Page 40 of Ms Perfectly Fine
“You aren’t going to play for four days? I think hell might be freezing over.” Nina chuckled. Autumn nudged her, though she was grateful to smile.
“I can resist,” she said, already thinking about practising at home. With Elijah home, she was sure interrupting him would only stir another argument, and she didn’t have the energy. She was already annoyed at herself for slamming the door in his face last night when he had only been trying to help.
Heather came out and called out to Autumn. “Sasaki wanted me to give you this. It’s the corrections we’re running for today’s practice, so you aren’t missing anything for Monday,” she said.
Autumn frowned at the sheet music. “Thanks.”
“I hope you don’t blame me,” Heather said. “I just thought he would want to know. He treats you like his own daughter, and none of us want to see you lose your seat.”
“What makes you think I’ll lose my seat?” Autumn asked. Sasaki had said nothing of the sort.
Heather waved her hands. “Nothing! You won’t. Feel better. You should get inside, Nina, everyone is waiting.” She hurried back inside before Autumn could tell her where to shove herfeel better.
“I think that’s the most I’ve heard her talk since she started working here,” Nina said, watching her disappear into the theatre.
Autumn was looking at the scratching of red pen all over the sheet music.
“How am I supposed to make the changes if he won’t let me play?” she grumbled, leaning on her friend, who wrapped a comforting arm around her.
“The more you rest now, the more time you have to figure it out. Maybe Elijah can help you around the house.”
Autumn shrugged out from her embrace. “He doesn’t need to know about this.” Although she was grateful for his help last night, she didn’t want to get used to it, even if her heart was softening towards him.
“You haven’t told him about your back? He lives with you,” Nina said, surprised.
“Why would I? He merely rents a room downstairs.” Autumn knew there was more to them than that. She could feel it; something had shifted the night he had rushed home to check on her. No matter how much she wanted to put him from her mind, he was always there. Irritating and infuriating but intoxicating, like the aftershave her bathroom towels now smelt of.
“If he’s only a housemate, why do you have that look?” Nina asked, disrupting her thoughts.
“What look?”
“The look you get when you want the last cookie but you’re resisting.”
“You can keep your cookies.”
“Okay, but you can’t hide it forever. He might understand why you have such a stick up your—” Nina cut herself off as Autumn raised her eyebrows.
“Goodbye, Nina.”
She called her physio, Charli, on her way home. Thankfully, Charli had a cancellation and could schedule a home visit this afternoon.
“Have you been doing yourstretches and applying the oil I gave you to help your muscles relax?” Charli asked, massaging out the knots in her lower back as Autumn lay on her portable massage table. The sitting area in front of the kitchen had been turned into a meditation room with Charli’s relaxing music and aromatherapy candles.
“No to the stretches, but I have been using the oil since the painkillers destroy my stomach. It’s been helping; I swear you could sell it by the litre.” Autumn’s words were slightly muffled as Charli’s magic thumbs worked on her tense muscles.
“You need to stretch before you play! I’m glad you’re doing one thing I suggest. I’ve told you before that I’ll never sell it. It’s an old family recipe and it will stay that way,” Charli said, working on her scar tissue. Autumn almost pitied her hands for having to work on her. “Have you tried swimming yet? It will take pressure off the joints. You said you would give it a go once the weather started to warm up.”
“I will once the show is over and I have more time,” Autumn said, running out of excuses. She hated wearing a swimsuit. Even though her scars could be covered with one with a high enough back, it always made her feel exposed.
“If you refuse to help yourself, you’re only going to set yourself back.” Brinkley came skidding into the room with her favourite frog toy in her mouth. She jumped up on the physio. “She’s so cute! When did you get a dog? You don’t have time to stretch but you have time to keep a dog?”
Autumn sighed. “Brinkley came with Elijah. The guy I told you about on the phone—the one who moved in without my permission. I put Brinkley in the office, but she must have opened the door.”
Brinkley tried to jump up on the table to get to her. Charli tossed the purple frog across the room, and Brinkley followed it.
“Elijah? I was wondering when you were going to mention him. Who bought the plants?” Charli asked, looking through the glass wall to the overgrown conservatory.
“The plants are also his doing. I’m beginning to think he has an obsession with living things,” Autumn said, feeling like she should name the knots in her shoulders after him.
