CHAPTER ELEVEN
OLIVIA KING
“Okay, Arnold. On the count of three, we’re going to get you up and in the chair.”
My patient just continues to stare at me wide eyed and confused. Not for the first time, guilt assaults me for leaving him for a full week.
In my absence, Gavin hired a temporary person to come in and give him his meals and daily medications but it just wasn’t the same.
At this stage in Arnold’s dementia, he needs as much consistency as possible and I’d ripped that away from him. I’d been back for three days already and he still looked at me like I was a stranger off the street.
Getting him settled in his favorite chair, I release an exasperated sigh and study him for a moment.
Nothing about this job is easy but I enjoy it all the same. There’s a soft spot in my heart where only Arnold resides.
On his good days, he charms me with stories of his time in the army and his life with his one true love, Claire. She’d died a decade ago and from what Gavin tells me, his dad had never been the same.
Handing over the TV remote, I exit the living room and head back to the kitchen, intent on cleaning up the mess I made in the process of making lunch.
In an effort to brighten his day, I’d made Arnold’s all-time favorite meal: baked pork chops and roasted vegetables over a bed of rice.
Stepping into the kitchen, I’m shocked to see Arnold’s son Gavin standing at the counter sipping from a bottle of water.
He’s never home in the middle of the day, usually preferring long hours at the office so that he doesn’t have to face his sick father.
I can’t imagine how hard it must be watching a loved one deteriorate before your eyes.
With an easy smile, I greet him.
“Oh, hey Gavin. I didn’t expect to see you for a few hours. How’s it going?” I ask in a friendly tone.
An imperceptible expression darkens his boyish features. He’s at least twenty years my senior but doesn’t look a day over thirty-five.
Gavin is a man of very few words but he’s always been a pretty fair boss.
“You’re looking tanned and well rested. Where did you run off to?” he asks as I begin clearing dirty pans from the countertops.
Thrown off by his question, I glance over my shoulder and answer him.
“I was in Turks and Caicos, remember?”
He makes a noncommittal sound in his throat but says nothing else.
Rinsing dishes in preparation for the dishwasher, I shrug off his weird mood.
“Were you there alone?”
How’s that any of your business? I want to ask, but I refrain.
Instead, I shake my head. “No, there was one other person with me.”
There’s no way in hell I’m telling him that the person with me was Sebastian.
“Olivia, when I hired you, you told me you weren’t involved with anyone. It’s part of the reason I gave you the job so quickly. I knew your time would be free to give my father the around-the-clock attention he needs.”
“I know that,” I say, trying not to sound defensive.
What the hell has gotten into him?
“I just want make sure that nothing has changed.”
Swallowing an awkward lump in my throat, I maintain my professionalism and carefully choose my next words.
“You don’t have anything to worry about, Gavin. I’m just as dedicated to taking care of Arnold now as I was the day you hired me.”
“Good, I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
Without another word, he backs out of the kitchen and heads down the hallway to his room.
That was weird.
* * *
Several hours later, Arnold is tucked in for the night and I’m in my bedroom a couple doors down.
Wildly energetic despite the long day and late hour, I decide to pop in a Zumba DVD and work off some of my restless energy.
Although I’d much rather be engaged in some type of sensuous activity with Sebastian.
After seven days of constant contact, settling back into my life in Tennessee had been a lot harder than I expected.
Our routine on the island came so naturally that it was traumatizing when it was snatched away.
Leaving Sebastian on that private jet to return to California was gut wrenching. I’m not sure how I got so attached in such a short period of time, but the moment he was out of my sight my vision blurred with tears.
Saying goodbye wasn’t supposed to be that hard.
Like I told Sebastian that night in the theatre room, I wasn’t looking for more than a few days of fun and some great sex. But he’d given me so much more.
The man is the best lover I’ve ever had. So attentive and unselfish every time we were intimate. I’d never felt wilder or more free than when I was with him.
Beyond the sex, he also proved to be one of a kind. His charming sense of humor and his genuine interest in everything I have to say makes him so enticing. He’s aggressive without being brutish and he’s wildly intelligent without being a know-it-all.
I miss him like crazy.
This wasn’t a part of the plan.
So far today, I haven’t heard from him and I figure he must be busy. Just as I’d predicted he would be.
Sweating from my impromptu workout, I’m about to start song number four when my phone rings from the nightstand across the room.
Pouncing for it, I snatch it up in seconds, grinning when I read Sebastian’s name.
Still panting from the cardio, I don’t bother masking my excitement when I answer on the second ring.
“Hi, Sebastian.”
There’s a ton of ruckus in his background before I hear a door shut, blocking out the noise.
A heavy sigh precedes his words. “Olivia. Baby, how are you?”
Melting at his choice of words, I savor the sound of his voice for a moment before answering.
“I’m good, how are you?”
“I’ve been better,” he grumbles shortly.
Even though his frustration isn’t aimed at me, I frown wondering what happened to sour his mood.
“Is everything all right?”
Sebastian’s answer is vague. “It will be. Hey, you sound out of breath. What are you up to?” he asks suspiciously.
“Oh, I was just working out. Had a lot of extra energy to burn.”
Expecting him to follow up with a sexy innuendo about how I could better expend the energy, I’m disappointed when he just says, “Oh yeah?”
He sounds distracted and extremely tense. I can hear it over the line despite the thousands of miles separating us.
I’d originally planned to fill him in on my tense encounter with Gavin, but now I reconsider.
He clearly has enough on his plate right now and I won’t add my petty dilemma to the mix.
“Listen, baby. I have some bad news,” he says lowly. “I have to postpone my trip to Tennessee until further notice. Something’s come up with the app and I can’t sneak away until it’s handled. We haven’t really nailed down an end date so there’s no telling.”
“Oh,” is all I manage, my mood immediately deflating.
I was really looking forward to seeing him in a few days. But I can’t say I didn’t see it coming. He’s the CEO of a thriving company and canceled plans were bound to happen.
I just hadn’t counted on it being so soon.
Reality is a bitch.
“Liv, I’m so sorry.”
Biting my lip, I tell him, “Me, too.”
“I’ll make this up to you. I promise,” he swears.
“Don’t apologize. It’s fine,” I say with a lot more understanding than I feel.
We chat for a few moments longer until he has to rush off to another meeting.
Suddenly drained and no longer interested in my workout, I shut off the TV and head for the bathroom.
After my shower, I curl up with some wine and text Winnie. Someone has to hear about my strange confrontation with Gavin today. Since it can’t be Sebastian, she’s the lucky winner.