This was all thanks to my father. Who’d actively ruined my and my mother’s world.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll take the job.”
“Fantastic,” Rhonda said. “Here’s your itinerary and a brief bio of your client. The address for where you need to be in a few hours is on the inside front cover. Happy travels.”
Then, she turned her chair away from me, signaling that our meeting was over.
I took the packet off her desk and shoved it into my purse. I made my way home to my tiny one-bedroom apartment that was no bigger than most people’s living rooms. Tossing my purse onto my bed that doubled as a couch, I began to pack. I pulled out all of my best outfits and made sure they were ironed, then packed up my best heels to match. Nothing slouchy, nothing baggy, and nothing cheap. I packed up jewelry and makeup and the finest things I’d purchased specifically for my job, then zipped everything up, threw my purse over my shoulder, and set out for my rickety excuse for a car, suitcase in tow.
I had one last stop to make before I ventured to the airport.
I pulled up in front of the mental health facility and parked my car. I stepped out and made my way up, anxious to see my mother before I left for the week. She’d been in their care full-time now for almost three years. Ever since my father had died. Well, “died.”
We didn’t talk about that part much. Or at all.
She collapsed mentally a few days after we buried him, and she spiraled into a depression and anxiety that swallowed her whole. My chosen career allowed for my anonymity and safety and helped me to pay her medical bills. Which was why I couldn’t take the chance of letting a bit of sex stand in the way of what seemed like it would be a lucrative week for me.
If I could deliver on all fronts.
“Well, hello there, Miss—”
I held my hand up and stopped the front desk nurse in her tracks.
“Is my mother awake?” I asked. “I know it’s pretty early in the morning.”
“Late at night for me. Haven’t been to sleep yet. Unfortunately, your mother had a rough night last night. Her sleeping medication has been tweaked, and we just got her down a couple of hours ago.”
“What happened?” I asked. “Why didn’t someone call?”
“She kept demanding we not call you. But she was wandering the halls dancing again.”
“Was she calling out for my father?”
“No. This time she was convinced he was there dancing with her.”
I closed my eyes and swallowed hard before I drew in a deep breath.
“I don’t care what my mother says next time. If anything like that happens, you call me. You ring my phone until I wake up.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make a note of it.”
“I like the fact that you guys try to give your patients as much independence and control over their life as possible, but she should not be the dictator of whether or not you contact me.”
“I’m sorry, Miss—”
I shot her a look, and she shut her face.
“I’ll be gone for the next week on business. Call my cell phone if there’s an emergency,” I said.
“Where are you headed?” the nurse asked.
“Vienna,” I said.
“I hope you have yourself a good time then. And don’t worry, once your mother wakes up, I’ll have her give you a call.”
“I appreciate it.”
Chapter 3
Phillip
I flipped through my phone, checking my emails while my eyes darted to the clock on my phone. Not only was Justin in the fucking hospital with food poisoning all of a sudden, the woman he apparently hired to occupy my side was late. Justin’s “bright idea” to seal this deal for me was fifteen minutes late. I hated it when others were late. I hated it more than not working. Punctuality ruled my world, and this sorry excuse for a woman already had me fifteen minutes behind schedule. A had a dozen different businesses I ran within a given day. I couldn’t afford to wait hand and foot on a woman who spent too much time dousing on mascara and applying fake eyelashes.
I glanced out the window as I shot a text off to Justin. I didn’t like that he was sick. Not only did that leave me down the only person I trusted in my world, but I couldn’t stay behind to make sure he was okay. Justin was a bachelor like myself, so if the hospital staff weren’t taking care of him, then he was in bed until things like this passed. I should’ve known things would go terribly wrong once he told me he was sick and not able to make it to Vienna.