I come out of the bathroom to find Dylan sitting on the bed with a hot bag. He must have found this when he cleared the fifth box, I thought. I hop my way out into the bedroom he holds me steady and puts me on my bed. "Thank you, Dylan! I don't how to thank you enough." I said, looking up at him.
He puts index finger on lips to shush me from saying anything further. I slide into my blanket as he helped me place my feet in the right position, and then he placed the hot bag above it. "Try to sleep. Call me if you need anything." He said as he walked out of my room, closing it partially behind him. I noticed that his usual behavior subsided; he was more serious. I didn't want to ask him anything either.
I didn't realize when I dozed off into a dreamless sleep, only to open my eyes, hearing my shower spurting water on its own. I look around my room. The first rays from the dawn were penetrating the glass windows to light up my room. I picked up my phone to check the time; it was just 7 AM. I slowly sit up on my bed, rubbing my eyes. Suddenly, the sound of the shower stops; I look intently at the bathroom door.
Dylan walks in, all wet with my towel around his waist. "I have nothing to wear! Dammit!" He cursed under his breath, realizing I was looking at him. I thought only women said that before going out! I giggled at my thought. "What so funny?" he asks; my eyes scan over his naked upper body, so chiseled and toned that I had my imagination running for a minute. His brown-skin and that golden chain around his neck deserved a poem of its own to describe how it made me feel.
"I will go home, get dressed, and head to work. Plus, I will get something to wear for tomorrow." He continued his monologue. I realized how much I loved hearing him think out loud. "Hey! Good morning, sweetie! How do you feel now?" he asks; I could see his nervousness peeping through in his voice. Maybe he realized how unconsciously engrossed he was in his thoughts.
"I think I feel a little bit better. And yes, you should go home! It's okay; you don't have to take any more trouble. Carol will stay, don't worry." I said as I slowly slid away from the sheets, preparing to get up. "It's no trouble; what would Carol and others think that I left my girlfriend who sprained leg alone? I can't do that!" He came closer and held my hand to help me up. I looked at his bare chest, just inches away from my face, then looked up at him. He smiled and held me gently as I made my way to the washroom.
"I will get dressed while you brush your teeth, get fresh, and call me before you shower. I don't want you to trip and fall into the bathtub!" He said, standing at the door. "Oh! Come on! I am not a child, Dylan! It's just a sprain." I said, and close the door but to only cry out in pain when I accidentally stand on both feet. Dylan shouts, "Yeah, right!"
I was ready to shower now, I open my door, but he was nowhere in sight. "Dylan! I need my towel!" I called out. "Hold on!" he shouted back from the kitchen. He walked in after a minute, still in a towel. "What did you ask?" he asked, looking at me through the half-open door. "My towel!" I repeated. He just pulled the towel off him and handed it to me! For a brief moment, my eyes shoot downwards instinctively, making me regret immediately.
I took the towel from him without looking at him again. "What the hell, Dylan! Go! Get dressed!" I said. "Aww, you're so shy, girl!" he teased. "Wait, how are you going to get into the bathtub? Let me in!" he started pushing the door open. "No!!! Go away!" I protested. He stopped as we heard the doorbell ring. We both look at each other, confused and scared. "Who's that?" We both utter in unison.
I hand him back the towel, so he can go and open the door. I wait in the washroom, trying to eavesdrop on who makes an appearance at this hour of the day. All of a sudden, I hear Carol's ecstatic voice, followed by another male voice. "Oh my god, is that Michael with her?" I slowly hop my way to the bedroom door to hear them better, only to find Carol jumping towards the bedroom as if she was a toddler looking for her unicorn best friend.
"Oh my god! Megan! What am I seeing?" she shouts out with a hug. I stood there, not knowing how to respond. Dylan glances in my direction, amid his heated conversation with Michael, and winks at me, which indicated that it was our time to play. "How did you sprain your leg, though? Is he that rough?" Carol asked; it was natural for me to blush to that as in my head, we were doing a lot of things that could potentially sprain my leg in many ways.
"It's nothing! He says it's a minor sprain. I will be okay in another one or two days," I said. She helped me to get to the living room Michael and Dylan were cracking jokes maybe about what he was wearing, I assume. "Are you two together, huh?" I whispered into Carol's ears. She giggled, hiding her face behind my shoulder. "Well, nothing serious. Not yet. We had been hitting it off together since the party too!" Carol winked. I couldn't hide, but I was lowkey jealous; I was stuck in a mud pile, and she is here telling me how not complicated her life is.
"Hey! How's your leg?" Michael noticed me all of a sudden and hugged me gently. "Dylan is very good at taking care of it, so it's healing earlier than I thought," I answered, looking at Dylan lovingly. I realized I didn't have to act a lot. He did make me feel safe and cared for, even when nobody's around. Dylan walked over and held me tightly in response. "I know he is! If he gave you the sprain, he should take care of it too!" Michael teased.
I looked up at Dylan, questioning what did he mean by that. Dylan's eyes told me; I had to play along and say nothing contradictory. Then, it hits me that all the mischief that he does when he gets me all alone should be avenged when in public. The ball was in my court now; I hug him burying my face in his chest in response to Michael's tease. I could feel goosebumps all over Dylan's body; I was having the desired effect on him. Michael and Carol grinned at us, looking at our public display of sexual attraction.
"You two go get a room!" Carol said with a burst of evil laughter. "We don't have time for that! Carol, be a good girl and look after my little one while I am gone. Michael, are you going to the hospital now?" Dylan was back in his responsible self. Michael nodded in response. I remembered that I had to call Jeffrey to let him know about my condition and that I will be working from home.
Dylan asks Michael to report to the hospital that he will be a little late and then left for his house, leaving me with Carol. Before we could sit and talk about the juicy details of our sex life, I ring my cool boss. He picks up almost immediately, "Hey Jeff! I am so sorry, but I sprained my leg while unpacking. My doctor asked me to take a rest for two days for a full recovery. I wanted to know if I could work from home?"
"Hey, Meg! I am so sorry to hear that. You should just take a rest, don't bother to work from home. Listen, do you have anyone at home? Like is there anyone to take care of you?" I cringed a bit at the question but thought maybe he was just concerned as a genuine, good human being. "Yeah, I have my friends. They are taking turns for these two days. And thank you so much for your generosity. I promise I won't let you down when I am back."
"You cannot let me down, Meg! You're talented. Anyways, good day." He said and disconnected the call. I sat there, trying to figure out what just happened. "So, tell me, where did all this start?" Carol's question broke my chain of thoughts regarding the cool but a bit creepy boss. I recollected my thoughts before I answered, "Of course, we went on this date that night, we hit it off too as you guys did, and boom, he is all in!" For a second, I could feel I was stalling.
"Just like that? Michael told me about his history. He is not at all a relationship person, Meg! He just fucks and forgets. I wonder what you could have done with him. Michael couldn't believe it when he saw his story." Carol said. I sat there, trying to figure out his character better. I felt as though he was an enigma. How could a person with that reputation be such a caring person at heart?
"Well, I don't know, Carol! He just cares about me a lot I can say for, a fact, that nobody has taken care of me like he did yesterday, in my entire life. He makes me feel like I am the only woman left in this world." Carol looked at me as if she just saw her kid grow up to be an adult. "You finally found the one, Meg!" she said and took me into a hug. My heart screamed as I knew how much I wished if all this truly belonged to mine and not just an act.
"You have a sex god wrapped up in a caring boyfriend. I knew for a fact that he was not good for you as you are those relationship types, and he is just the opposite. But I have no idea; how he just tripped like that. Never knew your skills were that good." Carol went on. "I know a thing or two, you know!" I said, winking playfully at her.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you he made you breakfast. And he also asked me to help you get into the bathtub. He hired me to be your babysitter. He is a gem for real!" Carol said as she fetched the breakfast he made for me. I sighed as I kept picturing him and thinking about him, ignoring everything she was saying.
A surge of guilt washes through me as I realize; I am being dishonest to him. Maybe I should tell him how I feel. I knew what the consequences would be, more than me, he would be losing the most. An unsolvable dilemma, indeed.