Royce(38)
“That’s her medical record from the doctor she’s seeing. If you tell her I gave them to you she’ll stop the information. If you even hint that I’m helping you, I’ll make your life not worth living.”
Royce opened the file and looked up at his brother. “You’ll help me? You’ll help me try and make it up to her?”
Curtis stood and took his case with him. “For now anyway. I like this girl. I didn’t want to, but I do. She’s agreed to let me go to her next doctor’s appointment. They were going to do an ultrasound, but she can’t afford it. And before you claim that you’ll pay for it for her, I think you really should rethink that. She’s very…proud, and anyway, I don’t think she’d take the money from you. I’m guessing you have about two weeks to try and see if you can convince her you want to be there too.”
After Curtis left Royce started reading the file. He was on the second page when he started making notes. Not notes like he normally did when he decided he found something he wanted, but notes on things he wanted to remember. Things like her birthday and her age. He made notes about the schools she’d gone to and the awards she’d won. The colleges she’d attended and what her grades were like. He’d even made notes on the type of places she’d visited and a mental note to ask Curtis how he’d found out. By the time he was finished, he had a better understanding of her. Not a lot, but enough to maybe get him on her better side. He picked up the phone and started on “Plan Kasey.”
“Hello, I’d like to order some daisies to be delivered.” And the first thing he had to do was grovel.
~~~
The knock at the door startled her from a nap. She’d been working on a term paper for someone and it had been so boring that she’d fallen asleep correcting it. She had no idea what the paper was supposed to be about. Something about hamburger, of all things, and what medicinal properties it had. She hoped this person failed.
She opened her door to a bunch of daisies. Not just the run of the mill white ones, but brilliantly-colored ones too. Also baby’s breath and greenery wrapped up in a large ribbon and a big vase.
“Miss York?” the man holding the flowers asked her. Her squeal of delight made him laugh. She’d never received flowers before and was so excited she grabbed them out of his hands before she even acknowledged him.
“Yes, that’s me,” she finally told him. “Oh aren’t they lovely, all happy and colorful? Who are they from?”
She was searching for a card when he told her he didn’t know but could she please sign? Taking the little clipboard and the flower-looking pen, she scribbled her name. She put the flowers down without finding a card when she went to find her purse.
“The tip has been taken care of,” he told her when she tried to hand him five dollars. “You have a good day.”
After closing the door and locking it, she pulled the little envelope out that was buried deep within the over three dozen blooms and read it. She was still sitting there holding the card when her phone rang.
“You like them?” Royce asked her. She looked at the card again. “Kasey? Are you there?”
“You sent me flowers. Why?” She flushed when he laughed. “I mean, they’re lovely, my favorite actually, but I don’t understand the message.”
“I wanted you to know that I was thinking of you, that’s all. You like them then? I’m glad. The lady at the flower shop was sort of cranky about getting them to you today.”
“Were you demanding? That always puts my back up. Maybe you should try asking instead of demanding. It might get you more help than hindrance.” He laughed again and she found herself smiling. He had a great laugh and she wondered why he was— “What’s happened? You’re not usually in this good a mood when you talk to me. You’re up to something. Spill it.”
“I’m not up… I guess I deserved that. I just wanted to send you some pretty flowers. And the first thing I thought of was daisies. And the reason I called is I have a favor to ask you.”
“See, I knew it. I haven’t made up my mind on the baby yet. So if that’s all you called about then—”
“That’s not it either.” He sighed heavily. “I need a date tomorrow night and I was hoping you’d agree to go with me. It’s a charity function…some sort of art show that the committee I’m on is throwing to kick off the new art gallery.”
She still didn’t believe that there wasn’t something else so she didn’t agree just yet. “Who’s the artist and what’s the media? And what’s the dress code?”