“You’re welcome!”
I say giving him a too sweet smile, then turn back to look out my window.
“I’m Connor.” This guy just never quits.
“Nice name.” I am not going to lose this one.
“Do
you
have a name?”
Of course
, the look I gave him says. “And that would be…?” No look this time, I just stare out the window. “I bet it’s one of those names that could be for a boy, like Charlie, or Trae, or Alex.” I shoot him a look like he is way off. “No? Hmm maybe it’s one of those names that people give their cars, like Birtha, or Sally or Martha.” He says all of this so nonchalantly, staring at me while I pretend he doesn’t exist. This guy is a piece of work, just assuming there must be something wrong with my name if I don’t immediately give it up. “My money’s on Sally. You look like you could be a Sally.” I scoff, outraged at his double meaning. I am no Sally.
Jackass!
He chuckles at my look and draws his hand through his short, thick, blond hair at the top of his head. I shiver a little, but it’s probably just from the cold weather. “Okay, I’ll just have to make one up for you. I can’t exactly call you the Stubborn Clumsy…..”
“My name is Nina!”
I cut him off, pissed at being forced to give in again. But really, a girl can only take so much insult.
“Nina.” He says my name like he’s tasting it
and by the look on his face, I taste pretty good.
What the hell was that Nina!
I mentally slap myself.
SO
not going there. “It’s nice to meet you. Where are you headed?”
“Work,” I sigh. Might as well talk to him.
Connor
must not be used to being ignored.
“Where do you work?”
“I teach Elementary music.”
“I would’ve guessed art teacher.”
He murmurs, looking at my braid, slouchy knitted hat and gold hoops.
“Know a lot of art teachers do you?”
“Not really, I just remember my music teacher having frizzy hair, beady eyes and a pinched mouth. Ms. Crenshaw I think. Not my favorite class growing up.”
“Yea well, I loved my music teacher.
Mrs. Marks. She was the sweetest woman on earth. You should give poor Ms. Crenshaw a break. She did have you to deal with after all.”
“I was a perfect student I will have you know. All my other teachers adored me. Especially the lunch ladies. They always gave me extra desert. Crenshaw just hated everyone.”
“Lunch ladies huh…I’ve always wondered about them. They’re a questionable lot. I still don’t know what mystery meat is.”
Connor full on laughs at that one, earning his first real smile from me. That laugh is trouble. When he stops laughing and gives me a searching look
, I wipe the smile off my face and turn away pretending to pick at my nails. I hate how he seems like he is digging for information. Like I'm a puzzle to solve. I am a person dammit! Nothing to solve here! Just a normal, average, everyday woman.
“So Nina
, do you have a boyfriend?” Connor asks with that wicked smirk of his.
“That’s a pretty personal question to ask someone you just met don’t you think?” I quip. What the hell is he thinking
, asking me something like that ten seconds after meeting me?
“Oh that’s a no.” He says and I glare at him
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You got all defensive. Women always get defensive about their single status. Did you just get dumped or something?”
“No I did not just get dumped. I do not want to be in a relationship.” I snarl at him. He really has no idea who he is messing with.
“Oh so your one of those.”
Son of a…
“You mean one of those smart women who know better than to throw myself at every testosterone jacked up imbecile who couldn’t keep his pants on in a nunnery. Yes
, I happen to be one of those.” My temper is flaring now. I don’t care how handsome and charming Mr. Blue Eyes is, he’s no different than the rest.
“Been cheated on once or twice huh?” He isn’t really smiling now
, just looking intently at me.
“I have my reasons okay.” Past relationships are another off limits subject for me.
“Okay I can take a hint. I was just trying to make conversation.” He says sheepishly and it makes me feel like a total bitch. I may not feel comfortable talking with strangers and have issues with men, but that’s not his fault.
“No,” I sigh.
“It’s not your fault. This has just been one of those mornings already, you know? I usually keep to myself so I wasn’t exactly prepared for…you. That’s not something that happens to me very often and it kind of threw me off. I don’t do very well with surprises.” Connor looks at me for a few very long seconds and then opens his mouth to speak.
“Nina?
Do you think…?”
Suddenly
, there’s a loud screeching noise, what sounds like an explosion and a crack from my head hitting the window. Next thing I know, I’m cradling my head and hunched in a ball covered by large arms and pressed against a firm chest. Through the ringing in my ears, I hear someone yelling my name.
“Nina! Nina!”
I try to look up at Connor’s face and wince when my neck protests and the pain in my head causes a white flash in my eyes. “I’m right here Connor, quit shouting at me!”
“Well, you’re alive.”
He says chuckling at me again. This is not funny! I hate bus windows. Hey Universe, why don’t you pick on someone your own size!
“I’m bleeding on you.”
I think I say to Connor. I hear what could be a siren and then I pass out.
CHAPTER 2
When I wake up, I’m in an ambulance with a young, thin, dark haired man putting something on my head and an attractive red head shinning something in my eyes.
“Don’t try to sit up, you’re on your way to the hospital and you probably have a concussion. Can you tell me your name and birth date?” The woman asks looking serious.
“Uh Nina Ryan, July twenty second, nineteen eighty six.”
“Okay Nina. Do you remember what happened?”
“Bus crashed, hit my head, passed out.”
The woman’s lips turn up a little at my bluntness and I think I hear familiar faint laughter, but my head is still spinning a little. “No pain in your neck or spine or anything else besides the head?”
“My neck hurts a little, but mainly just sore
.”
“
You probably have some whiplash, but I don’t think there is any damage there. You hit your head pretty hard. It’s been bleeding, but head injuries can bleed a lot all at once. We’re pulling up now. I want you to just relax while we get you inside so the doctor can take a look at you. Can your husband go fill out the paperwork for you?”
Husband?!
What the…
“What, wait a minute…
?”
“It’s alright Nina, I’m right here.” Oh shit… “Don’t worry I wasn’t hurt, I’m just here for you.”
I turn toward Connor’s voice and he’s giving me a pleading look. All at once I feel relieved that he’s okay, confused that I’m relieved and something else that I can’t put my finger on. With his eyes he’s asking me to let him help, to go along with the whole husband thing and trust him.
Not gonna happen dude
. Just as I’m about to tell him that he can take his crazy beautiful self back to where he came from, he reaches over and touches my hand. I swear I feel it from my toes to my hair. It’s not electric exactly, but it’s warm and it’s strong. The feeling I get from his touch coupled with his sapphire eyes boring into mine kills all the fight I had.
“Hi.” I am the queen of genius replies today.
He must take that as an agreement, because he just smiles and squeezes my hand a bit tighter. “Hi.”
“Okay Sir,” the red head interjects, “we are going to take her in now. You can follow us.”
“I’m right behind you.”
Connor steps out of the ambulance ahead of everyone while the EMT’s wheel me out. Once we get inside and into a room
, Connor starts filling out my paperwork and is taking way too much pleasure in getting to ask me all kinds of nosey questions about my medical health.
Why did I ever agree to this?
I’m eyeing a bed pan with evil plans of throwing at him, when the doctor walks in. He’s a tall good looking man who looks to be in his late 30’s with dark hair and kind eyes.
“Hello…” He looks at the chart. “Nina. I’m Dr. Swarentzsky. You were in the accident downtown, on the public bus
and hit your head on a window.” I suppress a laugh. Doctors always have crazy last names and state the obvious. “Says here you have a possible concussion and a closed head wound.”
I look over at Connor in confusion
and he shrugs. “I’m not sure, Dr…Um Dr. S., but it feels like an “open wound” and it was bleeding.” The doctor smiles warmly at me and laughs. I wish people would stop laughing at me. I’m injured here!
“That’s a common misconception. A closed head wound means that the skull was not broken. An open wound means that it was.”
Oh.
“Closed it is then.” I say. God I’m such an
idiot. Dr. S. smiles and I sneak a nervous glance over at Connor who seems mildly annoyed. I probably sound so stupid. I bet he’s wishing he stayed home today.
“Let’s take a look.”
Dr. S. leans forward and takes off the dressing. “Okay Nina I’m going to put in some stitches and then we’ll monitor you for a while before we send you home, okay.” I nod and brace myself.
I hate needles!
Connor must notice my unease because he moves to stand by my left side, opposite of where the doctor was getting ready to stitch up my head. “Here, you can squeeze as much as you want.”
He holds out his hand and when I don’t immediately take it he looks down at me with sincerity in his eyes, “Nina, its okay.” I stare at it debating what to do. He seems so genuine but trust isn’t something that comes easy for me and if I’m being honest, I’m a little scared that if I touch him again, that feeling will return.
“Okay Nina, I’m going to give you a shot to numb the area.” The good Doc makes the decision for me and I grab Connor’s hand.
His warm hand closes around mine and it feels…right. How stupid is that. I barely know the guy. His hands are warm and calloused, but in a way that makes him feel strong. This is a man who earns things. He works for them. I look up and the concern I see on his face softens me and I can’t stop myself from wanting to reassure him.
“Connor, I can’t even feel it.” I squeeze his hand and smile
through my little white lie. The corner of his lip quirks up and he squeezes my hand back.
Once I’m all stitched up
, we spend the next hour just talking. I decide that since I’ll probably never see him again, I can ditch my “avoid at all costs” rule just this once. “So, Connor. You know what I do for a living. I think it’s only fair that you reciprocate.” I’m sure I see a flicker of doubt cross his face, but then just as fast it’s gone.
“I work for a marketing firm in New York.” He says.
“What do you do there? Wait let me guess, you market things?” I snicker trying to lighten him up. And I thought I was tense.
“No I don’t actually deal with any of the clients. I was sort of an assistant to the CEO.”
That wasn’t at all what I’d expected. “So you get coffee and do his dry cleaning and stuff?”
He laughs. “You watch way too much TV Nina. Even though I sometimes do those things, being an assistant is actually more like doing your bosses work while he deals with people and shows everything you’ve put together for him at his meetings. They’re the face and you’re like the behind the scenes guy.”
Huh, learn something new every day. “Okay, so what are you doing in Cheyenne?” I notice him shift a little in his seat.
“My dad’s in recovery. So I came here to help until he can take care of himself.”
“I’m sorry is he going to be okay?”
Connor nods and smiles a little. “He had abdominal cancer, but survived it so he’s okay, just a little weak from the chemo and surgeries.”
“How horrible! It must be nice to see him doing well. I’ve heard watching a family member go through chemo isn’t pretty.” Talking about his father makes me think of mine and as stupid as it sounds, I’m jealous of him. What I wouldn’t give to trade places with him and be able to take care of my father in a time of need. I immediately throw up a wall to block any more unpleasant thoughts from disturbing my hard earned peaceful mind.
Connor looks down at his hands. “I wasn’t able to make it down when he went through chemo. My boss is kind of a dick.” He says and I smile at him. I can tell he feels guilty
, but it’s not my place to judge. There are some things in my past I’d rather not be judged on either. “I’m an only child so my cousin was helping take care of him, but Tony needed to go back to work and Dad can’t be left alone all the time.” He says smiling back at me slightly.