by Lexy Timms
Mel wanted to reach over and right the baggage, but was currently busy holding the back of the seat in a death grip. Beside her, she thought she heard Maria murmuring something that sounded suspiciously like a prayer.
The driver swerved then, crossing three lanes and landing on an exit ramp in a single stomach-flipping movement; Mel didn’t even have time to shut her eyes. They spun the semi-circle to come out…on another freeway. This one seemed to double as a parking lot. It was through divine intervention that the little car avoided slamming headlong into a panel van that said COOL DOWN, and under it, ‘Jay’s Refrigeration Service.’ Maybe Maria had the right idea after all. She silently added a prayer of her own.
“You know…” Mel said carefully, still afraid to release her grasp of the back of the front seat. “We’ve taken a lot of your time already today. We could probably walk from here…” Mel was only dimly aware of the way Maria’s grip was cutting off the circulation in her arm.
“Dude, it’s like twenty miles from here and that’s by freeway. You can’t walk it from here, trust me.”
“Trust…” Mel found she wasn’t able to swallow. She looked at Maria. Maria had no trouble swallowing; she demonstrated her ability over and over again.
Say something. Anything. “So, uh, how do you know Dr. Layton?”
“I don’t. His office called and made arrangements.” The guy turned around and looked at her brightly. “I’m an Uber!”
“Dr. Mel, what is an Uber?”
Mel blinked a few times. “It’s German; it means ‘ultra’ or ‘about.’”
“No!” The driver twisted to give her a strange look. “It means I drive for money.”
Mel exchanged glances with Maria, for once as lost as she was. She wondered briefly if perhaps this was how it felt for the child since they’d started on this crazy trip—this feeling of being lost and the language making no sense.
She pulled the girl close for a hug. Thankfully the car was only creeping along just then, and letting go of the seat didn’t seem quite as terrifying as before. Though she suspected the half-moon indents from her fingernails in the upholstery might be permanent.
It wasn’t until she let go of Maria that the sound hit her. A weird little tune seemed to come from the bag at her feet. It had been going for some time, but the light chiming of the cell phone wasn’t able to compete with the blood pounding in Mel’s ears or the sound of Black Sabbath pounding through the blown speakers of the little car.
“Help? I mean, hello?” Mel said as the driver left the relative sanctuary of the two semis that had somehow launched themselves into 65MPH and veered into another lane, further yet from the safety of the shoulder.
“Mel!” Brant’s voice sounded clearer than any phone call they’d had in the last six months. The excitement in his voice almost made her forgive him—almost. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there in person to get you; I had an emergency here. Did the office send a driver for you?”
The car now shot in front of the semi it once was following, to get around a horse trailer. It had barely cleared that when he spanned three open lanes and floored the little car along the interior lane.
“YEAH!” Mel said, trying to not swallow her throat.
“He’s an Uber!” Maria yelled helpfully from the seat beside her.
“What was that?” Brant’s voice seemed to be breaking up, as though even he couldn’t keep up with the tiny car. “Did she say ‘Uber’?”
“That’s what he calls himself.” Mel closed her eyes, waiting for the crash as they ran up the back of a stretch limo. “I have to say, , he’s not really…” She was at a loss for words, as yet another ramp from one freeway to the next suddenly caught the driver’s attention; it was a matter of crossing three lanes at once to get there, and two more on the other side.
“SAFE,” Maria chimed in helpfully, as though an umpire at one of the clinic softball games.
“I told them to send a car, a limo to get you. You have an Uber?”
“I’m in a Toyota!” Mel yelled back, as though increasing her own volume would bring back his fading voice. “And I have to go!” She hung up on Brant for the first time since he’d left for L.A.
If she survived, she’d apologize later.
The remainder of the journey was spent attempting to avoid throwing up. It was that simple. The constant start, stop, swerve, whatever that maneuver was called when he actually hit REVERSE on the off ramp, and…
It was better to not dwell on the details.
Then catching her breath was her goal, which was quickly taken from her again when they arrived. Mel’s voice failed her, as did her lungs, and she swore she’d nearly lost her bladder control as well. Fortunately, the Uber driver was able to sum up the feeling for her.
“Duuuuuuuude,” he whispered reverently.
“Dude,” Maria echoed.
Mel knew Brant was a successful plastic surgeon in a land where such a profession was one step down from the divine, but she’d assumed that meant he’d probably had a nice place, a 401K, and enough money for the occasional cruise.
Brant could buy the cruise ship and probably the rest of the fleet as well. On second thought, the house was a cruise ship, or at least it was the same size as one. Marble pillars, crushed gravel driveway, private gate…it was…
It was too much.
She fought every instinct to turn and run, to go back into the jungle, to get a long, long way from one Brant Layton. He was rich. He was more than rich, he was…and she…
For six months, she’d sat in her jungle thinking about this day, thinking about being with him again, in his arms. For six months, she’d fantasized about seeing Brant. But this…this was too much. How could she…she was poor, her parents were school teachers, she still had student loans…
“Dr. Mel? Are you all right?” Maria asked, one hand on her arm. “Why are you crying?”
“Why…?” She couldn’t find the words. She had to go, run, leave, forget all of this.
Then she looked at her young charge, at the bandages that hid a once angelic face and still covered some of the open, warm smile. I can’t take this away from her. Mel nodded slowly. Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. That’s right. Like that. She breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. Now, shoulders back. You can do this.
Mel pasted a smile on her face. Found a cheerful lilt somewhere in her repertoire and added it to her voice, hoping the girl wouldn’t notice the way her hands were shaking. “It’s okay, Maria. I’ll be okay. It was just…the ride made me a little carsick, I think.”
Maria said nothing, but those guileless eyes showed that she didn’t believe her. Mel knew that.
But it was something they shared, that lie, and something that kept them from panicking when the front door opened and the maid—a bloody maid—invited them in.
“Dr. Mel?” Maria leaned in quietly as they got out of the car. “What does that mean, ‘holy shit’?”
Chapter 3
“Welcome!” The maid was probably in her early sixties, and had a ready smile on a face so weathered Mel sort of expected to it see on a rancher, wind-burned and ruddy. But the smile was bright and open and genuine.
Mel liked her instantly and fought the urge to collapse into the woman’s arms, then cry after the day they’d just had. It was like finding someone’s grandmother.
“I’m Alice. I come in two times a week,” the woman said by way of introduction. “I also tidy up here and there. It’s just Dr. Layton, and he isn’t here too often. So I just show up to keep the place not buried in dust.” She waved a hand, taking in the entryway and the hallway beyond. “Come, I’ll show you to your rooms!” She smiled and grabbed the massive suitcase from Maria’s startled grip, and continued her monologue as she half led, half dragged them through the mansion.
“Th-Thanks?” Maria half asked, looking from Alice to Mel with big eyes.
“I understand you run a hospital in the jungle,” Alice said, her eyes alight with curiosity and wonder
as she glanced back at Mel. “It sounds very exciting. Dr. Layton’s been telling me all about it.” She paused and waited for them to catch up, and then leaned in conspiratorially, pitching her voice so Maria wouldn’t hear. “To be honest, it sounds frightening. I don’t know how you manage it, I really don’t. I was a nurse once, you know. A nursing assistant, really, but I’m retired now and just help out now and again.” She laughed a little. “Maybe it’s not much of a retirement, but I absolutely am no good at Bingo, and there just wasn’t enough to do during the day. I admire you, Dr. Bell, I really do. Few people can even think about what you do, and I’ve heard how effortlessly you do what you do and…oh, here we are!”
‘Here’ involved a winding hallway and a towering flight of stairs where Alice never lost her breath, nor seemed to require inhaling through her stream of chatter. At the end of another hall two doors presented themselves, and Alice indicated that they were the rooms set aside for their use.
Alice beamed at them both. “You can decide who gets which room. Once you’re settled, just come back the way we came to get to the dining room. Dinner isn’t until 8, but if you need something after your long trip, just let me know. I’ll be here all day today until dinner. Then I have to hurry home and feed George. Normally I wouldn’t be here this late, but Dr. Layton asked me to stay a little longer just to tend to the two of you.” Alice stepped back, lightly touching Mel’s arm. Something in her smile changed, became more genuine, as though Mel had passed some sort of test. For a moment it seemed that Alice truly was glad they’d come.
“Thanks so much for all your help,” Mel said, smiling back, feeling for a moment that she, too, was genuinely happy they’d come.
“It’ll be wonderful getting to know you!” Alice murmured, then flitted back down the hallway with more energy than Mel could possibly muster, even after a good night’s sleep.
Mel shook her head and turned to face the two doors: one to her left, the other to the right. The hallway ended here, with a painting of a sailboat on a calm sea, and some kind of useless table beneath it holding a bowl of fresh fruit. Who did that? It occurred to her that Alice had probably left it there, in case they’d wanted a snack, and while it seemed thoughtful it felt a little too…well, pampered.
People really lived like this?
With one hand, she carefully reached out and touched a piece of fruit. Yep, it was real all right.
And now she was freaked out by a bowl of friggin’ fruit.
“This is nuts.”
“No, Dr. Mel. That’s an orange.”
Mel and Maria looked at each other a long moment. Through the months since Maria’s accident, they’d been doctor and patient, guardian and child, and since yesterday sometime, traveling companions. In the wake of the primal force that was Alice, they were now two women equally lost and in some state of disbelief. Hurricane Alice was more potent than anything that had ever hit Belize. And they got some fancy weather in Belize.
“Open the door.” Mel indicated the choice closest to Maria.
Maria regarded her door, as though it would bite her. She edged backward a tiny bit, bumping into the suitcase hard enough to stumble and almost fall. “You first.”
“Don’t be silly,” Mel countered, reaching a hand to steady the girl. Making no move to open hers.
There was a long pause while they stared each other down.
Mel won.
Maria gave her a look that belied her twelve years, and reached for the knob. She turned it and jumped back with a small squeak as the door swung open. Curious, Mel peered around the doorjamb, just about tripping on her own suitcase in the process.
“Holy shit?” Maria asked.
Mel could only nod.
“This is bigger than my house,” the girl whispered. “How many people sleep in that bed?”
Mel laughed. “Just you.”
They stared a long time.
If this had been a hotel, it would have been considered a junior suite. The room was simple, uncluttered, and clean—extremely clean. There seemed to be flowers stuffed into every corner and crevice, beautiful tropical creations on dresser and table and desk, but the bouquets were understated and simple, accenting the room and giving a welcoming feel that would delight a young girl.
Who was she kidding? She was just as delighted.
Plush rugs, the color of the jungle canopy, were spread across the hardwood floor. A fireplace against one wall made the room cozy, even if it wasn’t lit. An armchair and lamp invited one to curl up and read if they so desired. The bed might have had a different zip code from where they stood, but was clearly visible, canopy and all. Pillows the colors of gemstones scattered across a matching spread that was designed to be every little girl’s dream. Had the walls been brick instead of being painted a soft taupe, you might have thought you’d been transported into a princess’ tower, dragons not included.
“Is it okay if I sleep on the floor? If I sleep in that, I’ll get lost and not find my way out again.”
Mel hugged the girl with a surety she didn’t feel and backed away, at a loss for words, and wondering what could possibly be on the other side of the hall. She suddenly realized the fruit was for provisions, should one get lost. Maybe grabbing an orange now wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
Don’t be an idiot.
Mel swallowed her courage and moved into the hallway, to the other side, and opened the door.
The room shone in whites and yellows, sweeping cloth draping the bedframe, and for a moment Mel had a strange longing for the mosquito netting and hammock of home.
Home. What a strange concept. How had an assignment in the jungles of Belize suddenly become home? Maybe because it was a place she was used to. Could familiar settings and furnishings become a home just by being there day after day? Yet her life in America seemed so long ago, like a memory belonging to someone else. Even the bad parts had had the sharp edges worn off. That was Brant’s doing, she knew. She raised a hand to her breast, touching it lightly through the fabric. Even this did not seem quite so tragic, softened somewhat.
She was learning to let go.
And now, she’d left the jungle. No more daily challenges. Instead, she stood here, in a world of perfumed princesses and soft beds and money.
Money.
She stared around the room. Noticing for the first time the art…actual art on the walls. Not prints. A panicked glance showed her the fine quality of the furniture. The sheets…she didn’t want to know, but damn, she really did. She hadn’t slept on a bed or sheets in so long. She stepped forward, touching the coverlet and finding it as exquisite to touch as she’d imagined it would be.
Holy shit, Brant had to be loaded.
“Dr. Mel?”
She’d completely forgotten about her travel partner. She whirled around, heart started into sensibility as she forced a smile because crying was too near the surface. And the last thing she wanted to do was to let it show. “I’m sorry, sweetie, were you saying something?”
The girl looked at her, eyes dead serious. “Do you want to sleep on the floor with me?”
It felt good to laugh.
The warm embrace she gave Maria went a long way to chasing away the fear that had been gnawing at her belly since the Uber had expelled them in front of this mansion. Mel kissed her head and sent her back to her room before grabbing the suitcase and dragging it in behind her. “Go jump on the bed. Seriously.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, see if it’s bouncy.”
“Nobody’s going to yell at me?”
Mel laughed again. “Shhh…I might join you.”
The door closed before she could blink. She shook her head as she chuckled again.
And here I stand.
Maybe it was a silly thought, bordering on hysteria. But it felt right, this defining moment where a portion of her life was shut off forever. She was at a crossroads, with a brand-new world full of frightening possibilities spread out before her.
Was she
ready for it?
Mel thought of Brant as she’d seen him last. The way he’d looked at her. The way he’d made her feel.
Yes. Oh, yes.
Steadier than she’d been since she arrived she sank into a plush chair by the window, not really seeing the lush landscaping, the sloping roofs of neighboring mansions. Already her mind was picking its way through this new world, finding her place here. She had a job to do.
Besides, Brant probably wouldn’t be home for a while anyway.
She opened the phone that Doctors International had purchased for her use, and called home. Her home. In Belize. Just to make sure everything there was still running without any major glitches without her.
While she waited for a connection she stood again, too restless to sit, and wandered the room. The door at the end revealed a private bathroom, with a shower big enough for her entire staff to share. She fought against that image. Now the separate tub room enough for two—that image she held on to. And two sinks. She was tempted to designate one just for brushing her teeth. It took her a minute to find the tiny room that held the toilet. Thankfully a plain porcelain thing, not hammered gold as she was afraid it might be. It had a bidet next to it, like a faithful sidekick.
“What in the world do you do with that?” She stared in mystified amazement, and backed out of the space almost reverently.
“Doctors International,” a crackled voice shot over the phone, breaking a fascinating little daydream that had started as she’d stared at the tub, imagining Brant in one end and her in the other. Or both in the same end. Either way held so many possibilities.
“H-Hello, this is Melissa Bell…Dr. Melissa Bell. I need to be connected to my clinic in Belize.”
“One moment, please…” the phone clicked and clucked a few moments and then a familiar voice, though not one she wanted to hear, came through crystal clear.
“MEL!”
She blinked a few times, and sat down on the edge of the tub. “Kenneth? I don’t understand; I was trying to get the clinic…”
“I know, but I left instructions that your calls come through my office. I’ll have someone reconnect you when we’re done. How was the flight? I imagine it was rough. Did you have any trouble with customs? Transporting a minor between countries wasn’t easy to arrange!”