"No, you don't miss me," I said, my voice rising. "You miss me taking care of you. You miss me feeling sorry for you because your life is so difficult. You miss me doing all the work to fix it. I am worth so much more than what you tell me I am. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of not being appreciated! The only time you come around is when you want something." I surprised myself by actually saying it out loud. I had thought those words so many times, but I never had the guts to say it before.
Shock registered in Michael's face. I had never yelled at him like this. "Kay, I do appreciate you! I really do! It's just that things are hard right now. I hate being away from you. My car broke and that job fell through and-"
"I don't care, Michael," I said, cutting him off. "I told you we're done. I meant it. I don't want to take care of you and your problems. It is always all about you. When's the last time you helped me out? Because I can't remember. I can't remember the last time you got me flowers or made me dinner or even offered to help do the dishes. I'm tired of taking care of you and getting nothing in return. I'm going back to work now, and I don't want you to visit me again." I hoped he couldn't see that I was shaking in my Crocs. Everything I hated about our relationship had just kind of spilled out.
As he stood there gaping at me, I realized just how much he had neglected me. Owen flew three hours in the wrong direction just to bring me flowers. In just the week since I had met Owen, he had done more nice things for me than Michael had done in the two years we were together. It wasn't about him spending money on me, either. It was about how he treated me. Owen complimented me. Michael teased. Owen put other people first. Michael never thought of anyone but himself. I didn't like myself when I was with Michael, because he was always putting me down. I was so much better than what Michael told me I was. Looking back, I was shocked that I had let the relationship go on as long as I did.
"Kay, I don't understand. You know things are bad for me right now," he said quietly. His shoulders slumped and he looked so dejected and broken that I almost apologized. No. I stood up straighter. I'm better than this. I deserve someone who wants to take care of me. Someone like Owen. Just because I felt bad for Michael and his situations didn't mean I had to fix them. Lord knew I had tried enough times, and yet he was still having the same exact problems. They weren't problems I could fix.
"Michael, things are always bad for you. You've got to fix it yourself this time. I have patients to see. Goodbye, Michael. Please don't come back. Ever." I turned quickly and headed back toward the ER. I knew if I turned around and saw his face, I might change my mind. He knew exactly how to look at me to make me cave, and I didn't want to see it. I hurried quickly through the ER doors and back into the safety of the nurse's station.
"You okay?" Allie asked as I leaned against one of the walls. "You look a little pale."
"I just told Michael that I'm tired of taking care of him and that I don't want to see him again," I said weakly. I pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes, shocked that I had actually said those things out loud to him. Allie snorted.
"About time."
I dropped my hands and looked at her. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her blonde ponytail falling over her shoulder. "What do you mean?"
"Kaylee, you are too nice sometimes. Especially to Michael. He's no good for you. Since the two of you broke up, you've been happier than I've seen you in a long time. And now, you said no to those puppy-dog eyes of his? I don't know what they put in the water in the Caribbean, but if it finally made you get rid of Michael for good, I hope you brought home buckets of it."
It wasn't exactly the water, I thought to myself.
"Thanks Allie." I took a deep breath and smiled. She was right. It was like I had taken a weight off my shoulders that I had never even known I was carrying.
"Don't mention it. Now, since you're back and in the mood to tell people off, Dr. James is on hold for your patient in Room Three." She winked and headed back out toward one of the blinking call-lights.
I sighed and tried to summon up some more of the same fire I had a moment ago. Instead, the only thing I could summon up was the image of Owen smiling.
Chapter 11
I rolled over in bed, listening to the hum of the heater. It was too cold to want to wake up. I smiled as I pulled the covers back up over my head. Since it was my day off, I didn't have to get up at all! Winter was giving its last parting shots at spring, and these would be the last few cold days before warmer weather hung around for good. I snuggled deeper into my blankets, replaying my last phone conversation with Owen.
***
"Are you free Friday?" Owen's voice crackled a little over the long distance connection. I knew he couldn't see me through the phone, but I nodded anyway.
"It's my day off. Why? You want to do something?" I hoped I didn't sound too eager.
"I was thinking I would take you out on a real date. Not just Chinese food in the back of a limo." I could hear the smile in his voice as he remembered exactly what we did in the back of that limo.
"I don't know, I kind of liked Chinese food in the back of the limo." I stopped myself as I started twirling my hair between my fingers. I couldn't help the giddy happiness that bubbled up inside of me at the thought of seeing him again.
"Don't plan anything on Friday, then. I'm taking you out. I want to spoil you."
***
The idea that I would see him tonight, that it would be for a real date night, brought a smile to my face. I was planning on taking a hot shower to shave my legs and everything. Maybe I'll even go shopping for a new dress, I thought. I stretched out under the pile of blankets on my bed, debating whether I really even wanted to get out of my very comfy bed at all. Maybe Owen could just join me here.
The buzzer to my apartment building decided that staying in bed was not an option. With a groan, I rolled out of my warm bed, fuzzy socks gliding across the wood floors as I went to the intercom by the door.
"Who is it?" I was expecting that the voice on the other end would be a delivery guy or the neighbor that continuously locked herself out of the building.
"Mr. Owen Parker sent me to come get you, ma'am. I have the car ready for you," answered a light masculine voice. I glanced down at my pajamas, and hit the talk button.
"Mr. Parker sent you? I'm not really ready." I was pretty sure my hair looked like a tornado had whipped across my pillow, and I hadn't even had my coffee yet.
"I can wait, ma'am. I was told to tell you to just wear something comfortable and to come as you are." The intercom crackled and I chewed my lip.
"I'll be down in a minute," I said into the speaker, and then hurried to find a pair of jeans. If Owen was going to have someone come get me first thing in the morning, then there was no way I was going to look my best. I did run a brush through my hair and swish some mouthwash before grabbing my purse and heading down.
Parked in front of my apartment building was a dark blue town-car with some sort of leaping creature as the hood ornament. I didn't know what kind of car it was, but I knew it was probably very expensive. As I opened the main entrance security door, I noticed the man standing in the entryway. He was a young and handsome in a crisp blue uniform.
"Ms. LaRue? If you'll follow me," he said courteously, leading me to the town-car. He opened the door and I slid across the heated leather seats. The car had that new car smell, and it was far nicer than any car I had ever been in. The man hopped in the driver's seat, and pulled out onto the road heading downtown.
"Where are you taking me? Is Owen here already?"
"Mr. Parker will be here this evening. Until then, he has arranged the day for you. Everything has been taken care of, and he would like you to enjoy yourself." The driver grinned at me as he turned on one of the side streets of downtown Des Moines and parked in front of a cute little brick building that housed the best spa in town. He ran around and opened my door, lending me a hand to step onto the street.
"Here we are, ma'am. Have a wonderful time."
"Thank you," I said, and he smiled as he jumped back in the car. It seemed a waste to have such a nice car hired for the five minute drive, but then again, Owen could afford it. The engine purred as the driver pulled away and I hurried out of the cold and into the warm building.
The door chimed softly as I stepped inside, my cheeks rosy. Soft classical music played overhead over the sound of the waterfall fountain in the corner. I had looked through the brochure for this place before, but I had never stepped inside. I had thought many a time of getting a massage here, but I could never seem to justify spending the money on myself.
"Kaylee! We thought you were going to sleep all day," Marissa shouted at me from across the room. Typical, boisterous Marissa. She sounded so loud in contrast with the quiet tranquility of the spa. I turned to see her and Allie sitting in white terrycloth robes sipping tea in comfortable looking chairs.
"What are you two doing here?" I asked, slightly confused as to why my two best friends would be sitting in a spa at eight in the morning waiting for me.
"Your new beau said you were getting pampered today and that we were invited to keep you company." Marissa grinned.
"Yup. He called and made sure we would come keep you entertained for the day until he got here. Is this the guy I saw give you flowers in the ambulance bay the other night? He's hot," Allie chimed in.
"And apparently loaded," Marissa added, gesturing to the room. She pushed a tendril of fiery red hair behind her ear and gave me a wicked grin. "He got a brother? I mean, I'd go for this Owen guy directly, but he seems pretty smitten with you. Plus, I like you too much to do that."
"Sorry, just a sister." I stood there looking at my friends, wondering just how Owen had known to invite these two women. Emma must have helped. "How long have you two been here?"
"Just long enough to put on these awesome robes. It's so soft, go gets yours quick. The massage lady is just getting the stones and the mud bath heated." Marissa leaned back and put her feet up on a stool. Allie pointed to a cute little door off to the side where I could put my things and change.
"He rented out the whole place just for the three of us, so don't worry about taking up too much room. Marissa here used four cubbies," Allie said. She and Marissa had a cubbie battle going on at work, so it was no surprise that she would pick up on Marissa's tendency of using multiple cubbies.
Marissa rolled her eyes. "And why not?"
I left the two of them to banter back and forth about how many cubbies a person should reasonably use to store their things and stepped into the room to change. I could see Marissa had used the cubbies to organize her shoes, clothes, and purse, while Allie had neatly stowed all her things in a single spot. I shook my head, wondering how the three of us ever stayed friends, considering how different we all were. But perhaps it was because we were so different that we got along so well.
When I stepped out of the changing room, the massage therapist was waiting for me with a smile. She took the three of us back to a quiet room with three tables set up and instructed us each to lie down and relax. Allie giggled and hopped up on a table, Marissa and I right behind her. As the three of us slipped under warmed sheets, I grinned. This was going to be a fabulous day.