| |
JT
JT laid his head back, his cell tucked into his tight grip. “I understand. Yes, I will be in Salt Lake City for the race.” He closed his eyes. What else could go wrong?
“We hate that you got injured, but this is business. We really need to have our campaign blasting by Salt Lake City. Let us know if you’ll be able to make it. We hope you feel better.” The rep wasn’t JT’s normal representative, which wasn’t a good sign.
He nodded to no one in particular. “Thanks. I'll see you in Salt Lake.” He ignored the opening of the door and hung up the phone.
Bruises on his jaw still ached when he spoke. The conversation took a lot for him to get through without yelling in frustration.
“Are you okay?” The sweet timber of Kelsey's voice soothed his nerves. He opened his eyes and watched as her perfectly bowed mouth formed her words. “I've heard that you haven’t eaten since yesterday. Is everything okay? Are you in a lot of pain?” She checked his chart and leaned on the end of his bed.
Something about her begged him to confide in her like she would listen. Maybe it was the memory of her going out of her way to make him feel less dependent or maybe it was because her eyes transfixed him.
“No. I’m close to losing my sponsors. If I lose my sponsors before my races, they won’t sign for me when I take my next career move. I desperately need them to sign with me for my next career move.” He didn’t mean to sound like he was whining, but a lot rode on the sponsors he already had not jumping ship.
Kelsey affected a pout with her lower lip stuck. “You're not in pain? You’re just being a baby? It's okay, you can admit you’re being a baby.” Her pout transformed into an infectious grin. She moved toward him with a needle she pulled from a drawer. “I have something that fixes ‘babies’. This won’t hurt... much.”
JT pulled back into the pillows, eyeing her hand holding the needle aloft. His gaze darted between her playful expression and the very somber site of the syringe. “Um, are you serious?”
Kelsey arched an eyebrow at him, stopping at his elbow. “If I was, would you let me do it?”
He couldn't believe it. She was messing with him. The sparkle in her green eyes acted like a salve on the frustration over the last few days. “Where have you been? None of the other nurses smile. One of them said you won’t be on the next few days. She even said you wouldn’t be in today.”
She put the syringe down and picked up the wrappers and empty cups on his lap table. “I'm not full-time. I just get sporadic days. I wasn’t scheduled for today, but I picked up a shift a couple days ago.” She glanced at him and then at the door that was partially open. “I wish I could get full-time, but I'm in school, too, and I'm so close to finishing, at least this part of my career.” She ended on a grin. “I get to do that because I pretty much never work.”
JT laughed, and then moved his hand to cover his rib and the sharp pain in his side. “Oh, don't make me laugh. That hurts worse than I think a broken one would.”
“You really are a baby.” Kelsey laughed, but in a friendly, teasing way JT liked. “I better go check on my other patients. You’re not the only one here. Are you doing okay? Did you get any more panties today?” She couldn’t keep a straight face and ended on a laugh that brought a grin to JT’s face.
“Why? Are you jealous? Maybe you could send me some of yours?” JT hoped he didn't look as bad as he felt. He desperately wished he could meet Kelsey in normal conditions where he wasn’t lying there with tubes holding him down. He had a game he wasn’t too bad at.
She was the type of girl a smart guy hung onto. All she could possibly see him as was a patient, even if she did get him pants to replace the impotence-inducing gown.
“Why would I send you my panties? I don't even like dirt bikers.” She laughed as she left the room, her rear-end swaying as she side-stepped out the door.
She didn’t like dirt bikers, huh? Oh, what JT wouldn’t give to place a bet with his friends that she was going to change that statement. Kelsey was meant to be in his life and he was going to make sure she liked dirt bikers or one anyway.
JT's grin didn't fade even when the sponsor concerns returned to his mind. He had to race in four weeks, even though the doctor said he wouldn’t be able to race for six. What do doctors know? In his case, they didn't know jack.
