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Lydia arrived, back at the bank, with Scout at 3 pm. The crowd of donors thinned. Ivy was allowed inside the unit. Lou finished up paperwork in the private consult room.
Lydia lounged in a paper-covered recliner. Scout sat on her knee. The baby watched as employees hustled to put away the day’s work. Maddie wrapped up tubing and wiped down the vinyl seating. She counted heart-shaped stress balls before wiping them down as well.
Ines entered the van. A gust of wet air swung the door out of her grasp. Lou helped her pull it back and secure it. “A storm must be on its way.” Maddie dropped to a squat with a bundle of paper towels. She soaked up the mess and laid out a path for Ines to walk on.
“Sorry about that,” Ines said.
“No sweat. Come on in and help yourself to a seat.” Maddie gestured to the empty stations. Lydia and Scout occupied one and Bill reclined on another. Ines helped herself to the only one left, directly across from Bill.
“What’s happening? Grant said you’re about to donate?” Bill answered his fiancée with wary eyes. She reassured him with a smile. “Are you sure?”
Bill shrugged. “What’s not to be sure about? Ivy needs a consenting donor to observe. I volunteered.” Ines crossed her arms and smirked ever so slightly. “Besides, why would I worry? My own brother is going to draw my blood. I’m in good hands.”
“Whatever you say.”
Lydia scooted closer to Ines. “He’s looking pale already.” Ines nodded.
“He’s terrified of needles,” she whispered. “Oh, and blood. Blood is the worst.”
“Oh, dear.”
“Oh dear indeed.” Ines leaned even closer to Lydia; her eyes never left Bill’s. “Once, during inventory at the library, I was too impatient to open a box of new books and used my nail to slice the tape. I earned myself a huge cardboard cut. Bill came over to see if I was alright and three drops of blood dropped onto the box top.” Bill grinned warily up at his fiancé. She paused in her story and returned the smile.
“Then what happened,” Lydia asked.
“Bill hit the ground before I knew what was happening.” Ines chuckled softly.
“Over a paper cut?” Lydia blinked. “Let’s pray this goes more smoothly.”
Jake pumped two squirts of sanitizer on his large hands. Instantly the small space filled with the smell of alcohol. “Let’s get this started.”
Bill Barnaby inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly. Ines winked at him when he sought her face for encouragement. Bill closed his eyes. “Ready.”
Jake called Ivy over to his side. She stood tall and straight, unwavering in her attention. Lydia watched Ivy with pride. Ivy barely took a breath. She was so anxious to fully absorb the opportunity. Her mind rattled down notes while her eyes studied each and every movement in the van.
Jake pulled out a blue rubber tourniquet and wrapped it tightly around the middle of Bill’s bicep. He then tore open an antibacterial wipe and swabbed the fold of Bill’s arm. Bill winced, stunned by the coolness. He took in another extremely deep breath and slumped over. His banded arm swung loosely toward the floor.
“He passed out?” Jake turned to Ines for confirmation. “We have a fainter.” He called to his crew.
Maddie launched to his side and reached out for Ivy. “Make that two.” She caught the stalwart intern before her knees buckled and draped her on the closest empty recliner.
“I didn’t even draw blood.” Jake chuckled.
Ines moved to Bill’s side and took his hand in hers. She caressed it warmly. “Did I say Bill was afraid of needles? Petrified is more like it.”
“That doesn’t explain her,” Lou added.
Lydia secured Scout firmly on her hip and moved to sit by Ivy. Her eyes were fluttering open. “What happened?”
“That’s what we’d like to know.” Maddie handed Ivy a bottle of water and checked her pulse. “If you’re scared of needles or blood than this is definitely not the right gig for you.”
Ivy groaned and rubbed her forehead. Her eyes searched Lydia’s for understanding.
“Nah, that’s not it,” Jake said. “I bet she was so focused on the procedure that she locked her knees.” Lydia suspected the same.
“What a moron!” Ivy spat under her breath, disappointed in herself. To make the situation altogether humiliating, she lifted her eyes to see Grant staring at her and giggling behind his hand.
Bill groaned, slowly coming to. Ines straightened his glasses and planted a kiss on his bald head. “Welcome back to us.”
Jake tidied up his station and whispered a few words to Lou and Maddie. “We’ll close up, Jake. Why don’t you go hang out with your brother? We only have one more day in town.”
“Yes, Jake, please. Why don’t you both come to my house for dinner?” Ines instructed her fiancé and his brother. “Grant will help me. Won’t you?” The young man grinned.
Bill sat straighter in the light blue recliner. “Yes, Jake. There are so many questions I’d like to ask you. So many things I’d like to talk to you about.” Jake didn’t hesitate to accept the offer.
“Well, then. We’ll be off. See you at seven?” Two bald heads nodded. Ines signaled to Grant and they left the van, thanking the crew for their understanding.
✽✽✽
“Is there anything I can do to help clean up,” Ivy asked. Maddie and Lou refused her aid and reassured her.
“Swing by tomorrow and we’ll try to set up a redo.” Maddie locked the door behind Lydia and Ivy. The wind pelted the three ladies with damp leaves. “I’m parked, right over there.” Lydia pointed to Ethan’s truck. She tucked Scout beneath her coat and rushed to the car. Ivy hurried close behind.
Once in the safety of the vehicle, Ivy groaned as Lydia pulled away from the curb. “I can’t believe I just did that.” She smacked a palm to her forehead. “They probably all think I have some sort of blood phobia.”
Lydia circled the main lawn. “I doubt that. Besides, isn’t that what today was for? To see if phlebotomy is a fit for you?”
Ivy shrugged and glared, disappointed, at her reflection in the passenger window. She retreated to her bedroom with her laptop after dinner. Scout went with her, leaving Lydia alone for the evening. She seized the opportunity to make a pantry list and bake some chocolate croissants, before her nighttime call from Ethan.
Carting her toasty croissant and steaming coffee to her bedroom, she snuggled into her favorite slippers and robe. Ethan would call any minute. She couldn’t wait to unfold Bill Barnaby’s good news to her husband and hear his amazement.
He was less than astonished. “Yeah, Bill called me a week ago.” Lydia frowned and took a huge chomp of her hot croissant. It sprayed chocolate onto her chin. “He wanted my opinion on Jake’s sudden desire to meet up. I didn’t have much to say that he wanted to hear.”
Lydia wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Why? What did you tell him?”
Static crackled between the lines. The wind outside whipped up to a yowl. “To be careful. More than one scam has been carried out on an unsuspecting and lonely person hoping for a deep connection.”
“That’s so sad. Thankfully, it’s obvious Jake and Bill are related. They're identical.”
“That helps. But it doesn't necessarily mean Jake’s motives are pure. He could be in this to get something from Bill.”
“Like what, money and power? Bill is a professor without a university. He’s a consultant. I doubt his income is worth a con tricking it out of him.”
Ethan yawned. Lydia figured her husband had risen near 3 am that morning. It was now 10 pm. He probably had another early morning planned in a few short hours. “It’s amazing how little it takes sometimes. I’m happy this doesn’t seem the case with Bill and Jake.”
“Me too.”
In the midst of their bedtime prayers and goodnight sentiments, the room lit up with an unexpected jolt of lightning. Lydia jumped as thunder cracked soon afterward. Her phone call ended abruptly. She tried dialing Ethan back. No good. Bad weather often played havoc on the Ashton cell tower. Lydia reset her morning alarm, finished her treat and coffee, brushed her teeth, and burrowed beneath her blankets for a good night’s rest.