"Hey, Andy, this is Bill. I know that we have an early afternoon tee-time, but I have a favor to ask." Andy looked at his phone quizzically. Bill was the guy everyone else went to for favors. If Bill was asking, he must be desperate.
Without hesitation, Andy answered Bill. "Hey, man, what's the problem?" A flurry of potential disasters rushed through Andy's head.
"Well, Emma fell the other day," started Bill. Before Andy could interrupt, Bill quickly interjected, "She says she fine, but she's still sore. You know my wife, she just refuses to see any doctor."
Andy laughed with relief as he ran his hand through his thinning, dark hair. "Yeah, I know. It takes six months of badgering to get her in for her annual physical. Do you want me to stop at the house before I meet you at the club?"
"That would be so wonderful of you." Bill sighed audibly. "I'm sure she's fine, but she has looked a little peaked recently. It's probably just work, but you know how she is. I'll get us later tee-tie, ok?""
Andy definitely knew how Emma was. Just thinking about her long dark hair and the floral scent that clung to her even after she had spent an hour sweating at the gym made Andy wish the Bill wasn't such a nice guy. Remembering the lively conversation he and Emma had over their weekly lunch forced Andy to shift in his seat.
"What time is she going into the office?" Andy asked as he tried to distract himself.
"I convinced her to take the day off. When ever you're able to get over there, she'll be there," Bill reassured Andy. "I asked her to stay at home ... I didn't tell her that I was going to call you. I'll let her know that you're coming though."
Andy looked at his appointment book. He only had a few patients this morning and he had cleared his afternoon for his golf outing with Bill. "No, problem, Bill. I'll make sure that she didn't damage anything seriously and then I'll meet you at the club."
Andy's morning appointments flew by. The most taxing patient was Mrs. Simmons who insisted that her child needed antibiotics for his allergies. People just didn't seem to understand that antibiotics are not a cure-all. By 11:30, Andy's waiting room was empty and he told his head nurse Linda that he was taking off.
The drive to Bill and Emma's house was relaxing. Only a few cars traveled the suburban streets. Andy hummed happily to the radio and sat in the driveway of the cookie cutter house. When his song finished, Andy turned off the car and then reached into his backseat for his "little black bag", which was actually a small green backpack.
After ringing the doorbell and receiving no answer, Andy turned the knob. The door swung open readily. "Emma must be in the pool and left the door open for me," Andy rationalized as he walked through the house.
"Emma? Emma? It's Andy. Bill asked me to come by." Not finding Emma in the back, Andy searched the main floor. When he still couldn't locate her, he checked the garage to make sure she really was at home. Finding Emma's hybrid in the garage, Andy decided to search upstairs.
Upstairs, Andy found Emma in the large master bathroom. Eye closed, she appeared to sleeping in the large tub. The dissipating bubbles revealed one dark nipple and a smooth knee. Emma's wet hair snaked down her back, except for one lock that curled down her round face.
"Emma? Emma?" Andy called.
Deep brown eyes immediately popped open. Emma's arms emerged from the water and tossed her earphones onto the floor. Emma's eyes widened as she started to jump out of the bath, granting Andy a brief glance of water running down her breasts.
"Ur, ah uhm ..." Andy stammered as he quickly looked down at his feet. He hoped that Emma wouldn't notice his body's reaction to her.
"Andy! What the hell are you doing here? Oh..." Emma submerged her body again in order to cover herself.
"Bill, told me that you fell and wanted me to come over and he told me that he'd call you ..." Andy barely breathed. "I, uhm, I'll ... why don't I just let you get dress?"
"I'll meet you downstairs."
