already gone through, the last thing I expected was to be driven to Nick’s place voluntarily.
I thought after dealing with characters like T-Bone and Big Jer my day could not possibly get any worse. Besides, all I had to do was make it to my bed, and I could at the very least recharge. I wasn’t expecting Nick to go all caveman on me, accusing me of being with another man. I had a pretty good idea that my neighbor Miss Betty couldn’t wait to tell him I had someone over. That woman was so nosey that I made it a point to avoid her at all costs.
But she was the least of my worries. It seemed as if I kept finding myself in one predicament after the other, and there was no escaping. Nick had me over a barrel, and he knew it. I’m sure he couldn’t just kick me out of this house without proper notice regardless of whether he owned it or not. Someone with his resources could make my life more of a hell than it already was, and I had neither the money nor stamina to fight him. I prayed the next two months would go by quickly, and then I would never have to see Nick again. It was hard to believe that I was once head over heels in love with a man who had become my worst nightmare.
Thinking back to how we got together, I remembered how he was so charming and sweet and though I wasn’t particularly looking for a relationship at the time, he literally and figuratively swept me off my feet.
I absolutely hated these events, but I promised my supervisor that I’d show up in support of the hospital as it was hosting a charity event to raise money to renovate its children’s wing. I hadn’t been at the hospital for quite a year yet, so I felt it would have looked bad if I refused. Though I preferred to work in a smaller setting like private health care and nursing homes, this particular hospital paid better than any position I had had, and it provided exceptional medical benefits, one of which allowed me to add my brother on the family plan. That was the biggest pull to working here.
I wasn’t crazy about hospital politics otherwise, but I did enjoy my job and giving patient care. I pulled my phone out of my purse to glance at the time. I’d only been here for an hour, and I told myself that I’d stay at the ball for at least an hour, long enough to be seen by the people I worked with.
I sat at my table that had been reserved for some of the nurses who were in attendance. I was stuck on purse duty because I wasn’t really up to dancing, and I always felt super awkward at fancy dress up parties like this event. Two of my coworkers returned to the table, Ian and Gillian, their foreheads dotted with sweat.
“Aren’t you bored just sitting here?” Gillian asks grabbing a glass of water.
I grinned. “Not at all. I’m enjoying myself just watching other people. Besides, I’m watching purses.”
Ian held out his hand to me. “Well, enough being a wallflower, let’s go dance. Gillian can watch the purses.”
“Gee, thanks for volunteering me,” the other woman rolled her eyes.
“Don’t be like that Gil. You’ve been dancing all night. Give our friend here a turn.” Ian winked and smiled at Gillian who seemed susceptible to his charm.
She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. But I don’t want to be stuck here all night.”
“Just one dance,” Ian assured her before taking my hand.
When we were on the dance floor, he twirled me around until I burst into a peal of giggles. “You know, I never actually said I would dance with you. Gillian is going to be upset.”
He grinned. “She’ll get over it. Besides, I’ve been looking for an excuse to get you on the dance floor all night. And now that I have you, I going to relish every moment.”
I laughed again, but this time it more out of nerves than anything else. I didn’t know if he was just teasing me or being serious. Ian was of course a handsome devil with his smooth bronze complexion, pale gray eyes, a mop of curly brown hair. All the other nurses referred to him as nurse sexy, and often our female patients would request him once they caught a glimpse of that