It didn’t take her long to wash her hair. The curly mass needed some deep conditioning, though, so she took the time to do it, enjoying the fact that she didn’t have to rush.
It was only when she was doing the final rinsing that she noticed the slight bruising, little smudges of black, on the tops of her arms. They were faint but they were there. Her mind immediately flashed back to a large man gripping her arms and shaking her lightly. Abrah.
She shook her head and let the spray wash all the soap from her hair and skin. She’d probably bruised herself when she’d fallen. The dream was only a coincidence, brought on by stress and the unusual tapestry she’d found. The mind worked in mysterious ways.
Audrey shut off the water, stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off. The shower had done its job. She felt more refreshed and awake, not quite so muddled. When her skin was dry she got another towel and wrapped it around her wet hair.
Her limbs were beginning to tremble, reminding her she wasn’t that long out of hospital and still wasn’t back to one hundred percent. She sat on the closed toilet seat and rested until she got her strength back, determined to do this right. She grabbed her favorite moisturizer and began to rub it into her legs, inhaling the relaxing lavender scent. She did her body and arms next, being careful around her breasts.
When she was done, she slipped her robe back on and removed the damp towel from her head. Her hair hung in corkscrew curls down to just below her shoulders. She grabbed a bottle from the vanity and squeezed a large dollop of product into her palm. She worked it through her tresses, knowing if she didn’t, she’d have an explosion of out-of-control curls to deal with later. The blow dryer came last. It wasn’t long before Audrey felt almost like herself.
She was humming under her breath when she went back into her bedroom to dress. Comfort was the order of the day. She needed groceries, but she would order out for those and have them delivered. She planned to spend the day relaxing.
A quick poke through her dresser drawer netted her a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeved cashmere sweater. “Perfect.” She tossed them onto the unmade bed before digging out some fresh underwear. Panties and a matching bra in beige satin and a pair of thick white socks were the foundation before slipping on her pants and top.
She was exhausted by the time she’d finished dressing and sat down on the edge of the bed to rest for a moment. It was almost eleven now. It had taken her much longer than usual to shower and dress. But that was okay. She wasn’t on a schedule. And didn’t that feel strange?
Audrey ignored the bed, knowing she was just going to crawl back into it later anyway and headed back to the kitchen. She wanted a cup of tea and she should have already taken her medication.
She put on the kettle first and then took her vitamins. The iron supplement certainly couldn’t hurt. She stared at her pale skin. She was looking a little like a vampire these days.
Her head was still throbbing but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been. She suspected her caffeine withdrawal wasn’t helping. The coffee pot sat in solitary splendor in the corner of the counter, mocking her. But she stayed strong.
“Tea. That’s what I need.” It was healthier and she was determined to start living a better lifestyle. Somewhere between yesterday morning and now she’d decided she wanted to start truly living. There were a lot of things she wanted to do before she finally left this earth. And she needed to be healthy if she wanted to do them.
She dug through the cupboard, bypassing the English Breakfast tea, and found a small packet of peppermint tea bags that she’d bought on a whim over a year ago. She’d planned to try it but never had. Now was as good a time as any. The fresh mint smell filled her nostrils when she opened one of the small packets and popped the teabag into her mug. Refreshing.
When the kettle boiled, she poured hot water over the teabag and carried the mug into the living room. Her purse and all the papers they’d given her at the hospital were still sitting on the table just inside the door. She scooped everything up and carried it to the sofa.
She was halfway through her tea and all the lists of things she should do and eat when her cellphone rang. She was grateful for the interruption. The lists were daunting to say the least. There was a reason most folks ate takeout. It was easier and a heck of a lot more convenient. But learning to cook was something she’d have to do if she wanted to get healthy.
The phone rang again and she reached out and grabbed it from the table where she’d set it earlier. “Hello.”
“Audrey, it’s Gwen.”
All her good work for the morning was destroyed with those three words. Her chest grew tight and her entire body tensed. She forced herself to take a deep breath.
“Audrey, are you there?” Gwen was impatient and obviously in a hurry. She wondered how often she sounded exactly like that.
“I’m here. I’m also on holiday.” She’d told her boss yesterday she’d be gone for a week or more.
“That’s not important. I need to know what’s going on with the Bozeman account. Mr. Smythe called this morning and he wasn’t happy about something. I had to put him off because I had no idea what he was talking about.” Gwen’s voice was almost shrill now. It hurt Audrey’s head and pushed her headache up a notch.
She had to stop and think for a moment. “Everything you need on current accounts is in the top drawer of the filing cabinet in my office.” Gwen had worked with her for several years now. She knew that. Or at least she should.
Gwen fired off several more questions and Audrey answered them. Her headache, which had almost subsided, was back with a vengeance. “Gwen, I have to go.” She knew if she didn’t cut this conversation off she’d still be sorting things out for Gwen an hour from now. “You want my job so bad you need to actually do the work.” Audrey had no idea what prompted her to even say such a thing.
On the other end of the line, Gwen paused. “You’re right. Take your time coming back.” A loud click sounded and then the line went dead.
Audrey carefully shut her cellphone and set it on the table. She felt shaky inside and out. What had she done? She’d all but dared the younger woman to take her job. And she honestly didn’t care.
Totally out of sorts, she pushed off the sofa and went back to her bedroom. Rain pelted the window and the wind whipped up outside. It wasn’t a very nice day.
The covers were still rumpled on the bed. She thought about just crawling back in and pulling the blankets over her head. The tapestry lay across the end of the bed, the colors spectacular in spite of the gloom of the day. She picked it up and stared at it. The two men standing so proudly in front of the stone structure seemed to mock her. At least one of them did.
She laughed but the sound wasn’t pleasant. Her dream last night had been more real than anything else in her life had been lately. And how pathetic was that?
What was she going to do?
She rubbed her chest, conscious of a growing tightness there. Maybe she should go to the hospital. She certainly couldn’t call anyone to come help her. The limo service maybe. She didn’t have any friends. Not anymore. They’d all lost contact since her mother’s death, since she’d thrown herself so fully into her work.
She was starting to sweat. The room was moving but she wasn’t. The sense of vertigo swept over her and she groped for the end of the bed. She needed to sit down.
She didn’t make it.
Audrey fell to her knees and then eased herself down onto the floor. She’d rest a minute and then stand up. Good plan. The tapestry was crumpled in her right hand, fisted tight around the material.
She started to release it, but couldn’t. A huge flash brightened the entire room. Lightning was her first thought. The storm must be getting worse outside. But the brilliant light didn’t fade. Audrey felt herself being yanked backward.