* * *
After breakfast,Franco excused himself, saying he was excited to take her for her first ride in his brand-new Polar White Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan. He left her feeling woozy in the alcove and avoiding eye contact with the painting. Greta appeared and brusquely escorted her to the foyer, where the Mercedes was stopping at the main entrance of the house.
“He’s mine,” Greta hissed under her breath as she opened the front door.
“What?” Jade mumbled as Greta took her arm and steered her onto the porch. “Who?”
“Here’s the lovely lady, Dr. Spatafore,” Greta called pleasantly as he got out of the car. Letting go of Jade’s arm, she placed her hand on Jade’s back and shoved her toward the top step. When Jade stumbled, Greta grabbed her arm again. “Be careful, Miss Taylor!”
“Do be careful, Jade!” Coming around the front of the car, Franco hastened to Jade and placed his arm around her. “Always there when I need you, Greta. Thank you.”
Almost certain she had felt Greta push her, Franco, on the other hand, was quite the gentleman in opening the car door and making sure she was safely seated within the leather interior. As Franco drove down a paved drive, she took her first look at the outside of the house.
Cold. A cold compound. That’s how she’d describe it. Completely ice-white in color, the house was of a modern architectural design with straight lines, flat rooftops, and walls of glass. Coming to a stop as they waited for a white wrought iron gate to open between two white cement walls, the word that came to Jade’s mind wasprison.
Feeling drowsy, she yawned. Jade realized she’d dozed off only when the Victorian house on Cascade Avenue came into view. Finally, something looked familiar. She clearly recalled working here. Surely that was a good sign.
“Did I have to go to Memorial Hospital, Franco?” she asked as Franco parked the car in the employee lot.
“Wait for me to get your door, my dear,” Franco said, again without answering her question. “I don’t want you to repeat your stumble.”
As dizziness waved over her, Jade waited until he opened her car door. She eased her feet out of the Mercedes, and he immediately took her arm. The sun was shining, and she turned her face toward it, enjoying the warmth on her cheeks. The inside of the Spatafores’ house had been as frigid as the outside. The thermostat was surely set in the sixties. Franco reminded her not to let the sun touch her skin. She yanked her arm from him.
“Was I taken to the ER?” Jade persisted as they walked through the private rear entrance to the Victorian house.
“No, you refused, and since Mateo and I are both doctors, there was no need.”
“Good morning,” Margo said. Her office was in the front of the house, to the right of a staircase. She was so rarely at the back of the house she must have been expecting them.
“Morning, Margo,” Franco said and turned to Jade. “I asked Margo to cancel all of my appointments for today and the rest of this week so I can stay home with you.”
“That’s not necessary.” Jade looked at Franco and then included Margo as she said, “I’m not ill.” She didn’t admit to being dizzy, confused, and drowsy.
Margo glanced at Franco and said to Jade, “No, of course you’re not ill.”
“We’re going upstairs to check around for Jade’s phone, Margo.” Franco took Jade’s elbow and steered her to a rear staircase, where he said, “Hold onto the banister as we climb the staircase. I don’t want you to fall.”
“Too bad this house doesn’t have an elevator,” Jade commented.
“An elevator?” Franco sniffed as if insulted.
Franco clutched her elbow all the way up the staircase to the second floor, where the therapy offices were located. Jade saw the desk where the receptionist checked in the clients. But her pretty friend with the hazel eyes and engaging smile wasn’t there.
“Where’s Katy?” Jade asked Franco.
“I’m sure she’s around,” Franco muttered as they walked to the office with Jade’s name on the door.
“Jade!” Katy said as they entered the office. “I was just leaving you a get-well card from me on your desk. I’m so glad to see you.” Though her personal circumstances were challenged, Katy was invariably upbeat. Jade enjoyed the rare days when they could slip away from this place long enough to have lunch in Acacia Park. Like Jade, the other four therapists—a married couple and two women, both married—and the clients all loved bubbly Katy. Her light brown spiral curls bounced as she hurried across the office to Jade. “We’ve been so worried about you.”
“Hi, Katy.” Jade moved away from Franco to hug her friend. “I’m glad to see you too.”
Katy hugged her back and said, “Don’t worry about anything. I’ve rescheduled your clients. Everyone understands you had a bad reaction to aCovid booster.”
“Covid?” Jade repeated. Who had mentioned that word recently? In any event, it seemed odd as almost no one wore masks these days. She thought Katy gave her a questioning look, but before she or Katy could say another word, Franco interrupted.
“Margo is calling for you in the waiting room, Katy!” He’d said it so abruptly. Katy nodded and hurried out of the office. Turning to Jade, Franco said, “Let’s find your phone, and then we will go back home so you can rest.”
Jade asked, “Covid?”
