Chapter Sixty-Three

Danica

F reshly showered, a slight flush to my cheeks, I make my way downstairs for the day. As usual, Dimples is sitting at the counter, checking something on his phone as he drinks a cup of coffee, while Muscles stands awkwardly waiting for me, bouquet of my ethereal roses held at his side, and a steaming plate of food waiting at my spot.

“Morning Muscles, Dimples. Oh, is that bacon?” I rush over to my spot, the savory aroma filling my nostrils. “Ah! It is bacon. Bless you, you wonderful man!”

Standing on tiptoes, I place a light kiss on Darrion’s cheek, and he flushes, neck and cheeks turning red with embarrassment. Sliding onto my seat, I waste no time as I grab a slice and shove half of it into my mouth.

Jayce takes sip of coffee, before shooting an amused look at his partner, dimples just barely peeking out at the corner of his mouth. Without saying a word, he slides a piping hot cup of coffee in my direction. I reach for it, but Darrion swats my hand away.

“Muscles! What the hell, man? I thought we were having a moment here?”

His face is deadpan as he replies. “That’s my coffee. Yours is in the fridge.” He nods in the direction of where Jayce is now standing, back to me as he reaches into the open door, pulling out a large tumbler of iced coffee.

My eyes water with happiness, and I raise a hand to my heart. “Aww. Dimples! You made me coffee? ”

He snorts, unamused at my antics. “Boss called in the order; we just picked it up on our way over.”

I shoot him a cheeky grin, before taking another large bite of bacon.

After such a lovely start to the day, the afternoon is really dragging on. Two of my families had to cancel their standing appointments because their kiddos were home sick, and the third doesn’t start for another two hours. With a yawn, I drag a hand down my face, trying to focus as I stare blankly at my computer screen. Finn was able to work wonders with my system after the vandalism. The monitor and casing for my PC both had to be replaced, but he was able to extract most of the data, and before I knew it, he had hooked me up with a whole new PC set-up. Of course, this one was fancier and probably more expensive than what I needed.

Finn, always horrified by my “ancient” technology, took any opportunity he could to set me up with the latest and greatest. It was a point of pride for him, building custom models that were both top of the line in functionality, while still being aesthetically pleasing and fitting the space that it was created for. His latest creation is no different, though the finer subtleties are lost on me. If I have a system that can run my basic scheduling and financial software, I don’t really care as much about all the other features, much to my friend’s chagrin. At this point, I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m a lost cause, and I say, why give the man false hope?

Blinking heavily, I force down another yawn. That’s it. I can’t stand staring at a computer screen all day if I’m not doing anything productive like playing the latest Baldur’s Gate with my friends. Ugh.

I stand, desperately needing to move and stretch. Walking over to the far corner of the room, I pull out my yoga mat and go through a short workout after stretching. It feels good to get my body moving, and yoga almost always does the trick for me. But not today. I guess my . . . extracurriculars this morning really wore me out, damn. I could use some more caffeine. Exiting my office, I walk down the hall to the employee break room. The coffee in the pot is cold, left over from this morning and completely unappetizing. Sad .

I reach in my pocket to pull out my phone.

Me: When are you going to be back?

Dimples: At least another hour. Is everything ok?

Me: Yeah, no, everything is fine. I was just curious.

Dimples: You sure?

Me: Yep. All good here *thumbs up*

Damn. When Darrion and Jayce got called away earlier today, I really didn’t think much of it. I don’t exactly need a babysitter anyway, but during the middle of the day, I truly don’t see the point in having them follow me around like lost puppies everywhere I go. They got a call from Tony around eleven asking if they could come help with something urgent, and it wasn’t as if I was leaving or doing anything dangerous, so I told them they should go. Besides, we have plenty of on-site security these days, not to mention regular staff members. I figured everything would be peachy.

Of course, that was before the afternoon drag hit me and I clearly didn’t realize how desperately I was going to need a stronger pick-me-up than what I had on site. With a sigh, I look forlornly around the breakroom. Coffee pot coffee, even fresh, was just not going to get me through the rest of today. Not if I had to go back and sit at my desk doing several more hours of boring admin work. Ugh.

What I need is my special coffee. And honestly, a mid-day break to see my sweet friend and favorite little boy couldn’t hurt either. Hmm. I swore I wouldn’t go anywhere, but really? The coffee shop is like, two blocks over. I could walk there and back faster than the amount of time it would take for Muscles and Dimples to come to my rescue or to order an Uber.

Welp. That’s settled then. Field trip, it is.

I practically skip back to my office, excited at the thought of finally having a few minutes to my damn self for once after weeks of people hovering around me, watching my every move as if someone was going to jump out of the bushes and hold me at knifepoint. Unlocking the safe where I store my personal belongings, I reach in to grab my wallet, and my hand brushes over my fanny pack, grazing it lightly. I hesitate. I don’t think I’ll really need it. After all, I haven’t needed it in all this time. I move to close the safe, and then pause, reconsidering. Another long moment of deliberation, and I quickly grab the fanny pack before I can change my mind, securing it around my waist, and opening the zipper to double-check the contents. Yep, all good here. Zipping carefully, I close the bag once more and head to the door without a backward glance.

“Danica, is that you?”

In shock, I freeze, the straw halfway to my open mouth. Shit. With a smile, I turn, lowering the cup.

“Tony! Hi! Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?”

He frowns at me, taking in my leggings and sports bra, covered by a halfway zipped jacket, the fanny pack and my cup of guilt that is clutched tightly in one hand.

“I just came to get a quick coffee on my way back to, well. . . to what’s left of my restaurant. What are you doing here? Darrion and Jayce said you were working today?”

My laugh is awkward, too loud as it escapes my lips. “Oh yeah, well, you know.” I wave my hand airily, dismissing his question. “Been plugging away all day on that computer. Needed a mid-day pick-me-up.” Shifting my gaze, I look behind him, before giving a quick glance around the room. “Speaking of, where are Mus- I mean, Darrion and Jayce?” I barely hold back a wince. I doubt he would take too kindly to my referring to Theo’s minions as Muscles and Dimples. He seems more like a strait-laced, call- ‘em-by-their-names kind of guy.

“Oh, they were helping me clean up the mess at the restaurant. I have been dealing with insurance agents all day and needed some people who were better equipped at handling the hired help.”

I frown at his words.

“Sorry, I meant, the construction team. I hired them to help demolish what was left of the building and then clear everything out so the new construction could start. They were still in the midst of dealing with that, but I had to leave for an in-person meeting with the insurance claims adjuster. Figured the least I could do was buy them some coffee as a thank you for their help, so I stopped by here on my way back. I know it’s just a hole-in-the-wall shop, but the coffee is surprisingly good.”

I bite my tongue, holding back a retort at his demeaning commentary on the store my friend has so diligently worked her ass off to rebrand. It seems that Tony and I have gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, and with him being Theo’s only relative in the area (not to mention his friend and colleague) it seems prudent to try and play nice.

“Ah, yep that definitely makes sense. That’s sweet of you, that you were going to buy them coffee as a thank you. I’m sure they’ll love it. Anyway,” I hold up my large cup of iced coffee, “better get back to it. It was good seeing you.”

Just as I turn on my heel to leave before he can get another word in, my phone rings. Biting back a groan, I reach into my pocket and place it to my ear.

“Danica speaking.”

“Hey kiddo. Listen, where are you?” Roberts’ voice is weary and it instantly has me on edge.

“I was just on my way back to Prism. Why, what’s wrong?”

Having caught the tail end of my conversation, Tony comes over to me, eyebrow raised as he crosses his arms, waiting for details.

“Listen, sweetheart. It’s Jonathan. He- well, there’s been a complication and he’s being re-admitted to the hospital.” Roberts’ voice is resigned, and I can tell by his tone that whatever it is, it can’t be good.

“Oh my god! What happened? Is he alright? I just saw him earlier today and he seemed fine!” My voice comes out rushed, each word higher and more frantic than the last. What the hell happened?

“I don’t know, kiddo. I really don’t know. Just got a call from him a little while ago saying something didn’t feel right and asked if I could come pick him up. When I got there, he was feverish and lying on the floor, totally out of it. I called an ambulance; they’re taking him to the hospital and I am following behind. Where are you? I can come pick you up, and bring you with me. I’m sure he would want you there.”

I can feel my heart racing, slamming into my chest as the anxiety builds, making it difficult to breathe. “No! I mean, yes, of course I will come to the hospital. But don’t come get me, you would have to turn around and go clear in the opposite direction. I’ll grab an Uber and meet you. Please just text me when you get there, if you find out anything else? I will be there as soon as I can.”

His voice is grim as he responds. “Of course, sweetie. But between you and me, you might want to hurry with that ride share.” He hangs up before I can say anything else.

Pulse racing, my breath starts to come out in labored pants as the pressure in my chest increases. Oh my god. What is happening? Something’s wrong with Jonathan, I have to get to the hospital. Shit. I need to call an Uber. My hands shake as I unlock my phone, and begin swiping for my ride share app.

“Hey, everything okay?”

Tony steps next to me, placing a hand over my screen.

“Yeah. No, I’m sorry. I have a friend who is sick and is being sent to the hospital by ambulance. I have to go. I’m really sorry. Can you do me a favor, when you see Dimples and Muscles can you please let them know where I’m at so they don’t worry?”

“What?” His brows furrow in confusion.

“Shit! Sorry. Darrion and Jayce. Can you please let them know I’m on my way to the hospital?”

“Of course I can let them know for you. But why don’t I just give you a ride?”

I shake my head, trying to get him to move his hand out of my way. “No, that’s okay really.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Seriously, if you wait for a rideshare, it could take at least ten, fifteen minutes at this point of the day with downtown traffic. I’m parked right out front. I’ll just give you a ride, it will be faster.”

I sag in relief, almost dropping my cup of heaven in the process. “Alright, yeah, that would be great. Thanks so much.”

With that, I follow him out to his car.