Idolatry

“Win?” her boss said.

She just nodded.

“Great” Cole said with a smile. “I have a meeting with a new client tonight and she insists on it being a dinner meeting.  I get the feeling she may be interested in more than business though and I want to discourage her. I thought that if she turned up and we were having a working dinner anyway she wouldn’t be tempted to make things difficult.”

Win’s smile faded. Of course he just wanted her as a buffer. She had got her hopes up for nothing, stupid Win. She should have known better. Still her disappointment wasn’t enough for her to say no to him. Looking down at the desk she said “okay.”

“We’ll go straight from work” he said with a bright smile that she caught sight of when she glanced up. He added “that way it will look like we were already working.”

Win looked down at her hands on the desk again “okay” she said.

“Thanks Win” he said “I won’t forget this.”

“I’m happy to help” she said in a tone that was anything but happy. She flicked her eyes up and he gave her a warm smile before heading to his office.

For the rest of the afternoon Win wondered why Cole had asked her to go to dinner. He wasn’t normally opposed to mixing business with pleasure so the reason he was keeping his distance this time had to be the woman herself. She couldn’t help but wonder what she would be like.

Idolatry

New Story

Cole Blake was Win Coates’ boss, a man she had secretly loved since she started working for him two years before. Cole had never looked at her in that way however, not that she was surprised. Cole was gorgeous and smart and talented and oozed a sophistication that intimidated her. He dated glamorous models and super intelligent career women while Win, at thirty seven and still single was at best average, average height, average build, with average brown hair and blue eyes. There was nothing exceptional about her at all. 

The same could not be said about Cole however. At forty two, he was a successful business man who owned and ran his own management company. He was tall and fit with a charm that matched his exceptional good looks. With dark hair and eyes and chiselled features, he was devastating. But while for some men his many attributes and successes would make them arrogant, Cole wasn’t like that. She had never seen him lose his temper, or raise his voice, or cut anyone down just because he could. He was also a kind and considerate boss who always thanked Win for her efforts and never took her for granted. 

With so much going for him, early on Win had placed him on a pedestal that had further moved him beyond her reach. But it didn’t matter, working for him and admiring him from her lowly position was enough.

“Morning Win” Cole said with a smile as he entered the office that Monday morning at eight o’clock.

Win wasn’t supposed to start until eight thirty but she was always in early so she would be set up before Cole arrived. “Morning Cole” she said.

“Any messages?” he asked stopping in front of her desk.

“I’ve emailed them to you” she said “but none of them are urgent.”

“Good” he said “now I have a favour to ask you?”

“Yes?” Win said with eagerness. She was so besotted by him that it made her day to be able to help him in any way she could.

“Are you free for dinner tonight?”

Win nearly fell off her chair. He was asking her out. For a moment she couldn’t respond.

Going Home

Part 127

A few minutes later, Margaret and Lily walked into the cubicle and smiled at the sight of Josh on the bed with Grace. But before they could say anything Josh held a finger to his lips and pointed at Grace who was now asleep. With Lily’s help Josh slid out from under her and they managed to get her resting comfortably on the bed again without waking her. Then tucking a blanket around her Josh kissed her on the head before moving away.

As they stepped away from the bed Margaret turned to Josh with a smile “you know we knew you’d arrived before we came in. As we walked past the nurse’s station all we could hear was the chatter about this gorgeous policeman storming in and demanding to see a patient and how they all wished it was them you were coming to see.”

But Josh was still concerned about Grace and not inclined to see the humour in the situation. He stood frowning down at his mother in silence.

Noticing his expression Lily tried to make him feel better “don’t worry about it Josh. I wish all men showed as clearly as you do how much people you care about matter to you. I’m sure Grace appreciates it too.”

Thinking about their recent conversation Josh said “I don’t know about that.”

Serious now Margaret added “yes Josh I was only teasing, it made me immensely proud to know that they were talking about my son, please don’t ever change.”

Feeling uncomfortable with the unfamiliar praise Josh just nodded and quickly changed the subject. Addressing both women he said “I’ve got to get back to work, when she wakes up tell her I’ll see her tonight.” Then turning he strode out of the cubicle.

Going Home

Part 126

Still not feeling very well Grace wanted Josh close. She needed some comfort, so holding out her hand to him she said with a slight smile “come here.”

But when Josh didn’t move she added in a soft voice “please.”

Josh’s emotions were still raging, she had really scared him. But recognising that it was not her fault he closed his eyes for a minute and took a calming breath as he let his anger seep away. Then moving slowly he walked towards her and taking her hand he kissed her head before sitting on the bed facing her.

Gripping his hand and giving him a stern look Grace reprimanded him “that wasn’t nice, it wasn’t his fault.”

Shrugging Josh said “maybe not, but they should have kept you in longer if this was a possibility.”

Grace smiled, she loved his protectiveness. She hoped he would always be this way because even though he had a tendency to go overboard at times it made her feel very loved.

But too exhausted to discuss it further she lay back on the pillow and closed her eyes.

Watching her Josh asked in a worried tone “you okay?”

“Yes, just tired.”

Remorseful now that his behaviour may have worsened her condition Josh squeezed her hand and whispered “sorry.”

“So you should be” she said with a smile. Then opening her eyes she added “now can you come up here and just hold me for a while?”

Smiling Josh feigned reticence. “Grace I’m shocked what would the nurses say?”

Shaking her head Grace smiled and commanded “oh shut up and get up here.”

Grinning Josh stood and moved up to her end of the bed. Then as she moved over he sat down with his back against the elevated bed and carefully wrapped his arm around her making sure he didn’t touch her left arm. Turning on to her right side Grace snuggled in to Josh with her head on his shoulder and whispered “I’ve missed you.”

Hugging her as tight as he dared Josh whispered back, “oh me too Gracie, me too.”

Going Home

Part 125

Pulling up with a screech of brakes Josh jumped out of TR2 and strode with purpose into the hospital again. He was very worried and it was expressing itself as venomous bad temper. What the hell was wrong with Grace? She was fine when he left her this morning. If they’ve sent her home too early there’ll be hell to pay.

Storming into emergency Josh asked in an angry tone to be directed to where Grace was. The nurse at the desk looked with a worried expression at the obviously irate man in police uniform confronting her but pointed to the correct cubicle. Josh strode off and ripped back the curtain. He glared at the doctor examining Grace “what the hell happened? Why was she discharged if she wasn’t ready to go home?” he yelled.

Looking at his angry expression Grace decided she needed to try to calm him before he took out his temper on the doctor. “Josh it wasn’t anyone’s fault. My temperature was fine when they checked it before I left. It was only when I’d been home for a while that I started to feel bad.”

Josh has been watching her as she explained but now turning to the doctor he said “shouldn’t you have foreseen this?”

Nodding the doctor replied in an even tone “an infection is always a possibility, that was why we put what to look for on the discharge papers. Whoever was with her did exactly the right thing in bringing her back in. We’ve started her on antibiotics now and I have no reason to believe she won’t respond to them. We’ll keep her in overnight to monitor her and she should be able to go home again in the morning.”

Josh was still frowning but said in calmer voice “okay, thanks.”

Smiling the doctor left and drawing the curtain on his way out said to the nurse on the desk “phew, I wouldn’t want to be a criminal in his path today.”