Is he serious? “It wasn’t paper that cut you!”
“Paper would have been sharper than that third-rate knife.”
“Oh my God, you are so stubborn! And unreasonable!”
“I’m neither of those things. What I am is rational.” He thinks for a moment. “It’s important I drive you to work. I’m a better driver, know all the defensive maneuvers. I can lose tails and ram the other guy before he can come at us.”
What’s he talking about? The streets of L.A. aren’t like a war zone! “You said Roy wouldn’t bother me again.”
“Correct. He’s gone.”
“So why would we need defensive maneuvers?”
That makes him shut up.
God, it feels good to win a point. “Anyway, if you insist on going to work, I’m driving. And that’s that.”
He sighs. “Fine.”
“But if you don’t look good, we’re coming straight home.”
“That won’t happen.”
“We’ll see.”
The man thinks he’s made of steel. But he’s very much human. I’ve seen him bleed. It still bothers me he won’t take the pain medication. He has to be hurting, and he’s being stubborn for no reason. If he’s worried about getting groggy or something he could’ve asked the doctor for something else.
But noooo! That would take away from all that Slavic vodka manliness. I’m tempted to inform him that taking medicine doesn’t cause erectile dysfunction.
When we’re in the office, Rhonda hugs me. “Oh my goodness, are you all right? I was so scared when those men grabbed you! I made sure Elizabeth and Tolyan knew about it first. I wanted to see you, but you were busy being questioned by the police and had to be looked over by doctors and all that. You know, when something traumatic like that happens, the best thing to do is sleep and sleep some more…”
Words pour out of her mouth. I let her talk, since she seems to need to get it all out. Others come over to make sure I’m okay.
Finally, I say, “I’m fine, Rhonda. Your quick action made all the difference because Tolyan found me almost immediately.”
“I’m glad I was able to help.” She hugs me again, even more tightly. “I would’ve died if anything had happened to you.”
“He got hurt, though,” I say, slightly embarrassed by the amount of fussing.
Her eyes go wide. “I heard something about him going to the hospital.” She looks at Tolyan over my shoulder. “What happened?”
“He got stabbed.” I get it out quickly, before he can say something like “A nick.”
Her hands fly to her mouth. “Oh my God, Tolyan, why are you here?”
Just then, Elizabeth walks out of her office, hands on her hips. She looks like a fashionista warrior in a white dress with a waist cinched with a platinum belt and silver sandals. “Tolyan, Angelika, what exactly are you doing here?”
“I have this thing called a job,” he says flatly.
“And I have to work on the bachelor auction,” I say, unsure why she seems confused and upset that I’m here. But maybe she thought I’d stay home to take care of him.
“You’ve gone through a significant trauma. You should be home, recuperating,” Elizabeth says.
“Told you,” I whisper to Tolyan, since what I got from Friday’s incident is bruises on my wrists, nothing more, while he bled. A lot.
“Both of you,” Elizabeth says, pointing a finger in my direction.
“But I’m not injured.”