Page 34 of Fighting Fate
“This stays between us,” Willow tells her sternly. “You cannot bring this up at girls’ brunch.”
“What the fuck have you done now?” the nurse asks her.
While Willow procrastinates, she turns to me. Holding out her hand, she smiles. “I’m Beth…you are Rory the champion.”
“That’s me,” I tell her with a firm shake.
Taking me in from head to toe, Beth studies me. I’m waiting for her to ask me to do a spin when she turns back to Willow. The look on her face holds both surprise and confusion. “Still nothing?”
“Jesus Christ, can we focus on the issue at hand?” Willow mutters, propping herself up on the bed. “There’s a condom…lost…inside…”
“Your vagina…?” Beth asks, putting the iPad in her hand down on the counter to the side of the room and pulling on some gloves.
“Where the fuck else?”
“You know, I’m within my right to turn away hostile patients.” Beth rolls over a cart and a stool before settling at the edge of the bed.
“Please get it out.”
The two of them veer into an obviously coded conversation that I can’t understand while I stand back and watch their back-and-forth. It’s interesting to see Willow’s dynamic with her friend. It’s different from her friendship with Frank. Still, a part of me bristles at their closeness.
“You really don’t have to stay,” Willow tells me as she shimmies out of her yoga pants. When I’m about to reply, she adds, “I’m embarrassed enough as it is and…let’s not make things awkward.”
The sincere smile she sends my way tells me that I need to back off. Even if it’s not my style.
“There’s a bench just outside,” Beth says.
“Okay.” Blowing out a deep breath, I take one more good look at Willow. Sure enough, her face is glowing, and she’s clutching the pants to herself as if trying to protect her dignity.
“Well…you know where I’ll be.”
“Yeah,” she says softly when I head outside.
The noticeboard and I become well acquainted for the next fifteen minutes. My blood pressure is going through the roof while I try not to imagine what is going on in the room. There’s a sinking feeling in my gut that tells me we’re going back to square one.
I’m becoming more and more concerned when the door opens and Beth comes out. A deep flush stains her cheeks when she looks at me with pursed lips, trying to hide her amusement.
“She’s all yours, Hulk Man,” she laughs as Willow follows her out. “I don’t think you’re made for the extra-thin variety.”
“Will you stop already?” Willow groans with exasperation.
“Oh, and I recommend going for large too.”
Understanding dawns on me why Willow was so mortified, aside from the condom issue. I clear my throat, trying to think of a comeback. Anything I can say to neutralise the atmosphere because I’m pretty certain that I’m taking on the same colour as the two of them.
“Quite done?” Willow asks Beth with a roll of her eyes.
“Aaah…yes, I think I am, Wilhelmina.”
“Good, well…thank you for making that half as painful as it could’ve been.” Coming to stand beside me, Willow threads her arm around mine.
I was positive that she would come out of the room with all her walls up and some. However, I’m totally surprised when she sidles closer. With the length of her body pressed to mine, the only thing I can do is wrap my arm around her.
“You’ve been roughed up enough,” Beth retorts gingerly, with her stare pausing on the crotch of my jeans.
A cringey groan grates from my girl as she covers her face with both hands. “You said you were done!”
“Sorry, but the opportunity was too great.” Beth’s low snicker has me tightening my hold on Willow. “Besides…karma…”