High Anxiety (28 page)

I gave them a few more minutes before I walked to the elevator and punched the button. The metal doors slid open. “Are you guys coming with me?” I asked as I stepped inside and held the door for them.

 

 

Mona drove me
to my office. “I feel really weird,” she said.

“Weird in what way?” I asked.

“I can’t explain it.”

“How long have you and Thad been carrying on?”

“We’ve talked on the phone a few times because we’ve been so worried about you. One night, we talked for three hours.”

“Wow. I would have had to take a bathroom break.”

“I don’t know what to do about it,” she said. “Maybe I’m making a huge mistake.”

“Or not,” I said. “I think his father’s illness really shook him up.”

“Thad and I both agree you should visit Jay,” she said. “You need to get out of town for a while. It’ll give you a break from Abigail’s crap.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

 

 

Theo Pearson was
waiting outside my door when the three of us stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor. One look at him, and I could tell he was indeed in crisis.

“I have a big presentation next week,” he said once we were alone in my office. “I’ve listened to the tape we made over and over, but I’m still terrified.”

It amazed me how many people feared public speaking. It was right up there with plane crashes and snakes.

“I have a prescription for a medication that will help you with your anxiety,” I said.

“Really?”

I stood and walked to my desk, and reached for the scrip that Thad had written.

“This will lessen my fears?” Theo asked, looking hopeful.

“Yes,” I said, “but it’s not your ‘get out of jail free’ card. You need to continue listening to your relaxation and visualization tape and join Toastmasters so you can practice speaking in front of a group. The medication will make it less frightening, but the members of Toastmasters will offer you the support and skills that will help you as well. You just might end up being one of the best public speakers in all of Atlanta,” I added with a smile.

He looked relieved.

“And Theo?”

“Yeah?”

“One way to help with your anxiety is to try not to focus on yourself while you’re speaking. Instead, think about how you can help those listening to you.”

“I never thought of that,” he said.

I escorted him out and was surprised to see a dozen red roses sitting on Mona’s desk. “They’re for you,” she said. “I’ll bet Jay sent them.” She handed me the small card that had come with them. I opened it and froze at the words.

I blinked several times as a feeling of unreality swept over me. I dropped the card on the desk and stepped back. Would it ever end?

“What’s wrong?” Mona said, reaching for the card. She read it and frowned. “I don’t know what the hell kind of game she’s playing, but she has taken ‘sick bitch’ to a whole new level.” Mona dumped the roses into the trash. “That’s why Thad and I think you need to take a breather,” she said.

I barely had time to go into the restroom and wash my hands before Bill Rogers, my patient who feared germs, arrived. Fortunately, he wasn’t drenched in cologne this time.

“How’s it going?” I asked.

“I’ve been listening to the tape we made,” he said. “I listen to it after dinner and right before I go to bed.”

“Has it helped?”

“I think so. I decided not to have my carpet and drapes cleaned after my, er, accident. I still worry from time to time, but it’s not as bad as it was. I still can’t help washing my hands.”

Join the club, I thought. “You need to give it time, Bill,” I said. “It’s not going to happen overnight. I want you to focus on your successes, not your setbacks.”

He nodded. “Thanks for putting a fire under my butt, Dr. Holly.”

“Hey, it’s my job.” I walked him out and headed for the bathroom, where I washed my hands several times.

 

 

Jay called my
cell phone shortly after I’d seen Bill out. “I just arrived at the motel,” he said. “I wanted to call while I have good reception.”

“How are you?”

“Pretty tired right now,” he said, “but new crews have been arriving, so those of us who’ve been putting in the most hours were told to take some time off. I’ve got the next forty-eight hours to myself.”

“That’s great,” I said. “Maybe I could visit.” I held my breath.

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea, if you don’t mind spending four hours on the road.”

I would have driven any distance to see him. “I don’t mind at all,” I said.

“I’ll grab a nap in the meantime. Once I crash for a few hours, I’ll be fine.”

“Is it okay if I bring Mike?”

He laughed. “Sure. It’s not like we’re staying at the Hilton, but it has hot running water, and the beds are comfortable.”

I laughed. “You know what a sucker I am for hot water.”

He gave me directions. “I’m in room twelve,” he said.

“I’ll give you time to rest. See you soon.”

We hung up. “Yes!” I shouted. I jumped up and did a little happy dance.

Mona stood in the doorway, wearing a grin.

 

 

Mona and Jimbo
followed me home after lunch and waited until I’d packed a bag, as well as Mike’s belongings.

“Take my Jag,” Mona said, offering me her car keys. “Abigail is going to be looking for your car, not mine.”

“You still need to check your rearview mirror,” Jimbo said, “and make sure you’re not being followed.”

I hit the road shortly afterward. I took my time, stopping once to grab a hot dog from a convenience store and another time to walk Mike. The news came on, and experts were questioned about the fire. They gave a rundown on all that was being done to contain it, but the bad news was that fifty homes had burned, and more people were being evacuated from various locations because of smoke density.

The town where Jay was staying was not far from Tallahassee. It was easy to find, and the motel he’d described was right off the interstate. Even though it wasn’t quite four p.m., the sky looked dark. A gray cloud hung over the town like a pall, which was why I wasn’t surprised when the smell of smoke hit me as soon as I opened my door. I suspected it wouldn’t be long before officials cleared the area.

Mike followed me to room number twelve. Jay opened the door, wearing only his jeans. I fell into his arms, seeking the heat of his bare chest. He smelled of soap, aftershave, and smoke. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” I said.

He held me for a long moment and kissed me tenderly, then laughed when he caught sight of Mike doing a little jig. He released me and stroked her ear. “It’s great to see you two,” he said and closed the door. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

The room had two double beds with ugly floral spreads, a dresser on which a TV had been bolted, and a small round table with chairs on either side. “It looks comfortable enough,” I said.

“Have you eaten?”

“I grabbed a quick lunch, but I could eat again.”

“Let me slip on a shirt and shoes, and we can try to find a place where there aren’t twenty-five firefighters in line. This place has a restaurant attached, but the food stinks.”

While Jay finished dressing, I unloaded the remaining items from my car, including Mike’s things. I found myself scanning the parking lot for a white sedan, then realized I was being paranoid.

Inside the motel room, I filled Mike’s bowls with food and water and turned on the TV so she wouldn’t feel lonely. Jay locked up, and we climbed into his SUV.

We drove a distance before we came upon Moe’s Diner. Although there was a line of firefighters, we didn’t have to wait long. I noticed the bone-weary looks on their faces and the smell of smoke that clung to them despite their clean clothes.

Jay and I were finally shown to a table. He ordered coffee, but I declined and had water. I noted the deepening lines on either side of his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot. “How are you holding up?” I asked. “Tell me the truth.”

“My ribs are still a little sore from the injuries, but it’s not so bad.”

I gave a deep sigh of frustration. “How long can this fire go on?”

He rubbed his eyes. “We’re doing everything we can.”

“This town is filled with smoke,” I said.

“Yeah. I expect we’ll be moving to another motel soon.”

Our food arrived: fat burgers with extra onions, and a pile of fries. I reached for the bottle of ketchup.

“Katie?”

I looked up and met his gaze.

“I’m sorry I came down on you so hard before I left. The thought of something happening to you scares the hell out of me.”

My heart softened. “I know.” I knew because I experienced the same fears where he was concerned.

He smiled. “So what have you been up to since I left?”

I told Jay about Mona’s rash and the anniversary party, including the part where Jeff drank moonshine. I told him about Hoss, who tried to pick up Arnell. “I even helped deliver a baby,” I said proudly.

“No kidding?”

“It was awesome, Jay, even though I was terrified at the time.”

He looked amused. I was glad I could give him a reason to smile. I decided not to ruin the moment by mentioning Crazy Abigail. “I’ll be glad when you come home.”

He nodded. “That makes two of us.”

Once we’d finished our burgers, Jay drove us around the small town. “There’s not much to do here,” he said. “Not that it matters. Once we leave the fire site, we’re more interested in cleaning up and hitting the sack.”

Back at the motel, I walked Mike. When I returned to the room, Jay was lounging on the bed with the TV turned on low. In almost no time, he drifted off to sleep. I curled up beside him and closed my eyes. He pulled me closer. I dozed.

It was well into the evening when we awoke. In the quiet of the motel room we made love, and as Jay filled me I clung to him. Afterward, we shared long, lingering kisses and snuggled. I felt as though my soul had been renewed.

“I need to talk to you about something,” I said after a while.

“I’m listening.”

“It concerns the woman from the temp agency, the one who called you.”

“Is she still harassing you?”

“Yeah. The police are looking for her.”

“Do you think you’re in physical danger?” He didn’t give me a chance to respond. “Maybe you should cancel your appointments and hang out here for a while,” he said. “Or move into the loft.”

“I’m going to stay at Mona’s. She has a state-of-the-art security system. During the day, she and Jimbo accompany me to the office.”

He was quiet for a moment, and I prayed he wouldn’t accuse me of constantly putting myself in life-and-death situations as before.

“Would you tell me if you thought you were in danger?”

I plucked at the bedspread. “Of course.”

 

 

We spent Sunday
lazing around the room, but I could tell Jay had a lot on his mind. He’d questioned me several more times about Abigail. I did my best to play it down.

“Do you want me to come back to Atlanta with you?” he asked. “Because I will if you need me.”

I was touched by his offer. “Abigail would love nothing more than to create more upheaval in my life,” I said. “I don’t want her to have that much power. I think we should let the police handle it,” I said.

We made love again, and Jay napped while I read an old magazine someone had left behind. When he awoke, I noticed the lines around his eyes and face weren’t as prominent. It was almost five p.m. when I began stuffing clothes into my overnight bag for the return trip home. I could tell Jay was concerned about my leaving. He helped me carry my belongings to the car. Mike hopped in the front passenger’s seat. “You’ll be at Mona’s?” he asked.

“Yes.” I wrote down her home and cell phone number and gave it to him.

“And you’ll call me if you feel you’re in any danger?”

I nodded. He kissed me tenderly. “I love you, Katie. Please be careful. Don’t take any risks.”

The drive home didn’t seem to take as long as the trip down. I stopped by my place long enough to trade out my clothes. Mona and Thad were watching a DVD in the media room when I arrived at Mona’s house.

“How’d it go?” Mona asked.

“Really well,” I said.

“Did you tell him what was going on?” Thad asked.

“Most of it. I figured I’d slip it to him in bits and pieces.”

“Well, I have fantastic news!” Mona said. “We discovered the cause of my rash.”

“No kidding?”

“Remember I had all the bedrooms redecorated?”

It was hard to keep up, because Mona was always having at least one room in her house done. “Yeah.”

“I purchased high-quality bedding and linens from a reputable company; the comforters were supposed to be one hundred percent goose feathers. Well, you remember that Mama sent the comforter Tiara was using to the dry cleaners?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Guess what? Not only did the stitching come apart, we discovered it was stuffed with chicken feathers. I am extremely allergic to chicken feathers. Needless to say, we’ve stripped all the bedrooms and put the old comforters back on the beds. In the meantime, I’ve already contacted my attorney.”

“So it wasn’t stress-related after all?” I asked hopefully.

“Nope.”

“Jeez, Mona. Do you know how guilty I’ve felt thinking I was to blame?”

I went into the kitchen and grabbed a diet soft drink and several cheese cubes from the refrigerator. Mona and Thad joined me.

“There’s a box of fried chicken in there,” Mona said.