Twenty Two

After reading Ruby’s favorite tale to her by request and tucking her sleeping figure in properly, I made for the living room. My eyes flickering to Dominic’s door for a second, my earlier thought of dialing his number flashed through my mind again. For some reason, I desperately wanted to hear his deep, thrilling voice. But I stopped the thought again.

If anything, Mr… Dominic is quite serious when it comes to his business. Even if I never understand the whole dealings of the stock market, what I have read online makes me to understand that Dominic was not slowing down in his race of getting to the top of the game.

So, I climbed down the stairs.

Immediately, my phone’s ringtone filled the dimmed atmosphere. My heart rushed as I hoped it was Dominic’s call. I must say, not only is he making my body grow warm, even my heart yearned whenever I remember his slow, sensuous words.

I picked my phone from the couch and saw David’s name on the screen. Realizing that it had been long since I called him or talked to him, I happily picked his call. “Hey you.”

*‘This is just lovely. So, you decided to forget me…’*

“I didn’t mean to.” I cried as I played along with his teasing, my butt cheeks settling down on the nearest couch to stare out at the city.

*‘I hardly believe that. Once someone is blinded by wonderful coitus, every other person seems to be a stranger.’*

“Coitus,” I chuckled. “,what is this eighteenth century?”

‘*Whatever. But really, you should have at least called even once. But,*’ I was about to respond, but he cut me short. ‘, *I am to blame too. For not calling you either.’*

“So we are even.” He replied in affirmative. “How have you been David?”

‘*Oh you know, just surviving fine. I have had a lot of contracts on my plate these days, so you could say I have been very busy.*’

“Hmm.”

‘*So, Mr. Powers eh?’* As he teased me, my cheeks flushed.

“Well,” I bit my lip to contain my excitement. “,it is happening. We are really together.”

*‘Wait, like together…?’* My phone tinged to indicate I had just gotten a message.

“Uh… David, I need to put you on speaker so I can read this message.”

‘*Alright*.’ After placing his call in speaker mode, a lot of scuffling in the background, I clicked on the message icon. After clicking on the first unread message, a deep frown came upon my face as I read through the simple, clear message again and again. ‘*Grace, are you there?’*

“Um… David?”

‘*Yeah?’*

“I think someone is threatening me.”

‘*What?’*

I closed my eyes for some seconds as the words played in my mind. “The message reads; ***Leave Dominic or else I will kill you***.”

‘*Okay. Wow. This sounds serious. And I am guessing the sender is anonymous yeah?’*

“Yes it is. I wonder who it could be.” My frown deepened as I tried to reason out the situation.

‘*Maybe one of Mr. Powers exes.’*

“Hmm. Maybe it is. I guess I can’t really reason out much until he returns.”

‘*Oh, he is not around?’*

“Nope. So, you were saying something.”

‘*Yeah, I was asking if you both are together-together.’*

I hugged my legs to my chest as I swept them off the floor. “He did say I am his girlfriend, and he keeps claiming me to be his.”

‘*Nice. Turned out the attraction is mutual. How does it make you feel though? Everything that has been going on between you two, how does it make you feel?’*

Looking thoughtful, I answered him. “Apart from being confused at the start, being with Dominic has been liberating on its own. I feel happier and loved even if he doesn’t show much emotions. Sometimes I get taken aback by his words because I never see them coming. But, nonetheless, his words and touch keep touching me at places I never knew anyone could reach after Kyle.”

‘*Wow sounds like my friend is falling in love.*’

“No. It is not sure what I feel for him. I…”

*‘He is not around right? Lie to me and say you don’t miss him.’*

“I…” I couldn’t defend against his claim. A short smile played on my lips as I confessed what I truly felt. “I do miss him. I miss his voice. I have been itching to call him.”

‘*Someone is falling in love.’* I imagined him doing some silly eyebrow waving. ‘*Why haven’t you called him though?’*

“He is a busy man. Dominic takes his business seriously.” I heard a door close from upstairs, so I got up to check if Ruby had woken up. “I don’t want to disturb him.”

*‘Hmmm, well, no one likes to be disturbed while working. But be careful still.’*

“Why do you say that?” I opened Ruby’s door but she was well tucked into her bed and asleep soundly.

*‘You can never tell how he truly feels about you. So, if you don’t want to be extremely hurt if by any chance something not expected happens, be careful.’* A puzzled look on my face, my mind pondering who could have opened a door, I walked out of her room quietly.

“I guess you have a point.” I decided to go check if the entrance door was locked but as I passed by Dominic’s room again, its door was slightly open. And I am sure it was shut the other time I was upstairs.

*‘So, apart from snuggling with your employer, what else have you been up to?*’

“Oh you know. I have been dealing with a rather naughty Ruby. These days she does things that tends to get on my nerves.”

‘*She is just being a child.’*

“Yeah she is. Anyway…” Before I could tell him bye, a loud noise that sounded like a little machine was in operation came from Ruby’s room. Immediately barging in to see what was going on, my frightened self became more scared as my sight fell on the irregular rising and falling of the sleeping girl’s chest. Her breaths ran crazily, filling the room with loud struggling sounds.

“Ruby! Ruby! Wake up!” She responded sleepily to my call but her hard breathing still won’t stop. I could hear David shout through the call in worry. “Ruby, you need to wake up. Open your eyes Ruby.” My worry growing by the second, I tapped her cheek lightly to get her awake.
“David she won’t stop breathing hard. What should I do?”

His voice echoed from the phone that I had put on speaker. ‘*Hmm, okay sit her up first. Sit her up.’*
My arms which were clutching the little girl to my chest helped the half sleepy girl sit up, her breaths fanning my skin strongly. As I grabbed her pillow to support her back, my hand touched her forehead which was very hot and that got me more frightened. “David she is hot. Her temperature is…”

‘*Calm down Grace. To regulate this, you need to calm down.’* My heart already pounding due to the sudden immense fear, my eyes met the scared girl who was already clutching her chest and that made me want to cry because she was too little to be experiencing such magnitude of pain. But I needed to help her reduce the pain, so calm I shall be.

“Okay. What is the next thing?”

‘ *You need to get a lunch bag, you know the paper one or maybe a nylon to help regulate her breathing.’*

“But I can’t leave her here!”

*‘I will tell her what to do. Just hurry and go!’*

Okay. I calmed my shaking self, assured Ruby that she was going to be fine and ran downstairs. As I got to the kitchen and got what was needed, my eyes fell on the diary where Dominic had written his number and the doctor’s. Grabbing it, my legs sped all the way to Ruby’s room.

I could hear David trying to keep Ruby calm. “I am here. I got it.”

‘*Okay, let her breath into it. In and out. In and out, in that rhythm.’*

I crouched by the head of Ruby’s bed. Her eyes were already filled with tears when they met my worried ones. I placed a hand on hers that was clutching the chest area and assured her again. Placing the bag by her mouth, I said, “Okay baby. Do as I do. You are going to be fine.” I started to imitate deep inhalation and exhalation. As she went along with my rhythm, I made to wipe her tears away. “You are going to be fine okay?”

“David, I need to call her doctor. Can you hold please?”

‘*No, just end the call. I will check in later, let her just continue the exercise.’*

“Thank you so much David.” My attention went fully back to Ruby.” Okay baby, hold this for me.” I released the bag into her hands. “Continue. In and out. In and out.” Grabbing my phone and the diary, I hurriedly inputed the doctor’s number.

‘*Doctor Lumber here.’*

I rushed into my reason for calling, “Ruby is having breathing difficulties. Please we need you to come around as soon as possible.” My hand reached for Ruby’s hair and I rubbed through it affectionately. The difficulty had reduced to my delight but the doctor was needed still. Something told me her present condition had something to with her heart problem.

‘*I will be right up.’*

“What do you mean by right up?”

*‘I am just few floors away from Mr Powers apartment.’* I heard the ting from an elevator. ‘*So, I will be right up.’*

Encouraging Ruby to continue, her favorite teddy right beside her to support, I rushed downstairs to meet the doctor . Adding more illumination to the room , I unlocked the door and stood just outside the door, my eyes anxiously trained on the elevators.

In no time, the said doctor came around. He was young looking but he surprisingly sported the bald look quite well. As he approached me, his tongue caressed his lip like twice- which made me certain he was the one that came around the other day- , his narrow eyes scrutinized me. He eventually stopped in front of me, his medical bag tightly held in his hand.
“Doctor Lumber.” He stretched his hand for a handshake. But instead of returning his gesture, I grabbed his arm and dragged him in, my hand finding a way to lock the door in the process.

“She is upstairs.” He did not complain as I dragged him along. But when we finally made it to her room, he detached his arm from my hold. “Please, do something.”

“Definitely.” his coarse voice replied and he dropped his bag by the end of the bed before approaching the little girl with tears all over her face. As he did what he knew best, I clutched my phone and walked out. It just wasn’t fair that at such a young age, she was experiencing something terribly painful as that. The thought saddened me the more. And when the image of her teary face came to my mind, my heart squeezed with pain.

As I recalled that I needed to inform Mr. Powers, with shaky hands I held my phone. Ending my ongoing call with the doctor, I dialed his number. I could hear the doctor using calm words to relax Ruby who probably was confused alongside with the pain she was experiencing. Closing my eyes momentarily to shake away the negative thoughts building up in my head, I held the phone to my ear.

Soon, his voice filled my ears. “Grace?”
As though I was a loaded gun waiting to be triggered, hearing his voice roused something heavy hidden inside me. And I suddenly burst into tears.