Take a Chance (3 page)

She rolls her eyes and says
, “Thanks, I just love that I look like crap, and Gorgeous Eyes is standing over me looking at me.”

“What did you call me? That’s the second time you
’ve called me that.”

“Nothing, never mind. How did I get here?” Just then the furry rat thing licks her face. “
Oh hey, Lucy. How’s my girl?”

“Ah
, so it’s a girl. That little terror tried to take my leg off. You should have a beware of dog sign on your front door.”

“Are you kidding
me? She weighs like five pounds. She’s harmless.”

“Ah yes, well tell that to my shins next time I carry you in
to the house.”

“Oh God,
please tell me you didn’t! Wait, I don’t remember anything from the time I left chemo. Please tell me I at least didn’t throw up on you again.”

“
No, you didn’t, and really it’s OK. It wasn’t a problem. You didn’t look like you should be left alone. I didn’t feel right just leaving you. I’ve just been sitting here working. Are you hungry? I don’t think you have eaten all day.”

“You don’t have to feed me too, you have done so much
for me already and I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“Again with the asking thing
. You didn’t ask, I’m offering. What do you feel like eating? I looked in the fridge earlier and all that’s in there is water and ketchup. What do you eat? I can call in an order and have it delivered, do you like Chinese? I know a great place.”

“What on earth did I do right, how did I
get a knight in shining armor? Ugh, I said that out loud again, didn’t I?”

Ignoring my comment he grins.
“Ok, so Chinese it is. I’ll just phone it in. Do you need anything else?”

Willow

I must have fallen asleep again because now it’s dark. I hear a faint snoring sound, and giggle thinking Lucy is snoring again. But this is a different noise, it’s deeper. As my eyes adjust to the darkness my whole day comes crashing back in my head. Asher is sleeping in the lazy boy with his head cocked to the side and his mouth is slightly open. Man, he’s going to have a kink in his neck tomorrow. I better wake him. I can’t believe he’s still here.

“Asher. Asher, wake up.” He slowly opens his eyes
, still in the same position.

“Please tell me you weren’t watchin
g me sleep with my mouth open.”

“Sorry, you
looked so peaceful, but you’re going to have a massive neck cramp in the morning. I want to thank you for everything you did today. I don’t know how I would have gotten through the day without your help. It has never been a problem before these last two times. I really feel much better. You can go home now.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth I regret it. It was really nice having him here, having someone taking care of me. He’s done so much for me today, and I’m practically kicking him out.

He gets up, packs up his laptop a
nd dials a phone number. “Simon it’s Asher, can you come back to that last address and pick me up? Thanks see you in a few.” He hangs up the phone and tells me his ride will be here in about twenty minutes.

Who is this guy?
He has a driver, he wears expensive suits, and it seems like he can do whatever he wants.

I’m glad tomorrow is Saturday
, so I can get my head on straight and back to reality. Having nice things like this in my life just isn’t what being me is all about. Soon enough his cell rings, must be his driver.

“You look like you are feeling better, I’m glad to see it. I didn’t want to leave you if you weren’t feeling
better. It was a little touch and go there for a while.”

“
Really, thank you so much. I am feeling better, I don’t know how to repay you for your kindness. I don’t think I could have made it through today without you.” As I walk him to the front door, he stops and turns around, and I almost bump into him. We stand just inches away from each other and he looks into my eyes.

“Is
that your real eye color? Crap, I said that out loud too, didn’t I?” I ask, as I close my eyes and wish I didn’t feel the need to say everything my brain thinks out loud.

“Yes
, you did, and yes this is my real eye color. It’s cute that you say what’s on your mind. Refreshing, actually. Goodnight, Ms. Emery.”

“Night.”
As I closed the door, my entire day washes over me, and I have a smile on my face. It feels nice. It’s something that hasn’t been there too often in my life.

“Come on
, Lucy, time for bed.” After locking up, I head upstairs and snuggle in my nice warm bed with my favorite furry friend.

The next morning I am woken up by a knocking on my door. Who the hell can be knocking on my door at… what time is it anyway
? Checking my alarm clock, it reads ten. Wow, I haven’t slept that late in forever. I head down the stairs and check the peep hole to see what looks like a delivery man at my door. I open the door and the man produces the most beautiful arrangement of flowers I have ever seen. “Sign here please.” I sign for the delivery and he hands me a card.

“
Oh wait, let me get you a tip.”

“
No need, ma’am. It’s been taken care of.”

What on earth
? Closing the door, I rip open the card and read the hand written note.

T
hank you for sharing your day with me yesterday.

I’m glad you’
re feeling better. A

That’s it
. No phone number, no e-mail address, no contact information, no nothing. What a strange but sweet man. Again I notice there is a smile on my face.

Monday is a good day at work. My boss Amelia
Wellington is VP of marketing at Wellington Corp. I have only worked here for a little while, but working for her has been wonderful. I thought it was strange at first, the way we connected. She is my boss, but we have a friendship kind of relationship in the office. I’m not expecting it to go anywhere like a real friendship outside of the office, and that does make me kind of sad. I don’t have any other friends here yet, and I could have seen her and I being really good friends. I enjoy going to work everyday, it’s a light and easy environment.

I g
et her espresso ready, and it’s waiting for her on her desk as she walks in and asks me how my appointment went Friday. She has been very supportive in a professional boss kind of way, but shows a genuine concern. I’m not sure if I should tell her about Gorgeous Eyes or not.

With a smir
k on her face she says, “Spill it. I can see that look in your eyes.”

Oh what the hell, she is asking after all. So I tell her all about the gorge
ous man that came to my rescue.

“I’m so conf
used why a man that looks like him wanted to sit with me. He even brought me home and stayed with me practically the whole night. Then he sent flowers the next morning and then nothing. Not even a phone number, just thanks for sharing your day with me.”

“So mysterious
, Willow, but I am glad you had someone stay with you. You know if you ever need anything you can always ask, I know I’m your boss, but I would help any time you needed it.”

“Thanks
, Amelia, that really means a lot to me.”

Asher

Back at the office
Monday things could not be crazier. Even though I did as much work as I could from my computer, not being here Friday was difficult. Today I am paying the price, that’s for sure. I had not expected to stay with Willow all day, but I am glad I did. She definitely needed someone with her. I was a coward sending her flowers with no contact information though. She doesn’t even know my last name. I haven’t decided if I will show up at her next appointment or not. I’m not sure if I’m ready to start seeing women again.
Take a chance.
Oh, Olivia. I’ve missed you so much. Life is just not the same without you. You were my rock, you were my everything. No one can compare to you. Our love was once in a lifetime.

Great, now I’m having conversations in my head with my
dead wife.

Luckily
, the rest of my week goes by without any more voices in my head. I was starting to think I should see my shrink again. I’m excited to go to dinner at my parent’s house tonight, although I’m sure everyone will gang up on me and complain about why I haven’t been there. I love my family though, we all have a close relationship.

The second I’m in the door my older brother Aiden tackles me to the ground and we start wrestling li
ke the old days. Quickly joining in is my other older brother Adrian and things start to get a little out of hand. With her kitchen towel in hand Mom comes in, swatting at us. “You boys are going to be the death of me, knock it off before you break something.”

The three of us
stop what we are doing, look up at her with puppy dog eyes, and say in unison, “Yes, Mom.”

“Don
’t you boys give me those looks,” she says, narrowing her eyes at us.

W
e help each other up and join our sisters Ava and Amelia in the kitchen.

“Why don’t you boys go out back and
help your father with the grill? Your sisters and I can handle things in here, dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes.” Each of us grabs a beer and we head outside.

“
Look there, that’s a sight I haven’t seen in a while. My three boys all together in one place. It’s good to see you boys.”

“Thanks Dad, it’s ju
st been real busy at the office,” I say, feeling guilty.

“Now don’t give me those excuses, your brothers and sisters are just as busy. But I’m glad everyone is here
. I’m done with the steaks. If you boys want to help me bring everything in, we can eat.”

Looking aro
und my family table at everyone, I have been truly blessed, and I do miss getting together like this. Everyone is laughing and talking about their lives. I just sit back and take it all in.

Dad asks Amelia
, “So how’s that new assistant of yours working out?”

“She is
so amazing. I don’t know how I’ve survived without her all these years. I just love her.”

Working with Amelia and Aiden
at my company is great, although we don’t get to see each other too often except for company meetings.

“Why did you need to get a new assistant?”
I ask as I dig into my food.

“My l
ast one went on maternity leave and never came back, but it turned out for the better. I am never letting this one go.”

Conversation is light and easy
. I’m not going to bring up my day with Willow. They would all probably look at me like I’m crazy, anyway. And I sure don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, or to hear from any of them that I need to get back out there in the dating world. Besides, I still don’t know if I’ll see her again. The whole evening was just what I needed. I feel so much better after spending time with my family.

Lying
in bed at home, I pull out a photo of Olivia from my night stand. I asked Ava to pack the rest of them away and put them all into storage. They were just too hard to look at every day. They were a reminder of what I once had.  I was finding myself avoiding going home so I didn’t have to see the constant reminders of just how happy my life was. I kept this one though, and I pull it out when I need it. Willow and her upcoming appointment pound in my head. Putting the photo away, I just have this feeling that I need to be there for Willow. Her appointment is Friday. I think I just made up my mind to go. With that peaceful feeling I drift off to sleep.

Willow

Waking up Friday morning, and again the mantra, ‘I can do this, only two more, I can do this’, plays in my head. Round five, just one more after today. I haven’t heard from Asher, no more flowers, no nothing. I guess I should just be thankful he was there last time. How is nurse Zoey going to take me showing up alone again? Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. I need to get to the office and get a few things done for Amelia first. I’m glad I just have to walk next door for treatment.

“Good morning
, Amelia, here is your espresso. Remember I need to leave at lunch time today?” I remind her.

“Yes
, of course. Do you think your mystery man will show up again today?” she asks excitedly.

“I honestly don’t know. Part of me hopes he does and
part of me dreads him seeing me like this. Do you know what I mean?”

“Well
, I guess I do, but listen if you need someone to take you home, give me a call, you know I’m here for you.”

“Thanks, Amelia
, I do, and that really means a lot to me.”

“I put a few notes on your desk
. There are a few files I need you to pull before you go, if you can. My brother is taking the day off and he asked me to look into a few things for him. Between you and me, I’m relieved he’s taking some time off. He works too hard.”

“Sure
, it’s not a problem. I’ll get right on it for you and thanks again, Amelia, for your offer. Have a good weekend.”

“You to
o, Willow, and I did mean what I said. If you need me, call.”

After spending the morning pulling everything
together for Amelia, I clean off my desk for the weekend. I grab my purse, stuff my e-reader in my bag, say a quick goodbye to Amelia, and make my way next door. I check in with the receptionist. I cross my fingers that he is here. I take a look around the waiting room, and nothing, he’s not there. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. What was I thinking? Of course he’s not here. And he’s not going to show up either. I don’t know why I even got my hopes up in the first place. With me and my luck, things just don’t happen like that to me.

“Willow
, are you ready?” Zoey calls from the door. She actually looks happy. She must have given up bugging me, and she’s going to let me finish my last two treatments in peace. Maybe my luck is turning around.

“O
K, Willow, you are in room two. Go ahead and have a seat. I’ll be just a few minutes, and then we’ll get you all hooked up.”

“Sure thing
, not a problem.” Stepping around her, I start to pull my e-reader out of my bag and walk into the room. Out of the corner of my eye I see someone sitting in a chair. Without even looking up I say, “Oh sorry, I must have been told the wrong room.”

“Willow
, you’re in the right room.” I stand there frozen with my hand on my e-reader still in my bag. I slowly look up at the person that I know that voice belongs to. Asher is sitting, looking as cool as can be, dressed in a black t-shirt and faded jeans. I gasp because I’ve only seen him twice and both times he was in a three piece suit. I didn’t think he could look more handsome, but I was wrong. Seeing him dressed so casually with those amazing blue eyes contrasting off his black shirt, makes him look irresistible.

I lick my lips, I just
can’t help it. I can just see myself licking every inch of him. His eyes are on my mouth. I know he just saw me licking my lips and from the look on his face, it looks like he’s thinking the same thing. Stepping back into reality, I put my e-reader back down in my bag and check my silk scarf around my neck, nervously making sure its covering what I know he’s already seen. I am wearing a pink v-neck blouse with a scarf around my neck so no one notices my port. With a black skirt that sits just above my knees and black stilettos.

“
What are you doing here?” I ask, trying to keep calm. He’s really here. He really did come.

“I was invited
last time by Nurse Zoey.”

“You didn’t have
to come. I’m sure I would have been fine on my own,” I say, trying to play it cool.

“Well
, not that you asked, but Zoey did, so here I am. I’m ready to talk your ear off about everything and nothing.”

Zoey comes in ready to hook me up
, and then I’ll be stuck sitting in this chair for hours with no escape. With a crooked smile, I take a seat and let her do what she needs to do, not at all embarrassed this time. Obviously he came back, so it didn’t scare him off. If he wants to spend a few hours keeping me company I’m sure not going to complain. The nurse finishes up and leaves.

“Thank you for the flowers
, by the way. They were beautiful. I would have liked to have said thank you right away, but there was no contact information. Better late than never.”

“You’re welcome
. It was a little cowardly of me, wasn’t it? I’m a little new at this.”

“A little
new at what?” I ask confused.

“The whole flower sending thing
. I wasn’t even sure if it was the right thing to do?”

“How could you be new at
sending flowers? And trust me, sending flowers is never a bad thing to do.”

“It’
s just been a while since I have spent time with a woman other than my Mom and my sisters.”

“Sisters, do you have a big family?”
Let’s just steer clear of the whole it’s been a while since he’s been with a woman part.

“Yes, I have two brothers and two sisters and
both my parents, what about you?”

“It’s just
me. I don’t have any family to speak of. I just moved here after graduating.”

“You just graduated? How old are y
ou, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I don’t mind
. I’m thirty, I didn’t start college until I was twenty-five. It just took me awhile to realize I needed to make something out of my life. I graduated with a degree in business. I’m an executive assistant right now, actually not too far from here. What about you?”

Asher

“I’m thirty-one, I too have a degree i
n business and I’m the CEO of a company not too far from here either.”

“
A CEO, good for you. Tell me about your family.”

“
I have two older brothers and two younger sisters, we have lived here all our lives. My parents are retired. We actually don’t live that far apart from each other, now that I think about it. We’re a pretty close family.”

“You’re
lucky, I don’t have any family. Well I have a mom, but I haven’t talked to her since I was eighteen when I moved out. We never really got along. The second I graduated from high school, I moved out west, and I have been on my own since then. I put myself through college, working two jobs. Seemed things were moving in the right direction until, well, this.” She points to her chest and turns red having drawn my attention to herself.

“I know what you mean
. You think you have everything together, and then one day, it all falls apart.” I need to take this conversation away from that subject before I pour out my soul to her. She is just so easy to talk to, and I can see myself telling her everything. We just met, I’m going to scare her away.

Zoey
comes in to unhook her, and I try not to look at her chest. I can tell she is a little self-conscious about it, but I can’t look away. How can someone so young go through this by herself? She has no family or friends here. I know our time is almost up. It’s now or never time.

“Willow, can I see your phone?”

“Sure, here.” She hands me her phone and I step out into the hallway. From her phone, I call my phone so I can have her number. From my phone, I call Charlotte to check in, she tells me about an issue that needs my immediate attention. Zoey steps out into the hallway with me and hands me another appointment card with a knowing smirk on her face.

“She’s all done
. You can pull the car around front for her.”

“I’ll call my driver,
” I tell her.

Stepping
back into the room with Willow, I hand her back her phone, “My driver will be out front in a few minutes to take you home. I’m sorry I can’t take you myself. There are issues I need to take care of at work.”

“Oh
, it’s not a problem at all, and thank you for sitting with me again.” I can see why they insisted on having someone with me. It made the time fly by.

“You
don’t have to have your driver take me home. Don’t you need your car?” I can tell she’s disappointed, but truthfully so am I.

“No, don’t worry about it. I won’t
have it any other way. Simon can take you home. He is the same person who took us last time. Do you remember him?”

“Yes, and thank you again.”

Tucking the appointment card in my pocket, I motion for Willow to go ahead of me out the door. Simon is waiting with the back door open for Willow. Setting her hand on the top of the door, she turns around and says, “Thank you again, for everything.” I place my hand on hers and hear her sharp intake of breath.

“Not a problem
. The pleasure is all mine.” Closing the car door, I reach in my pocket take out my cell phone and send Willow a text.

4:23
PM Thank you for sharing another day with me. A

I can see her in the back of the car reaching for her purse, pulling out her cell phone.

4:24PM Asher? How did you get my number? W

4:24
PM I borrowed it, remember? A

4:25
PM Ah, I see. Purely to steal my number. W

4:26
PM Guilty. A

As they pull away I see her rest her head back on the seat. She seemed t
o be feeling fine when she left. I wonder if she’s OK. The last two times she shouldn’t have been alone. Better get up to the office and see what the big emergency is.

After an hour of working
, I stare at my cell phone, it’s really bugging me that she’s by herself. Simon said she didn’t seem to be feeling sick, but he also said that it looked like she was trying to hide it. Picking up my phone, I text:

5:37
PM How are you feeling? I’m done working, just wondering if maybe I could bring you dinner? A

Twenty minutes go by and no answer, maybe she is sleeping. I’ll give her another twenty minutes then just head over. Picking up my phone to order take out from my favorite deli
, I bet some chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese sandwich will be just the thing she needs.

5:45
PM Actually that sounds really nice. I’m starving. Still only water and ketchup in my fridge. W