“Please tell Dr. Gordon I really need to see him as soon as he can spare me a minute.” I told the nurse once I was settled back in my bed. She nodded and left.
I was more exhausted than I thought I would be. Without the fog of the morphine my mind was free to wonder. I had two choices; I could lay here and get angry about what had happened to our unit or I could try to think of something else. I needed to think about anything else and the only thing my mind would settle on was Ethan. I fell asleep thinking about his smile and the way he looked in the moonlight along the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
Chapter Seven
Kay
When I woke up I again, Michael was sitting next to my bed typing furiously on his laptop.
“Hey.” I said my voice hoarse.
He immediately put his laptop down and came over to the bed. “Ms. Dandridge, how are you? What can I get you?”
I smiled and looked over at the table next to the bed.
“What? What do you need?”
“Ice chips.” I pointed. He smiled and handed me a cup.
“Thanks.” I croaked. For a moment when I first woke up, I thought it was Ethan sitting there. That he had come to rescue me. I took a few ice chips and Michael put the cup back on the table.
“This okay?” He indicated the location.
I nodded.
“I brought you a laptop as well.” He gave me a small smile.
“Thank you.” My voice was still hoarse.
“If you don’t mind my asking,” He looked uncomfortable. “Why did you want me to come here?”
I smiled. “In case I die, we have to make sure the business is taken care of.”
“Oh.” He looked surprised then shook his head. “I never met your father; from what I hear you are a lot like him.”
“You never met him?” I was confused. Maybe it was the medication.
“No, your mother hired me. She didn’t like Elliott.” Michael laughed a little.
I nodded. “He has his own way of looking at things.” I wondered why my mother kept Elliott if she didn’t like him.
Michael nodded. I thought for the first time that things may not be easy for him at the company. I had no idea if he and Elliott got along but if I had to guess based on this new information I’d say not.
“Does he give you a hard time?” I wondered out loud.
“No, not really. I can and have learned a lot from him I still have my own way of doing things.”
“Listen, thank you so much for coming all the way over here. I know it must be a burden on your schedule and your family. Honestly, I didn’t know who else to call.”
He smiled.
“I don’t trust many people.” I admitted.
“I gathered that. And I am honored that you called me and asked for my help.” He sat down and picked up the laptop. “What should we work on first?”
Ethan
I went home dog-tired from the day; I was too tired to sleep. I poured a bourbon and glanced at the mail. A heavy cream envelope slipped out of the stack and onto the kitchen counter.
I set the rest aside to examine the envelop. It was a good quality stationary. And it was addressed to me in an elegant font. I was both suspicious and intrigued. I opened it carefully.
Inside was a matching folded invitation with the same elegant font.
You are cordially invited to the Mayor’s Dinner
to honor this year’s Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Businesses of the Year
A kind reply would be appreciated by April 15th.
I must have been on some list from when Diane and I were still together. I checked the address again. No, it was addressed to only me. I had the urge to toss the thing in the garbage but instead I removed the RSVP card, checked the box that I would attend and slid it into the return envelope. I had a feeling my friend Vice Mayor John St. Clair had something to do with this. But, why not see where this was leading. It was three weeks away that gave me a little time to investigate it further.
◆◆◆
“I’m out of here tonight, see you all in the morning.” I announced to the team as I left the office.
Every one of them looked up surprised. “Leaving early?” Stephanie asked.
“Yeah.” I left them hanging.
“Everything alright?” Jared asked.
“Sure. Why wouldn’t it be, Jared?”
“I don’t know you’re always the last to leave.”
“Leave the man alone, maybe he has a hot date.” Logan joked.
“Maybe I do.” They all stopped laughing and stared at me. I smiled and left.
I went home and showered, shaved and changed. The Mayors dinner was a formal so I had to dust off my tuxedo. It has been at least six years since I had worn it and I was pleased with myself that it still fit. I drove to the Boxwood and let the valet park my car. He was young and looked at my Dodge Hellcat with envy.
“Son, you see this badge?”
“Yes, sir.” He replied.
“You know what it means?”
“It means if I scratch your car you can kill me?” He stammered.
“Exactly.” I leveled a stare at him.
“Yes, sir.”
I let my stare burn into his brain as he slid behind the wheel and slowly drove away. I stepped into the lobby where a young lady sat with a list.
“Good Evening.” She smiled.
“Evening, Ethan Craddock.”
The young lady checked her guest list.
“Yes, sir. Right through there.”
I followed her gaze to a crowd of people. I was having serious second thoughts. Maybe I should just ditch this thing and head downtown for a soft-shell crab and some music.
“Ethan! So glad you came!” The vice mayor called to me with an outstretched hand.
“John, good to see you.” I shook his hand.
“I’m pleasantly surprised to see you. I wasn’t sure you would come. Are you alone?” He looked around for my plus one.
“I’m a little
