Cry to Me

It had been eight days since Dulci and Sidney saw one another.While he was on a west coast road trip, Dulci spent as much time as possible at the hospital, working doubles and performing as much surgery as she could to pass the time.It was three o’clock on a Thursday afternoon when Savannah pulled her out of the hospital, deciding that a late lunch and shopping trip would be good for Dulci considering she’d been living in the hospital with Meatball for almost a week.

Dulci couldn’t wait to see him.They had talked and face timed whenever they could, but with Dulci working extended hours at the hospital and Sid sharing a room with a teammate, they couldn’t really talk, and sexting was not a option anymore, not to mention the fact that she thought she made have overextended her wrist from her few night’s alone at her house.

She browsed through the sales wrack at J. Crew Factory, picking up a couple of blouses that she’d been looking at online, mentally dressing herself for her and Sid’s get together the following day.She knew she looked good in reds, grays, and blacks, but when she thought that the gray blouse was too boring, she put it back and started the process all over, becoming flustered at how asinine and obsessive she was being about what she would wear.

Dulci had decided that when he called, she’d invite him over for dinner, make him a wonderful meal, and then they’d spend some much needed alone time together.She hadn’t told him that Dr. Harrison suggested she take the rest of the week off to recuperate.She wanted to surprise him when they finally saw one another, anticipating how nice their evening and following week will be without any interruptions on her part.Dulci was supposed to be leaving for the Manhattan Veterinary Conference the following day, but since her spot was given to someone else, she decided she’d take the week off anyway and enjoy a much needed home vacation.

As she stood in the check out line, she decided that she’d either make beef wellington, chicken cordon bleu, or seared tuna.She pulled out her cellphone to make a grocery list of the items she needed, noticing how domesticated she felt in that moment, smiling at how heartwarming it felt to be cooking for someone special to her, even if she hadn’t told him how important he was in her life.As she was finishing her list, she received a text from Savannah, who had wondered into the lingerie shop a few doors down, holding up a piece of costume lingerie with a “yay or nay?” underneath.When Dulci arrived, she easily found Savannah in the same section, holding the lingerie under her arm.

“So what do we think?” Savannah gestured toward the hanger, holding it up.

“I didn’t realize you were into lingerie like this,” Dulci said as she touched the frilly lace surrounding the nonexistent skirt of the dress.“But I’d say yay if you like it.Have you tried it on?Do you try these things on?” Dulci asked confused about the protocol of trying on items at a lingerie store.She walked over to the wrack, finding more pieces of costume lingerie, her favorite being the nurse outfit with cut outs for the breasts.

“Its not for me,” Savannah cleared her throat, affectively getting Dulci’s attention.

“Who is it for?”Dulci asked absentmindedly as she peered toward the more practical side of the store where the full support bras were kept.

“You.”Dulci turned her head quickly toward Savannah, unsure how to process the information.Savannah wanted Dulci to wear a hideous costume when he got back into town.

"Absolutely not," Dulci shook her head rapidly at Savannah, backing away from the lingerie rack.

"What? Why?" Savannah huffed as she put her hands on her hips, wrinkling the costume in the process.

"I don't have enough time to tell you why," Dulci responded as she looked at a matching bra and underwear set. She noticed Savannah hadn't moved from her spot, and when she looked at Savannah, she was tapping her foot with an expectant look on her face.

"I'm not brave enough to wear a costume," Dulci said shyly, looking at another lacy piece of underwear as her cheeks got red.

"For someone who thinks outside the box, you sure are in the box on this one." Savannah put the costume lingerie back on the rack, moving toward the teddies.

"Seriously? You think after nine days of not seeing each other, I should wear a French maid get up?" Dulci pulled the offending piece of lingerie out, holding up to examine it fully with a horrified look on her face.

"Come on. All guys love that kind of thing. Don't you want to surprise him when he gets home?"

"Yeah, but I'm not comfortable roll playing or wearing costumes," she shuttered at the idea of being laughed at or rejected.

"I thought I'd just surprise him with dinner and then we’d have sex for a couple of hours," Dulci shrugged, thinking that would be a memorable reunion.She didn’t need anything additional when they were together.She just wanted it to be him and her, without any costumes, toys, or distractions.

"I'd say that would work, but he already saw you waiting naked to surprise Henry. You need to do something that is unique to just you and him.Maybe you could be wearing this while making him dinner" Savannah recommended as she took the French maid outfit and put it in her basket."And don't say no because I'm going to buy it and you're going to wear it. You'll thank me later," she said as she walked toward the toys.

"What if it backfires?What if he doesn’t like it?" Dulci overthought, running her hands over the cheap fabric.

"It won't backfire! He'll love it. Trust me. I'm speaking from experience," Savannah reassured her, putting some berry flavored lubricant in her basket.

"Ben likes costumes, huh?" Dulci teased, laughing when Savannah nodded, wiggling her eyebrows.

Dulci pulled the French maid outfit out of Savannah's basket, looking at it closely."I can't wear this. It looks too fake," Dulci shook her head.

"Jesus, Dulci," Savannah chided before she tried to snatch the lingerie from Dulci.

"If I'm going to wear something like this, I don't want it to be frilly and cheap. I'd rather it look realistic, but sexy at the same time," Dulci reasoned, hoping Savannah would understand.

"I have a better idea," Savannah lit up, pulling the costume from Dulci, heading back to the rack she found it.

It was rush hour by the time Dulci and Savannah parted ways at the mall, and as she tried to dull the irritation of being stuck in traffic by listening to her iPhone, she thought of different ways to wear the French maid outfit they’d agreed on.It was more realistic, something that didn’t feel like a poorly made piece of fabric held together with cheap thread and glue.It looked like an actual maid outfit, but was hemmed very short at both the skirt and sleeves.The buttons started half way down Dulci’s chest, so she would have to wear a nice bra underneath.She purchased a strappy garter belt to go underneath and opaque black thigh highs at Savannah’s insistence.Should she put it on before he got there or after their dinner?She thought about cooking an elaborate spread in heels, imagining the disaster is could be.She was starting to consider taking it all back when her phone rang.Smiling at the caller ID, she answered.

“I’m sitting in the stairwell at the hotel.I had to call you,” he explained, his voice full of disappointment.

“Is everything ok?” Dulci asked as she inched closer to her exit, contracting her back to stretch her sore muscles.

“Well, I need to go home to take care of some business in Nova Scotia for a couple of days.I wont be back until next weekend.I’m really sorry,” he apologized, sounding just as disappointed as Dulci felt.Her face dropped, instantly wanting to cry, realizing that her big elaborate dinner date was now put on hold yet again.

“I hope everything is alright,” Dulci said supportively, unsure what the nature of his trip home was about. She let her head fall back on the headrest, frustrated at the change in plans.

“I just need to tie up some lose ends with my endorsements and shoot some commercials.It was a last minute decision.I tried to postpone it but Pat was pretty insistent.”

Dulci could hear the apology and exasperation in his voice.It was obvious that it was sprung on him at the last minute.She couldn’t be angry with him, even if she did have a flamboyantly erotic outfit in the passenger seat, ready to surprise him.

“Its ok.You have things you need to take care of.I’ll see you when you get back into the states,” Dulci reassured him, trying to sound as encouraging and understanding as possible.

“I know.I was just really looking forward to spending some time alone with you.I miss you,” he sighed.

“I miss you, too, and I’ll be here waiting for you,” she returned the sentiment, feeling lovesick for the first time in a very long time.

“I hate to cut this short, but the team is having dinner and I’m already late.Can I call you tomorrow?”

“Of course you can call.I’m off for the next week, so I’ll be home.Don’t get into too much trouble in LA,” Dulci said nervously, remembering some of the stories he’d told her about guys getting intoxicated, making out with anything with a pulse regardless of their relationship status at home.She wasn’t particularly concerned with Sidney going astray, but Dulci knew that girls found him very attractive.She was worried about them.

“I can’t get into trouble anywhere.I have this beautiful and intellectual girlfriend in Pittsburgh and I wouldn’t do or let anything happen to jeopardize that.She’s the only person I want to make out with.”

“She sounds pretty amazing,” Dulci feigned unfamiliarity, blushing at the compliment.

“Dulci, you have no idea.”

“Go to dinner and have a fantastic time.I’ll be counting the days until you come back,” she admitted, hoping it didn’t sound too dependent or clingy.

“I’ll be on the first flight back once everything is finished.”

The alarm came too soon.Dulci rolled over, slamming her hand on the box to turn it off.She went to be early the previous night, and having slept over twelve hours, she figured she’d get up early and do some deep cleaning around the house. She turned on her back, picking up her phone to check her email.She didn’t hear it, but Sidney had called her last night and left a voicemail.She put the message on speakerphone, placing her hand on her mouth as she laughed at the obscure message from Marc.

“Dulci?Pick up the phone!Are you there, Dulci?”It was obvious that he was very drunk, slurring his heavily accented words, making it difficult for Dulci to understand them.She laughed harder when she heard Marc telling someone that he didn’t think she was there.“Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that Sid is in love with you and he doesn’t know I’m leaving this message because he’s in the bathroom.He wouldn’t even come out with us after dinner so he wouldn’t fuck up.He want to marry you and have a bunch of American-Canadian babies with you...”Dulci stopped listening as the message continued for over a minute, feeling her heart rate accelerate at the thought of him actually loving her like she loved him.She was only brought out of her thoughts when she heard Marc making obnoxious kissing noises followed up a jostling sound before the message ended.She clutched the phone to her chest, closing her eyes, imagining what marriage a children would be like with him.He was so good with Estelle, so much so that Vero made in babysit in the past.Then she thought about what Vero told her at their dinner get together, that he’d be a great husband.The idea made Dulci smile.

As she was rolling out of bed, there was a knock at her door.For a moment, she felt butterflies in her stomach, knowing that it was right around the time that he would’ve been calling to tell her he was boarding the cross country flight home.Maybe his trip home was actually a ploy to surprise her.She walked briskly to the door, opening it enthusiastically, praying it was Sidney.She tried not to let her face fall too much in disappointment as she came face to face with someone other than Sidney.Instead, a well-dressed man stood in front of her, holding an envelope.

“Hi,” Dulci said confused as she noticed a very extravagant town car behind him.“Can I help you?”

“Ms. Hammett, my name is David Schofield.I’m here to take you to the airport.”She could only imagine how perplexed her face looked as she stared dumbly at the driver.

“Airport?I’m sorry, but I’m very confused.”Dulci looked around the outside of her house, wondering if she was the object of someone’s cruel joke.

“Mr. Crosby sent me to take you to the airport, ma’am,” the driver said matter-of-factly.

“Wait.Sidney sent you to take me to the airport?” Dulci processed out loud.“Am I going to Canada?”

“No ma’am.You have an eleven o’clock flight to Manhattan for the conference,” the driver read from a packet of paper that he’d stored under his arm for the duration of their conversation.He handed her the paperwork.

“This folder includes you round trip tickets, your hotel accommodations, your confirmation to the conference, and a complete list and schedule of lectures available.”

Dulci took the folder hesitantly, opening it to find the contents exactly as the driver had listed them.She fingered through her first class ticket, her confirmation for a deluxe suite at the Waldorf Astoria, and an unlimited pass to any lecture she wanted to take at the conference.She thought it was a mirage, or that she was dreaming, because it couldn’t be happening.She didn’t think she was going to the conference.She hadn’t packed or made arrangements for Meatball.

“Is this a joke?” Dulci spurted out, not wanting to get her hopes up.

“No ma’am,” the driver shook his head, smiling at Dulci’s state of complete shock.

“I, umm.I haven’t packed or prepared for this.Give me fifteen minutes?” Dulci asked the driver, finally accepting that the conference was going to happen, smiling like a child on Christmas morning.She raced around her bedroom, pulling out piles of everything and throwing it into her suitcase.She was so excited that she figured anything that she forgot she could buy while she was in New York City.She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and put her hair into a messy bun.She swiped everything off of her vanity into a large make up bag as Meatball watched on her bed, ready to pounce on some of the items that fell on the floor.Dulci grabbed her phone off of her bed and called the hospital, hoping there was room for Meatball to board there.

“Hey, its Dr. Hammett.Is there room to board Meatball for a week?” she asked as she quickly buttoned her flannel shirt and winter fest.

“The arrangements for a week of boarding have already been made, Dr. Hammett,” the new receptionist told her.

“Thank you, Bridgitte,” Dulci hung up the phone, impressed that Sidney seemed to think of everything.She put Meatball in her carrier, much to Meatball’s dismay, and was out the door in a little over fifteen minutes.

After dropping Meatball off at the hospital, Dulci was on her way to the airport.She tried to call Sidney numerous times, only to get his voicemail.She remembered he was either flying back to Pittsburgh or to Canada.So instead of leaving a voicemail, knowing that the driver would hear her, she decided she’d wait until she was in the hotel.

Four hours later, her cab was putting up to the Waldorf Astoria, and she wasn’t used to the valet service.The doormen opened her door and took her bags, escorting her to the reception area like she was royalty.

“Hello.My name is Dulci Hammett.I have a reservation,” she greeted the receptionist, handing her the reservation confirmation.

“Thank you Ms. Hammett.Here is your room key,” the young woman handed her the key card, looking at her computer system, “And it looks like your guest had already arrived.”

“Guest?” Dulci asked, puzzled for the tenth time that day.

“Yes.Mr. Crosby arrived a couple of hours ago,” the young lady smiled.“Enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you,” Dulci said in astonishment before heading for the elevators bay.As the elevator slowly ascended, Dulci couldn’t contain her excitement, and as the elevator opened, she practically sped walked down the hall, opening the door to find him pacing back and forth, talking to someone on the phone.

“Mom, she’s here.I have to go,” Sidney said as he saw Dulci, walking over to her before hanging up.

“Hi,” he said as he pecked her lips, pulling her into a bear hug.Dulci embraced him like it she never wanted to let go, digging her fingers into his skin, inhaling his scent, feeling his warmth.

“How?” was the only word she could get out before the felt the overwhelming urge to cry out of sheer happiness.He felt her trembling against him, trying not to cry.He kissed her ear before explaining.

“You deserve this and I wanted to give it to you.”

She closed her eyes, letting a tear fall as they continued their embrace, slowly swaying from side to side.

“Thank you,” she said as she pulled away, looking at him with gratefulness.He wiped her tear away with his thumb before softly kissing her.

“I’m leaving early tomorrow to go to Pittsburgh, but I’m all yours for the afternoon and night.”

“I thought you said you had to go to Canada to take care of business,” she asked as she unzipped her vest.

“I had to throw you off somehow.I wanted this to be a surprise,” he smiled as he laid down on the bed, motioning for her to join him as he stifled a yawn.

“I took the redeye from LA to get here before you.I didn’t get any sleep,” he explained as he rubbed his face.

“Take a nap,” Dulci suggested as she kicked off her shoes.

“I wanted to spend the day with you,” he yawned again.

“I’ll look at the conference information and schedule my lectures while you sleep,” she kissed him before retrieving the information from her luggage, returning to find him standing, pulling back the covers.

“Wake me up in two hours,” he said as he situated himself on his side, facing her, watching her excitedly shuffle through the paperwork before he fell asleep.

Notes