Chapter 18
When Jodie opens her eyes that morning, the first thing she sees is Katherine's figure standing in front of the closet. She's facing away, and Jodie catches a glimpse of her bare skin before she slips on her shirt. She shivers and smiles, still adjusting to these new feelings.
"Did I wake you?" Katherine asks as she turns around.
Jodie shakes her head from side to side and smiles, then tries to stretch but feels every muscle in her body ache, transforming her expression into a grimace that makes Katherine smile.
"You're out of practice. Maybe we should make this a nightly routine so you can get used to it sooner," she says while finishing getting dressed, with that smile that always throws Jodie off balance.
"You'll use any excuse," Jodie quips, and when she tries to get up, she lets herself fall back as if something heavy had dropped on top of her.
Katherine can't help but let out a sudden, hearty laugh that sounds heavenly to Jodie.
"What are you doing today?" Katherine asks, sitting on the bed next to Jodie before giving her a soft kiss on the lips.
Jodie has the day off and had planned to do countless things she'd been putting off, but she feels exhausted. She sighs and takes a moment to study Katherine's features. Jodie feels a deep sense of peace when she's with her, a sensation she can't quite place, but it only happens when Katherine is near.
"I wanted to do many things, but I'm too tired. I think I'll have breakfast with you and, if you don't mind, I'll take advantage of your hospitality and stay here a bit longer after you leave. When my legs can hold me up again," she exaggerates dramatically, making Katherine laugh, "I'll go home. I need to do a deep clean and check my mailbox - I'm sure there's some unpaid bill waiting for me," she adds, rolling her eyes.
"You can stay here as long as you want. How about I make you breakfast?" Katherine asks.
Jodie raises her eyebrows, and Katherine frowns.
"What? You don't think I can make you eggs and bacon?" she asks, offended.
"Of course," Jodie mocks, "but you look so stunning in that suit that I don't want you to get it dirty. Besides, eggs and bacon are too plain, let me make something special."
Jodie gets up, wearing just her underwear, and Katherine twists the sheets between her fingers to calm her sudden urge.
The chef puts on a sweatshirt she finds in Katherine's closet and walks barefoot to the kitchen. Katherine wants to make some calls while she prepares breakfast, but those bare legs and messy hair seem like a provocation that won't let her concentrate.
"Go put some clothes on," she orders suddenly, and Jodie turns around, leaving the refrigerator door open.
"What did you say?"
"Put some clothes on or I swear I'll take off what little you're wearing and take you right here on the marble," Katherine says, her blue eyes so darkened that they appear black to Jodie.
Jodie's heart races, leaving her frozen in place. She narrows her eyes, and her lips part slowly before moistening them with her tongue as she decides she won't get dressed.
"Then you'll have to follow through," she says, and Katherine wastes no time getting to her, placing her hands on her backside and lifting her until Jodie sits on the marble counter.
This time, Katherine doesn't waste time, and Jodie doesn't want her to. She moves Jodie's underwear aside and enters her without difficulty, because Jodie is ready, and Katherine's fingers move inside her as if they were part of her. Jodie gasps before claiming Katherine's mouth, which receives her eagerly while moving rhythmically and steadily inside her, causing such an explosion of pleasure that Jodie collapses against her in an embrace and needs more than three minutes to recover.
"Much better," Katherine concludes satisfied when Jodie pulls back and looks into her eyes.
The housekeeper feels drained and wonders how she'll manage to make breakfast without falling over, but the sound of her phone interrupts her thoughts, and she has no choice but to get down from the counter to answer the call. Katherine takes the opportunity to wash her hands while Jodie answers, but she hurries over when she sees how her lover's expression changes and the color drains from her face.
"What do you mean she fell? Wasn't anyone with her?" she asks anxiously.
Katherine approaches and, although she can't hear what the person on the other end is saying, she can tell from Jodie's responses that her mother has had some kind of incident at the nursing home. When she finally hangs up, the Mallois owner has to take the phone from her hand because Jodie is shaking.
"What's wrong, honey? Is your mother okay?"
"Yes, I think so," she says in such a low voice that Katherine almost has to read her lips. "She fell in the shower and they had to take her to the emergency room because she hit her head. They gave her four stitches and now she's back at the facility," she explains with a distant look. "I need to go see her, and also talk to those incompetents to find out why there wasn't anyone with her while she was showering."
Jodie starts moving so erratically that Katherine stops her.
"I'll go with you."
"You can't, you have things to do," Jodie says nervously.
"Things that can wait. You're more important. Take a quick shower and get dressed, I'll tell Mike to get the car ready."
Jodie doesn't argue, not only grateful that Katherine is coming with her but also that she's making the decisions right now, because she's so nervous that if Katherine hadn't reminded her she wasn't dressed, she would have left the penthouse in underwear and a sweatshirt.
An hour later they're walking through the nursing home's door. Jodie greets the staff and, despite being outside visiting hours, they let her see her mother given the circumstances. She doesn't know if it's because of the hit to her head or pure coincidence, but again, her mother recognizes her.
"Are you okay? How did it happen? You must have been terrified," she fires off, crouching in front of her.
Katherine observes from the doorway, not daring to enter, but Amanda's restless eyes fix on her immediately.
"Who is she?" she asks her daughter, and Jodie feels her cheeks suddenly burning.
She doesn't know how to introduce her, and she doesn't want to give too many explanations to avoid creating confusion in that already deteriorated mind, but Katherine saves her from the awkward moment and steps forward.
"I'm Katherine, I'm your daughter's friend," she says and extends her hand in greeting.
Amanda shakes it and smiles kindly before looking at Jodie, who remains frozen.
"This is the first time you've brought a friend," Amanda says, trying to draw Jodie out, who looks at the floor hoping a hole will open and swallow her.
"I'll bring her more often, Mom, though I hope it won't be because you've fallen. You really scared me."
Amanda nods, satisfied because there's something about this Katherine that she likes.
After spending some time in the room, they finally leave and Jodie walks furiously toward reception demanding to speak with the director, who is called immediately.
"Calm down," Katherine asks her in a soft whisper that partially achieves its effect, as Jodie sighs and leans against her while they wait.
"When it's about asking for money, he doesn't take this long to appear," Jodie mutters, making Katherine laugh.
The man appears after a few minutes and they follow him to an office, where he relates what happened.
"Apparently she slipped in the shower, fortunately it wasn't serious. She pressed the alert button and a caregiver came in right away," he explains calmly.
"What I don't understand is why she was showering alone, aren't the caregivers supposed to be there for that? To help them?" Jodie protests, though maintaining her composure.
The man clears his throat visibly uncomfortable before responding.
"What?" Jodie frowns.
"You see, Mrs. Sinclair, you pay a basic fee that only includes lodging, meals, and basic care assistance. The truth is your mother is at a point where, due to her illness, she should be assisted with many other things, like showering, helping her dress, accompanying her when she goes to the garden for walks..."
Jodie opens her mouth but can't say anything.
"You should consider upgrading to the intermediate care level, which is what she needs."
Silence settles in the office like a heavy slab. Jodie can't process what she's hearing, if she already has problems paying the basic fee, how will she pay the intermediate one? Not to mention this is the first she's heard about these different levels, or the shame she feels for not being able to care for her mother as she deserves.
"Thank you for everything, we'll discuss it and make a decision and let you know as soon as possible," Katherine intervenes, taking Jodie by the arm to get her out of the building before she faints.
Once outside, she takes her hand and leads her directly to the car.
"Where are we going?" Jodie asks, feeling like a doll in Katherine's hands.
"To eat at a place I know. You'll like it, it's very quiet," the businesswoman states.
Jodie doesn't protest, she needs these minutes in the car during the journey to think, and especially to process what has happened.
Katherine hasn't lied about the place being quiet, basically because it's a private room in one of New York's most expensive restaurants, where they're completely alone. For a moment, Jodie feels uncomfortable enjoying these luxuries while her mother is poorly cared for in the only facility she can afford to pay for, but she knows Katherine's intention in bringing her here isn't to show off everything she can afford, but to provide a quiet space for her to calm down, one just for them.
"We have a foundation," Katherine says, swirling the wine in her glass, "actually, as a business group, we have several," she clarifies at Jodie's puzzled look.
"I see," says the housekeeper without understanding why she's bringing up this topic, Katherine smiles.
"As I was saying," she insists, piercing her with that blue gaze, "we have several foundations, but I want to tell you about one in particular, because it collaborates with various institutions for elderly care, like your mother's."
"I see," Jodie repeats.
"No, honey," Katherine smiles, "I don't think you do. What I'm getting at is that thanks to this, I have many contacts and it would take just one phone call to get a place for your mother in one of the best facilities, not where she is now. Don't misunderstand me, Jodie, I'm not saying they don't do their job and try their best within their possibilities, but your mother could be much better cared for than she is there, and of course, attended to twenty-four hours a day."
Jodie nods and makes a face.
"I appreciate it, but I can't afford it, I don't even know how I'll manage to increase the fee at this one. You'll have to let me work more hours at the hotel."
Katherine twists her expression, annoyed.
"You're not going to work more hours, Jodie, not at the hotel or anywhere else, I won't allow that."
Jodie tenses, nobody is going to forbid her anything, no matter how much she likes them and makes her sigh.
"I explained myself poorly," Katherine rectifies when she sees her expression change. "I'm just saying that in mentioning this, I didn't mean for you to pay anything, I'll do it, I'll pay for your mother's facility, and before you protest and curse," she says and points at her.
Jodie stays still, deciding whether to yell at her or laugh.
"I know all the financial problems you have and I've never intervened, nor will I unless you ask me to. Don't consider this as something I'm doing as a favor to you, it's something I want you to let me do for myself."
"For yourself? I don't understand."
"My mother died suddenly, Jodie, without me having the chance to do anything for her, to feel like I'd tried everything. I couldn't help her, and I can't do anything about your mother's illness, but I can improve her conditions, let me do that."
Jodie looks at her, thoughtful.
"There are things I don't have, Jodie, like patience, but money isn't a problem. Let me invest it in something important. One phone call, honey, I pick up the phone and tomorrow your mother could be in an apartment-style facility with so many comforts and assistance that you'll want to move in with her, though I won't allow that."
Jodie can't contain her laugh at that comment and nods.
"Alright, make that call."
"That's my girl," Katherine nods, twisting her smile while taking out her phone.