by Donna Every
Daniel tossed his cane into Claire’s car and climbed in the passenger seat. He’d moved back to his house over the weekend since he was now feeling better, having finished with the radiotherapy three weeks ago. Today was to be his third physiotherapy session and he was looking forward to it. Actually he was really looking forward to seeing KT again.
“Hi, Claire. Thanks for coming to take me to therapy. I really didn’t want Margaret to have to drive all the way to my place and, since you’re not that far away, I hope you don’t mind.”
“No problem, Daniel. I’m glad to see that you’re feeling better.”
He supposed he should ask about the office but his interest was not really there. It was funny how a few months ago work was all he lived for and now it seemed so unimportant. Getting healthy again was his priority now.
“So how is the therapy going?” asked Claire as she negotiated the traffic.
“Therapy is a pain in the neck and everywhere else. I hate it but I can’t wait to get there.”
“What do you mean?”
“The exercises are hard and learning to get my balance back is very frustrating and I can’t believe how weak I feel! But my therapist KT is great. She really encourages me. She’s also very beautiful and very sweet. So that helps.” He added with a smile. “She’s a bit old fashioned though. One day I made a joke that I thought was fairly harmless about being sweaty after several hours of passion and she was not impressed.” Daniel smiled at the memory. “Actually she told me off.”
Claire raised an eyebrow, now very interested. “You said her name is Katy and she’s sweet?” She had never heard Daniel talk so much about a woman. And she’d definitely never heard of a woman who told off Daniel.
“Her name is Kathryn Taylor but everyone calls her KT. And yes, she’s sweet.”
“Daniel they must have taken something else out of your head because I’ve never heard you refer to a woman as sweet before. In fact you probably don’t know any sweet women. What’s going on here, boss?”
“Nothing’s going on Claire,” denied Daniel. “It’s a strictly professional relationship. Besides, she’s not my type; she’s too good and it would take too much effort to convert her. You know I’m into bad girls.”
“Well maybe it’s time you started to like good girls, Daniel Tennant,” Claire suggested as they pulled into the hospital’s car park.
“You don’t need to come up with me Claire and I can get a cab back to my place after therapy,” Daniel insisted.
“What and not meet the amazing Kathryn Taylor? No way, boss. I’ll see you in.”
Daniel shook his head. “That’s what I was afraid of,” he said. “Now be on your best behavior Claire.”
Daniel pushed open the door to the Therapy department and KT turned around immediately as if she was eager to see him. Today her face lit up with a smile and Daniel’s heart responded by picking up speed. The smile faltered when she saw Claire, immaculately made up and elegant in a black power suit, next to Daniel.
“Hi Daniel,” she said as she walked towards him, her gaze shifting between him and Claire. “How are you today?” And how dare you get one of your women to bring you to therapy? she thought jealously.
“Much better now,” insinuated Daniel.
“I thought an old pro like you would have a lot more lines,” said KT drily. “You used that one last time.”
Was the man serious? He was going to blatantly flirt with her in front of his current flavor of the month?
“Me, an old pro?” protested Daniel innocently. KT raised her eyebrows skeptically. Claire could feel the attraction between them and could see that they only had eyes for each other. She cleared her throat in a less than subtle hint and Daniel tore his eyes away from KT to glance her way.
“Oh, by the way, this is Claire Morgan, one of my senior consultants and today my driver. Claire, Kathryn Taylor.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Miss Taylor. Daniel’s been singing your praises.”
“Call me KT. Daniel’s been singing my praises?” She threw Daniel a skeptical look. “I find that hard to believe. Last time he was here he accused me of being related to the Marquis de Sade.”
“Really?” said Claire mischievously. “He told me that you were sweet.”
“Sweet?” KT laughed. She felt a lot better now. This couldn’t be one of Daniel’s women if he told her that she was sweet.
“OK Claire, time to get to the office,” suggested Daniel before Claire could say anything else. He wasn’t sure if she was helping his cause or hindering it. What was his cause anyway?
“See you KT,” she said.
“Bye,” replied KT.
“You said I was sweet?” Claire heard KT ask as she closed the door behind her. She wished she could hear Daniel’s reply but it was muffled by the closed door.
Claire pushed the button for the elevator. Wow! KT was not what she expected. Daniel’s type was usually some glamorous blond or brunette, expertly made up and expensively dressed. KT was of mixed race, wore her hair in a pony tail with the minimum of make-up on and just a long white coat over jeans. She was not exactly glamorous in her work clothes but was certainly beautiful enough to catch Daniel’s eye. Claire smiled to herself. She wondered if she could catch his heart as well. She hoped so. It was time that Daniel Tennant got himself into a permanent merger.
“OK Daniel. Today we’re going to do some exercises to improve your balance. Are you ready for that?”
“Anything for you, darlin’,” joked Daniel.
“Better not be too quick to say that,” warned KT. “I might ask for something you can’t give.”
“I’d be happy to give you anything you want, KT” said Daniel. He realized that he meant it. He wanted to spoil her. Somehow KT was beginning to arouse something in him that went beyond the physical, although he wanted her in the worst possible way. He actually liked and respected her. He hadn’t even made any suggestive jokes since that first day, although he did like to provoke her every once in a while with a little flirting.
“Anything?” replied KT reminding him of what he’d just said.
“Scout’s honor,” said Daniel, “Although I should warn you that I never was a boy scout.”
“Why am I not surprised?” said KT drily.
“So what do you want?” pressed Daniel. “Diamond earrings, a necklace, a vacation in Hawaii…?”
“I don’t want anything Daniel,” smiled KT. “I have everything I need.”
“You can’t possibly have everything you need,” protested Daniel.
“OK, probably not, but I’m content with what I have.”
“Well you must be the first woman I’ve ever heard say that!” declared Daniel, still not believing her.
“What kind of women do you hang out with anyway?” asked KT half jokingly. She really didn’t want him to answer that question.
“None like you.”
“I wonder how I should take that,” KT replied thoughtfully.
“In the best possible way, my love,” suggested Daniel.
KT shook her head and rolled her eyes. Daniel was such a flirt. Could he change?
“Let’s get to work,” suggested KT.
“I think I need a wheelchair to get back down,” said Daniel. His head was whirling from the balance exercises that KT made him do.
“No problem, I’ll call one for you,” offered KT. She went to her desk and made the call and then came back with a book in her hand.
“What are you doing now that you’re back at home?” KT asked. “Do you read?”
“A bit when my head feels OK. Would you like to come over and read to me?” asked Daniel. “I have a penthouse apartment with a spectacular view of the city.”
“No, I don’t want to come over to your penthouse apartment and read to you,” said KT lying through her teeth, “but I do have a book which I think you might find interesting.”
He took it from her and read the title out loud. “Presence – An Ex
ploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations and Society.”
“Have you read it?” asked KT. Daniel shook his head.
“I read it a couple of years ago and I found it fascinating. It covers a broad scope of scenarios, not just business, but the underlying theme is that in each case something that they call “presence” somehow caused profound change to occur. There was a scenario where this Japanese photographer took photos of the crystals formed when water freezes and found that different crystals formed depending on the source of the water. He even did an experiment where he took photos of polluted water which was frozen and found that the samples had no crystal structure but after a priest prayed for the water he took another sample and found that the crystals were stunning! Isn’t that amazing?” KT’s eyes shone with amazement.
“So you think that prayer changed the water?” asked Daniel skeptically.
“As a matter of fact I do,” said KT a bit defensively, “I think that prayer can change anything, even you,” she challenged, “but I gave you the book because I thought it might give you some insight into the changes that need to happen when companies merge and maybe provide some solutions to help merged companies succeed,” suggested KT. “I don’t know, it may or may not help you, but I found it very interesting and very deep.”
“Thank you, KT. I’m touched that you gave so much thought to the things I’m struggling with,” said Daniel seriously. “Maybe we can discuss it after I’ve read it.”
“I’d like that,” said KT.
“That would be a first for me – discussing a book with a woman. I’ve had a lot of firsts with you,” admitted Daniel. “I like it. And by the way, do you think I really need to change?” he added. “I thought I was perfect as I am.”
“Yeah, right!” KT smiled even as she wondered if she could trust this Daniel or if he was simply playing her. Was she willing to risk finding out?
Chapter 14
Daniel put down the book Presence, took up his cane and made his way into the kitchen to get a drink. His balance was improving daily and his head was feeling much better so he had been able to get through quite a lot of the book. In fact it kept him company over the Christmas holidays when he was not at Margaret’s house although she had insisted that he come over and spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with her and Bob. It was profound and sometimes he had to read over parts to get what they were talking about but it excited him more than anything he’d read for a long time. He decided that he couldn’t wait until he’d finished the whole book to discuss it with KT so he’d taken it with him to his last therapy session before the holidays so they could talk about it.
One of the authors had said in the book: The only change that will make a difference is the transformation of the human heart. Daniel had argued that he didn’t think the heart could be transformed. KT argued that it could and gave some examples of people she knew who had done horrible things in the past and then totally changed their lives when their hearts were transformed. Daniel said they were probably just pretending to be changed and deceiving people like her.
“Where do you know these kinds of people from anyway?” he had asked, protectively.
“Some of them are in the cell group I go to,” she replied.
“What’s a cell group? Is it some kind of group for people who used to be in jail and then get out and say they’ve changed?” he joked.
“Funny!” she said. “Actually I never thought about it like that but I guess the group is almost like that, except that the people have changed, not just claim to be, and they haven’t been in jail the way you mean it.”
“And why do you go to the cell group? What horrible things have you done that you’re trying to get over? I can’t imagine that there’s anything really bad in your past, you’re just too good.”
KT smiled. “That’s very sweet of you Daniel but none of us is really good. I believe that we’re only good because God transforms our hearts.”
“I don’t believe that! They’re lots of good people in the world and I’m sure that not all of them believe in God or even know that he exists. We are what we are.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree,” concluded KT. In spite of Daniel’s cynicism, she now knew that he wasn’t as hard as he had at first appeared. She had discovered, through Connie Haskins, who was a major source of information, that Daniel had bought an electric wheelchair for the patient she had told him about and was also paying for his therapy anonymously, or so he thought. She didn’t know what made him do it, but the act of kindness opened a place for Daniel Tennant in her heart.
When Daniel was alone in his apartment that night, he thought about his conversation with KT again. Could hearts really be transformed and if so, could his? Did it need to be? He wasn’t that bad, was he? Then he thought about the interview with the New York Times and the insinuations he’d made about Barton Phillips. Was that only a few months ago? It seemed like a life time. He remembered the way he had treated Angela the day his father came to see him and how he’d used Pamela even when he was seeing Angela. There were so many other things he had done that made him feel a bit squeamish now that he thought about them. All those thoughts made his head begin to hurt so he took some tablets and turned on a movie that numbed his brain.
Daniel poked his head around the doors to the Physiotherapy department, hoping to see KT. She was bent over her desk in deep concentration writing up some papers. Her pony tail was over one shoulder and her exposed nape looked so enticing that he was very tempted to sneak up behind her and kiss it. It took great control to just walk quietly behind her and trail his fingers down the back of her neck in a quick caress.
KT almost jumped out of her skin and immediately broke out in goose bumps. She swung around to see who the culprit was.
“Daniel Tennant,” she exclaimed, “You scared me half to death! What are you doing here today? Your next session is in two days.” Her hand clutched her chest as if she was trying to hold her heart in place. He looked devastatingly attractive now that his hair was growing back and he no longer wore the cap.
“I missed you, so I popped in to see if you wanted to go to lunch.” He had missed her. Because of the Christmas holidays they’d had no session last week and he was amazed at how empty his week had felt without seeing her.
“Missed me?” said KT in disbelief. “You saw me just before Christmas. I can’t believe you made Claire drive you all the way down here just to see if I wanted lunch? Wouldn’t it have been easier to call?” Actually she had missed him too but she would never admit it. He had enough ammunition in his arsenal already. She hoped she could withstand his attack if it came.
“I took a cab. Anyway I don’t even have your number,” reasoned Daniel. “Perhaps you should give it to me now in case I need to reach you in an emergency.”
“I can’t imagine what emergency that would be,” said KT but gave him her numbers while he added them straight to his Blackberry contacts.
“Great!”said Daniel, “So can you do lunch?”
“Well it so happens that my next patient is not due for another hour so I can do a quick lunch in the cafeteria.”
“You’re going to make me eat cafeteria food?” He groaned. “OK, but you have to let me take you to a real lunch, or better yet dinner, when I finish my therapy sessions with you,” demanded Daniel.
“Only if you’re on your best behavior,” warned KT.
“Agreed!” said Daniel quickly. “And by the way, where do you get this impression that I don’t behave well?
“I’ve been warned about your reputation,” admitted KT.
“My reputation?”
“Yes, your reputation as a womanizer. I’ve been told that you have a different woman for each season of the year! I’m not looking to be Miss Winter.”
“KT, where do you get that stuff? Admittedly it may have been true in the past, but I haven’t gone out with anyone in over three months.”
“That’s because you’ve been recove
ring from brain surgery!”
Daniel continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “Come on, let’s go and eat that unimaginative cafeteria food before your patient gets here,” he said changing the subject.
After their plates were filled, Daniel found a table as far away from other people as he could manage and they sat down to eat.
KT said a quick silent prayer and picked up her bun.
“You’re going to eat that bun?” asked Daniel incredulously. It looked very unappealing to him, especially smothered in melted butter.
“I love bread,” confessed KT. “It’s my weakness.”
“I don’t believe it, a weakness,” said Daniel playfully. “Now I can win your heart by plying you with all kinds of gourmet bread.”
KT laughed. “And what’s your weakness?”
“My weakness is a certain physiotherapist who is determined to withstand my considerable charms,” confessed Daniel half seriously.
“Funny,” replied KT unbelievingly and Daniel let the subject drop. She obviously was not taking him seriously and he honestly didn’t know at this stage, just how serious he was. What he did know was that he definitely wanted to get to know her intimately and he’d been around enough women to know that she was not immune to him either.
“How was your Christmas?” she asked.
“Lonely without you,” he said truthfully. KT looked at him skeptically. “How was yours?”
“Great! I really enjoyed going home and being with my parents, my brother and his wife and my baby sister.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother and sister.”
“Yes. My brother is about your age. He’s an investment banker here in the city. My sister is in med school in Boston. She’s 24.”
“What else don’t I know about you? Do you have a secret fiancée or anything like that?”
“No,” admitted KT with a smile.
“Good!” Daniel smiled too.