Mine at Last (13 page)

A quiet sadness washed over her as she thought about her last evening with Pearl. It was great seeing her but also sad and distressing. Not because seeing her reminded her of everything she’d lost—it was what Pearl had said about her life now. She had a beautiful home in a secluded neighborhood, a new car, an easy life, and still she was alone.

The sadness seemed to permeate her heart. This wasn’t what she was supposed to be feeling. She closed the drapes and turned her back on the outside, then went back over to the bed and sat down.

She grabbed her laptop putting it back onto her lap. She opened the program and started reviewing what she had written earlier. Now focusing on her job, she began retyping the notes, taking a more aggressive stance on what she found in the files so far. She listed a number of questions about the waiting process and E.R. regulations that needed answering. A short while later she was completely engrossed in her job. Cross-checking and reviewing the electronic files Key West Medical had given the Cura Group for review, she was midway through reading a report from the previous team of auditors when she received an email. At first she ignored it, but then she brought up the screen. It was from Dominik. She opened and read the message.

It was simple and to the point.
Are you missing a flash drive?
She smiled. She replied to his email giving him her phone number and asking him to please call. A few minutes later her cell phone rang. She slowly reached over and answered. “Hello.”

“Hello,” Dominik said.

Her insides instantly warmed just from hearing his voice. “Hi.”

“I hope I’m not calling you too late,” he said.

“No, not at all. I usually stay up late working, so I was still up. I don’t usually require much sleep.”

“Nor do I,” he said. “I see we have that in common, as well.”

“Yeah, I guess we do.”

“As I mentioned in the email, I have a flash drive.”

“Yes, it is mine. I’d been looking for it all day. It must have fallen out of my briefcase last Friday. Where did you find it?”

“I didn’t. Lindy found it and asked me about it. She told me she found it in the E.R. waiting room last week. I didn’t know you’d lost it, so I told her to give it to Rodney, the security guard. He presumed it was yours. He gave it to me thinking I’d know how to contact you tonight.”

“I wonder what made him think that,” she said sarcastically.

“Yes, I wonder,” he said.

“Still, I’ll make sure to thank Rodney. When can I get it from you?”

“Whenever you like. I’ll be in meetings out of the building in the morning. How about tomorrow afternoon?” he offered.

“Actually, sooner would be better. The drive has a specialized filtering program that would help with what I will be working on in the morning. It’ll help me sort through data quickly and thoroughly. It makes my job a lot easier and it’s one of a kind. It also has information from a previous job, so I need it back as soon as possible,” she said.

“Sure. Shall I come to you now?” he said without hesitation.

Shauna looked around her hotel room and immediately spotted the toys the sisters had bought for her still in the packages on the dresser. There was no way she wanted him there. “No, I’ll come to you,” she said.

“Fine. I’ll email my address and directions.”

“Okay, thank you. I’ll see you soon,” Shauna said. Then, as soon as she pressed the end-call button, she stopped and thought about what she’d just done. She’d just agreed to go to Dominik’s house. She picked up her cell phone to call him back and suggest they meet at a more public place, but just saying the words in her head sounded silly. What was she afraid was going to
happen—a booty call? She would just go to his house, get her flash drive and come back to the hotel. No
big deal.

She smiled and chuckled to herself as the stray thought of going to Dominik’s house for a booty call hit her. Still, the thought was certainly interesting. She could just imagine what it would be like. He had a body that was made for fun even back in high school. She could only imagine what his body looked like now—thick, ripped muscles, tight, defined abs and a rear firm enough to play with all night long. She shook her head, quickly shrugging off the craziness of her wayward sex thoughts.

She re-dressed in her jeans and a button-down shirt, grabbed her purse and keys, and headed out. She checked her cell phone for the address and directions. She knew exactly where he lived. It wasn’t too far from Pearl’s house, from her old neighborhood.

She pulled up in front of his house. She glanced over, seeing the lights on and the front door open. She got out, and as soon as she locked the car door, the heavens opened and rain poured down in a torrential flood.

With no umbrella and no hat, she made a mad dash to the front door. She rang the bell. Dominik came a few seconds later. But she was completely soaked by then. He held the door open and she hurried inside. The air-
conditioning chilled her instantly. She shivered and wiped the rain from her cheeks and forehead. “Hi,” she said.

“Come on in. You’re soaked. When did it start raining?” he asked.

“Um, just now. I pulled up, got out and there was a cloud burst. I couldn’t believe it. Great timing, right?” she said breathlessly from the short run down his front path.

“Come on into the living room. I’ll get you a towel.”

“No, no, that’s okay. I’m gonna get soaked again as soon as I leave. I’ll just grab the flash drive and get out of your way.”

“You know you could stay and wait until the rain slacks up. I’m sure it’s just a passing shower. It’ll be over in a few minutes.”

Just then, lightning flashed. Shauna jumped closer to Dominik and held her breath. Instinctively he placed his hand at the base of her back. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Oh, yeah. I didn’t expect lightning. I’m not a big fan of thunderstorms.” A rumble of thunder in the distance made them both look up. “Well, it’s late and I don’t want to disturb your evening any more than I have,” she said, looking around curiously.

Dominik watched her. “There’s no one here but us,” he said softly.

She’d been caught and felt silly. “Oh, I just hope I wasn’t intruding.”

“Not at all. I’ll get the flash drive for you.”

He walked away and disappeared into a room across the hall. Shauna presumed it was his office. There was another bright flash of lightning and soon after a loud clap of thunder seemed to rock the house. The lights blinked. Shauna closed her eyes and tried to still her panic. She felt the sickening swell of nervousness coming. Her heart raced. She took several slow, deep breaths to prevent herself from hyperventilating.

“Here’s it is,” Dominik said as he returned to her. The lights blinked again. He looked up. “It looks like we might lose power.” Then he looked at her. “You know, you really don’t need to leave right now. You’re perfectly welcome to stay,” he said.

Shauna nodded nervously. “No, that’s okay. I’m fine, thank you.” She took the drive and quickly headed to the front door.

“Shauna, wait. At least take an umbrella,” Dominik said, opening the nearby closet door. He grabbed an umbrella, but Shauna had already stepped out into the pouring rain. “Shauna,” he called.

She ran to the car, but the panic attack was already with her. She was breathing too hard and her body trembled uncontrollably. Her hands shook as she tried to open the door. Her keys fell. She bent down to get them, fishing through a shallow puddle. Lightning flashed and instantly a massive clap of thunder erupted right over her head. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move.

Dominik stepped outside with the umbrella, but Shauna was already halfway down the brick path. He saw her get to her car, then run around to the driver’s side. She bent down and then nothing. She never stood up. He dropped the umbrella and ran around the car and found her crumbled beside the door, shaking. He bent down and grabbed her, thinking she had fallen. “Shauna,” he called out. There was another flash of lightning and soon after, thunder.

“Shauna,” he called out again. She didn’t look up. He saw that her eyes were closed. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her back down the brick path to the front door. He opened it and hurried inside. Heading right to his office, he sat Shauna down on the thick cushioned sofa. She was shivering. He grabbed the remote control and turned on the fireplace. Then he ran and grabbed towels from the adjacent bathroom. He came back into the room and saw that Shauna was exactly as he’d left her.

She was trembling and staring straight ahead. Lightning flashed and he hurried to her side before thunder rumbled soon after. He sat close and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her tight. When the next rumble came, he gripped her even tighter. She huddled close and he stroked her back, covering her with the dry towel. “It’s okay. I’m here,” he whispered soothingly. He kissed her forehead and she held on tighter. She closed her eyes and let the moment last as long as she could.

After a while the storm passed and only a few low rumbles of thunder reverberated in the distance. He could feel her body calm down and relax beside him. He still held her close. She took a deep breath. “I’m wet,” she said.

“Yes, you are. Do you want to take your clothes off?”

“Um...”

“I promise to be a perfect gentleman.”

“That’s no fun,” she said.

He chuckled. “Can I get you something to drink?” he offered.

“Water,” she said.

He got up and came back with two bottles of water. He untwisted the caps on both and handed her one. She took a few sips. “Better?” he asked. She nodded. “Panic attack,” he said.

She nodded. “Yes, I have them once in a while, but not for a long time. Thunder and lightning storms are my trigger. A doctor suggested I take anxiety medication, but I’m not a big fan of taking pills. Therapy is just talk, and it’s not like I can’t avoid them. I usually lie down, put on earphones and listen to music. It passes. But getting caught like tonight...”

“No earphones.”

She nodded and leaned away from him. “Exactly. Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked.

She turned to him. “For being here for me.”

“My pleasure,” he said, smiling.

A moment of silence passed between them. “It sounds like the storm’s passed. I’d better go.”

“Actually, as a medical professional, specifically as a doctor, I can’t advise you leave right now.”

“I’m fine. I promise.”

“Sorry,” he said, shaking his head, “I took the Hippocratic oath and that trumps your ‘I’m fine’ promise. Besides, I could use a little snack. How about you?” Just as he said it, there was another rumble of thunder.

“Sure, but I have to confess, I can’t help you much. I’m not the greatest cook in the world,” Shauna admitted.

“That’s okay. My sister is. We hung out last weekend and she sent me home with a couple plates of food.” He stood up and reached his hand down to her. She grasped it and stood. They both instantly remembered the last time he’d done this. He smiled. She smiled. “This way.”

He led her from the office to the kitchen. The lights were already on and a wonderful aroma wafted from the oven. “I had just put a couple of plates in when you rang the doorbell.”

“Knowing that I’d stay, of course,” she said.

“Let’s just say I hoped you might.” He walked over to the oven, grabbed two mitts and opened the door. Shauna followed, watching him.

“You actually look like you know what you’re doing.”

“I’m not too bad in the kitchen, but my sister is the professional in the family. She’s an incredible chef. She owns a café in town.”

“Which sister?” she asked.

“Nikita. The café is called Nikita’s Café.”

Shauna smiled. “Really? I was just there Friday. A friend wanted me to pick up dessert for our dinner.”

“A friend,” he repeated, looking alarmed.

She nodded. “Yes, a friend of my mother’s, now my friend.”

He pulled two plates from the oven and placed them on the counter. His smiled broadened. “Which sister?” he repeated. She nodded. “That statement would imply that you know my family or at the very least that I have more than one sister.”

She smiled, realizing she’d slipped again. “Okay, you got me.”

“We do know each other, don’t we?”

“No, we’ve never actually met, and before you ask, I don’t know your sisters, your older brother or anyone else in your family. We did, however, go to the same high school a million years ago.”

He nodded. “I see.”

“It was a long time ago, but I remember you very well.”

“Do you?” he said. She nodded. He placed a knife, fork and napkin next to the plate of food. “What year did you graduate?”

She looked down at the plate in front of her. “Wow, this looks incredible and it smells wonderful.”

“Good,” he said, placing another bottle of water in front of her. “Let’s eat.”

They ate and talked about their travels and being single. They found they had a lot more in common than they thought. Afterward he cleaned up while she helped. “You know, you’re gonna make some woman a wonderful housewife someday.”

He chuckled. “You think so?”

“Oh, definitely. You cook. You clean. Who could ask for anything more?” she said as she stood up and walked to the kitchen window. She looked out into the backyard. It was dark and impossible to tell if it was still raining or not.

“This way,” Dominik said. He opened the back door for her. They stepped out onto the veranda. The storm had cooled the air and there was a nice breeze. He toggled a light switch and instantly the yard was softly illuminated. A fine mist wafted from the heated pool and the surrounding grounds.

“Wow, this is really nice,” she said, looking around. There was a large pool and sauna with a waterfall. Directly across were a fountain and a beautiful flower-and-shrub garden inlay with various-size rocks and small boulders. Then there was subdued lighting hidden in the trees and shrubs, giving the whole area a soft, dreamlike glow. Everything about it looked calm and relaxing. “I bet the view is beautiful at sunset.”

“It’s phenomenal. You should come back and see it. But the view from upstairs is without a doubt the most spectacular sight in the Keys,” he said, standing right behind her. “Dawn is pretty nice, too.”