your friend’s wedding, that I could go with you?” he asked.
“You’re going to let me go home?” she asked. He nodded.
“And you are asking if you can go with me, like you would let me go
home alone, if I wanted to?” He nodded again, hoping that wouldn’t
be the case.
“I don’t want to. I don’t want to, but I’m not sure if you want
your family to meet me after what I’ve done to you.” He looked
down at his feet and tried to look unsure of himself. He wanted her
to believe the choice was really hers. “I’m still very afraid of you not
coming back, but I know I have to trust you, Norah.” He did trust her,
that wasn’t the question. But there was no way he was letting her go
without him. He was sure she would come to the right conclusion.
Norah smiled and stepped back a little. She put her new presents on
the chair and walked to the fireplace. She turned back and crossed
her arms against her chest.
“So you’re going to allow me to fly out of the country, alone,
see my family and friends, and trust me to come back? But I can’t go
to the doctor alone? ” Her tone wasn’t reassuring to Liam at all. He
didn’t answer her. Maybe giving her the option to take him with her
wasn’t such a good idea. He assumed she would want him to go with
her. She walked to him and touched his chest. “Thank you for
trusting me,” she kissed his forehead and picked up her things. She
started out of the room, with a big smile on her face. She was playing
with him this time. She wanted him to squirm for a bit. As she got to
the stairs she felt him behind her.
“So you want to go alone?” he asked as he grabbed her arm.
She turned back to face him with a big smile on her face.
“Of course I want you to go with me! I would love for my
family to meet you,” he leaned down to kiss her. “But don’t think for
one second I don’t know your little game here, sir.” She kissed him
lightly on his lips.
“What game? There’s no game,” he smiled. Norah turned and
started up the stairs.
“I know there was not a chance in hell you were actually
going to let me go to the United States alone, sir, it’s just not in your
nature. You may have let me think I had a choice in the matter, but
I’m sure even if I said I wanted to go alone, I would been persuaded
otherwise by sexual torture of some kind.” She turned to find him
with a big smile on his face. “But it was nice to have the illusion, Mr.
Hastings. Have a good day at work, and I will see you later!” So she
caught on to his game. Of course she was one step ahead of him, and
knew his game. He breathed a sigh of relief on the way to work. Just
for a little more fun, he called her from the car.
Norah
My new phone started vibrating and the ring tone was
‘Scream’ by Usher. All I heard was:
Now I have tried to fight it, to fight it
But you're so magnetic, magnetic
Got one life, just live it, just live it
Now relax, and get on your back
If you want it done right
Hope you're ready to go all night
Get you going like ah-ooh
Baby baby ooh baby baby
Ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby
If you wanna scream
He wasn’t trying to be very subtle with his message, and I
heard him loud and clear. I decided to be brave again, and play some
more. I liked him when he was playful. It was sexy. I couldn’t resist
trying to make him that way all the time.
“So should I scream when I answer the phone, or just say ooh
baby, baby?” I snarked. I heard him laugh.
“Well I would prefer that you scream when I’m with you,” he
laughed some more. “Do you like the ring tone? That one’s just for
me. I have a more appropriate one for other callers.”
“What is the purpose of your call, Mr. Hastings, I would like
to play with my new toys.”
“I was just calling to congratulate you on a poker game well
played this morning, little one. You had me thinking I was going to
have to think of a more creative way to convince you to take me. It
isn’t that I don’t trust you to come back, well not completely that.
It’s more that I just didn’t want to go two weeks without you ……and
I didn’t want you to find an American to replace me.”
“Well that’s good to know, Mr. Hastings, I wouldn’t want to
be without you either.”
“I really do trust you, Norah. I hope you understand all of the
power I have given you and know that I am trusting you with my life.
I hope my trust is not misplaced. I couldn’t take it if you betrayed
me.”
“I would never betray you, and I do know the responsibility
you have given me.”
“Have a good day, I’ll see you later, but don’t have too much
fun with those toys, without me,” but before he hung up, I got in the
last word again.
“Oh, Mr. Hastings, just so you know, you wouldn’t have to
worry about me replacing you. I like my men like I like my tea,” I
paused for affect, “hot and British. Good Day, sir.” I could almost
hear him smiling on the other end of the phone.
I looked around my room. I was really going to miss it. It was
so bright and colorful. His room was so dark and masculine.
His room was bigger and the bathroom was much nicer, so I
could see why he wouldn’t want to move in here with me.
“Do you think Liam would let me redecorate his room?” I
asked Gerald as he pushed my rocking chair out the door. He
stopped and looked around.
“This room is more feminine. But Mr. Hastings has never let
any of his……lady friends in his room before, Miss Chandler. So I
don’t know how he would feel about letting you take it over. But I’m
sure if anyone could get him to brighten up that dark dungeon, it
would be you.” I smiled, grabbed my bag and put it across my body. I
grabbed the other side of the chair and helped him push it out the
door. “This white chair doesn’t exactly match, does it?” he panted.
“No it doesn’t. And he’s so particular about everything, I
would think he would just buy one that matched his room.”
I helped Gerald move a few more things as well as all my
toiletries and then I went outside and sat on the patio with my iPad
and phone. I emailed my family and called Tiffany. She was excited
to hear from me, and very happy I would be home for the wedding. I
told her about Liam, and she said she was looking forward to
meeting him.
John opened the car door for me, and I got inside. I felt weird
having someone drive me. I didn’t like being alone in the car with
someone and not know them.
“So tell me your life story, John?” I joked. He looked in the
rearview mirror at me. He was a very attractive African American
man, in his early 30’s. He kinda reminded me of Blair Underwood,
with his big brown eyes. He was dressed in a dark gray suit and black
tie. I had noticed Trig wore the same thing most of the time. “I mean,
if you’re going to be my driver, shouldn’t we be friends too?” He
didn’t smile.
“I was an Army Ranger for 20 years, then I worked security
for a while. Now I am your driver and body man.” Body man? What
did that mean?
“Do you have any kids, are you married?” I asked. I figured I
would save the ‘body man’ question for Liam.
“I was married, and I have two daughters. We divorced
several years ago, but she moved here for her job, so I moved to be
closer to my kids.” I nodded. The car stopped and John got out. Just
as my door opened, ‘Scream’ could be heard coming from my bag. I
smiled at John and walked in the doctor’s office, grabbing my phone
and pressing every button I could to make it stop.
“Hello?”
“Why Miss Chandler, you sound out of breath? I didn’t
interrupt something did I?” he sounded like he was smirking. I didn’t
answer. “I’m calling because I’m running late. I don’t know if I am
going to make it. Are you going to be alright without me?” he asked.
“Yes, I’ll be fine, don’t worry. I have my body man here to
protect me,” I smiled at John and waited for Liam to comment, but
he didn’t.
“Alright, I will see you later.”
I checked in at the desk and flipped through my iPad while I
waited. Soon I heard my name and I walked back to the exam room.
A nurse weighed me, took my height and asked me some basic
health questions. She told me to get undressed and put on the paper
gown. I shivered with a chill remembering how vaginal exams usually
went. They weren’t painful, just awkward and uncomfortable. The
room was always cold, and the gown barely covered anything. I
folded my clothes neatly, and slid my shoes under the chair. I heard a
light knock at the door and Dr. Goldrum walked in.
“Hello, Miss Chandler. My name is Dr. Goldrum.” He was
writing something on a file and handed it to the nurse behind him. I
was a little taken aback because he was a man. Liam had specifically
said she, when he talked about the appointment. I held up my hand.
“I thought you were a woman?” I asked.
“Oh, that’s my wife. She’s Dr. Goldrum too. We practice
together.” He wrote something else down on another file and signed
a piece of paper. The nurse took the files and put them on the
counter. He sat down on the little stool in front of me. “Is it a
problem? Because we can reschedule with my wife, if that would be
better?” I pressed my lips together. I knew Liam had wanted a
woman for two reasons. 1) He didn’t want me to be reminded of my
exam after being kidnapped. 2) It was probably a caveman thing, he
didn’t want another man to look at me, even if he was a doctor. But I
also thought rescheduling would force him to have to continue to
wear condoms, and he said he hated them.
“No, it’s fine.” We talked for a few minutes about my health
and menstruation history. He went over the exam procedures then
asked me to lay back. It was weird and awkward like I remembered
but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.
In the end we concluded that the Depo shot would be good
for me. I had to get it every three months, and it would be in full
effect in twenty four hours. So Liam could stop wearing condoms as
of tomorrow. He gave me the shot in my butt, which I knew Liam
wouldn’t be happy about, and I was done.
On the drive home I decided I wanted to do something nice
for Liam. He had done so much for me, it was the least I could do.
When I got home I talked to Rosa, with Gerald’s help of course and
they were both in agreement that my idea was a good one. Rosa
called the family, and I made Gerald a list of groceries. I wanted to go
to the store myself, but thought I shouldn’t push my luck with having
my own driver.
When Liam came home, we were all outside on the patio. I
met him at the back door with a beer and kiss.
“How was your day, dear?” I joked. He looked around.
Gerald was manning the grill, Rosa was setting out a few side
dishes and paper items, Lina and Raymond were sitting on the
wicker couch holding baby Josefina, Sofia and Nathan were out
walking just past the trees and Carlo and Lorenzo were both sitting in
chairs drinking a beer. He nodded and said hello to everyone. I could
tell he was shocked and it might not be a good thing. I took his hand
and asked him to come inside with me while I finished up the salad.
“I wanted to do something nice for you. It’s just a cook out.
Are you angry?” I started chopping the tomatoes. Rosa and Gerald
had been so nice to me. They reminded me of the parents I never
had but always wanted. Liam told me he lost his parents at a young
age, so Rosa and Gerald were the closest thing to a family that he
had in his life. I thought maybe the reason he hired an entire family
to work for him was because he longed for a family of his own.
“No, not at all. How did your appointment go?” he sounded
impatient. “I thought you would call me when it was over.” He
crossed his arms over his chest.
“It went fine. I’m very healthy. He gave me the shot. I got one
today, and don’t have to go back for three months.” He moved his
hands to his hips.
“What do you mean, ‘he’?” Oh shit, I knew this was going to
be an issue. I rolled my eyes and walked to him.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me, please.” I assumed this was a
