Althena Book 2

31. Not In Bed

"Woman, you are not in bed."

I feel Monte wake up at the same time I do. Mike's standing in the doorway.

"Get your ass up and go to bed."

I stand up and stretch. Then I climb and wrap around him.

He smacks my butt and I wiggle. "Monte, you too. You're both going to be cranky as hell from sleeping on the couch. I should break your f*****g face."

"There's a steak in the fridge for you."

"Thank Goddess." He carries me to bed and lays me down. "Did you kiss anyone here?"

"No. I don't want to kiss between puking. I didn't even kiss you here."

He kisses my head. "I'll fix that later. I need to eat."

"Cook in the other room, love. And don't forget the pill first. I know you're hungry, but your stomach might still be off."

"I will. I love you."

"Love you too."

I wake up at 9 and take a bath. Cyrus is sitting in the dining room with his head on the table.

"Feeling any better?"

"I think so, but I don't want to chance it."

I give him some broth and crackers. "Eat a little, then lay back down. You should be better around lunch."

"What are you doing?"

"Finding the other 2. I imagine they're in the food though. All the food."

"I can't wait."

"I'll see how it went for Mike. I think he was eating steak in the middle of the night."

He laughs and drinks some more broth. "I'm going to lay back down. Thank you."

I get to the other room and sure enough. It seems like they've cooked everything. "You boys still hungry?"

Mike lays his head back. "Ugh. I ate too much."

"You're not feeling sick?"

"No. Just full. Finally."

"Did you eat steak last night?"

"Yea. Nothing bad happened. I was fine."

"Good. Monte and I want to go scuba diving today."

"That's fine. I need a nap."

Monte goes into the kitchen. "I'm leaving after lunch. It'll be the 3 of you for the night. I need to get home."

"That's understandable. You should probably wash your clothes before you take them home. Drogon sent some clothing disinfectant for the washer. And some wipes for the phones and everything."

"I'll throw them in, then we'll go down."

"Ok. I need a swimsuit."

"We'll get one on the way."

"I need a wax. Can we get one of those on the way too?"

"WOMAN."

I pull up my pant legs. "Look at my legs, Mike. Every time I get sick, I come out looking like a monkey."

They burst out laughing. "No. No wax. I don't have that kind of time. It looks like it would take 2 hours." I give Monte the dirtiest look and they laugh harder. "I'm joking. Nobody will notice that. We'll be underwater anyway."

"Fine. But if people stare at me, we're stopping, so I can get waxed."

"Deal."

"You can't get waxed and go into the ocean, babygirl. You can have some spa time later."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Monte starts his wash, and we go to the shop. It takes him 3 seconds to pick a swimsuit. I have to try on 4. Then I can't decide on a color. I finally pick one that is yellow and orange. It has a triangle top that ties in the back. Then it has little shorts with it.

"Shorts?"

"I have too much hair. I don't want it sticking out in weird places."

"Woman, you are sexy as hell. Nobody cares about a little bit of hair."

"I do."

"Are you comfortable? Can you move in them?"

"Yea. They're perfect."

"Alright. As long as you're comfortable." He pays for everything, then opens the door for me to leave.

"I'm surprised you let me out first."

"I will put your ass right back in there."

I crack up laughing. Then I jump and hug him. "I am so excited."

He puts his arm around me and pulls me with him. "Well then, we better go."

We sit on the boat and I cannot sit still. The instructor puts the stuff on me. Then Monte checks it. After a few minutes, we're underwater.

We spend 2 hours looking at the reef. Pointing out the corals and fish to each other. Then we eat and go back up to the room.

Monte throws his stuff in the dryer and showers. Then he falls asleep on the couch waiting for the dryer. By the time I get out of the shower, Cyrus and Monte are at the table.

"Hungry?"

"No. I wanted some water."

Monte nods. "I need to get out of here."

Mike roams out of the bedroom on his phone. He's rubbing his eyes. "Change of plans."

"What happened?"

"Clayton, Conner, and Drogon are on their way here. I have to go to work."

"It's Saturday."

"I haven't been there since Wednesday, babygirl. I need to go in and catch up with some stuff."

Cyrus lays his head down. "How did they get sick?"

"It hit Clayton's school. He went to the office yesterday not knowing he was about to get sick. Advisors, guards, hell, even the secretary is sick now."

Cyrus stands up. "You can't go in alone with the building that empty. Give me a second and I'll throw some stuff on."

Mike shakes his head. "Sit down. I'll figure something else out. You're still sick." Then he slowly looks at Monte.

I crack up laughing. "I think you're about to get promoted to advisor."

Monte chuckles. "I'll meet you there. I need to run home first. I'll have Tony run the training on Monday. That should be enough time to get everybody back."

I run and answer my phone. It's Lila.

"Are you sick?"

"Not anymore. The boys decided to get it at different times. I'm at the beach resort with the sick boys."

"Who's sick?"

"Cyrus is almost better. Clayton, Drogon, and Conner are on their way here. What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Kayote moved the amusement park trip because of what happened Wednesday. Then I got sick. I'm better now."

"Come to the beach. You can go to the spa with me."

"Can you send for me? I don't want to drive that far."

"Yea. I'll do it now. They should be there in 20 minutes."

"See you soon."

I run back to the table. "Lila's coming. We're going to the spa."

Mike looks at me over his phone. "Well, that changes things."

"What?"

"I can't leave you here alone with Cyrus. But if Lila's coming, that'll be alright."

"Drogon and Conner are coming, Mike. I won't be alone with anyone. And you better not piss people off. Your list of babysitters is very short."

Monte laughs as he walks out.

Mike nods. "Fine. Cyrus can stay with you and Lila. You're switching rooms so they can clean this one. Clayton, Conner, and Drogon will be in the current food room. The food is being moved to your new room."

I scratch my head. "Why?"

"This room needs dusted and swept. The sheets need bleached. Everything needs bleached. They won't clean it that well with guests still in it. Move your stuff to the new room."

"Where is it?"

"Across the hall."

"You're a pain in my ass, Mike."

"Woman, people puked in these rooms. Get out of here."

"Well, when you put it that way..."

"Thank you. Hurry and get your stuff over there before Lila gets here, and you can go to the spa."

I run to Mike's room. I have no more clothes here. I didn't have much to start, but all they sent was pajamas. I get it to the new room as fast as I can.

Cyrus watches me dump everything on the floor in my room. "No. Put it away. And put the laundry in the washer."

"But."

"Just do it, please."

"All I have is pajamas and 1 outfit."

"Put them in the washer. And I'm going to check both rooms. All the stuff had better be put away over here. Once you're done, you and Lila can get a couple of outfits from the shops here."

"I'LL MAKE SURE I GOT IT ALL." I run for it. I get everything. I even clear the food out of the food room. "What now?"

"Lila is still half an hour away. Why don't you make a grocery list? I can make something for dinner if it's easy enough."

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes." He opens the cupboard and stares in it.

"Order something for now. I'll make a grocery list for more stuff."

"Can you make beef ribs?"

I rub my eyes. "You boys came out of this starving. Yes. I will make a beef crown rib roast for dinner. You'll have to approve my order fast though."

"That's fine."

"Don't even look at it."

He crosses his arms. "1 bottle of wine."

"2."

"No, woman. There are only 3 of us that can eat here."

"Mike and Monte will come back for beef."

"That's true. Fine 2. But that's it."

I give him a flying hug. "Thank you. I'll hurry."

I put the order in, and they have it delivered before Lila gets there. I'm getting the meat in the oven when Cyrus lets her in.

"I figured you'd be kissing him."

"I don't kiss sick people. I want to go to the spa though."

"Let's finish this. I don't want to go to the spa, then have to get everything ready to cook."

"I should order the boys' bath stuff and everything we had."

We get everything ready to go, then run to the spa. I am so relaxed by the time we leave. I should have taken a nap today. We come back to a mess. Cyrus is sleeping on the couch. Lila gets the rest of the food in the oven. We separate the bath stuff and clothes. Then we take it over to them.

Clayton is lying on the couch staring at his phone.

"You don't look too bad."

Conner comes out of nowhere and hugs me. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. My sick boy."

He nods and picks me up. "Will you sit with me?"

"Of course."

We end up on the couch with his head in my lap. I rub his head and watch Clayton. He's not getting up, but he's looking at the stuff we brought in. Lila is putting broth in the fridge.

"We didn't forget you, Clayton." Lila smiles. "Which room is yours? I'll put your stuff in it."

He gets teary and puts a pillow on his face.

"It's going to be ok." She sits by his head and rubs his hair. "Try to relax. What room is yours? She ordered you some pajamas and things."

He points at the hallway without moving the pillow.

Conner nods. "Mine's that way too."

I shrug my shoulders.

"The bath basket is 1 a room, right?"

"Yea."

She stands up. "I'll put the stuff in the rooms for them."

"Thank you."

She sits back down 5 minutes later. "Drogon's door is shut. I'm not knocking or going in there."

"Yea. I'll ... ... ... cry." Clayton and Lila laugh. "I do not want to walk in on him getting sick. Then I would get sick, and we'd have to change rooms again."

She motions to Conner. "He's sleeping."

I push his hair back. "I know. I need to put him in bed, but I don't want to wake him up."

Cyrus comes in and stares at us. "There are timers going off. What are you doing?"

Lila shrugs while she rubs Clayton's head. "This is what we do now?"

"Yea, they're young. That one..." He points at Clayton. "Has probably never been away from his mom when he's sick."

Clayton glares at him.

"Aww. You poor thing." Lila rubs his hair back and feels his head. "What does she do? Does she make you something special to eat? We can figure it out. Do you want me to fill you a bath? Or rub your back?"

I drop my head back. "I'm so glad Conner's asleep and didn't hear all that."

Cyrus cracks up laughing. "Timers, seriously."

"Fine. I'll sort out the kitchen, but then I'm going to have to put him to bed."

"Lila, leave that door open while you're in there and do not get in the bath with him."

I smack Cyrus hard on the arm.

"Thank you." She smiles.

"My pleasure. She's not going to do that. The most she's going to do is rub his hair till he goes to sleep."

She nods. "I don't kiss sick people either."

"Good to know."

"Damn." Clayton rolls off the couch.

Cyrus rubs his eyes. "Door open."

"Fine."

After I get the food ready, Conner goes to bed easier than I thought he would. Then he goes right back to sleep when I rub his head. Drogon is passed out in the center of his bed. I put his stuff in the room and plug his phone in. Then I pull Lila out of Clayton's room. She's rubbing his shoulders and he's sound asleep.