Authors: Sylvia Hubbard
Running up the stairs, Skye found the bathroom close to the top. Splashing cold water on her face, her body fought control of the panic attack gripping at her being. She purposely didn’t bring any medicine so she would not get disoriented. She had stopped taking them, but the panic attack was gripping her hard, enfolding her body like an envelope.
Burying her face in the towel, she fought mentally to get control. Suddenly strong warm arms encircled her body.
Initially, she tightened up closing her eyes tight, but then relaxed feeling light as a feather and warm all over. A comforting deep voice whispered in her ear.
Skye immediately realized she was still at Trisha mom’s house and not alone. Looking up she gasped, tightening up again. How had he gotten here? Why the heck was he holding her? Pushing away, she was still disoriented.
“I-I’m sorry,” she apologized.
Thaddeus straightened his jacket a little. “No need. You were shaking and crying. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“I was?” she asked going back over to the mirror after neatly replacing the towel. She looked plain again. The lipstick she had on previously was gone. Reaching in her purse, instead of lipstick she found so Vaseline to apply to her lips to further enhance her dullness. Out the corner of her eye she was watching him watch her.
“Thank you.” She put the Vaseline back in her purse. “I don’t know what was wrong with me.” She forced a smile to assure him and herself that everything was fine.
“You seem to be out of it. Is everything really okay, Ms Patterson?” He was genuinely concerned stepping close to her.
She took a step back, unsure what she would do with him so close. “Fine, Mr. Newman. I am fine. Thank you again. I didn’t realize I had caused alarm.”
“You walked right by me downstairs?”
“I did?” she asked surprised. “I didn’t see you.” This was the absolute truth.
“Trisha asked me to come and check on you.”
“Like I said, I’m fine.” She turned away deliberately so she wouldn’t face him.
He relented. “Then I’ll see you downstairs.”
When Thaddeus conceded she let out a sigh of relief, leaning against the sink in embarrassment. Why did he make her feel so uptight yet relaxed at the same time? Should she feel this way? Why was it so hard to maintain her equilibrium when he was around?
* * *
Thaddeus stopped at the top of the stairs. Why did he feel like an ass whenever he thought he was doing something good for her?
Why was he persistent in seeing her when he knew she had no interest in him? She barely looked at him.
Trisha saw him come down stairs not looking pleased. The grim expression on his face made him so unapproachable. He was the birthday boy and this was his party, yet he was choosing to look put out.
Moving up to him, Trisha simply asked if Skye was all right.
Thaddeus only nodded and then moved past her to greet her mother and father. Trisha went upstairs to see Skye putting on her coat.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes,” Skye said, simply.
“But the honored person, just arrived.”
“That honored person happens to be a man I feel uncomfortable around and I don’t see why I should spend another moment here. All you told me was that it was a friend of the family open birthday party and dinner. You tricked me Trisha and I trusted you like an idiot.” Moving past Trisha she headed for the stairs.
Trisha caught up with her begging her to slow down. “Just stay until after dinner and then leave. My parents won’t understand your leaving and my mother is so excited to have you. She thinks of herself as your biggest fan.”
Skye knew she was only putting icing on a dry cake, and nothing would get better for her in this present situation she found herself mentally in. Things were not going to change about her new feelings for Thaddeus Newman. Being around him her feeling were destined to get stronger and she would not be able to control them anymore as she had been in the past.
It would be horrible to have a panic attack in front of him and would only further his pity on her.
He would never feel for her as she felt for him. Only in her dreams.
Yet, Skye enjoyed Trisha’s family. They had a bond, which she wished she had grown up with. Especially Trisha’s dad who Skye could tell adored his daughter to pieces. She knew now why
Trisha was so wonderful to be around, although she sensed some tension between Alan and Trisha’s father, that she couldn’t explain. Skye felt Alan was not welcomed in this house.
Still she could not enjoy this time with Thaddeus so close. With a deflated sigh, she said, “Trish, I can’t. As much as I find him interesting right now, I don’t think I can enjoy myself being so nervous around him. I’d act like a ninny.”
Trisha felt Skye deserved a good time and on the other hand felt warmly about Thaddeus too. He was her boss, yet he felt like a brother. She had been with him from almost the beginning, and she wanted him to be happy as well.
Thaddeus had worked extremely hard to get where he was today and now that he was where he wanted to be on his business side, Trisha felt it was time to get what he wanted on a personal side and if Skye was what he wanted, Trisha would help him get her. Yet, Skye had also become a good friend and upsetting her was not Trisha’s goal. “Fine, but please let me have Alan walk you to your car.” Before Skye could protest, Trisha said wickedly, “I insist unless you want me to get Mr. Newman.”
Just wanting to get out of there without letting Trisha know how upset she was, Skye conceded. “That will be fine. I’ll be at the front door with my coat.”
Trisha gave her a hug and went downstairs to find Alan. Before getting her coat, Skye washed her face again, and then she noticed she needed to refresh her lipstick. She had set her small purse down on the bed where all the coats were in the room across from the bathroom. Going in there without turning on the light, she heard someone stop at the doorway and begin to make a cell phone call. Thinking this was Thaddeus, she stayed in the darkened room unnoticed waiting for him to go away.
He didn’t.
The dark figure began to speak on the cell phone.
“It’s Alan... Yes, I have it. I left the samples in my car, Dr. Himes.”
The name certainly piqued her attention. She took a chance and moved closer to the doorway to see Trisha’s boyfriend, speaking on the phone. He must go by his second name, she deduced as she leaned near a dresser. She was covered just in case he decided to come in the room she could duck down.
“The list is in my coat. I will be there after I finish the business I am at now. Let my father know she doesn’t recognize me. His fear was useless.”
Skye frowned at this wondering what he was speaking about. She remembered what coat he was wearing when he had been standing out by Trisha’s father earlier in the evening when Skye initially met Alan. It was a short leather jacket that lay right near hers.
“I said I would be there soon,” Alan continued. “You’ve been waiting all year for this information, a couple of hours is not going to kill you.” He cut the phone off, cursed to himself, and then went downstairs.
When the coast was clear, Skye stepped to the bed and began to search in the pockets of Alan’s coat. In the inside coat pocket her fingers touched some paper. Pulling it out, she began to read the dot matrix print out.
There were names of women. She wondered why Dr. Himes would need this? Skye also noted that at the top of the paper read 'Family Independence Agency High Thyroid Cases.' Beside the women’s numbers were case numbers. Suddenly, it dawned on her what this contained.
These women were going to become candidates in Dr. Himes’ Depro Second Phaze Study. Of course this was all an assumption. Yet there was a nagging thought that the doctor planned to administer the drug to all these women. Why did she have a feeling none of these women would know they were being tested on?
Remembering Trisha’s mother telling her that she ran a home business and her office was upstairs in the attic, Skye made her way up the attic stairs. Quickly she made a copy of the paper and went back in the coatroom.
Unfortunately her previous luck ran out, because just as she entered the room, Alan and Trisha came in speaking heatedly to each other.
“Why do you have to go now?” she complained. “You promised to speak with Daddy tonight, Trevor-” they both stopped seeing Skye in the room as he turned on the light.
“Thank you,” Skye said pretending to be relieved. “I was wondering why I couldn’t find my things.” She hid both hands behind her remembering his papers were in her right hand. “It is rather late. Way past my bedtime.”
Alan looked at his watcht late?”
Alan ignored her turning to Trisha. “Trish, I have things to do,” he said irritated by her constant complaining. He moved by Skye and picked up his coat.
Skye dropped his paper as soon as he lifted the coat from the bed, then immediately reached down, stuffing her copy in her coat quickly while picking up the dropped copy at the same time. “You dropped this, Alan,” she said handing the paper to him.
He almost gasped, but stopped himself. Meeting her gaze, those beady black eyes peered her over distrustfully.
Skye picked up her purse off the bed and moved to the door by Trisha trying not to look guilty. “Is Alan going to walk me to my car while he's going out?” she asked innocently.
“That would be no problem,” Alan agreed.
Skye hugged Trisha. “Thank you for not convincing me to stay. I don’t think my nerves could take it.”
“You’re quite welcome. Your presence was certainly appreciated. Aunt Vera will have something to speak about for years to come at all the upcoming family gatherings.”
Skye laughed genuinely delighted that her presence had brought some happiness to someone. “Goodnight.”
She left out the room to give the couple some privacy, but she took her time to going down the stairs listening intently to them. As soon as she was out the door, they began to speak again in the furious tones to each other.
“...invite her here? You go through all the trouble with me to make sure... Now you do what you want to do anyway. You’d better stop it, Trisha. If my father knew what you were doing...”
“I know and I will. You will call later?” Trisha asked with desperation in her.
Aunt Vera stepped up to Skye suddenly. “You’re leaving?”
“Unfortunately,” Skye acknowledged the older woman, knowing she could not listen to them anymore. “I loved the company, but I have so much to do. Thank you so much for having me.”
“Thank you for coming. We are all so glad to have you.”
Skye patted her pocket to make sure the copied paper was deep in there and secure.
Alan came down the stairs with Trisha trailing him, looking ready to protest. Stayed inside as Alan escorted Skye out.
Skye feeling uncomfortable pulled away from his gentlemanly gripped as they went down the stairs. “You work on your own, Alan?” she asked when they got to her car.
He seemed surprised she would be interested in something he did. “N-No,” he stuttered quickly off beat. “You could say that I handle my father’s international interest.”
“You must lead quite an interesting life.” She slid to the car door, unlocked it and then backed into the car. “Good night.”
Alan’s beady black eyes were filled with distrust and she had a feeling he wanted to hurry to get that list to the doctors. “Goodnight,” he said abruptly.
Skye got in her car and watched Alan walk away.
***
Trisha walked up behind Thaddeus, who stood at the window watching the black Escort disappear in the night.
“Did you cancel my flight to Florida for tomorrow night?” he asked.
“Yes, but I did want to ask you why? You’ve always gone the two days prior to see Mr. Blair, before your scheduled appointment with him every year.”
“Unfortunately this one falls on a Saturday and I have another appointment tomorrow night.”
“With whom, if I may be so bold to ask?”
Thaddeus faced her. “None of your business if I may be so bold to answer.”
Her father interrupted them politely to hand Thaddeus his coat. After the older man thanked Thaddeus for coming, he walked away to leave Thaddeus to speak with Trisha alone. “It’s a young woman if you must know.”
“A woman? I thought your interest in Ms Patterson, was serious.”
He blew it off as nonchalantly as possible. “It is. I am man hear me roar. I have needs like any other man.”
“Did you want me to do anything?”
“If you could have some red wine delivered to my apartment tomorrow and scented candles again – a lot of them this time. I had a hell of a time picking out just one and I don’t think I did a good job.” He passed her a non-duplicable key. “Leave this key on my bedside table please. I’m trying to create a mood if you get my drift.”
She nodded in understanding. “I do. You won’t mind if I help you out a bit? You know, go an extra mile thing?”
He raised a dark brow. “How?”
“Trust me. I am woman, hear me roar,” she said throwing his words back at him.
They were interrupted again, as her mother brought over a large plate of food all wrapped up for him. Walking to the door with Thaddeus, Trisha’s mom let him know that he was always invited and she hoped he had a happy birthday. Trisha looked down at the key and smiled devilishly. He would tomorrow night.
Chapter 10