by Barbara Ebel
She bobbed her head up and down. “We love them, Daddy. Amen.”
Danny chuckled softy. “Very nice. They will be happy.”
After the service, Danny drove Julia to Varg’s office where Rachel was picking her up for the day.
-----
The move had gone well and Rachel had spent the second night in her new place. Although boxes surrounded her, she paid them no mind. She had the main necessities – cosmetics, toiletries, and her laptop and notes she had jotted down the other night. She took one last look in the mirror noting the little camouflage make-up she had put on, picked up the things she needed and drove to Varg’s office. He must not be a churchgoer, she thought, because he readily agreed to meet her on a Sunday morning.
His BMW was there when she arrived. When she entered, she said a “Good morning,” loudly.
“Someday I would like to say that very thing to your face while you are waking up,” Varg said while walking towards her. He gave her a mischievous look, turned, and led her to his office.
“All romanticism aside, Varg, I think you should seize the opportunity to make Blue Bridge big. Really big. I meant what I said about your needing help to do that.” She put her laptop and papers down and they sat on the couch, their knees touching.
“I thought your background is in the medical field,” he said. “That you work in an operating room handing out instruments. Plus, you have a young daughter. Why would an astute businessman like myself want your input?”
Rachel wore tight-fitting stretch leggings and a blouse to her hips, and she subtly pressed one leg against him. The shape and contour of her legs was as inviting to him as if she’d worn a short dress.
“I’m going for an interview tomorrow but plan on working part-time. I don’t see Julia enough to interfere with any job, Varg. What I have with her is quality time and that’s what matters. I have a marketing plan which we can start on right away. It’s going to cost a couple of grand and, to show my partner worthiness, I’d like us to go fifty-fifty on the cost if you go fifty-fifty on profits.”
“Whoa! Hold on, pretty lady. I already have this product and my business running fine. I won’t break it down fifty-fifty with anyone.”
“Okay,” she contemplated, leaning back and stretching her neck.
He stole a glance at her chest; her breasts were just how he liked them … curvy, not too big and B cup.
She brought her gaze back to him. “What if I draft up an advertisement I have in mind for a national newspaper? It will give you an idea of how good I am,” she said with a tinge of mysticism. “If you think this one ad is worth it, we go halves on the cost which will cost a couple of thousand dollars for a half-page. And you give me twenty-five percent of the profits while I then work for you … I mean work with you.”
He crunched his forehead and pulled at his ponytail. “I have four offices here; two taken on the other side by my two realtors. You put in around twenty-five hours a week and you can use the office in front of mine … if I like what you’re going to show me.”
“Give me some time to put together what I’m thinking of. I’ll use the office right now. However, if we don’t have a deal, you are not to steal what I’m going to show you and use it yourself.”
She got up quickly with her laptop and stared him down. “Deal?”
“Deal.” He extended his hand and she maneuvered a small shake.
As Varg anticipated what she was working on, the light in the office grew brighter from the rising sun. He poured himself a cup of coffee from his mini-brew machine and glanced out at the lone tree on the side of the building. Most city blocks were cold in their unnaturalness and this one was no exception. He’d have to do something to give the rental building a face-lift.
In another half hour, Rachel came in holding the laptop, put it down in front of him and said, “This would be a half-page ad in the U.S. Nation newspaper which has the biggest circulation and mailed deliveries in the country. And you can tweak your own testimonial.”
Varg read it and smiled. If he smoked a cigar, he’d light one up right now. “But can you do this? Put quotes in like that?”
“Why sure. We’re not telling a lie. I wrote down the main points from Danny’s and your conversation. Products get pitched like this all the time.”
“I wonder if I should check with my attorney before placing this.”
“No way. Why?”
He rested his head against his hands. “I will make an appointment with my lawyer in any case.”
Rachel had another tactic to steer him into her way of thinking. She was about to use it when he said, “He will have to draw up our agreement.”
“Tell him to do it ASAP, Varg. I’m going to get working on this baby before you can drink your next carton of Blue Bridge.” She paused and then added, “Speaking of which, you better get in a really big order.”
-----
As Rachel heard Danny’s knock at the door, she gathered her things quickly. Varg started to follow her, but she jabbed a finger into his chest. “Maybe you and Danny should stay clear of each other until the ad is placed. We wouldn't want him telling us anything that would negate what’s being put in the ad.”
Varg squinted his eyes. “Why, I’ve inherited a clever business partner. But perhaps that’s precisely the reason I should see him … in case he volunteers new information. He is also my trusted doctor, you know.”
“Yes, it’s wonderful how he’s taken care of you. Such a skilled surgeon. However, this is a win-win situation for his professional reputation and our partnership for a new income source.” She looked up into his eyes and regretted holding her computer.
Varg ran his hand through her hair as they closed the space between them. He kissed her forehead, then her lips. “Next time,” he said, “that kiss will be longer and wider in its terrain.”
Rachel scurried away and found Danny leaning against his car holding Julia’s hand.
“Mommy,” Julia said, “I went to church with Daddy!”
Rachel scowled. “Let me see my girl.” She picked Julia up, gave her a hug, and stared at Danny. “I don’t want my daughter going to church where she will learn to be a hypocrite like everyone there.”
Danny started to protest but she spoke over him. “Do-gooder churchgoers say one thing and do another. They stab good folks in the back who lead truthful and just lives while they look the other way yet preach how giving and holy they are.”
“I will take Julia to church with me. I don’t instruct you to do things my way when she’s with you. Although I should have, based on the past.”
“So you’re going to throw that up to me each and every time and I had nothing to do with it.”
“You were just as guilty when you knew it was going on, Rachel.”
“Oh, I’ve had it with you. I’ll meet you right here at six o’clock to give her back to you.”
“Do you need to borrow her car seat?”
“Do you think I’m that stupid that I don’t have one in my car?”
“Who knows,” Danny mumbled as he got into his Lexus.
Chapter 24
On the way home, Rachel thought about the payment for the ad. She was willing to risk the ten grand she’d extorted from Leo, or at least part of it; as it was, she lived on a shoestring. But since time with Julia was going to increase, she’d file sometime in the future for better child support from Danny. Plus, she truly believed the potential for a decent income loomed ahead if she worked with Varg and sold this blue drink for whatever properties it might have.
She pulled her little Mazda into her covered spot and unstrapped Julia. “Wait until you see the new home I have for you,” she said as she guided her daughter inside.
After Rachel closed the curtains and felt that Julia had explored to her heart’s content, she called her over in front of the coffee table where she had candles of different colors and sizes. She lit all three, sat cross-legged on the floor, then had Julia sit in her lap.
&
nbsp; “I bet you’re a little bit sleepy from your entire morning with Danny.”
“With Daddy?” Julia asked.
“Yes, he’s your daddy. You can just watch the candles, sweetheart. They are so pretty, aren’t they?”
“Mmm. Pretty candles.”
Rachel stroked Julia’s head and held her closely with her other arm. “Do you know who loves you the most in the whole wide world?” she asked softly.
“My mommy and daddy.” She put her small fingers on the edge of the table watching the flames in front of her.
“Mommy loves you the most. Daddy loves that lady, Sara. He loves her the most. That’s why he doesn’t have us all living together like a family, the way it should be.”
Julia rested her chin on the table staring ahead, watching as a drop of wax dripped down the side of a pink candle. She whispered, “I love Dakota.”
“I know, sweetheart. I do, too. Danny took Dakota away from me. Dakota was my dog. I used to walk you in your carriage when you and I lived in Knoxville. Dakota was right by our side.”
Julia didn’t respond as her eyes grew sleepier and these new ideas weaved their way into her thoughts.
-----
Monday morning, Rachel sprang up early in anticipation of getting three important things done during the day. While still in her pajamas, she went to her computer and got online with the U.S. Nation newspaper. She typed out all the necessary information to place the Blue Bridge ad and noticed that - because of another advertiser’s cancellation – it would run in three days. That was the soonest a paper could even technically do what she wanted so she was ecstatic about her good fortune.
She paid the entire $7,000 by credit card which was cheaper than she thought it would be for such exposure. As Rachel didn’t doubt Varg would pay her his share immediately, she’d also preferred to get the ad placed than retrieve his money ahead of time. There was an old saying that ‘time is money’ and, since she was perhaps jumping into her biggest business venture ever, she was going to heed a wise old proverb.
That being done, she dolled up in a professional manner for the morning interview she had with an outpatient surgery clinic just fifteen minutes away. She put her up-to-date resume in a folder and headed northeast. Like the area she lived in, it allowed her to stay on the outskirts of downtown.
As Rachel waited, she realized the two women sitting nearby were job candidates as well. A matronly-looking OR supervisor finally showed up and asked Rachel to follow her. First impressions are imperative, she thought, following the large woman to her office. And, by going first, she felt she had already had an advantage over the others.
“Miss Hendersen, have a seat,” the supervisor said.
Wanting to make enough of an impression so the woman believed she needed to look no farther, Rachel handed her another copy of her resume and sat down.
“Ma’am, I am so pleased to have seen the spot available here. It’s a fine facility. I had a major trauma accident a month ago and that is the only reason why I have not worked the last few weeks. But that gave me the foresight to come back to Nashville where I previously lived and worked. I don’t want a day to go by after my leave where I don’t get up and go to work as a scrub tech.”
The woman left the sheet on her desk as she scrutinized Rachel.
“As a matter of fact,” Rachel added, “I have another follow-up appointment today with Dr. Pain, the oral and maxillofacial surgeon who put my face back together with several titanium plates.”
“You’ve been scrubbing awhile but never worked in an outpatient facility?”
“No, Ma’am. It’s been big city hospitals in neurosurgery and trauma operating rooms and the like.”
“You don’t think you’ll get bored?”
“No, Ma’am. I have a young daughter and I could use a tad less excitement.”
“No child care issues?”
“I suppose employers have to be careful these days regarding discriminatory hiring based on people’s personal lives. But I’m an open book. There are no issues in that regard at all. As a matter of fact, since right now I’m just applying for your twenty-four hour or three-days a week position, the job would be a snap.”
When the interview ended, the supervisor said, “I’ll probably call you later today to tell you when to come in and fill out your paperwork. Just saying…”
Rachel left with a wide smile, careful not to display it while passing the other two women still waiting.
Next, she grabbed a bite to eat at a poorly-chosen Mexican restaurant where the taco salad tasted like soggy leftovers. Then she went to Dr. Pain’s office where he assured her that her progress was on track. With a phone call, he referred her to a plastic surgeon friend nearby who would evaluate her on her own lunch hour for a possible lip-filler injection.
Rachel hurried to the next appointment and explained the situation to the plastic surgeon … about her fall and surgery and continued decreased sensation on her face.
“It’s to be expected. Your nerves are rejuvenating and your blood supply, you know, has been working overtime.”
“It’s remarkable,” Rachel said, “and I haven’t voiced this with anyone else, but I think my face is beginning to look prettier than before the accident.”
“That’s perceptive of you and you are most likely correct. In essence, I think in a case like yours that you’ve be given an alternative type of face lift as – with the renewed nerves and blood supply - you are looking fresher and younger.”
“A face lift?” Rachel echoed.
“In some ways, yes. And it wasn’t out of pocket; it was covered as a medical cost. See that, there was a bright side to your trauma although I’m sure you weren’t a happy camper about the whole thing.”
Rachel gulped. This day just kept getting better. And to think a month ago she was in the doldrums summoning up Rocky Balboa movies.
She thought about why she was there. “Well, there is one thing … why you agreed to see me on such short notice. My upper lip has lost some of its fullness, particularly the right side which is sort of tucked underneath.”
The young doctor took a light and examined Rachel’s lips and gums. “I can fix that. How much filler do you want?”
Rachel pulled out her driver’s license picture to give her an idea. “Just make it a tad fuller than before. Not big. Fix the problem and enhance a little bit.”
She watched as the doctor grabbed a small bottle from a cabinet, drew up its contents and asked her to lean back in the chair. Rachel cupped the end of the arm rest as a thin needle slipped tiny injections into her upper lip. When finished, the surgeon handed her a mirror.
Rachel smiled and said, “Fabulous.”
Rachel’s next stop was to see Varg. As he was getting ready to meet with a client, he wrote out a check without a second thought. Barely talking, he gave her a second longing look as she left for her car … she looked better than ever.
-----
“Here,” Rob King said to Danny while handing him a jump rope. “I want you to start with this.”
Monday evening, Danny, Casey and Rob were in Serious Gyms and Danny looked at the rope as if it were from a distant planet.
“You know what to do with it,” Rob said. “Now move.”
Danny laughed while glancing at Casey. “You probably saw me doing this almost forty years ago,” he said, swinging the rope and jumping.
“Yeah. And you probably didn’t know how to do it then, either. Don’t jump too high; jump on the balls of your feet and remember it’s all in the wrists.”
Danny rolled his eyes and already realized this was a lot easier as a child than it was now. “Easy for you to say from your perspective.” He already needed to take a deeper breath.
Rob stepped up on the adjacent narrow flat bench to watch him and began walking back and forth. “The circuit I’m giving you today is made up of machines, free weights and bodyweight exercises. I’m going to make you work out for an hour.” He kept walking and
spinning around at each end.
“Rob, you’re making me nervous,” Casey said. “It’s not every day I see someone ‘perform’ on the likes of a balance beam.”
“Don’t worry yourself and get to your workout which you need a lot less than your friend and my doctor here. I suppose because of doctor-patient confidentiality, Danny hasn’t told you about the unusual blood flow in my brain lobe I think he called ‘parietal.’ I’m some kind of super-hero when it comes to coordination and balance and what he called spatial awareness. I looked all these things up.” He glanced at Danny. “Speed it up. Anyway, as I was saying, I should have paired up with Philippe Petit years ago.”
“Philippe Petit?” Casey asked.
“The famous Frenchman, most notable for his illegal walk on a wire rigged between the twin towers in New York City.”
Casey had picked up twenty-pound weights and taken the bench next to Rob but looked at him expressionless.
“Where have you been,” Rob asked, “living beneath the sand?”
Casey had been accused of a lot of things before, but never that. “I’ve been with him and his family. And saving lives, too.” He nodded toward Danny, whose face was flushed and whose breathing was faster than Rob’s and Casey’s combined.
“Yeah, I can tell you’re close friends. That’s cool. I’ve got a lot of respect for you two and what you do.”
“Danny mentioned your superior skills. We’re lucky to have you working at the gym.”
While getting off the bench, Rob looked at his watch. “Okay, Danny, that’s a good start.”
After one hour, Danny was sorely relieved when Rob gave him a towel, let him walk a few minutes, and let him sit down. Casey tanked down water as Rob grabbed three Blue Bridges and put them on his account.
“Want one?” Rob asked both men at the table. “My treat.”
“No, thanks,” Danny said, swiping some sweat off his bare arm with the towel. “We’ve been investigating that drink and perhaps it has something to do with the enhanced skills you and some other folks have.”