Unpleasant Surprise
Natalie realizedshe left her phone plugged into her charger at the nurses’ station as soon as she sat down on the subway to go home. She usually walked the blocks home from the hospital to squeeze in extra exercise, but her feet were still angry at being put back to use after weeks of relaxing in the comfort of her childhood home, and squeezing into the crowded evening train car sounded better than going another step in her shoes. If she were to accept Kaylin and Rusty’s offer, she wished that Colt’s services came with regular foot rubs.
Scanning the other faces on the train, she sighed with relief that Gavin wasn’t one of them. Maybe she didn’t need a bodyguard, and Kaylin was just overly cautious. Natalie had never understood Gavin’s unfounded fears of cheating on him; she’d never do that to her boyfriend. He didn’t seem to believe that, though, no matter how many times she’d told him.
Natalie had been a ballet dancer and a theater geek. She wanted to continue ballet after college, but didn’t get into a dance program—too curvy, not lithe enough. She’d come to New York to audition for Broadway and danced in a few productions, but not enough to pay the bills. That’s how she’d met Gavin—he produced one of the plays that cast her. Gavin had enough money from the trust fund his parents set up for him to do whatever he wanted. When producing musicals and plays fell through, he’d turned to music festivals and nightclubs. That’s when he started drinking heavier than he ever had before. He became overbearing and kept losing his temper around her.
Natalie tugged at the ring on her finger—a gold band set with tiny rubies, her birthstone—a gift from her parents. She shouldn’t have stayed with him after the first time he’d yelled at her, called her terrible names, and thrown bottles at the wall too close to her head. She wanted to help him get sober but he never committed. Not even to her. Natalie knew of at least two affairs during the eight years they’d been together. He begged her for forgiveness, but all of his promises—to change, to do better, no never drink again, to stop interrogating her about where she was going or who she was with—were broken in the end. She finally decided to free herself of his vitriol and walked out of his sphere of lies and violent tendencies.
Still, she was reluctant to let another man into her life. How much did Kaylin actually know about this Colt? Just because he’d been in the army with Rusty didn’t mean he was a good guy. And now Natalie was supposed to give him unfettered access to all of her daily movements in the name of protection?No thank you, Natalie thought, sliding over to make room for a woman with a baby strapped to her chest. The infant’s head tilted back out of the sling, its eyes staring at Natalie as a string of drool trailed out of its mouth. The mother bounced the baby, jostling Natalie with her arm. The baby burrowed its cheek into its mother’s chest. Natalie made herself smaller so the woman wouldn’t bump her. She couldn’t help but feel jealous, though. She wanted a family of her own.
* * *
It wasdark by the time Natalie unlocked the door to her building. She checked her mailbox, stuffed the letters and credit card offers in her bag, and started up the four flights of stairs to her one-bathroom apartment. It immediately struck her as odd when she slipped the key in the lock but didn’t hear her dog scratch at the door. Nugget always waited at the door and whined as soon as he heard her in the hallway. A muffled whine and a bark could be heard as she cracked the door open. Natalie swallowed hard, gripped her bag tightly, and this time swung the door wide open.
To her disbelief, she found Nugget whimpering from inside his crate and pawing at the wire door. Gavin just sat there on Natalie’s couch, ankle crossed over his knee and a bottle of wine in his hand. Cut flowers in vases filled the room, covering her coffee table, kitchen counter, and end tables.
“Welcome home babe,” he said, holding the bottle toward her. “I’ve given this stuff up. But this one’s your favorite so I picked it up on my way here.”
Nugget growled from his kennel.
“What are you doing here?” Natalie stood in the doorway, too surprised and nervous to enter her own apartment. “What’d you do to my dog?”
“You mean our dog?” Gavin patted the kennel.
“I had to lock him in there. He’s been a little aggressive. Did you bad mouth me to him or something?” Gavin smiled wickedly. “Kidding. Come in, let me help you with that.” He walked over to her and reached for her bag, but Natalie backed into the hallway.
“I’m not coming in until you get out.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Nat,” Gavin retorted. He took her elbow and led her into the apartment. “I know I fucked up. I was in a bad place. All this time you’ve only been trying to help me, and I didn’t listen. I’m so sorry.” He plucked a rose from a vase and handed it to her. “I’m going to do better from now on. I’m going to be the man you deserve.”
“I’ve heard that a hundred times before,” Natalie said. “It’s over, Gavin. Please go.” She dropped the rose and stormed past him to let Nugget out of his crate.
“No!” Gavin yelled as he caught up to her. “Don’t let him out. He nipped at me. He’s mad. But I don’t blame him; I’ve been a bad dad.”
“You’re not his dad. Is that . . . is that scotch I smell on you?” Natalie sniffed the air around Gavin’s face.
“I had a business meeting before I came here. It’s rude not to take a drink from potential investors. But I didn’t finish it; I told you I’m done with all that.”
“And I told you we were done. Leave or I’ll call the . . . ” Natalie reached in her purse and realized again that her phone was not in it. “Dammit,” she said under her breath. “I’m tired, Gav. Please, just go.”
“Baby.” Gavin opened his arms to hug her. “Come on, let me order you dinner.”
Natalie pulled away from his embrace. “No. We are through, Gavin. I’ve moved on. Just leave me alone!”
Anger flooded Gavin’s face as he forcefully grabbed Natalie. He raised his left hand as if to slap her but before he could do so, knuckles tapped on the apartment’s open door. “Am I . . . disturbing something?” Colt’s formidable body filled the doorframe as he surveyed Natalie’s hunched shoulders and crossed arms. Gavin bowed his chest to make himself appear bigger.
“You forgot this.” Colt held up Natalie’s phone. “Kaylin gave me your address; I hope you don’t mind.” Colt’s eyes narrowed at Gavin. “Something I can help with?”
“No, we’re fine,” Natalie said walking over to Colt. “Thank you for my phone. Gavin was just leaving.”
“Who’s this guy?” Gavin sized Colt up and down. “New boyfriend?”
“Coworker,” Natalie said.
Colt patted the hospital logo on his polo. “Security. I keep nurses safe.” Colt widened his stance and crossed his arms. “And I take down bad guys wherever I find them.”
“Ha! Just a mall cop,” Gavin responded sneering.
