by T Gephart
Message five received at 12:26pm today “Hi Lexi, its James. I hope you don’t mind but I saved your number to my phone... They brought Mike out of the coma, he doesn’t remember anything. He’d really like to meet you and thank you himself. I’ll leave you clearance at the hospital front desk if you’d like to come by. Ask to see patient Doug Smith. Ummmm... Yeah... hope to see you later.”
I stared at my phone in disbelief. James Bowden had saved my number to his phone and left me a voice message. Could this day get any stranger? I kicked off my matted and damp covers (I was definitely going to have to change my sheets tonight) and walked out of my room. I saw my pile of bloody discarded clothes near the front door and threw them quickly into the trash bag. No wonder Matt had been worried when he arrived home. There was no amount of stain remover that was getting that out!
After another quick shower I sat on the edge of my bed and contemplated what to wear. What does one wear to meet the person whom one has resuscitated? I settled on my favourite Sass and Bide Jeans, ankle boots and my favourite long sleeve, red fitted V neck top. I dried my hair quickly with the hair dryer and swept up the front strands so they were off my face. A little bit of makeup and I was ready to go.
The whole drive over there I felt a twinge in my stomach. I wasn’t sure if it was from the fact I hadn’t eaten or I was nervous about what was going to happen. A mess of thoughts raced through my brain: What am I going to say to this guy? Will James be there? I suppose I should get the blood test results while I’m there, not that I’m worried about that. I hope I don’t get my photo taken.
I finally arrived and turned into the car park. I switched off the ignition and sat for a minute in my car. I pulled down my visor and studied my reflection in the vanity panel carefully. C’mon Lexi... time to go! I stepped out of the car and walked to the main part of the hospital. At the door I was asked by security what the purpose of my visit was and I handed over my ID and told them I was visiting patient “Doug Smith”. After consulting his all important clipboard, I was waved through. I made my way to ICU before being confronted by yet another security guard. The nurses eyed me suspiciously, as I once again handed over my ID, relaying my reason for being there. They were not leaving anything to chance. I wondered if the hospital was footing the bill for this added security or if this was provided by James? I guessed the latter. Guard number 51 radioed something and I was instructed to wait.
“Lexi, I’m so glad you made it.” James walked out; he’d obviously showered and changed and smelt amazing. He reached out and gave me a warm hug.
“Hey, how’s the patient doing?” I asked.
“He’s doing great. They are moving him out of ICU this afternoon. I’m hoping that we can move him back to our hotel with some private nursing staff but only once I get the all clear from his Doc. How are you doing? You look like you got that shower you were desperate for this morning.” He gave me his megawatt smile.
“Yeah... I took two actually. How are you doing? Get any sleep?” I smiled back.
“Yeah, the nurses have been very accommodating” he boasted. HA! I’m sure they had been. “Well he doesn’t remember the accident but we’ve told him everything. Jackson is being released today so he’s in there with him now. Mike is really anxious to meet you,” James took my hand in his. “You ready?”
“Sure, lead the way,” I gulped as we walked through the door.
Jackson immediately leapt to his feet as we entered, “Lexi! It’s so good to see you again!” He had one arm plastered and in a sling but threw his other arm around me as best he could.
“Hey Jackson, you’re looking good. Nice cast! You got quite a collection of signatures on it!” I mused. I couldn’t help but notice Alex Stone’s unmistakable scrawl near Jackson’s wrist.
“You want to sign it?” He exclaimed.
“Sure, no problem” I grabbed the marker he handed to me and wrote Get Better soon, Lexi xx. Jackson examined it carefully.
“Mike’s over here... he’s awake. He wants to meet you.” He put his arm around my waist and walked me over to the edge of the bed. James stood to one side of me and Jackson to the other, his hand still around my waist.
Two confused eyes surveyed me up and down before turning to James and asking “Who is this?”
“Mike, this is Lexi... Remember, Lexi? We spoke about her before.” James reassured his little brother. Mike squinted slightly.
“You’re Lexi?” He asked.
“Sure am,” I whispered back.
“Seriously? You’re the one?? Wow, you’re HOT! They didn’t tell me you were so hot!” His face became more animated.
“Well, thank you!” I laughed “Although you have a pretty nasty concussion so you probably don’t have the best judgement right now.”
“Oh no... You’re hot!” Jackson volunteered. James just smiled and shook his head.
“What? You’re not going to weigh in here?” I teased.
“You already told me you weren’t attracted to me despite my best efforts, I’m not sure my wounded pride can sustain any more damage” James chortled. Jackson and Mike were bewildered by our private joke.
The room was so unwelcoming and sterile, white washed walls accentuated the harshness of the metal bed and limited furniture. A large leather La-Z-boy had been placed to the side of the bed where there were no monitors. For James, no doubt. I’m sure it was the nurses “accommodating him”. It seemed so out of place given the rest of the landscape. Two regular chairs had been pushed up against the back wall.
Despite this extraordinary situation, I felt at ease and relaxed. Any reservations I had about coming had dissolved, fate had firmly put me on this path and I was resolved to see it through. My mood softened as I took in the seriousness of Mike’s injuries. I understood why James had been so desperate last night. Seeing his brother in this condition, it’s something no loved one should ever have to endure.
I sensed rather than heard someone entering the room behind me. “Well, Well, it seems I’m missing the party in here! Mike, you’re looking better.” The words slipped off his tongue like honey and I had to turn to take in his magnificence.
“I’m Alex; I don’t believe we’ve met” Alex Stone sauntered over to me and held out his hand. I gazed up at his astonishingly handsome face. His 6’4” frame dwarfed me. He was dressed simply in a pair of dark jeans, a tight black t-shirt and a leather jacket. His sunglasses hung from the collar of his shirt, the reflection of the lenses accentuating his angled jaw and fine chiseled nose. His brilliant blue eyes sparkled as he studied me with curiosity. I felt myself shiver with excitement just from the intonation of his voice. He could make me come just by looking at me; I could already feel my panties getting moist.
“I’m Lexi” was all I could manage.
“Lexi. Well, it is a pleasure.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. My insides quivered. Seriously, is it possible to achieve an orgasm just from a kiss? ‘Cause I was pretty close right now. Alex studied me intently as if contemplating a thought. Could he read minds? Was I giving off some weird pheromone?
“Is something wrong?” I asked, slightly perturbed by his glance.
“Hmmmmmm,” he commenced “James told me about what you did for Mike here... how you saved his life.”
“Yes,” I said, not fully comprehending where he was going with this.
“You pulled him from the wreck. Administered CPR. You made a tourniquet out of your shirt to stop the bleeding in his leg.” It was like each word hung in his mouth, caressed by his tongue before it slid out effortlessly. He still had a hint of his Nordic accent. God this man was hot. He unnerved me so I slipped into defence mode.
“Thanks for the re-cap Alex, but I do remember - I was there. Is there something in particular you wanted to ask me about?” I watched the corners of his mouth twitch, he was making me squirm and he was enjoying it!
Damn he was good at this game. It was almost like looking into a mirror; the smooth, level tone, the same
self-assurance, each word dripping in open ended possibilities but to the untrained ear seemed nothing more than conversation. The casual smile, the eyes engaging my gaze... a manoeuvre I had perfected over the years, was now being reflected right back at me.
“Well... I was just thinking.” He paused for effect “It’s a pretty extreme measure that was undertaken by Mike here to get your top off... I’m not sure I condone his behaviour but now that I’ve seen you, I understand,” he concluded.
My mouth dropped open and I heard gasps from Jackson and Mike.
“Alex!” James barked “Outside... now!”
“No, No. It’s okay.” I assured James as I put my best game face on. “Why Alex, that is very flattering,” I breathed. “If poor Mike wasn’t still in such a precarious state I’d take my top off right now, seeing as he missed it the first time.” I slid my hand provocatively to the hem of my top. I heard the beeps on Mike’s heart monitor speed up slightly as his face flushed bright red.
Alex dissolved in fits of laughter. “I like this one, we should keep her around.”
“Well if she can handle you, I’m guessing she can handle anyone.” James smiled back, enjoying the fact I had cracked Alex’s steely facade.
“Indeed she can,” he gleamed. “Although at the risk of changing the topic and talking business, we need to decide what we are going to do about the rest of these shows. Chris has been on the phone with me all morning and you know I hate talking on the phone.”
“Well, we need a new opening band, Jacks can’t play and the guys don’t want to do it without him,” James responded. I was surprised they were having this conversation while I was in the room. Jackson looked about nervously; I focused my eyes on him and gave him my best “it will be okay” smile.
“You guys need a band?” I asked. Both men turned toward me as if suddenly remembering I was there. “I can get you a band” I fished into my handbag and pulled out a business card. “Here, call Jamie. He’s an agent here in Melbourne. He has everything from corporate bands to garage bands and everything in between. He owes me a favour because I planned his daughter’s 16th birthday party.”
James inspected the card. “You know any good PR firms? We fired our local representation after they leaked news of Mike’s accident to the press.”
“Are you shitting me?” I almost choked. I reached back into my bag and grabbed my business card out and handed it James.
“Lexi Reed, Cole Public Relations and Events” James read aloud.
“Well, I stand corrected... it seems saving Mike was a rather extreme way for Ms Reed to get a job interview” Alex chuckled.
“Congratulations Lexi Reed of Cole Public Relations and Events. I believe your services have just been retained” James announced.
Chapter 9 – R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Yesterday had been such a whirlwind. I went straight from the hospital to the office to inform Kate of the unexpected new account I had won. “What do you mean we are now representing Power Station?? Isn’t that the band you have an unhealthy obsession with? Am I going to have to talk to the legal department again and defend you in a stalking charge?” Kate scoffed at me.
“Relax Kate, I ran into them, they needed a support band so I hooked them up and then they asked if I knew a PR company... it’s totally legit, you don’t need to stress” I reassured.
I don’t know why I continued to be so cagey about how I met the band and what had actually happened that night. Part of me didn’t want to share the personal information of these people who had let me into their small circle of trust and part of me didn’t want the 5 billion questions that would follow. I wanted it to be my secret. No one needed to know and I didn’t want to share it with anyone. Evasion was so easy for me, I barley blinked... I wasn’t pathological, there was always a reason but it was part of my makeup and I had to accept it.
“Well, then that’s quite a coup you’ve pulled off. WELL DONE! I’ll make sure I do what I can to lessen your work load to assist you. You have a full roster as it is but this is obviously the kind of business we would never turn down. Get Matt on board if you need anything. Looks like that bonus cheque is getting fatter by the minute!” Kate congratulated me.
So it was only natural that today when I came into work, it was like a minefield. I spent my time wading through the list of clients I could offload and ones that would pitch a fit if I even suggested it. I had been buried since arriving at 8:30am, it was almost noon and I hadn’t left my desk except to pee.
“Lexi… there is someone here to see you. He looks important and is really pushy; he says he won’t leave until he meets with you!” Jane didn’t often make a visit to my desk. Kate’s personal assistant would get extremely irritated when people assumed she was just a secretary. She was in her late twenties with short feathery red hair and no matter what time of year it was, she ALWAYS had a tan.
Jane was one of those people who was content with mediocrity. It’s not that it was a bad thing but she really didn’t feel the need to strive for anything else. I just couldn’t relate to her on that level. She had a personality that needed to be cared for, which was reflected in her choice of men. Rich guys with lots of disposable income were her usual MO. It’s not that she was a gold digger, she just enjoyed the finer things in life and if someone was willing to provide them for her while she kept a nice home, then what’s the harm? She was young at heart and despite leaving adolescence behind years ago was clearly still clinging to her youth.
“Send him through to a meeting room, Jane” I motioned, barley looking up from my computer screen.
I walked to one of our meeting rooms to meet my visitor. I had so much work to do and did not welcome this interruption but I was going to follow the protocol which dictated we meet clients in our receiving rooms. These stylish rooms had come in handy over the years when I wanted to have discussions in private, away from prying ears. I peered through the glass window and saw that he was already inside.
The man waiting for me in the ugly brown suit reluctantly stood and stiffly introduced himself as I entered the room. “Hello Ms Reed. My name is Sol Rossum, I represent James Bowden and his interests,” he drawled in a thick Queens accent. He was a burly man, in his late 40s. He had thinning hair and as I looked closer I realised that it was a REALLY ugly but expensively made brown suit. He bristled with displeasure and he was making it clear that my mere existence offended him. Perhaps he was one of these “women belong in the kitchen” kind of guys. Either way... I hated lawyers.
“Call me Lexi, Please. What can I do for you Mr Rossum?” He annoyed me and it was conveyed in my curtness. I gestured for him to take his seat and I slid into my seat at the square meeting table.
“I just have some documentation I need you to sign, I like all my I’s dotted and T’s crossed. Call me old fashioned.” He smiled, yet I felt no warmth in it.
“Huh... a courier couldn’t have organised that?” I chided.
“No, these documents require your immediate attention. I would like your signature NOW if I could.” He placed a pile of documents in front of me with little “sign here” flags protruding from the sides. I glanced over the lofty pages. A confidentiality agreement.
“I believe I signed this earlier today with the other business contracts Chris faxed over... it seems you wasted your time Mr. Rossum. Rest assured that here at Cole our clients’ privacy is of paramount importance.” I practically spat out the company line.
“Yes I have those, but this is for your personal relationship with my client. I am aware that you offered his brother some medical assistance during the course of his vehicular collision, and I’m here to see that all information about your personal dealings with Mr Bowden, his family members and his colleagues remain private and out of the tabloids.” He took a breath then continued “Of course we have compensated you in what I’m sure you will agree is a more than generous amount.” He pulled out a cheque from the pocket of his ugly brown jacket and sat it on top of the pile of docum
ents meant for my immediate attention. One hundred thousand dollars. I blinked in disbelief.
“I don’t sign ANYTHING without my own representation going over it. Thank you for dropping these over. Now if you excuse me, I have work to do.” I herded him out of the door.
“Ms Reed, I really need those signed as soon as possible” he protested as I practically shoved him into the corridor.
“Mr Rossum, I believe I made myself clear the first time. I will not sign anything without consulting my own representation, so I suggest you leave and I will give them the attention they deserve in due course.” Now, he had pissed me off! FUCK him and his fancy legal talk. Medical assistance during the course of vehicular collision? What the fuck was that? It was a car accident and I pumped on Mike’s chest until he started breathing again. I stopped the bleeding in his thigh. I saved his life. I was fairly confident that this goes BEYOND the definition of assistance.
I glared at him as he made his way down the corridor and into the lift lobby. I felt the anger seethe through me, like venom coursing through my veins. I had two choices; accept the money graciously (after all it could make my life VERY comfortable) and sign the damned document or I could do what I usually do when my integrity is called into question - raise bloody hell! The choice was not a hard one as I gathered the documents, the cheque and my handbag and practically ran from the office. “Important meeting, tell Kate I’ll be back” I yelled back at Matt as I sprinted past our work space, car keys in hand.
I levelled my anger as best I could as I entered the hospital. Mike had recovered enough to be moved from ICU to a private room and I knew that’s where I would find James. After the obligatory security third degree, I entered his room. Mike was sitting up in bed watching TV. Alex stood with his back against the wall busily texting and James stood when I entered. “Hey Lexi” He greeted me with his usual warm hug.