“Please try to remember, I’m on your side. I’m not the enemy. I’m
here for you, baby, no matter what. I know this is scary for you, but you’re
not alone. You have me. And I love you. I’m in this with you, one hundred percent.
Okay?
“Now, it might be a good idea if we shower, so we can go home as
soon as the doctor releases you.” He went into the bathroom and turned the
shower on. “Well, come on.”
“At the same time? Together?” I gasp, remembering my jiggly thighs
and generous backside.
“Yes, yes, we always shower together. Come on.” He reached for
my hand and leads the way into the bathroom. He adjusts the water temperature. “Ah,
nice and hot, just like you like it.” He helps me into the tub and pulls the
shower curtain closed. “Now I really think he’ll release you today,” he says as
he soaps himself up. “But you have to be calm, or at least pretend to be calm,
just until we get out of here. Okay?”
“Okay. What do I call you?”
“Jaks. It's Jakson Blake, but you’ve always called me Jaks. You
are, by the way, the only one who calls me Jaks.”
“And what does everyone else call you, Jaks?”
“Everybody else calls me Mr. Blake,” he says haughtily, but with
a grin.
“Thank you, Jaks. I'll try to behave myself.”
“Oh, that'll be the day!” He clutches his chest and laughs. “You
don’t need to behave yourself for me. I love you just the way you are. All I
want is for you to feel better.”
“Jaks, how long have we been together?”
“Long or short version?”
“Short, please.”
“We will be married one year this February. We were together for
six months before that. We’ve been together since the day we met. We just…
clicked. Whenever you feel up to it, I’ll give you the long, convoluted version
with, oh let me see, parallel worlds, and dimensional doorways, doppelgangers,
a nasty vicious king…”
“Stop! I’ve heard enough craziness for one day. But, tell me,
Jaks, is there a love story in there somewhere?”
“Oh, yes, a wonderful one, my personal favorite,” he nods and
kisses the tip of my nose. “I’ll tell you all about it, and show you. I’ll
re-enact some of your favorite parts. Would you like that, hmm?” He moves in
and kisses me, gently, sweetly, awakening a need in me for more of him. As he
pulls away, I pull him back to me and give him a good kiss, a long, hot kiss, a
kiss as a promise of things to come.
“Wow…” he whispers.
We dry off and dress. I pull my hair up in a twist, apply a bit
of make up, and put on the beautiful gold and diamond earrings I find on the
dresser. Outside of the big blue bags under my eyes, I look presentable. And
calm.
There’s a knock at the door.
“Remember, babe, calm,” he cautions me quietly. Jakson answers
the door. He and the doctor whisper for a moment before the doctor enters the
room.
“You’re looking very well today, Samantha. How are you feeling?”
“Fine, thank you, Doctor,” I plaster a smile on face.
The doctor shoots Jakson a happy look.
“Yes, Doc, she feels much better today. She’s herself this
morning. I think we're ready to go home.”
“I’m happy to hear that. If you didn't improve soon, I was going
to have to start medicating Jakson.” The doctor lets out a nervous laugh.
“He's kidding, sweetheart. Don’t scare her, Doc. I'm fine. Just
seasonal allergies.”
*NOTE: Photo of Clearwater Beach, Florida on the beach looking north from the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, where I wrote the first few chapters of Charming Deception while we were there celebrating our anniversary at the same place we stayed on our honeymoon thirty-five years earlier. STILL a fabulous resort!
CAK
3.
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