Saving Scotty by Annie Jocoby - Romance Novel

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novel
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Re: Saving Scotty by Annie Jocoby - Romance Novel

Unread post by novel » 03 Oct 2015 08:45

Scotty
I felt like I had once again been put through the emotional wringer, just in the past few hours or so. I didn't feel right when I left Nick's office this morning. He looked so ill at ease, and I had never before seen him look that way. It was almost as if he was very fearful about something, and I knew what that something was.
I thought that he was thinking that he was going to lose today.
So, Charlie brought me back to the building, and I made my way up to Nick's loft, with Jack's help. But I was feeling so bad about seeing Nick like that. I couldn't shake it.
"So," Jack said, as he helped me get from the lobby to the elevator. "How'd it go?"
"Fine," I said. "But I'm really worried about Nick."
"Why, love?"
"He looked scared and doubtful. He's usually so confident and such a bad-ass. But not today. I didn't like the look in his eyes."
Jack waved his hand dismissively. "Scotty, he's got this. If there's one thing that I know about that boy is that he's always in control. Ain't nobody gonna bring him down. So don't worry about it. Let's just go back up to the loft, order a pizza and watch girly movies all day long. Take your mind off of it. And I know the one movie that you watch when you're depressed or upset, and I got it all ready to go."
"Oooh, The Way We Were?"
"Bingo. Let's watch the movie and then the movie with the director's commentary. We'll open up a bottle of wine and get under the covers and have a ball today."
That brought my spirits up considerably. Leave it to Jack to remember how much I loved that movie, and how much I watched it when I was depressed. Yeah, the movie itself was kinda depressing, but, yet, there was also something about it that made me think of true love between opposites. Like Nick and me. And the way that Hubbell looked at Katie at the end of the movie - it was heartbreaking, really.
Jack and I popped some popcorn and got the movie out. It would have been perfect if it were raining outside, but, alas, it wasn't. Still, I didn't feel guilty doing this because my leg was broken. I also hadn't had the chance to start school, even though it began last week. That concerned me, but I was waiting for Nick to take me to campus so that he could talk to my instructors and get my assignments for me that I missed. So, my life was about to begin again in earnest, once I got back to school and working. I felt that this was going to be one of the last truly lazy days for awhile.
We watched the movie, but I didn't partake of any wine. I couldn't shake the feeling that Nick needed me. He didn't say as much. But I wondered if he was still trying to protect me when he didn't invite me to the meeting. I also wondered if there was any way that I could help out.
After the movie was over, Jack said "now, let's take a little break before watching it again with the director's commentary."
I nodded my head and said nothing. For some reason, the movie didn't take my mind off of my issues. I was still lost in thought.
"Scotty. Earth to Scotty," Jack said.
"I'm sorry, were you saying something to me?"
"Yes. I said that I wanted to take a break and get something to drink. I don't think that you're in the mood for an adult beverage, so I was going to bring you some orange juice."
I nodded again. "Sure, Jack, bring me some."
Jack stared at me. "Oh, okay. We'll have to do this some other time."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you're completely checked out. Now, you best be going over to the firm and giving your two cents. Otherwise, you're going to be mad at yourself, and nobody wants to be around Scotty when she's mad at herself."
"Do you really think that I should do that? I mean, Nick didn't ask that of me. Would I be intruding?"
"No, Scotty, you wouldn't be intruding. Anyhow, you probably need to give your story to the partners. Nick certainly can't give his story, because he was passed out when it happened."
My heart started racing, but I knew that Jack was absolutely right. I needed to give my side of the story to the partners, and I needed to do it quickly. The meeting was at 4, and it was already 3:15. It was heavy traffic, so I was afraid that I wouldn't make it on time.
"Okay, then. I need to call Charlie and get my rear end over there."
"Already on it," Jack said, reaching for his phone. He called Charlie and then looked at me. "He'll be downstairs in about five minutes."
"Thanks, Jack. What would I-"
"Do without me? Oh, your life would be so much less colorful, that's for sure. Now, let's get you downstairs and into Charlie's limo and you go and give those boys hell. Show them what for."
Which was how I ended up at Nick's firm just in time. He was surprised to see me, of course. I tried to text him when I got in the limo, but he apparently didn't see it. And, when I got to the conference room, I saw that Nick looked a little bit besieged. I was glad that I could help, but the room seemed hostile.
But when Fred got up and gave his testimony, I knew. Nick didn't know, but I did. Fred, even though he was somebody who wasn't very well respected at the firm, was also somebody who was unfailingly honest, and everybody knew that. He wasn't somebody who would make stuff up, so when he said that he heard Portia saying those things, then he really did hear it. Nobody in that firm doubted it. I looked around the room while Fred was talking, and nobody was looking like they were about to call bullshit.
Still, I felt badly for Fred. He obviously was terrified of being up there, and I could just imagine what Portia was thinking. She did look like she wanted to murder Fred slowly and painfully. But he didn't waver. Good for him. I always did like that guy. He was socially awkward, but always so nice to me, so I tried to go out of my way to make him feel just a little bit less of a pariah at the firm. And now he was coming through for Nick, so I liked him even more.
I did wonder why Portia was dumb enough to admit to Nick that she did that. I figured that she would deny it all, but, apparently, she thought that there was no way that she would get into trouble for it because it would be impossible to prove. So, she didn't try to deny it, and Fred heard her admission.
Funny how things go sometimes. Just goes to show that you really can't plan things that much. You can do all you can to prepare for life's little adventures, but, in the end, things like this just come down to luck. In this case, Nick and I were damned lucky that Fred was being nosy and that Fred had the courage to actually present his case to the partners. He didn't have to rise to the occasion, but he did. And I would be forever grateful to him for that.
I was happy that Nick was going to thank Fred personally, which was only the right thing to do.
At some point, Nick came back into the office. He shut the door and sat down on the couch next to me. "So, I have a project now. Find Fred a real woman."
I couldn't contain my smile. "Oh, that would be so sweet. He really needs that. Somebody who treats him better than Portia did."
"You've forgiven Portia, haven't you?"
"Yes. But how did you know?"
"You said her name instead of referring to her as 'that woman.'"
"Yeah. Well, I feel badly for her, actually. She obviously has mental issues."
"The only issues that she has is that she's entitled. She feels that she has to have anybody or anything that she wants, and, if she can't get them legitimately, she has to get them in some other way. I don't feel sorry for her, although I don't think that she's necessarily evil. She's just very misguided. Very misguided."
"And how," I said. "Anyhow, I feel that I'm going to be able to breathe when I come to work. God, how I dreaded working with her. She made me feel incompetent like nobody ever has. Even my mother in her most drunken state didn't say the things to me that Portia did."
Nick smiled. "I love that you're going to be able to thrive here now. Nothing is going to hold you back. Just don't end up schooling me. That would wound my manly ego."
I smiled. "Don't worry about that. I'll never be able to school you. Nobody will be able to. You're going to be a legend one day, you know that."
"One day?" he said with a laugh. "Just kidding. Well, thank you. And, thank you for showing up. I didn't want to involve you, but it does mean the world to me that you cared enough to get involved yourself."
"Of course, I had to get involved. What kind of a girlfriend would I be if I just sat home watching movies with Jack and eating popcorn, while you were here in the lion's den? I had to help out. I mean, look at what you went through to save me from that pervert on the island. If you go through those kinds of lengths for me, the least I can do is help you out when you need me."
At that, Nick wrapped his strong arms around me tightly. I had my head in his chest and could smell his aftershave and cologne. He always smelled so good - freshly showered and slightly woodsy. I could also feel his heart beating.
"Oh, Scotty, what would I do without you? I really don't even remember the time when you weren't in my life, and we've only been together for a matter of weeks. Weird, huh?"
I nodded my head. "I feel the same way. It's like we are linked inextricably together now, so whatever affects the one affects the other."
And then he led me by the hand to the couch. "I know that we just made love a couple of times earlier," he said, "but I want nothing more right now than to be inside of you again. So, wait right here while I go and lock the door."
I got excited as I saw him get up to lock the door. I always anticipated being with him in an intimate way, because it was always so good. I never in a million years thought that I could be with somebody, anybody at all, without fear, after all that had happened in my past. I thought that Mr. Lucas had permanently damaged me to the point that I could never have a normal relationship. Yet, Nick had managed to show me that there are decent and kind men out in the world. Men who could be trusted never to hurt me.
Which was another reason why seeing Nick and Portia together had devastated me beyond measure. It had made me question whether or not there would be a decent man for me. To do something like that after I had opened up completely - that would put me past the point of no return. It was such a relief to find out what had really happened.
Nick made his way back to the couch next to me, and he sat down. He soon was kissing me, and gently feeling his way up my thigh. As I felt his hands on my waist and breast, and his mouth on my privates, I felt the familiar tingle that radiated throughout my entire body. Never in my life did I think that I could feel such powerful orgasms from such simple acts. His tongue was just so commanding and gentle, and he knew just where to touch and caress. I was in awe of how well he knew his way around my body and my privates, considering that we had known one another for such a short time.
He stopped his gentle tongue caresses of my netherworld, and he was entering me slowly and easily. I bit my lower lip to keep from crying out, but it was almost painful to keep from doing so. I was just such brought to the height of ecstasy with every thrust and caress. He was whispering in my ear "you're so beautiful and sexy. God, sometimes I feel that I could live like this, inside of you all of the time. You don't know what you do to me."
I felt sublime. That was the only way to explain how Nick was making me feel. Sublime.
At some length, Nick groaned and then laid down on top of me.
And then he said something that took me completely by surprise.
He was stroking my naked belly, and said "you know, maybe one day we can stop using condoms. I know that you still aren't using anything, but it would be so nice to have a child with you. Have you ever thought about that?"
I shook my head. I had to admit that the thought had rarely crossed my mind. I never thought that I would get to a place where I had a solid enough relationship that I would be able to raise a child with somebody. And there was one thing that I knew that I didn't want - and that was to bring a child into a relationship that wasn't solid. Having been raised in a very dysfunctional setting with my mother and her revolving door of men, I wanted any child of mine to have a permanent father and mother.
"I, I, I have to admit that I haven't really thought about it that much. Are you really interested in that?"
"Of course," he said. "I do think about it all the time with you. I, well, I have two beautiful girls back in Kansas City. Uh, because of the way that I was living my life, the judge decided that they have to live with my ex. I've had lawyers working on it, so that I can get at least half-time custody, but Rielle is fighting it tooth and nail. My dream is that they can come and stay with me some, and that they can have a little brother or sister. It would be so nice to raise a child with somebody that I actually love."
This was more information from Nick than I had ever received about his life before me. It somewhat astounded me to find out that he had children. I guess it didn't occur to me that this was the case, because he never mentioned them before.
"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear about your ex," I said. "It must be so hard for you to be away from your children like that."
Nick looked sad. "Yeah, it is. It really is. They were truly the only good things that came out of my relationship with Rielle. There was just so much bitterness between she and I, that the children became casualties of our anger with one another. But I'm looking at getting a house in Connecticut very soon that I can use as a weekend retreat, and my hope is that April and Charlotte can come and visit at least once a month and spend the summers here. We'll see about that."
I just looked at him and smiled. I hadn't entertained the thought of children, but I could see it with him. I could see a lot of things with him that I had never before dreamed to be possible. A solid relationship, stability, love, sex and family - all of these things were now within my reach, where they never were before.
Finally I said "I'd love to have children with you. I mean, it's too soon now, but I definitely could see you as the father of my children. My future children."
He longingly stroked my belly some more. It was as if he really didn't want to wait, but knew that we should. Pragmatically, anyhow, it would be best to wait. We were together right then, and happy. But that could change at any moment. I really wanted to be married and rock-solid before I even thought about something like that.
"Well, you're right, of course," he finally said. "I mean, I could see forever with you, but I have to make you see that as well. And you need to finish school and get your career underway before even thinking about bringing a new child into the world." And then he chuckled. "So funny. At one point, I was seriously thinking about getting a vasectomy. Thank god I didn't, huh?"
"Why were you thinking about that?"
"Oh, I don't know. I was just so bitter at that time. I thought about a lot of things. The future didn't look so good about a year or so ago. And now…well, let's just say that the future looks considerably different than before. Much better."
I stroked his arm and looked him in the eyes. There was just so much love and passion in those eyes, that I actually did start to see forever in him, just like he said that he saw in me. And I could see our family in the future. With Uncle Jack hopefully living nearby, of course. I think I would be lost without Jack in my life in some way.
Finally I said "I would like to have children with you, Nick. Not right now, but definitely in the near future. I think that you'd be a great daddy."
He smiled big when I said those words, and then he whispered "Oh, you made my day," as he thrust inside of me again.

novel
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Re: Saving Scotty by Annie Jocoby - Romance Novel

Unread post by novel » 03 Oct 2015 08:45

Nick
I had brought up the subject of children to Scotty, but I really didn't mean to so soon. The words just came tumbling out of my mouth before I even had the chance to think. Which was like me, because I often spoke without thinking, but not like me at the same time.
It occurred to me that I had never before wanted to have children with a woman. Rielle didn't really count, because our first child together was a total accident. The condom broke and I wasn't aware of the thing called "Plan B." Which was how Rielle and I ended up married in the first place, because I wanted to do the right thing. But Charlotte totally changed my perspective and my life, so I didn't regret it at all. If there was one thing that I knew, and that was that Rielle, no matter how I felt about her, was put into my life for a reason, and that was to bring my girls into the world.
But with Scotty - I really wanted to have children with her. It was crazy how much I wanted that. I was being totally selfish, and I knew that - Scotty had a long way to go before she could get to the point where raising a child would even be practical. She had to finish school, and she was crazily talented, so I hoped that her ambition would take her places, much like my ambition took me places. I mean, I would hire a nanny, of course, to help out, but Scotty's life would be inextricably changed by having children, and I didn't want to derail her career.
So, I had to hold off on that. I didn't want to bring it up to her so soon, but, somehow, I did. The horse was out of the barn, so I only hoped that I wouldn't scare her away by bringing up this subject so soon.
But, as usual, when you make plans, god laughs. And He did laugh again. Because the topic of having children with Scotty took a turn that I didn't anticipate, and couldn't anticipate. And neither could she.

The first issue that cropped up and presented a possible roadblock of my making plans with Scotty to have a child was that there was something that she wasn't telling me. Namely, that she quite possibly would be a mother sooner than she had hoped.
"Uh, Nick, there was something that I didn't tell you that day when we, you know, talked about having children," she said. We were having dinner together. Jack was out with his new Burberry Boy, which was how Scotty referred to Jack's new fling, Lance, not wanting to call him by his name because then she "might get too attached, and, knowing Jack, he won't be around long."
"What's that, love?" I asked her, taking her plate to the kitchen. I had actually started to like cooking, to my total surprise, and it helped that I had such a willing guinea pig for my culinary experiments. I still burned things from time to time, but I mastered the art better than I had ever hoped. Consequently, Scotty and I actually ate at home most nights, and I didn't even rely on the pizza delivery guy as much as I used to.
Life was starting to get back to normal, and it felt great. Both Scotty and I felt that a 1,000 pound weight was lifted when Portia left. Scotty had gone back to work and school, and I could tell that she felt so much more freedom at work and so much like a dark cloud was gone from there. The change in her mood was wonderful to see.
I had also hired a team of lawyers to ensure that Mr. Lucas was not legally related to Scotty anymore, so that what had happened at that hospital could never happen again. Turns out that it was a matter of paperwork not being filed that should have been, years ago. The paperwork was filed, and that was that. Mr. Lucas had no more legal claim to Scotty. The same team of lawyers was also gearing up to sue the living bejesus out of that damned hospital for negligence, as they clearly should never have let Scotty go with that predator, especially as she had clearly stated her wishes on the matter. So, these were two very positive developments.
Yet there was something wrong with her, I could see. I wasn't quite sure what it was.
"Well, uh, right before I, uh, had my accident, I got an upsetting phone call about my brother, Aaron."
"What phone call was that?"
"From child protective services. They, uh, wanted to talk to me."
My heart started to sink. But, after a moment or so, I started to think that if Scotty got custody of Aaron that it wouldn't be so bad. We'd have to hold off on having a child, but, let's face it, we probably needed to hold off on that anyhow until we were married. Which I was becoming more and more positive was going to happen sometime in the near future.
"Go on," I said. "What did they want?"
"Well, it turned out that they just wanted to talk to me. To prepare me for the possibility that my mother will, uh, lose Aaron sometime soon. She's being monitored closely. I know that she's trying. She has always tried, but she just can't seem to kick the booze. I, I, I, don't really know what to do about that. I mean - "
"If you have to take Aaron, temporarily or permanently, that won't be a problem," I said. "There is plenty of room here, and that will inspire me to get that house in Connecticut that much sooner."
Her eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what to say," she said. "I thought that you wouldn't want to be with me if you knew that I, you know, might have to take care of my little brother. I mean, I'm not officially living here. I'm just staying here until my leg is fully healed. That was a major concern for me in taking care of Aaron, because I don't have room where I live. But it means the world to me that you would be willing to help me out."
I took her hand. "Scotty, whatever happens, I'm right here. Whatever you need. I want you to eventually move in here, you know. I didn't want to push it, but if you get Aaron, then that means that you will just have to move in that much quicker. Which I don't really mind."
Scotty shook her head. "I love you so much, Nick. But I can't ask that. And I'm worried about Jack. He won't be able to swing that place by himself."
I shrugged my shoulders. "So, I buy Jack a place in this building. I'll charge him whatever he can afford, and that solves that problem right there."
Scotty's eyes got wide. "Really, Nick? I, I, I don't know what to say. You would do that?"
"Sure," I said with a shrug. "Hey, it's an investment, you know? With the way these lofts are always going up in price, it would be a shrewd thing to buy another unit in this building. So, Jack would be doing me a favor by looking after the place." I really didn't care about the fact that buying a loft for Jack would be an investment, although I knew that it would be. I really wanted to make sure that Scotty didn't feel bad for leaving Jack high and dry, if she moved in with me, and I also wanted to make sure that she had him around. Jack made her happy, and I knew that having Jack close by, even if she moved in with me, was something that she would definitely want. Everybody would win in that situation.
Scotty looked dumbfounded. "I, you, uh…" And then she started to cry. "I can't believe that I found somebody like you. I can't believe that somebody like you even exists."
I smiled. "I do exist, Scotty, and I would do anything for you. Anything. Now, perhaps this is all premature. You might not get Aaron. But I do see us living together, and more, one day. In the near future. But, at the same time, I don't want to rush into things. So, just monitor the situation and let me know. I'm good with anything."
Her entire face lit up, and she hobbled her way over to me and sat on my lap. "I love you, Nick. I never thought that I could ever love somebody as much as I love you."
"Just remember that, my love. And, for the record, I feel the exact same way about you."
So, that was a potential roadblock in my having a family with Scotty.
But there was something that came up that was even more devastating. And quite possibly would affect our life plans even more than the Aaron situation.

novel
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Re: Saving Scotty by Annie Jocoby - Romance Novel

Unread post by novel » 03 Oct 2015 08:45

It happened about a month after Scotty had moved in. Her leg was almost healed, and Jack was still staying with us, and also was staying with Lance some of the time. Scotty didn't tell me as much, but I had the feeling that she still wanted Jack to stay with us because she still wasn't entirely over what had happened to her with Mr. Lucas, and she felt that she could tell Jack things that were hard for her to tell me.
For my part, I was happy to still have Jack around. He was a lot of fun, and I was back to work full-swing, along with my teaching. Scotty was also back at school and work, but she was without me in the loft sometimes, and I wanted to make sure that she had company. I worried about her, because she was still having a lot of nightmares. She would talk in her sleep, and wake up screaming sometimes. I tried to do as much as I could to ensure that she was recovering, and that included ensuring that she had the one person who had always been there for her, long before I came on the scene, to talk to when she needed it.
Also, Scotty was afraid to press charges against Mr. Lucas. At first, she wanted to, very badly. But, when I called the firm where the pervert worked, and he was back in the office, which meant that push was going to come to shove, Scotty didn't want to do it. She was terrified.
So, Jack stayed in the loft because he and I were trying to gently coax her into pursuing charges against the man. I was much more gentle than Jack was, though. It was good cop, bad cop - I tried to gently encourage her, while Jack was much more pushy and blunt. I needed Jack for that, as well, to try to push Scotty where she clearly didn't want to go. So, all in all, Jack needed to stay, for all of those reasons, and stay was what he did.
And there was plenty of room in my loft, so Jack didn't really get that much in the way.
Anyhow, I also tried to concentrate on my new side project, which was finding a woman for Fred. I didn't really know where to start at first. After all, I knew a lot of women. But they weren't women that I wanted Fred to know. They were my short-termers from before I met Scotty. Penelope and Amber, and other models who I ended up sleeping with, both in three-ways with Penelope and sometimes one on one. I hadn't been in the city for long enough to know many quality women, aside from Ava. And, unfortunately, Ava was clearly out of the question. Nate told me that I devastated poor Ava, and she wasn't in the market for anybody new.
Which was too bad. Ava might have been a good option for Fred.
But, then again, maybe not. After all, Ava fell in love with me. I was very different from Fred, so Fred probably wasn't her type.
But Nate was probably a good person to ask about finding somebody who would be Fred's type. After all, Nate had lived in the city since college, and he knew a ton of people - both men and women. Natalie did too, and Nat was such a friendly and social person that she probably had an entire roster of women to choose from. So, I decided to start with them.
And, sure enough, Nate knew somebody who was a sister to his racquetball partner, who might be just the right person. Her name was Melissa, and she was an environmental lawyer who also played in a rock band. And, according to Nate, she was really into geeky men.
"And, Nick, she's quite a stunner too. I mean, if you don't mind tattoos. She keeps them covered up in her day job, of course, but when you see her perform, you see that she has more than a little bit of ink on her."
I nodded my head. The entire thing actually made a bit of sense to me. Fred, the shy geek, with Melissa, the wild rock chick who also has a respectable job? Respectable in the sense that Fred would feel less intimidated. I couldn't see him with somebody who was a rocker full-time, but a part-time one who was an attorney by day? I somehow could see that he might be digging that. Hard.
So, I actually made a date for Fred, Melissa, Scotty and me to meet at Tao, which was a hip Asian restaurant on Park Ave. I had been there before, and it was very open-air, with an enormous Buddha in the middle of the room. It was expensive, yet casual, and the food there was phenomenal, so I thought that it would be a good place to have Fred meet Melissa. I hoped and prayed that they would hit it off. Ever since Fred saved my bacon, I found that I was almost obsessed with finding him somebody to make him happy. It was my way of paying him back, but, also, I really just thought that a stand-up guy like him shouldn't have to be alone in life.
That night, Scotty and I got dressed up a little to go and meet Fred and Melissa. Fred, for his part, was totally excited about meeting this mystery woman. I told him all about her - about her tattoos and her rock band, and her environmental causes. As I suspected, Fred was all about a woman like Melissa.
And I had also previously met with Melissa, to size her up a little bit. As Nate said, Melissa was quite the looker. She had black hair and hazel eyes, and was about 5'5" and very petite. She was outspoken and brash, and very talkative. But, she also was clear that she preferred guys like Fred.
"Now, let's review," she said. "This guy is an architect and he's really shy? And socially awkward?"
"Well, uh, yeah," I said. No use lying to her. She was going to meet the guy, and if I told her that he was some kind of loquacious stud, she probably would've gotten completely pissed. "He is. But he's such a nice guy."
"I believe you," she said. "Count me in."
I was surprised. "Really? That was easy."
"Yeah. Listen, there is one thing I have learned over the years. And that's that I don't want somebody like myself. Two ballbreakers together can never work. That's why my most successful relationships have been with guys who are more on the quiet side. And the geek part I really love, because intelligence means more to me than anything else. So, yeah, I'll meet this guy."
So, as Scotty and I made our way to the restaurant to meet these two, she was totally excited. "This is so cool," she said. "I just love double dates. And I love that you went so out of your way to find a woman for Fred. You are just such a phenomenal person."
I smiled. I was actually thinking that I was becoming a better person by the day. I didn't know if it was because Scotty made me want to be a better man, or that, perhaps, I was just ready to become better. All that I knew was that I was a better person than I had ever been before. I was becoming the man that I had always imagined I would be. And that made me happy, and it really made Scotty happy as well.
We got to the restaurant and found that Fred and Melissa were already there. I looked at their body language from afar and was very encouraged. Fred was smiling, big, and Melissa was leaning into him. Melissa took off his glasses and put them on her face, and I saw her touching his arm a lot.
Things are going to go great tonight. Scotty and I approached the two and sat down at the table.
"Hey, you," I said to Fred. "Guess you guys got here a little bit early, didn't ya?"
Fred's face got red. "Yeah. Uh, I took the liberty to call Melissa yesterday and we kinda had it arranged to meet before you guys got here."
"Yeah," said Melissa. "You know, see if we like each other a little bit. Then, if we didn't dig each other, we'd just cut out before the two of you even got here. Saves an awkward meeting."
"Well then," I said. "Guess it's a good sign that you both are still here, huh?"
Fred smiled. "It's a good sign indeed."
Melissa was smiling too. "Betcha didn't know that Fred is into girl punk. He actually has everything that Slant 6 has ever recorded."
"Oh, sorry," I said. "I guess I'm hopelessly square. Who is that?"
And then the two of them launched into exactly who this group was. I gathered that it was a girl punk band who was out of Washington DC, and was considered one of the paragons of the underground punk subculture.
I had to smile at that one. Not much surprised me, but this did somehow.
As the night wore on, I found that the two of them had even more in common than that. They had both been to Comic Con in San Diego for the past ten years, and they spent the evening talking about all the different things that went on there.
Scotty and I were feeling, more and more, like third and fourth wheels. But Scotty didn't seem to mind. She was having fun listening to their conversation. She kept nudging me under the table, and she whispered a few times "you did good. How did you know that Fred would like this girl so much? Or that she would like him so much?"
I shrugged. "I just had a feeling. A good feeling."
Finally, it was time to get the check, and Melissa suggested to Fred that they get together the following evening for dinner at her place and maybe check out some live music in the Village. Fred readily agreed to that.
We all got into our respective vehicles, and gave hugs all around.
Fred took me aside. "Thank you," he said. "I don't know how to thank you, but thank you."
"Sure," I said. "Anytime." I had to laugh inwardly. Turns out that Fred was so much less socially awkward in the right environment. With the right person. A lid for every pot, so they say. Who knew that Fred's lid would be so different from what I imagined him to be? But I was thrilled to be helping him out. And I predicted that he would come out of his shell at work, as well. I was counting on it.
On the ride home, Scotty held my hand. "You really did good. I'm just amazed sometimes. You just seem to have a read on people."
"Nah," I said. "I just got lucky with this one. I figured that I'd go with somebody who would be off the beaten path, somebody who I wouldn't necessarily imagine would go for him, and see where it goes. I had no clue that they would hit it off, to be honest, so I'm as surprised as you are, really."
Scotty laughed. "Well, that was a fun night. That food was so amazing, too. I'm so full. Of course, it was Asian food, so, you know what they say. We'll probably end up getting McDonald's on the way home."
True that, I thought. True that.
So, it was a good night, overall. I did my good deed in repaying Fred for his courage in helping me to oust Portia, so I was happy about that. Scotty and I were in a great place, overall, even though she was still having night terrors and sometimes had trouble sleeping. But I was supporting her, and making sure that she was getting through all of that.
But I couldn't anticipate what was going to happen next.
Scotty went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. For my part, I plopped down on the bed and proceeded to do some light reading before I hit the sack.
But I was roused out of my smug little world when I suddenly heard Scotty screaming.
I rushed into the bathroom. "What's going on?" I asked her. She was lying on the floor, and tears were streaming down her face.
"Wha-wha-what's happening to me?" she asked. And then I looked at the toilet, and I knew what she was talking about. It was filled with blood, and there was pink fluid that was running down her leg. More blood was coming out of her orifice, and then I saw that there were large clots on the floor next to her.
Don't panic, Nick. Inside, my mind was racing. I had no idea what was causing this, and I hoped and prayed that it wasn't something life-threatening.
Scotty also appeared to be in severe pain. She was holding her abdomen, and wincing.
"Honey, do you need me to call you an ambulance, or do you think that you can manage if I just take you into the hospital right now?" I didn't want to call an ambulance if that wasn't absolutely necessary, because that might scare her more than ever.
She shook her head, her tears streaming down her face. "No, Nick, please just take me in. I hate hospitals, but I'm really scared right now."
"Okay, then. Can I clean you up before you go?"
She nodded her head. "Please do. I'm really embarrassed to go anywhere with all of this blood on me."
I gently picked her up, and put her into the shower. I got out a sponge and made sure that all of the blood on her legs was washed off, and then I carried her out and started to dress her. "Honey, do you have any pads? I don't think that you use them, but I need to ask anyhow." It was then that I cursed myself for not having a First Aid kit at the house. That was something that I was going to have to invest in for the future, so that I wasn't caught unawares in situations like this.
She shook her head. "No, Nick. I, what am I going to do?"
There was a convenience store on my block which was open all night, but I didn't want to leave Scotty to go to it. She looked terrified. She was shaking and crying and holding her stomach in pain. So, I called Charlie to bring me some pads from the store.
"Yes, Mr. O'Hara," Charlie said.
"I'm so sorry to wake you. But I need something quick. Could you bring me some maxi-pads from that convenience store that is open all night? It's right on my block. And I need that ASAP."
"Of course, I will be there in about ten minutes," he said.
"Thanks." Good ol' Charlie - it was 1 AM, but he didn't blink when I needed something from him. Of course, it helped that I paid him a six-figure salary for being my driver and for being at my beck and call whenever I needed him. So there was that. Bringing maxi pads to me in the middle of the night was just part of his job description.
So, I laid down on the floor next to Scotty. She had on her top, but no bottoms. I put an old towel on the floor, and she was sitting on that. The towel was becoming soaked with blood and clots. She was starting to hyperventilate, so I rubbed her back and then stood up and got out the inhaler that I gave her the last time she had problems breathing because she was so distraught.
She sucked on the inhaler while I pumped it. "There, there," I said. "Shhhhh. Charlie's going to be here any moment with some pads, and then I'm going to take you straight to the closest hospital."
She nodded her head, and clung on to me. "What's happening to me?"
I didn't know. I just sat there with her, feeling helpless, and wishing that I had a clue on what to tell her. Her hemorrhaging had come on so suddenly, so it was just something that was clearly out of my realm of knowledge. But my mind was spinning, hoping and praying that it wasn't some kind of tumor or something like that.
I honestly didn't know how I would deal with something like that. If Scotty were really sick. Of course, I would be there for her and would be her source of strength, but if something happened to her like what had happened to Michelle…
I took a deep breath. I remembered how everybody in the family was affected by what had happened to her. How I had never seen my father cry until the day of the funeral. How my mother seemed to never stop crying for months on end. How I was pushed aside in their grief. There was such a devastation and an emptiness after Michelle's passing. And I remembered, as I sat on the floor with Scotty, that Michelle's diagnosis came after she started bleeding much like this. The cancer was swiftly moving, and, by the time they found it, there was nothing that they could do.
Calm down, O'Hara. Calm down. Scotty's not sick like Michelle. She's not. She's just not. Would fate be that cruel? Give me somebody like Scotty, and then snatch her away?
By that time, her sobbing had turned to low whimpering. She was still shaking, and still clinging on to me, but there were no more tears. Just the low whimpering, which sounded somewhat like a cat that was in pain.
I felt impotent, so I just sat there on the floor, stroking her hair and her back and whispering comforting words to her. "It's okay, Scotty. It's going to be okay. Shhhh, Charlie's going to be here at any minute, and then I can get you dressed and I'll take you in. I'm sure that there's nothing wrong with you that can't be fixed. The doctors will fix you."
I silently prayed that I wasn't lying to her. That the doctors really would fix her.
Where was Charlie? What was taking him so long? I looked at the clock, and then realized that it had only been around 20 minutes since I had called him. He said that he would be here in about a half hour, so I needed to stop being so impatient.
But I felt like I did when Scotty was missing. Every second dragged on, and every minute seemed like hours. I could do nothing but hold her, and, every so once in awhile, I got her back in the shower and rinsed off her legs.
Finally, Charlie was knocking on my door.
"Just a minute, Scotty. I'll be right back."
She said nothing, but just nodded her head. She continued to make the little mewling sounds, and the tears were starting again. But she tried to look brave, and I loved her for that. Poor girl had been through so much, and now this. How much more would she be able to take?
I got back with the pads in my hands. I also had a fresh pair of underwear. I put one of the pads in the underwear and put it on her. And then I helped her put on a skirt, because she didn't want to ruin a pair of pants, and I helped her off the floor. I then got her wheelchair out - usually she used crutches, but, in this case, it would be imperative that I be able to get her to the hospital in a short period of time, so I knew that a wheelchair would be necessary. I picked her up and carried her down the stairs, and then ran back up and carried the wheelchair down. I put her in her wheelchair, and then put a blanket over her, and wheeled her to the elevator.
While I stood and waited for the elevator, Scotty was clutching her blanket and crying softly. My heart went out to her, and I silently prayed, more than I have ever prayed since Scotty went missing, that she would be okay. That this was something that was fixable. I tried not to let my mind go to the alternative - after all, I didn't think that Scotty had a doctor. She wasn't getting regular check-ups. Something could have been festering for some time, and she was just now showing symptoms.
But I wasn't going to get ahead of myself. Scotty was going to be okay. She was going to be fine. I took a deep breath and repeated that mantra to myself as the elevator arrived and took us down to the lobby floor.
Charlie was still waiting for us, because I asked him to go ahead and take us to the hospital. He opened the door and I helped Scotty in. Then I rode in the backseat with her, all the way to the hospital.

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