Ch. 20 – Layla
T he rising sun sparkled through the softly rustling trees. Birds twittered overhead, and a gentle breeze whispered through the crisp air. It was the kind of peaceful, gorgeous morning that never failed to lift Layla’s soul.
Almost never.
She resisted the urge to drop to her knees on the side of the trail and hurl out her guts.
The very last thing Layla had wanted to do this morning was run. Scratch that. The second very last thing she had wanted to do this morning was run. But she needed to get in the miles. Which was why, at 6:00 AM on this beautiful Saturday morning, she slowly chugged down the winding trail on the outskirts of town and desperately tried not to die.
Her legs felt like bricks. With each step, her stomach churned. Note to self, alcohol is not your friend, she thought. Last night’s celebration had almost been worth this morning’s utter misery.
It’d been such a perfect night, until…
Layla moaned as her stomach turned and bile clawed up her throat.
This train of thought led her right to the actual very last thing she wanted to do this morning. That would be seeing the face of one, Dr. Prem Dhawan. Smooth talker. Camel rescuer. And utter scoundrel.
That kiss.
Just thinking about it made Layla’s traitorous body hum like the taut strings of a violin. She’d never been kissed like that before. Prem had been hungry for her, his lips greedy with possession. That kiss had awoken something inside of her, a naughty, lusting, ravenous version of herself she didn’t recognize.
Naughty Layla scared her. Tantalized her.
A very specific part of her body had tingled, for gosh sakes. Tingled!
It was all so confusing and shameful… and hot.
Layla tried to shake the memory out of her head.
Big mistake.
Phantom fingers pressed on her skull, triggering another dangerous lurch in her stomach.
The kiss, no matter how earth-shattering, had been wrong!
Tears pricked at the edges of her grainy eyes. She’d been the other woman !!! She’d betrayed poor April. Worst of all, Prem hadn’t even cared. He’d actually grinned and shrugged away April as if she were meaningless.
The man was truly heartless!
A tide of nausea rolled through her body. Layla’s stomach tightened. She staggered off the trail, dropped to her knees in the prickly brush, and puked up stale cake, rancid wine, and guilt.
After her stomach settled, Layla rested on her knees as a cold sweat broke out across her forehead. Small shivers quaked through her arms and legs. She wasn’t going to complete her long run today.
After wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Layla rose on shaky legs and turned to begin a slow walk of shame back to the parking lot at the trailhead.
I can’t do this, she thought to herself. The idea of completing an ultra-marathon had never felt so impossible. She was an utter imposter.
*
Layla arrived for her Saturday morning shift at All Paws and Claws armed with large sunglasses, a gigantic bottle of water, and the advised maximum limit of Advil in her system. With only 20 minutes until opening, she didn’t have much time to work with Sunny.
Half-jogging through the back of the clinic, she stopped short as Sunny raced up to her, his front legs pumping, the wheeled cart rolling behind him.
“Meow,” he greeted her happily, rubbing his face against her leg and bumping her foot with the cart.
“Well, don’t you look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,” Prem spoke from the other side of the exam table, Sunny’s harness in hand.
Layla winced. Had he always possessed such a booming voice?
“That was a joke,” he clarified. “You look terrible.”
Pushing her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose, Layla glowered at him. “Same to you.”
It was true. Bags hung under Prem’s eyes, and his hair stood slightly mussed as if he hadn’t had the time or energy to tame it this morning.
“Got a grand total of four hours of sleep,” he admitted. “Worth it. Claude made it through the night.”
Layla nodded and stifled a groan as a hundred imaginary toy monkeys crashed symbols inside her brain.
Note to self: do not move your head for any reason!
“I talked to Val this morning,” Layla admitted. “She’s over the moon.”
Prem nodded as he walked to the physical therapy supply cabinet. “That pen is filled with camel diarrhea and one very grouchy camel, but he’s on the mend.” After putting away the harness, he pulled a piece of toast from the pocket of his sports coat.
“What’ve you got this morning?” he asked her. “Another purse bagel? Or did you mix it up? Purse banana?” He raised a sardonic eyebrow. “Bowl of oatmeal?”
Even the thought of food made Layla’s stomach lurch. Ignoring Prem, she slowly crouched and stroked Sunny’s head.
Prem watched her intently. He took a bite of his toast and swallowed.
“Look, we need to talk about April,” he finally said. “Let me ex—”
“Yes, we do.” Layla refused to look at him. Her cheeks grew hot with shame. “I would like her number, please, so I can apologize.”
“You don’t need to apologize. She—”
“I certainly do.” Layla rocketed to her feet. “I can’t believe what I did! What we did.”
Was her stomach lurching from the sudden movement or her own guilt?
Prem crossed his arms. “I rather enjoyed it, and I think you did, too.”
Layla gasped. The nerve of this man! “I can’t believe you. Don’t you even care about April’s feelings?”
“I do. And I told you, she won’t mind. You just have to let me explain.”
“No.” Layla’s voice turned hard. “I’m tired of men explaining their transgressions to me. I don’t want to talk about what happened last night, and I don’t want to talk to you!”
“Fine.” The word was clipped. His thick brows bunched into an expression of utter frustration. “You’re impossible,” he snapped before turning and marching to his office. Layla watched him go, the hitch more evident in his step.
She sighed even as her lips tingled with the memory of their kiss.
It was going to be a long day.
*
Turns out, avoiding the man you despised was easier vowed than done.
Considering he happened to be your boss.
And you happened to work together in a relatively small vet clinic.
Layla tried her best, though, and Prem, for his part, seemed intent on supporting her new life goal.
He sent Kate out to greet clients and bring them into the exam rooms. When he did emerge to explain a client’s bill or a patient’s new treatment regimen, he kept his manner stern and professional.
Still, the minutes oozed by like hours. The sun lanced at Layla’s retinas from the front window, and the bell above the door crashed like thunder whenever a client entered. Layla scrunched miserably behind the reception desk, sucking down water and popping just enough Advil to barely avoid liver failure.
She offered wan smiles and tepid conversations to the clients. Most had heard about her broken engagement through the well-oiled Yucca Hills grapevine by now and didn’t question her pale face and queasy demeanor. Though, Mrs. Partridge, number one fan of flowing tie-dye dresses and centering crystals, suggested a sweat lodge retreat in Sedona where the ‘natural vortices’ could heal all emotional wounds.
Between customers, Layla struggled to re-orient herself into her new, post-kiss, post-betrayal reality. Obviously, she and Prem could now never hope for anything like the friendship she’d had with Dr. Goldman. But maybe, just maybe, they could forget last night ever happened and manage some level of a professional, working relationship.
Because Layla needed this job.
Without Cal’s financial support, she was fully dependent on her paycheck. That, and she didn’t know how to do anything else. This was the only job she’d ever had. If she felt morally obligated to leave or—a new thought slammed into her mind like a spiked mace—if Prem fired her, she wouldn’t even know where to begin looking for a new position.
Around noon, Layla’s headache began to melt away and she managed to keep down some yogurt over her break.
Finally, the universe decided to take pity on her, and her phone ticked over to 2 PM. Time to close the clinic. Layla wanted nothing more than to bolt for her car, drive home, and melt into her mother’s couch for the rest of the day, preferably with a Friends marathon on the television.
But she’d short-changed Sunny on his morning PT, so she had to make it up to him.
“You going to be okay here?” Kate asked as she grabbed her purse from behind the reception desk and slung it over her shoulder.
Stay! Layla’s brain hollered. Don’t leave me alone with him!
“Of course,” her traitorous mouth replied. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Kate arched a silver eyebrow that said everything and nothing. “Fine. Good luck with…whatever this is.” She waved her hand in front of Layla like she was washing a window, then tromped out the front door.
Layla watched her go, dread growing inside her. She was now alone in the building…with him . Almost creeping into the back area of the clinic, Layla’s gaze darted around, half-expecting Prem to be lounging in every corner, his dark, intense eyes drilling into her.
But he wasn’t in the back, and the door to his office was closed.
Still, Layla felt like she was holding her breath as she took Sunny from his enclosure and began his physical therapy. She could practically feel Prem’s presence through the walls. Her body hummed. Her skin felt tight and itchy. Echoes of the kiss tingled on her lips.
“Good job,” Layla said with lackluster enthusiasm as Sunny completed his final lap across the exam table with the help of the sling. It was a lie. The skinny stray wasn’t improving. He could still barely take any weight on his back legs.
Layla slowly let down the sling, and Sunny eased onto his stomach.
“I know you’re trying,” Layla whispered to him, “but maybe it wasn’t meant to be.” Her eyes burned, but she forced a smile. “Let’s put you in the cart for a while, and I’ll clean your enclosure.”
“It’s a shame to keep him crated for so much of the day now that he’s comfortable with the cart.”
Layla started at Prem’s voice. He leaned against the wall outside his office. How long had he been watching her?
“We should really transfer him to a foster,” Prem added, moving into the kennel area.
“I’ll check with Val again to see if anyone’s open,” Layla said, her eyes running away from his. “I was just finishing up.”
“I want you to meet April.”
“What?” Layla froze with Sunny’s soiled pee pads in her hands.
“This afternoon. I’ve already made the call. We can go as soon as you’re done.”
“No!” The word was a squeak of sheer terror.
Meet April? Layla’s chest heated at the mere thought. Sure, she wanted to speak with April and apologize profusely for what had happened last night. But meet her in person? Stare into the other woman’s eyes as she admitted the shameful kiss?
Prem folded his arms. “You won’t let me explain. You don’t believe me when I say April wouldn’t care about what we did last night. So, why not meet her and ask her yourself?”
“That’s crazy.” Layla’s embarrassment shifted into anger. She marched to the trash can and threw away the pee pads. “Just give me her number. I’ll call her.”
“Nope.” Prem shook his head. “If you really want to apologize, you’re going to have to do it in person.”
“That’s not fair.” Layla tore fresh pee pads from the pack in the supply closet and slapped them down into Sunny’s enclosure.
“Layla.” Prem’s voice was soft, pleading. She couldn’t help but meet his rich, chocolate eyes. “You give everyone else the benefit of the doubt. Why not me?”
“Because,” she snapped, then floundered. “Because…”
Because she could barely hold his gaze. Because he made her lips throb. And other, unmentionable parts of her body tingle. Because she’d always been kind and sweet, but Prem Dhawan made her feel just a little wicked. And she liked it.
So, he had to be a bad person. Someone she should stay away from. Someone who would betray her just like Cal.
Unless not, a quiet, secret voice whispered in her heart.
Did Prem deserve a chance to explain? She looked into his sincere eyes.
“It’s the only way I can speak with April?” she asked in a small voice.
“The only way,” he confirmed.
Layla’s shoulders slumped.
*
This. Was. So. Awkward.
It’d taken Layla all of five seconds after pulling the seatbelt over her chest to realize that agreeing to meet April was a massive mistake. Now, she sat uncomfortably in the passenger seat of Prem’s Toyota 4 Runner, hands tucked in her lap, head turned to the window so she could pretend she was somewhere…anywhere but here.
Kinda hard to do when every breath brought her the sage and pine scent of Prem’s aftershave and made the unmentionable part of her body tingle anew. The man himself was so close she could practically feel his body heat.
He shifted his arm, and Layla flinched, scrunching herself further against the passenger door.
Outside the window, the SUV wound its way out of the town center leaving behind the cute shops of Chaparral Dr. and the orderly houses of the surrounding subdivisions.
What had she been thinking? And what would she say to April when the two women met? Would April be surprised? Hurt? Furious? Would she blame Layla for tempting Prem? Or break up with him on the spot?
But if so, why was Prem so adamant about the two of them meeting?
A new, startling thought slammed through Layla’s brain like a rouge meteorite.
Could Prem and April have an open relationship? Was that why he said she wouldn’t mind him kissing Layla? But, still, why would Prem bring Layla to meet her?
Layla almost gasped audibly. Could Prem and April be expecting—Layla could barely bring herself to think the words— a threesome?
“So, how long did it take to get that penis tattoo off your forehead?”
At the sound of Prem’s voice, Layla almost screamed. Instead, she grabbed her braid and pulled it over her shoulder. She leaned back against the fabric seat and tried to steady her breathing. What had he asked? Right. The shameful tattoo.
“When I got up and looked in the mirror this morning, I surprised myself all over again,” Layla admitted. In spite of the fact that she was possibly, potentially, more than likely being delivered to a practical orgy, Layla smiled. “Took me a good five minutes to scrub it off in the shower.”
“Seems like it was a fun night.” Prem glanced at her before refocusing on the road ahead. He hit his blinker and turned, taking them further out of town.
“It was until…” Layla massaged her braid.
“Layla.” His voice was gentle but firm. “Benefit of the doubt, remember?”
She reached out and picked up a polished red apple sitting in the cup holder. She turned it in her hand. Did the man have some sort of uncontrolled impulse to stash food in odd places?
“I spoke to Val just before we closed,” she said, changing the conversation. “Apparently, Claude still has some bad diarrhea, but otherwise, he’s doing a lot better.”
Prem chuckled. “That’s the paraffin doing its job. Thanks for the update. I was planning on swinging by this evening to check on Claude.”
Layla replaced the apple in the cup holder and found the courage to look at Prem. “It was good of you to stay with him all night.”
He shrugged. “It’s my calling.”
Calling. Not job. Not profession. Not responsibility. Calling. Layla liked that. It felt right. No matter his other failings, Prem Dhawan put his entire soul into caring for his patients. Even after only a week of seeing him in action, Layla knew that to be true.
From somewhere in the depths of her purse, her phone dinged. It dinged again. Then again.
Prem raised an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”
“I have an idea what this might be about,” Layla said as she dug into her bag. Even as she gripped her phone, the device dinged several more times. She unlocked the screen with her thumbprint, took one look at her notifications, and clucked her tongue in confirmation.
“No one’s dead, wounded, or caught in quicksand are they?” Prem asked.
“Quicksand?” She looked at him over the phone.
He shrugged. “Quicksand is terrifying. Everyone knows that. I used to have nightmares about it as a kid. Actually, still do sometimes. I blame The Princess Bride .”
Layla ignored him and opened her messaging app.
Alanna: Discussing Ch. 25. Scatter to the winds if you haven’t read it. [Running emoji]
Everly: THE SEX SCENE! YAS!!! [Fire emoji, fire emoji, eggplant emoji.]
Jax: NTY [Monkey emoji covering eyes]
Alanna: Let me say from experience, sex on a desk is not fun or hot!
Everly: But he’s the CEO, his desk is so big.
Tess: Something else was quite large in that scene, too. [Devil winky face]
Alanna: It’s all fun & games until you roll onto a stapler.
Everly: Stapler could be part of the fun. Desk sex has to be better than car sex.
Tess: Car sex is the worst! I almost sat on a gear shift once! [Peach emoji, bandaged face emoji]
“You’re turning an alarming shade of red,” Prem noted. “What exactly is going on?”
“Nothing,” Layla squeaked. She grabbed her braid again and forced her voice into a normal range. “My friends and I, we, um, have a book club. We’re just discussing the book. It’s, um, very literary.”
“I see.” Doubt oozed from those two words.
Everly: Wildest place you’ve ever had sex. Go!
Willow: My imagination. [Sheepish emoji.]
Everly: In a truck bed under the stars in the Arizona desert. It was beautiful. And cold! [Frozen face emoji]
Tess: Behind a waterfall in Maui. Honeymoon! [Rainbow emoji]
Jax: I lied. I’m still here. In a pool at a frat house. I’m lame.
Tess: Though we did end up flashing a family from Belgium. Whoops!
Everly: @Jax, You’re young little grasshopper. Let us corrupt you .
Tess: Don’t go chasing waterfalls, people.
Alanna: Mile high club
Everly: Gasp! Really!? Dirty girl.
Jax: I don’t get that one. Who wants to have sex over a toilet?
Alanna: It’s not about the sex. It’s the thrill. But I did have a crick in my neck for a week after that.
Everly: @Layla want to weigh in here?
Layla shoved her phone into her purse like it was radioactive. Cal had always wanted to do crazy antics like that. He’d slip his hand under her blouse at the movie theater or under her skirt at a fancy restaurant. It’d always felt inappropriate. More about a cheap thrill than love and connection. Twice, he’d goaded her into sex in his car when she was in high school and he was in college. Both times, the experience had been uncomfortable, her shoulders jammed against the door and her head pressed against the hard window.
Since then, Layla had only ever submitted in bed.
“We’re here.”
Layla started at the sound of Prem’s voice. She glanced out the windshield, frowning in confusion. The SUV sat in a small dirt lot surrounded by hills blanketed in yellowing grass. An iron archway announced Geranium Ranch at the front of the parking lot . Looking beyond the archway, Layla saw a sprawling set of stables surrounded by several large corrals. A small ranch house sat in the distance next to a blue barn.
“Out we go.” Prem grabbed the apple and hefted open his door. Layla squeezed her braid as she watched him make his way around the car, then open her door.
“You ready?” he asked. She met his gaze and saw something soft and gentle in their depths. Please, trust me, those eyes seemed to say.
Layla released her braid, unclicked her seatbelt, and slid from the passenger seat.
“This way.” Prem walked under the archway and continued down the path to the stables, tossing the apple in his hand.
Sucking in a tight breath, Layla followed him.
“We’re here,” Prem called as he reached the front of the stables.
“Afternoon.” A tall, thin woman emerged from the stables and stepped into the sunlight.
Layla’s stomach dropped all the way to her sparkly butterfly sandals.
April.
The woman was the epitome of grace as she moved toward them with long, easy strides. She wore her thick auburn hair in a tight ponytail, and a smattering of freckles dotted her button nose. A simple plaid shirt tucked into dusty jeans did nothing to disguise her allure.
Somehow, Layla wasn’t surprised that April was beautiful. The woman was a perfect match for Prem’s clean handsomeness.
“Hiya, Prem,” the woman called, giving them both a wide grin.
“Hiya, Brooke,” he answered.
Brooke? Layla’s brain screeched to a halt.
“How ya doing?” the woman asked.
Prem tossed the apple again. “Haven’t got much sleep lately on account of a pig and a camel, but otherwise still kicking. How about you?”
Brooke? Layla thought again. Brooke?
The woman stretched out her arms. “You know, shoveling horse shit all day, barely making the mortgage on this place. Living the dream.”
Prem chuckled. “Sounds about right. This is my friend, Layla, I told you about.”
The woman tipped her head to Layla. “Prem didn’t know your riding experience, so I’m saddling up Graybeard for you. He’s an old fart but very gentle. You’ll just need to sign a waiver before you go out.” The woman glanced at Layla’s feet. “We’ll also need to get you some close-toed shoes. What size are you?”
Go out? Layla’s brain was not computing. “7,” she said.
“I’m a 7 and a half, but that should be fine,” Brooke-not-April replied. “I’ll scrounge up something for you.” She turned her attention to Prem. “Your girl’s saddled up and in the pen. I’ll have Graybeard ready in five minutes.”
Layla looked back and forth between Prem and Brooke-not-April. Her jaw might have been hanging open.
“This way.” Amusement sparkled in Prem’s eyes as he laid a gentle hand on her lower back and guided her around the stables. Layla followed dumbly, her mind still struggling to keep up. Even as her feet moved, she twisted her neck to stare at Brooke-not-April.
A minute later, Prem’s fingers left her back, and Layla found herself standing in front of a wooden corral. Inside the pen, several horses bent their heads, clipping at the grass. Next to her, Prem leaned against a wooden post and clicked his tongue.
A gorgeous chestnut mare with a white stripe down her forehead lifted her gaze. Her eyes locked on Prem, and she trotted to the fence. Layla noticed the slightest hitch in her gait.
A wide smile lit Prem’s face as he reached out and stroked the horse’s forehead then combed his fingers through her inky mane. That gorgeous smile swung a damaging punch to Layla’s soul. Even before it disappeared, she already missed it.
“Layla, meet April,” Prem said. “Here.” He reached out and took Layla’s hand.
Sparks. A million of them danced across her skin at his touch. They traveled up her arm, singing through her shoulder socket. And that other part of her body. That part noticed, too.
Prem turned over her hand and placed the apple in her palm. “Best way to make a good impression.”
He guided Layla’s hand up and over the top post of the corral. Layla couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe. She stared at their hands, his long fingers stretching over hers. The horse sniffed at the apple, and then velvet lips brushed her palm. Layla giggled as the apple disappeared with a heavy crunch.
“I think she likes you,” Prem announced, his hand finally dropping away from hers.
Layla almost whimpered at the loss of connection. She wanted his touch back with a fierceness that nearly undid her. She closed her eyes and let out a long, slow breath to re-center herself.
When she opened her eyes, Prem stared at her, a smirk hinting on his lips.
“April is a horse,” she stated.
“April is a horse,” he confirmed.
Layla put her hands on her hips. “You said you didn’t have any pets.”
Prem reached over the pen and stroked the animal’s glossy face. “April isn’t a pet. April is a queen.”