“It wasn’t like I had much choice,” Dr. Kovacs grumbled, throwing a sideways look at the two “college students” who’d been hovering at the dining room’s periphery since Artyom carried P.M. into the house. “I was hoping to get a solid eight before Janine and I left for our dream anniversary ice-fishing trip, but those goons woke me from a dead sleep. I was so confused I ended up putting on her robe instead of mine!”
Dr. Kovacs didn’t sound nearly as friendly now as he had on his answering machine. I didn’t know whether to feel more sorry for him or Janine. I highly doubted Dr. Kovacs’s front office assistant/wife, who favored kitten heels and all things pink, had chosen ice fishing for her “dream anniversary trip.”
“Well, have a wonderful vacation, and I hope you know how grateful I am that you came through.”
Dr. Kovacs glared at me. “Again, it wasn’t like I—” he started to say, only to abruptly cut off and finish with, “wouldn’t hesitate to come through for one of our four-legged friends. I was more than happy to help out this poor pooch.”
The doctor’s sudden change in attitude let me know that Artyom had re-entered the room.
Also, all the hairs suddenly standing up on the back of my neck.
Still, my breath caught when Artyom came to stand beside me. He’d obviously taken a shower. His wet hair smelled of expensive shampoo, and instead of the blood-stained training hoodie he was wearing before, a plain white t-shirt hugged his torso. His ridiculously ripped torso. Were t-shirts supposed to be so thin that you could see every single muscle?
“Anyway,” I said, quickly averting my eyes to Dr. Kovacs. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“No problem at all, Lydia,” Dr. Kovacs insisted with a beaming smile. “Just remember to keep her bandages clean and dry, and limit her movement as much as possible. I’ll give you a call to check on her when Janine and I return to the office on Tuesday.”
“You will check tomorrow,” Artyom corrected him, his voice firm as granite. “And you will come back here right away if needed.”
Dr. Kovacs looked to the side. “Well, we’re going to be in Canada, so…”
Artyom stepped forward and folded his arms over his well-defined chest. “So?”
“I’ll make sure I have reception when I call you tomorrow, Lydia,” Dr. Kovacs said with another smile—though this one hadlost much of its wattage. “In fact, let me write down the number to my personal cell, just in case you run into any trouble….”
Gotta admit, I felt a little torn as I watched Dr. Kovacs bend over the table to scribble his contact info on the back of one of his business cards. As a social worker, I never wanted to see anyone get bullied or intimidated. But my chest filled with relief when he handed me his card, knowing I’d be able to call him if I needed any help with P.M.
Either way, I was happy to inform both of them, “Okay, well, I finally got in contact with Val, and she has a bed ready and waiting for P.M. at the shelter. Um...”
I glanced toward Artyom but found I couldn’t actually look directly at him. “Could you or maybe one of your friends give me a ride to the shelter? And I’ll ask Val to give me a ride back to my car.”
Artyom stared back at me for a granite, dead-eyed beat before answering, “Nyet.”
“What do you mean, no?” As shy as I felt just a moment ago, I had to turn to face him fully.
“Puppy should not be moved,” Artyom said, unfolding his arms. “And we are still not having discussion about terms of our ‘anything’ deal.”
“That...” My cheeks burned with embarrassment that he would bring up his bully ultimatum deal in front of Dr. Kovacs. “That shouldn’t interfere with getting P.M. to the shelter.”
“Actually, your boyfriend is right,” Dr. Kovacs interjected in an apologetic tone, glancing between Artyom and me.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said at the same time Artyom said, “I know I am right.”
Dr. Kovacs glanced between us again, this time with a confused expression. “Well, considering the extent of her injuries, she’ll need around-the-clock monitoring, and you definitely won’t want to move her for at least another forty-eight hours.”
“Forty-eight hours?” My stomach dropped, and my head filled with static, somewhere beyond which I heard Artyom say, “I will show you to room where you sleep tonight.”
So, just to recap, not only had I promised my Rustanov bully “anything”in exchange for his help, but it looked like I’d be stuck living with him for the next two days.
Lydia
I wokeup on Sunday morning to find several voice texts from Trish.
7:42 a.m.: “Hey! Can I borrow your green Converse? I’m going to breakfast with this criminal justice major I met at the Wings and Sings Karaoke Party last night, and they’ll look so cute with the dress I’m wearing. Converse always make it look like you’re not trying too hard, even if your titties are on full display.”
8:23 a.m.: “Okay, I didn’t hear back from you, so I borrowed them anyway because fashion emergency. Girl, your room is a hazmat site. I nearly got lost in there.”
9:20 a.m.: “Well, karma bit me in the ass. She didn’t even show up. Should’ve known better than to trust someone who asks you to go out at the crack of dawn. Anyway, I’m at the store, looking for my friend Stevie C. in the ice cream aisle. Want anything?”
