Page 6 of Blinded
He scowled and placed his hands on his hips. “Is this really necessary? Isn’t there another way to do this?”
Sandra wondered how he would react if she pulled on the band and let it snap against his ass cheeks. “No, Dr. Lewis, this is the best exercise for restoring basic function, neuromuscular training, and strength development.”
He sighed, moved into position and took three steps to his left. He was breathing hard again. “That’s enough in this direction.”
“Try two more. It’s not easy, I know, but you need to build the muscles back up.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but apparently thought better of it.
“Come on, two more.” He took the steps and then another two. She managed to get him up to ten steps in either direction before she let him stop. “That’s enough for now. I want you to repeat this exercise twice a day, too. Ten steps in each direction, three sets.”
He muttered something under his breath Sandra couldn’t catch.
Her phone vibrated on her hip, indicating her alarm. She was relieved their time was up for the day. “I’m afraid that’s it for today. We’ll add the monster walk next week. If you like the side walk, you’re going to love it.” She handed him his crutches and caught another whiff of his scent, now mixed with sweat. He might be a pain in the ass to work with, but at least the bastard smelled good.
Chapter Two
Gisela Randall-Duncan fingered Sandra’s high ponytail in that annoyingly possessive way which always got on Sandra’s nerves, and she struggled not to cringe away from her mother. “I wish you would style your hair better. I can make an appointment with my hairdresser. Maybe some highlights.” Gisela patted her own glossy hair, styled to perfection.
“Mother,” Sandra warned.
Gisela muttered, “Probably still going to that woman.”
Sandra was astonished her mother could put so much venom into whispered words. “Jewel McCormick is a loving mother, a good friend, and a skilled hairdresser. I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t make it sound like she’s evil incarnate.”
Her mother looked indignant. “But darling, you must admit that with your father’s status, we have to be careful who we allow into our lives.”
Sandra fought the urge to roll her eyes. Why she still bothered with her parents was beyond her. It’s because you’re the only child they have, the annoying little voice in her head pointed out. “Ruby’s mom might be a hairdresser and single, but she’s as respectable as we are, mother. Your ideas sound like something out of the 1950s.” Her voice sounded sharper than she intended, but her mother was practically a Stepford Wife sometimes. “I wonder why you bother to hyphenate your name, Mother. It’s not like you do anything independent of Dad.”
Gisela schooled her face in a pleasant expression, as fake as a December tan and responded to the last part first. “Now, Sandra, you know how proud I am of my Randall roots. My great-grandfather practically founded the city of Randall, Kansas. Anyway, you can hardly compare a hairdresser to a vice-president of the largest bank in Missouri. Besides, she got pregnant by some low life musician and never had the decency to marry him.”
Sandra sighed and tuned out as Gisela droned on about Ruby and her mother. This discussion was getting her nowhere. She glanced over at the antique clock – had she only been here for five minutes? Luckily her dad entered the room. His face lit up with delight as he spotted Sandra.
“Honey,” his voice boomed. “Good to see you.”
Sandra stood and he enveloped her in his arms. The familiar scent of Green Irish Tweed filled her nostrils and she caught sight of her mother’s disapproving look. Public displays of affection were inappropriate in her mother’s warped opinion and even in the family room she wasn’t pleased by the way her husband and her daughter acted. To Sandra it felt like she was still competing in beauty pageants and continuously under the scrutiny of her mother. Although Sandra had only been nine years old when she put her foot down and refused to be paraded around like a show dog, the competition and the pressure had damaged the relationship between her and her mother permanently.
GT watched his mother bustle around in his living room. She looked younger than seventy-six, and moved like someone his age. Both she and his father had been successful physicians and Gregory Tobias Lewis had done exactly what they expected of him – he excelled at his job and succeeded in his life.
“Mom, you don’t vacuum your own house, why are you cleaning mine?” GT protested as his mother went into the closet for the vacuum cleaner.
“Because the floor is dirty,” she said.
“Angela cleans the floors, Mother.”
“Angela can wash the windows, darling,” his mother answered.
GT shrugged. There was no stopping her. Angela had been his mother’s cleaning person and all-around helper for over twenty years and now worked for him as well. She ran a successful business taking care of houses for people who could afford her services. For a select few, Angela’s husband, Joseph, provided lawn and garden service. GT didn’t bother telling Angela what to do, the woman knew his home’s needs better than he did. As long as he had clean laundry and his house was taken care of, he was happy – he was barely there anyway. Most of his meals GT ate at the hospital cafeteria, but Angela stuffed his refrigerator and freezer with precooked meals, too.
“Please, Mom, stop fussing. I don’t want to irritate Angela. Good help is hard to find.”
Finally, she put away the vacuum cleaner only to return with a duster and begin dusting everything in sight. She might not look or act old, but she must feel the years. His father had been – oh, fuck –
“Mom!” his voice was urgent now, and his mother halted her movements, finally making eye contact. GT closed his eyes for a moment after he took in the dark circles under her eyes and the haunted expression in them. “I’m sorry. I forgot the anniversary was today,” he said with a soft voice as he held his hand out to her. His mother bit her lower lip, and tears started to pool in her eyes as she gripped his hand. He pulled his mother to him and she sobbed in his arms.
After a few minutes she pulled back and gave him a watery smile. “Thank you, darling. I still miss him.”
“Me too, Mom. I miss him very much,” he said, as his thumb brushed a tear from her cheek.
