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“Ms. Harlow, can we speak to you for a few minutes?”
Ari sat up and turned to find a doctor standing in the doorway. Her stomach clenched with anxiety when she looked at his somewhat somber expression. She didn’t think she was going to like the conversation. As she looked at her mom, she found the added strength she needed. None of this was insurmountable as long as they had each other.
“I’ll be right back, Mom. ”
“Take your time, sweetie. I’ve been up for a while and these pain medications are making me tired. I think I’ll catch a little nap. ”
Ari walked from the room, a sense of dread filling her at the thought of her mother taking a nap. . . What if she didn't wake again for months? It would probably be months, maybe even years before she wouldn’t dread her mother going to sleep. She knew she couldn’t live life that way, but tell that to her irrational heart.
Since she couldn’t do anything more, Ari trailed the doctor down the hallway and into a small conference room where several other men in suits were sitting around a table. This couldn’t be good.
“Thank you for joining us, Ms. Harlow. We were pleased when your mother was admitted after waking from her coma. How are you feeling? We know that often this kind of tragedy can be harder for the loved-ones than the patients. ”
“I’m trying to take it one day at a time right now. It’s all been very difficult,” Ari answered cautiously, wishing he would get to the point. She didn’t want to make small talk. She needed to be with her mother.
“I’m sorry about that. I wish we could put this off, but due to your mother’s injuries, time is of the essence. Her new scans show that she has stage four melanoma in her uterus. We need to operate immediately if she has any chance of survival. At this point, her chances are slim, less than a ten percent chance, and that’s with aggressive action. ”
The doctor paused, letting his words sink in. Were they telling her she should have the operation done, or she shouldn’t? It sounded to her like they were telling her that she was going to lose her mom after-all. This was why she’d been so afraid to hope.
“We’ve called you in because your mother doesn’t have any health insurance benefits left, and this operation is a costly procedure. Because this isn’t an emergency surgery, we can’t schedule it until payment arrangements are made. We’re here to help you get this funded, apply for loans, grants, whatever it takes. We won’t leave you in the dark, but we must have funding before we operate. ”
The bottom fell out for Ari. It all boiled down to money – which she didn’t have. The men continued speaking, but she didn’t hear anything else they had to say. She was spiraling down a long dark hole. It seemed the only way for her to escape was to take the job as Rafe Palazzo’s mistress.
Chapter Four
“Have you made your decision, Ms. Harlow?”
“Yes, I’ll take the… position,” Ari practically whispered through the receiver. She had barely sat down on her couch at home when her phone rang with Raffaello Palazzo on the other end of the line.
“I’m pleased to hear that. I’ll send a driver over to pick you up so we can discuss the small details,” he said before she heard the dial tone of a disconnected call.
The man didn’t give her any time to argue or tell him she had other plans. She glared at the beeping handset before slowly hanging it up. She knew what she was getting into – or did she? Once she signed his contract, that’s how it would always be. He’d make a command and she’d be expected to follow whatever it was he requested.
Did he honestly expect her to gain any comfort from the fact that he said he wouldn’t beat her or make her break the law? She’d have a broken spirit, but that didn’t count. Her mother’s pale face flashed before her eyes. She could do this. She could do anything for the woman who’d sacrificed so much for her.
She didn’t bother changing from her jeans and t-shirt. If he didn’t like her outfit then he could recant his job offer. She’d at least have no guilt about refusing the job. It would be out of her hands. Just when she was about to panic and change her mind – throw on a dress and heels, her doorbell rang.
It suddenly occurred to her that she’d never listed her physical address on her application. She shouldn’t be surprised that he knew where she lived. She was sure he’d already done a thorough background check on everything there was to know about her. He didn’t seem the type of man who went into anything blindly. At this point, he probably knew her better than she knew herself.