22. Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Two
Carter
I stand in front of the television, watching the news and having a green superfood smoothie. I’m heading over to the memory care facility for our weekly game day. I was traveling last Sunday, so I didn’t get the chance to see her. I did speak with her doctors a few days ago, and they said she’s been getting weaker and has been forgetting where she is more frequently.
As I’m turning off the television, I hear a soft knock at my door.
“Lina.” I smile. She’s in tight workout clothes and athletic shoes, and her hair is pulled up under a white Nike baseball cap. She looks fucking delicious.
Her eyes fall to my button-down shirt and dark jeans. “Aren’t we running today?”
“I’m so sorry. I thought I told you.” I open the door for her to come in. “I volunteer at my grandma’s center on Sundays.”
Lina takes my smoothie from my hands and brings it to her lips. She takes a sip before handing it back to me. “Oh my god. I totally forgot. I’m so sorry.”
I set the drink on the counter behind me. “Don’t be. I’m happy to see you.”
“I’m happy to see you too.” She blushes and throws her arms around my abdomen. “I can leave then. We’ll just go a different time.” Her big blue eyes stare up at me, and my dick has other plans. We can’t do that anymore.
I cup her cheeks and press a kiss on her forehead. “Do you want to come with me?”
“To play games with your grandma?”
“Yes, and her vivacious friends,” I say, caressing her skin with my thumb. “They will love to have a new face around there.”
“Are you sure?” She grins. “This might be a little too serious for me.”
I laugh. “You’ll miss out on a morning of Bunco, Scrabble, and the elaborate stories from the past.”
“Well, if you put it that way, then sure.” She loops her fingers through the belt loops on my pants, tugging me closer.
“Really?”
She bites her bottom lip. “I love board games. Thank you for inviting me.”
“You’ll go with me?” I repeat, taken aback by her agreeing to spend her day off playing games with seniors. When I asked, I only half expected her to consider it.
She nods. “Yeah.”
My grandmother is going to lose her shit when she sees that I’ve brought someone with me. I need to prep Lina on the way there because I’m sure she won’t hold back with stories or her opinions on my childhood and love life. Maybe this isn’t a good idea.
Lina and I pull up to the memory care facility a short time later. I walk around the car to open her door .
She steps out into the bright sunlight. “Okay, Carter, put your game face on.”
“It’s not that serious. I promise,” I tell her as we walk up to the entrance.
She puts her hands on her hips, stopping at the top of the stairs. “Speak for yourself. You have no idea how competitive I can be.”
I hook an arm around her neck, then realize, we don’t have to hide anything from the people in here. It’s freeing. “If that’s the way it’s going to be, it’s on.”
Her eyes narrow. “Let’s do this.”
“Hello, Carter,” Sue from behind the counter greets Lina and me as we walk into the lobby.
“Nice to see you,” I say, pulling out my wallet to give her my ID. “I’ve brought a friend with me this time. This is Lina.”
“The residents are going to be so happy to see a cheery face like yours this afternoon.” Sue smiles. “I’ll need your ID to check you in, and then you both can head back.”
When Lina and I get to the recreation room, it’s packed with people. A volunteer is calling out bingo numbers in the far left corner, a chess match is going on to my right, and other small groups are playing various games throughout.
I drag my eyes across the room with large bay windows and circular tables, searching for my grandmother. I spoke with her this morning, and she seemed to be feeling well enough to come down today, so I panic when I don’t immediately see her.
“Carter!” I hear Warren’s raspy voice call out. Turning in that direction, I spot him, Betty, and my grandma in the middle of a game of Scrabble .
I wave at them. “This way.” I place my hand on Lina’s lower back. She leans into it, and I swell with pride as I walk in with her. I’m ready to show off this incredible woman and probably get peppered with a million questions.
“Hi, Grandma,” I say as we approach the table. She starts to lift out of her seat, but I lower to hug her before she has the chance to. “No, don’t get up.”
“I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.” Her voice is weak and quieter than normal. I push aside my initial concern.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come last week. I ended up having another flight.” I gesture toward Lina. “This is my friend, Lina. She wanted to play games with us today.”
“I hope that’s alright?” Lina’s sweet voice is low.
Her eyes light up. “Yes, yes. Of course.”
Lina gives her a warm smile and then bends, allowing them to embrace each other. “It’s so nice to meet you,”
“She’s beautiful. How much did you have to pay to get her to hang out with a bunch of old folks all day?” Warren comments.
Lina giggles. “He brought me because someone needed to help him kick your butts at these games,” she teases.
I laugh at her wit. She’s comfortable in any situation, and these people are going to eat it up like everyone else.
“Well then, pull up a chair, hun, and let’s start a new game,” Betty says, gesturing to the chair on her opposite side.
Lina turns to me and winks before sitting down. I pull an extra seat from the table behind us.
Betty starts counting out seven tiles to disperse amongst the players when my grandmother turns to Lina.
“What do you do, dear?” she asks .
Lina straightens her posture. “I’m a flight attendant.”
“Oh honey, that sounds amazing.” Betty wiggles in her seat. “In my day, people who worked for the airline were like rockstars.”
“Is that where you two met?” Her voice sounds strained. I wonder if she’s feeling alright.
I answer this time. “Yeah, Lina and I work for the same airline.”
“You’re a lucky bastard to get to spend so much time with a woman like that,” Warren comments as if Lina’s not in the room. I chuckle because this group does the same thing to me all the time.
Lina raises her eyebrows as she glances at me from across the table. I shrug my shoulders in agreement with what she's thinking. We share a quiet laugh.
“I appreciate the compliment, Warren.” Lina clasps her hands together under her chin with her elbows bent on the table. “But are we going to get this game started or what?”
Betty laughs. “Let’s go!”
We’re only fifteen minutes into the game, and Lina is already ahead. Five sets of eyes dart around the table at one another. Lina is taking her time. She does this every turn. I’m not sure if she’s messing with us or if she really is as competitive as she says she is. Sometimes, I think she does things just to get under my skin. She’s a spitfire and constantly keeps me on my toes.
I know she has a good word because of her terrible poker face. With each turn, she expresses excitement and disappointment.
She pitches three tiles with her fingers and adds them to the board .
“SQUEEZE. Twenty-five points,” she screeches and bounces in her chair.
My mouth drops. “How is that even possible with what’s on the board?”
“That’s what we call unicorn words.” Warren rests back, crossing his arms.
Betty swipes a shaky hand down her face. “Twenty-five goddamn points.”
Proud of herself, Lina is beaming. Then I catch my grandma high-fiving her under the table.
They’re working together. I’m annoyed that Lina is starting the game off so strong, but I also enjoy seeing them bond.
“Okay, your turn, Betty,” I say, tallying Lina’s points on the scorecard.
“THUNKED. Fifteen points,” she states proudly.
Suddenly, I get a light pat on my leg. “I’m getting tired, Carter. I’m sorry but I’m going to go back up to my room.”
“Are you alright, Iris?” Warren asks, concerned.
She nods. “Yes, fine. Just tired.”
Lina and I exchange glances. “Why don’t you walk her up, and I’ll stay down here and keep playing until you come back.”
She read my mind .
“Okay.” I get up from my chair, then wrap an arm around her frail body to help her up.
“It was nice meeting you, dear.” She smiles.
Lina gives her the same warm smile and reaches her hand out to give my grandmother a quick squeeze. “The pleasure was all mine. I hope you’ll let me come back again soon.”
Lina wants to come back ?
“Anytime.”
I brace her as we walk to the elevator with a nurse following close behind us. As soon as we get to her room on the second floor, she asks me to put her in bed. Once she’s comfortable, I take a quick inventory of the area. Her bed is positioned in front of the TV, and the bookcase I bought her last Christmas is to the side. A small table and chairs are in the corner of the room, with the flowers I sent her the other day blooming nicely in a vase full of water.
Once I see everything is clean and in order, I sit on the side of her bed. “What can I get for you?”
She rests her cold hand on top of mine. “Lina is wonderful, honey.”
“I know. But we’re just friends.”
Her half smile tells me she doesn’t believe that one bit. I sigh, running my palms on the tops of my thighs. “Okay, so we’re sort of—”
“Messing around?” she interjects.
This is uncomfortable. “You could say that.”
“I don’t think it will be that simple for much longer. I saw the way you two looked at each other,” she replies.
“I think you might be right.”
Her eyelids blink slowly like she’s ready to fall asleep. “I always am.”
I rub my thumb across her hand. “I’m going to let you sleep. I’ll call you soon.”
“Okay,” she answers with her eyes closed.
“I love you, Grandma,” I say before quietly closing her door.
When I make it back downstairs to the recreation room, Warren is in the middle of a victory dance. He must have won.
“He won,” Lina tells me, chuckling at Warren.
“Nice job, man,” I say, patting his back. “You might want to take it easy. You don’t want to fall and break another hip. Remember what happened last June?”
“Oh hell, fine,” he grumbles, sitting in his chair.
“How’s your grandma doing?” Lina bites her lip nervously. It’s fucking adorable. I can’t wait to take her back to my place and make love to her for all the emotions and feelings she’s brought out of me this morning.
“She’s in bed resting. I wanted to let her sleep, so I left. I’ll check in with her tomorrow morning,” I answer Lina but explain loud enough for the table to hear.
Betty grabs Lina’s arm. “Will you come back soon, dear?”
Lina flashes Betty a toothy grin, showing off her straight white teeth. I’d love to glide my tongue along them. With a quick shake of my head, I push away those thoughts.
“I would love to,” she responds.
After Lina and I say our goodbyes to the rest of the table, she heads out to my car as I get a quick update from the doctor. I’m growing more concerned with my grandma’s health recently, and it makes me fearful that my time with her is coming to an end.
My chest is heavy when I walk out of the building and into the sunlight. But the moment I see Lina’s smile through the window of the passenger door, I know I’m not as alone as I feel.