24 Hours to Love

    She vainly tried to focus on the computer screen in front of her as her head pounded from the oppressive heat, hearing the door slam closed and voices echoing in the hall. She hoped that the visitors, whoever they were, would bypass her office. The voices and footsteps drew closer signaling they were coming her way.  She straightened her dark wire-rimmed glasses and forced what she hoped was a friendly smile at their approach.

    The program administrator Bob Jenkins accompanied by a handsome dark haired man sweating profusely entered her office. “ Sam, sorry to disturb you but I need to introduce you to this weeks volunteer office worker. Sam, this is Jackson Pollick the race car driver, Jack this is Dr. Samantha Montgomery the outgoing chair of the Haitian Foundation School of Nursing.”

    Sam forced a smile and offered her sweaty hand, “ Nice to meet you Jack. I look forward to you working with us for the upcoming week. Its always nice when we have celebrity volunteers.” She prayed she sounded sincere. “ Bob will give you a tour of the compound and get you settled in your room, then you can come back to see me for your duties. Thank you for volunteering.”

    “ Thank you Dr. Montgomery. I look forward to it. I hope to be able to do some real good here. Just let me know what I need to do.” His voice was soft and gentle, his smile bright.

      She felt strangely unnerved by his good looks and seemingly earnest desire to help. That most celebrities came for the photo op and never did much work always frustrated her. “Time will tell,” she muttered resuming her reading. There was just so much work to do before she returned home to Florida.

    A light tap at the door caused her to look over her glasses. Jack was standing there like an expectant puppy,  “ Oh, I did not expect you back so soon. Please sit down and I will explain what I need you to do. Please feel free to call me Sam by the way” She paused to gather her thoughts. “ The work is not difficult. I will need you to act as a receptionist for the compound, answer phones, screen visitors. In addition, I can use you to accompany our cook Celine to the market to select our foods and any general maintenance around the compound, change light bulbs, batteries etc. It’s an easy job really and you will have a lot of free time to relax.”

    She caught the downcast look on Jacks face. “ Thank you Sam. I really appreciate the opportunity to serve. I am a bit disappointed, I was hoping to be able to have more contact with the Haitians, offer direct help to the needy, like work in a soup kitchen or build a house. I will do my best though with whatever you need me to do.”

    Sam smiled slightly, “ Haiti is a very poor unstable country Jack. Celebrities such as you would be at great risk if they had too much direct contact with the people. You will be helping the needy and the poor by allowing me the time to prepare my teachers and my nursing students. The work is not hard and it does make a difference.  If you need any help, don’t be afraid to ask. It should be a quiet day, Fridays usually are. I have no appointments scheduled.”

      Sam felt her eyes lock with Jacks causing a shiver to run down her spine as Jack exited the office.  Sam picked up her pen with a quivering hand. She took a deep breath and shuddered, “God he is good looking and very charming. That smile is overwhelming.” Her thoughts often returned to the handsome man answering the incessantly ringing phones outside her office and her eyes soon followed her thoughts. She could not bring herself to close the door and block him from her view. She shivered realizing she was attracted to him.

    The light tap on the door caused her to look up quickly to see Jack peeking in. “Sam, Celine sent me to tell you lunch is ready. She wanted to know if you would eat it here or outside?”

    Sam put her hand across her heart to stop its racing, “ Jack, you scared me half to death! Lunchtime already? I think I will eat outside in the garden, I need a break from the curriculum. Will you join me?”

    She caught the brightness of his smile as he nodded yes. Sam’s heart sank realizing that she had just, invited him to eat with her.  Now she would have to carry on a conversation with him. The thought of it caused her to tremble. He was a good-looking fly by night racecar driver and she a serious shy nurse, what could they talk about anyway? She gave herself a pep talk, “ Hold on to your head and be calm. He’s only here for the week and then you will never see him again. Concentrate on your work girl, that’s what you are here for. ”

    The tropical noonday sun blinded her as she stepped out into the mass of tall palm trees and brightly colored flowers and took a seat under the cool shade of the green striped umbrella. She tried not to watch as Jack eased his trim muscular form into the seat across from her. They ate in silence for a few moments, relishing the crisp flavors of the fruit and cottage cheese. She felt his eyes watching her and blushed at what he might be thinking.

    Jack broke the silence first. “ Celine tells me I should be honored you are joining me, that you usually eat in your office. Why lock yourself up in that dull room when there is a lush paradise out here waiting to be enjoyed? The view is awesome with the palm trees and the blue Atlantic off in the distance. Haiti seems to be a beautiful tropical paradise!”

    Sam swallowed hard to hide her irritation. “ I usually keep working as I eat. There is so much to do and so little time. I am going back to Florida soon and everything needs to be in order for my replacement. I have worked here for two years and I am not about to leave the permanent director with unfinished business. The students and ultimately the care of patients depend on the instructors and the program I put together so it better be done right. I did not come here to Haiti to enjoy the scenery. I came here to help people in need. Something I doubt you understand. Celebrities never do. They view this place as a beautiful paradise because of the warm weather and the gorgeous beaches.  They come here with their publicists and film crews and act like they are doing something, but end up in the way. Once in while, they make a cash donation but usually not.”

    She stopped at the shocked look on Jacks face. “ I don’t mean to upset you Sam. I really do want to help. Please don’t think I am like the other celebrities. I would go out and build houses or serve food if the foundation would let me, but they won’t.”

    “ Look Jack, its simply not safe for you to do that. We have teams who go out from here and do that; they have been specially trained to deal with these situations. The people in this country are very poor and angry. They are struggling. You never know if you are going to wake up to a riot. Disease runs rampant here. There are few well-trained Doctors and fewer trained nurses. My job is to get a good nurses training program started, then come back yearly to make an evaluation and recommendations. People’s lives count on me getting the job done right the first time. So if I get upset or act defensive around you I am sorry. I am heavily invested in this, even after I have gone home, while you will go back to your racing and forget all about the people here. I appreciate all you will do this week. If you will excuse me, I must return to work.”

    Sam shoved back her chair, carried the remainder of her food to her office and banged the door closed behind her. She tried not to think of the look of stunned surprise on Jacks face. What did it matter, he would get over it. She finished her lunch and settled in for an afternoon of typing until she heard a soft tap at the door.

  She rolled her eyes at Jacks brown eyes and disarming smile peered in at her through the partially opened door.  “ Sam, sorry to bother you. Some of the guys are going out to supper. Will you join us? They said you would say no, but I thought I would ask anyway.”

      “ No thanks. I don’t usually go out to eat. I find it’s often not safe and I really have a lot of work to do. Enjoy yourself and be careful.” She felt herself smile “ Don’t let the voodoo priests get you. I would hate to see you get hexed and ruin a good racing career!”

      Jack saluted farewell. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the warm cloth chair, wondering why he had to be so good-looking and persistent in wanting to include her. “Steady yourself girl, steady yourself. He is only here for six more days and he will be gone for good. Focus on your work and forget about him.”

    The dim lighting in the library had Sam squinting as she reviewed the student nurses clinical schedule for next week. Sweet harmonious voices singing a Haitian hymn floated in through the partially open window as twilight fell. A loud bang broke the beautiful moment. Sam jerked her head to the right and peered over her glasses to see Jack strolling in, like he was following the light to the end of the tunnel. She muttered “what is he doing back so early and why doesn’t he just go upstairs!”

    “Well Jack, you’re back early. I thought you would be gone for the night with the rest of the guys.” Sam smiled as Jack jumped at the sound of her voice.

    “ I didn’t see you there, you scared me! I just saw the lights on and came in to check it out! Yeah, I’m back early. They were heading down to the resort. I am bushed and took a rain check. That and I don’t want to be recognized as a celebrity, to use your words.” Jacks tone was teasing. “ I’m going to get something cold to drink, you want something?”

      “I would imagine you would be tired after your long day.” Sam ignored the dig at her celebrity reference. “ Yes, I would like something cool to drink. Thanks for asking”

      The singing outside suddenly changed to venomous cursing and crashing glass. Sam sprang to her feet, heart pounding and hands sweating “ Jack come quick! I need you now! Make sure all the doors and windows are locked in the kitchen and double check the front door. It sounds like trouble is brewing outside!”

    With hands trembling and heart pounding she hastened to close the heavy windows in the library and set the codes for the security system. She ran to the hall to make sure the doors were closed and locked, wondering where Jack was and what was taking him so long. She pulled on the heavy handle of the front door, ensuring it was locked, turned around and felt cotton strike her cheek as she realized she plowed into Jacks chest.

    “ Whoa Sam, slow down! Don’t run me over! I got the kitchen and backroom windows locked. What is going on? You are really shaking!”

    His concerned voice was far away against the loud thumping in her head. She felt his strong arms holding hers as she looked up at his face. The sounds of gunfire, angry shouts and smashing glass grew louder, drawing closer.

    “ It looks like a riot is starting out there! Something has upset the natives and we need to go on lockdown.  Let go of me and make sure the upstairs windows are secure. Thank God you are here! I’ve been through this before but never all by myself. Make sure all the lights are off as well. Then meet me in the library; we’ll hunker down there. Hopefully it will pass quickly.” Her words poured out in a rapid steady stream.

      His hands were cold, clammy and trembling when he released her shoulders and bounded up the steps. The sharp incessant ring of the main phone caught her attention. She ran to answer it.

    “ This is Dr. Montrose.” She swallowed hard to calm her voice, even as her legs trembled like an earthquake. “ Yes Bob we are in lockdown. Jack and I are the only ones here. The other guys are out somewhere. You are at the embassy still? Keep me posted. Thanks Bob.”

    She used her hand to sweep her long hair off of her face and turned quickly to see Jack standing beside her, quizzical expression on his face.

    “ That was Bob. He is stranded at the Embassy. Seems like a full-scale riot has broken out. They are heading towards the government buildings and Presidential Palace. It could get ugly tonight.” Her words tumbled out quickly as she saw an eerie glow of orange light flickering and reflected in the windows facing the main road. “ Oh Dear God, they have started fires. This is bad, the worst riot yet.  Jack, do you know how to use a pistol?”

    The trembling in her legs worsened, her palms now sweaty, heart pounding, head swimming as she realized the danger they were in.

    “ I do know how to shoot. I have never used one for real but if necessary I will. Is it going to get that bad?” She heard the fear in his voice.

    “ Jack, it could get very, very bad. We may need to evacuate. You need to have your passport, your ID and plane tickets with you at all times.” Her now calm voice surprised her as he showed her he had the documents. “ I need you to get the pistol from the upper right hand desk drawer. I am shaking too much to carry it. In the event the crowd comes this way, you may need to shoot. Listen, its getting worse out there!”

    Her legs suddenly felt like used rubber and she started to sway as the angry shouting, shooting and glass crunching grew louder, closer. If she could only make it to the sofa she would be ok. The room suddenly felt like a blast furnace even as her legs became cold and weak. Incessant loud banging on the wooden door startled her. She moved slowly towards the sound and opened the door a crack to see out.

    “ Who’s there?” She called loudly. “We are armed here!”

    She slammed the door, locked it, put her head against the heavy wood her breath coming rapidly. Darkness swarmed over her accompanied by the vague sensation of not moving under her own power. Was she going to die here? Where was Jack, was he ok?

    A vague sensation of wet coolness hit her face, the stinging sensation slowly bringing her out of the darkness. Was she alive or dead? Slowly she raised her swimming head and saw the pale frowning face of Jack staring down at her.

    “ Sam, are you alright? I heard the door slam and caught you before you fell. I brought you in here then went outside and put out the fire. They burned the car. I think I scared them off.” Sam pulled herself up and felt strong arms push her back on to the cushion.

“ Don’t try and get up. You will be ok, just lay there for a few minutes. You gave me a scare. I thought you were dead! Did they hurt you?”

    Sam tried to smile as the room came into focus. “ All I remember was asking who was there. I slammed the door and I blacked out. I think I was just so scared.  How did I get here? What happened to the car?”

    “ I carried you in here and smelled gasoline burning. I ran out with the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and put it out before it caught the garage and main house here. The kids saw I had a gun and ran. Thank God I didn’t have to use it. That was the scariest experience I have ever had. When I came back in I thought you were dead”

    “ Help me sit up please.” His warm strong hand gently grasped hers as she swung her feet to the soft carpet. “ Thank you for risking your own life going out there. I am not sure if you were brave or dumb.  They could have killed you. You wanted contact with the natives and you got it, just not in the manner you expected!”

    “ I did get a bit more than I bargained for! I never realized how unstable things are here. Has this happened before?” She smiled as Jack sat down close beside her, watching her carefully.

    “ Usually every few months something happens, just not this bad. This is my first time by myself when it happened. Usually Bob is here or one of the crew. Something set them off. Maybe one of the voodoo priests drug deals gone bad or a child slaver grabbed somebody’s daughter or son, that’s the usual cause. They start screaming shooting, set a few fires and it quiets down. From the orange glow in the sky, this is pretty widespread. It seems like the mob has moved on from here. We should be ok, but I recommend staying downstairs here just in case and keep that gun handy!” Sam’s voice shook, her eyes filling with tears.

    Jacks arms were suddenly around her, pulling her tight against his strong chest as the flood of tears flowed down her face. “ Its ok Sam, let it out, lean on me. You are safe right now. Let it out!”

    His hands were warm and gentle as they stroked her hair; sending cool shivers down her spine. The sensation of his heart beat a comforting rhythm against her cheek. Deep sobs shook her from head to toe as she blurted out. “ I am so tired of this, the constant worry of riots, deadly diseases. I have been here for two years and I just want to go home back to my normal routine. I will be so glad when this term is over. I can see why they don’t let anyone stay here for longer than that. The stress will kill you.”

      His hand cupped her chin and lifted her face and she saw his eyes filled with tears, his voice gentle almost caressing. “ Sam, you are one brave lady to do this, to endure the struggles here. What made you come here?”

    “ I always wanted to be a Missionary nurse. That couldn’t happen because of my heart murmur. I got my graduate degrees in nursing and decided to teach. I got the opportunity to come here and help get a nursing program came along. I took it. When I go back to Daytona Beach I will be in charge of the nursing program full time and will monitor things here. I just never knew how stressful this would be.” She squirmed suddenly feeling uncomfortable in his arms, wishing he would let her go. “ What made you become a racer?”

    “ I grew up in small town Illinois. Cars were a hobby to me. My first job was driving a racecar for the local grocer. I fell in love with it and found I had a talent for it. When I got a chance at national sponsors, I took it. For me its not about the money or the fame, its about enjoying it and giving back to people who need it. I volunteered to come here to help people in need. I never thought it would be unsafe.” Sam’s chin suddenly felt cool as his hand dropped to her shoulder, still she could not look away. “ I see now that what I can do here is nothing like what you and the others do here. You guys make a real difference.”

    Sam’s smiled softly as she looked deeply into his eyes. “ Tonight you made a real difference. You saved the compound and probably my life. That took courage and real selflessness. That is very rare. When you go back to your world, you can go knowing you made a difference. I think I may have been wrong about you and I apologize for it. You really do care about helping people don’t you?”

    “I care more than you will ever know or understand. Much has been given to me and I want to give back to those who are less fortunate. I am going to hate to go home and leave you here. You are in so much danger!”

    “ Nonsense Jack, I will be fine for the few remaining days that I will be here. I am sorry that I melted down on you. For some reason I felt safe enough with you to let it go. Thank you. I think I have the courage to hold out for a few more days. I think I needed to let the fear and tears out. I am just grateful that you were here. Thank God you came back early, you could have been stranded with the rest of the crew God knows where.”

    The sudden flush on Jacks cheeks took Sam by surprise. “ Sam, I’ll confess, I came back early because I wanted to spend time with you, learn more about you and what you do here. I found myself attracted to you when I met you this morning. Your obvious hostility towards me intrigued me even more. I am glad I did come back.” His hand lightly, gently, stroked her wet cheek sending shivers of electricity down her spine. “ I wanted to get to know you better but this was not what I had in mind at all! I am glad I was able to comfort you, be here for you. I think I understand a little better why you were so hostile towards me, it’s not just the fact that I am a celebrity, you felt the energy and attraction too, didn’t you and you were trying to hide it?”

    A rush of warmth filled Sam’s face as she lowered her eyes suddenly unable to speak. All she wanted to do was get up and run but she couldn’t because his arms still held her tight. Her heart began to pound once again. Cautiously she raised her eyes and caught his smile.

    “ Sam, you too afraid to admit you feel something? I have an idea, lets see what the rest of this week brings between us and lets plan to meet in Daytona one week after you get back. We can go to Black beards or Aunt Catfishes and see if this feeling we both have is just a rush from surviving a dangerous situation or if it’s the real thing. Deal?”

    Sam found her voice. “ Yeah sure, we can do that.”