Collide in Plain Sight

Chapter 3

Harlow

I stare across the counter at Pierce as he eats a sandwich and looks out the window, wondering what the hell to think about this guy. 

I mean, he's obviously gorgeous. I remember when he was a patient on my floor all of the nurses argued about who got to take care of him each shift. Thinking back on it now, I remember that he specifically requested me. I didn't think much of it at the time. It happens pretty often that a patient will get comfortable with the same staff and request them whenever they can, but now I wonder if his obsession had started even then. 

But honestly, why would he do this? He's rich, beautiful, clearly intelligent. Why would he go to these lengths for a woman when he could do something so much more logical?

Like ask me out on a date. 

I'm pretty sure I would have said yes, but I would have been as confused as I am now on why he would even want me. My life is a mess. I work too much, live paycheck to paycheck and have the emotional intelligence of a houseplant. The only other living thing in this world that I love is my cat. 

"Oh my God, Goose!" I scream, causing Pierce to look at me with a panicked expression. "My cat! I don't have anyone to feed him, or clean his litter, or give him those little treats that he loves! Please, Pierce! Please don't let my cat die." I beg him, my eyes filling with tears again. He puts his sandwich down and rounds the counter towards me, but I'm too panicked to worry about his close proximity. He holds his hands out and grabs my shoulders, rubbing up and down in a soothing motion. 

"Relax, sweetheart. Everything's fine." he murmurs quietly.

"Easy for you to say. You're not a starving, helpless, lonely animal." I growl. His eyes go wide as he looks down at me in surprise, a smile flashing across his face and I fight the urge to smack him. 

Sure, he says he'll never hurt me, but it's probably best not to test that theory. 

"Harlow, come with me." he says, grabbing my hand again like he did earlier. I want to wrench it away, to wash it with burning water and acid to get his touch off of me, but my concern is for my cat so I let him lead me up the staircase to the door right next to the room I woke up in. We stop in front of it and he looks at me expectantly. 

"Go ahead. Open it." he says, motioning towards the door. 

I push it open to find what looks like a jungle. A huge tree in one corner of the room, it's branches extending against three walls with varying levels of platforms reaching all the way down to the ground. There's what looks like a chandelier in the corner of the room, but it has ropes that reach halfway to the ground with felt fish, crabs, sharks and a pirate ship dangling from the end. It looks to be attached to a motor as it spins slowly on it's own. The other side of the room has what looks like an umbrella holder, but instead there are what appear to be dozens of string toys with feathers, furry tail looking things and crinkling toys on the end. My eyes can't move fast enough to take in all of the details and I don't even notice Goose until he meows from high up on a perch in the tree. I look over at Pierce, but he's watching me. 

"I read that cats are like jungle predators. They like to be up high." he explains as he motions towards the tree. "And according to the vet he's a little overweight. But I didn't tell Goose that. I didn't want to hurt his feelings. But that's what the wheel is for." He says, pointing towards what looks like an oversized hamster wheel in one corner. "You can clip a treat in there. To give him motivation. He loves it." Pierce says excitedly, heading over to the contraption and hooking one of Goose's favorite treats inside. Goose mewls from up high and works his way down the branch of the tree before climbing into the wheel. Pierce gives it a little shove to get it started, but Goose takes over easily and soon he's running, trying to get the treat. Pierce laughs as he looks over at me and I don't know what to think.