the barstool and check everything out, when his hand grabbed hold of my shoulder. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I want to get a look at my new kitchen and check out all the yummy goodies.” I was curious, seated in the kitchen of my dreams, and felt like a kid in a candy store.

  He shook his head, smiling. “You can do that later, Laurel. I promise that you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with your new place. Right now, we need to eat because you have a meeting in fifteen minutes.”

  I was puzzled, wondering who I could be meeting with. Before I could ask anything, he provided an answer.

  “I had Thompson arrange for a doctor and nutritionist, who both specialize in diabetes, to come over this afternoon and talk with you. After the scare you gave me on the plane, I want to make sure you’re under doctor’s care before I take off on my next trip.”

  I was overwhelmed with emotion. I still didn’t know what we were, but the knowledge that he was looking out for me warmed my heart.

  We finished our lunch in relative silence. My mouth was quiet but my mind was racing. Now that I’m here in Orlando, would he stay with me tonight? Would I get to see his place?

  “What’s going on in the mind of yours, Laurel?” he finally asked.

  “You live here in the complex, too?”

  “Yes, why?” Garrett responded cautiously.

  “I’m not quite sure how to ask this, but I was wondering where you were sleeping tonight and if I would get to see your apartment?” I prayed I didn’t sound overanxious at the prospect of spending more time with him. His admission and actions today had opened a piece of my heart that had me wondering about the possibility of a real relationship with this man.

  He ran his fingers over his chin, as if contemplating what to say. “My place is currently torn apart and being remodeled. That’s one of the many reasons I have such an arduous trip schedule; so I can be away from my apartment while they finish the work.”

  My gaze fell to the floor, feeling a little disappointed.

  His hand caressed the side of my face. “When the work is complete, I’d be honored to give you a tour. Until then, I try to stay away from all the sawdust and debris; I only go back long enough to sleep and take a shower. “As for sleeping arrangements,” he began, his eyes darkening with seduction and his lips grazing mine. “I’ll leave that decision up to you.”

  My heart thumped wildly and I was about to scream out, “Stay with me!” when a knock came from the door.

  “That should be the specialist,” he said as he crossed to the door.

  I quickly rinsed the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher while he greeted my guests.

  Garrett ushered in our guests; a tall man in his thirties dressed in a business suit, along with a fashionable woman possibly in her late twenties, and was quick to make introductions. “Laurel, this is Dr. Emmett Chadler, one of the top diabetic specialists in the city and the country. And this is Deborah Tomlin, one of the top nutritionists in the state.”

  I extended my hand in welcome and shook both of theirs. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. I can’t thank you enough for being willing to see me so quickly.”

  Dr. Chadler was the first to speak, with a warm and friendly voice. “The pleasure is all ours, Miss Hart. Mr. Waters and Mr. Andrews have helped my practice with the creation of so many new technologies that I’m more than happy to repay them with this favor.”

  Garrett asked everyone to please sit, handing the doctor and nutritionist the paperwork from the college’s physician, the hospital, and my blood sugar counts since the emergency room. He went on to explain the episode that happened on the plane, much to my embarrassment.

  They asked whether I had any particular symptoms alerting me to the drop in blood sugar, along with a brief synopsis of my typical daily food intake.

  I explained everything in as much detail as possible, only to hear Garrett make a frustrated grunting noise and shaking his head.

  “What am I going to do with you?”

  The doctor and Deborah both explained that the episodes were recurrent due to a lack of nutrition to maintain proper blood sugar levels. They disagreed with the college physician’s idea of juice and candy as a means to control things. They said that would bring the
levels back up, but I needed some form of protein and regular food to keep the level maintained. They wanted me to discontinue the medication the ER doctor had prescribed, because it was designed to elevate my sugar levels quickly, but would later cause some drops if I didn’t eat properly. Diet and exercise seemed to be the key to getting control of this, though a blood test would be required to determine if I was a true diabetic or suffered from hypoglycemic episodes.

  Deborah handed me several pamphlets detailing my condition and sample menus to help me plan my meals. “You need to take away the idea of only eating when you’re hungry,” she said. “When you do this, your sugar can drop suddenly and not give you enough warning to help yourself. I’d like to see you eat three small meals a day and a couple of snacks to try and keep your sugar levels up.”

  “I agree with Deb,” Dr. Chadler said. “Your sugar levels are out of control and it’s mainly due to your diet; eating more small meals a day will help keep you level. Only use juice or candy if you feel the sugar levels dropping too quickly. This helps spike it again, temporarily, until you can eat something healthier,” he pointed out. “I’d like you to monitor your blood glucose levels four times a day: first thing in the morning before breakfast, an hour after lunch, two hours after dinner, and before going to bed. Deb and I would also like you to keep a food diary for the next few weeks; keep a list of the foods you eat, how much of it, and when. I’d like you to email our office every night with all the information.”

  “Sure,” I said numbly. My mind was trying to wrap itself around all that was going on.

  Before I could question anything, Garrett spoke. “Why does she need to do all this? Wouldn’t a weekly report be okay?”

  “Normally, the weekly report would suffice,” Dr. Chadler responded. “However, Laurel’s had too many fainting episodes, and that concerns me. Every time she has an episode, it puts undue stress on her body and her organs. If this continues, it could cause some permanent damage. While we’re here, I’d like to take a couple vials of blood. The samples will tell me how your organs are doing, along with your average sugar levels for the past few months.”

  I was so overwhelmed by the fact that I could’ve potentially damaged my body that I tuned out everything else and just nodded until everything was done and they were gone.

  Garrett saw the doctor and Deborah out and returned to my side. “How are you doing, Laurel? I know it’s a lot to absorb.”

  “Are you sure you want to be around someone who doesn’t even know how to care for themselves? Why waste your time with a person who could be damaged…in more ways than one?” Tears poured down my cheeks. I felt substandard and I still couldn’t figure out why he wanted to be around me. I couldn’t even take care of myself.

  He sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of me, forcing me to look him in the eyes. “I’ve told you before that I feel drawn to you. I don’t know why, because I’ve never really had these emotions before, but I want to be near you and protect you. Who knows where things may lead.”

  I tried to interrupt, but he held a finger up to silence me and continued.

  “You may think that what’s going on with you would scare me off; should scare me off. For some guys, it probably would, but I have someone close to me; that I consider a younger sister that suffers from diabetes, too, although hers is the opposite of yours; she has high blood sugar. So I’m familiar with some of the dietary needs because they’re very similar.” He sighed. “Let me help you through this, please.”

  I could only agree. My mind was too blown away by his admission to say anything else.

  The rest of the day went by in a blur as Garrett helped me unpack my boxes and organize the bedroom to my liking. Then he took me to tour the building facilities. I was surprised to see both an indoor and outdoor pool, both heated, along with a sauna, exercise facility with all the latest equipment, and workout rooms for aerobics, yoga, kickboxing, and self defense classes. Attached to the first floor of the building was a salon and day spa, offering all forms of treatment to both men and women. They even had a small coffee bar, offering up various coffees and teas, pastries, and sandwiches. The building was a one stop shop for everything.

  That night, Garrett insisted on Chinese takeout, steamed rather than stir-fried. I’m glad he did, it was the best I had ever tasted. Afterwards, he drew us a bubble bath, complete with candlelight and soft music, and he made sweet love to me in the tub before bathing us. Once we were in bed, he drew me close to his side and whispered, “If this is a dream, I don’t ever want to wake up.”

  I couldn’t agree more. Instead of verbalizing my thoughts, I only sighed contentedly and melted into his embrace, feeling his length pressing firmly against my back as I fell into a deep, satisfied slumber.

  I awoke with a start, completely confused by my surroundings for a few seconds before realizing I was in my new apartment in Orlando, far away from the MIT campus. I reached over to Garrett, only to find a note in his place.

  My dearest Laurel, I hope to return before you wake. I’ve gone to get us some breakfast and a change of clothes for myself. I’ll return shortly.

  The clock by the bed said it was nearly eight in the morning, meaning I had slept in. I tried to go back to sleep to no avail, feeling alone without him in the huge bed. I decided to take a long shower to freshen up and revitalize myself for the day.

  There were more shower heads than I first realized, giving me a massage each way that I turned. My favorite was the rain simulation from the ceiling; I closed my eyes underneath it and began washing my hair.

  I was startled when a pair of firm hands wrapped around me and pulled me flush with his firm length at my back. “Mmm…I love finding you wet and naked in the shower.”

  His musky smell and sensual tone made me melt into him. “I missed you,” I admitted.

  “Sorry, honey, I needed a change of clothes and didn’t have the heart to wake you.” He started nibbling on my earlobe before placing gentle kisses down my neck, along my shoulder and back up towards my mouth.

  “Have you bathed yet?” I asked, running a hand boldly up his thigh.

  “No. I was waiting for you.”

  I reached for his body wash, which I noticed had been placed amongst my things this morning, and began lathering my hands to wash him. I took care to wash every inch of him, especially his manhood, thoroughly. His hips began to thrust forward into my hands as I lowered myself to wash his legs. I pulled him under the rain, rinsing off the soap before taking him in my mouth.

  He jerked back a bit. “Before you do anything, what’s your sugar this morning?”

  “It was at 80 fifteen minutes ago,” I managed to say as I let my hand work up and down his length, noticing a spot of pre-cum on the tip.

  I stuck my tongue out to lick it and the veins lining the underneath portion of his shaft before sucking the bulbous head back into my mouth. He let out a small growl in the back of his throat, holding onto my head with his strong hands and guiding me further onto his shaft.

  He triggered my gag reflex and I heard his guttural words, “Loosen the muscles in your throat and breathe through your nose. I want you to take all of me, baby.”

  I did as he instructed and found a small thrill when he let loose into a rhythm. I felt my own sensations build with him; knowing that I was giving him pleasure was better than almost anything. Before long, he yelled out, “I’m gonna come! You can pull back, baby.”

  I wanted to show him how much I cared and latched my hands onto his ass, pulling him even closer as he thrust into my mouth two more times before shooting a burst of warm, salty juice down the back of my throat. I swallowed quickly, taking everything he had to offer.

  Garrett pulled out of me and looked down with hazy eyes. He caressed my face lovingly, wiping a spot of his pleasure off my chin. “You truly amaze me, Laurel.” He quickly lifted me to my feet with a devilish grin. “Now it’s my turn.”

  Before long, he had managed to push me against the w
all and kneel before me as he ate out my pussy and coaxed two mind-blowing orgasms from my body.

  After we dried off, Garrett insisted we both stay in our bathrobes until after breakfast. He cited the need for me to eat and to discuss what was on the agenda. I was pretty sure there was a bonus reason of easy access, plus nudity, with the short silk robes.

  As we ate a protein packed breakfast, he told me of his plans to have me drive the company car to the office, where I could have an identification badge made to speed up the process of my first day. He also wanted to show me around the facility so I’d know where everything was. He explained that the first few weeks would be at the main facility and that my boss would drive me over to the training center and introduce me to the lead trainer/engineer there and set me up on an alternating schedule.

  He listed off a variety of other, non-work, things he wanted to show me over the course of the weekend. I didn’t know how we would manage even a portion of them today.

  When we finished breakfast, I wasn’t surprised to find my clothes had been picked out for me and placed on the bed. “Is there some reason you like me to dress in particular clothes?”

  He had just pulled on a pair of Calvin Klein boxer briefs, and he walked over slowly, bending to brush his lips against mine. “Let’s just say I like to be the only one who knows what you’re wearing underneath your clothes.” His kiss was ravenous.

  I pulled back to see his face. “But that doesn’t explain the clothes, only the lingerie.”

  His smile was lascivious as he leaned into my ear. “You’re no longer a college student and need to dress like the beautiful woman you are. The clothes are merely the packaging to the present.” His voice altered, becoming heavy with desire. “Know that I love opening presents, especially when they’re mine.” He bit down on my earlobe and I was lost to him, as our minimal clothes were quickly shed and the next two hours spent in orgasmic bliss.