Centre Spot: Enemies to Lovers Book 4 Read online

  “Thanks, Ruth. Thanks for everything,” I say.

  During the course of my few visits to the hospital, Ruth and I had gotten around to talking, and she’s proved to be a very nice comforting person to be around. Whether or not it is a part of her job description, she had been very supportive.

  “It’s my job,” she says, smiling again.

  “Yeah, right. So since I have some time to kill, I don’t want to spend it thinking about how many wires will be passed through my brain. Tell me about yourself, if you don’t mind, of course. It’d be nice to actually get to know you a little more. More than just as Ruth Blair, the kind brown-haired nurse,” I say, and she laughs.

  “Okay,” she says, pulling a chair closer to my bed and sitting in it.

  “First of all,” I begin, “Are you Catholic?”

  “Do I look Catholic?” she asks with a funny face.

  “I don’t know. You tell me,” I reply.

  “Alright. I am not Catholic. I mean, I think my grandparents were, and my grandma named me Ruth, and my parents just chose to let it stay. By the way, I would prefer it if you would refer to me as Ruth B. You know, like the musician, which is ironic considering that my singing is unapologetically horrible. But it still fits anyway,” she says, laughing.

  “I lost my dad immediately after I graduated from college, and my mum moved on fast with her life, so I live alone–primarily because I think I’m too old to have a stepfather. But before all of these, I think I used to have the best family life, but then life happens, and we must move with the flow. What else?” She says, staring into space as she searched her mind.

  “There’s nothing much to know about me, really. I live a pretty boring life outside my hospital shifts. I have a few friends too. My job doesn’t allow me to keep too many of them,” she says finally, with a shrug.

  “What about a boyfriend, or a fiancée? No tales there too?” I ask out of sheer curiosity.

  “Well, not exactly. I do have a boyfriend, but it’s nothing serious. We hook up and have sex or talk sometimes. I’m not exactly a big fan of getting married and ‘happy-ever-afters, not after what happened with my parents. But I love kids very much. Perhaps sometime in the near future, I’ll get pregnant with some rich dude and have a baby. No ring, no commitments,” she says with a smile.

  I look at her in awe—such a weird lifestyle choice for someone so nice. But then the beautiful part about life is the fact that everyone is free to do as they wish and live as they deem fit.

  “You think I’m odd,” she says, laughing at me.

  “What?” I ask.

  “The expression on your face. It’s hilarious. So, I take it you’re the soulmates and a happily ever after type of person?” she asks, searching my eyes with a sweet smile.

  “I guess so,” I reply sincerely.

  “Good for you,” she says, still wearing her smile.

  Some nurses walk into the room just then to transfer me to the theatre room.

  “Alright. That’s your cue. See you on the other side,” she says.

  “See you,” I reply with a wave.

  As I am pushed down to the theatre, a part of me reaches out to Katie, wishing she were here with me, holding my hand like in the movies, and I laugh at my own imagination.

  I watch as my neurologist and the rest of the doctors introduce themselves to me first before everything begins to become a blur, and I feel the anesthetic kick in.

  Chapter Four

  Katie:

  “What?” I exclaim in surprise.

  “But you informed me yourself about the director’s resumption of work today, so what changed?” I ask Collins.

  All through his leave, the director had been reaching out to the office only through his assistant. And when Collins had informed me about the improvement in the director’s health and the high possibility of his return to the office this week, I had instantly felt relief wash through me. Almost time for me to return to my normal life. But now something else has come up?

  “It’s not up to me. The director wishes to be back here too, but health constraints will not let him. He says to tell you to keep up the good work,” Collins said, his poker face intact as usual.

  “Did you send my good wishes to him? I look forward to his return,” I say as I lean back in the chair, I had chosen as a replacement for Dan’s.

  I had already prepared myself mentally to move back to my simple life today. I had cleared the table and put the place in order. If Collins had not even been quick enough, I’d have had a seat taken out too. But as it were, it looks like its job isn’t done.

  I watch as Collins nods in response before leaving the office. After working with Dan’s assistant for a short while, I have come to realize that his silence and reservation no longer get to me. Competency is all that matters, and he’s more than proven himself.

  I sit for the next few minutes trying to get my bearings back, and the thought of James pops up in my mind, and I realize that I haven’t heard from him in a while, which is quite unlike him. He always made time to call no matter what. As my thoughts wander around, I begin to feel mild worry rear its head in my stomach, and I decide to call him right on the spot.

  “Hello love, I was hoping I’d get to be the one to call you first. How are you?” I hear his deep voice boomed over the phone.

  “Oh. Well, I’m good–in for another busy week. How are you? I just realized we haven’t spoken in ages, forgive me. Is all well with you, though?” I ask sincerely.

  “Yes, sugar. I am perfectly well. Perfect,” he says brightly.

  “Okay,” I begin with a small, excited laugh, “that sounded very enthusiastic. What’s up? Is there something I should know?”

  “I guess so. But not over the phone. We need to meet, have dinner or something. I want to experience your reaction first-hand,” he says.

  “Okay, now I’m curious. Could you please give me a hint at least? I need to know what kind of wine to bring along,” I say, sharing his contagious enthusiasm.

  “Your presence is more precious than the oldest wine, love. So what do you say, dinner this weekend?”

  “Isn’t that a little too far? I don’t want to have to wait till the weekend before I see you.” I moan.

  “Me neither. But we’re both busy people, and I’ll be needing your full attention and energy. I’ve seen you tired, and going on a date with that version of you doesn’t sound like fun at all. So, see you Sunday, sugar,” he says playfully.

  “Sunday it is then. I look forward to it,” I reply, smiling.

  “Me too.”

  “Now, I’ve got to go. Director duties call. Catch you later,” I say with a soft laugh.

  “Alright, love. Take care of yourself,” he says softly, and I feel a tingle run down my stomach.

  “You too,” I reply before hanging up.

  Whatever news James had been referring to sounds like it’d be pretty interesting. Nevertheless, since Sunday is still pretty far away, I tuck away my inquisitiveness and face the work at hand, which for now is primarily getting back into a role I had thought I had dropped.

  James:

  “Yes, doctor. I’m sorry for the distraction,” I say as I walk back into the now-familiar hospital office after I drop Katie’s call.

  “It’s okay. So where were we?” he says, going through some papers in his hand, “Yeah, alright. I want to believe that you filled this form out as accurately as possible.”

  “Yes, I did,” I reply affirmatively.

  “Aside from the symptoms written here, have you experienced anything unusual? Anything at all that seems even the slightest bit odd?” he asks.

  “No, I haven’t. Everything is back to normal. Just like old times,” I reply, beaming.

  “That’s good to know, Mr. Reed. I’m happy to announce to you that you’re a free man now. So far, all indications have shown that you had a successful surgery. Congratulations,” he says, smiling.

  “Thank you very much, doctor.
Thank you,” I spew gladly as I run my palms against one another. And for the first time since I walked into the office, I notice the doctor’s Hugo Boss shirt. For some reason, I hadn’t expected that medical practitioners would be interested in designer wear.

  “By the way, nice shirt, doc,” I comment in passing.

  “Thank you. It was a gift from my wife,” he says, grinning.

  “Oh. She’s got good eyes,” I add honestly.

  “Yeah. She’s a fashion stylist,” he says with pride.

  “Oh. Good for you,” I say good-naturedly as I rise up from my seat.

  “Alright, Mr. Reed,” the doctor begins, his expression back to normal, “see you around. And send my good regards to your father.”

  “I will,” I say as I make my way out of the doctor’s office.

  As I walk into the hospital lobby, I catch sight of Ruth’s brown hair tied into her usual ponytail, and I decide to say a proper goodbye before leaving.

  “Congratulations, James,” she says, smiling fondly.

  “Thank you. Hopefully, I never have to come back here again, or any hospital for that matter. No offense, but I hate how hospitals smell,” I say.

  “None taken,” she replies, chuckling, “there are a lot of people like you. Not everyone can stand disinfectants. I used to hate hospitals too, but I was much younger then anyway. I wouldn’t have believed that I would eventually become a nurse someday. Anyway, it was nice to meet you.”

  “It was nice to meet you too,” I say as I turn to leave.

  “On second thought–” I hear her say after me, and I turn around.

  “What?” I ask.

  “On second thought, I think I might want to have your contact number, and you know, stay in touch. No strings attached, of course. It’s just that it’s not every day one gets to meet a celebrity, if you don’t mind?” She says, smiling shyly.

  “Oh yeah, sure. Why not?” I say with a shrug as I call out the digits to one of my landlines. Experience has taught me never to give out my cell phone number to anyone I don’t know all too well.

  “Thank you,” she says, grinning, “you’ll hear from me.”

  I nod in response as I turn to take my leave finally, out of the white walls and the heavy smell of antiseptics.

  Chapter Five

  James:

  For the first time in a long time, Chloe and I finally get a chance to sit down together for a good round of scrabble, her favorite board game. For a kid her age, Chloe has proven to be quite smart. And although she’s mostly usually just playing with the letter tiles and playing words that do not exist, her interest in the game most kids would consider being very boring is flattering.

  I watch with pride as she concentrates deeply on the tiles on her rack, wearing a pout that makes her look so much like her mother but a telephone rings soon enough, distracting me.

  “I’ll be right back, baby,” I say to an inattentive Chloe, who tucks her hair behind her ear. The cuteness of the scene makes my heart swell as I hurry to pick up the phone before the caller possibly gets frustrated.

  “James Reed,” I say into the receiver.

  “Hello, James. This is Ruth. The nurse from the hospital. Remember me?” the caller announces in a shrill voice.

  “Oh yeah, sure. Hello Ruth. It’s nice to hear from you again,” I reply.

  “Yeah, thank you. It’s a pleasure to hear from you too. For a long time, I deliberated on the possibility that you had given me a fake number, and as I dialled it, I expected the worst. So yes, it really is cool to hear from you,” she says cheerily.

  “Oh, no. I wouldn’t do that to someone who gave me first-class care when I wasn’t even a direct patient. Of course not. In fact, I think I owe you one,” I profess sincerely.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” she replies with a shy chuckle. “The hospital is one body. I was only doing what a good nurse should do.”

  “Oh, yes, I do. I should probably treat you to a meal sometime,” I say casually.

  “Oh well, since we are talking about treats, I think it’s the best time to announce this. My birthday is on Sunday, and I’ll be having a very small party in my flat in the evening. It’s nothing big, and it’s definitely not going to be in celebrity style, but I’d be glad if you show up. My friends will definitely go over their heads at the sight of you,” she says elatedly.

  “Sunday, Sunday–” I repeatedly mouth, trying to remember my plans for Sunday.

  “Oh. I’m sorry. I’d love to show up, but my Sunday is occupied. I’ll surely have a present delivered to you, though. Happy birthday in advance,” I say.

  “Oh. I understand. It’s fine,” she says with a laugh that I guess is supposed to shade her disappointment.

  “You’re going to need my address, though,” she adds quickly.

  “What?” I ask, a little confused.

  “The present will have to be delivered to my flat, won’t it?” she asks.

  “Yes, yes,” I reply, getting her point, “you may send your address to my email.”

  I give her my email address, and I then make sure she clarifies it. For some reason, I feel reluctant about sharing my cell phone number with this nurse. It’s just a small hunch.

  “Alright. Thanks for even giving me an audience. And just in case your plans change–”

  “You’re welcome,” I reply with a smile.

  “Daddy! It’s your turn,” I hear Chloe yell.

  “Okay, Ruth. I’ve got to go. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  “You too, James,” I hear her say before I place the phone back on the receiver.

  “Yes, hon, give me a minute,” I yell back in reply before Chloe decides to come storming through the house to find me.

  Katie:

  I look through the file Collins had just dropped on my desk carefully and look back at him.

  “It’s this weekend,” I say, looking back and forth from the file to Collins’ face, not sure if I’m asking or stating.

  “Yes, it is,” he replies.

  “And why am I just getting to know about this emergency meeting?” I ask, frustration brewing in me. I had made plans for my weekend already, now there is to be an emergency meeting?

  I look through the file Collins had just dropped on my desk carefully and look back at him.

  “It’s this weekend,” I say, looking back and forth from the file to Collins’ face, not sure if I’m asking or stating.

  “Yes, it is,” he replies.“ And why am I just getting to know about this emergency meeting?” I ask, frustration brewing in me. I had made plans for my weekend already, now there is to be an emergency meeting?

  Just like that, my perfect weekend arrangements have been cut short. Gone with the wind. I make a mental note to call James and announce the change of my plans. To think that I had been really looking forward to hearing whatever he had to say. But seeing as I will not even be anywhere close to town, our date will have to wait. James should understand.

  I walk over to the small fridge at one end of the office and help myself to a bottle of frozen yogurt. Seeing as my time is clearly not entirely mine for as long as Dan is away, the least I can do is pamper myself whenever I can.

  James:

  Following the direction from my GPS, I arrive in front of Ruth’s flat, and I find a convenient place to park my car before I place a call to a very surprised Ruth.

  “Oh my God,” she says, blushing deeply as soon as she sees me, “I can’t believe you came. This is a beautiful surprise.”

  “Well, my weekend plans changed. So I thought, why not?” I say as she leads the way to her flat.

  “My guests will totally scream,” she says excitedly. “They didn’t believe me when I said you were right outside. Time to give them the shock of their lives.

  “You even brought the present yourself,” she says, widening her eyes as she sees the package in my hand.

  “Here,” I say, handing it over to her. “It’s yours, anyway. Happy birthday Ruth.”
/>   “Thank you. Thank you so much,” she says in a tone that sounds like she might tear up, and I watch in fascination seeing as the gift is only a small box whose contents she isn’t even sure of yet.

  As soon as she opens the door to her small flat, every occupant of the room goes silent for a short while before the introductions begin. Ruth had been right when she had called it “the shock of their lives.”

  We talk, laugh, play games and take loads of pictures over food and drinks for the rest of the evening and although it isn’t exactly my typical party, it didn’t turn out boring with everyone in the room treating me like some spectacle. I examine every face at the party a few times, trying to figure out which of the men there could be her hook-up boyfriend, but I give up after some time.

  As the party slowly draws to an end and the guests begin to thin, I begin to feel drowsy, possibly from one too many drinks. I think again and remember that I hadn’t had any alcohol. I had specifically chosen my drink myself, and Ruth had served it for me right before my eyes. Deciding that taking a leak might make me feel a little better, I ask for the direction to the restroom, and I make my way there.

  As I walk out of the bathroom with no changes whatsoever in my state of drowsiness, I decide to sit for a moment on the bare floor tiles in front of the door and try to get my bearings, but just then, all turns black.

  Chapter Six

  Katie:

  “Heyyy,” I say happily as James opens the door and lets me into his house.

  As soon as he closes the door, he pulls me into a warm embrace, wrapping his hands tightly around me and taking in the smell of my hair.

  “I’ve missed you,” he says, kissing my forehead.

  “I’ve missed you too,” I reply with a soft laugh as I wrap my arms around his waist, the only place my arms can stay comfortably.

  Slowly detaching from the hug, I hold his hand in mine and lead the way in.