Putting on Airs

Confections and Confessions

Chapter 4

With the umbrella yet again open, I allow North and Blackbourne to guide me to a grey BMW in the half-abandoned parking lot. As soon as the lights flash to indicate the car is unlocked, I open the backdoor and slide onto the leather seat while collapsing my umbrella.

North, standing with the passenger door open, ducks down with narrowed eyes. I'm too tired to ask what his deal is. He takes his seat in front as Blackbourne starts the car. I buckle up and close my eyes.

"...where she lives," I hear Blackbourne murmur.

"Just take her to Nate's. I'll have Doc meet us there," North replies.

Good, I think. At least I'll be away from that house for a bit longer. Letting myself drift off again, I only briefly rouse as I'm laid on a soft cypress scented comforter, and my shoes are removed. I immediately roll onto my stomach.

"Shh, I'm trying to sleep," I mumble as an insistent grumbling wakes me.

"Did she just shush her stomach?" someone asks.

"I think that is exactly what she did. No one is speaking," Blackbourne's cultured voice responds.

"Now I'm shushing you guys," I say and try to bury my head under the pillow by nuzzling my face to the side and shoving it under the edge.

Male laughter pretty much destroys that plan. These guys are just so...so...happy. How dare they be all...cheerful when I'm trying to sleep. I try to drag my arms up to help muffle the sound, but my shoulders protest most aggravatingly.

I whimper, but tense when I feel someone shift on the bed next to me. I guess I'm done sleeping anyway. It's not like I can go back to sleep now that I feel so many eyes on me, or while knowing I'm not alone in this bed.

"Pookie, wake up so I can make sure you're alright. It sounds like you had quite a night after I left the game," Dr. Green's voice murmurs near my ear.

"Don't call me that," I huff as I slowly, painfully push myself up to my hands and knees before sitting back onto my heels. "It reminds me of dookie," I say in disgust, cuing male laughter.

"How about pumpkin? Nothing too unsavory rhymes with pumpkin," Dr. Green's eyes dance.

"Lumpkin," Luke shouts from somewhere in the hall.

Giggling, while holding myself as still as I can, turns out to be harder than I would think. I have to swallow any remaining humor. That's not hard seeing as there are guys I barely know watching me. Okay, I only know a few of them a long time ago. Now they're all strangers.

"Alright, Lumpkin. Let me have a look at your back, and then we can head to the living room to do the rest. Gentlemen, if you would be so kind as to leave or avert your eyes?" Dr Green waits until his orders are followed before handing me the pillow I had been using. "Here. You can hold this in front of yourself."

I pressed the pillow to my chest as Dr. Green gently probes my ribs. I can practically feel his eyes tracing each bruised vertebrae from my roll earlier. When my t-shirt is lifted higher on each side so he can palpate my shoulders, I bury my face in the pillow. Yep! Definitely jacked those up earlier.

"Alright, Lumpkin. Looks like you may have injured your rotator cuffs. I'm going to want you to get x-rays regardless." The doctor lowers my shirt back over me. "Now, we can check your feet and knees here, or we can go out to the living room where the others can make sure you're not putting the moves on me."

I send Dr. Green an incredulous look, but decide to go along with it. I pointedly ignore the churning in my stomach. It's no longer crying for food; now it's just nerves.