Joy Meachum glanced at the woman sitting across from her, studying her careful posture and Mona Lisa smile, her gaze giving nothing away of what might be going on behind her chocolate brown eyes.
Joy returned her attention to the woman's resume, lifting a brow in admiration. She was clearly qualified for the job…the real question was, could she handle it?
Sighing softly she set aside her resume and smiled, "You have all of the qualifications I'm looking for Ms. Ebadi, but I want to be clear, this position will have a number of," Joy paused for a moment before grimacing softly, "challenges."
The woman smiled softly and lifted, making a graceful dismissing motion, "I'm sure I can handle whatever challenges I am presented with," she replied softly, "Would you care to tell me more about the client?" she asked, "The profile given was…vague," she informed Joy with a half frown.
Joy nodded, "My brother Ward is an addict. Pain killers, muscle relaxants, whatever works I suppose," she murmured, her brow furrowed. "He's refused treatment and is struggling with the aftermath of our…" here Joy paused.
She couldn't reveal that her father, who had died 13 years ago, had in fact been alive, only to be killed again, much more recently.
Clearing her throat, Joy pulled an apologetic face, "I'm sorry, we lost a friend recently and it's been quite difficult for my brother. I want to make sure he gets the help he needs, gets clean, and is capable of running this company once more."
"Is that something you can do Ms. Ebadi?" Joy murmured, studying the other woman closely.
She smiled and nodded sharply, "I'll have your brother clean, functioning and dealing with his issues in a healthy manner in no less than a month," she assured Joy. "I can't promise it will be a happy process, detox never is, but at the end, you'll have your brother back."
Joy heaved a sigh of relief and stood, extending her hand, "Thank you so much. I believe Ward is in his office, why don't we go introduce you?" she suggested.
Ms. Ebadi nodded and followed her through a door, lifting a brow at the simple elegance of the office they stepped into.
Joy smiled nervously at Ward, noting the red rim on his eyes and disheveled look—something that had become far more common than she cared for. He glanced rapidly between her and Ms. Ebadi, his brow furrowing, searching for a reason why she had brought this unfamiliar woman into his office.
"Ward, this is Ms. Ebadi. I've hired her to be your health and wellness guide," Joy explained awkwardly. She wasn't sure what else to call-I'm forcing a detox/therapist/trainer on you, so deal with it.
She only knew that her brother couldn't continue on in this manner, and she couldn't stand by any longer and watch him kill himself.
Ward's brows rose sharply, "Health and wellness guide?" he demanded incredulously, "Joy, I'm fine. I'm healthy, I go to the gym more often than you do, and certainly don't need someone to guide me," he scoffed.
"Ward, you're an addict and it's only gotten worse since…"Joy paused again and glanced sharply over at Ms. Ebadi before continuing, "everything. If you don't do this, I will go to the board and we'll have a vote of no confidence and prevent you from having any say in the way Rand is run until you are sober, mentally well, and ready to return."
Ward shot to his feet, glaring at his sister, "The hell you will!" he shouted, his hair flopping into his eyes as he stalked around his desk to tower over her, "You're not doing this Joy," he hissed.
Joy stood taller and glared back, "If you want to participate in the business of this company, I most certainly am, and if I hear that you've given Ms. Ebadi a hard time, I'll do it. If you try to fire her, I'll do it."
Ward swallowed hard and shook his head, "I don't need this Joy," he said, his voice softer, pleading this time.
Sorrow filled Joy at the tired look her brother wore. She reached out to cup his cheek, smiling warmly, "I love you Ward. But I need you back," she told him softly.
After a long moment of silence Ward nodded slowly, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment as he leaned into her gentle touch. "Okay," he breathed, nodding softly, "Okay," he repeated, opening his eyes to find the woman, Ms. Ebadi, watching them carefully.
"Ms. Ebadi, I apologize for the outburst," he said as he extended his hand to her, "I look forward to working with you."
She smiled archly at him as she shook his hand, "Mr. Meachum, it's my pleasure to help you. Please, call me Soraya," she murmured.
Ward nodded, "Soraya, I have a busy day ahead, but I'd be happy to meet with you first thing tomorrow to discuss your role in my life," he replied, already planning on a way to get rid of her.
Soraya smiled benignly, "I don't think so Mr. Meachum, in fact, I'll need you to step out of your office while I search it for drugs," she glanced at Joy, "Perhaps you can go with your sister for a cup of tea," she suggested, her tone making it clear that it was less suggestion and more order.
"Are you kidding? I don't have anything in my office, and I'm certainly not going to let you go through it, not when there are personal, sensitive business documents around. Hell no," Ward exclaimed vehemently.
Soraya smiled wider, "Mr. Meachum, if you want to remain at this company, you're going to have to listen to me. I guarantee if you do, I'll be gone in less than a month. If you make this hard, it'll take longer."
Ward stared at her for a moment. A month huh, well, he'd see just how long she would last.
"Fine," he bit off shortly, turning on his heel and striding into Joy's office.
Soraya gave Joy a crooked smile, "It's not going to be easy for him. Or you," she added, "But if you can, get rid of all the alcohol in the building and preferably, any drugs-narcotic or otherwise he might try to get his hands on," she told the other woman.
Joy nodded, looking uneasy, before she turned and followed after her brother, shutting the door behind her.
Soraya looked around the office appraisingly, noting all of the hiding places Ward could have put to use for his habit. Setting her purse down with a sigh she began going through each desk drawer, tossing out pill bottles and heroin packets as she went.
Nearly an hour later the door to the office burst open, allowing Ward to stride in, his clothing looking fresher and his demeanor more relaxed than when she had first seen him. She had just finished checking all the plants, knick knacks, and had discovered a wall safe, but had been unable to open it.
"Can you give me the code to this please?" she asked softly, waving towards the safe.
Ward eyed her speculatively and then nodded, sighing heavily. She watched as he entered the code, though she was fairly certain he would change it as soon as possible. When he had stepped aside she peered into the dark box and frowned.
There were stacks of cash, passports, legal looking documents, but there didn't appear to be any drugs inside. After a moment's quick search she confirmed her initial thought and shut the door, lifting the painting that had covered the safe back into place.
"That's crooked, someone is going to notice," Ward murmured from behind her, his voice low and irritated.
She moved to adjust it but was cut off by his large body as he stepped around her, adjusting the painting to his liking. She watched him carefully as he turned to her, his face lined with exhaustion and worn with drug usage.
He frowned deeply at her, "So, what else are you going to take from me?" he demanded.
Soraya laughed, a warm throaty sound that left him caught off guard and absently wishing he could hear it again. "I'm taking nothing from you Mr. Meachum. I'm here to help you regain control, health, and mental well-being. If you don't want that, all you have to do is walk away from Rand and you can use drugs until you OD," she assured him.
Ward's eyes widened at her casual tone, anger surging through him. "I would never walk away from Rand," he snarled.
"Good, then we shouldn't have any problems with you listening to me, should we?" Soraya responded, smiling tartly.
He gave her a begrudging nod and then waved a hand around his office, "So am I allowed to get back to work, or are you absconding with me somewhere so I can detox?" he demanded.
Soraya laughed again, shaking her head, "No Mr. Meachum, I'm not absconding with you today." She glanced at her watch and then back to him, "Have you eaten lunch yet?" she asked.
Ward shook his head, running a hand over his hair, "No, I was interrupted before I could," he told her sarcastically, his face pinched with annoyance.
She chose to ignore his jibe for the moment, nodding instead, "Well, then why don't we have lunch and you can ask me anything you want, I find that facilitates this process," she murmured, reaching for her purse.
"Very well," Ward grunted, adjusting the buttons on his suit and playing with his tie for a moment before he held out a hand, "After you," he murmured sharply.
Soraya smiled and held up a hand, walking to the trash can she had dumped his substantial cache of drugs into and pulled out the bag, nodding at him as she walked past, carrying the bag as though it wasn't the oddest sight.
He sighed heavily and followed her out of his office, watching as she stopped to talk to Megan, his secretary. They spoke too softly for him to hear what was being said, but Megan's eyes darted over her shoulder to rest on him for a moment before she nodded.
Soraya turned back to him and smiled, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "Ready?" she asked, stepping into the elevator that had just arrived.
He nodded abruptly and watched her from the corner of his eye, wondering just who the hell this woman was that his sister had hired to get him clean. He frowned; does everyone know why she's here?
Surely if they did he would have heard about it before ever meeting her. Rolling his neck, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to fight the burning in his veins. It had been nearly a whole day since he had last taken pills, and he was starting to lose focus.
The elevator doors slid open and he heard the soft click of Soraya's heels on the lobby marble. "Are you coming Mr. Meachum?" she asked softly, and he could hear the smile in her voice.
Sighing, he opened his eyes and stepped out past her, holding the door open for her—a courtesy that surprised him; why was he being kind to her?
Ward was well aware he was an asshole and a liar, but as Soraya stepped past him with a soft murmur of thanks, her smile warm, he decided to try not to be such an asshole.
They walked a few blocks down in relative silence, the sounds of traffic and the hum of the streets filling the air between them. Soraya stopped at a restaurant and waved a hand towards it, "I think you'll enjoy the food here," she said, already walking towards the door without waiting to see if he was following.
He glanced at the name of the restaurant-Elysian Fields- and wondered why he had never eaten here if it was so good. The hostess smiled brightly at Soraya and glanced over at him as they spoke.
A moment later they were being led to a table in the back, away from the few diners that were there. Soraya sat and smiled up at him as he deliberated for a moment before joining her. He snatched up the menu and read, immediately wondering where the hell she had brought him.
"There's no meat on this menu," he snapped, setting it aside to glare at her.
Soraya nodded, "This is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant. I'd like for you to try it, I can give you a recommendation for what's good if you like," she offered, "My friend is the chef here and she tests recipes out on me," she told him as she turned her attention back to the menu.
Ward made a soft grumbling noise and lifted the menu to peruse again. When the waitress came a few minutes later he set it aside and gave her a tight lipped smile. "I'll take the ratatouille and a glass of…" he trailed off and glanced at Soraya, wondering if he'd be able to get away with a glass of wine.
She arched a brow and smiled knowingly at him.
He sighed and handed the waitress the menu, "Water…I'll have water," he muttered.
Soraya grinned softly and handed her menu away as well, "I'll take the leek and potato soup, and if we could get a basket of bread I'd appreciate it," she murmured. "I'll take water as well," she finished.
The waitress nodded and promptly disappeared, leaving them once again in awkward silence.
Soraya sighed and leaned down to pull her planner and a pen from her purse. She carefully set them on the table and leaned toward Ward, an earnest look on her face. "Mr. Meachum, I appreciate how difficult this situation is for you. Giving up control to someone is never easy, and I don't expect you to like it, or me frankly, until you learn to trust that I'm here to help you, that your well-being is all I care about, and that you can trust me."
Ward studied her for a moment and then nodded slowly, "Thank you for that," he murmured. "What should I expect from you?" he asked uncomfortably; the last person he had given up control to was his father, and that had hardly been against his will. This whole situation made him uncomfortable; what if someone found out?
"You can expect me to be in your life 24/7, whether I'm physically at your side or not. I find it works best to have me live in with my client so we can resolve their issues, but I understand if you're not comfortable with that right away," she conceded.
"However, if I do not live with you during this time, I cannot guarantee the success of your health being regained," she told him severely, "It's my objective to make sure you are eating the right things, getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy fitness regimen, and establishing healthy personal connections," she continued.
The waitress stopped their conversation as she dropped off a basket of warm bread and their waters, disappearing again a moment later.
Soraya reached for a slice of bread and buttered it, biting in with a sound of appreciation. She felt Ward's eyes on her and smiled at him, "You should try it, they make the bread fresh in house and get local butter," she told him.
He nodded and took his own piece of bread, slathering it with butter before taking a large bite. Warm spices filled his mouth and he inhaled in surprise, chewing more eagerly as he studied the bread.
"What's in this?" he asked, reaching for another piece.
"Roasted garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, and a few other spices," she told him, smiling as he eagerly ate a third piece of bread. "They change the bread every week, so you always get different flavors. They have a garlic and olive loaf that is to die for," she told him enthusiastically.
Ward regarded her for a moment before his lips quirked into a half smile, "How did you get into this line of work?" he asked, feeling curious despite himself.
Soraya sipped her water for a moment and then smiled wanly. "My father is a bio-engineer and my mother is a therapist, and a fabulous cook," she replied with a warm smile. "But it was my brother Komal who led me to my work," she told him, a sad look in her eyes.
"My family is Iranian-Afghani, and we grew up in Afghanistan until the war with your country and Al-Qaeda grew so violent and terrible that my parents decided it was better for us to come here," she said, her eyes gaining a far way look.
"I was only 12 when we moved here, my brother was 16. Al-Qaeda had forced him to work in the poppy fields, paying him in heroin until our parents finalized our paperwork to come here. By the time we came to New York, he was hooked on the drug, and he quickly fell into deeper drug use and dealing."
Ward saw her jaw tighten and felt a flash of sorrow for her, perhaps he shouldn't have asked.
"By the time he was 18 he had been in jail twice and was stealing from our parents to fund his habit. One night he broke into the wrong house and was caught by the owner as he tried to steal their jewelry."
Her voice caught for a moment and Ward watched as she brushed absently at her eyes before continuing. "He had brought a knife with him, and the man shot him. He died in the street, trying to get home," she murmured.
Ward's gut twisted-it was a horrible story, and an all too familiar one here in New York. He found himself reaching out to rest his hand on hers, "I'm sorry," he murmured.
Her eyes darted up to his, surprise coloring her face, and she swallowed hard before replying. "Thank you, but it's been 14 years since that night, and I've learned to deal with the loss. I became a licensed therapist like my mother, specializing in drug use and rehabilitation. I also have a degree as a nutritionist, and I've been working for nearly ten years in my field," she told him, a note of pride in her voice.
Ward nodded and began to rethink his opinion of the woman sitting across from him. "Does this mean that I'll have to become a vegetarian?" he asked lightly, smirking at her look of surprise. He knew all too well how heavy the bonds of family could weigh, even after decades.
Soraya smiled softly, "No, you don't have to become a vegetarian, but you will be limited to food that is organic, free range, and hormone free," she told him, arching her brow, "Can you handle that?"
He laughed sharply at her teasing tone and nodded, "I do," he replied, pausing a moment before adding, "I think if you're going to be dictating my eating habits, you should probably live in house to make sure I stay on track," he told her.
He couldn't remember the last woman he had made a similar offer to, lately it had all been drunken one night stands that were gone when he woke. He had a feeling this encounter would be very different from what he was used to.
Soraya smiled in satisfaction as their food was set before them, "Excellent! I'm glad to hear that Mr. Meachum," she exclaimed softly.
"Why don't you go ahead and call me Ward if we're going to be living together," he murmured, giving her a teasing look.
She laughed and nodded, "Very good. Let me know what you think of the ratatouille," she replied, taking a bite of her soup.
He turned his attention to his food and found it was just as good as she had predicted—he didn't even miss the lack of meat.
When they had finished their lunch he reached for the bill, surprised when she snatched it from his hand with a grin, "I'll get this, it's a business expense," she told him, laughing softly at the look of consternation on his face.
He watched as she signed the bill, her brow creased in concentration. Her long dark hair spilled around her face as she leaned down and replaced her card in her wallet, and he thought idly how silky it looked.
Back on the street they remained in a more comfortable silence until they arrived at Rand's doors. Soraya put a hand on his arm to stop him from entering and gave him a serious look, "I've disposed of your stash in your office. If there's anyplace else in the building that you've stored something, you need to tell me so I can remove it," she murmured.
Annoyance rumbled through Ward—why would he let her wander through the building?
Soraya saw the annoyance on Ward's face and squeezed his arm gently, "I understand you might not like to tell me, but Ward, you can trust me. I'm here for you and your benefit, okay?" she assured him.
After a heaved sigh Ward nodded, "I haven't stored anything elsewhere. I kept it all in my office where I knew it wouldn't be found," he told her, avoiding her gaze.
"Good. Do you have more work to do today?" she asked softly.
"Of course," he replied, still sounding annoyed. "I suppose you want to stay and watch over me?" he asked wryly.
"I'd prefer it if you could give me your apartment key. I'd like to clean up there and get myself moved in," she told him, amused by the shock she saw on his face before he recovered and nodded slowly.
"Right. I'll call the building and let them know you'll be staying so you can use my other parking spot," he told her, already pulling out his phone. She watched as he made the call, instructing the person on the other end of the line to put her name down as a guest for at least a month.
When he hung up he dug into his pocket and pulled out a small ring of keys, handing them over without further protest. His brow furrowed, "The guest room is down the hall from the dining room, first door on the left," he told her.
"I promise I will treat your home with respect," she told him, her gaze warm as she squeezed his arm again.
He supposed that made him feel better, at least slightly, but he was still waffling between acceptance of his new position in life, and anger.
"I'll be home no later than 8pm," he told her, turning to enter the building, pausing when she called out.
"Ward?"
He turned back and found her handing him a business card, her cell number scribbled on the back. "Take this. It has my email, website, and personal phone number. If you need anything today, just call me and I'll be there," she told him, her gaze earnest.
He nodded and slid the card into his pocket before leaving her behind and heading for his office, unable to shake the feeling that everything in his life was changing, and just when he thought he might be back on solid ground.
Soraya pushed the door open to Ward's apartment, shaking her head in dry amusement. This wasn't an apartment, it was a penthouse suite. She walked quietly through each room, amused to see a pool through the patio window.
She pushed open the door to what would be her room for the next month and lifted a brow; all the furniture was dark teak wood with sleek lines, modern art hung on the walls that probably belonged in an expensive gallery, and the hardwood floors were gleaming as though they had just been polished.
A fireplace across the room was flanked by a settee and a small table, a comfortable looking place to sit and work, she thought. She dropped her bags on the floor beside the dresser and walked to the door beside it, expecting to find a bathroom when she opened it, instead walking into a closet that was twice the size of her own at home.
After carrying her bags inside she let the door hang open while she opened the other door by the window, a soft gasp escaping her at the room within. The floor was emerald colored marble, gold flecks and whorls running through it while the walls were painted a rich, tawny gold color that made her think of sunshine and warmth. The towels were a stark white with a simple black band along the edges, with what she suspected were Ward's initials sewn in.
She nodded thoughtfully and walked back out to the main bedroom, silently wondering if Ward had a stash in here. Probably not, she mused. She changed quickly from the white pant suit she had worn for her interview with Joy into a pair of black leggings and a white tank top that hung loosely on her.
Her bare feet padded across the wooden floors of the apartment, her phone tucked into the waistband of her leggings in case Ward called her. She quickly decided to start in the kitchen, eyeing the wet bar just a few feet away.
Rummaging through the cupboards and the huge pantry she found a few bags and boxes that would be of good use for getting rid of any paraphernalia. Slowly she worked through the kitchen, filling two boxes with alcohol before she even began searching the cabinets.
Pausing for a sip of water, she pulled her phone out and turned on her Spotify, playing her "Cleanup" playlist. A small notification popped up on her phone that a Bluetooth sound system was available, did she want to connect?
She quickly hit yes and a moment or two later her music blasted through the apartment, bringing a smile to her face as she continued cleaning.
Two hours later she had two boxes of alcohol, a bag full of painkillers, muscle relaxers, illicit narcotics, and every OTC painkiller she could find. She carefully dumped out his mouthwash—any alcohol content was not allowed.
As she moved onto the billiards room she had just found, the music stopped and a notification that Ward was calling rang through the apartment. She quickly ran to her phone and turned off the Bluetooth before answering.
"Ward, are you ok?" she asked, her voice warm with concern.
Ward paused a moment at the sound of her voice and then swallowed hard, fighting whatever odd emotions were happening to him. "Yea, yea, I'm fine. I just realized there's a wall safe in my bedroom and there's stuff there," he told her, his voice choking at the revelation.
"Okay, that's great that you called and told me Ward, I'm glad you're trusting me," she assured him, "What's the code?" she asked softly.
"48450"
She nodded and repeated it for confirmation before smiling softly, "Is there anything else you want to tell me? Do you want to talk?" she offered.
Ward scowled, "No. That's it. I have to go," he snapped, cutting off her reply by ending the call. He had been in a meeting and had felt like crawling out of his skin, his head pounding, when he suddenly realized the wall safe's existence.
He had considered not telling her, but he was fairly certain if he hadn't she would have called Joy and told her that things weren't going well and that would have been very bad. He loathed the idea of relinquishing control to Soraya, but she and his sister had him quite effectively over a barrel.
He scoffed softly and glared at the glass of water in front of him, wishing it was scotch. He wondered idly if Soraya would manage to get all the alcohol out of his building, or maybe better yet, all of New York.
Smirking bitterly he turned his attention back to work, never really noticing that as he drank more water instead of alcohol, his headache shrank and disappeared.
Soraya washed her hands off after dragging the bags and boxes of drugs and alcohol to the dumpster behind the building. She had received a few odd looks from the staff of the building, but no one stopped her or asked any questions.
She glanced at the clock and saw it was 6pm; Ward had said he would be home before 8pm, but hadn't contacted her since his last call to let her know when precisely he might be back. Instead of worrying about it she chose to slide a cardigan on and a pair of comfortable flats for her journey to the grocery store.
Ward's fridge certainly had food in it, but mostly takeout leftovers, odds and ends of various condiments and vegetables, and alcohol. She had gotten rid of the alcohol and any expired food before her journey to the store, but she began to suspect she would have a hard time carrying all the bags back.
When she had finished shopping she stood patiently in line, watching as the total rose higher. She frowned at the number of bags and ordered an Uber, pleased to see it would arrive in just 5 minutes.
To her surprise the Uber driver helped her load the groceries and when they arrived at the building, offered to assist her with carrying them up. She thanked him, but politely refused, managing to carry all the bags in one trip.
By the time she stumbled out of the elevator her arms were burning from where the handles cut into her skin. The sound of jazz playing softly in the apartment startled her into stillness, wondering in a panic if someone had broken in.
To play jazz music? You're an idiot!
Smirking at her momentary panic she hurried forward to the kitchen, setting down the bags with a sigh of relief. Sounds from Ward's bedroom let her know that he was home, allaying any final fears of a break in she might have had.
She quickly set about unpacking the groceries, humming softly along with the jazz.
"I have food, why did you buy more?"
The sound of Ward's demanding voice startled her into smacking her head on one of the shelves, wincing at the brief burst of pain as she turned to face him, her hand on the sore spot. Ward's brows came together, a frown pursing his full lips.
"Are you ok?" he asked with a sigh, regret sweeping through him for startling her. Such an asshole.
She nodded and pulled her hand away, "It's fine," she assured him, a tight, annoyed smile pursing her lips. "I bought more food because half of your food was expired, and the other half was alcohol," she told him, reaching for a small whole chicken she had bought for their dinner tonight.
"Well…thanks, I guess," Ward muttered, running a hand through his hair nervously. He watched as Soraya unpacked the groceries, leaving a few on the counter. He hadn't felt this awkward since he was a teenager, trying to hit on the hottest girl in class.
"What are you making?" he asked, picking up the squash she had left on the counter beside a number of other vegetables.
Soraya smiled at him warmly, "Roasted herb chicken, roasted acorn squash and brussel sprouts, and for dessert," she reached into the freezer and pulled out a gelato container, grinning with delight, "lime-coconut gelato."
Ward lifted a brow, impressed by the dinner she had planned, and the fact she was letting him have something as sugary as gelato. Crossing his arms over his chest he cleared his throat and avoided her gaze as he asked, "Can I help?"
Soraya smiled softly at his obvious discomfort in offering to assist her, but nodded, "Yea. Can you slice the acorn squash into rings and remove the seeds?" she asked. She watched him for a moment as he grabbed a knife and began slicing, his movements precise and concentrated.
They worked together to prepare the meal, Soraya occasionally giving him direction as she prepared the chicken. When the food was all in the oven she poured them both a glass of sparkling water with fresh lime, seating herself across the bar from him as he washed his hands.
She watched him as he moved, his sleeves rolled up to expose the firm, muscled flesh of his forearms. The vest he wore over his button down hugged his lean figure nicely, she decided, he was a well dressed man with impeccable taste it seemed.
Startled by her train of thought, she turned her gaze to the marble countertop and sipped on her drink. Not only was it unethical for her to sleep with a client, it was against everything she believed when helping people who were in such vulnerable states as Ward clearly was.
Ward turned to find Soraya studying the countertop with a pensive expression on her face, her fingers idly drawing patterns on the side of her glass. He had been surprised when he had come home and found everything where it should be, minus the drugs and alcohol of course.
He supposed that she had promised to respect his home, so he shouldn't have been surprised to find she kept her word. Truth was, he had found himself with far too many people in his life who couldn't keep their word.
He sipped on the drink she had made him and leaned against the counter, watching her for a moment. "So you really enjoy feeding and caring for drug addicts?" he asked, smirking when her head came up, her eyes narrowed.
"I do. Do you enjoy what you do?" she countered, her tone dry. To her surprise, Ward chuckled softly and shook his head.
"I don't know. I used to. Now though," he sighed and shook his head again, "I can't tell what makes me happy," he told her softly, a conflicted look crossing his face.
Soraya sighed softly and shook her head, "What are some hobbies you used to have?" she asked, frowning as he gave her a blank look. "Reading? Movies? A sport?" she queried.
"I-I used to play rugby with some friends," he murmured, trailing off at the thought of the friends he hadn't seen in months. "I used to have friends," he realized, a sad look crossing his face.
Soraya leaned across the counter and laid a hand on his forearm, the skin of his arm warm under her hand. "You'll get it all back, I promise," she assured him. Ward lifted his gaze to meet hers; shocked by the buzz of pleasure he felt where she was touching him.
Clearing his throat he gave her an awkward smile, "I-uh, thanks," he muttered before watching her hand slide away, leaving an empty feeling in his stomach at its absence. He tugged at his tie, loosening it until he could pull it off and unbutton his shirt.
"I'm going to shower," he told her softly as he walked away, not waiting for a response. Soraya watched him walk away before heading to her room for a book she had been working on for a few days, taking it out to the deck by the pool to enjoy the last of the summer light as it faded into twilight.
Thirty minutes later Ward padded out barefoot, a tshirt clinging damply to his back and a pair of athletic shorts sitting low on his hips. He sat next to Soraya on a deck chair, resting his Ipad on his knees as he opened up his News app to read the day's headlines.
They sat in comfortable silence as they read, a sort of ease growing between them. When Soraya's alarm on her phone went off 15 minutes later she left him to read while she pulled the vegetables out and checked the doneness of the chicken.
She waited another five minutes and pulled the chicken out, letting it rest while she put the vegetables on their plates. When everything was pulled together she carried the plates out to the deck, handing Ward his with a smile.
He eagerly set aside his Ipad, reaching for the food, grunting with pleasure at the taste. Soraya sat cross legged beside him on her chair, eating with gusto; she had worked up an appetite while searching Ward's home for drugs.
When Ward held out his hand for her empty plate she looked up at him in surprise. He smirked softly, "You cooked, I can clean up," he told her, taking the plate from her grip. Soraya watched him for a moment thoughtfully and then reclined back in her chair with her book, reading until Ward reemerged with bowls of gelato.
He sat facing her, taking small bites as he studied her. She lifted a brow at his perusal, smirking softly.
"What does your family think of what you do?" he asked, "You must know this is dangerous work," he told her.
Soraya smiled, "Of course I know. But not helping people who I know I can, that's worse to me," she replied, taking another bite of gelato.
Ward nodded, swallowing his bite of gelato before asking, "And your boyfriend? What does he think?" he asked, wondering why in the hell he cared, why it felt important to know if she even had a boyfriend.
"I don't have a boyfriend, do you?" she asked teasingly, lifting a brow as she smirked.
Ward found himself laughing at her teasing wit and enjoying the rapport that was slowly building. "I don't have a boyfriend, no," he replied easily, "or a girlfriend for that matter. It's been at least a year since I was in a relationship," he told her.
"How about you?" he asked curiously.
Soraya hesitated for a moment, telling Ward about her personal life was a step closer to the line she had no plans on crossing. But if it would help him feel comfortable around her…
"My last relationship was two years ago, and it didn't end well. She was unable to accept that I worked so closely with my clients. She constantly felt like they were a threat to our relationship and I couldn't convince her otherwise."
Soraya brushed a hand across her cheek and smiled tiredly, "Dating isn't easy with what I do, people all too frequently feel like you're abandoning them for other's needs," she murmured.
Ward sat stunned; staring at her while he processed what she had told him. Clearing his throat he averted his eyes as he apologized, feeling like he had intruded on her by asking.
She glanced up at him and smiled sadly, "It's fine, besides, maybe when you regain contact with your friends you can hook me up with a nice guy," she teased, watching as he choked on his bite of gelato.
Ward felt his eyes widening and cleared his throat, "You-uh, like men too?" he asked, feeling awkward as hell.
Soraya stood with her empty bowl and smirked, "I like people. Gender doesn't really matter," she said softly before turning to head inside. "Good night Ward," she called over her shoulder.
As she crawled beneath the covers of her bed, hair damp from the shower, she wondered whether it had been a wise decision to share that much of her life with Ward. Running a hand over her face she set aside her reservations and set her alarm for 5am.
Hopefully the rest of their night would be uneventful.