“Michael, please tell me,” Elaine said.
He sighed, filled up the cup with water, and handed it to her.
“Apparently, you told Kyle to call Johnnie just before you lost consciousness. She found her number in your phone.”
Elaine sipped the cold water, but it did little to calm her. She knew she shouldn’t have Johnnie’s phone number in her phone. But she’d put it in there the day she’d gone to her studio in case she got lost. Of course she could have erased it. But truth be told she liked pulling it up and looking at it. Knowing that she was just a push of a button away sometimes excited her, despite knowing it was wrong.
“So Johnnie is here? She came?”
“The only time she’s budged is to pace.”
“And Kyle?”
“She was scared. She said she didn’t really know you. She didn’t even know your name.”
“No, I suppose she wouldn’t.”
“You know for two women who hardly know anything about you, they sure seem to care.” He smiled. “Of course, I’m not surprised.”
“My life is crazy,” she said aloud but more to herself.
“With women, yes, a bit so. Would you like me to ask them to go?”
Elaine looked at him, felt the love and peace in his eyes. “I think I need to say some things to Kyle.”
He pulled off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair. “Okay.”
“And as for Johnnie…”
“Have you slept with her?” he asked, replacing his cap.
“No.”
“But you want to.”
She looked away. “I can’t talk about this, Michael.”
“If your feelings for her are strong, you need to face it. Maybe now isn’t the time, but it needs to be dealt with. I know you’re not sleeping; you’re still breaking down over Barb. You’ve got a lot going on inside, El. And all this, this stress, isn’t good for you.”
“I’ll deal with it.”
“Good, but not today.”
“Michael, don’t get bossy.”
He held up his hands in innocence. “Okay, okay.” He stood then gave her a kiss. “I’ll be back tonight with the hubby.”
“’K.”
“I’ll send Kyle in.”
Elaine watched him go. Then she braced herself to face Kyle. When she entered, she came with a soft smile. She stood at the foot of the bed, hands in pockets. She looked uncomfortable.
“You okay?”
Elaine laughed a little. “I’m fabulous, thanks.”
“I, uh, was really worried.”
“I know. I’m sorry for that, Kyle. You should’ve never been put in that position.”
“I’m glad I was there.”
“Well, yes, I am too. But as far as being there in the first place…that was wrong. So I owe you a huge thanks for probably saving my life and a huge apology for the way things have been going between us.”
Kyle leaned on the bed, staring at her hand for a moment. “I accept the thank-you, but the apology is not necessary. You’ve been straight up with me about what goes on between us. I just really like you, so I pushed things. I guess I hoped to wear you down.”
Elaine watched her fidget with nerves. “I can appreciate that. And once upon a time, I was young and got caught up in the same thing. It never works, Kyle. You deserve someone who feels the same as you. As nice as you are…and caring…I find it hard to believe that you can’t find someone.”
She looked up. “It just hasn’t happened. Not yet.”
“It will.”
She laughed. “Promise?”
“Yes. But don’t expect it to happen on that dating app.”
“Yeah, okay.” She rubbed her upper arm. “Why don’t you have someone?”
Elaine swallowed with difficulty. “I do.”
Kyle looked defeated. “Right. Yeah. The woman in the waiting room.”
Elaine wanted to disagree, but she stopped herself. “I’m sorry, Kyle.”
“No, no need. Thanks for being honest from the get-go.”
She gave a wave and left the room, leaving Elaine alone with her thoughts. Anticipation began to build in her gut, and the beeping heart rate monitor increased. She breathed deeply and tried not to think about Johnnie just a short distance away. Probably pacing the hallway, wondering if she should come or go. Maybe she’d already made up her mind when she saw Kyle come in. She was probably assuming all sorts of things about her.
“Christ,” she said, palming her forehead.
What was Johnnie going to do? More importantly, how was she going to react to whatever Johnnie chose? She sipped more water and pressed back into the pillow. She listened to the machine, felt the pinch of the IV in her hand. Imagined the drip of the saline into her bloodstream. She felt the cool air, the starchy feel of the sheets, the tight tucking of her feet beneath a blue blanket. She focused on everything she could to keep her mind off Johnnie. But eventually, after several minutes that felt like an eternity, she heard a knock at the door and the sound of it opening.
Johnnie.