The Arrangement Duet Box Set Page 19

“All too often, they receive free meals at school but then go home to an empty fridge. How can we expect these children to focus on school work if they don’t have food in their stomachs? The pain that comes with not having enough food to eat is unbearable and not something that can be ignored. I’m grateful that you are one of the few organizations in our community that understand this.

  “I love that you continue to provide outreach services to children when they leave your program. We need more organizations like yours that also strive to support children in improving their lives. It is not enough to provide them with the support to help them graduate high school. It’s time we start thinking about how we can help beyond high school. How can we support them in attending a training school, community college, university, or in job placement? If we can support them in these areas, they can not only help themselves out of a bad situation but also help their families, including younger siblings.

  “I want to encourage each of you here tonight, to go back to your companies and think of ways that you can offer financial support to a child who is graduating high school this year and has dreams to pursue something more. PFS will personally be providing a full scholarship to one graduating senior this year for up to five years of undergraduate education with the possibility of extending the funding for an additional three years of graduate school. I am committing tonight to awarding this scholarship to one student each year for the next five years. If PFS is unable to fund a scholarship one year due to performance, I will personally pay the tuition bill out of my pocket to ensure that child isn’t forced to stop attending college.”

  Holy Shit.

  I am beyond stunned by Nicholas’s speech. There was so much unexpected in it. I guess I just assumed it would be a business speech, focusing entirely on the facts in addition to thanking the organization for recognizing PFS’s contribution. I was shocked that he took this opportunity to deliver an obviously personal speech, leaving me with so many questions. How does he know about the impact a less than ideal living condition can have? When did he have a poor living environment? Was he talking about his own kitchen when he spoke about not having enough food? I remember reading somewhere in an article before our first event that he was adopted by the Parkers but had spent some time in foster care before that. Could he be referring to his early childhood in this speech? I find myself wanting to know more, needing to know what made him the man he is today.

  The end of his speech shocked me almost as much as the beginning, especially when his eyes sought out mine. I have no doubt that he added the last part of his speech, offering to pay a tuition bill out of pocket, because of the reason I had to drop out of college. I don’t like to think about it, but I know my life would have been very different had I been able to graduate. I wouldn’t have taken the crappy job as a waitress where I met him; I wouldn’t have spent a year of my life living in hell with him. I wouldn’t have had to return to the house that I was so eager to escape that I jumped at the chance to live with a man I barely knew.

  My entire life could have been different, but I will never really know how different it could have been since I wasn’t able to finish my degree. I had no idea that Nicholas had paid that much attention to what I told him, or that it impacted him to the point where he put it in a safety net to make sure that students awarded the scholarship from his company wouldn’t be stranded if PFS wasn’t able to contribute to the scholarship one year.

  The room is applauding loudly for Nicholas and everyone is on their feet as he shakes hands with Mrs. Richardson, who is wiping the tears from her eyes. I have no doubt that she was as unprepared for his speech as I was and like me, was moved by his incredible donation. A few minutes later, Nicholas leaves the stage, making his way through the crowd, stopping along the way to shake several hands before he finally makes it back to our table.

  He takes my hand as soon as he approaches the table. Without giving it a second thought, I lean up and kiss him. Unlike every other kiss, this time my lips are on his and they are just as soft as I imagined they would be. His hand wraps around my waist as he takes a step closer to me, pressing his lips more firmly against mine, but neither of us deepen it. A few seconds later, Nicholas pulls back just enough so that his eyes find mine. I immediately blush at the realization of what I just did and then guilt washes over me, knowing that I just violated the contract we signed with Bridget. Nicholas doesn’t say anything; he simply pulls out my chair and sits down next to me once again. His hand is still holding mine, but his eyes are fixed on the stage as Mrs. Richardson begins to introduce the next sponsor.

  I struggle to focus on the next couple of speeches, sort of just going through the motions of clapping after each award is presented. I worry about the kiss… I have no idea what possessed me to do something like that. Well, I do know… it was Nicholas’s speech. I was so focused on the speech itself and the generous donation he was making that I forgot for that brief moment about out contract. I forgot that this was nothing more than a business transaction, that our relationship truly only exists in a contract, stipulating our individual roles that we both signed. I forgot that we weren’t two people enjoying each other’s company tonight. My stupid lapse in judgment may have changed everything between us.

  As another person finishes their speech, I try to take my hand from Nicholas’s to clap, but he grips my hand tighter. I look at him for the first time since my stupid move and realize that Nicholas doesn’t look right. His face is paler than I have ever seen it, and his leg is shaking under the table. I don’t know what’s wrong, but I can tell something isn’t right with him.

  “Nicholas?”

  Chapter 19

  Kenzie

  “Nicholas?” I lean against him and whisper his name. “Are you okay?”

  He shakes his head, indicating he isn’t. I move my chair a little closer to him and place my hand on the back of his neck. I try to make it look casual to anyone who would notice, although I’m sure it looks a little off. The moment I place my hand on his neck, I can feel the heat radiating from his body and I quickly realize that he has a fever.

  “I’ll have Carter get the car ready and we can leave.” I pull out my phone as he nods in agreement.

  Nicholas isn’t feeling well. Can you get car ready to leave? Will meet you out front? –Kenzie

  Will meet you in back of building, you’re closer to that exit. Leave room, go down hallway, exit will be on the left. – Carter

  I’m thankful that I had thought to program Carter’s phone number into my phone after Nicholas gave me his number when he was worried about the press bothering me.

  “We’re good,” I let Nicholas know.

  “Ladies, gentleman, if you will excuse us, something has come up at PFS that requires my attention,” Nicholas announces to the table before standing up. He wraps his arm around my waist as we make our way across the room, and for the first time, I don’t think this gesture is for appearances but rather to help ground him. When we exit the conference room, I wrap my arm around his waist just in case he suddenly needs more help walking.

  “We’re meeting Carter this way.” I gesture down the hall when Nicholas begins to head toward the front of the building. He closes his eyes briefly before nodding and following me slowly down the hallway. It takes us much longer than it should to finally reach the rear exit, where I’m thankful to see Carter waiting with the car right in front of the door. He quickly rushes to us when he sees us approaching. As soon as the SUV door is open, Nicholas gets in and slides across the seat, placing his head against the window. I climb in next to him before Carter closes the door behind me.

  “Are you okay? Can I get you anything?”

  He just shakes his head and closes his eyes; Carter gets in the front seat and we pull out of the hotel parking lot.

  “Mr. Parker… do I need to take you to the hospital?” Carter asks.

  “No… home,” he mumbles.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Home… call my moth
er, Carter. See if she can get there tonight.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I sit next to Nicholas, who still hasn’t opened his eyes. I’m not really sure what I can do for him, but I feel a strong need to do something. I ask Carter for a bottle of water, thankfully he has a couple cold on the front seat with him. Even though Nicholas didn’t ask for it, I open it and give it to him, encouraging him to take some. He takes a small sip, but quickly gives the bottle back to me, shaking his head.

  “Sir, your mother said she would meet us at home and should get there just after we do. Kenzie, she asked to speak to you after she meets with Mr. Parker as she is concerned this could be food poisoning.”

  “Oh… we didn’t eat the same main course, but I’ll talk to her just in case.”

  We arrive at Accord Towers a few minutes later, and with Carter’s assistance, we manage to get Nicholas to the elevator, where he leans against the wall for support. He looks weak, and he has barely opened his eyes since we left the hotel. I’m worried that I should insist Carter take him to the hospital instead of back to his apartment. He looks like he should be in a hospital. Maybe his mother could convince him to let Carter take him there tonight?

  I barely notice the elevator stopping; the doors open into a large foyer, and I’m immediately taken aback when I realize that this must be where Nicholas lives. Carter wraps his arm around Nicholas’s waist, as he leans on him for support as we walk across the vast tile floor. I follow Carter and Nicholas down a hallway to a large bedroom that is easily triple the size of the master bedroom in the condo I’m staying in. Carter helps Nicholas to sit on the bed before leaving the room, I assume to wait for Nicholas’s mom.

  “Can I help you take your jacket off?” I offer.

  He shakes his head, but when he struggles to coordinate his movements, I take over and slip the jacket off his arms. He falls back onto the bed, groaning when his head meets the pillow. I glance around the large room for a bathroom and spot a door next to the bed, but when I open it, I embarrassingly realize it is a large walk-in closet and not a bathroom. There’s another door across from the bed where I finally find an incredible bathroom; a girl could seriously live in a bathroom like this. There’s a large tub that is just begging for someone to soak in, a walk in shower with dual shower heads and of course a double vanity with an area for a woman to apply her makeup.

  In a few of the articles I read about Nicholas it referenced a woman he previously lived with, who I assume probably fell in love with this bathroom the moment she saw it. I don’t know why but the thought of picturing him with another woman bothers me even though there is no reason it should. Our arrangement is purely business; I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a woman that he keeps away from the press— he is a man, after all. I quickly shake my head, pulling myself from thoughts of him with another woman and go in search of what I came in here for. Looking around, I spot a basket filled with washcloths; I wet one and bring it back into the bedroom. He shudders when I place the cool cloth on his forehead but doesn’t say anything.

  “Ms. Rose, Dr. Parker is here,” Carter announces from the doorway.

  “Dr. Parker, it’s nice to see you again—“

  “Please, no one calls me Dr. Parker unless I’m working dear,” she chuckles.

  “Of course, Mrs. Parker—“

  Even though we met at the New Beginnings Gala, we didn’t have much of a chance to talk with everything going on that night. This is the first time I’m really talking to Nicholas’s mom, and with him practically passed out on the bed, it’s a little unnerving.

  “How about you call me Vivienne?” she suggests.

  “Vivienne… thank you for coming so quickly.”

  “Tell me what happened and more importantly what Nicholas ate tonight,” she requests as she sits on the bed next to him to take his pulse.

  “He had a chicken entrée for dinner, I think there was spinach and cheese on it. He ate about half of it—I don’t think he touched the rice. He gave a speech just after we finished dinner then we sat through two other ones. That’s when I noticed he suddenly looked pale. His leg was shaking, and he was… his neck seemed hot when I touched him. I tried to get him to drink water, but he really hasn’t had much.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  “If you don’t need anything else, I’ll wait for you outside.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Ms. Rose,” Carter greets me as soon as I leave Nicholas’s room.

  “Dr. Parker… I mean, Vivienne is with Nicholas.”

  “I want to show you around the main floor quickly.” I look at him confused as to why he would think I needed a tour of Nicholas’s apartment right now. “If Dr. Parker suggests you talk in the kitchen or Nicholas’s office, it might be a good idea for it to appear that you have been here before.”

  “Oh! Yes, you’re probably right.”

  Carter quickly gives me a tour of the main floor: there is a large great room, also a room that is probably any man’s dream complete with a pool table and dart board, a large dining room with a table that seats at least ten, Nicholas’s office, a guest bathroom, and a chef’s dream kitchen. I could easily live in just the kitchen itself… it’s easily double the size of the one in my condo and has everything a chef could ever need.

  “Would you like a cup of tea, coffee, or a glass of wine?” Carter offers.

  “A cup of tea would be nice, thank you.”

  Carter quickly makes a cup of tea for me and joins me at the large island in the kitchen while we wait for Vivienne to finish with her son. He points out the pantry and another door that I’m surprised to learn is another small apartment that he and Julie share. Nicholas’s main floor is so large, I can’t imagine how much more remains up the stairs that I saw in the foyer. How much space can one man possibly need?

  “Carter, Kenzie.” Vivienne enters the kitchen.

  “Dr. Parker, can I get you something to drink? Tea, coffee—“ Carter offers.

  “No thank you, Carter. I can’t stay long, I’m scheduled to work a double tonight at the hospital,” she says. “Kenzie, how are you feeling?”

  “Fine… Nicholas and I didn’t eat the same meal tonight, thankfully.”

  “Good. I am pretty confident that Nicholas has a case of food poisoning, but I’m taking some blood to the hospital just to rule out anything else. I don’t think it’s the flu, given the sudden onset, but I want to rule it out just to be sure.”

  “So he’s going to be okay?”

  “Yes, in a few days he should be fine. He probably should be in a hospital, but my son is incredibly stubborn just like his father and refuses to go. He’s more worried that someone might think he is weak by being admitted into a hospital than he is about his own health. He’s stable for now, but I’ve warned him that if his condition worsens or if his blood work shows something more serious then I will call for the ambulance myself to bring him to the hospital.”

  “What can we do for him?”

  “Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do but keep him comfortable. I’ve given him something for fever and nausea, which should help. Someone will need to check on him every couple of hours through the night; dehydration is a big concern. Tomorrow, if Julie can prepare some chicken broth—“

  “Julie is away for the weekend, Dr. Parker,” Carter interrupts.

  “Oh… perhaps you can pick something up from a restaurant? It needs to be bland, my only concern with ordering it from somewhere.”

  “I’ll make sure we have something for him in the freezer.”

  “Tonight, we need someone to check on him every two to three hours. If his temperature spikes above 103.8, I will need to be contacted immediately, and if I’m not available then someone needs to call an ambulance. He needs medication around the clock for the next forty-eight hours to keep his fever down and prevent him from vomiting any liquid he takes in. As I said, dehydration is my concern: If he doesn’t take in enough liquids, his body could begin shutting do
wn. I cannot stress enough the importance of someone monitoring him around the clock this weekend. If Julie is not available, will one of you two be willing to do this?”

  “Unfortunately, I’m scheduled to fly out in a few hours to meet Julie at her niece’s wedding. I can try to arrange a later flight… maybe I can stay for a few hours in the morning—“

  “I can come by tomorrow afternoon to check on him, but unfortunately, I’m scheduled to work a double tonight and then the overnight shift tomorrow night. Theodore is out of town helping someone with a project. Cara left this morning for a weekend trip with a few friends. Austin… well, let’s just say he wouldn’t be the ideal person to take care of someone who is ill.”

  “I’ll stay,” I offer.

  “Are you sure, Kenzie?” Carter asks.

  “It’s not a problem,” I assure him.

  “Hunter and Ben are scheduled to work this weekend, either of them can run out for anything you might need,” Carter adds.

  “I’m sure we’ll be fine. I can make the chicken broth that you recommended, Vivienne; I’m sure Julie has everything I would need. If you let me know about the medication, I can make sure he takes it as you say.”

  “Wonderful, thank you so much! Nicholas is very lucky to have you. I’m thankful that you didn’t have plans this weekend; I’m not sure what we would have done if you weren’t available. He probably would have had no choice but to go into the hospital, where he would have been most unhappy.”

  “It’s not a problem, I’m glad I can help.”

  “Here’s some medication to get you through the night. Carter, I’ve called in a few prescriptions to the pharmacy, so can you arrange for someone to pick them up first thing in the morning?”

  “Of course, Dr. Parker.”

  “He needs this one every four hours to keep his fever down. I left a forehead thermometer on the nightstand in his room and recommend checking his temperature every two to three hours. At the same time, you’ll need to get him to drink something. Here’s a few packets of an electrolyte drink; just mix it with cold water and it helps prevent dehydration. Carter, this is another thing that should be picked up at the pharmacy tomorrow morning. They may not have it in powder, but they should have it in liquid form.”