Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“So are you just going to lay there and be silent and brooding?” I asked as if he could hear me. “Well, that makes you not my type. So you’re safe.” Giggling, I felt foolish. I moved the towels and began my ministrations, taking my time to massage every muscle in his legs. “The men that I dated weren’t the silent type. No, they loved to talk about themselves, but I doubt that is who you are. With the kind of work you do, I bet you are the guy that sits in the corner watching and waiting.” I sighed. “I hope you get to go back to your perch.”
I moved to the other leg. “So while I have an avid listener with no judgement, I might add that, even comatose, you’d make a better boyfriend than my last one. David Vander Meer. God, his name screams pompous dick, doesn’t it? He had it all. Well, almost all. A doctor, a wealthy family with a massive pedigree, but he had to sleep around to overcompensate, if you know what I mean. You’d think having a smaller penis, he would have at least tried to be good at it. Well, never mind. I’m sure you’re not interested in his little-man woes. Well, maybe that’s what makes me angry about his betrayal. I was insulted.”
I grabbed his foot and worked in the cream as I massaged his toes. Surprisingly, he didn’t have gross man feet. Everything except the whole coma thing had made Ricardo an incredibly handsome man. I shook my head and ignored my insane attraction to an unconscious patient.
“Nice feet, but now back to my sordid past, which began in medical school. I fell for the hot doctor. Who doesn’t? I’m sure you’ve had plenty of beautiful women. Anyway, we were just finishing school and he got accepted to a hospital on the East Coast. He gave me a ring and asked me to marry him. He wanted me to forget about my position here and move with him. When he asked, I didn’t hesitate to say no. It came out of nowhere, but I’d never been surer about anything in my life.” I stood and started a small leg exercise.
“I’ve never told anyone this, but since you can’t tell anyone... A week after the failed proposal, I bumped into David in town. He saw me and clearly tried to hide from me as if I couldn’t tell it was him. I was puzzled. Why was he trying to duck me? I did the dumping, so I should be the one running, but I tried to be civil, greeting him. ‘Hi David.’
“He blanched as if he couldn’t be seen with me, and seconds later, I saw why. A woman called his name as she came up in a pretty, pale blue sundress with her long blonde hair like mine down over her shoulders. The biggest difference between us was the large pregnant belly and the rock on her finger that he’d tried to give me. He cheated on me with this woman.” I moved about, checking his vitals, and then moved to the next exercise.
“What’s terrible is that he’d done it for a long time. ‘Is that the same ring you used to propose to me with?’ She gasped, looking between the two of us as if she’d puzzled something out. ‘Are you fucking kidding me? Are you Grace?’ I responded with a nod. ‘He told me that you two broke up a year ago when we got back together.’ She left him that day.”
Once more, I moved to the next spot and then continued with my tale. “I don’t know if they got back together or anything, but for a week he sent me nasty text messages that I ignored. I’d been the victim of his lies, and yet he was indignant. I can laugh about it now, but then, I hoped he wouldn’t come after me. I already had enough problems. I probably shouldn’t have told you any of that, but you’re such a great listener,” I said with a giggle. After finishing up, I checked his fluids and then covered him up so he didn’t get cold.
“Goodnight, Ricardo. I hope you recover soon.”
Day after day, I came back and tended to him, but I never shared that much with him again. I might have done a little overshare with a stranger. Poor guy couldn’t even run away from my boring stories.
Chapter 4
Ghost
My eyes ached as I opened them. The sun beamed on me, and I wondered where I was. The last thing I remembered was being tossed off a boat into the ocean. It made no sense. Was it just a bad dream?
No. Maybe this was a dream? My eyes felt heavy, and then I saw her lean over me. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a glow about her that gave me peace. Heaven, maybe? Shit. I didn’t deserve heaven, but I’d take it. If this was heaven, then why was my heart racing and my body sore? God, the pain…