Page 19 of Risk

Slipping the cream out of the bag, I pulled the protective silver seal off and put the lid back on. I left the light on and closed the door until there was only a sliver of light shining out so I could see. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, I squeezed a small amount of the cream onto my index and middle fingers, placed them at her temple, and started to rub.

“What are you doing? I thought you left.” Her hand reached out and rested on my leg limply.

“I’m here to take care of you. Can you turn your head, and I’ll put this on the other side?”

“What is it?”

“A muscle relaxer type cream. It has menthol that will hopefully help your headache.” I’d never tried it, but I’d heard it could be a remedy and thought I’d try it on her.

“At this point, I’ll try anything,” she mumbled.

Moving around to the other side of the bed, I climbed up and leaned back against the headboard.

“Come over here and let me give you a massage. It will make you feel better.” Or at least I hoped it did.

She lifted up, and I helped guide her over until her head rested on my thigh. My fingers slipped into her hair and started to rub over her scalp. The longer I rubbed, the more I felt her relax against me. Since she had a horrible headache, I kept quiet and let my hands work.

Her breath started to even out, and I thought she fell asleep until she spoke. “You’re such a good guy, Cal. Thank you for being here after the way I’ve been icing you out.” She moaned when I applied more pressure and snuggled deeper into my leg.

“That’s what friends are for, right?”

“You understand why, though, right?” she asked instead of answering my question. When I didn’t answer, she continued. “I like helping people, and if I was reported for sleeping with a patient, I could lose my license.”

“I don’t want you to lose your job, Doc, but I can’t help the attraction that I feel for you either.”

“All I can offer you is my friendship, Cal,” she mumbled. “I hope you can accept that.”

I didn’t want to be put in the friend zone, but I’d take what I could get. Maybe once the season was over and I was no longer her patient, she’d give me a chance.

“I like you calling me that.” My hand swiped down and massaged along her neck.

“I’ll call you whatever you want if you keep doing whatever you’re doing.” She let out a big yawn.

No matter what she said, I knew she wouldn’t call me the one thing I wanted.

Boyfriend.

* * *

Pressure lifted off my leg,causing me to wake up and groan at the stiffness in my neck. Cracking open my eyes, I watched as Aspen slipped off the bed and made her way into the bathroom. After a moment, I heard the toilet flush, and then the shower turn on.

I wasn’t sure what to do. I desperately needed to take a piss, but I didn’t want to head back to my hotel room until I talked to her and made sure she was okay.

This time when I knocked on her door and opened it, it was to a bathroom full of steam.

“I’m coming in,” I called before I stepped inside.

“Cal, what are you doing?” she shrieked and stumbled as far as she could back into the shower.

“Peeing.” I unzipped my fly and relieved myself, much to her dismay.

“Oh my God, Callum. This is beyond what our friendship is. Please leave.”

“So, you’re admitting we’re friends?”

“Yes, of course, we’re friends, but not the type of friends who pee in front of each other.”

A smile spread across my face. “I’m going to head up to my room to get cleaned up, and then I’m going to take you to breakfast and on a little day trip. I’ll be back down once I’m ready.”

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