“Justus?” Stepping to the bed, he flung the covers back until there was only a sheet. There was movement as if her body was heaving. Was she having a panic attack? He slowly inched the sheet from over her head and saw her tear-covered face. “Did something happen? Did you get a phone call that upset you?”
She grabbed at the sheet and closed her eyes, shaking her head furiously and beginning to moan loudly.
“Okay. You don’t have to tell me. Can I get you anything? Water? Do you have medication that you take?”
She continued to shake her head, so he started to leave, but she reached out and grabbed his arm. He turned back and sat down on the bed, and she sat up, hugging him tight. Unsurewhat to do, he wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried.
“It’s okay. Whatever is wrong. It will be okay.” He patted her bare back and felt the swimsuit tie under his hand. She’d been fine before she came to change into the outfit. Had that triggered this episode? He recalled the report he’d received on the assignment and how she and Chaney were forced to wear bikinis while in captivity.
That had to be it.
How could he help her through this? Or make her see that she would be okay? It's a tall task, for sure, without making her feel worse or making him look like a jerk.
A little bark from the doorway solved that issue.
Her head popped up, and she sadly smiled, looking at her dog. “Baby!”
For All came running to the bed, jumping up and down barking but he was too small to reach the edge of the mattress. Rafferty went around and picked him up, putting him on the bed.
Justus gave him a teary look of appreciation as she took her puppy in her arms and hugged him.
“Do you think you can eat pizza for dinner?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Pepperoni and cheese?”
“Please.”
“I’ll go order. Change, and we’ll get you a one-piece tomorrow if you think that will help you be able to go to the pool.”
Fresh tears began to stream down her cheeks. “How did you know?”
“Lucky guess,” he said and left the room.
Justus watchedhim leave with a new sense of understanding for Rafferty Grainger. Leaving For All on the bed, she went to the connecting bathroom and washed and dried her face; then, she fixed her hair. Even after reapplying makeup, her eyes were still red-rimmed, and her nose looked like Rudolph’s, but it was the best she could do.
Finally, she changed out of the bathing suit and into her clothes before picking up her dog and heading into the living room.
“Do you want to watch TV or a movie?” she asked, settling on the sofa.
“We’re not hooked up to a service. We just moved in,” Rafferty called from the kitchen. “I’ve been doing surveillance of your place since the deposition.”
“That stinks. A high-rise condo complex like this should come with every unit hooked up to service, and all you have to do is move in,” Justus said.
“I’ll call tomorrow and see about having it installed it if you need it,” he said.
“It’s not that I need it, but it would be nice when we have nothing else to do,” she said. “There is internet, at least?”
“Absolutely. That was switched on immediately. We couldn’t do our job without it.”
“I like how you talk in the plural about you and your twin even though he isn’t here with you,” Justus said.
“Force of habit,” Rafferty said, coming from the kitchen with two glasses of soda. “Do you want one?”
“Thanks.”
“Pizza will be here in fifteen.”
