A Chef Nurse Patient and Pâtissier

She stared back at him, unable to hold the steely glare. "I'm only doing my job. If I wasn't needed, do you think his parents would still be paying me?"

"I don't know. I guess that depends on what their expectations are."

"What exactly does that mean?" She said exasperatedly.

"I don't know Jade. You did a great job with Mark. You dug him out of a really deep hole. Even I could see that. Maybe his parents are hoping you'll stick around permanently. They might be afraid for him."

Jade couldn't hide the smile. "Thanks babe. I think I did a good job, Mark, was in a dark space."

"I never doubted your reasons Jade, you did an amazing job. It's different now. He doesn't need you any more. If you look at it objectively, you know in yourself it's time to move on."

"It's not that cut and dried. I know Mark, looks happy and well adjusted, but that veneer is paper thin babe. I'm not trying to be dramatic, he still needs support, I don't want to leave, and see him fall back into that hole."

"Yeah, whatever. You need to be careful Jade, because he's got a crush on you, I saw the way he looked at you during that interview. He's infatuated with you."

Her face sagged, the truth made her tremble. Dillon was so insightful, he always saw right through her. Now she was lost for words.

It was a restless night for both of them. Dillon got up with Jade as he always did. Cooked her breakfast, and they chatted awkwardly, the elephant in the room was hard to move.

Her drive to Mark's place was awful. She knew he, was right. The best thing she could do was tell Mark she was quitting. She loved Dillon, god, she couldn't contemplate life without him. But here she was endangering her marriage, and for what?"

When, Mark's image appeared in her mind, she smiled. She liked him a lot, and her reaction to his kiss scared her. She felt heart give a little flutter as she remembered.

As she walked in, Mark, was just climbing out of bed, and getting ready for his morning shower.

The moment she walked in his face lit up. "Hey gorgeous. You look glum, what's the problem?"

His smiling face brought a little joy to her. "Oh the usual thing you know."

She hung her handbag on the chair, and walked over to help him into his wheelchair. He only had a towel wrapped around his waist, and as she helped lift him into the chair, she could smell his essence. She loved that manly smell, the fact that like Dillon, he didn't use cologne, or antiperspirant.

Once he was seated, she said. "I'm making coffee, do you want some."

He nodded, replying. "Could you help me in the shower please?"

She scowled. "You don't need me in there. You can manage."

"Nah, I'm feeling a bit weak this morning. Please?"

She flicked the kettle on, and wheeled him into the bathroom.

"No peeking." He said jokingly.

"Ew, as if." She helped him, but couldn't help taking a peek, when he threw her his towel. "Hey, you promised." He said jovially.

"Hey smart arse. I wasn't peeking. I was just checking that you hadn't worn it out. Thought you might have taken skin off."

"Fuck you bitch."

"Shall I give you extra time, I mean are you going to be spanking the monkey this morning?"

He smirked. "I might, why. Do you wanna help?"

She flicked him with the towel. "No, it's obviously a job you can handle on your own."

She made the coffee, and he wheeled himself out into the bedroom. Mark, was really buoyant, and the morning flew by. He asked Jade to help him set up a bunch of social media pages, and a you tube page. They uploaded the video clips she had recorded, and links to the news program.

There was a call from the local newspaper, who wanted to run an article for the weekend entertainment segment.

"Will you be okay here for an hour or so?" Jade, asked.

"Why, you got shit on?"

"Dillon, hired an assistant, I just wanted to go and meet her."

"Her, aye... Do I sense the green dragon sitting on your shoulder?"

"Piss off. I merely want to meet her."

"Then why can't I come with?"

"I didn't think you liked Dillon?"

"What, nah. We're buds now, aren't we?"

"I don't know, are you. Anyway, I didn't think you'd wanna come."

"Oh hell yeah. That dude can cook. I'm hungry as fuck actually. Maybe, I could take the guitar, and you could film me down on the beach?"

"Yeah, we could do, it's a nice day out. You have to be nice to Dillon, though."

"No sweat, I got this."

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks."

There was already a crowd there, when they pulled up. Dillon and his new assistant, were going flat out. "Weird," Jade mumbled to herself. He spotted them, and gave her a wave.

Bugger, the new girl was hot. She knew she would be... Just from the things he'd, said. She knew instinctively that Cass was going to be something special.

She watched them working side by side, god it was only her second day on the job and already they worked like a well oiled machine. They were a team. Worse than that, they joked, and the banter was like they'd known each other for years.

Bloody Mark was right, she was jealous. She hadn't even spoken to her and she hated her.

It took fifteen minutes before they got to the serving window. "Hey babe, what's it going to be?" Dillon asked whimsically.

"I'll have the chicken salad." Turning back to Mark she asked. "What about you, whatya want?"

"I reckon I'm going to try the wallaby burger."

Dillon, took their orders before saying. "Jade, meet Cass, my new assistant."

Cass reached her hand down over the counter so they could shake hands. "Hey Jade, Dillon, has told me a lot about you."

"Don't listen to him, he tells lies."

"I don't think so. Everything he said about you was pretty amazing."

"Cass, this is, Mark. I'm his carer." They shook hands, and Jade walked around the back of the van, so she could have a cuddle and kiss. "What's with the wallaby? Where did that come from?"

"I met this guy, who works for The Department of Conservation. He was heading down to Waimate, to help out with a cull. They're a bloody pest down there. We stayed in touch, and he put me in touch with a company who sell the meat. Thought it'd be a good marketing thing."

"Ew, what does it taste like?"

"It's bloody awesome actually."

"But they're so cute..."

"They're a pest."

"You forgot to mention Cass, is a fox. She's stunning. I thought she didn't start till three or something?"

"She rocked up to get something to eat, saw I was busy and offered to help. We talked about it, and she suggested she'd do a split shift. Two hours over lunch, then comes back at four, for the evening shift. It's gonna be really helpful."

"Yeah, you guys seem to get on well."

He looked up at her working. "Yeah, she's good fun, and a good worker."

"Your lunch is ready." Cass called.

Jade and Mark wandered off to the grass, where Jade sat cross-legged on the grass beside Mark.

"Holy shit, Dillon, he is the man. What a hot babe." Mark sniggered.

Jade, reached up and slapped him on the arm. "Cheeky bastard. Why would you say that?"

"Sorry, but he's the man. First he snares, the hottest chick in the world for his wife, then he snags her for an assistant. Man, he's gotta have something."

She giggled playfully. "Nice save, but still."

"Sorry, I was just pulling your chain. Damn, this burger. Holy shit he can cook."

"Amazing really. He had no training, never even finished school."

"He's got it going on, you gotta give the man his dues."

"Yeah..." She replied wistfully. She glanced up to see Cass, giving Dillon, a playful nudge. She could hear their laughter.

After they finished their lunch, Mark got Jade to film him playing guitar down on the beach. It was Jade's thing, she roped in a couple of bystanders and she found unusual angles, and had the knack of finding interesting light.

Dillon watched on, and it irked him, the way Mark stared at her when she wasn't watching. It wasn't that he didn't trust Jade because he did. He didn't think anything inappropriate was going on. What worried him was Mark... It was clear to anyone watching the two of them. He was more than captivated by Jade.

He had read at some point, articles about patients falling in love with their carers, or nurses. The De Clerambault's syndrome or some shit. Late night TV, was to blame for his mine of useless information.

Not that he could blame Mark, his taste was impeccable. If jade, was his caregiver, he would most definitely be falling in love as well.

What concerned him was, Jade's complete ignorance of it. She returned his flirty gestures, and responded to his jokes and banter. She was either, completely unaware, or, his real fear... She was falling for him as well."

They both came back to the van before they drove away. Jade sneaking into the van for a cuddle, and kiss. It was quiet, most of the customers having been served.

He walked to Mark's, van with them, Dillon asked whether she wanted to come to the van for dinner, and she nodded. Why was it so awkward?

At the van, he watched as Mark, transferred himself easily into the van. The little lift picked up the chair and the side door opened to receive it, before closing and locking. All completed automatically.

"Wow, pretty fancy, takes all the manual labour out of it." Dillon commented.

"Yeah, it's going to be modified in a couple of weeks so I can drive. Shit dude. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that."

"With you there bro. It'll give you a little independence."

"Fuck yeah... God I miss driving."

Jade saw through him, and she tried to cut Mark, off. "You'll still need help for a while though."

"Nah, Dad, said, once the conversions complete. I'll be allowed to drive."

"Good for you bro. Get your life back. You could be on the road anywhere."

Dillon watched Marks face wilt. He realised he had just shot himself in the foot.

Dillon gave Jade a final kiss. "See you tonight. What time? Five..."

"Yeah, maybe more like six. Depends on what time, Olivia, gets off work."

"No worries. See you tonight." Peering into the van, Dillon added. "See you later mate. Have a good day. Don't be to hard on, Jade."

"Chur Bro, I'll look after her."

Over the next few days, Mark was lifted by the level of interest in his music. When the record label exec turned up. He was shocked. Jade wasn't, she had been emailing and harassing labels from all over the country.

When she got the email from Jarrod that he wanted to meet Mark. She kept it to herself. She wanted it to be a surprise.

It was one of those incredible moments in life. She watched as Mark played Jarrod a few of his songs, and she listened to them talk about options, and deals. Her heart raced, her mind swirled as she watched Mark. His excitement so infectious.

The monetary amounts made her eyes water. This was bigger than she had imagined.

Jarrod left suggesting. "Talk to your parents, Mark. Get some legal advice, or get an agent to help you."

As he drove away, Mark shrieked in absolute shock. "Fucking hell, Jade. Did you hear that."

"Did I... Holy shit dude. That's a shitload of cash."

"Not just the money, but the studio time, the tour... Organising a band for me. Fuck me drunk."

She laughed and leaned down, and they hugged their mouths connecting, and a kiss developed into a searing passionate explosion of latent excitement. Marks hands were everywhere. Jade felt herself falling into the emotions that had built so deeply over the last few months. The flirting, the teasing. The gentle touches. It all exploded, there could be no hiding from those feelings.

As their tongues swirled and caressed. The initial explosion slowed, and she could once again breathe.

Inching back, she whispered. "Stop, Mark. I can't do this."

He gasped, his arousal to a point he almost couldn't stop. She pushed his arms off. "I said stop. Please don't make this any harder than it is."

She slid down to sit on the floor, her hands coming up to cover her face. The tears started and she couldn't stop them. "Jesus, Mark. What have I done."

His eyes were damp as well. "Jade, this is real. I have feelings for you. I have been trying to keep them suppressed, but shit. This is real. Don't try to tell me you weren't feeling it as well."

"It doesn't matter. I'm married, and I love, Dillon."

"What about me, Jade, what about me. Surely you must know how I feel, you must feel it as well?"

"Christ, I don't know what I feel. Yes, there are feelings here, but I can't do anything about them"

She realised to sit there wasn't going to help. She had to get out. "I'm sorry, Mark. I know things have been mixed up, but this isn't right."

She rushed out the door, and jumped in her car. Her hands trembling as she drove off. Her emotions churned wildly, all she could think about was Dillon. "Hey babe." He called as he saw her walk in. "You're late."

"Yeah, a record label exec turned up, to talk to Mark, about a recording deal and some national tour."

"Wow, just like that?"

"Yeah, it's all happened so quickly. I sent some of Marks, music to labels, and harassed them a little."

"You've really pushed his wheelbarrow, haven't you."

"Yeah, I know you have your doubts about him, but believe it or not. He's really talented."

"I don't know about that. I'm no music expert. The only reason I'm anti him, is. I see the infatuation he has for you, and recently, I've seen you returning that affection."

She winced painfully. "I like him, Dillon. He's a nice guy, and we were friends a long time. I mean, I haven't seen him for a couple of years, but we were friends at school."

"What I see from him isn't friendship Jade. I think it goes deeper than that."

She slid into his arms, and they hugged, their lips touching gently. They stood wrapped in each others arms, swaying, kissing, their bodies melded as one. Love isn't always about passion and explosive sex. Sometimes, it's those little moments of complete connection.

"Are you hungry?" Dillon, asked.

She giggled, enjoying being home and in his arms. "Starving."

They worked together in the kitchen as was their want. It was something that they loved to do together. "How was your day my sweet?" Jade asked.

"Another non stop day. Cass, was awesome. I think this split shift thing is gonna work out great. She's there for my busiest times."

"Yeah, she seems really nice."

"True that, she didn't have to offer to do the split thing. I mean it wrecks her whole day. It works in our favour. No overtime rates."

"That's not fair Dillon."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not going to cheat her. She offered, so I figured I'd put a little extra in her pay check."

"Sweet."

"So what about this deal with, Mark? If he goes on tour, I guess he's not going to be needing a carer?"

She grimaced, it always came back to this with Dillon. "He has to get a band together, do rehearsals, then record the album, before he heads away on tour."

"Right." Dillon, sighed. He'd had a little shimmer of light that Mark would finally be out of their life. "Still, if he's gonna be running around studios, and rehearsals. He will have support. No need for a carer then either, right?"

"I don't know what's going to happen." Jade said honestly. Her mind was still a confused mass of emotions. Dillon had summed it up, what she and Mark, shared was more than friendship, and worryingly. She couldn't forget the kiss. It was far more than just a kiss. It aroused feelings that shouldn't have happened.

She stared back at Dillon. "I'll talk to Olivia, and see what she wants to do. I mean, it's their money."

The next morning, when Jade arrived at Marks place, she found Olivia, and her husband Peter, in a deep discussion with Mark.

"Hey guys." Jade said, as she walked in.

"Oh thank heavens you're here, Jade." Olivia said. "We have been talking to Mark, about this recording deal. What it entails, and how he's going to cope."

"It's amazing isn't it." Jade said positively.

"Yes, my dear it is fabulous news, and we understand a lot of that is down to your persistence. We want to thank you for that."

"Oh, no worries. All I did was send some stuff in."

"Bullshit." Mark, said loudly, speaking for the first time. "I wouldn't have even picked up the guitar again if it wasn't for you."

"Rubbish, you were already playing." Jade replied.

"Only for myself. If you hadn't recorded it, and sent it in, none of this would have happened."

"It doesn't matter, Mark. It all looks good for you. The money they offered last night. That was a lot."

Olivia moved over to stand beside Jade, and picked up her hands in her own. "Jade, we wanted to talk about your availability over the next couple of months. Mark is going to need somebody, not just to drive him around, but to help him get in and out of buildings, all of that stuff."

"Oh, right... Well. I'm still here if you really needed me. Mark's pretty much got the chair mastered. He doesn't really need me." Jade said softly.

"I need you, Jade." Mark said. "More than just wheeling me around. I need you more than ever."

"I'll help however I can." She replied, wishing it was just him and her talking.

"Excellent." Peter announced. "We would like to retain your services for at least two more months."

Jade noticed the exchange of looks, that passed between them all. Had Mark said something about them kissing, about their relationship?

After they left. Mark held open his arms. "Give me a hug, Jade. I need some reassurance that this isn't just a dream."

She hugged him, but when he tried to kiss her. She stood up. "Mark, I like you, and want to be friends, but last night. That kiss. That can't happen again."

His head dropped, and he stared at the floor. "It's gonna be hard, Jade. I have a connection with you, I'm falling in love here, and I can't just pretend it isn't happening."

"Well, if you can't keep a lid on it, then I'll have to leave. I'm married. I've told you how much I love Dillon. I'm not leaving him."

"I know." He muttered, "But I have to be honest. I love you too."

She moved back in to give him a reassuring cuddle. "It happens sometimes. Patients, fall for their carers. It's a real phenomenon."

"No, this ain't just some silly crush. I feel an attraction, I'm drawn to you in ways that go beyond that."

As they hugged, he nuzzled against her neck, his wet lips sliding over her exposed skin. His mouth hot and wet. His breath wafting over her flesh like a desert wind. Her body shivered, little goose bumps appearing everywhere.

She went to speak, and his mouth slid onto hers, their mouths moving as one. Their tongues swirling playfully.

Jade had to stand quickly. "I need coffee, would you like some?"

"Yeah." He said dejectedly, his arousal throbbing powerfully in his trousers.

As they sat together on the sofa, Mark, said that a team was arriving later, bringing contracts, and schedules, and names and bio's of musicians they were suggesting for his band.

Jade went about cleaning up, while Mark prepared for the meeting.

"Jade, I haven't said this before, but I really need you. You've been the one constant, and I couldn't do this without you. I need you with me. If you can't be there, tell me now. If you say no, I won't sign the contract. Please, I need you."

"Mark, I said to your parents. I'll be here for the next couple of months. I'm looking forward to it. Getting you started on this incredible journey. I wouldn't miss it."

"It's our journey, Jade. I wouldn't be on it without you."

She finished the vacuuming, and tidying. It was almost lunchtime. "Hey, do you think Dillon, could put together a luncheon thing, like some burgers, and some salads, fries, maybe something vego. For the record people?"

Jade shrugged,"Yeah, probably. How much do you wanna spend?"