Chapter 31

"Get changed. I'll get changed and drive you. You're in no shape to drive."

"You're probably right," she admitted as she headed for the bedroom.

Taylor was calm and had nerves of steel in the face of an emergency, but when it came to her personal life crises, she could fall apart in the blink of an eye. Joe knew that, and that is why he offered to drive her. Hurriedly, she tore off her stockings.

"There goes another five dollar pair," he remarked as he observed the runs in the stockings.

"They're just stockings. I can replace them," she reminded.

Joe looked at the sexy garter belt and sighed. He loved it when she wore her sexy lingerie. He especially loved it when he could slip off her jeans and hoodies and could find a lacy bra and matching thong. He shook his head, sad that there probably wasn't going to be any extracurricular activity in the Jaylor household that night.

"So what's Mrs. Pagano like?" Joe asked casually.

"I have no idea. I've never met her," she admitted.

"But she knew to call you."

"I can't explain that, Joe. Unless he told her to call me." She unhooked the bra and pulled down her thong, and replaced them with a sports bra and a well worn pair of bikinis.

Joe looked at her choice of underwear and shook his head. She was back to the everyday utility undies. He didn't approve, but it was nice to see that she wasn't keeping her sexies on for Pagano.

She rifled through the top left drawer and pulled out a pair of socks. She put them on, then added a pair of sweatpants and her Cubs hoodie.

"You realize that it's hockey, basketball, and football seasons, right?" Joe reminded.

"Yes."

"So why are you wearing your Cubs hoodie?"

"Because it's warm and I'm cold, and well, I like it."

Joe rolled his eyes. He was a purist. He didn't believe in wearing sports apparel in the off season. Hockey, basketball, and football seasons meant wearing the appropriate Blackhawks, Bulls, and Bears apparel. Certainly not Cubs apparel in the middle of December. "Ok, but I don't know you," he decided.

Taylor looked at him. "Stop being such a purist. Live a little." She walked over to him and gave him a kiss. "Besides, you might find that you like it." She turned and walked out of the bedroom, letting him change his clothes.

As they made their way to Chicago Med, Taylor reached into her purse and pulled something out. Joe caught a glance of something metal, then heard the familiar clink of something touching the metal. "You still carry your rosary with you?" he asked in surprise.

She nodded as she concentrated on the Lord's Prayer.

He turned his attention back to the road, not wanting to disturb her. While he tried to say rosaries, it took him forever, and he always wound up frustrated because he could never remember what set of mysteries went on what day. What took him at least 45 minutes to do, Taylor could circle her beads in 10 minutes. All he could figure was she had an abbreviated version, although she always claimed she said all 55 prayers and the correct set of mysteries. Hell, he could never remember the mysteries. All he could remember was Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious. Sometimes he wondered if God would be mad at him for only saying the Lord's Prayer, Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Bes. That was the best he could do.

By the time he found a parking place in the parking garage, Taylor had just finished up and placed her beads back in her purse.

"Perfect timing. 10 minutes."

"I say at least one every day. But today needs at least two," she admitted as she opened the car door. Joe met her at the back of the car and pushed the remote to lock the door. He then took Taylor's hand as they started for the Emergency Room.