after I get paperwork and chart work done,” Danny said. “I’ll check on him.”
----------
Rachel had snagged another perk by living with Leo – his finished basement. On one side against a white wall and full length mirror, he had an assortment of cardiac machines. Racks of dumbbells lined another wall and the back of the room had resistance equipment as good as any found in a major athletic center. A large mat covered the entire middle section of the floor.
After lunch and Julia’s nap, Rachel brought her daughter, her cell phone, and a bottle of water downstairs. She placed Julia on the mat, grabbed the cardboard box she kept there, and sprinkled out an assortment of toys. Julia’s hand reached for a green plastic turtle on wheels. To Rachel’s satisfaction, her infant became amused and pushed it along with her fingers.
Rachel turned on the overhead TV and spied on her new sweat suit in the mirror. The pale blue, light weight cotton suited her. She was proud of herself for using his gym three days a week. Some things had gotten so much easier. Before using Leo’s equipment, she had never rowed, but nowadays the rowing machine had become her favorite so she adjusted the settings first.
At thirty minutes, Rachel wore a light sweat. She slowed the pace for two more minutes and got off. Guzzling from her water bottle, she pushed another animal toy towards Julia, who had kept pensive. It seemed like her infant had turned a milestone and was mostly quiet these days. Rachel contemplated the tread mill next as her cell phone rang. The incoming call registered from Danny Tilson. Rachel hesitated, wondering how to prepare her response to whatever he wanted.
“Rachel,” Danny said when she answered. “I was looking forward to having Julia with me this weekend, but something uncontrollable has come up. Can we postpone my visitation to the following weekend?”
“Danny,” she crooned, “after all your gallant claims about wanting to have Julia, now you’re saying she’s not your priority?”
Danny gulped at her insidiousness. “Rachel, why are you so mean?”
“Wow. Mean? You’re the one who stole my dog.”
Danny almost blurted out that she had stolen his Einstein book, but he stopped. “Back to the original question,” he said. “If I have to call Mark Cunningham, then I will. But I thought you didn’t want me to have Julia, and you’d be pleased.”
“Out of the goodness of my heart, I will accommodate your schedule.” She eyed the treadmill as Danny ate into her time.
“I appreciate that. Let’s keep the same arrangement for next week then.”
“Bye, Danny,” she said nicely and ended the call.
Rachel grinned. Now she was holding the short end of the stick with Leo. She hadn’t let Danny know about her Saturday predicament needing a baby sitter because Danny didn’t know about her part-time job. Leo, on the other hand, wouldn’t tolerate some baby sitter in the house, or most baby sitters in his house, and her instincts told her he wasn’t going to jump for joy to mind Julia again, either. She’d have to make it worth his while.
----------
After finishing her work out, Rachel showered and changed, put Julia in the car seat and drove to a nearby restaurant for take-out. She took care of Julia’s needs back at the house and finally put her to bed. Rachel ate and waited for Leo, who didn’t walk in until 8 p.m. She untucked her legs from underneath and glanced back at him from the television with a sensual smile.
“Hey, babe,” he said. He locked onto her eyes as he went over, the smell of beer on his lips as he kissed her.
“I’ve got a flank steak and fries over there for you,” she said.
“I’ll check it out. I had a meeting with a hospital administrator and then we had a few beers, but we didn’t eat.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
“I won’t unless I want to.” He ambled over to the counter and opened the Styrofoam container. He dumped the
----------
Rachel had snagged another perk by living with Leo – his finished basement. On one side against a white wall and full length mirror, he had an assortment of cardiac machines. Racks of dumbbells lined another wall and the back of the room had resistance equipment as good as any found in a major athletic center. A large mat covered the entire middle section of the floor.
After lunch and Julia’s nap, Rachel brought her daughter, her cell phone, and a bottle of water downstairs. She placed Julia on the mat, grabbed the cardboard box she kept there, and sprinkled out an assortment of toys. Julia’s hand reached for a green plastic turtle on wheels. To Rachel’s satisfaction, her infant became amused and pushed it along with her fingers.
Rachel turned on the overhead TV and spied on her new sweat suit in the mirror. The pale blue, light weight cotton suited her. She was proud of herself for using his gym three days a week. Some things had gotten so much easier. Before using Leo’s equipment, she had never rowed, but nowadays the rowing machine had become her favorite so she adjusted the settings first.
At thirty minutes, Rachel wore a light sweat. She slowed the pace for two more minutes and got off. Guzzling from her water bottle, she pushed another animal toy towards Julia, who had kept pensive. It seemed like her infant had turned a milestone and was mostly quiet these days. Rachel contemplated the tread mill next as her cell phone rang. The incoming call registered from Danny Tilson. Rachel hesitated, wondering how to prepare her response to whatever he wanted.
“Rachel,” Danny said when she answered. “I was looking forward to having Julia with me this weekend, but something uncontrollable has come up. Can we postpone my visitation to the following weekend?”
“Danny,” she crooned, “after all your gallant claims about wanting to have Julia, now you’re saying she’s not your priority?”
Danny gulped at her insidiousness. “Rachel, why are you so mean?”
“Wow. Mean? You’re the one who stole my dog.”
Danny almost blurted out that she had stolen his Einstein book, but he stopped. “Back to the original question,” he said. “If I have to call Mark Cunningham, then I will. But I thought you didn’t want me to have Julia, and you’d be pleased.”
“Out of the goodness of my heart, I will accommodate your schedule.” She eyed the treadmill as Danny ate into her time.
“I appreciate that. Let’s keep the same arrangement for next week then.”
“Bye, Danny,” she said nicely and ended the call.
Rachel grinned. Now she was holding the short end of the stick with Leo. She hadn’t let Danny know about her Saturday predicament needing a baby sitter because Danny didn’t know about her part-time job. Leo, on the other hand, wouldn’t tolerate some baby sitter in the house, or most baby sitters in his house, and her instincts told her he wasn’t going to jump for joy to mind Julia again, either. She’d have to make it worth his while.
----------
After finishing her work out, Rachel showered and changed, put Julia in the car seat and drove to a nearby restaurant for take-out. She took care of Julia’s needs back at the house and finally put her to bed. Rachel ate and waited for Leo, who didn’t walk in until 8 p.m. She untucked her legs from underneath and glanced back at him from the television with a sensual smile.
“Hey, babe,” he said. He locked onto her eyes as he went over, the smell of beer on his lips as he kissed her.
“I’ve got a flank steak and fries over there for you,” she said.
“I’ll check it out. I had a meeting with a hospital administrator and then we had a few beers, but we didn’t eat.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
“I won’t unless I want to.” He ambled over to the counter and opened the Styrofoam container. He dumped the
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