"... unexpected friendships

are the best ones..."

Nick's POV

"What happened?"

He took off his surgical cap. He has a favorite one. It's black -just like his scrubs- with little pink flowers. He dropped it into a laundry hamper.

"Your abuelo is loco!" He exclaimed as he washed his hands. He is using a small brush to clean his nails. "I don't know how you get along with her."

I chuckled as I helped myself to a seat. I'm yet to meet Helena. She hanged around Manhattan and she's dead serious about us talking. I know Kei will come up. She's a sour subject right now.

"She's an acquired taste."

He crashed on his seat. "So this is what happened. She called. She asked m if I have seen you. I said yes. We are in the Caribbean. She asked me where and I told her Saint Martin. She hanged up on me and I thought it was over. Now this is where it gets interesting. I'm in the middle of surgery when a surgeon walks in. I thought she was a surgeon because she was wearing the same color of scrubs I'm wearing. But the second I look into her eyes, I realize who she is. She says and I quote: "I'll cut you if you're u don't tell me where Nick is." Dude! This is where shit gets messy. I told her I honestly don't know where you are. She says she will cut the patient and the patient will bleed out and I'll be responsible. She is holding a scalpel and she is not joking. I had to stop th procedure and talk to her. She said she will ruin my career if I ever lie for you again. I will never lie to her on your behalf ever again."

"How did she get into the OR?" I asked. "Why didn't anyone stop her?"

"Have you seen the way she stares at people? I wouldn't question her even if I caught her putting on scrubs. She is hell bent on catching you dead in a lie."

"Trust me it's ammunition for our meeting." I sank into the seat.

"So where were you?"

"In Miami."

"What were you doing in Miami?"

"I was with someone."

"Dude, the one most likely to cheat is..."

"Third place, Bruce. Second place, Tony. First place..."

"Yours truly." He chuckled. "But seriously, who were you with? Your wife is bat shit crazy."

"She's a beautiful secret. My beautiful secret. I can't say anything even if I want to." I can't believe she turned me down. I decided to step back but I'm not giving up. I'm giving her space before I go after her again.

"Just be careful. I know we keep saying this but Margaux is not a nice person. She won't just take this sitting. Someone will seriously get hurt."

Deep down I am aware that what I'm doing will have dire consequences. I'm a risk taker. That is one of the qualities of a successful business man. Risks can bear great rewards. The bigger the risk, the higher the reward. It doesn't always work like ke that but when it does, it's amazing. Kei is worth it.

"But she must mean something for you defy Helena. Is she crazy too? Because you have a type."

"I don't always go for the crazy ones." I chuckled.

"Allow me to take you down memory lane. Naila Bellingerre. Coleen Harrington. Now Margaux Deveraux. All of them,bat shit crazy. Break the habit. It's for your own good."

I chuckled. "She's not like the others. Someday, I'll introduce you."

*

"I always wonder what kind of grandfather Alexander would be. He seemed like the kind not to fuss. You know the kind who give you space to learn from your mistakes." She dropped the cigarette in the ash tray. "I'm not the kind to not fuss. I think you know that and that is why you never told me you are marrying. I heard to find out from a nosy reporter who called to get a comment. I want you to take a second and imagine what that felt like. I was pissed!" Her eyes flared up. "Then a baby came in less than none months. Then it hit me. You fucked up. You finally fucked up and got a girl pregnant. And you saved face by marrying her fast! No prenup. Nothing but stupid trust. Now you're on the verge of divorce and before you even sign those papers, you're playing adulterous games in Miami with another man's wife." She broke into an applause. "Does that surmise the beginning of the steep descent of self destruction?"

Helena is not a woman of many words but when she talks, she talks.

"You have everything right except one thing."

"What?" She placed her legs on my pristine glass table. She knows I hate smudges on glass and she's dragging her fingers over it.

"I didn't have sex with Keira. Nothing happened. She's a good decent woman."

"Well good for her. Because this way, it makes things easier."

"What things?"

"Have a sit Nickolas." I took a seat. "You're cutting all ties with her. I will not have that kind of scandal attached to my name. This divorce between you and Margaux is already stirring up a storm that my name shouldn't be part of. You put this family under a microscope because of that marriage and I'll be damned if you bring in a scandalous affair too! End it."

"She ended it." I answered. She gazed at me with complete disbelief. "Like I said, she's a decent woman."

"And the business you have going on with her? Her family?"

"I don't see how that is a problem. It's going well. We will make our profits and they will get their share and the contract will be complete."

Bale Industries is originally an oil business. My grandmother has oil wells all over the world. We make billions off the family business. When I was in my late teens, I suggested that she funds my company. That is the section on construction. I purposely studied architecture to aid that company. She treated me like a business partner and she owns 50% of the construction subsidiary of Bale Industries. My business with the Ballards should not be any of her business but she owns half. It is her business.

"The reputation of those we get involved with is important. The Ballards are washed up. They have made bad business decisions-"

"Keith Ballard made bad decisions."

"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking!" She told me sharply. "Who do you think gave Keith the Power to make poor decisions?"

"His father."

"Exactly. And the girl is inexperienced. She's a chef and she has no business in the board room. End it."

She got up.

"And if I don't?"

"I was faced with stubbornness like this when you were just a baby. Your father failed to recognize who the powerful person in the room is. Don't make the same mistake." She out on her sunglasses. "Use your head to think. The one with a brain."

She slammed the door shut behind her.

I need to get ready. She's going to war with me. I feel it. I'm not backing down. I'm not giving Kei up. War it is.

Keira's POV

Dr Cavaleiro said I must return for a check up. He wasn't giving me options.

It's been about three weeks since I was last here. I remember how I had to sit in a wheelchair on my way out because I couldn't walk. On my way in, I refused a wheelchair and Lorraine carried me on her back. She's a good friend. She's more than a good friend. She helped me set up a signal in case Jason is hurting me. I just have to switch on the red bulb she installed on the side porch. Once it's on, she will come running.

Jason hasn't come home since that violent outburst. I did receive flowers from him apologizing for hurting me. I have purposely avoided my parents in these three weeks because I don't want them to see me like this. I'm still a mess. I don't leave the house. This is the first time in 21 days. I'm alone. I took the bus. I then walked slowly until I got here.

"Keira." I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see a man in navy blue scrubs. He has a black surgical cap with pink flowers. Looking at it made me smile. "That's the intention." He pointed at it. "I'm happy to see you. Come."

He offered me his hand, pulling me up easily.

We got into his office and he closed the door.

"How have you been?" I asked him to fill the silence.

"I have been busy busy busy." He took off the cap and began washing his hands.

"What kind of a doctor are you?"

"Surgeon. Particularly a neurosurgeon."

"That sounds complicated." I laughed. "Our look too young."

"I get that a lot. I was an overachiever so I may have skipped a lot of classes. I got into college when I was 16."

"That's not being an overachiever. That is being a gifted. Why... Do you see patients who don't have neurological issues?"

"No I don't. But I am whatever I need to be to my friends."

"Am I your friend?"

He settled into his chair. "Do you want to be?"

"Honestly, I wish you were a woman. It would be a lot easier."

He nodded. "How is your husband?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since."

"I won't go into the nitty-gritty details of why you married such a man. I'll assume you didn't know he would turn out like this. However, from personal experience, you need to cut ties with him if you are to continue on the land of the living."

He gave me a moment to process. He got a hospital gown and showed me to a section of his office with a bed. "Change into this." He drew the curtain to give me some privacy.

Lorraine doesn't cook. She has no use for her kitchen but to make tea and store vodka. She buys me dinner everyday. Today is Chinese Tuesday. We eat together and she hangs around until I fall asleep. I guess I'm thinking about dinner because I'm hungry.

"Dr Cavaleiro, I'm done."

He drew the curtain. "The hairline fracture is almost healed. That's good. Have the headaches stopped?"

"They are getting better."

He moved a flashlight across my face. I followed the light with my eyes. "There should be a female nurse in here. Please don't sue me."

I laughed at his pleading expression. "I wouldn't."

"He pressed my sides. It's still painful. "Are you breathing all right? No more pain?"

"Yes. I'm breathing all right. I brought the x-rays."

"I checked them out. You ribs are healing. Let's see your thigh." He pulled on rubber gloves as I lifted the nightgown. Lorraine changes the dressing for me. "Looks okay. I'm going to change this."

"Okay."

He got what he needed and cane back. "Are you in pain?"

"Not so much."

"Do you need pain medication?"

"No."

"I know patients who would have jumped at the opportunity." He chuckled.

"You have the softest gaze, I have ever seen." I complemented him. "Are you Spanish?"

"Aha. What betrayed me?"

"Your name." He smiled at me and finished up. "What?"

"You're pretty. Don't sue me." He reminded me. "The color of your eyes is interesting. I haven't seen a blue so deep. They are beautiful."

"Don't sue you?"

"Now you're getting the hang of it." He laughed. "How about I take you out to dinner?"

"Uh... thank you. But no. I dint want to end up here tomorrow with broken legs."

"That's right. I'm sorry, I didn't think that part through. If you ever need anything, i mean anything, call me. Please make use of my number. I want to help you. If you need a place to crash, someone to talk to or even to just rant about shit, call me."

"Thank you Doctor Cavaleiro."

"Call me Ferrer." He squeezed the side of my arm.

I smiled to myself when he left me alone to get dressed. I have a friend and this one is not interested in me. I can see he's not interested in me and that feels good.