Chapter 8
2262 Words
“How could you?!”
Noah sits back up and looks at his mom.
“Mother, which part are you referring to?” He sighs, pushing himself up on his crutches and making his way past her and through to the kitchen.
He needs more pain medication.
“All of it! You land up in the hospital and don’t call me. Then you come here instead of coming home where I can look after you! What on earth were you thinking?”
She follows him into the kitchen and the living area as he tries to find his bottle of medication.
“I came here so you wouldn’t have to look after me. Can you imagine dad’s reaction?” He turns around and looks at her feeling frustrated.
He can’t find the medication, and his head is pounding just as much as his leg, and he feels as if he is going to pass out. The world around him starts to turn, and the next moment his mom grabs hold of him.
“NOAH!”
He steadies himself on his crutches before taking both of them down and with her help makes his way to the couch.
“Mother, I can’t go back home. I can’t face dad and whatever he is going to say.”
She looks at him still scowling with her hands on her hips.
“Fine, what are you planning on doing then?”
“I plan to stay here. Live here permanently.” He sighs.
He didn’t actually think about it before, but this would be the perfect Batchelor's pad for him. He can have as many parties as he wants without having his parents complaining. Especially his father.
His mom takes a deep breath then nods to his surprise.
“Although I’m not happy about you lying to me.” He opens his mouth to defend himself, but she holds her hand up to stop him.
“I think it might be a good idea for you to move in here. I will speak to your father about it. In the meantime, I will arrange for a nurse to come and look after you.”
“I don’t need a nurse, mom!” He rolls his eyes.
“Well, I’m not going to let one of your friends look after you.” She grabs her bag, leaves a quick kiss on his cheek, and walks out of the apartment.
That went better than he thought it would. He lifts his eyebrows, happily grinning when he finds his medication.
***
“That was an interesting presentation. You made some valid points. Thank you, Miss Moonvalor.” Liam smiles when he shakes her hand and Mr. Bartlett guides him out of the board room.
She takes a deep breath and looks at the empty board room. Her hands shaking after the past three hours of having to explain how she worked out the numbers and how the new format works.
It seemed as if most of the members were impressed, but you never know with these corporate types. She packs up her laptop and takes the glasses to the kitchen to clean when Mr. Bartlett walks in and clears his throat.
“Thank you, Alicia. Liam was right. Your presentation was impressive.” He turned around and left, and she felt her heart pounding so loudly she was convinced he could hear it.
Taking a seat behind her computer after cleaning up the boardroom, she finds an email from Mrs. Bartlett, requesting that she arrange for a nurse for Noah and also someone to move his personal things from the house to his new apartment.
“What?! What happened to Noah?” She says out loud not realizing Mr. Bartlett was standing next to her.
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, uhm, nothing, Sir. I think you need to speak to Mrs. Bartlett.” She feels her cheeks turn bright red as he turns around and storms back into his office.
Damn! He was probably on his way out of the office, and she would have been free and clear. Now Mrs. Bartlett was going to be furious with her that he found out.
She hears him screaming on his side of the conversation before slamming the phone down and storming out of the office.
“Unfortunately, I won’t be back for the rest of the day. I’m going golfing!” If he were a cartoon character, she swears she would have seen steam come from his ears.
She nods silently at his instruction and watches as he turns on his heel and walks over to the lift. He must be furious beyond words. He has never told her that he is going golfing.
She calls the nursing services and arranges for someone to go and look after Noah, but she does not really know what is wrong, she can’t give them much information about it. The service advises that they will first check in on him and find out what his needs are and then get back to her about the kind of care he needs.
“Mrs. Bartlett, where can we contact you.”
“Oh, no, I’m Mrs. Bartlett’s assistant.” She blushes bright red at the thought that they could have thought that she was Noah’s wife and gave them his mom’s information.
Then she calls the moving company, but again she doesn’t have much information on what and how much they would have to move, and she arranges that they go to the house and speak to Mrs. Bartlett.
Her computer tings, letting her know that she has a new email, and she quickly looks to see if it is a new instruction from the Bartletts, but to her surprise, it’s from Mr. Phillips, and she feels her entire body turn to jelly at just the thought of him.
“Alicia! Pull yourself together!” She reprimands herself and reads his email.
“Dear Miss. Moonvalor,
As mentioned earlier today, I was very impressed with your presentation and would like to discuss your changes to the financial statements over dinner tonight. Around seven?”
Liam.”
She stares at the email and moves her chair back from her screen as if trying to get some space between herself and the email.
Dinner… With drop-dead gorgeous grey eyes, Mr. Liam Phillips?
“Dear Mr. Phillips,
Although dinner would be nice. Unfortunately, I have to decline. We can make an appointment during office hours tomorrow if you need any further information.
Kind Regards.
Miss Alicia Moonvalor
Assistant to Mr. Bartlett
Bartlett Industries.”
She reads it again and presses send, chewing on her index finger while she waits for his reply. Feeling her stomach making summersaults when her email tings and it’s a reply from him.
“I don’t mind making it breakfast.
Liam.”
She gasps at his insinuation and steps away from her computer. Pacing on the floor of the reception area, she can’t believe that he just made a pass at her! And so openly! But then, he is really handsome.
“Focus, Alicia!” She is here to do a job, not find a husband! She reprimands herself and sits behind her computer to reply to his email.
“Dear Mr. Phillips,
I should be available for discussions around ten a.m. We can meet with Mr. Bartlett in his office.
Kind Regards.
Miss Alicia Moonvalor
Assistant to Mr. Bartlett
Bartlett Industries.”
She knows that Mr. Bartlett would like to be part of any meetings regarding the finances, especially where the CFO is involved, and makes a note of the appointment in his diary. It won’t be a good idea to give Liam any ideas that she is available. She really can’t afford to put her job in jeopardy.
Waiting for his reply, she starts to look around her desk for things to do until she finally becomes so busy that she doesn’t even realize what time it is. When her phone rings, she nearly jumps with fright.
“Mrs. Bartlett, what can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to thank you for standing in for me today and for making arrangements for Noah. The last thing I need at the moment is the two men in my life, fighting.”
Alicia remembers the mistake she made of telling Mr. Bartlett about the email, and she cringes in her chair waiting to be crapped out, but she doesn’t say anything. When she finally hangs up, Alicia can pack up her things and make her way home.
***
Walking into her little apartment, she sighs. Mr. Playboy is moving into a penthouse with a personal nurse and goodness knows what else, and she lives in an apartment that doesn’t even have proper heating.
Dropping her things down on her table in her kitchen, she grabs one of the few beers she keeps in her fridge. She’s not one to drink much, but some days require more than a cup of tea, and she can’t drink hard liquor without getting drunk quickly. Having a beer every once in a while is something close to home that she used to do with her dad whenever he earned a bonus.
Flopping down on her bed, she sits back and calls her mom.
***
“Come in!” Noah shouts knowing that it’s the damn nurse his mom arranged.
He is not looking forward to some old woman coming around and giving him sponge baths but is pleasantly surprised when a sweet young girl, dressed in a nurse’s uniform, makes her way through the door.
“Hi, Mr. Bartlett?”
“Noah, and you are?”
She introduces herself and explains that she is here to find out what his needs are. He can immediately think of a hundred ways she can please him, but when she looks at his leg, he remembers why she is actually here.
He explains what happened and the extent of his wound, showing her his medication. She enquires about a spare bedroom for a live-in nurse, and he perks up immediately at the idea that she would be around to look after him twenty-four-seven. That’s even better than having one of his girlfriends staying over.
She finally says her goodbye and he feels a little confused.
“So, when are you moving in?” He grins at her.
“Oh, no, Sir. I’m just an administrator. Your nurse will be here once I’ve completed your paperwork at the office. Have a nice day.” She grins at him and walks out the door.
“Great! Thank you, mother!” He is convinced his mom must have told them not to let a young girl stay, and when his nurse arrives a couple of hours later, he isn’t surprised when she is an older lady.
“Hi, Mr. Bartlett. I’m nurse Gilda. I will be taking care of you for a while.”
He sinks into the couch wishing he could just go back to just before the accident and chase Miss Moonvalor from his mind!
Gab luckily arrives with his stuff, and the movers start moving the stuff into the apartment, while Gab helps him set up his gaming consoles.
“Dude, way to go with the nurse.” He laughs at his friend, and Noah feels like swearing at him.
“Believe me, it was not by choice. By the way, how did my mother find out where I am?”
Gab shrugs.
“Hey, your mom is scary. When she called and demanded to talk to you, I had to tell her where you were. You weren’t answering your phone, so it’s actually your own fault.”
“No! It’s Miss Moonvalor’s fault,” He mumbles, but Gab hands him the control, and they test the game, ending up playing for a couple of hours before nurse Gilda interrupts them.
He rolls his eyes the moment she frowns at his refusal to take a sponge bath, and Gab makes a quick exit laughing at him.
“Look, nurse Glinda,”
“Gilda.” She corrects him.
“I’m sorry, Gilda. I don’t need a nursemaid. I’m a grown man, and I can take care of myself. This was my mother’s idea. You are very welcome to go back home. I won’t tell anyone that you have received the paycheck without doing the work.”
“Your mother said you would try something like that.” She holds her hands firmly in front of her and frowns.
“Your wound is bleeding through the bandages and needs attention. You can’t take a bath on your own, not in that bathroom. You will have no other choice but to accept my help. Whatever you have, believe me, I’ve seen worse.”
She stares him down when he glares at her, and he decides to give up when nausea attacks the moment he gets up.
“Did you eat before taking your medication?!” She growls at him.
“Was I supposed to?”
She huffs and helps him to his bedroom where he takes a seat on the edge of his bed. Putting a bucket in front of him just in time before he loses the little, he has in his stomach into the bucket.
“Shower and then food and no more fighting with me.” She ordered him, and he gave up for the moment.
“So, demanding.” He mumbles before wiping his mouth with the clean cloth she hands him.
- Writer
