The Substitute.

chapter two.

I let out a groan as I collapsed onto my couch. I'd had such a wonderful day. Please note the sarcasm. My feet hurt like hell, probably from all the walking I had done from floor to floor of the building courtesy of  my temporary boss and i was in mortal danger of getting cross-eyed from all the damn paperwork I had done.

I thought of calling Macy, then decided against it. She would just do a sad voice and i would then offer to cover for an extra week. I was stupid like that. Why couldn't I just say no sometimes like any other normal person? I sent her quick text instead asking her how she was. I frowned, Macy never actually gave me the details of the 'family emergency' but surely if it were serious, she would call me. So, I wasn't worried.

My stomach chose that moment to let out a growl, reminding me that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was hardly lunch.
With some effort, I padded into my small kitchen which was separated from my living room by an island. Spaghetti sounded pretty good but I didn't have the patience or willpower for such, so I instead heated up the frozen lasagna from the previous night.

When the microwave 'dinged', I grabbed my food as well as a bottle of water and ate. I chewed slowly, my mind drifting to  Damien's arrogant smirk as he said I had to be on call for anything he might need. I'd considered it a joke until he sent me to the first floor to personally pick up his mail, had me arrange his dry cleaning services and even imposed on my lunch break with an order to send a last minute email to a client in Australia. Asshole.

By  the time my plate cleared, I felt slightly human though I had barely tasted the food. I tossed my plate in the sink with a silent promise to do the dishes in the morning. I trudged to my bedroom and tossed my bag onto the bed before stripping out of my now itchy pantsuit. After a quick shower, I slipped under my covers and fell into an exhausted slumber.

The insistent ringing of my alarm clock woke me the next morning. I blindly reached out and hit the off button. I frowned when the sound didn't stop, if anything it just got louder.

Hesitantly,I opened one eye and that's when it got through my foggy brain that it was not the alarm clock but by cellphone. I sat up immediately throwing back the covers before feeling around blindly until I turned on the bed lamp.

I grabbed my phone from the floor where it had fallen and grimaced when I noticed that it was an unknown caller. I answered with a sigh.

"Hello," I murmured into the phone.

"Aubrey." A familiar husky voice said.

"Damien?!" I asked, appalled that he was calling me in the middle of the night.

"Yes." He answered calmly, as if it was normal to be calling someone at three in the morning.

"Is there something you wanted? I know you said I am on call twenty four seven but- "

"What is the first aid for a fever?" Damien's abrupt question stopped me short.
 
"Is this a joke?" I asked angrily.

I heard Damien sigh, "No."

"Uh- okay, what is the temperature? Have you taken it yet? " I heard ruffling on the other side of the phone. It sounded like he was moving around, probably taking the temperature.

I yawned as I waited, trying to pretend this was not the oddest conversation I'd ever had.

"Thirty eight degrees,". He said a few minutes later.

I stifled another yawn, " Okay, that's not too bad. Just get a soft cloth and wet it slightly  with lukewarm water and place it on the forehead. Um- change it every fifteen minutes and also take the temperature. The fever should go down. If not then call a doctor." I told him trying to remember what my mom had done whenever I was sick. "Oh and eat some soup."