Chapter 44 Sex is an ADL
CHAPTER 44: SEX IS AN ADL
LACEY
I ’ve been listening to Margaret drone on and on about the importance of completing all company training modules on time for what feels like thirty minutes. She’s lecturing us about making sure we watch them thoroughly and I don’t miss her staring at me as she says it.
“Before we end today, I’d like to take a moment to welcome Poppy Collins to the team,” she says, shifting the subject. “I thought everyone could go around the room and introduce themselves and then Poppy you can tell us a little bit about you.”
Pia, our certified occupational therapy assistant, begins and the rest of the group follows. I have to stifle a laugh because this seems ridiculous. Poppy has had dinner with everyone sitting in this room.
I zone out the introductions. My mind drifts back to yesterday and how it felt when Jace pressed me up against my bedroom wall and kissed me like our lives depended on it. I expected he would text me last night and when he didn’t I was surprised. I thought about texting him this morning, but then I stopped myself. That kiss might have completely blown my mind, but Lacey Sims chases no man. Not even the one she wants, apparently.
“Lacey, it’s your turn,” Margaret says, breaking me of my thoughts.
“Oh, right. Hi. I’m Lacey. I’m the occupational therapist here. Glad to have you as part of the team,” I deadpan. I take a sip of my London Fog.
Gray, Chloe, and Poppy all burst out laughing and Margaret scowls at the four of us. “Poppy, why don’t you tell us a little something about yourself. I realize you may know some of the people in the room, but not everyone knows you.”
She smiles and twirls her hair around her finger. “Okay, I’m Poppy. I graduated from Farrington University in May. I love coffee and watching rom-coms. I’m so excited to be a part of an all woman therapy team.”
“Yes, well, we are proud to be one. Not that I wouldn’t hire a man because I would,” Margaret assures us. Muffled laughs come from every person in the room.
“Alright then, that’s all I have,” Margaret continues, abruptly ending the staff meeting. “Poppy if you wouldn’t mind hanging back. There are some training videos the company needs you to complete today.”
Poppy nods and the rest of the team disperses to start our work day. I make my way down the hallway with Chloe and Gray on either side of me.
“God, I honestly didn’t think she was ever going to stop talking about those modules,” Gray says.
“Right?” I laugh. “Did y’all see her look right at me when she was giving her little lecture about watching them ‘thoroughly.’ Like she doesn’t click through every single one like the rest of us.”
“Could you imagine how low our productivity would be if we actually watched the entire video every time?” Chloe asks.
“Oh we would all for sure be put on some sort of action plan.”
“Personally, I’m glad she clarified she would in fact hire a man. I was worried she might be sexist against them,” Gray says dryly, causing both Wren and I to howl with laughter.
We stop in front of 307. “This is me.”
“You still owe us all the details about the kiss,” Gray says, walking backwards down the hallway.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I say, knocking on the door. “I’m swamped this morning, but I promise to tell y’all everything at lunch.” My friends both turn and disappear around the corner.
“Ms. Clara, it’s Lacey. Can I come in?”
“It’s open,” I hear her call.
I swing the door open to find she’s still in bed. She’s sitting up reading a book and wearing a purple mumu covered in little shooting stars and rocket ships. A bouquet of red roses sits on her bedside table.
“Another good book?” I ask walking towards her.
“ Pride and Prejudice ,” she says, marking her page and setting the paperback on her bed.
“That’s not your usual cup of tea.”
“No, but you can’t beat a classic and now that I’ve met Eugene, I don’t have to just find my spice in books.”
My eyes go wide and I try to control my facial expression with a smile. “Alright then, let’s get to work. Are we changing this morning or are we wearing the mumu to therapy?”
“No need to change. I’m a taken woman and he likes my mumus.”
“Great.”
“If you go in my closet I have a pair of matching shoes. Be a lamb and grab them for me, would you?”
I walk over and open the closet door. A pair of purple bedazzled shoes sit on one of the shelves. I grab them and then her walker. When I get to her bedside, she’s already sitting with her feet on the floor.
“Those flowers are pretty. Did your son visit this weekend?”
“Oh no. Eugene had those delivered on Saturday.”
“Wow, someone is smitten.” I offer her a smile and kneel down to help her with her shoes.
“He’s more than smitten. Men are all the same, honey. When they start sending you your favorite flowers for no reason, that’s how you know you got ‘em. They’re in love.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Has a man that was not in love with you ever bought you flowers?” I think for a minute. The last time someone bought me flowers was… God I can’t even remember… surely it wasn’t Jace. Fuck, maybe it was Jace. Have I really not had anyone buy me flowers since I was seventeen? How fucking depressing. Then again, I never really gave anyone the chance to either.
“Come to think of it, I guess not,” I say.
“See. I told you.” She slides on her shoes and then stands with a little less help than she needed before I left for the cabin.
“I think you’re getting stronger, Ms. Clara. That was great.”
“That friend of yours worked me to death all weekend. Where have you been?”
We begin to walk toward the door. “Oh, a group of my friends and I won a weekend at a lake cabin for the Fourth of July. Did y’all get to see fireworks?”
“We did. They did a private show over the pond. It was nice. Did you know Eugene was in the Army?”
“I didn’t. That’s neat.”
“God, what I would have given to see him in his uniform…” We round the corner near the therapy gym at the same time the receptionist, Robin, comes from the other direction. She’s holding an obnoxiously large bouquet of dahlias. Each bloom is large with a cream center that fades into lilac rimmed petals. It’s gorgeous.
“Oh good, Lacey. Just the person I was looking for. These were delivered for you.”
“For me?” I ask, admiring the arrangement.
“Don’t stand there like that girl. A man sent you flowers. Take them and see who they’re from,” Ms. Clara orders.
“You don’t know they’re from a man,” I laugh.
“Here let me follow y’all inside the gym,” Robin says, gesturing for Ms. Clara to continue walking.
I help her over to one of the mats and then meet Robin to take the vase. I set down the arrangement on one of the office desks and pluck the little card from the middle of the flowers.
Yesterday was incredible. I can’t wait to see you when I get back.
–J
Yesterday was incredible and I haven’t stopped thinking about that kiss since it happened. My stomach does a flip and butterflies erupt inside of me. Inhaling deeply, I tuck the card back into the envelope and then deep into the pocket of my scrubs. I’m at work. I need to remain professional.
“Alright, sorry about that. Let’s get started,” I say, grabbing a basket of towels and walking back over to where Ms. Clara sits.
Ms. Clara eyes me. “You weren’t expecting those were you?”
“No, I wasn’t.” I pull over an adjustable table and set the basket on top. “Let’s start with folding these towels.”
The conversation I had just minutes ago with Ms. Clara in her room replays in my head. Surely, she’s mistaken. Men buy flowers for women all of the time. Right?
“Remind me why I’m having to do laundry?” She looks at the basket and her brow furrows.
“Because it works on your range of motion and when I put the basket over here,” I roll the table to Ms. Clara’s left, “and you reach for the towels with your right hand, it works on your trunk control too.”
She lets out an annoyed breath and grabs a towel with her right hand. “So, are they from a man?” she asks.
“Yes.” I smile, walking across the gym to find a stool to sit on. “A friend sent them.”
She starts laughing. “Oh, honey, friends don’t send arrangements that look like that.”
I grab a stool and roll it over to where she sits.
“Is it your birthday?” She has yet to start folding the towel.
“Huh?”
“The flowers. Did this friend send them for your birthday?”
“Oh no. My birthday’s in December.”
“Are you sick then?” she asks, still not beginning.
“No, I’m not sick. Let’s fold that one and then grab another one.”
“Someone die? Anniversary? Job promotion?” she presses. “If a friend sent them, then he must have had a reason.”
“Come on, we gotta get to work.” I urge, trying to push what the flowers could mean out of my head completely.
“Oh sweet girl. You didn’t know he loves you.”
“I don’t know that.”
“Men aren’t complicated. He sent you flowers for no reason. Sounds like love to me,” she says, finally beginning to fold the towel.
The Tortured Therapists Department
Gray: Who is the insane bouquet of flowers for in the gym?
Lacey: Me
Poppy: That’s why Logan asked me about your favorite flower.
Lacey: Your boyfriend asked you what my favorite flower was and you didn’t feel the need to tell me?!
Lacey: Did Jace ask him to ask you?
Lacey: When did he ask you this question?
Gray: They’re from Jace?
Lacey: Yes. Poppy answer me.
Poppy: Sorry. Margaret has me doing these modules and I was getting the next one set up. Logan said Jace asked him yesterday after the kiss.
Lacey: And you didn’t tell me?
Poppy: It felt like a canon event. I didn’t want to ruin it.
Lacey: 307 thinks it means he’s in love with me.
Gray: Of course she would.
Lacey: Apparently her and 330 are so serious she doesn’t need to “get her spice from books anymore”.
Chloe:
Lacey: Honestly though, good for her. Sex IS an ADL and I hope she’s getting some. Makes my little OT heart happy.
Chloe: You gonna ask Margaret if you can give your “Safe Sex for Seniors” presentation now?
Lacey: I SHOULD!
Gray: She’ll never say yes.
Lacey: She might.
Gray: We’re getting off topic. Back to the flowers…
Poppy: Yes, what do you think they mean, Lace?
Chloe: The flowers are beautiful!
Wren: Wait! I just walked by the gym. They’re STUNNING!
Lacey: I don’t know what to think.
Gray: Must have been some kiss. Can’t wait to hear all about it in an hour.
I’m sitting at a picnic table outside Dogwood Manor waiting for my friends to meet me for lunch. I tap on the screen of my phone trying to decide what I should say to Jace. The flowers were gorgeous, the kiss was amazing, but I’m having trouble making sense of it all.
I look up and see Wren, Gray, and Poppy heading across the lawn together. I slide my phone into my scrub pocket.
“Every patient I’ve had today has brought up your flowers,” Gray says, sitting down across from me. “Apparently Ms. Ethel was in the gym with Pia when you got them and now everyone knows,” she explains.
Poppy joins me on my side of the table and Wren sits next to Gray.
“Where’s Chloe?” I ask.
“She had a swallowing eval. Told me to enjoy my lunch break while I still had one,” Poppy giggles.
“I honestly could never be a speech therapist,” Gray says. “Chloe never eats with us. No way in hell I’m missing lunch.”
“So, Lacey, a kiss and flowers?” Wren smiles in my direction. “That’s big news.”
“I don’t know, is it?”
“It sure seems like it. You don’t think it is?” she asks.
“Ugh, I don’t know y’all. The kiss was… God it was so hot. He knocked on my door and then when I answered it he was leaning against the frame with his hat on backwards. It was so…”
“Hot,” Gray says, around a bite of salad.
“Yeah. And then he kissed me. Like barged his way into my room and pushed me up against the wall and kissed me, which like if I’m honest I wasn’t expecting from him at all.”
“Sounds amazing. I don’t understand what you’re confused about?” Wren asks.
“Well, then all of a sudden he stopped. Kissed me on the forehead and then tore out of there like he was on fire. I honestly thought he would text me last night, but then he didn’t and then today I show up to work and he has that bouquet delivered.” I take a bite of my food and stare at my friends.
“Have you tried texting him?” Poppy asks.
“No, why would I do that?”
“Lacey, the man sent you flowers.”
I let my head fall into my hands. “I don’t know what to make of all of it, you know. Like what do I text him? Thank you for the flowers and for kissing me? Let’s do it again soon.”
“Do you want to do it again soon?” Wren asks.
“Yes,” I answer honestly. “It’s all I can think about, but he’s being so confusing and I know our history isn’t great and I’m not about to have him break my heart for real this time.”
“Well, I think you should at least text him ‘thank you for the flowers.’ I mean he had Logan ask me to confirm they were your favorite. I think he likes you.”
“Agreed,” Wren and Gray say at the same time.
I pull out my phone and swipe up on the screen. My finger hovers over his name.
“Do it, Lacey.” Poppy looks me dead in the eye.
Lacey: Thanks for the flowers!
Jace: You’re welcome, pixie.
“Now what?” I laugh. “I’m not going to be the one to ask him on a date. Plus, he’s going out of town today, so it’s not like I can see him.”
“Should we plan a dinner?” Wren asks. “We haven’t had one of your dinner things in a while.”
“Yeah, weren’t those supposed to be monthly?” Gray asks.
“Yeah. God, this is ridiculous. He is the only man ever to throw me off my game.” I shake my head. “It’s infuriating.”
All three of them stare at me.
“Don’t,” I warn.
“Why don’t we go out to The Local or something easy?” Poppy suggests. “Text him and see if he wants to come.”
Lacey: The girls and I were talking about seeing if you and the guys wanted to go out to The Local on Friday once you’re back.
Jace: I’d like that!
Lacey: Great. I’ll text the rest of the group.
“He’s in,” I say.
“Perfect, now all you gotta do is wear something super hot and make him beg for it,” Gray says and all four of us laugh.
Jace: Downloaded book 6 today, so I can listen on my drive.
Jace: This one is sad.
Lacey: It’s a little sad, but it’s so good! I can’t believe you’re still reading them.
Jace: You recommended them. I want to know what you like.
Lacey: I recommended book 6 not the whole series.
Jace: Made it this far. I gotta see them through!
Lacey: Are you real?
Jace: I’m very real. Wish I didn’t have to leave today!
I feel my cheeks heat, but I try to play it cool.
Lacey: When are you heading out?
Jace: Probably in an hour. The service is non-existent at his house, so if you text me and I don’t respond that’s why.
Lacey: Okay. Have fun and drive safely.
Jace: I will, pixie. I can’t wait for Friday
“You still texting Jace?” Poppy asks.
“Oh yeah, sorry.” I look up from my phone and back at my friends. “Can y’all believe he’s reading the entire Bridgerton series?”
“Yeah,” all three of them say at the same time like they aren’t surprised at all.
“But why?” I ask.
“Because you mean a lot to him,” Poppy says. “You always have.”