Dino by Jaime Lewis

Chapter TWENTY-SIX

The following day Arianna did her usual when she got up. She had breakfast, then played with Nigel for a bit.  He’d been feeling left out the last few days with her on the go so much and Dino working. After she jumped in the shower and got dressed, she headed to the hospital to visit her dad.

Last night she had been disappointed when Dino didn’t return home, but she understood. The house had felt extra lonely without him there. After he had kissed her and left her standing there behind the bar, she hadn’t been able to concentrate the rest of the night. After screwing up several orders, she finally conceded and called it quits. She spent the rest of the night locked in her office doing anything to keep her mind off the one man who had the potential to destroy her sanity.

When she arrived at the hospital, she navigated the halls making her way to the elevator, when she stepped off the elevator on the second floor, she felt relieved seeing an agent sitting at the nurses’ station in clear view of the elevators and the stairwell. She said good morning to Brianna and handed her a French vanilla latte she had picked up for her on the way. Brianna warned her that her dad was a little stubborn, so she got her game face on as she walked down to his room. Sitting outside his room was another agent, and she introduced herself. As it was her first time there since the agents were put on watch, she showed him her ID, which made her happy that he took his job seriously.

As soon as she entered the room and took one look at her dad’s face, she wasn’t sure if she should be frightened or laugh. He was sitting up, arms crossed in front of his chest, with a frown on his face. She recognized that expression and body language—the Marine in him was forefront and ready for battle.

She dropped her purse and coat into the chair and walked over to his bed. “What has you wound up this bright and early? I thought you’d be happy hearing that you could get to go home in a few days.”

“I have to take a shit.” He said with a deadpan look, and she froze and just stared at him for a moment. At first, she thought he was joking, but the frown on his face grew.

“O-okay. So, what’s the problem then?” She asked, trying not to laugh because there could’ve been a legitimate medical reason he couldn’t have a bowel movement, in all honesty.

“They want to me shit in a pan.”

A small snort of laughter came out, and she bit down on her lip to not laugh harder.

“Did they tell you why?”

“Because they don’t want me to get up yet. The doctor is supposed to be in later this afternoon, and if everything looks okay, they said he’d let me get up and start walking around a little.”

“Well, then you should listen to the medical professionals.”

He furrowed his eyebrows at her. “I’m not shitting in a pan.”

God forbid the man used the word bowel movement or at least poop.

“Why not? I mean, you’ve been peeing in a bottle since they removed your catheter.”

“That’s different.”

She started to laugh, which only made him more frustrated.

“It isn’t funny. They give you liquids because they tell you they want you to shit, but then they conveniently forget to tell you that you have to shit in a pan.”

She held her stomach because she was full out laughing. All she could think of was the movie Van Wilder when the girlfriend puts the Colon Blast into her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend's smoothie.

Brianna chose that moment to walk into the room, and as upset as her dad was, she didn’t miss the way his eyes lit up when he laid eyes on the pretty nurse. Brianna walked over to the side of the bed and checked his IV line, and then she looked at Paul.

“Are you still being stubborn?” She asked him, and Arianna almost laughed again when her dad’s cheeks turned pinkish.

Her dad looked at Brianna and covered her hand with his as her hand was resting on the bed rail, which shocked Arianna. This was like watching a soap opera play out.

“I’m sorry for being cranky. It’s just I can’t and won’t sh—”

“Dad!” Arianna shouted at him and gave him the stink eye for his language.

He rolled his eyes. “Sorry. I’m not going to the bathroom in a pan.” He stated and then looked at Arianna. “Better?”

She grinned. “Much.”

Brianna’s eyes were sparkling, and Arianna couldn’t believe she was witnessing her dad acting this way.  Brianna used her other hand and covered his.

“Well, since you did apologize and the doctor said it was okay to allow you up for short walks, I guess I can help you up and assist you to the bathroom.”

“Really?!” Her dad exclaimed, but then he turned serious. “You’re not going to stay in there with me, are you?”

Brianna started laughing as she lowered the bed rail. When Paul wasn’t looking, she winked at Arianna. “With the amount of liquid magnesium citrate, we gave you? No way am I staying in there with you.”

Arianna covered her mouth to keep from laughing at how her dad’s mouth hung open, but no words came out.

Finally, Brianna snickered and patted his leg. “I’m only joking. Now come on, let’s get you to the bathroom so you’ll cheer up.”

Arianna offered to help, but Brianna told her that she had it under control. She watched in awe as this tiny spitfire of a woman handled her dad like a pro. Once she had him standing, she slid her arm around his waist while Paul held on to her shoulders. Together as a team, they slowly—very slowly walked across the room while Brianna encouraged him.

Arianna couldn’t help but smile. They were perfect for each other.

◆◆◆

Later that afternoon, Arianna met Alex at the mall. She needed to find a dress for Stitch and Mia’s wedding that was supposed to happen tomorrow. According to Alex, the team was still at the base and running through preparations, and that as of right now, the wedding was still a go.

“So, what exactly is up between you and Dino?” Alex asked as they both browsed through racks of dresses.

Arianna shook her head. How could she answer that honestly when she didn’t even know?

“Honestly, I really don’t know. Something is holding him back from taking that final step. I’ll admit that his public show of affection last night at Bayside caught me off guard. He said we would talk, but then he got the call.”

Alex stopped and looked at Arianna. “You really like him, don’t you?”

Arianna sighed. “I do. I tried not to let my feelings for him go any further than the arrangement he and I had made, but the more I got to know him and see what kind of a person he is, he just sucked me right in.”

Alex chuckled. “You guys sort of remind me of Ace and I.”

“You seem like you’re speaking from experience.”

“When I met Ace overseas on a mission, I tried everything not to fall for his charm. He was adamant, but I kept blowing him off even though I wanted to get close to him.”

“What was the turning point for you?”

“A near-death experience.”

“Alex.”

Alex waved her off. “It all worked out, but during a very intense mission, I had a come-to-Jesus’ moment with myself. I realized everything I could’ve lost, including my future.”

Arianna didn’t want to have any regrets, but she didn’t know how to get Dino to open up about his fears.

“If you’re worried what kind of guy Dino is, I can vouch for him. He’s quiet and can come across as abrupt, but he’d do anything for those he cares about, including letting someone move into his home.” Alex said the last part of the sentence with a grin on her face.

“I’m not worried about him as a person. My problem is getting him to open up. He’s got something deep down that has a hold of his heart. I’ve told him more than once that when he was ready to talk, I’d be there to listen.”

Alex gave her a sympathetic smile. “That’s all you can do. I just like to see people get their happily ever after. You and Dino are definitely a match. Who knows, maybe one day, I’ll be planning your wedding in my backyard.”

Arianna laughed. “Yeah, I heard that Stitch and Mia’s wedding was the fourth wedding you hosted.”

“Yeah, it’s kinda become a tradition, I guess. I’m so happy for them. I just hope that whatever is brewing out in the world holds off long enough for them to say, ‘I do.’”

“When is the big day for you and Ace?”

Alex got quiet for a moment, then shrugged her shoulder. “I honestly couldn’t tell you. We’ve tried a couple of times, but life got in the way.”  She smiled. “The most important thing is that Ace and I love each other.”

“Well, seeing what you’ve done for Stitch and Mia, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for your own wedding.”

Not finding any dresses that appealed to them, they went next door. As soon as Alex walked into Victoria’s Secret, she started laughing.

“Oh my, god. Ace wouldn’t be happy with me right now.”

Arianna gave her a questionable look. “Why?”

Alex told her the story of that time she and Tenley were in Victoria’s Secret trying on bras and had tortured poor Ace and Potter, who could hear every word they were saying in the dressing rooms.

Arianna laughed. “That is a good one.”

Arianna then spotted an emerald green satin and lace teddy. She plucked it from the rack and held it up for Alex to see.

“Oh my gosh, Alex, this sexy number would look fantastic on you.”

“Yeah, right,” Alex said with an eye roll.

“Seriously, with your complexion, and curves not to mention your eye color. I think Ace would agree with me.”

Alex went to argue, but someone behind them spoke.

“Excuse me.”

Arianna turned toward the female voice and found two young ladies, probably in their early twenties, if she had to guess, standing there.

The girl on the left covered her mouth. “Oh my gosh! Are you Anna Humphreys the model?”

Arianna was startled at being recognized but tried to cover it with a smile. “I am.”

The girl turned to her friend. “I told you it was her.” She turned back toward Arianna. “I did an internship in Paris last year, and my boss at the time gave me tickets to one of the shows you were in.” The girl was overly excited, and Arianna couldn’t help but smile.

“Aren’t you glad you listened to the guy in the food court?” The friend said to the girl who was totally fan Girling.

That statement made Arianna’s alarm bells start ringing, and she immediately thought about Gabbert. She looked at the other girl. “What guy?”

“Oh, a guy was sitting at the table next to us. He overheard Bridget,” she pointed to her friend, “mention your name. He said that his wife noticed you too and that you were really nice and that we should come over and say hi.”

Arianna was standing near the entrance to the store, which was directly across from the food court. She scanned the area. There weren’t too many people out there, but nobody appeared to be looking in their direction or seemed out of place. But it also didn’t make her comfortable.

She eyed the phone in the girl, Bridget’s hand. “Would you like a picture?” She asked her wanting to get this over with.

“Really? I mean, if it isn’t too much to ask.” Arianna wanted to laugh at the star-struck look on her face.

“Not at all. If you’d like, I can have my friend,” she pointed to Alex, “take the picture.”

“That would be awesome.” The girl handed her phone to Alex. She put her arm around the girl, and Alex snapped the picture. Both girls thanked her and went on their merry way, chatting up a storm.

As soon as the girls were far enough away, Arianna turned toward Alex. “We need to leave now.”

Alex raised her eyebrows but didn’t say a word. She just nodded her head, and they both left the store and headed toward the exit where they were parked. Once they were out in the parking lot, Alex asked.

“What’s going on? You look totally spooked out right now.”

Arianna leaned against her car. “The guy last night that came into Bayside. The one you guys were looking at.”

“Oh yeah. The guy at the bar with the real short dirty blonde hair.”

“Yeah him. He is my former boss at the FBI. The one I worked for when I was undercover.”

Arianna explained everything that Chris had told her, and Alex came across as concerned as well.

“Shit. Do you think it was him inside that confirmed your identity?”

“I don’t know, but what are the odds of something like that happening?”

“I don’t think you should be staying alone. Not until Dino gets back. Wait, does Dino know about this guy?”

“No. I tried to tell him last night after he kissed me, and that was when he said that we would talk, but then you know the rest.”

“Okay. I’ll follow you back to Dino’s, and you can pack an overnight bag and grab Nigel. You can stay with me tonight unless the guys come home.”

Arianna didn’t argue. She didn’t want to stay by herself, not after that. She got into her car, and the first thing she did was call Chris. He told her that he’d look into it. When she asked if they had any leads, he told her no. He agreed that she shouldn’t stay by herself. He also said he was sending officers to Alex’s house just for precaution.

◆◆◆

Later that night, Arianna sat in the kitchen going over some of her dad’s hospital bills while Alex did some last-minute preparations for the wedding tomorrow.

Tink, Alex’s uncle who owned the security business, sat with them. Alex had called him and told him everything that was going on, and he agreed to come and stay with them just to be on the safe side.  Chris had followed through on his promise as two police cruisers were sitting out in front of the house.

Tink set his book down on the table, then took a drink from his glass of water. He was a massive man with muscles all over.

“So, Arianna, Alex tells me that you worked in the Forensics Division at the FBI.”

“I did. I was a Forensics Accountant. I like numbers.”

He rubbed his chin like he was thinking. Then he said, “My company’s looking for someone in that field. Is that something that you’re still interested in doing?”

Arianna perked up a little, and she took a quick look at Alex, who was standing by the breakfast bar. Alex winked.

“I am. I enjoyed it, but like I told Alex, the FBI isn’t for me anymore. It’s hard to work for someone when you can’t trust them.”

Tink smirked. “I can relate. I’ve had many contracts over the years where I’ve had to work with teams from the bureau. Some I have the utmost respect for, while others not so much.”

“You couldn’t have said it any better,” Arianna said with a slight smile.

“What do you say about coming in next week and interviewing with a few people?”

“Seriously?” She asked, and he nodded his head and grinned.

“You already got past the pre-interview phase.”

“I did?” She wondered how that was because this was the first time, she even heard about this.

Tink gestured with his hand to Alex, and Alex stood there grinning like a fool. “I may have put in a good word for you.” She told her.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. Tink would’ve figured it out sooner or later. I just sped up the process.”

Arianna looked between the two and then settled her eyes on the large hulking of a man. “I’d like that very much. Thank you for the opportunity.”

He smiled. “Great. I’ll have my assistant give you a call next week, and the two of you can coordinate it.”

His phone rang, and he excused himself.

Arianna still sat there dazed at what just happened. It was a win-win for her. If she aced the interviews and got hired, she’d get her two wishes—to stay in her hometown and do what she loved.

Alex joined her at the table. “You’ll do great. Tink’s a great guy to work for.”

“I’m sure he is. Thanks again.”

“Don’t mention it.”  Alex looked at all of the papers strewn across the table. “What’s all this?” She asked.

“Just going through some things.”

“Like what? Can I help?”

Arianna laughed.

“I wish.  It’s just the tip of the iceberg of the many hospital bills for my dad starting to come in. His insurance pays a portion of it, but there is still a good chunk he is responsible for.

Alex picked up one of the insurance claims and grimaced, “Damn.”

“Yeah, now you see my dilemma. I mean, I know he has money, but one, I don’t have access to his accounts, and two, I don’t want him to have to drain his life savings because his psycho ex-girlfriend tried to off him.”

“Arianna, Paul is a veteran. My foundation can help him with his bills. This is why I created it.”

Arianna shook her head. “No.”

“Why not?”  Alex shot back.

“Because, unlike my dad, there are veterans and families who have nothing. My dad is getting care, and the hospital is getting some money from the insurance company. I don’t want to take money and assistance away from someone who needs it more than we do. I can set up payment plans.”

“You always thought with your heart. Well, if you change your mind, I’m here to help.”

“I appreciate it, Alex. Thank you.”

Alex sat there tapping her finger on the table when she suddenly looked up, “What about a fundraiser of some sort?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. There are so many different kinds. It wouldn’t matter because whatever you decide would draw the entire community. Paul is a well-respected man and has done so much for others that I’m positive you would have a good showing and could put a nice dent in those medical bills.”

“Like a 50/50 raffle or a dinner?”

“That or...”

“Or what?” Arianna was suspicious of the gleam in Alex’s eyes.

“A fashion show.”

“A fashion show?” She questioned.

“Not just any fashion show, but a fashion show featuring one of Europe’s sexiest lingerie models.”

Arianna’s head was shaking before Alex even finished her sentence.

“No way! That part of my life is behind me.”

“Come on, Arianna. You could make a killing with something like that. Do you know how many men frequent Bayside? They would go nuts. You’d sell tickets to it. Can you imagine what you could bring in between tickets coupled with all the food and beverage sold for the night? You don’t even have to offer a full menu, just offer a limited menu with drink specials. It’s a no-brainer.”

Arianna thought about it. Posing for photo shoots and walking the runway in Europe was one thing but being back here and getting up in front of people she knew was a different story. But Alex was right. Something like that would surely draw a crowd.

“God help me. I can’t believe I’m agreeing to something like this.”

“Yes!” Alex shouted as she pumped her fist in the air. “It is going to be great. Oh crap…”

“What?”

“Where do we get the merchandise from? I mean, who will you be promoting?”

Arianna closed her eyes. She knew the one person she could call who would be more than happy to assist.

“Let me make a phone call.”

“This is going to be so exciting.”

“Well, you better start practicing because your ass is going to be up on that runway.”

“Me?” Alex pointed to herself. “Uh, no way.”

Arianna chuckled. “Oh yes, way. This was your big idea, and I need models, so you are my first volunteer.” Alex went to argue, but Arianna cut her off, “Write down your sizes, so I will know what I need.”