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A Stroke of Bad Luck
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Stay the Night Nothing You Can Do About It
BlakeA white haired man stood next to the bed. He looked up from a clipboard he was holding when I entered the room. “You must be Blake. I’m Dr. Richards. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.”I wondered how many people he had said that to. And how many of those family members left the hospital with only memories of their loved one.On auto pilot, I shook his hand. “How is he?”The doctor gave me a grim smile. “He’s not good, son. I won’t sugar coat it, he’s in bad shape. We’re doing all we can for him, of course.” My heart stuttered. “Of course. Do you have any information about what happened yet? My brother said it was a stroke.” The doctor nodded. “It was definitely a stroke. We won’t know the full extent of the damage until he wakes up, but with the test results we have, things aren’t looking too positive.”I blinked. This wasn’t possible, but plenty of evidence that it was all too real was right there in front of me. It was absurd. Surreal.There was a clenching
Stay the Night A Coma
BLAKE“How’s it going today, Dad?” I sat down beside the bed in the intensive care unit, checking the wall of monitors hanging behind my father. It had to be the world’s most depressing headboard. The machines beeped and blinked rhythmically, the only sound in the glass bubble that was my father’s bedroom for the time being.I touched my hand to his forehead.It was clammy, cool.My stomach rolled. I hated seeing him this way. The man was a titan of industry, a legend whose name was associated with success and spoken with the highest regard the world over.It was getting harder to remember that with each passing day. Lying in his metal framed hospital bed, he was wasting away right in front of my eyes. More worrying still was that he hadn’t yet opened his own.It was day three of my own personal hell, waking up to come spend the day with a man who wasn’t even conscious. The doctors still couldn’t say if he ever would be again.We were playing a waiting game, waiting on a man I’d never
Stay the Night Can You Hear Me?
Blake“Wake up, Dad,” I murmured, gently squeezing his cool hand. “You have to wake up soon, you hear me? You can’t leave us yet.”Again, there was no response. I kept on talking to him though. I wasn’t giving up on him. Not now, not ever.“The McAllen Group needs you, Dad. I need you. Danny needs you too, whether he knows it or not.”I took a deep breath. Jesus, this was hard. “Come on, Dad. I need you to wake up. If you wait too long before you wake up, there won’t be anything left to save. You built this company from the ground up, but Danny’s going to tear it down from the inside out if you don’t wake up soon.”Unfortunately, I wasn’t exaggerating. I knew the plans my brother had for the company. Some of them anyway. They weren’t good.The company Danny envisioned wasn’t the one we already had. He thought it was too old fashioned.Out with the old and in with the new, he told me once when we talked about the company. To him, hotel chains were fast becoming outdated. He was convinc
Stay the Night Lack of Judgment
ASTONSighing, I tossed my phone down onto the bed beside me and let my back fall to the mattress. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my palms. I was so damn tired, but I couldn’t sleep anymore.Sleep was getting harder to come by the longer I didn’t hear from Blake. At first, it was worry about my job that kept me up at night. Sleeping with the son of the owner of the hotel was the single most unprofessional thing I had ever done, and I hadn’t even known it at the time.I was terrified I was going to get fired for being the worst manager the hotel chain had. I told Blake the truth about being a virgin before we slept together, but jumping into bed with a guest wasn’t a great first impression.Another worry was that he didn’t believe me about being a virgin. At first, I wondered if he was avoiding my calls because he thought I slept with guests all the time and was processing the paperwork to have me removed from my job.There was nothing in our company policies that specifically proh
Stay the Night All The Credit
AstonTaking in a deep breath, I released it slowly. “Not yet. I called him again earlier, but he didn’t pick up.”“Kudos for calling.” Tiffany nodded approvingly, sipping her coffee. Her flaming curls were pulled up into a messy bun at the very top of her head. They bounced with her movement. “I’m proud of you for reaching out, I know you’ve been worried since I told you who he was.”“I am, but whatever is going on with him must be important. He told me to call him if I needed him, but he hasn’t answered. He’s not the kind of guy to just blow someone off. Something must be going on.”“Just keep trying to get a hold of him,” she told me, pointing her coffee cup at me. “This is exactly the kind of guy who you should be with.”I tilted my head. “Not that I disagree, but why?”Sighing, she gave me a look that told me I was obviously missing something. When I didn’t react or catch on immediately, she sighed again. “Because my dear, innocent, oblivious friend, he’s hot and rich. Plus, you
Stay the Night You Need to Leave
BLAKEThat was my second night in a row in the same clothes, I realized when I woke up.Awesome. I was becoming a hospital hermit. I was even starting to smell like the hospital. For two days, I kept promising myself I only needed another hour or so with Dad.After the hour or two passed, I decided to stay just another hour or two. And round and round I went. Two days later and I still hadn’t gone anywhere. I groaned and shifted on the chair next to Dad’s hospital bed. The same chair I spent the night only semi-sleeping on. A spring was sticking into my ass. I smelled like hospital and shit. My muscles were stiff.Tonight, I really had to go to the hotel and get some sleep in a real bed. Stretching my arms, I rolled my head to the side just in time to see Danny parting the curtains to walk into the room.“Rise and shine, Blake.” Danny had clearly slept better than I had. He was looking shiny, clean and new in a gray morning suit and a cup of actual coffee, not the flavored dishwasher
Stay the Night A Positive Sign
Blake“You hear that, Blake? He’s going to be fine.” Danny repeated what the doctor said proudly, almost like he was responsible for Dad’s progress.My brother was really getting on my nerves, but this wasn’t the time or place to get into it. Instead, I smiled at the doctor. “Thank you for letting us know, Doctor. That’s good to hear.”“You’re welcome. It’s always a pleasure to share good news.” He walked to one of the machines, pressing buttons until the screen changed to show him some kind of information. He made sounds under his breath before turning back to us. “Everything looks good. There’s really nothing more you boys can do here for now. Your Dad is going to survive, but once he wakes up he’s going to have a lot of recovering to do.”Elation swelled in my chest at the words. Dad was going to survive. It was the best news I could remember getting—ever. “Should we start making arrangements with a recovery clinic or something?”A part of me hoped he said yes. If he did, I could t
Stay the Night What's Coming Next?
AstonTiffany and I were both manning the front desk on Monday afternoon. With the influx of guests we were experiencing after implementing all the changes Blake had helped with and suggested, we were going to need extra front desk staff at peak times.One person working by herself wasn’t enough anymore. I helped when I could, but more guests meant more work for me, too. I also couldn’t work our systems as fast as she could.I was working as quickly as I could to get guests checked in, but it felt like my line was longer every time I lifted my head. It seemed like the ad I took out at the airport as well as the free shuttle service between the airport and the hotel was paying off big time.Both of those things were Blake's ideas and I still hadn’t thanked him for either. The hotel was busier than ever and still getting better and busier yet.At the rate we were going, I had no doubt that our mediocre numbers will have shot through the roof by the time they were reported again. I hande
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Stay the Night Epilogue Part 2
AstonEverything further away than what could be reached in two or three hours by plane, he let Danny handle. Blake had been my rock, my constant. With him as the dad, I could see myself having a lot more children. He certainly seemed to be on board.A nurse came in to check on us, as they did every so often. This was one who must have just started her shift, since I hadn’t seen her around earlier. She was an older woman with bright red hair and a kind smile. “Is everything okay in here? I need to take the baby for observation, it won’t be more than a few minutes before she’s back.”Blake’s eyes widened comically. “You’re taking her away?”“Just for a few minutes, sir.” The nurse smiled sympathetically. “I won’t take my eyes off of her for a second, you have my word. I know it’s hard for you to let go of her right now.”“She has to go?” Blake asked, not looking like he was inclined to hand her over at all.The nurse nodded. “A few minutes, sir. She’ll be back before you know it.”Relu
Stay the Night Epilogue Part 1
ASTONOn a rainy Saturday morning, Blake and I welcomed baby Emma Rose McAllen into the world. She was a pink, healthy little angel that had both of us wrapped around her little finger the very first second we laid eyes on her.The hospital was busy. I could hear people milling around outside, some running to take care of patients and others here to visit friends and family, and to meet the new arrivals. Emma was only three hours old, but I was sure Blake’s family and Tiffany would get here soon.Both Tiffany and Blake’s mom had wanted to be in the waiting room when she was born, but I went into labor in the early hours of Saturday morning and in our rush to get to the hospital, we hadn’t wanted to disturb them in the middle of the night.For now it was just us and our little cherub in our bubble of the most perfect, serene happiness I’d ever known. With Emma’s tummy full for the first time, she was dozing in her daddy’s arms and the scene in front of me was as precious as I’d known i
Stay the Night Catching Up
BlakeTiffany led us into the smaller of the conference rooms at ground level, one where Aston and I had shared dinner not so long ago, yet it seemed like a different lifetime now. Aston walked over to the window, releasing a happy sigh to be looking out over the ocean. “It feels like I haven’t been here in forever.”“For you and me both, girl.” Tiffany sighed. “Welcome back.”“Thanks,” Aston replied softly. “You should come visit us in Florida sometime. We’ll be happy to have you.”“Once the baby is born, try keeping me away,” she said, reaching out to pat Aston’s belly again.The two friends shared a moment. I hung back, getting settled at the table. When they sat down, Aston joked, “Oh, you’ll only visit once the baby is born? That’s still months away.”“Good point,” Tiffany said. “Maybe I’ll come out there sooner. Is your nursery set up yet? I can come help with that.”“We’ve been settling into the house,” Aston told her. “We haven’t gotten to the nursery quite yet. It would be gr
Stay the Night Not A Vacation
BLAKEThree months after the last time Aston and I walked out of the hotel in California, we were back for a visit. It had been a long three months. We had meant to pop in for a visit weeks ago, but we never got around to it.As it was, we’d almost had to cancel again. Aston managed to dodge the bullets flying her way, with Danny’s help, and we’d hopped on the jet as soon as our meetings let out. We were like kids fleeing from school on the last day, excited to be getting away from the head office that took so much of our time.Our visit to California wasn’t a vacation though. Soon, I would whisk Aston away for a break before the baby was born, but for now, we were working.It didn’t make Aston any less excited to be headed back to her hometown. She missed her friends and had been looking forward to spending time with them, even if we would have to get some work done at the same time.Dressed in a soft, flowing red dress that clung to her newly rounded stomach, she looked more beautif
Stay the Night Stroking Her
ASTONBefore I knew what was happening, Blake flipped us over and was rolling my pants down my legs. My panties followed quickly.He yanked both items over my bare feet and dropped them to the floor. Heat spread through me as his bright blue eyes drank in every inch of me.He sat between my legs, spread open so there would be space for him. Completely on display for him, I was surprised by how much it turned me on. The raw lust in his eyes told me he felt the same. “I was an ass. I’m sorry I didn’t see how much I was upsetting you, can I make it up to you?”“Please,” I breathed, reaching for his shirt.Catching my hands in one of his, he used the other to reach behind him in a fist and pulled it off in a smooth slide. As his body came into view, I wished he wasn’t sitting between them so I could clench my thighs together to ease the need building there. Seeing me squirm, his hands went for my bare legs, running up and down my thighs.“You’re gorgeous, Aston. And the best thing that ha
Stay the Night No Buts
Blake“No buts. If that’s what you want, I’ll go. I understand that you need someone there and that logistically, it can’t be Aston. I can be a team player again and if that’s what this team needs, I’ll take one for the team and go.”Taking a deep breath, his eyes darted up to the ceiling like he was slightly embarrassed by what he had to say. “But if you’d consider keeping me on in Florida though, I could work under Aston.”Shocked, my eyes widened. “You’d be her subordinate?”“Yeah.” His eyes drifted to Dad before he nodded and looked back at me. “It’s not easy for me to face, but I know I brought this on myself. If I stay, I’ll work as her second. Help her, learn from her, whatever.”“You would do that?” To say I was surprised was an understatement. My brother, or at least the brother he’d become, lacked the astonishing maturity it took to come up with a plan like this. “You realize it wouldn’t be temporary.”“I do.” He held onto my gaze, sincere in what he was saying. “I’ve been a
Stay the Night Sobered Up
BLAKEWalking out of Dad’s study, I bumped into my mom in the hall. For a guy who spent years seeing only one family member, two at most, once every couple of weeks, I was surrounded by them now. I didn’t know how much I liked it yet.“Have you seen Aston? I asked Mom, who smiled as she jerked her head in the direction of the front door.“She left in a cab a few minutes ago,” Mom told me. “I saw her out there from the kitchen window, but it looked like she could use a couple of minutes alone. Next thing I knew, there was a cab and she was getting into it.”My heart sank to my shoes. “What?”I knew Aston was upset by my offering her Danny’s job, but I never thought she would leave. Panic crept in and gripped my heart. She didn’t know anyone in Florida as far as I knew. I didn’t even know where to start looking for her.“Fuck,” I mumbled, ignoring my mom’s chastising look. It was a little fucking late for her to try have any say about my language. I was getting used to having her around
Stay the Night Space
Aston“I’m against it because I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I exclaimed, rolling my eyes. “Danny’s position isn’t some random spot. It’s a very important position in the company.”“Exactly,” Blake snapped. “It’s not good enough to put some random person into that position, don’t you think I get that? That’s one of the reasons why I need you, Aston. You’re all I’ve got. I don’t have any other options that are good enough.”“I’m a last resort?” My head reared back like he’d slapped me. I didn’t know what was going on with me, but my emotions were all over the place. Maybe it was the pregnancy after all, but knowing he only wanted me because there was no one else was somehow more hurtful than people thinking he’d only put me into that spot because he was sleeping with me.Staring at me like I’d grown a unicorn horn or turned green, Blake shook his head. “You’re not a last resort. It’s not like that at all. Think about it this way, my dad supports me in this decision. About Danny going
Stay the Night The Offer
ASTON“Excuse me.” I pushed my chair back from the kitchen counter and glanced at Blake’s family before letting my eyes come to rest on him. “Could I talk to you outside for a minute please?”“Sure.” Exchanging a look with his father who nodded encouragingly, Blake followed me outside. I didn’t stop walking when we hit the deck, heading over it and onto the expansive green lawn.The sparkling swimming pool was blue and inviting. I briefly considered stripping off my clothes and taking refuge in the silence of its depths, but I doubted very much that Blake’s father would appreciate a half-naked pregnant girl sitting at the bottom of his pool.When I hit a patch of trees at the back of the property, I paced in the shade beneath them. Without having to look, I knew Blake was standing there watching me. He let me blow off steam for a few more seconds before planting his hands on his hips. “Before you say anything, hear me out.”“I told you I didn’t want that spot, Blake.”Walking toward m
