I cried so hard my head was aching like you couldn't imagine. I was lucky I had such a rich boyfriend, I guess, for he quickly changed the flight from Nevada to Tennessee. I was, now, crying on my Momma's lap, as we waited for some news from the doctor.

Daddy had a stroke, and we were still blind about how much damage there was. Kim stayed home with Rose and the kids, so they wouldn't think anything serious was happening – although we still weren't sure.

"He's gonna be fine." Wayne mumbled, his hand squeezing mom's, as she cried "He's a tough one; he'll get out of this one like a walk in the park."

I nodded but wasn't really sure of that.

"How long will they keep us in the dark?" I grunted, cleaning my tears and looking around to see if any nurse or doctor had come to talk to us.

"It's a big hospital." Momma cleaned her tears as she looked around "They have many patients; we have to wait."

Yeah. Wait. Like, totally easy!

"Tell me about your boyfriend." Momma asked, smiling at me "I need a distraction."

"Oh, Momma. I'm not really in the mood-"

"That's why you have to tell me. Go" She demanded, with her trembling hands.

I sighed, cleaning my hands on my pencil skirt. I was sweating all over for the last couple of hours. Having your Dad in the emergency room might do that to you.

"He's... sweet." I shrugged "And nice. Momma, I'm not really in the mood to talk about men."

At that exact moment, an old doctor, with great looks, came to meet us. He was wearing a surgical cap and his face showed a soft smile and worried eyes. That could be either good or awful.

"You're Mr. McAllister's family? I'm Dr. Cooper, I'm your husband's surgeon, Mrs. McAllister." He smiled and shook my mom's hand softly; then, he gestured to the blue seats and took one next to my mom and I "Your husband is stable for now. He had a thrombotic stroke. It occurs when a thrombus – a block – happens in an artery that supplies blood for his brain."

"Is he ok?" My mom moaned, tears down her rosy cheeks.

"He's still asleep, so we don't know what damages he suffered." Dr. Cooper sighed, stroking my mom's hand on his lap "But his vitals are stable, and so is his brain activity. We performed a mechanical clot removal, and I got the bastard out."

"Oh, Jesus! Thank you so much, Dr.!" I moaned and hugged the man.

"Now, Mr. McAllister's recovery will depend on how damaged he is."

"What's your opinion, Dr.?" My brother asked, Wayne stepping up as the family man.

"I believe the damages are minimal, if not microscopical." Dr. Cooper tried to soothe us "But let him rest, for now, recover from the anesthesia and then I'll evaluate his condition."

"Can we see him?" My Momma asked him, cleaning her tears with a tissue Wayne handed her.

"Not yet." Dr. Cooper winced "In an hour or two. He needs to rest for now. You should go down to the Cafeteria and eat."

We took Dr. Cooper's advice, since none of us had eaten much for a few hours. Daddy would be fine, I kept telling myself that. He would be fine, and I would be there to help him recover. With that in mind, I grabbed my phone and emailed my boss.

"Hi. Im sorry to warn you in such short notice, but I cant make it to the office Monday morning. In fact, I need to take a week or two off, if that's possible. Family issues, the serious kind. I really need to be home, right now. Ill go to the office and talk to you in person as soon as I can. Sincerely, Georgia McAllister."

"Georgia, honey?"

I looked up from my soup and blinked at my mom.

"Eat. You look awful."

"Thanks, mom" I chuckled; count on Pamela McAllister to make you laugh at the worst time possible – I guess I inherited that from her.

***

The day was slow. As night fell over Tennessee, Dr. Cooper let us see my Dad. Kim came by nightfall, since Rose assured her she would be ok alone with the two kids.

"It's weird to see him like this, isn't it?" My sister mumbled, her green eyes had red rims on them.

"It's Daddy. You never think the big man that always carried the both of us on his shoulders can just drop like that and need surgery."

We were looking through Dad's hospital room window, where mom and Wayne were both watching over him. Dad was lying down, still asleep from his surgery, Momma was holding his big hand hard, mumbling with her eyes closed – I could bet she was praying; Wayne was patting Momma's back, not saying a word.

"So, how's your Hollywood boyfriend?"

"He's in New York. We were supposed to go to Nevada for a sexcapade."

"Ew." Kim groaned and I chuckled "Don't need to know."

"But he's fine. He's sweet. Nice."

Kim looked up at me and I saw one of her blonde eyebrows go up.

"Oh? Sounds boring, by the Georgia McAllister standards."

"He's great." I assured her, shrugging "We're only just starting."

"Exactly why you should be dreamy eyed, all girly and giggling about his many attributes."

"Dad's in the hospital recovering from brain surgery" I reminded her.

"Still, no twinkle in your eye as you talk about him. Not a little sigh or gasp. That's really not like you" My sister said, a mischievous look in her own eyes.

"I'm just really tired." I shrugged, folding my arms over my chest "Ok. Maybe I'm just... I don't know..."

"Do you really like him?" Kim insisted, squinting at me, her arms crossed over her chest as well "Or are you just going with his flow?"

"Am I really gonna listen to your love advices? Doesn't it usually work the other way around?" I snorted, angling a brow.

"I'm just saying that I'm being the reasonable one, this time." Kim shrugged "Look, I understand he's a hot guy, famous. If you're feeling pressured to date him because he's... well, an actor, you should take some time off. You shouldn't do something just because you feel pushed into."

"But he's my Prince!"

Kim actually snorted and then threw her head back to laugh at my face.

"You're short of a fuse, sis." Kim chuckled; she patted my shoulder as she got up "You're living in a fairy tale world – or, you wished you were. Quite honestly, I don't understand why. I think the real world is much more fun, but that's up to you." She shrugged again "Now, I'm gonna talk to Daddy. You should really run to the bathroom, 'cause your mascara is ruined. And your boss is coming this way."

I frowned and followed her finger. I gasped as I saw Julian von Hauser approaching the nurse's station, mumbling something. I dropped to the floor – Kim frowned and rolled her eyes – and crawled under the blue chairs towards the bathroom. It was the men's bathroom, but I didn't care, quite honestly.

"Oh, for the love of Gucci!" I snapped, pulling too much toilet paper and cleaning the dark circles under my red rimmed eyes "What's he doing here?! Damn, the email!" I squinted at myself on the mirror "Were you that stupid for saying you had a family problem?! Yes! You were dumb as a load of bricks, G!"

But why would he come anyway?! Me, employee; him, boss. Simple, sterile relationship. Wh-

"Georgia?"

I shrieked as he opened the men's room door, and walked inside.

"How are you feeling?"

My mouth opened and closed several times. My hands moved to make some... well, sort of explanatory gesture, but nothing came out. I didn't understand I was crying until his big arms came around me and held me tight against his chest. My breath quivered, my tears ran hard and heavy down his shirt and blazer. I hated being this girly, especially when it wasn't on purpose – yes, sometimes I fake it and pretend to be a little damsel in distress; men like that, you know?

But this man was different. Yes, he's an OCD... victim? Don't really know what to call him. Well, his brain works differently than other people, other men, but I kinda got used to his ways, I like bickering with him and push him out of his comfort zone.

"What stupid email was that?"

I shrugged as I accepted his embroider handkerchief – he actually took his own gray handkerchief with JvH embroidery in blue and helped me clean my tears and nose.

"My Dad had a stroke." I muttered; he took a deep breath; I felt his hands go up and down my arms, like he was comforting me "He'll need to rest to recover. It'll take time and... My family needs me, right now. I just need a time off, I mean... I need to see what all this is gonna cost" I pointed around me.

"And so you sent me that very short and very unreassuringly email?" He squinted, bowing his head to look at me closely "Do you have any idea how worried you got me?! I read your email and flew here in less than three hours. I tried to call you, but you kept not answering your phone."

I made a pained look.

"Sorry." I mumbled, looking down at my feet "I just thought I should warn you I wouldn't be going to New York on Monday."

"Really? And you couldn't wait to call me and tell me... sort of face-to-face?" He grunted.

Maybe I could have. Obviously I could have, but I also knew I would end up crying like a baby – which I have done just now...

"I was afraid I would end up crying on the phone" I sniffed the air in tiny gulps of air.

"So you thought of giving me a mini heart attack, fly from New York to here, crying on my shoulder and sobbing into my handkerchief – which by the way you can keep it" I chuckled at his nauseous face " –, would be a better approach? You ended up crying anyway. Right in front of me. In my handkerchief."

I grinned and tossed the used handkerchief into his hands. He actually shrieked – not a very masculine sound –, and jumped back. I chuckled and picked it up, folded it into the perfect square it had been, and shoved it into my jacket's pocket.

"Glad that I can amuse you" He squinted, cleaning some invisible dust from his blazer, rearranging his blue tie.

"Thank you for coming." I smiled and he sighed again "I'm really glad you're here."

He said nothing, still staring at me hard.

"Honestly. I really needed your coolness regarding human feelings." I chuckled "I mean, I know you wouldn't make me feel sad, nor too happy about this situation. I trust you to be your usual sterile self: no extreme feelings, no extreme act-"

I gasped as his hands grabbed my waist, crashed me to his body, and his lips slammed into mine.

Ho...

...ly

Crap!

Not holy cow; never again holy cow!

Sterile feelings. No extreme feelings. Human-robot man. Screw that! Julian von Hauser, Cold Heartless Shark, not so cold anymore!

His hands skimmed over my back, softly tracing my spine, my shoulders and, finally, my face – well, you get the picture, right? I loved when guys grabbed my face to kiss me, it was such a turn-on, making a girl feel so feminine and vulnerable.

As fast as his kiss started, once I held up my hands and grabbed his hair, he jumped away from me, wide eyed and panting.

"I'm-" I started mumbling, but he pushed the bathroom door with his elbows – he would die before he would touch the door with his skin – and ran out.

What the hell?

"Too aggressive, maybe...?" I tossed at my reflection in the mirror.

As I pushed the bathroom door, my sister Kim was at Dad's room door frowning down the hall.

"Your boss just ran past me white as a sheet. What did you do?"

"I think I just traumatized him."

***

Momma forced me to go back to New York – I'm serious, she practically had Wayne drag me to the airport and shove me into an airplane. She said that just because Daddy was hospitalized, didn't mean she needed my tears and sobs at her ear twenty-four-seven. Ok, fine then! If she wanted to be a hardhead and do everything by herself, so be it.

Monday morning I was up and about, ready to go to work. I prepared Jul- huh... Mr. von Hauser's breakfast, and ran to Mr. Coleman's office right before I had to confront my boss. Two things I decided on my flight back home: first, I wasn't gonna let Mr. von Hauser's craziness get to me; and second, what on earth could Mr. Coleman Hirsh want to talk to me about?

"He's expecting you, Miss McAllister" The skinny and big eyed secretary with a very ugly pant suit told me, as I got to her desk.

She got up and walked me to Mr. Coleman's door. The elegant man in a light gray suit was sitting behind his desk, and he smiled warmly – which made me cringe – as he got up and nodded for his secretary to leave.

"Miss McAllister." He greeted, his warm tanned hand grabbed mine and kissed it gently "I heard about your father. I'm very sorry and wish for him and your family the best."

"Huh... Thank you...?" I mumbled; how could he know that?

Oh, right: magazine company, gossip flies around like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

"I believe you're confused as to why I called you here." He started with a warm smile; I hated when that man was nice, it always prickled my scalp "When I heard about the terrible thing that happened to your father, I couldn't stop thinking as to how would your family be able to deal with such... well, expensive care."

I frowned. What was he talking about?

"You see, here at von Hauser Publications, we care about our employees; we care about helping them."

Right... Like I would believe this man would actually care about anyone else other than himself.

"When I heard what happened, I put my best employees to find out how I could help you and your family, Miss McAllister." He smiled sweetly as he passed me a yellow folder through his desk "I knew a farmer from Tennessee would have some sort of money issues."

I frowned at the files. This man had bank extractions from my parents' accounts; he had our tax forms from the last five years; he had my Dad's hospital bills!

"With whose authorization did you get all this personal information?" I snapped, jumping off my seat and snapping the file closed over his desk, now resting close to his hands.

"Miss McAllister, I'm the good guy here." He assured me, his brows up in fake astonishment "I know for a fact your brother already used your nieces' college funds to pay for your father's treatment."

Yes, I knew that too. I had a huge fight with Wayne and Rose before coming back to Manhattan because of that. They were compromising their daughters' future, just so they wouldn't make both mine and Kim's life harder. It wasn't fair – but family always tries to get your back, even if it harmed them instead.

"Here's my offer." Mr. Coleman said, getting up and walking around with his hands together in front of his face, as if deep in thought "You surely know I'm very worried about my nephew, Julian. He's deep in a well of responsibilities, and all I want is to help him. But you know, of course, how stubborn he is; therefore, I offer to pay for the hospital bills and all medical care your father might need in this very unhappy time, if you help me get to know what Julian is up and about, at all times."

I opened my mouth, shocked. He wanted me to be his spy! His snitch! Judas!

"Don't answer just yet." He said, his hands up as he stopped next to me, still glued to the chair "Think about it. Think hard, Miss McAllister. Your father needs to be taken care for, and you can help him get the best medical care our fine country can provide."

Once I got to my desk again, I kept staring at my computer's screen, eyes bulging and mouth slightly open. Dad needed medical care; Wayne and Rose were getting debts to their ears to help him; Kim was still unemployed; and me... 'No-career-yet-and-only-two-days-left-for-thirtieth-birthday' Georgia, doing nothing to help!

"Miss McAllister."

I jumped in my seat and looked at my boss's office door; he was standing there, frowning at me.

"We have a meeting in Pandora with Miss Lohr in ten."

I nodded and got up, gathering my notebook and phone. We followed to the elevator without a single word. Another problem, right there. My boss had traveled all the way to Tennessee just to kiss me and then run away. My life was crumbling around me and all I could do was watch in the front row.