glitterysummerkitty

[glitterysummerkitty]

Just wanted you to know that Dr bombshell & Mr Hollywood is really good and you should keep up the good work 😁

Why thank you very very much @dinahevans. Your comment means a lot to me! Have a great day ahead. :)

[glitterysummerkitty]

i made this instead of writing

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 24

       The drive was filled with silence, albeit a comfortable one. Jake wouldn’t tell her where he was taking her and Candice felt incredibly curious. They had taken her car with Jake announcing that he could have his personal assistant to come collect his car from the café. For a moment Candice had become curious and almost asked if this assistant happened to be a female but refrained when the implication of such a query dawned on her.

      Candice looked away from the passing streets and stores to gaze at the man seated next to her. Even dressed casually he looked really good. The tips of her fingers began to itch with a need to reach out and run them on his jaws which were covered in a few days’ worth beard.

      After a short while, Jake pulled into a dark alleyway causing Candice to raise an eyebrow, a questionable expression on her face. Jake simply laughed and asked her to trust him as he opened the door for her. Candice stepped out and looked around suspiciously.

      The two brick buildings on either side, leaning up to the night sky, considerably softened the decibels of the weekday traffic noise. It was a typical New York alley- cold, dark, dank, the air faintly smelling stale. Large trash containers stood leaning against the sides of the buildings with their lids partly up with overly stuffed garbage bags. Swirls of mist rose in the air, giving the place a very eerie feeling.

      There was another car and a few motorcycles- mostly Harley Davidsons, two Ducati and a Suzuki Boulevard- parked along the sides. Even under the dim bulbs on the side of the building the machines glinted evilly.

“Jake why are we here?”, she mumbled gripping the edges of her faux fur jacket closer.

“Jheez Candice... Relax will ya. I am not a psychotic killer. Trust me.”, he smirked as he led her to an unmarked door at the side of the building and brought his hand up to knock- three short raps a moment’s pause and another two. Candice noticed the peculiarity but before she could ask, the huge door opened, groaning at the hinges. A ginormous man stepped out to greet the pair.

      Candice felt her heart palpitate rapidly. The man was easily above six feet and had a chest big as a barrel. He was dressed in a pair of faded denims and a black muscle t- shirt underneath a leather jacket. His thick handle bar moustache moved as he chewed on a piece of gum. Candice shivered as his savage eyes assessed her from head to toe.

“Mihael!”, Jake called out. At his beckon the bull of a man turned his attention towards Jake, his scowling face breaking into a huge mean looking grin.

“Jake!”, he roared, “Long time!”

      While he spoke, he stepped aside and motioned his hand for them to enter. Instinctively, Candice leaned and grabbed Jake’s arm, too afraid to trust the stranger before her.

      Once the pair were inside, Mihael not only pushed the door shut but locked it behind them. Candice gulped. Through the sound of the rushing blood she could hear the faint beats of music. The beats blared against them, the vibrations of the music travelling through her flesh, as Mihael pushed open another heavy set door at the end of the corridor. He began to descend down a set of stairs.

      Candice tightened her grip on Jake’s arm as they followed Mihael, while Jake kept up a lively conversation with him. A chill ran up her spine as she realised they were being led to the basement. Flashes of those horrific memories passed before her eyes making her shudder which Jake intuitively picked up.

“Baby, are you ok?”, he pulled her closer to him and looked down at her with concern in his blue eyes. She shuddered again, but this time with pleasure, elicited by the way Jake called her ‘baby’. Candice bit her lower lip and nodded.

      At the base of the stairs the space opened up to a large area. Candice took note of how the interior was industrial style with exposed bricks and iron pipes running overhead; at intervals black, spindly iron rods extended like spider legs with exposed bulbs attached at its end, illuminating the bar.

      Jake took pride in the way Candice clung on to his arm as they steered through the crowd, dodging drunk and bawling bikers on their way to the bar. His chest puffed up beneath his jacket and he felt like he had grown at least a couple feet taller ever since he entered the ‘The B BrUtherhood’ club, a quaint establishment not very far from his place. Every eye, wide and curious, seemed to follow him tonight.

      He very well knew the reason and it was the woman accompanying him. He had never brought a girl here before. Candice was the only exception he had thought of making and also the fact that she looked like an angel fallen from heaven wasn’t really helping their curiosity, he realised.

      It was very easy to see that he was most men and few women’s object of envy and he couldn’t help but gloat in this revelation. It was some sort of basal animal instinct he concluded, a need to flaunt his mate... Jake stopped his thoughts abruptly, suddenly realising that he was getting way too ahead of the situation. He wanted Candice, not just as a friend but a lot more than that but he would have to be patient.

      Meanwhile, Candice was very uncomfortable with the attention they were receiving. As they pushed their way through the crowded pub he kept waving and greeting people. Candice tightened her grip on his muscular arm, afraid of losing him in the crowd, and began to soak in her strange surrounding.

      There were two large pool tables on one side of the vast space. There was also a dart board where a man in leather pants and a sleeveless t- shirt stood throwing darts unsuccessfully while his pals made fun of him. The place was packed with curious looking patrons. The hazy air was heavy with a concoction of smells- sweat, perfume, testosterone and a hint of tobacco.

       In the centre of the vast room was a vacant spot cleared where men with scruffy beards, tattooed arms danced along with ladies clad in shimmering, overtly revealing, and body clinging clothes. Candice settled herself on one of the bar stools along with Jake, who shook hands with the bar tender, a skinny and pale looking man with blue and green spikes and a silver ring pierced through his septum.

    Despite the freezing temperatures outside, it was relatively warm inside the pub. They had already discarded their jackets at the entrance but Candice had half a mind to lose her blazer as well and that she did, after a moment’s of deliberation. She bunched it together and handed it to Jake who passed it on to the bar tender for safekeeping.

“This is a biker’s exclusive club.”, Jake informed her once the bar- tender left to prepare their drinks. Jake’s eyes travelled along her well sculpted torso, her lacy top doing things to him as it gave a sneak- peek of not just her smooth skin but also the red lacy bra she wore underneath.

      Candice noted how he was still holding her hand in his but didn’t bother rectifying the situation. She was beginning to like the proximity between them.

“Exclusive? How are we here then?”, she queried. Jake grinned, his eyes twinkling under the lights. His gaze told her what she had already guessed. The revelation made Candice’s breath hitch in her throat.

      Jake didn’t even notice Darryl, the skinny bartender, placing their drinks as he was enthralled by Candice’s reaction. She gawked at him with utter bewitchment in her eyes which made him chuckle. The woman definitely had a type and it wasn’t hard to read.

    Finally noticing the drinks he lifted the highball glass and passed it to Candice with a smirk, “Here is your sex- on- the- beach.” Candice knew it was ridiculous but couldn’t help the blush as she took the glass and brought it to her lips. She was incredibly thirsty and the drink was refreshing to say the least.

“What?”, the corners of her lips slipped ever so slightly in a sly smirk as she watched Jake take her in.

      Jake couldn’t help but notice how incredibly sexy and angelic she looked. He smirked at her restless expression. “You look so beautiful. So sexy.”, he leaned in and whispered, raising a hand to push her curls behind her shoulder, exposing her slender neck.

      Candice felt the hair on her neck stand, the warmth in her cheeks deepen. She took another gulp of her drink and composed herself.

“Is that you Jake?”, someone growled behind her and Candice twisted in her seat to look and found two men approaching them.

      They looked to be in their late-thirties to early forties. One of them was lean yet muscular, a pair of amethyst eyes peeking out from behind his straight dark bangs that fell and reached his high cheekbones, gaze full of mirth and challenge. He was attractive and gave off a strong ‘Up to no good’ vibe.

      The man along with him had a far more imposing form with his large frame filled perfectly with taut muscles, each of his arm seemed equivalent to a trunk of a very large oak tree, his eyes holding the same intimidating look. His skin looked tanned and weather beaten, hair dry and sun burnt, all testifying to the fact that the man spent a lot of time outdoors under the sun.

“Fellas!”, Jake got up and gave the two a manly hug. Jake was dwarfed in their presence.

“Haven’t seen you here in a while. How have you been?”, it was the lean one. He scanned Candice from head to toe before adding, “And who is this angel with you?”, he asked leaning against the bar.

“This is Candice.”, Jake slid an arm around her waist and brought her close to him, much too possessively. Candice didn’t object at all. In fact she loved it.

“Please to meet you lovely. Name’s Ottis. And this is Julian.”, it was the bulky man. Candice smiled at him. Ottis flashed his set of yellowing pearls right back at her.

“You must really be something. Never seen Jake here bring any chick before.”, Julian spoke up. He had a subtle drawl to his speech.

      Next to her Jake chuckled. Candice took a sip of her own drink and tried to gather her flustered thoughts. She had never done well around strangers and to be thrust into spotlight before such intimidating looking men made her deeply uncomfortable.

“You guys are scaring her.”, came a sultry voice from next to her. A thin woman sidled up next to Jake and threw an arm around and leaned against him.

      Jake dropped his arm that was around Candice and stood straight, giving the woman one of his signature lopsided grin.  Candice felt that sharp sting of disappointment. The blonde woman assessed the new comer- red hair, a short tight skirt that was barely covering her ass, her bony cream legs covered in fishnet stalking, her five inch stilettos giving her arse a perfect raise, her tank top barely containing her very well endowed breast.

      Candice felt her chest tighten and a feeling of hostility towards the other woman entered. She frowned at the familiar feeling.

“Ellie Mae. Meet Candice. Candice. Meet Ellie Mae.”, Jake gestured. Candice forced a smile but her gaze lingered on the prolonged contact of the woman’s skinny arm around Jake.

“Nice to meet you all.”, Candice mumbled, watching Ellie’s breast pressing against Jake’s arm as she leaned further.

“I am curious. What do you guys do while you aren’t on the road?”, she turned her attention towards the men but mainly caught Ottis’s gaze. She couldn’t help but fear looking into Julian’s eyes. There was something in his wild gaze, it seemed to penetrate her mind, to read every thought she ever had.

“Well I teach at Bell Academy. Mostly sixth to ninth grade. Julien here is thou a mechanic. Owns his shop up at Brooklyn.”, he replied.

     Candice couldn’t help but marvel at the fact. She could hardly coax her mind to imagine a school teacher cruising through miles and miles of stretches of lonely roads in search of adventure.

“Julien is the one who introduced me to this place. He had excellent yelp reviews so I took my dear Audrey to him. Nothing but the best for my baby girl.”, Jake smiled.

“Audrey?”, she raised an eyebrow.

“My Harley Davidson.”, Jake smiled proudly. With his beer in one hand he lifted his other arm and put it around Ellie’s shoulder. The red head snuggled closer to him.

      A sudden flash of heat consumed Candice’s heart before the uneasy feeling solidified in the pit of her stomach bearing her heavy. She took a deep steady breath before placing her empty glass back on the bar. The beats of the song that had been playing ended and was followed by the song ‘Something just like this’. She loved the song and decided that it would be the best time to move away. Forcing a smile onto her face she addressed the two men but mostly Ottis.

“It was nice meeting you all but I guess I am going down to the dance floor. That’s my favourite song.”, she muttered, refusing to meet Jake’s gaze or the way Ellie’s boobs were now pressed against his torso and not just his arm.

      Candice did really love this song. The first time she had heard it the words had literally hit home. She didn’t want a superhero or a fairy tale life but she definitely wanted some sense of balance, security and most importantly love. As her hips began to sway she thought of how her miserable life has been far from such things since the moment she had been born up until now. Before she knew it fresh tears began to prick her eyes. She shut them tightly, refusing to cry again.

“What happened sweetheart?”, she tensed as a pair of strong hands wrapped around her waist from behind but relaxed when his smooth husky voice filled her ears and his musky smell filled her nose.

“Ellie isn’t going to like it that you’re dancing with me.”, she grumbled loud enough for his ears.

“Ellie? Why would she mind? Her husband, Ottis, is there to keep company.”, he whispered against her ears, both continuing to sway to the music. Candice felt her stomach twist. Ottis ought to reign in his wife, she decided sorely.

“Well. It didn’t seem that way when she was practically thrusting her melons into your face.”, she scoffed, unable to stop herself. Jake stopped dancing forcing her to stop as well.

“Is that jealousy I sense?”, he asked, clearly enjoying her reaction. He knew Ellie had a massive crush on him and he was well aware of the open relation she shared with her husband but he would never reciprocate to her desires. The only reason he had even allowed so much proximity between them that night had been for one reason and it seemed to have worked.

“Don’t flatter yourself Gyllenhaal.”, she turned around in his arms to face him and glared which only made Jake burst out laughing.

      He pulled her closer to him, not leaving even a sliver of space between them. He loved jealous Candice. Candice looked at him, her dreamy eyes wide. Jake gazed into them and felt himself getting lost in it’s depths. They were absolutely stunning, innocent, seductive yet hidden amongst them was wisdom far beyond her years. A fire danced in it’s depths- not a spark but a blazing passion. He confidently brought his hand up to the back of her head, grabbing hold of her hair he jerked it slightly, holding her gaze prisoner to his.

“I beg to differ darling. You are jealous. But you should know that I have my eyes set on you. Nobody else but you.”, he whispered before bringing his lips down to hers.

      Candice protested in his arms for a second before finally relinquishing in the warmth of his lips. It started slow, sloppy, nothing like the ones you would read in the cheesy novels but it did escalate into one soon enough. As Candice grew sure she titled her head and opened her mouth, giving him access to her depths. She shuddered and swallowed his moan as she clung on to him, fingers holding tightly unto his t- shirt.

      It felt a while when they finally came up for air. Jake couldn’t believe the incredible feeling shooting through his body. Never in his life had he experienced something like this. The experience was a little more than just erotic. The sublime yet deep effect it had left his nerves shattered and mind cling desperately to sanity.

“Will you take me on one of your MC excursions?”, she asked suddenly, her voice giddy and swollen lips spread out in one of the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

      Who could have said no to such a smile yet Jake had quickly devised a devious plan.

“Only if you allow me to take you out for dinner.”, he smirked. He felt her fingers run through his hair, the tips of her fingers gently grazing his scalp. A feverish feeling coursed through his nerves.

“Like a date?”, Candice asked, her honey voice sounded languid.

“Yes. Like a date.”, Jake gazed into her eyes, fear of rejection causing his heart to thump erratically, as he waited for her answer.

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 23

 ‘Floyd was released today.’

      A tiny sentence. Four simple words. It was enough to pop the fantasy bubble she had been in for the last four years. It was but a fantasy she had weaved for herself, an illusionary life. A bogus name, a bogus past, a story slightly less tragic than the one she had endured. It was merely a fantasy, an escape from the truth, a vain hope to escape an inevitable future.

      Floyd was out. Just like that. The man who had tormented her, scared her, ripped her apart was allowed to walk free just like that. Four comfortable years in an asylum, just a warning and a tracker around his ankle, Floyd was now capable of walking the streets as free as a man with an ankle tracker can be, breathing clean air, possibly on the look for his new target within his radius or worse looking for her.

      Cold dread gripped her as she slumped into the couch, a faraway look on her pale face. She felt sick. How could they let him go that easy? Would they have allowed it if they had suffered the trauma that she had underwent at that brute’s hand? The moments when she had sunk into the bottomless pits of despair? If they knew exactly how hard she had to fight against herself to get out of that basement of his family vacation house, would they have granted him leeway?

      Guilty by reasons of insanity they had called it. As if the heinous acts he had committed against her could be simplified by such terminology, the cruelty he had suffered in his childhood was reason enough to soften his punishment. Maybe in other cases, Candice thought, but not in Floyd’s. They didn’t see it, they couldn’t. But she had seen it clearly. She had seen the cold and manipulative human residing within that animal. He had planned everything, staged everything with such precision, and had she not been fortunate... Another shudder passed through her. Candice didn’t even want to go there.

“It’s all my fault.”, Aubrey broke the awful silence. She sat next to her niece, visibly not taking the news so well. Candice turned her head sideways to look at her aunt.

“The system failed me.”, she shrugged. Candice was trying to put a brave front for the sake of her aunt but Aubrey could see how the inevitable news had broken the young woman. “Besides I already knew this day was coming.”

“How long will they have him on ankle track?”, Aubrey took a sip of her herbal tea.

“Two years.”

“That’s it?”, the memories of the trial were blurry to her, seeming like it occurred in another life, to someone else. “Do you think it would really stop him from doing something stupid?”, Aubrey nervously ran her hand on her brand new cotton blouse that hung loosely on her skinny frame. Candice had taken her shopping the previous morning. She smiled at the memory of how much Candice had pampered her.

“No. I know Floyd too well to know that it wouldn’t stop him.”, Candice chewed on her bottom lip hard. It drew out blood but she didn’t stop. She needed the distraction; distraction from the painful fear that was sitting in the cavity of her chest like a growing tumour. “I just hope he doesn’t try to find me.”, she whispered.

      Aubrey didn’t know what to say to that. She couldn’t possibly re- assure her. She really wanted to re- assure- like a mother re- assures her daughter- but guilt choked her words. Wasn’t she partly responsible for Floyd’s freedom?

“You should get ready. I still want you to go meet your friend for coffee.”, she gently reminded Candice.

“I don’t want to go. Not when I am like this.”, Candice replied morosely. She didn’t want to go out with a man when she felt so vulnerable.

“It’s not fair. For you to stop living your life in fear of that man. He has already taken much away from you. Don’t let him take away your future. You can’t allow him to shadow your present and your future.”, Aubrey said softly. She was afraid. She half expected Candice to explode on her any moment. If she did, Aubrey knew that it wouldn’t be unfair or wrong, because she did deserve it, but she also worried that it would make Candice change her mind about her staying there.

      Candice mistook this worry on her aunt’s face to be guilt. She felt bad. The woman was already physically enduring a lot. Guilt would only make it worse. “Alright. I will go.”, she agreed half- heartedly.

      A moment later Candice stood up and left for her room. Mindlessly, she picked up a lacy black crop shirt and a pair of black tight fit denims. She chose the rose gold cluster earrings that her uncle had gifted her for Christmas, a day when everything had seemed alright then.

      She threw a black open- fronted blazer that draped her curves and over that she wore a fuzzy knit open front jacket, also black. Completing her all black ensemble with black boots she looked over at her aunt who was still seated in the same place. The atmosphere was thick with grief. Candice felt awful for leaving behind her aunt. It wasn’t her fault. Her betrayal may have hurt her at the time but it didn’t cause Floyd’s freedom. But Candice also knew that if she stayed tonight, her aunt would only blame herself more.

“I will be back as soon as I can.”, she announced.

“No, no. Have fun and don’t rush on my account. I will be fine.”, Aubrey waved a hand and plastered a forced smile.

“Please don’t hesitate to call me if there’s anything.”, with that final instruction Candice stepped out the door.

      She had bought a phone along with a new connection while they were out shopping the previous day. Aubrey had thoughtfully ditched anything that could help her trace back to New York and to Candice. This also meant that Candice would have to help create a few basic proof of identities for Aubrey under a forged name. Crafted identities. More lies. There were days when she really felt like she was the felon here.

                             ***

      The café wasn’t much crowded. Jake was grateful for that. He chose a secluded spot, away from the prying eyes yet giving a perfect view of the entrance and settled himself. No sooner had he taken a seat he sensed a presence next to him. He looked up and found a young girl, no more than twenty, short hair dyed a bright pink and styled into pixie cut. The moment he gave his attention she had shoved the, what he assumed, piece of gum she had been chewing on, to the side of her cheek before giving him a bored smile.

“What can I get for you?”, she asked in the same bored tone.

“Just water for now.”, he answered, his eyes flicking towards the entrance.

      The girl left and came back shortly with a bottle of water. Jake take a swig and welcomed the cool water against his dry mouth. He was nervous. Then the door opened and in stepped Candice. The sight of her momentarily took his breath away. In an all-black ensemble, she looked breath- taking. A glorious vision to the human kind. Yet something was odd today. He could sense it instantly. He raised a hand to catch her attention.

      Candice saw him waving at her and walked towards him. She felt the few pairs of eyes present follow her and felt her heart thump against her chest. Jake was a celebrity. If people recognised him and decided to take pictures of him along with her, she would end up on the internet, a fact she only began to realise. Why did I agree to this again?

“You made it.”, Jake beamed as he stood up, merely out of politeness. He noticed a flash of disappointment pass through her eyes as she eyed him. It was very brief but enough to send his mind into a scramble. What had he done? He waited until she was seated before taking his place again.

“How are you?”, he asked, scrutinising her every movement.

“Been better.”, she shrugged, giving a half smile, her gaze lowered, seemingly studying the rivulets of condensation travelling down the bottle of water on the table, her fingers fiddling nervously.

“Candice...”, his soft call for her attention pulled her. Candice connected her gaze with his and felt a slight shiver roll down her back. “What’s the matter? You don’t look yourself.”

      The worried look on his face made her want to slap herself. She didn’t want to let on that something was bothering her. So shaking her head she tried for a more natural smile.

“I am fine.”, the word came out easily but they didn’t seem to have the effect she expected on Jake.

      She was lying. More than anything her gorgeous turquoise eyes spoke in volumes. They seemed to have lost a sheen they always had.

      Before he could open his mouth to speak, the waitress re- appeared. She eyed Candice appreciatively before asking what they would like.

“So I spoke to mom last night. She seems to have immersed herself into writing the script. It sounded like she is enjoying it way too much.”, he spoke once the server left.

      Candice’s stiffened her shoulder, her eyes scanning the people mulling outside the streets through the large glass window. She looked for one particular face amongst the crowd. Heart still thrashing in her chest.

“Candice...”, Jake called out again, a little louder but she didn’t seem to notice. He sighed and sank back. Hurt evident in his eyes.

“Here you go. One Americano and one double shot espresso.”, the server’s shrill voice made Candice jump in her seat. She looked down at her order and back to Jake. Horrified that she had zoned out on him. She could see Jake was miffed as he gazed at the waiter and thanked her. Once she left he looked down into his cup of coffee stirring some sugar into it.

“How wa—was your d--day?”, she made an awkward attempt.

“Great. Spent most of it with one of my close friend. He’s a painter and travels a lot so we hardly get to see each other.”, he replied but didn’t look at her. Candice instantly felt guilty. It wasn’t his fault that Floyd was out in the open.

“Did you say something? I am sorry I zoned out earlier. It’s just been a long day I guess.”, she half- smiled when he finally looked at her.

“It’s alright. It wasn’t like I was saying anything important.”, it came out a little bit more harshly than he intended. The wounded look on her face made his heart clench. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to...”, he shook his head. He had been very excited about this evening, wanting to get to know her but she seemed cold and disinterested and he would be lying if he said it didn’t bother him very much.

“I am ruining your evening aren’t I?”, her voice was sad. Candice got up, digging her purse for money. “Perhaps we could get coffee some other day. I don’t wish to spoil your evening any further.”, she mumbled, vision beginning to blur with unshed tears. All these emotions overwhelmed her. She knew coming here today was a bad idea.

      Candice gasped as Jake’s strong hand wrapped around her wrist, his grip light yet firm. He looked down at her, a desperate look on his face.

“Don’t leave Candice. Please.”, Jake knew he ought to be mad. All he had done was grovel around her and made her the centre of his world the past few days. Of course she didn’t ask for it but at least she could be a little nice around him. But there was something that stopped him from getting mad. He couldn’t find it in himself to get mad at Candice.

      Candice looked at Jake incredulously. She couldn’t believe that despite her seemingly snobbish behaviour, Jake didn’t want her to leave. He looked earnest as he pleaded her stay. What was she doing? Candice’s bottom lip quivered with all the repressed fear and anger and hurt. Tears brimmed her eyes, guilt wrapped around her throat. Something snapped in her then.

“Promise me you won’t ask what happened. Promise me you won’t ask the reason.”, she choked out.

“What?”, Jake was taken aback, not knowing what she was talking about or what he was supposed to do.

“Just promise me.”, she insisted.

      Jake didn’t know what he was promising to exactly but he realised they were soon gathering curious glances. The girl who had served their coffees was curiously looking their way.

“I promise. I promise I won’t ask anything.”, he blurted and no sooner had he Candice slammed her face into his chest and wrapped her arms around him.

      Jake ceased to breathe. He felt a tingling sensation run along his body. It took him a moment to realise that not only was Candice hugging him, she was also weeping, her sobs reverberating through his chest. Breaking free from his surprise he wrapped his own arms around her and dipped his head low. He was tempted to ask what happened, the words hanging off the tip of his tongue, but he remembered the promise and held it off.

      Instead he held her tightly, pressed soft kisses on top of her head in between offering soothing comforts. The few patrons and the barista kept glancing their way but mostly kept to themselves. Jake was glad for that. Standing in the middle of the café, the two of them, locked in a tight embrace, with one weeping their eyes out must be some scene.

      Once her emotional storm quelled somewhat and her consciousness drifted back to reality of her circumstance she felt ashamed. She pulled her head away from his chest and looked up at him sheepishly.

“Are you ok love?”, he whispered gently, his minty breath fanning against her face gently, his arms still around her waist, hugging her closely to him.

“Yes. I am so sor--”, Jake silenced her by placing his index finger on her lips.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Ok?”, his gaze bored into her, sincerity pouring through his gaze. Candice felt her throat close again but this time because of the warm bubble that filled her chest.

      Jake was amused by her expression and when she nodded her head slightly he spoke again. “You had a bad day. You felt overwhelmed. There’s nothing wrong with that. We all have our own.”, Candice found comfort in his words and his soft, mellow voice; both caressed her soul like the gentle laps of sea against the shore.

“Thank you.”, she sniffed, grateful that he didn’t think of her as some sort of freak.

“No problem love. Now how about we get out of here and go someplace where you can forget all about your bad day?”, he asked gently, his gaze briefly flicking towards her plump lips before going back to her mesmerizing eyes, the lids of which were growing heavier by the second.

      As much as he didn’t want to, Jake was suddenly made hyper aware of facts such as, how close her face was to him, how her sinfully shaped body was pressed flushed against his own, how very seductive her lips were.

“Ok.”, she whispered.

      Jake pulled out a few bills from his own wallet which he placed on the table. He grabbed a tissue from the holder, and handed it to her which she took gladly and, somewhat embarrassingly, wiped the snot flowing from her nose. He took her other hand in his. Candice didn’t protest at all, she was too dazzled by the man to protest. She allowed him to guide her out the coffee shop, their coffees still sitting on the table; steaming, untouched.

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 22

       Candice sank back into her seat a little dazed. What had just happened? Did she not only forgive Jake but also agreed to meet him outside of work for coffee? Really? After fuming and foaming with anger for the past two days?

      She cursed her over- riding limbic system. It had truly been a very long time since she had been with a man. Like really long. She thought of the last time she had been intimate with another man. It was with Floyd and it had been forced. Candice shuddered; clenched her thighs together as the cold memory popped into her mind.

“Are you alright?”, it was Ancil.

      Deep in thought, Candice had totally forgotten about his presence. She looked up at him and found him eyeing her sceptically. She shook her head and rubbed her arms to be rid of the unpleasant gooseflesh.

“Ya, ya.... I am good.”, she mumbled before shutting Jake’s file and placing it carefully along with the stack she had done for the evening. Still musing over her feelings she opened Ancil’s file. Then looked up and found him staring at her intently, his blue eyes ablaze with thoughts she couldn’t decipher. He seemed out of sorts today.

“What was he doing here?”, Ancil’s voice was filled with hostility. Candice recoiled at it. She gaped at him in confusion. Who was he talking about? Then it hit her. She frowned in confusion.

“You mean Jake? He’s a patient.”, she shrugged, feeling a bit agitated.

“Jake is it? Did he ask you to call him that?”, he asked snipped.

“That’s none of your business now is it?”, she shot back.

      Silence endured in the room for about a good minute. How dare she talk to him like that? His jaw twitched with all the repressed rage. After everything he had done for her. He wasn’t about to let someone else take her away. He had invested far too much to let that happen. Right about now, she looked like a spit fire. So he decided to humble himself.

“It’s late. Wrap up and I will take you to dinner.”, he all but ordered. Big mistake.

“Excuse me?”, she looked aghast. As if he had suggested something preposterous. He looked at her confused. “I am sorry I don’t recollect us being friends. You are my patient and I suppose you called my secretary and manipulated her into pushing your appointment for a later time for a consult. Not a dinner date.”

“Ok. Then let’s get on with the consult. And then we can go get dinner.”, Ancil was deeply annoyed now. The intensity of his gaze would have forced his investors and his employees to run for the hills but not this woman.

      The land deal, for which he had been preparing for the past two days, hadn’t gone through and now seeing Jake here getting cosy with Candice wasn’t helping his mood really. He was barely fed or rested. Forgive him if he was sour.

      Now all he wanted was to take this beautiful woman, for whom he had been pining for ever since he had laid his eyes on, to dinner and then probably to his bed but he could see he had misjudged. She was going to be far more difficult.

“I am not going anywhere with you. I have got lot of work pending.”, she grumbled. She couldn’t begin to understand this change in his temperament. He seemed unusually agitated. Tired even and him, coming onto her so aggressively wasn’t exactly making her feel comfortable.

“I just had a long day. All I am asking for is your company. I assure you I will make your night worthy. Much more than that Gyllenhaal ever can.”, he offered his smirk that always seemed to make her blush. Not today thou.

“You know what? Why don’t you come back when you actually want a diet consult? I just remembered I need to check on my ailing aunt back home.”, she shut the file, slid the chair back, stood up with a determined look on her face.

“You can’t do that.”, Ancil looked up at her shocked from his seat, deeply displeased with her behaviour. No one, lest a woman, dared to disrespect him the way she was.

“I can. Family emergency.”, she mumbled before grabbing her coat and bag and making her way out.

      She couldn’t believe the man’s nerve. Just who did he exactly think he was? It was gradually becoming apparent that Ancil wasn’t actually coming in so frequently for diet consults. He was only here to get her to go out with him. Now she would be lying if she said she didn’t feel flattered by that. Who wouldn’t be? It was Ancil Dumont. He was the very definition of masculine beauty. Adonis. And had he approached the whole thing with some grace and humility she might have even fallen for his charms.

“I have to go check on my aunt right now. See to it that Mr Dumont has been fixed with another appointment. One that suits my schedule.”, she instructed a confused Claire, as she swiped and strutted out the exit. She did notice out of the corners of her eyes a fuming Ancil approach her but she chose to ignore him. Ashely went pale at the scene unfolding before her.

     Outside the hospital, the night air had fallen down by several degrees making her shiver despite all the extra layer. Candice slid inside her car and turned on the heater before turning on the radio. The beetles came on. Inhaling deeply she pulled out the parking lot. She wasn’t technically lying. She did need to check on her aunt. Candice had left home in the morning and her aunt didn’t own a phone. So it wasn’t like she could call and ask how she was doing.

      The previous night, her aunt had showed her latest reports. They hadn’t looked so positive. She was highly anaemic, white blood cell count very low and her diabetes poorly controlled. It was alarming to say the least.

      It had been hardly two days since Aubrey had returned into her life and she had somehow become integral to her. Candice guessed having a piece of her family, someone familiar from the life she had deliberately left behind was important to her after all. She was plenty aware of the risks of trusting Aubrey but the need to hold on to anything of her source, her origin compelled her. She had lost her mother, never knew her father, lost her uncle and a sister. She didn’t want to lose her aunt. Even thou her aunt had never loved her.

      Twenty minutes later she found herself before her apartment door. The floor was eerily quiet. Her elderly neighbours already in bed by now. Candice sighed as she slid the key into the lock and tried to open the door as quietly as she could. Suddenly ten pm did seem very late into night. Candice chuckled at how quick perception could change. There had been times when she had even arrived home from work well past into mid- night yet never thought about it being late.

“Candice?”, her aunt’s feeble voice carried into the living room as she shut the door behind her.

“Oh hey. Did I wake you? I was careful not to.”, Candice placed her bag on the couch and shed her coat before placing it inside the entryway closet.

“You didn’t wake me up. I was just reading a book. You have an impressive collection.”, Aubrey ran a skinny hand through her unkempt thinning hair which were sticking out in every direction. She looked around the living room, mildly dis- oriented. “Oh, by the way, I hope you don’t mind me going through your book collection.”

      Candice shook her head. She could understand that. There wasn’t much to do in her humble abode. “I don’t mind at all.” She assured her aunt.

“Great. I really appreciate that. I remember well how precious your books are to you.”, Aubrey smiled fondly at the memory. Candice was a little shocked. She didn’t think her aunt had ever noticed let alone remember it.

“How was your day?”, Candice walked into the kitchen. Aubrey followed thou at a much smaller pace. The kitchen strangely smelled of delicious pastry.

“I did some reading. A lot actually. You have a lovely garden.”, Aubrey smiled. She began to pull out two plates from the cabinet, placed them on the counter before returning to the oven with a pair of mittens.

      Candice picked a bottle of chilled water from the refrigerator, unscrewed the cap and brought it to her mouth. As she greedily swallowed the water while eyeing her aunt curiously.

“I made your favourite. Chicken pot pie.”, Aubrey answered her niece’s curiosity.

“You didn’t have to zia.”, Candice sighed and nodded her head in disapproval. “You aren’t supposed to exert.”

“Oh shush! It was no exertion at all.”, Aubrey carefully placed the deep pie dish on the table mat.

      Candice grabbed the plates and began helping her aunt set the table. Aubrey had prepared a salad of cucumber and tomato drenched in vinaigrette to go along with the pie. The heavenly smell of the pie in the air made Candice’s mouth water instantly. Up until then she hadn’t been hungry. But soon after seeing the pie she felt a slight rumble in her stomach.

“Zia!”, gasped a horrible realisation just dawning on her. “Please don’t tell me you haven’t had your dinner yet.”

      Like a cat caught stealing milk, her aunt looked guiltily over from her seat. She had wanted to enjoy the meal with her niece. Let the young woman know that she was serious about wanting to mend their completely ruined relationship.

“Well I did have an apple in the evening.”, she offered a smile.

      Candice shook her head horrified. She couldn’t believe the woman! “You can’t do that. Oh my God! You can’t do that. You... Do you even realise how wrong that it? What if something were to happen to you?”

      Aubrey all but tried but she couldn’t help but smile at Candice. Her concern pleased her. Nobody had ever showed her so much concern besides Irving and Irving was... The realisation clenched her heart. She looked over at her niece who was visibly upset.

“I will make sure I will eat well in time. I just wanted to be able to have at least one meal with you. That’s why I waited.”, she smiled in assurance. Candice’s gaze softened.

“My schedule isn’t the best but I will try to come home early but if I can’t make it early please don’t wait up for me.”, she pleaded.

“You don’t have to adjust your schedule around mine. Please.”, Aubrey replied, pleased that Candice would even offer to consider her. Again it reminded her of her dead husband. There was that bittersweet feeling again. Twenty nine years and she still couldn’t find a way around it. She closed her eyes to stop the memories.

“Zia are you alright?”, Aubrey’s eyes flew open at Candice’s voice.

“Yes love. I am fine. Just... The way you are fussing over me. It reminded me of your.... Uncle.”

      Candice picked up on the awkward pause but made no reply. What could she say? I know what you are thinking? I have known it for a very long time now? No. She couldn’t. So she turned her focus on her plate of food instead.

     Candice had always most blatantly enjoyed her aunt’s famous chicken pot pie. She moaned as she put a forkful of the rich creamy goodness with the perfect pastry. This was definitely one of the things she so missed of her miserable past.

“So... You seem in a much better mood today. I take it you decided to forgive that poor guy after all.”, Aubrey remarked. Took a sip of her water watching her niece blush a deep shade of red.

      Candice played with her salad as she contemplated on letting in her aunt about her feelings. It felt odd. She had never shared such things with another adult before. She never got the chance. This was a novel concept.

“He actually came to my clinic. As a patient.”, she felt her cheeks burn. Still not sure if she should be telling her aunt such things. Isn’t one supposed to talk about these things with one’s friend or something?

“Really? See! I told you he’s not going to stop until you forgive him.”, Aubrey chimed. Candice nervously picked at her food. Her stomach tingled. Beautifully. Sinfully.

      After she had come back from the game her aunt had asked her about who Jake was and what he had done and why she wouldn’t forgive him. Of course she had given her a much censored version of the events. And that censor included his stalker’ish’ behaviour. And after hearing it her aunt had indeed warned her that the man wouldn’t back down. He had after all gone super out of his way for her apology. Spent three grand on that pinot noir that she had relished at his house. Three fu****g grand! Candice had checked online. Who does that? Rich people!

“Ya well... I hadn’t expected him to show up at work. As my patient to say the least.”, she chewed on her lower lip.

“Then what happened?”, Aubrey pushed further.

“I forgave him. And then gave him a consult.”, she shrugged her shoulders before shoving a forkful of the pie that suddenly tasted more delicious if that were even possible. She thought about telling her aunt about her coffee date but then decided against it.

      They ate in silence after that. Aubrey wanted to tell Candice how much she thought that Jake fancied her. But held her tongue.

      After the meal, Candice cleared up everything while Aubrey momentarily ambled back to her room to collect her book she was reading. She came back to the kitchen and took her seat by the table again. A comfortable silence ensued. Candice put on some coffee before doing the dishes.

      After a while she settled next to her aunt with a mug of coffee. Aubrey had refused one, claiming that she had enough trouble getting sleeping as it is.

“Bleak House.”, Candice mused as she caught the title of the book her aunt had picked out of her collection.

“Yes. I never understood this book while I was in high school. Your uncle couldn’t shut up about his love for this Dickens guy. Thought it was about time I gave it a proper read. See for myself what all the fuss was about.”, she chuckled.

“That’s nice. I will have you know it’s my favourite. So don’t judge him too harshly.”, Candice informed.

      Aubrey placed the bookmark on the page she was on and closed the book. Placing it on the table she silently mused over her question that sat on the tip of her tongue, for a while. After giving it some thought she finally did ask.

“Forgive my memory but I think I have seen Jake somewhere before. Do I know him?”, she enquired.

      Candice chewed on her lip. “You might have seen him but I don’t think you know him.”, she replied quietly.

“How so?”

“Do you watch movies?”, she asked peering into her coffee mug.

“Hardly... But I did kinda picked up the habit, for a while at least, from all the chemo cycles had to... Oh my God!”, Candice peeked from beneath her long lashes and saw her aunt’s eyes open wide with realisation.

“Damn! That movie they kept playing in loop in that awful hospital room! That’s where I saw him! Yes! Oh my God! Candice! How on earth did you two meet?”, Aubrey’s otherwise dull eyes gleamed under the dim lighting of the kitchen.

      Candice’s grip around her mug tightened. Oh the story of how they met would forever be etched in her memory. She smiled thinking of the day they first saw each other. It had been at Gustavo’s. She would be lying if she said he didn’t linger in her mind after that night. Candice chuckled. Then she proceeded to tell about her book, the e- mails and then eventually the dinner at Jake’s place, of course excluding the parts where he had acted like a total jerk!

[glitterysummerkitty]

Heyy when’s the next chapter 💗💗

Soon. Very soon! Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm. Things had been really tough and while I have a few chapters written I haven’t been able to get around to posting them. I won’t be posting them all together thou and I hope I can be consistent from now on. Sorry for keeping you waiting.

[glitterysummerkitty]

Loki – Second Chance at Life

Words count: 1112

Warning: None

Part 1

You’ve been out the whole plane ride, everyone would look at you from time to time to make sure you’re still sleeping. It was an unspoken agreement for Loki to be the one responsible for you, you laid over a few chairs.

“She looks so peaceful.” Wanda stated looking over you, she found herself understanding you now that she had a look inside your mind, and she wonders how you managed to stay so strong for so long. You looked so peaceful right now, at ease, it was like you sleeping for the first time in a very long time, which may be true.

“It’s the first time for her to have total control over her body and mind in years.” Loki told Wanda not taking his eyes off of you.

“That must have been hard.” Natasha said, and everyone couldn’t help but agree, to be locked in your own body it’s something no one wants to go through.

Later on when they arrived at the facility Bruce was there, waiting for them to arrive, he prepared the examination room for you to be examined, to see what damages have happened to your body and brain, and to just get the information they need about you.

Keep reading

[glitterysummerkitty]

Loki – Got You

Words Count: 1242

Warning: none

REQUESTED: Sorry for the long wait! Loved your request and also Part 2? Let me know if you all want a second part to this. ALSO sorry if it isn’t exactly what you wanted. I usually start the requests as you ask but sometime I just get carried away. 

@requested-memory said 

Can you do a fluffy imagine. Where there’s 7th infinity stone (before IW) where the reader has the dark stonr and can’t control it so the avengers are sent to defeat her or if necessary kill. But Loki comes and is able to calm her down with the help of some magic. Sorry if its too specific. 

WILL ADD GIF LATER 

  You were scared and confused. You didn’t know what to do. You were panicking and it didn’t look pretty. They’ll kill you, try to stop you, why wouldn’t they? Why? Why did it have to be you? And why did it have to be the dark infinity stone? Why not another one? One you could control, one that did not control you.

All your emptions turning into anger, and hatred and you couldn’t help it. Everything is dying around you. Everyone. On normal days you weren’t like this but it was as if something in you triggered the darkness that consumed you.

Unknown to you Earth’s mightiest heroes were sent to stop you. You were causing too much damage, it had to be done, and you had to be stopped. They’d be taking the stone away from you. They however didn’t know that the stone became a part of you as much as you hated it, you can’t part with it, and neither can it part with you.

Keep reading

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 21

        Candice was lost. A storm brew in her chest with the varied emotions. Mostly she was angry and elated. Very confusing feelings when experienced together. Especially if the object inciting these two feelings of opposite spectrum is the same.

      In a pair of denims and plaid shirt Jake looked sexy. His chocolate locks were left ruffled giving him a ‘just- rolled- out- of- the- bed’ look and his dense facial hair seemed to have underwent some pruning before his arrival here. Candice had a thing for deliberately scruffy looking men.

      Now Candice had another feeling to tackle with. Desire. She longed to reach out and run her fingers through those messy locks. She ached to run her nose along his strong sharp jaws and inhale deeply the masculine smell of him. He had smelled amazing when he had held her in his arms the previous day. Desire stirred deeply in stomach sending pleasures through her core.

      Jake stood admiring her. She was an open book that he could read very well. What he saw amused him to the core. It was clear as day that the woman was struggling. Fighting an internal battle. Her ocean blue eyes appeared stormy with rage but there was also a sparkle of delight and that made gave him some courage. After the previous day, he hardly had any courage to go through with another attempt at reaching out to her but he couldn’t think about anything else either. Never had any woman had such a grip over his mind and heart as Candice did.

      Jake soon took notice of the desire slowly collecting in her fiercely gorgeous unblinking eyes. They drew him towards her. Like the objects bound to earth by gravity. She looked angelic. Sinfully divine. Her golden flax streaming down in cascades framing her perfectly shaped face. Her flawless, unblemished skin glimmering with a natural sheen. Her heart shaped lips parted with the lower one jutting out a little with, what he assumed, shock.

      Jake felt his own buried desires resurface with a vengeance. He remembered the way she had felt in his arms and her beautiful feminine fragrance. How delicious she had smelt. The heavenly note of her moans. These memories only aided in fuelling dis already burning desire. He almost lunged at her when she seemed to snap out of her reverie.

“What are you doing here?”, she whispered hoarsely then.

      His lips threatened to curl up in a smirk but he didn’t dare to allow it. He didn’t want to infuriate her more than she already was. It would serve him no good.

“I am here for a consult.”, he quietly said.

“Oh really? Why here? Why now?”, she was furious. It enthralled him further.

“I have been meaning to consult for a long time. Asked around and found you were the best around here.”, he answered. Eyed her warily as she visibly trembled.

      Releasing a puff of breath through her mouth, Candice pulled the middle drawer of her work table. Jake watched her curiously pull out a writing pad out of it. He came to stand a few inches near the table. Then decided to wait for her to invite him to sit down. Silently he admired her some more while she scribbled something furiously across the blank page.

      A sharp rip of the paper zapped his attention back to her. Eyes still blazing with anger and desire, she looked at him.

“Here. This is the address to another consultant not very far from here. He owns holds a private practice. He’s one of the best. Also has an ever expanding list of celebrity clientele.”, she slipped the paper across the desk towards him.

      Jake was amused to say the least. He looked at her and found her breathing hard. From all the emotions or from the speech she just gave. He didn’t know. He decided it was a little bit of both.

“Are you denying me a consult?”, he couldn’t keep his amusement from slipping into his tone.

“Yes. I am. Sorry but I don’t really consult to conceited celebrities.”, she looked up at him defiantly. Disconcerted with his amusement.

      Jake sighed. His shoulders slumped. Felt defeated. What could he say? How could he defend himself? Should he even defend himself? For some reason, Candice’s forgiveness mattered a lot to him. So he had to give his best shot. He flexed his hands. Winced, Unclenched it. Took a deep breath. Looked at her in the eye. Let her know that he meant each word that was about to leave his mouth.

“I suppose I deserve that. But I really am sorry Candice. It hadn’t been my intention to hurt you or insult you. But I did and I have felt nothing but guilty since that night. I can’t sleep or eat or go about my life without thinking how much I hurt you. I was unreasonable.”, he paused.

      She didn’t seem to want to interject. Candice didn’t want to interrupt. Not after the hurt that flashed in his seductive blue eyes. It cracked her resolve at being angry. When Jake noticed she wasn’t going to interject he continued. Going over his words in his head before permitting them to proceed out of his mouth.

“I let my past bitter experiences with women judge you wrongly”, he raised his hand when she tried to object. He already knew what she was going to say. “Yes. It was very wrong of me. And I am perfectly aware how unjust it is towards you. What happened in my past is not your fault. I shouldn’t have passed judgement without actually knowing you. Please. Accept my apology. I would really like to get to know you. That is if you would allow me. And I really hope you would. Because you are a lovely woman and you are so gorgeous. And I mean it in a very non- sexual way... I mean of course you are sexy. There’s no doubt in that. But... What I am trying to say is... I mean you are so beautiful. Obviously you must know that too. And it would be a shame if I had......”

      Jake trailed off when he saw Candice pinching her lips together and appeared to be literally shaking. Not out of anger you know. But out of mirth. Jake looked at her sheepishly. He had realised that somewhere between desperate need for forgiveness and fear that he might not get one he had let his tongue take over control. He was rambling. Grasping. It was embarrassing to say the least.

      Him. The Jake Gyllenhaal rambling before a woman he had hardly met. Of course he wasn’t the most outgoing or out spoken extrovert in the pond but he definitely didn’t act like a mumbling fool either.

“Mr Gyllenhaal. I think you have said enough sorry to last a life time.”, with that Candice burst out laughing. No longer able to keep it in. She knew it was extremely rude of her. But she couldn’t help.

“Please. Just Jake is fine.”, he managed a small smile. She was laughing at his expense. It should infuriate him rightfully. But it didn’t. Instead Jake found himself savouring the sound of her laughter. This was the first time he was seeing her laugh. He decided it was a very beautiful laugh. A laugh that would brighten any human’s day.

“I am sorry for laughing. I shouldn’t.”, she let out another giggle before composing herself.

“Please sit down Jake.”

“So you aren’t kicking me out?”, the hopefulness in his voice was audible.

“No. I am not.”, Candice murmured. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Being angry took up a lot of energy. Plus she was convinced that Jake was genuinely sorry. She had seen it in his eyes.

      Candice busied herself with his file as he settled down in the leather chair opposite to her. While Candice went through it once again Jake took note of how neat and well organised her desk was. Behind where Candice was sat was a shelf that seemed to be bursting at the seams with all the squeezed in large binders. On the spine of each, in awful illegible hand was scrawled months and the year.

      As he was observing the desk once again when something caught his eye. His gaze flicked towards it and found a paperback copy of ‘The Woman in the Window’. A small smile graced his lips. That was one common thing they enjoyed. Before he could comment, thou, Candice spoke up. Her eyes still seemingly scanning over his file.

“You somehow got hold of my address and barged into my home.”, she stated. It confused him. Frowning he looked at her and merely hummed in response.

“Then you followed me to the university and somehow managed to insert yourself into the game.”, again she stated. Still not looking up.

“Ya.”, suddenly Jake felt nervous.

“And here you are today. At my clinic.”

“Uh- huh... Where exactly are you going with this?”, he queried.

“Nowhere. I just want to establish loud and clear who the stalker in this room is.”, she shrugged. Set the file on the desk and looked up.

      Jake let out a laugh. Relieved that she hadn’t had a change of heart and decided to kick him out for good. He shook his head slightly before looking straight ahead at her. He caught her gaze and held it with his.

“I really mean it when I say that I feel terrible for the way I treated you. I am really sorry and really hope that we can start over again.”

“It’s alright Jake. Thou I would really like to give you a small piece of advice. I understand how some women can be. Especially in Hollywood. I am not an actor or have nothing to do with Hollywood even remotely, also don’t take this personally, but I do get that behind all that glitz and glamour it’s a sad and pathetic life. It must indeed be very difficult not knowing who to trust or who not to. It’s like a jungle out there.

“My point being that despite all that there are still some genuinely good people. And you will never know unless you give them a chance. Now if I discard whatever happened at the dinner and also the fact that you are a creepy stalker, you seem like a good guy. You deserve to have all the happiness in the world.”, Candice was surprised by the last few words that escaped her lips but she was in a flow and hardly could stop herself.

      Jake’s face remained impassive but she could see his eyes darkening with emotions. Jake felt an overwhelming need to take her in his arms but didn’t fancy to sour her mood again. But that sincerity in her honey voice. It made his hair raise on its end. In a pleasurable way of course.

“Thank you.”, he settled for a smile.

“Also thank you for the flowers, wine and cookies. Especially the wine. It’s very expensive and I felt it was really excess.”, she said. Jake simply shrugged it off.

      For a good forty minutes Candice asked Jake relevant questions. They discussed and charted a well detailed diet schedule. One revolving around his current work- out regime. Jake was pleasantly surprised with Candice’s approach. It looked at every aspect and not just on dietary intake, placing much importance on the psychological and emotional aspect of the patient. No doubt her sessions were so long. He was thoroughly fascinated.

      What else fascinated him was Candice’s dedication and passion. It was very apparent in the way she spoke, the sparkle in her turquoise eyes showed how into this she was. She seemed remarkably intelligent. A glorious combination of beauty and brains. After all she had a PhD and was working in one of the leading hospitals in the world.

“Jake...”, her soft prodding voice pulled him out of his muse. Jake realised he had been staring at her for quite some time and hadn’t paid attention to what she had said.

“I am sorry did you say something?”, he cleared his throat and shuffled slightly in his seat. Embarrassed at being caught.

“I asked what happened to your hand?”, she pointed at his right hand which was resting on the desk with the palms facing down. Jake pulled it away instantly. That explained to him the concerned look she was wearing.

      An image of his right hook settling hard against Paul’s jaw flashed in his head. Paul had not taken it sitting. A furious fist fight had ensued but at the end Jake only ended with a bruised knuckle while his scrawny partner ended with a cracked jaw, broken nose and shoulder muscle tear (a result of Jake twisting his arm behind him). But these were things that Candice didn’t need to know now, did she?

“Uh—It’s really nothing.”, he chuckled to cover his nervousness.

“It didn’t look like nothing. Have you got it checked?”, she eyed him sceptically.

“Look at you so concerned and all.”, Jake knew that would shut her and it did. He smirked at her watching her perfectly sculpted cheeks turn a beautiful crimson. “I am alright.”

“Well then. Our session here has come to an end. Unless you have any more questions.”, she shuffled a few papers. Put them in an order.

“I do have one.”, Jake leaned back in his chair.

“What is it?”

“Would you like to go grab some dinner with me?”, he asked carefully.

“I wish I could. But I have another patient.”

“I can wait.”, his replied too quickly.

“I also have some paperwork. Then I have to enter some details into a software. It will be a while before I will be done here.”, she explained.

“Really? After you just lectured me on the importance of having dinner early.”, he teased.

“Duty calls.”, Candice shrugged before informing him, “And also I will have you know that I had a turkey sandwich at around seven. I can survive until I get home.”

“Hhhmm...”, Jake didn’t want to go thou. Not without a date he wasn’t budging from that seat.

“How about coffee sometime?”, he asked.

“I don’t---”

“It’s spring break. I am sure you can afford some time. Please.”, Jake insisted.

      Candice hesitated. Her feelings towards Jake weren’t healthy at the moment. It had been a while since she had gone out on a date or had any sort of intimate contact with the opposite gender. She intended to keep it that way. But there was something in her that made her do the opposite.

      No sooner had she accepted his offer Jake stood up and promised to pick her up on Wednesday. Candice was still hesitant. Rational side of her questioned her decision. Was she ready for this? But this curious desire for Jake was stronger and she wanted to find out what it meant. She needed to.

      Jake was just about to reach the door when the door suddenly opened. Jake stiffened as he saw the person entering. It took Ancil a moment to register Jake standing before him. The moment he did his gaze hardened. He looked from Jake to Candice who looked shocked.

“I am sorry. I was already twenty minutes late and the receptionist wasn’t in her place so I thought I would let myself in.”, Ancil stated.

“It’s alright Ancil. Jake was just leaving.”, Candice assured. Jake picked up on the fact that Candice had used his first name and it didn’t please him at all.

“Jake.”, Ancil nodded his head acknowledging him. Jake rigidly nodded back before turning to Candice.

“See you on Wednesday.”, he reminded her before walking past Ancil and out the door. He paced through the building enjoying the annoyance he had glimpsed on that arrogant bastard’s face.

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 20

      The usually congested corridors were absolutely deserted for once. A few of the teaching and the administrative staff with endless job mulled about in the vacant buildings but that was about it. It should have been a relief to the blonde professor but it wasn’t. Candice took purposeful steps through these very vacant corridors as she navigated them to reach her office.

    A part of her did hope that these halls would always remain like this but knew that come next week they would be filled again and she also knew that it would be worse than before because then she would have to deal with hormone pumped students with spring break mood residue lingering in their hearts.

      In the years as her being a student herself she had prudently observed how some of them just couldn’t break the spell the short break puts them in. They found it extremely hard to hop on back to their routines. Candice on the other hand never had any trouble hopping back to regular schedule. For her holidays were never much different than her routine.

     Call her dull but it was her sad reality. If she could she would have loved to do the many wild things that her peers constantly gave an account of but she simply couldn’t afford to. Every moment of her teenage and youthful years had been spent in a struggle to reach where she was today. Fear had driven her. Fear of ending up a perpetual failure like her mother. It had kept her from allowing herself to experience any simple pleasures of life, lest she succumb to these pleasures and lose sight of her goal.

      Candice marched into her vacant office as if a woman on a mission. Yes she had one mission. To find some work and immerse herself in it. In the morning, when she had opened her eyes, she had felt something that she never thought she would feel on a Monday morning- Relief. But it had been short lived.

      Candice had to laugh at the irony. Of all the Mondays, this was the first when she would have really appreciated a busy schedule, to keep her mind off the flaming temper and a certain Hollywood hunk but life wasn’t kind. It never had been.

      Booting the work computer on, she leaned back into her leather chair and sighed. She had lots to keep herself busy with. Especially considering she needed to place a research proposal on the head of the department’s desk by the end of the month. She had plenty of work needed to be get done for that to happen.

      She also had that new story to work on. She had given Claire a little sneak peek into what she had planned and the agent seemed thrilled. Ecstatic even. Candice and Claire had spent a good portion of the previous evening sorting out Candice’s schedule and setting a date of November when Candice was to finish a fair draft.

      So there was definitely plenty of things to worry about other than the recent happenings. Yet that wasn’t how it was. The more she tried to ignore her thoughts about Jake, the more it grated at her nerves and jabbed at her memory. Demanding her attention.

      There was no sign of Dave. No surprise there. So she couldn’t turn to him for distraction. Fortunately, for her while she was still staring at the screen of the computer blankly, Mabel waltzed into the office and dropped her heavy bag containing her laptop onto Candice’s table. It fell with a loud thud, startling Candice.

“Well... I am this close to murdering my own sister.”, Mabel leaned holding out her hand with the tips of her pointer finger and thumb almost touching each other.

“That bad huh?”, Candice stifled a smile.

“You have no idea.”, Mabel rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t, by any chance, have another spare bedroom, would you?”

“No. I don’t. But I wouldn’t mind sharing my room with you.”, Candice leaned back. Managed to seductively gaze at her friend.

“If only I didn’t know the truth.”, Mabel sighed before walking back to her desk.

“What do you mean?”, Candice scrunched her nose.

“That you are straight as a pin. I would definitely have fallen for that look you just gave me.”

      Candice rolled her eyes before opening her work mail. There were several. She began to go through each. Opposite to her, Mabel turned on her computer and began doing the same.

“Did I ever tell you that I had a massive crush on you the first time I saw you?”, it was Mabel. Candice’s deft fingers stopped their cavorting. Remained hovered over the keys but her head snapped towards Mabel. Eyes dangerously popping out their sockets.

“What?”, she laughed.

“I am not kidding Candice.”

      Candice stopped laughing. Mabel gave Candice a serious look. Candice sat gaping at her supposedly straight best friend. She tried to think of any time in their long friendship when Mabel showed any romantic interest towards either gender. She had long come to believe that Mabel was one of those few people who thought feelings, especially romantic ones, were absurd and a waste of time.

      Neither spoke for a while. Only regarded each other carefully. The room was filled only with the hum of the computers. After what like forever, Mabel finally spoke. Her voice neutral.

“Why do you think I hated you so much in the beginning?”

      That Candice could remember. Their friendship had not always been that cordial. In fact Candice had been convinced that Mabel detested her for some unknown reason and then one fine day- at a book fair, she remembered well- Mabel had approached her and offered her peace.

“I— I just didn’t know how to behave around you.”, Mable continued. “You see. I was living this perfect life. I will be honest. I had always been attracted to boys. Never a girl. And then you walk in looking like a sexy goddess, carrying a clever brain inside that beautiful head. I— don’t know. I just felt... You were the first person ever to make me question my orientation. Freaked me out. And now I am freaking you out aren’t I?”

“Shocked. Yes. But not freaked.”, Candice confessed and then her lips broke into a smirk. “Why haven’t you told me this before?”

“I just didn’t want to freak you out.”

“Why would I?”, Candice laughed. “So...”

“So what?”, Mabel raised an eyebrow at her.

“Are you... You know...”, Candice squirmed in her seat. It was Mabel’s turn to laugh.

“No. It was just you. My momentary sexual disorientation, if I might say, began and ended with you I am afraid.”, Mabel grinned. She went back to the mail she had been typing. Thought about something. Then added to her previous statement, “Oh but I do, from time to time, stare at your pictures on my phone. Guess I am never going to get over you huh?”

“Jheez! Thanks. That certainly makes me feel a lot better.”, Candice’s cheeks reddened.

        By late afternoon Candice wrapped up her work. Quite satisfied with what she had achieved, she felt her spirits lift. She had not thought about Jake or his conceitedness. Candice felt now she could tackle the rest of her evening at the clinic. But boy was she wrong.

      The moment she stepped out her office she bumped into none other than Ryan. Apparently he had been coming to see her. Candice wasn’t happy. Not after yesterday. Since the dinner with him, she had let herself believe that Ryan no longer had any intentions of pursuing her but if yesterday’s blatant attempt at flirting had been any indication then Candice wasn’t sure any longer.

“You look... Gorgeous...”, his eyes scanned her hungrily. Candice stepped back.

      Would the men ever stop treating her like she was a piece of meat ready to be devoured? The way his eyes greedily took in her form. It set off her self- loathing and disgust.

“Did you want something?”, her voice was sharp. It took Ryan aback for a moment. It was little out of character for Candice.

“Yes. I was actually coming to ask if you thought about what I asked yesterday. About the Knicks game this week at MSG. Delta Sky club seats. You wouldn’t want to miss it.”, his thin lips broke into a grin.

“Tempting. But I think I will pass.”, she mumbled. Ryan looked at her aghast. As if he couldn’t believe that she would snub a chance at attending a game with club seats. Ryan felt his heart sink.

“Come on Candice. It will be fun. Besides I already got us tickets. They would go waste.”, Ryan tried for sympathy. He accompanied the words with his best puppy dog eyes. He knew Candice well enough to know she would fall for this.

“Why would it go waste? I am sure you have plenty of friends who would love to accompany you. In fact you should ask Dave. I am sure he would love to go with you.”, with that she turned around abruptly and paced away from a perplexed Ryan. He could grovel at her feet for all she cared but nothing would affect her. She was pissed. Pissed at Jake. Pissed at Paul. Pissed at Ryan.

      On exiting the glassed modern building, she felt dread trickling into her soul. She enjoyed and loved her jobs. She loved teaching. But counselling patients. Now that was something she didn’t necessarily enjoy as much. Yet Candice found herself compelled by the dark cloud of mortgages and bills ceaselessly lingering over her head[A1] .

      Her supposedly uplifted spirits took another hit when she finally made her way to the parking lot. As she laid her hand on the door handle, she had a tiny flashback of the previous evening. She almost expected Jake to call her out. Come stand before her. Apologise. But it didn’t happen.

      Silently cursing herself she slipped into her car and drove out the lot. She felt torn. Dithering between wanting Jake to apologise to her and not wanting to ever see his face again. Candice really couldn’t understand what she wanted anymore.

      Navigating through the busy streets of Manhattan, she silently admitted to herself that she did indeed take a rather sadistic pleasure in watching him practically grovel for her forgiveness. And why not? No man had ever asked for her forgiveness. The flowers. The baked goodies. The wine. She also admitted to herself that she did indeed felt a thrill knowing that Jake had gone to such lengths to find her. If he really wanted to apologise that bad then he could just have asked or looked for her phone number.

      Her own feelings and thoughts infuriated her even more than Jake himself. Then there was that moment at the game. Candice couldn’t scrub that memory of exquisitely sweet feeling of being wrapped in his thick iron arms. It had ensured her of a sense of safety. It made her jubilant but also terrified her.

      Candice parked her car in her allocated place and stepped out. Inside the building she observed the crowd. Spring break was only for students she decided as she made her way to access the staircase.

      Reaching her office she pulled out her ID to swipe it when Ashley, the red headed secretary, promptly got up to wish her. Candice acknowledged her with a smile. An old man in his fifties with a paunch was seated alongside with his wife, a very calm and sweet woman with freckles on her cheeks. Both her patients. Candice greeted them. She began to walk towards her cabin when Ashley called out to her.

“Dr Averell, Mr Dumont had called earlier today and asked to move his appointment to nine since he has a meeting that would go on late it seems...”, the red head lost her smile watching her words draw out fury in her employer’s eyes.

“What did I tell you about re- scheduling Ashley?”, Candice gritted the words. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Barely being able to contain the rage that rose in her chest suddenly.

“It sounded important. And I didn’t think you would mind.”, Ashley stammered. Never having dealt with a furious Dr Averell before, she certainly felt lost on how to handle the situation.

“That’s not the answer I was looking for.”, Candice closed her eyes and took a deep cleaning breath. Reminded herself that although Ashley was wrong, much of the anger she felt at the moment was not for that reason. Opened her eyes and looked at the pale, terrified woman before her in the eye before addressing her.

“Last chance. The next mistake you make, I will have you pack and out that door that instant.”, she hissed. Seeing her words having the desired result on the young woman, she left. The sound of her pencil heels clicking against the marbled floor. The couple’s curious gaze swung between the secretary and the doctor.

      The neatly stacked mound of beige manila file folders, sitting on the large classic cherry laminate desk, waiting for her, didn’t exactly elate her. Brushing her feelings aside she settled in. Called for her first patients.

      Hours passed before Candice managed to reach almost the end of the pile. Now she had only two patients left to see before she would be able to call it a night. She already knew the last file belonged to whom.

      Taking a moment to herself she leaned back in her chair and tried to come up with all the possible and valid reasons why Ancil would kept insisting on coming to see her every week. He most undeniably didn’t need a counsel every week and yet she found him in her cabin every Monday and keeping her from leaving early. This wasn’t the first time the businessman had gotten hold of her secretary and made her change his timing.

      With some agony she became aware of the fact that Ashely was thoroughly smitten by the devilishly handsome Ancil and that uppity bastard was using this to his full advantage to charm her and get things done his way. There was no lack of conceited men in her life that she was sure of.

      Exhaling loudly through her nose she picked up the manila file on top of Ancil’s. The yellow sticky note with the word ‘new’ scrawled neatly did nothing to appease her raw mood. Deciding to quickly go through the file before the patient arrived Candice opened the file.

      She scanned through some of the details the patient had provided and began formulating her plan. It was simple. The patient was seeking to maintain their weight and to ensure that their current plan met their daily needs. Also they were looking to gain some muscle mass. Job requirement it said. She went through their gym regime and then as she heard the knock on the door she let her eyes scan through the first page that held the personal information.

      The door creaked open when her eyes fell on the name. Candice felt the air leave her lungs. Trembling she forced herself to look up at the figure standing by the door. It confirmed that her eyes weren’t deceiving her. How dare he?!

 [A1]If you were good at the game, the job paid you in oodles and Candice was a maven in this game.

[glitterysummerkitty]

Hi, your fanfic is amazing, when’s the next chapter? 💓💗💗

Hello Anon. I am glad to hear you are enjoying the story so far. I just finished with my exam and hence I haven’t been writing much but I would be starting soon. The next chapter should be up around by the end of this week. Once again thank you.

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 19 (Part- 3)

       As soon as he let go of her, she felt a sharp sting of disappointed. Despite his arrogance he felt heavenly against her and Candice wanted that. She wanted to feel that way forever- warm and secured.

      Only when she paid at the staring faces did she realise what a spectacle they must have created and turned a deep red.

“Gyllenhaal this is third foul. You’re very well on your way to getting kicked out of the game and that would really break my heart.”, Uma spoke up. She appeared as if she hadn’t noticed their closeness and that made Candice super glad.

      There were more confused stares while Mabel just rolled her eyes but Candice decided not to care because she was still not going to let Jake win. Especially now when he had gotten into her head and messed with it so badly.

      The ball had come to her and she was dead set on making it count. She bolted in- bound and was nearly in field when Ronnie stole the ball from her. Cussing she looked at Dave and Jaylon and like perfectly synced computers, a unanimous decision was made silently.

      Dave kept his focus on stealing the ball back from Ronnie. He had played long enough with him to know his weak hand but that didn’t mean it was going to be easy. Ronnie shielded well with his body and that made it impossible for Dave to steal.

      Dave was eagle eyes thou and very quick. He found a small chance and grabbed it. Stealing the ball he began making his way back and as Ryan matched his pace, he stopped abruptly and passed the ball to Candice who had been following in co- ordination with Dave, anticipating this move. Candice was on the edge of the court and shoot the ball across over to Jaylon who stood much near the basket.

      Ryan shot to stop it but missed and so did Piper. Jaylon aimed for the loop but the ball bounced on the rim and fell back. Both Jake and Ronnie rushed to grab the chance but Jaylon, fuelled by renewed energy that comes with knowing that this was the last round, managed to grab the ball and this time when he threw the ball did fall through the basket, earning his team another two points.

      Two minutes later the match came to an end and once again the Omega- 3 team emerged victorious. There was no stopping Dave, who for the past few months hadn’t been able to lead his team to victory.

“I have to say. You were good last week but this week you were wild!”, Mabel commented as she came to meet Candice.

“Thanks.”, Candice grabbed a towel to wipe away the sweat. Sweating it out in the cool weather was something that she was thoroughly enjoyed and was glad that Dave had included her in this activity that she had no clue about until he had mentioned it. Along with her thrice a week of kickboxing, it helped her forget about the things in her life that she had no control over.

“Seriously thou. Did Mr hot- shot Hollywood had anything to with that addition spunk you had today.”, Mabel smirked.

“I am sorry I didn’t think I brought Gemma here with me today.”, Candice mumbled. Mabel giggled at Candice’s expression.

“Alright. I am sorry. But jokes apart, isn’t it curious why you would invite your Hollywood buddy to a departmental basketball match after just one dinner?”, Mabel sat down next to Candice and looked ahead. Jake was standing next to Ronnie, Jaylon and Dave, talking to them but his gaze was fixed on Candice.

“I didn’t invite him.”, Candice was growing agitated.

“Then how come he’s here today? This is too good to be just co- incidence.”, Mabel frowned at Candice. Candice stood and came to stand before Mabel, with her fisted hands placed on her hips. Mabel stretched her neck to meet Candice’s narrowed gaze.

“I have been trying to tell you something all afternoon but you didn’t want to listen. But now you will listen. Why do you think I would invite a man who practically called me a money hungry w***e who was using this book as an excuse to plot and conspire to acquire his wealth?”, Candice sighed loudly, satisfied at finally being able to vent out her frustration.

“What?!”, Mabel was truly flabbergasted. “Wait... How long have you known each other?”

“That’s the thing. I had met him for the first time last night.”, Candice didn’t think it was important to mention seeing him at Gustavo’s two weeks ago. They didn’t meet then, they had merely seen each other and that didn’t qualify for anything.

“What the f**k? That’s not fair! Such an a**! Well. Gemma likes him so he must be an A**.”, Mabel rolled her eyes.

“Candy girl!”, Candice cringed at Uma’s voice, “We are ordering Pizza. Should I order the same as last week or did you want something different?”

“Uhmm.. Actually I don’t think I can stay for Pizza today I am afraid.”, she replied.

“Oh come one! You can’t do that.”, Dave protested.

“Ya! You have earned it Candy girl.”, Uma joined him.

      Ronnie and few others joined in and Candice almost gave in but she knew she should get going. For starters she wanted to get away from Jake and his constant staring and secondly she didn’t want to leave her aunt alone on the first day of her being back.

“I really appreciate it and I do want to but my aunt has come down to visit and she arrived late last night and today I have been out most of the day. Don’t think it would be fair if I don’t spend at least the evening with her.”, Candice explained.

“What do you say babe?”, Dave circled his arm around Uma, “I think that’s fair excuse.”

“Ya. Ok Candy girl. This one time you may be excused.”, Uma declared.

      Giving a small smile she rushed to get changed. Once she was ready, she grabbed her duffle bag and greeted the others goodbye before leaving. Strangely by the time she came out of the changing room Jake was gone. Part of her was definitely relieved but there was also a small part which was disappointed and it made Candice angry.

      She stepped outside leaving the warmth of the building and into the chill air. Tilting her head forward she took a deep breath of the cool refreshing air before making her way towards the parking lot along with Mabel.

“I was thinking of grabbing something to eat on the way. What do you feel like having today.”, Mabel asked as she tapped on her phone screen.

“I am craving for some warm egg rolls.”

“Egg rolls it is then!”

“Do you want me to drop you at your place after that?”, Candice asked unlocking her car.

“Oh that won’t be necessary. While you were changing, I already called Edward and let him know to come to pick me up from your place.”

“Who is Edward?”, Candice opened the door to the back seat and threw her bag in.

“My new driver.”

“What happened to Carlos?”

“Well. He was fired after I walked in when my mother’s legs were spread apart and dangling in the air with him between them.”, Mabel replied nonchalantly, like it was no big deal at all. Candice, on the other hand, froze and looked up at Mabel horrified.

“Oh Mabel!”, she covered her mouth not being able to swallow the fact that a prim and proper woman of such high morals would...

“Oh please. This isn’t the first time and I can assure you this won’t be the last time either. She’s not as holy as she makes herself out to be. It’s all just a show.”, Mabel shrugged and smiled at Candice.

      Candice didn’t know how to react to that. Maybe this was a normal thing for the upper class, she thought. Shaking her head she moved to get inside her car while Mabel walked around to get into the passenger side.

“Candice...”

      Candice’s hand froze on the door handle. His soft and mellow voice was enough to help the bubbling anger and hurt re- surface. She turned around and met his gaze. Jake seemed to have changed from his borrowed basketball gear into a pair of jeans and white t- shirt that hugged his chiselled body well. His arms, those culprits, looked delicious as they hung on either side of his body. She averted her gaze from them and hissed, “What do you want?”

      Her voice was hostile and it stung him. Jake had never been so sensitive but Candice made him weak. He wasn’t sure yet if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”, his words came out stammering as he spoke. Her gaze softened but her eyes were just as cold. In fact Jake swore he could see the storm brewing in her ocean blue eyes.

“Why? Haven’t you insulted me enough?”, she asked.

      Jake’s poker face broke with a million thoughts and emotions displayed on it. He knew he had hurt her but hadn’t realised how much until he saw he. Maybe Maggie and his mother were right for being so mad at him.

“Candice. I am sorry about--”

“What are you doing here?”, Jake’s eyes shot up to the woman standing on the other side of the car. The slim woman had been the only person that Candice seemed very comfortable interacting and Jake had assumed they were close friends.

“Uh... Actually I wanted to meet and apologise to you in person Candice. Please. Give me five minutes. That’s all I am asking.”, Jake pleaded with Candice. He could see her cracking. She was debating whether or not to allow him and Jake took it as a sign to have hope.

      As she debated with herself, he took the chance to admire her. He remembered how soft, delicate yet firm she had felt against him. Under the fading sun her skin glowed, giving her an ethereal feel and those luscious pink lips oh hers, which were slightly parted at that time, looked extremely tempting.

“How did you know where to find me?”, her thick brows dipped into a frown.

“Ahh... Your aunt told me where I could find you.”, he admitted sheepishly. He didn’t think lying was an option since Candice’s aunt was a witness and so were the gifts that he had bought for her and which were now sitting at her home.

      The moment the words left he knew he had made yet another mistake. Candice’s simmering anger flared as if he had just added fuel to fire. He could see her eyes grow wide and blaze with the anger and.... fear? Why was she afraid?

“You were at my place?”, her voice was barely above a whisper and full of disbelief and hurt. Jake winced slightly but nodded his head.

“How did you know where I lived? I never told anyone. Not even Naomi knows about it. How did you find out?”, she demanded but Jake didn’t reply and instead looked down at his feet. He obviously couldn’t let her know that not at least not before Barbara’s fabled daughter, Mabel Heatherford. Jake hadn’t recognised her until Ronnie had told him.

“Unbelievable. First you call me a conniving w***e--”

“I never said that.”, Jake said sharply fixing her with a stern gaze. Candice looked up at him defiantly. He could see the tears pooling in her eyes and yearned to pull her towards him but didn’t think she would appreciate it.

“No. You never used words to explicitly say that but that is how you made me seem. And your business partner, who had done nothing all night but undress me with his eyes, seemed to agree with you and had called Claire to ask if I would be willing to spend an evening with him.”, Jake felt nauseated. It was not what he had meant and this thing about Paul... It was news to him and it made him angry.

“I am not that kind of a woman. Let your buddy know that. And stay away from me. If you show up anywhere near my apartment I will call the cops on you. Don’t think I won’t.”, Candice warned before slipping into the car.

      Jake wanted to stop her. Explain to her that that is not what he had meant. Well not precisely but he was left paralysed and rooted to his spot by her words, her tears and her revelations.

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 19 (Part- 2)

       Candice wondered what announcement Ronnie had to make as she finished tying the lace and pushed herself up from the ground. She patted her behind and stood behind with Jaylon asking him if he knew what Angela had meant when she had said that today was going to be epic.

“Evening peeps...”, she heard Ronnie’s voice and turned towards him.

“As you all know that one of our warriors was taken down by the bug. Sam, sadly, couldn’t make it today.”, there were a couple of mock groan and humming from the audience.

“But fret not! One of my good friend’s was close by and decided to help me out by taking Sam’s place. Some of you met him already. He’s a very famous and busy man by the way. Please welcome...”, Ronnie’s gaze fell on Candice making her squirm. Something felt odd to her and looked back at him dazed as he continued, “the one and only Jake Gyllenhaal.”

      Candice felt her jaw drop. Ronnie didn’t call out that name, did he? He couldn’t have. She had been thinking too much about the last night events and so she was mixing names in her head.

      But then she saw him and for a moment everything seemed to stop around her. She could no longer hear the applause or the comments being hurled around as her so called colleagues and friends welcomed Jake. He had stepped out sheepishly from behind Ronnie and had looked at her directly, as if he already knew where she was standing.

‘How long had he been here and how long had he been watching her?’, that thought seemed to serve as a figurative slap that broke her daze and brought her out of it fuming and raging.

“Candy girl. Are you alright?”, Candice’s gaze snapped towards Uma. With much difficulty she nodded a yes and turned around towards Dave.

“Are you sure you ok Candice? You look like you are ready to kill someone.”, Dave’s small eyes tapered shut.

“Ya Dave. Just tell me where do I stand.”, she muttered glancing in Mabel’s direction. Mabel, her supposed best friend who just a few hours ago threatened consequences to her aunt if she were to try something against Candice, appeared to be amused by her current predicament.

“Captains! Centre stage!”, Uma called out. Candice was tempted to point out that this wasn’t theatre but bit back her snarky comment. As she took her position couple of feet behind Dave, she could feel Jake’s heated on gaze on her. She felt tempted to walk over to him and ask... No... Demand what his problem was and why he was here but considering the people around her, who were also the people she would have to face at work, she kept her mouth shut and eyes fixed on the ball.

      Uma clumsily threw the ball in the air which, due to undue advantage of his height, Ronnie slapped in her direction but this time she was quick. Candice shot up and caught the ball and without blinking an eye she began dribbling it across the maple- oak blend hardwood floor of the court as the opponents and her team mates alike crowded the basket on the other side of the court.

      Keeping her torso erect she kept pushing the top of the ball forward to cause a high dribble. Piper from Ronnie’s team tried to stop her but she was fast and so far lucky. But then as she got closer to her goal, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Jake lunging at her, trying to stop her. Enraged she looked up to find someone to pass the ball to. Her eyes instantly fell on Nabila but she was too far. Still dribbling she focused on the basket. She was still few feet away from the field but she would have to make the shot.

      In a split second she slowed her momentum and watched Jake lower his pace to match hers and as soon as he did that she shot like a cat after her prey and jumped up before throwing the ball into the hoop with all her might. Ronnie’s hand shot out and almost stopped the ball but it still went down the hoop and just like that the Omega- 3 team had scored three points.

      Dave hooted like a maniac but followed Piper, who now had the ball and was dribbling it back to their side. Candice ran along, side by side with Jaylon but if it came to it both of them would essentially stand guard near the basket. Piper wasn’t a strong player and the first opening she saw she passed the ball on to Ryan. Ryan tried to pass on the ball to Berkley who was closer to the shot but as he does Jaylon grabs it and rushes towards the other side.

      The first quarter ends with the omega- 3’s at 30 and the PHW leading with a 35. By this point Candice’s mind was completely consumed by the game and the matter of Jake and her anger towards him took a back seat in her brain. The second quarter began with Jaylon shooting the ball which circled around the rim and fell outward. Jake had caught the ball and was running the opposite direction causing Candice’s temper to flare. She chased him and tried to find a chance to steal the ball as he carried the ball across in short fast dribbles.

      Candice had to admit he was good at this. He was extremely focused and lithe in handling the ball despite his bulk muscles. Her eyes briefly travelled along his arms with thick veins protruding from them and was momentarily lost in the strength they seemed to possess.

      Jake was attempting to pass and that seemed to snap Candice out of her day- dream. A deep crimson covered her sweat laden cheeks, embarrassed at the train of thoughts. She saw Jake’s movement grow erratic and his gaze was pinned on his team mate Berkley. They seemed to be communicating and Candice read it well. She knew what was going to happen and there was only one thing she could do to stop so she stepped into Jake’s path very inconspicuously making it seem like he bumped into her. As their bodies collided she fell down flat on her rump with a “Uummphh”.

      Uma’s high-pitched whistle rang first before she called out foul. Jake had let go of the ball looked down at Candice worried. Before he could lean down and offer a hand to her, Dave stepped in and helped her up to her feet while Candice looked about a little nervous. She could see the perplexed look on Jake and wondered if he was going to call her out. She looked around and found everyone, even the spectators, seemed to bite into her ruse.

      The ball was passed to Jaylon who now stood near the spot where the foul occurred but faced in- bound. Everyone took to their positions and just before Uma blew her whistle Candice couldn’t help but steal a glance at Jake and found him still looking at her with what looked like part confusion and part... worry? She didn’t know why he was worried but she sure couldn’t stop the mischievous smirk slip onto her lips.

      As Uma blew her whistle, Candice saw Jake’s face morph into shock as he realised what she had done and felt a giggle burst through her lips. She couldn’t help but giggle as a child as the teams chase after the ball.

      The game went on well with the same amount of energy and enthusiasm as it had in the beginning. Jake now had two fouls behind him- one that Candice had given him and the one which he had queerly acquired by pushing his own team mate Ryan, away when Ryan had been attempting to snatch the ball from Candice. Nobody knew if that could even be called foul but Uma had insisted it be counted as one.

      By the last quarter the Omega- 3 team had re- gained their lead and were seven points ahead of PHW. Candice was on fire from all the anger she felt towards Jake and she seemed like an unstoppable force. Even better than the last time.

      Mid way into the final quarter, the ball had come to Candice and she began to take the ball in bound. Jake was in hot pursuit and seemed to be bent on revenge. She could sense that but it only fuelled her adrenaline as she felt a thrill course through her.

      She switched from high dribble to short ones and rapidly alternated between both her hands. One thing about having no friends in school or college- she had lots of time and use utilised them well by occupying herself in perfecting her skills. Dribbling with both hands was one of them and Candice liked to believe she didn’t have a weak hand.

      She held the ball and looked for the person under the hoop. Jaylon was too far but she would still have passed it had Ronnie not been in the way. She needed to get a better angle but before she could think, Jake managed to steal her ball.

      Quickly recovering from the shock she began following him. She was determined to not let him win at any cost. She stalled him, try to find a weak spot but Jake was relentless. She gazed at him and saw the sweat pouring down his face. For some reason she found herself turned on as the sweat dripped along from the side of his head and along his beard covered jaw to down to his chin. But then she observed the grin on his face, jolting her out. Without thinking Candice lunged for the ball. It was so sudden and uncalculated that she found herself coming in Jake’s way.

      Jake couldn’t slow his momentum and tripped on Candice’s feet. Candice prepared herself for the impact but she felt Jake’s hand tighten on her upper arm and before she could comprehend anything she found herself wrapped in his arms with her back pressed against his chest. She choked on the breath caught in her throat as she felt enraptured by his strong arms, rock hard chest and the heady scent of his musky natural scent mixed with the perfume he wore. This perfume was certainly much better than the one he had worn last night, she thought.

      Candice gasped as she felt Jake dip his head down. He placed his nose at the base of her neck and slowly traced it up to beneath her ears, inhaling as he did. He pressed his lips beneath her ears and whispered, “Careful kitten. You’re going get hurt.”

“Jake....”, Candice whimpered out his name and pressed herself further into the sanctuary of his arms. The sensation that his hot breath, firm grip and the subtle contact of his lips with her skin caused was toxic and drove her wild.

“Yes baby.”, Jake whispered darkly and pressed his lips against her flushed skin and earned another low groan that made him lose his inhibitions.

      It was the way she had whimpered out his name- it filled Jake with very dark thoughts. If it weren’t for the fact that they were in a gym filled with people, Jake would have loved to give his thoughts a try. If not for Uma’s timely interruption, he would have.

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 19  (Part- 1)

       The scenario wasn’t as bad as he had imagined while following Ronnie to the Gym. Under the influence of the surging adrenaline in his veins he had made the hasty decision but as he had made the way towards the building he suddenly realised how risky this could be. Ronnie’s colleagues could very well make a big deal out of this and he didn’t even know how many people there were going to be at this event.

      On the way, he explained to Donnie how much ever he could and asked to request his colleagues to not take or post any pictures. While Donnie seemed very amused by the whole situation he did assure Jake that most of his colleagues were middle aged just like him and most of them still didn’t know how to handle their smart phone or had even time for social media.

      Jake sure didn’t feel cheated by Ronnie because no sooner had he entered the gym, hardly few people recognised him. He actually felt his ego deflate a little as some of those academic peeps didn’t even know who he was. There was this one ravened haired young assistant professor named Berkley who seemed to recognise him instantly and asked for a picture but Ronnie had stepped in and without much fuss she backed off.

      So far Jake had met every member of Ronnie’s team and the captain of the opposing team, Candice’s team, a Chinese guy named Dave Lu and Nabila Tudor and Jaylon William, both from Candice’s team. In short, most of them had arrived except for his Candice...

‘His Candice... Was she?’, a small voice in his head asked but Jake ignored it.

      Instead he focused on warming up along with Ronnie and his team mates. Their warm up had been briefly interrupted by a queer woman, who, Ronnie informed him, was to be their referee. Uma made Jake very, very uncomfortable with her ridiculous comments on his past love life and her malapert attitude but he didn’t sense trouble there either.

      Once Uma left them at peace they continued with their warm up session and Ronnie began going over his game plan for today. Apparently, Dave’s team, called the Omega- 3, had beat them when they had played last to last week. Jake had to bite back an amused grin when Ronnie informed them how much they had under estimated Candice and wouldn’t do that again. At the end Ronnie looked up at him and winked inconspicuously.

“I never underestimated my girl thou.”, Jake’s head shot to the person who spoke and glared at him venomously.

      He wondered if he had heard the pudgy faced professor with a scruffy beard, wrongly but the dreamy look on the professor seemed to confirm something else. Continuing to work on stretching his calf muscles he turned to see Ronnie, hoping to find some insight into this office romance when he found his pal grinning at him.

“Candice! My star player is here finally!”, It was Dave’s voice ringing through the court, Jake recognised instantly and felt his heart skip a bit.

      The entrance was to his back and would have to turn around to see her. He heard a lot of hooting and loud greetings which covered Candice’s voice if she had made any reply or talked at all. Jake had to remind himself to breathe as his heart began to pound steadily against his ribs.

      Of course he knew that he would have to face her at some point but what he didn’t know was how she was going to react- Would she be mad at him? Would she talk to him or yell at him? Would she even acknowledge him?

      All these thoughts made Jake very anxious and he hoped that fate, which had been helping him this far would continue to help me further.

        The traffic was horrendous on the way from Mabel’s home and so Candice had well informed Dave that she would be late. She hated being late to anywhere as it always tended to draw attention when you finally did arrive so very consciously she had tried to sneak in behind Mabel who strode in as if she possessed the very ground she walked on.

      Needless to say Candice’s hopes were crushed when Dave, dear, dear Dave made a grand announcement of her arrival. She greeted Dave and a few of the others before scurrying away to get changed. The sooner they started the sooner this would get over and then she could get back home.

      Home... While she was slowly settling in with the idea that her aunt had somehow managed to find a way back into her life, she still couldn’t accept the fact that she was now living with her. Not that Candice minded. She didn’t but for years now she had grown so used to living all by herself that the idea of sharing her apartment with someone, someone who also happened to be her ailing aunt, was still hard to get used to.

      Candice slipped into a cropped tank top and a pair of tight shorts before making her way back into the court. She decided that she would need more time to make peace with that idea as she came to stand next to Jaylon and Angela, who were helping each other out to stretch, and began to stretch her own muscles.

      Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mabel sat with one of the professor, who was here as a spectator, in the second row. They seemed to have gotten themselves involved in a deep conversation.

“You look gorgeous Candice.”, that familiar voice filled with... want? She couldn’t decide but it sure did send chills in her heart and not the good ones, mind you.

 “What’s his f****ng story?”, Jake nearly hissed as he directed the question at Ronnie. Even with his rising irk he couldn’t help but let his eyes glide over the contours of Candice’s perfectly delectable derriere which were screaming to be spanked and kneaded through those tight shorts she was wearing.

“Relax man.”, Ronnie grinned, “I am sure you can handle some competition. After all your girl’s a f***ng Aphrodite.”

“She’s not my girl... Well at least not yet.”, Jake grumbled. He raised his pointer finger at the pudgy professor who was now talking to Candice, standing too close to her than Jake would have liked, and said, “What’s his business with her?”

Ronnie sighed.

“That is our dear Biochemistry professor who has a massive crush on your girl.”, the stress on the word ‘your’ didn’t escape Jake and he felt the muscles in his stomach tingle sweetly.

“And she doesn’t?”, he asked reading into Candice’s body language. Even from where he stood, he could see that Candice was not at all comfortable with the attention she was receiving.

“Na. Not at all.”, Ronnie confirmed what he already guessed. “Dave told me that Ryan had asked Candice out on nearly three to four separate occasions and each time your girl has refused him but bruh seems to not take the hint.”

      Jake curled his fingers against his palms as he saw Mr Pudgy, as he had decidedly named him, lean way closer to whisper something. Candice jerked away but he leaned even further. Something snapped within him and he was about to cross across the vast court to set Mr Pudgy in his place when he saw Dave interrupt them.

“Dave doesn’t like Ryan’s gut at all too. The other day he was telling how Ryan had tried to get Candice to lower her guard down by asking her out for a friendly dinner with him.”, Ronnie carried on.

“Please tell me she wasn’t stupid enough to believe him.”

“Sadly, she believed and apparently Ryan put up a spectacular show. Naïve Candice is convinced but Dave isn’t and thinks that Ryan’s feeling ran too deep for him to move on so easily. But if you ask me...”, Ronnie’s tone turned from casual to that of worrisome which forced Jake to peel his gaze away from Candice and onto his pal.

“What?”, he didn’t like the look on Ronnie’s face at all.

“I don’t know man. It could all be my imagination but... I have known Ryan for a while now and I have always felt something really off about that man. No one knows where he is from exactly or anything about his family nor anything about his residence here in New York. Just seems like a shady man but that’s not what really bothers me.”, Ronnie looked at Candice. Ryan had finished bothering her and was now walking back towards in their direction. He noticed the same crazed gleam, a sheen in Ryan’s Olive coloured eyes that he had seen the previous week whenever Ryan was around the blonde.

     That scared him. He had seen that look before in his cousin’s eyes. His cousin brother from Minnesota had this massive crush on one of his classmates and as years passed the crush had blown into a fully grown obsession. It had not worried him then and thought it would pass off but it didn’t and now America had another famous serial killer in it’s long list.

      Forensics seemed to be almost sure that it was him who was behind the deaths of almost seven women, which started off with the killing of Ailing Wondersworth, his brother’s object of obsession but scarily the cops haven’t been able to apprehend him yet and there was an ongoing man hunt for his brother. Ronnie didn’t need to be told that he was being watched too.

“I am worried for her Jake because I think the man’s not just in love with her. He’s obsessed.”, he confessed to Jake.

      Jake didn’t like Ronnie’s chilling deductions and although he still didn’t know how this evening would turn out yet already felt compelled to protect her at all costs.

      A shrill whistle sound cut through the court and killed the conversations being exchanged by it’s occupants. Jake looked up at Uma and knew that it was time. He had been hiding in the shadows, escaping Candice’s gaze but now the show was about to begin. He took small calculative steps as he followed Ronnie, who was gathering his team, to the centre of the court.

“Listen up folks! Ronnie baby has something to announce which I bet all of you know by now.”, Uma announced.

‘Not all.’, Jake thought to himself as he watched Candice who was, still very much oblivious to his presence, sat down to tie her shoe laces. Jake admired how her turquoise eyes were intent with concentration and her plump lips were pushed forward slightly into a small pout as she concentrated on getting her task done. Even tying her shoe laces she looked sinfully sexy.

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 18

        This. Was. Madness. Period! Jake officially declared himself a creepy stalker. He had never done this before, never felt compelled to do this with anyone but... Desperate times called for desperate measures, he supposed.

“Are you sure? I mean I know I am asking way too much of you this time.”, he asked sounding somewhat unsure. He wasn’t unsure about getting information on Candice. That was the part he was absolutely sure of but what he wasn’t sure of was asking one of his close friends to dig up information for him, which could potentially cost him his job if he were to get caught or more specifically Candice decided to sue.

“Yes I can Jake. That’s not the point here though. Who is this girl and why do you want her address? I think you at least owe me an explanation.”, Jason’s thick voice still held a slight British accent to it, as if a part of his brain still clung on to his origins. As Jason spoke, Jake could hear him tapping at the keys of his computer.

“Well. It’s a long story. Tell you over a drink sometime?”, Jake hoped Jason would agree but Jason wasn’t in the mood.

      Who is this Jason? Well, Jason was a detective in NYPD. He worked for the White Collar division these days but initially he had been in the homicide and was one of the finest too. Although Jason was only now slowly gaining recognition in his own department, Jake knew him from his days as a probationary police officer. A role for a movie that he had been preparing for had required Jake to undergo intensive training with the forces and that’s when he had met Jason for the first time. They had gotten along well and stayed good friends even years after.

“If you must know then she’s a writer. She wrote some book called Love and Bounds... Something along that line....”

“I thought you said she’s a doctor.”, Jason interrupted.

“Ya but not the kind you are thinking about. She’s a nutritionist. Also she writes fiction. Soppy fiction if you ask me although I haven’t read it yet.”, Jake explained.

“Ok. Continue.”

“Ya... So mom has grown very fond of her book and decided to adapt it into a screenplay. So she had invited her to dinner last night and I may or mayn’t have acted like a jerk.”, he fessed up.

      There was a long pause in which Jason didn’t speak but continued to work the keys on his computer furiously.

“So, instead of asking your mom for her phone number and apologising to her over the phone, like you should, you call me and ask for her address so that you can personally go and apologise?”, Jason sounded amused.

“Something like that. But in my defence mom is so pissed off with me that she refused to give me Candice’s number.”, Jake said boldly.

“This is some serious stalking right here. You know that right?”, his amusement seemed to have increased.

“And you are helping me.”, Jake pointed out.

“Exactly. You owe me big time Gyllenhaal.”, he muttered.

“Yes. I do. Also for that day when you freed me from that parking ticket that I almost landed with.”, Jake reminded his friend.

“Right! Well. I found her address and texting it to you as we speak. Is there anything else your highness needs?”, Jake could hear the smile through the phone. He realised what Jason had just called him and frowned.

“You are the second person to have called me that in a span of less than twenty four hours. Am I such a snob?”, Jake sounded wounded. Jason’s laugh boomed through the ear piece.

“You have a good day Gyllenhaal. Remember you didn’t get the address from me. And don’t forget you owe me twice now.”, Jason laughed.

“You too man. And thanks for the help. Let’s get a drink someday whilst I am still in the city.”, Jake suggested to which Jason agreed.

      Once he disconnected the call he went to the inbox and found Jason’s text. He opened it and read... No wait... Memorized the address. Candice lived in Upper East Side which surprised him for some reason. He hadn’t expected that although he wasn’t sure what he had expected.

“What do you think Remus? What should I get her?”, he turned his attention towards his Labrador, who was lying on the carpeted floor before him, looking totally uninterested. The dog merely raised one of its eye as if asking Jake, ‘Seriously you are asking me?’

      Jake sighed. It was half past one in the afternoon. He decided on a quick shower during which he could think of what to get her. He wasn’t going to apologise empty handed that he was sure of at least.

        It took him good time to finally get to her place. At dot four, he found himself outside Candice’s building. He parked the Audi and stepped out trying to look as casual as he could without catching anyone’s attention. There weren’t many people on the street but Jake wasn’t going to risk it. He scanned the address in his phone screen and then looked up at the tall brownstone building. His eyes travelled up to the second floor and stopped at the balcony overlooking the street. It could belong to flat no. 21 or it could belong to flat no. 22 in which case it belonged to Candice and somehow he had a feeling that the comfy looking balcony had to be her apartment.

      Jake felt his heart squeeze, jump and thud all at the same time. He took a deep breath and approached the apartment structure trying to calm his anxious thoughts. He looked at the long stretch of metal panel with all the flat numbers. Above that, trained at his angle was a security camera, which Jake suspected didn’t work. He found twenty two and let his index finger hover above it. Telling himself that it was now or never he placed his finger over the cool metal button and pressed on it.

      Ten minutes later, Jake was out the apartment and into his Audi, heading towards the Manhattan campus of Pruitt & Hearst University, which was a fifteen minute drive away from Candice’s apartment. Her work was close by so it made sense that she lived in the Upper East Side. Jake stopped the car as the traffic light turned red and drummed his fingers against the steering rapidly. Things weren’t going as he had planned and he didn’t like it.

      He had spent a good hour baking those cream cheese Strawberry cookies and spent a good fifteen minutes at the florists carefully choosing which flowers went into making of the bouquet and had driven in a completely different direction to get a bottle of the Pinot Noir that they had served for dinner last night. It cost him three bl***y grand but he didn’t care. He had watched Candice’s subtle expressions as she had relished the wine last night. He knew she loved it and was willing to pay anything to see her take a sip of it and watch her tense face dissolve in absolute pleasure. It had done wicked things to him.

      But all his efforts seemed futile at this point as he drove towards the university. Instead of Candice he got to meet her aunt. At first Jake had thought it was her mother but then Aubrey had clarified that she was actually Candice’s mom’s sister. To Jake, there seemed to be no resemblance between Candice and her aunt. Not even the slightest. They looked very different even thou they came from the same family.

      Jake took a turn and hoped that he could catch Candice before she went in for this basketball match her aunt mentioned. It amused Jake to know that Candice played basketball. He had never pegged her as a sport person. She sure made an interesting person.

      At the main entrance, Jake was stopped by campus security. He gave his details and watched the plump guard give him a knowing smile. As he filled in the reason for his visit, he badly hoped that the guard wasn’t one of those gossip mongers. If he was, soon every tabloid in the city would come to know that the Jake Gyllenhaal had visited the university on a Sunday to meet one of its hottest professor. Jake frowned knowing it won’t sit well with an already miffed Candice or his mother for that matter.

      He pulled into the nearest vacant spot in the parking area and cut the engine. Leaning back into his seat he looked about and saw a few cars scattered about. Jake knew that this was the staff parking space but didn’t think anyone would mind him parking over there.

      He waited inside his car for fifteen minutes when he finally slipped out and looked about, wondering what to do. Jake had to admit that it awed him to see such a huge compounded campus in heart of the city. He had no idea that the inside of the university was so vast with ample greenery, good parking space and several modernised buildings. From the outside it was hard to guess that.

      Jake brought his wrist up to check the time and exhaled. Was there a chance that Candice was already inside? That would mean that he would have to wait for a good long time over here and that didn’t seem like a good idea. He tilted his head and scanned the area and sure enough there were security cameras. They had to be there of course. He didn’t think the security would take it kindly if he loitered in the parking space. Where else was he supposed to look for her?

      For a moment Jake felt his heart sink thinking that, maybe, his plans to surprise Candice with his visit was not going to succeed at all. All of a sudden, when he had begun considering options such as waiting in his car outside of her apartment building or better yet take up on Aubrey’s initial offer of waiting at Candice’s apartment, Jake heard his name being called out by a familiar voice.

      Mildly surprised he turned around and sure enough, standing behind him, a couple of feet away, next to a silver convertible was his Gym pal. Jake narrowed his eyes in confusion and went to greet him.

“What are you doing here man?”, Jake had to tilt his head slightly up to be able to look Ronnell. Jake was well blessed with a good height but Ronnie stood a foot taller.

“I work here now.”, Ronnie replied.

“You mean you quit UCLA? When?”, Jake leaned against Ronnie’s car.

“A little more than a year ago.”

“Seriously? You traded UCLA for this place? I mean I know Pruitt is just as great but that’s UCLA man!”, Jake’s surprise wasn’t barred from his tone.

“Ya well. Darla got the head chef position at Starlight. It was her dream job so had to make some sacrifice. I originally planned for NYU but that didn’t pan out so Pruitt was the next best place. This place ain’t bad and the pay is alright and Darla is happy.”, Donnie shrugged.

“You mean you moved across the country because your girlfriend got a better offer? She must really be something than”, Jake seemed in awe.

“No, no...”, Ronnie grinned, “She’s not my girlfriend anymore. She’s my wife.”

“Really? Wow! Congratulations man!”, Jake was really surprised. Ronnie and he used to frequent the same Gym in LA. They had the same trainer as well and got along well. Jake had met Darla a few times when he used to go out with Ronnie and friends for drinks and at the time Ronnie and Darla had only been fooling around. To find that they have come this far in such short span of time pleased him.

“What about you? What are you doing here?”, Ronnie raised an eyebrow.

      Jake opened his mouth to speak and then stopped short. He stared at an obese feral cat take its position to hunt something he couldn’t see on the fringes of the lot where the concrete met the manicured lawn that otherwise surrounded the campus, as he thought about what plausible explanation he could give without having to tell the truth. Precipitously, Jake saw a plan begin to shape in his mind. A devious plan but he trusted Ronnie to not speak about it with anyone else.

“Before I explain to you why I am here...”, Jake’s eyes slid down to the duffle bag Ronnie was carrying and then settled back over his face, “I need to know... Are you here for that basketball match by any chance?”

“Ya. How do you know about that?”, Ronnie was flummoxed and tapered his eyes at Jake curiously. Jake grinned and Ronnie could see a mischievous glint in his blue eyes.

“You my man are my ticket in! Tell me. Do you think your colleagues would mind if I joined you guys?”, he asked.

“You mean you want to play?”

“Yup”

“I don’t think anyone would mind. In fact I am the captain of my team and we are one player down today anyways. He caught a bug it seems so I think you can take his place, if you want.”, Ronnie explained curiously, waiting for the explanation promised.

      Jake smiled widely at Ronnie’s reply. He didn’t know yet how Candice was going to react to this or if it was a good idea at all but he decided that he would find out soon. He looked at Ronnie and said with the same devious smile, “Excellent!”

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 17

      After only four hours of sleep, Candice woke up early in the morning to attend the service, being a Sunday morning. She moved about as quietly as she could, not wanting to disturb her aunt who was sleeping in the guest room but somehow Aubrey had woken up and asked if she could join her.

      The request took Candice by much surprise because Aubrey had never been a religious woman yet she complied. They drove to the church and after a beautiful service Candice introduced her aunt to Melanie and Dominic. The couple were shocked and so was their daughter but they trusted Candice’s judgement.

      After lunch, Candice had to go to Mabel’s house. This visit was planned weeks ago and Candice was in a dilemma on what to do since she also had the department basketball match in the evening. She didn’t want to leave her aunt alone on the first day but then Aubrey insisted that she would be fine and not to cancel any of her appointments.

        Candice slammed the door to her Audi shut and walked towards the glorious mansion. Years of frequenting this place and Candice still felt like an outsider, an intruder to be more specific, walking on grounds where the likes of her would never get a chance to possess. She wasn’t ashamed of herself. No. that wasn’t the reason. It was just these places seemed to soak in the essence and power of the rich people residing in them and oozed the same out in great waves, giving her sense of being small.

      Mabel’s parents belonged to those high social circles and possessed some degree of power. Mabel’s father, Roy Heatherford, was the president of Heatherford Banks and co. which was one of the leading private banks in the US. He was also a member of the board of Pruitt & Hearst. Her mother, Barbara Heatherford, was the creator and owner of her designer label called ‘H’. Her unique and majestic designs were favourites to most celebrity.

      With her leather bag holding her laptop, piled tightly under her arms, Candice slowly trudged down the stoned pathway leading to the front door, careful not to let her boot clad feet fall on the uniformly trimmed lawn.

      Mabel had been waiting for Candice so when she saw, from the terrace of her room, her car pull across the street, she hurried down the stairs and opened the door for her. On her way down, her mother had glowered with disapproval at her ‘un- lady’ like behaviour. Thinking about it Mabel stood by the entrance, smiling. She loved to ruffle her obnoxious mother that way. Besides, she never got what was so ‘un- lady’ like about jogging down the stairs.

“Gemma isn’t home. So we will actually get some work done.”, was the first thing to spout out of her lips as Candice reached her.

“Oh.”, Candice’s face fell which Mabel noticed instantly.

“Are you actually disappointed about it?”, Mabel narrowed her eyes at Candice. She closed the door behind them and led the blonde up the stairs. As they passed the quite sitting area on their way towards the stairs, Candice politely greeted the Heatherford couple, each seated with a thick book in their hands. While Roy only looked up at her and then went back to his book, Barbara didn’t even bother to acknowledge her presence.

“Ignore them. I do.”, Mabel mumbled, somewhat feeling embarrassed by how her parents treated Candice. She would never understand their arrogance.

      Candice followed up silently, wishing she was anywhere but here. This wasn’t the first time. The Heatherford’s behaviour was typical but she wasn’t going to be about to turn into a snob and act like the way they did. Her mother mayn’t have taught her much but she had managed to drill some sense of curtsey.

      The Heatherford’s were the only affluent family she had come to see outside of her work, on a more personal level one could say and much of their characteristic behaviour had shadowed her opinions of rich people in general and that was probably that made her very nervous about her dinner with Naomi. But the Gyllenhaals’ had turned out to be very different. They were warm and much down to earth than she had expected them to be. Well except for Jake Gyllenhaal.

“I thought Gemma had nothing planned for today.”, she sat down on the couch in Mabel’s study. Yes. Mabel had her own study which was decorated with sleek wood and shelves filled with books, files and her many achievements in the form of trophies and framed certificates.

“Why are you missing her?”, Mabel drew her eyebrows together in annoyance.

“Well... I wanted to vent about last night.”, Candice replied pulling out her laptop from it’s leather encasement.

“You can vent to me.”, Mabel bristled sitting next to the blonde with her own laptop in hand.

“I know you. You won’t be able to tolerate it beyond two minutes.”, Candice whined. She really wanted to vent and needed Gemma.

“Well I genuinely want to know about the fate of your book. Is it going to be turned into a motion picture? Other than that I am not interested in any juicy gossip about the dinner. Especially anything about that actor.”, Mabel told truthfully. Candice was used to Mabel’s honesty and felt indifferent at her words.

“It is being made into a movie.”, again she mumbled her words.

“Congratulations! I am happy for you! We will have something more to celebrate this evening other that the victory of Omega- 3”, Mabel stated, conjuring just an appropriate amount of emotion to separate from the robots.

“That confident huh?”, Candice smirked.

“Of course. Have you seen you play? Besides if my math is right, which always is, you guys are going to win. I had charted the player positions to maximise this result and sent it to Dave. I think he’s impressed.”, Mabel smiled to herself as she stared at her computer screen.

      Candice in turn stared at her friend aghast. Leave to Mabel to suck the fun right out of anything. Everything had to be equations for her pal. Candice was smart but not that smart. Math had always gone way over her head. On numerous occasions she sheepishly attributed her failure to grasp equations and numbers to her ADHD but Candice knew better.

“Ya... I am sure Dave is impressed.”, she said biting back a laugh.

      For a while the two did get down to work. Candice was designing a study based on her interest in molecular nutrition and if all went well, her study would be a one of a kind to be done in the history of Pruitt & Hearst. When she had first outlined her hypothesis and how she planned on carrying this study to both Dave and Mabel, they had both appreciated it much. A few days after she had revealed her plans, Mabel had even asked her if she could join and Candice had said agreed immediately.

      Before leaving for Andros, she had discussed the same with the head of their department, who was just as much appreciative and supportive. Evelyn Grossun had then asked Candice to submit a research proposal by the end of April for the same, which is what the two of them working on right now.

“My aunt came by yesterday and is now staying at my place.”, Candice casually tossed it as her eyes scanned an old report on a nearly similar study.

      Mabel had been typing something and when she heard what Candice said her fingers froze, hovering over the key board, as she stared at the blonde.

“What?”, she said horrified. Mabel was well versed with Candice’s history with her aunt.

“You heard me.”

“How many aunt do you have?”, there was no way Candice could be so calm about this or so Mabel thought.

“Only one.”

“Did you call the cops? What do you mean by she’s staying at your place? What the hell Candice?”, Mabel set her laptop on the coffee table before them before turning to face her friend, of whom she was certain that she had lost her head.

“Chill Mabes. She’s changed. She actually asked for my forgiveness.”, Candice could feel Mabel’s incredulousness come off in waves and hit her and so kept her gaze towards the screen knowing full well what came next.

“So? You took her back in your arms? And gave her place in your abode?”, Mabel grew red. Candice could really be stupid sometimes. The truth was she hated that book and she hated Candice’s principles on which that book was based. It was a load of crap is what it was in her opinion.

“She’s sick remember?”, Candice defended herself, tilting her head forward.

“So? Do what you had been doing all this while. Give her some cash and send her off. If you are feeling too sorry for her then buy her some flowers and send her off! Oh my God Candice! Do you not realise how incredibly stupid this is?”, Mabel jumped in her seat agitated, “She knows where you live, you gave her access into your home. What’s it to say that she isn’t helping that bastard Floyd? Didn’t you say he is due to be released this month? She deceived you once what makes you think that she can’t do it again?”

      Candice gritted her teeth together. Even she knew that zia would never stoop to such low. That would be really, really low. Aubrey was many things, vengeful and hateful among them, but she would never, never do something so heinous. Would she? Candice brushed the budding doubt away and glared at Mabel.

“She won’t.”, she said stubbornly.

“You are crazy. I am convinced. Like really stupid crazy.”, Mabel hissed before lowering her voice to a passionate tone and leaned towards her, “But let her know this. If she tries to do pull any stunt I will make her regret the day she was born.”

      Candice’s eyes widened. She had never seen Mabel like this. Mable had never spoken like this before and as Candice turned to face her she saw a blaze dance in her stormy grey cat like eyes. For the first time she saw such a fierce emotion in Mabel’s eyes and it somewhat gave her a sense of refuge, of belonging, an assurance that even the seemingly emotionally detached friend of hers cared for her deeply. She smiled despite herself before beginning to assure Mabel to trust her judgement on this.

[glitterysummerkitty]

Dr Bombshell & Mr Hollywood

Chapter 16

        The boiling water reached its crescendo and tripped the kettle off. As soon as that happened the gurgling sound began to lower gradually, slowly leaving the kitchen in silence once again. Candice picked up the kettle, her hands still trembling from the almost heart attack she had suffered just a few minutes ago, and poured the hot water into the cup. She watched the tea bag wet at first and then drown in the boiling water, increasingly staining the colourless fluid a dark brown.

      What an evening it had turned out to be? Never in a million years had she expected such a behaviour from the Jake Gyllenhaal, whom his fans tended to mint as someone kind and sweet (Yes sir! Candice had done her research well before plunging into her plans for the evening). Jake’s behaviour towards her had been nowhere near sweet or kind.

      As if one daunting experience wasn’t enough, the evening had to throw another challenge in her way. This said challenge, a surprise visitor from her past, was sat in her kitchen, frigid and tired from loitering outside in the cold for well over two hours, and was now eagerly waiting for the tea that Candice was preparing. Candice turned her attention to the second mug and poured some into it.

‘How did you find me?’, had been the words, in a horrified tone, that had slipped out her parted lips when she realised the identity of the supposed intruder.

‘Beth gave me your address. Didn’t she tell you?’, the voice was so frail and when Aubrey Davis finally stepped over into the reaches of the light cast by the lamp post above head, Candice had struggled a lot to keep the shock she felt at bay. Once a proud, obese, bitter Aubrey Davis had now been reduced to a gaunt and hollow being, by the disease. Candice’s eyes fell on her chattering teeth and the thin shawl she was wrapped in and instantly felt guilty. Pushing every emotion and thought aside she let her aunt in and followed her up the broad stairs leading up to her home. Candice had been too flustered to consider if the poor woman would be able to walk up to the second floor but Aubrey had managed.

      Cranking up the central heat, she set about to make some tea for herself and her freezing aunt. Candice craved something stronger than tea, actually, after such an eventful evening but she restrained partly because she was conscious how much her aunt hated it. After all Aubrey’s sister, Candice’s mother, had been a life- long victim to excessive drinking which had ruined so many lives. Aunty Aubrey’s loathing for alcohol was hardly refutable.

      With shaky hands she lifted the mugs and walked back to the table, where her aunt was seated. Candice could feel her aunt’s gaze on her but without meeting her gaze, she set the mug on the table in front of her before taking a seat in the chair opposite to her aunt. She took a sip of the scalding bitter brown liquid and mentally made a note to get some more of those apple flavoured ones. She had run out of those.

“Candice...”, her aunt half whispered and half called out her name from across the table. Candice hummed in response but still refused to meet with the elderly woman’s gaze simply because she didn’t know how to feel at the moment. For a long time, she had been a weak and dependent girl who sought an adult’s love and care desperately but today she was no longer weak or dependent although she still wished, from time to time, to be loved and cared for.

“Are you angry with me?”

      Candice dared herself to look up. She really looked at her aunt for the first time that night. Like really, really looked at her. Despite everything the first thing she took notice of was her eyes. Those brutal eyes that had once haunted her looked so haunted today, so lost. They seemed to have sunk deep into her skull. Those grey irises looked dull and lifeless but that gaze... Once upon a time dear Aunty Aubrey’s gaze used to be enough to break Candice but today they looked crushed themselves. It gave Candice chills to realise how much time could change one person.

      Only after that she realised the enormous loss of weight. It wasn’t like she didn’t notice it at first but only now realised exactly how much weight her aunt had lost. Years of inactivity accompanied by binging on comfort foods and sweets and gallons of sodas had left her aunt as huge as a potato sack. The layers that had piled up around her midriff used to bulge even through those cheap triple X-L clothes she used to wear. Now the only evidence of her ever being so huge were the lights marks that ran through her arms like veins, left there from the skin stretching way too much. And her hair. Her once thick auburn hair had been reduced greatly, no doubt owing to the chemotherapy she had to undertake, but they were unkempt. It seemed to Candice like her proper aunt no longer cared enough to run a brush through them.

      Candice felt torn. Torn between wanting to feel sympathetic and not wanting to either. Aubrey had always hated her and the elderly woman had made least efforts to hide that. She had hated her so much that she had turned her own daughter against Candice, creating a wedge between the sisters forever. Aubrey had also done something against Candice, that most would consider unforgivable, betrayal of the worst kind. This was her chance. Pay back her aunt for years of hurt, solitude and the ultimate betrayal she had made against her years ago when she had really needed her. Candice still felt her heart throb in pain with the memories of those days.

      Or maybe she could just spit the bitterness out and accept the woman back into her life. After all Aubrey was growing sicker every day. Her days were numbered that even Candice knew. Wouldn’t it be hypocritical of her if she didn’t follow what she preached about love? Being patient, not keeping tabs? Was this even a situation where she should even consider forgiveness?

      Candice sighed loudly as she extended her hand and reached out to take her aunt’s cold, bony hand in hers.

“You know I can’t be angry with you zia.”, she said with a small smile on her face. The moment she uttered zia, Aubrey whimpered and let lose the tears she had been holding back.

      Candice quickly lifted herself off the chair and came to stand beside her aunt. Standing next to her she placed her hand gently on the side of her aunt’s head and pulled her towards her belly. Aubrey wrapped her arms around Candice’s waist and pressed her head against her nieces’ soft body as she wept.

      After everything she had done to her, Aubrey had half expected Candice to yell at her, create a scene and send her away. And why shouldn’t she? Whenever her niece had needed her the most, she had abandoned her. So it would only be fair if she abandoned her now when she was the one in need but Candice seemed to have simply let the matter go, putting her selfish aunt before her own emotions.

      Aubrey wondered how such a fine girl like Candice had managed to be born from their horrible family line. She knew what it was or rather who it was but wouldn’t go anywhere near that subject. It still brought her pain after all these years and for far too long Aubrey had clung on to that pain, using it as excuse to cause others grief.

      Once Aubrey had considerably calmed, Candice sat down again yet she continued to hold her hand and gripped it tightly, as an unspoken assurance that she was here for her no matter what.

“How are you really doing zia?”, she asked. Aubrey looked down into her cup of tea. She sniffed and wiped the snot off her face and sniffed again before looking up at her niece.

“Not so good I am afraid. The latest cycle didn’t work at all.”, she wiped her nose. Suddenly Aubrey let out a small laugh as she bitterly complained, “The worst part is I never smoked. Your mother and your grandfather, my father, smoked cartons in a day but I never let a single cigarette kiss my lips and here I am the one with Lung cancer.”

“What did the doctors have to say?”, Candice distracted herself with her cup of tea. It was actually a ruse to cover the fact that she already knew what the doctors had said. Grandma Beth had told her everything. When she looked up again when her aunt didn’t respond, she found her aunt smiling up at her knowingly.

“Like you don’t know anything.”, Aubrey said softly.

“No I don’t.”, Candice murmured looking away.

“I know you have been paying for my treatments Candice. I always knew. Only you knew what I liked to eat, which flowers I liked, which part of the town I frequented when I was upset or feeling low. You were very observant that way even as a kid.”, Aubrey rubbed her rough thumb finger over Candice’s smooth hand as she spoke.

“Did Beth tell you?”, Candice asked.

“Oh no. She didn’t. But I always knew. Deep down in my heart I always knew that it was you.”, there was deep felt sadness in Aubrey’s voice which made Candice wonder how much emotionally Aubrey had changed. Did she, after all these years, did her aunt truly regret everything she did to her?

“I am so sorry Candice. I should never have treated you the way I did, for my sister’s mistake.”, as if reading her mind, Aubrey spoke up.

“It’s ok. It’s all in the past.”, she said even as her chest ached from memories of neglect and hate.

“No it’s not ok. I—I was so hurt that I wasn’t sure how to act and I took it out all on you which wasn’t fair to you. I hated my sister because she was a drunk junkie wh***. I hated our father because all he cared for was his sinking business and when that went away he drowned in booze and cursed us for his losses. I hated our mother because she was too busy wallowing in despair and self- pity that she never saw how much we needed her.

“I had sworn to myself that if and when I had children of my own I would never be like our mother. That I would always put them first and I did. With Stella I did but with you... I treated you wrong Candice.”

      Neither of the women looked at each other. While Aubrey felt ashamed of her past behaviour, Candice felt anger. She didn’t want justifications because no justification would ever be good enough to explain why she had been emotionally abused for years. Of course Aubrey never laid a hand on Candice like Candice’s mother used to but there were other forms of abuse as well.

“Sometimes I used to reason with myself and attributed my hate to the fact how much I hated my grandmother, my father’s mother. I blamed her for messing up father. And to tell you the truth you look so much like her.”, Aubrey ran a hand through her thin hair. “That’s a lot of hate isn’t it? I hated everyone. Even Irving who had been the love of my life. I hated that man for what he did to me. I blamed everyone else for all the bad things that happened in my life and never took any responsibilities. Now all that bitterness and hatred has literally turned into a disease eating me from the inside, hollowing my soul.”

      Candice wept silently. As Aunty Aubrey’s word pierced her heart, she felt sad and angry. She wanted to yell, she wanted to break something so badly but there was also this overwhelming need to comfort her aunt. There was a lot of bitterness, lot to forgive but Candice knew she had to begin somewhere. Perhaps, her aunt coming here was a blessing in disguise after all. Maybe this could help them both heal together.

“You still have a chance to let it all go zia. You don’t have to hold on to it anymore.”, Candice whispered as tears slipped down her cheeks. For a moment Aubrey did nothing but stare at her niece, as if she had spoken in a language she didn’t understand.

“Do you think so?”, her voice had so much vulnerability, it touched Candice’s heart filling it with sympathy.

“Of course. It’s never too late. And, although I wished it happened earlier, but I am glad you told me these things. It will help me process my own hurt probably.”, a soft smile graced her lips in reassurance, “We both need this.”

“Thank you Candice. It would mean a lot to me.”, Aubrey bit her lip at looked nervous, “There’s something else I want to ask but before I do I want you to know that you can say no if you want. I mean I would totally understand.”

“What is it zia?”, Candice swiped the back of her free hand along her cheeks, wiping away at the tears.

“Well... I don’t know if you know about Stella. She... She has cut off all ties with me and I don’t even know where she is or how she’s doing.”, Aubrey looked up with her eyes glistening. Speaking about her daughter wasn’t easy. From the expression on Candice’s face, she knew that Candice already knew.

“Well... I have nothing holding me to Gosglove anymore and I don’t want to spend whatever days are left for me, alone in that house.”, Aubrey left the unvoiced question to hang between them. She watched, somewhat restless, slight hesitation flit through Candice’s eyes. Aubrey knew she was asking for way too much but she really needed to be around Candice.

“Sure... Uhh... You can stay here with me. I can set up the guest room for you.”, Candice was uncomfortable with this, mostly because this was all happening so suddenly but she was sure that she would adjust soon.

      Aubrey smiled back. Things had gone much better than she had expected them to be and was glad. She took a sip of her now cold tea and proceeded to ask Candice what she had been doing. After much convincing, pleading and begging, Bethany had only given the address. She knew nothing about Candice’s current life and intended to find out everything.