“Mind” he mumbled “I’m starving” he added, his stomach growling.
He reached for me and kissed me on the cheek. I frowned. Something was off about Grayson. He was extremely pale.
“Grayson, are you feeling well?” I asked in concern as he sat at the dining table, putting his briefcase to the side “you don’t look very good.”
“Headache” he rasped “it’s nothing to worry about” he added.
“I have some painkillers in my purse,” I told him worriedly, quickly going upstairs to fetch them, before grabbing a glass of water and passing them to him “here drink and have them. They are quite strong” I warned him “but they are prescription ones.”
He looked grateful and took the painkillers, swigging down the water and swallowing.
“Thanks,” he said, closing his eyes and leaning back in the chair “how was your day today?” he asked as I began to get the pizzas out of the oven and onto plates.
“Oh,” I said flustered. I decided to keep it basic so that he didn’t ask too many questions.”I um, went shopping with Rachel” I said blasely, coming to the table with the plates and putting his in front of him.
I smoothly sat down and put my plate in front of me “as it is we ran into a friend of hers” I added as Grayson shot me an interested look “Ian Grant” I said slowly as his eyes lit up “and he um, insisted on paying for the clothes” I finished weakly.
I felt like he could look right through me.
“Ian Grant” Grayson said astonished as he picked up a slice of his pizza and took a tentative bite, his eyes closing and a moan coming from his lips “this is delicious” he praised me “Ian Grant was a great friend of mine when we went to college together,” he said enthusiastically “I wonder how he’s going these days” he murmured, chewing on his food, a pleased expression on his face.
I had not known that Grayson and Ian had been friends back in the day. Damn. I forced a smile onto my face. No wonder my brother had not objected to this marriage or tried to prevent it. If he was friends with Grayson, it meant they were loyal to each other.
“Well” I stammered “he seemed very pleasant and charming.”
Lame, very lame Flair. I took a giant bite of my pizza, trying to avoid any more questioning.
“How strange that he knows your friend Rachel” Grayson continued as he bit into another slice of pizza “I would not have thought they run in the same circles” he added, glancing at me.
I almost choked. “Um, they met when one of his girlfriends tried a yoga class at our yoga studio and apparently they just got along really well.”
I was an idiot. My face flamed. Grayson just shrugged, more interested in the pizza.
“Well, Ian’s always been a nice guy,” he said with a smile and then bit some more into his pizza and moaned.
“Flair you’ve really outdone yourself” he groaned “I can’t remember the last time I had a hot homemade meal, other than when you made those brownies,” he said.
I was more than pleased. The fact that he enjoyed it, just gave me pleasure. He was so appreciative, that it made all the effort I had gone to worth it. But he was still pale as he sat there and I narrowed my eyes, certain he was swaying.
“Are those painkillers working?” I asked concerned.
“A little” he grunted, “but my head is throbbing like crazy and I’m afraid that I might need to go lie down” he added reluctantly, finishing off the last slice.
He stood up and then stumbled slightly. I rushed to help him, putting my arm underneath his shoulder and assisting him to stand.
“Let’s get you to bed,” I said softly.
He looked at the table remorsefully “I really should be helping you to clean up” he said apologetically “seeing as you went to so much effort.”
What a strange man. So kind and gracious. I shook my head and began to climb the stairs, his weight on top of me. By the time we reached the foot of the stairs, there was a sheen of sweat across my forehead and he looked nausea.
We staggered to the bed and I pushed him down so that he was on his back. I took note of the pain on his face. “You have a migraine.”
It was not a question. I suffered from them occasionally myself and knew how painful they could be.
“Yes,” Grayson said softly.
I began to take his shoes and socks off as he lay there helplessly. “You need rest Grayson,” I said, putting his shoes neatly to the side. I made sure the curtains to the room were closed and then went into the bathroom, fetching a washcloth that I dampened with some water.
I sat beside my husband and tenderly wiped the sweat off his face as he closed his eyes.
“You don’t have to do this” he groaned.
I sensed he didn’t like looking weak in front of me. Or maybe it was because he was vulnerable. But he made no effort to stop me as I began to gently stroke his forehead with my fingers and rub his temples.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.