Page 70 of Glitz & Goals

“Oh, no, no, no. From here on out, I am to be addressed as Angel. I will accept nothing less. Do you think you can dress yourself?”

I consider this before nodding. “Angel it is.”

“Give me a shout if you have any problems.” She leans over to rumple my hair and kiss my forehead.

I don’t like comparing Vivian to Larisse, but as I look around the room, it’s hard not to. Larisse didn’t even wait for us to get home the night of my injury. She went right for the divorce papers. Viv, on the other hand, got me home, stayed the night to observe me, took care of my obnoxious dog, got me changed into sleep pants and a loose tee, and dumped my work clothes in the laundry.

I sit on the edge of the mattress and wipe at my eyes. The sunlight streaming through the window may be making them water, but it’s equally possible that I’m overcome with the swell of emotion that courses through me.

We’re going to take care of each other. Viv trusts me enough to take risks with me, but knowing that I can trust her just as much leaves me breathless.

I take my time getting dressed and tottering to the bathroom to brush my teeth. The light over the bathroom sink is painfully bright, a clear reminder that I’m still working with a brain that has had better days than this. Reaching up, I wince when I feel the size of the goose egg I have from that rogue puck.

Viv is puttering around in the kitchen when I arrive. She’s made herself more coffee, and she’s looking a little perkier than before.

“You should take a nap,” I tell her. “Really, I’m fine now.”

“Later,” she assures me. “And before you ask, Blade is fine. I just put him in his crate so that he wouldn’t bowl into you. We don’t need your ball sack to match your skull.”

“You’ve thought of everything.”

She tosses her hair and strikes a pose. “That’s because I’m awesome. An awesome, otherworldly, heavenly, Angel woman.”

“Maybe as a way of saying thank you, I can take you out to dinner?”

Viv looks over her shoulder with a sly smirk. “Trying to get rid of that gift card my dad gave you?”

“I wasn’t thinking about that, but it could be.” I reach for the envelope Noah brought over only a few days before. It feels longer than that, even if I don’t remember much from the last day. We had such a nice talk.

Something tells me that our next conversation won’t be so genial.

The gift card is for someplace I’ve never heard of before. When I try to read the words now, they swim before my eyes. I give up and set the card aside again. “I’d love to take you with me. I want to try new things with you.”

Her smile this time is softer. “I’d love to join you. Let’s do it. In a few days, when you’re not quite so…” She waves a spatula at me to illustrate my general disarray.

Breakfast consists of pancakes from the box, turkey bacon, and scrambled eggs. Viv has just joined me at the island when the doorbell rings. From the back room, Blade starts his usual howling protest.

“I’ll get it,” Vivian says and hops off her stool before I can protest. I’m grateful. I’m feeling a lot more with it than earlier, but it’s like my body’s moving through molasses whenever I try to propel my limbs forward.

I hear Viv’s voice at the door, mingling with a man’s lower tone. A few seconds later, she returns with Noah on her heels.

“Oh.” I try to get up and almost face-plant onto the kitchen floor. “Hey.”

Noah just looks me up and down. “So, I came here to check on you,” he says without preamble, “but I also see that it’s true that you and Vivian are dating. For how long?”

“It wasn’t official until two days ago,” Vivian says. “Do you want some coffee, Dad? I just made a fresh pot.”

Noah crosses his arms. “I’d like to know why you lied.” He’s answering her but looking at me. “You didn’t tell me who you were, you didn’t tell me about your relationship with my daughter… What am I supposed to think?”

“Vivian didn’t want to make things public just yet,” I say. “I was respecting her wishes.”

Noah lets out a disappointed sigh. It lasts an impressively long time; the guy has strong lungs. “You acted like a couple of teenagers. Both of you.” He flicks a glance at Vivian.

“With all due respect,Father, you’ve never needed to know the details of my love life before.” Vivian’s tone is light, but I notice that her brow is wrinkling.

“I’ve never worked with your boyfriend before,” Noah retorts.

“Which is one reason we kept things private,” I interject. I finally manage to stand without getting my feet tangled in the legs of the stool. “Noah, can I talk to you in private for a moment?”

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