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“Kate wants to know if you’re free for dinner. She’s making lasagna with a recipe she got in Italy. A thank you for watching Tabby.”
My stomach growls at the thought of a home-cooked meal. I’ve eaten cafeteria food for the past few days, and my body will revolt if I imbibe one more gelatin bowl or chocolate pudding. As much as I don’t want to intrude, this reprieve is exactly what I need. I can’t help but wonder if Marcy will be there too.
“Yeah, my shift ends at six.” I glance at the clock. Only four more hours.
“Perfect. Dinner will be ready at seven. See you then.”
“Thanks.” I hang up the phone and return to the stack of files.
As if the universe could sense my anticipation, it throws everything at me at once. Three traumas from a car accident, a sprained ankle, two screaming toddlers, and a very irritable octogenarian who has no interest in cooperating with the nurses round out my afternoon in the ER.
Exhausted, I manage to leave the hospital at six thirty. It takes me thirty minutes in traffic to get home, ten to shower, and five to pull on some clean clothes. God, I hope they’re clean. When did I last do laundry? I really need to spend some time getting my place in order. The days swarm together, but all I can think about is Marcy.
It’s quarter after seven when I knock on Arthur’s door. Kate answers it.
“We were getting worried.” She steps aside and lets me in.
“Yeah, sorry. Work was chaotic today.” I hand her a bouquet of flowers I had picked up from a corner vendor on the way home. “How was Italy?”
Kate’s cheeks pinken, and her eyes glaze over in that nostalgic way people get when remembering a happy memory. “It was heavenly.”
Tabby weaves through my legs and mews. I pick her up and scratch her ears. “I’m glad you had a great time.”
The scent of tomatoes, rosemary, and meat fills the air. My stomach growls. Kate takes Tabby from my arms when Arthur appears.
“About time, I’m starving.” He claps his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s eat.”
While we eat, Kate tells me all about their adventures in Italy. The lasagna is perfection, like a tiny slice of paradise. Kate and Arthur’s united culinary skills are unmatched by any other couple I know. When she brings out the tiramisu, I’m practically swooning. This woman knows the way to a man’s heart.
“Do you know what tiramisu means in Italian?” Kate’s eyes glow with amusement as I take the first bite.
A moan rips from my lips at the decadent bliss on my fork. I shake my head and savor another bite.
“It makes me happy.” She chuckles. “That’s what the waiter told me. How fitting is that?”
Arthur laughs at her giddy response.
“Makes total sense to me,” I say between bites. “I guess orgasm in a bowl was taken?”
Kate snorts with laughter. Arthur shakes his head, but I see the smile on his lips.
“Any problems while we were gone?” Arthur changes the subject when Kate takes the plates into the kitchen.
Saturday night with Marcy covered in blood and bruises flashes through my mind. Damn, I guess there’s no avoiding it. He’ll figure it out the moment he sees her. Better I tell him now and give him time to assimilate the news before he sees Marcy.
“There was an incident.” I hold my friend’s gaze. “With Marcy.”
The muscle in Arthur’s jaw ticks. His eyes darken, and his hands clench into fists. “What about Marcy?”
“She went out on a date Saturday. He roughed her up good.” I hold up a hand when Arthur looks ready to explode. “She called me when she got home, and I took care of it. A couple of bruises and a nasty cut on the cheek. She was shaken up. So I stayed with her.”
Arthur’s deceptively calm response leaves me unnerved. “Who did it?”
“She refused to tell me.” I’m honest with him, but it’s killing me not telling him the whole truth of what happened that night. Between her and me. “Even though she wouldn’t come to the ER, I wrote up a report at the hospital in case she decides to file charges.”
“But she won’t tell you who it was?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t push either. She’s scared. It brought all that past trauma rushing to the surface. So I stayed at her place on Saturday. It’s a good thing I did too, because a cat burglar broke in early Sunday morning and scared the hell out of her.”
