Love Me Tender by Susan Fox

closed the door.
    She stood on the sidewalk and waited until he drove away. Then, moving slowly and cautiously with her gaze fixed on the path in front of her, she made her way to the side door that led to her studio apartment. It was tough walking when one foot didn’t feel the ground, but she was getting used to it.
    Inside, she paused in the tiny kitchen area to drink a glass of cold water. She noticed that one of the freesia blossoms had fallen out of her pocket somewhere. The other was half wilted, still sweet smelling when she held it to her nose. She filled a smaller glass with water and stuck the poor thing in it.
    Tonight, she couldn’t be bothered removing her make-up or brushing her teeth. It was all she could do to unfold the hide-a-bed and pull off her clothes before sliding between the sheets.
    â€œNight,” she murmured to Pooh Bear, who sat on the end table.
    She didn’t set the alarm on her cell. Thank heavens Madisun had given her the day off on Sunday. A good rest would get her healed up and reenergized.
    On Monday she’d find out if she still had a job.
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    Sunday, Cassidy woke to the sound of firm knocking on the door of her apartment. Not the outside door, but the one that led into Ms. Haldenby’s house.
    â€œComing!” She rolled out of bed, warily testing her left leg, which now behaved just fine. Sunlight filtered through the blinds and she hummed as she grabbed her robe from a hook and wrapped it around her.
    â€œGood morning,” she said as she opened the door.
    Her white-haired landlady, dressed in a blue-and-white-striped shirt tucked into a blue skirt, greeted her with a frown. “Are you sick? There’s no excuse for lying in bed past nine o’clock unless you’re sick.”
    Ms. H had a brusque manner, a keen intellect, a soft heart, and firm opinions on many subjects. She had no patience with wimps, and fortunately Cassidy wasn’t one. “How about working until past midnight?” Okay, it wasn’t exactly the truth, considering the nap she’d taken in Dave’s office, but close enough. “What time is it?”
    â€œAfter ten. You have yesterday’s make-up around your eyes. Wash up and put on some clothes. Breakfast’s in ten minutes.”
    â€œIf that’s an invitation, I’d be delighted to accept.”
    Humor danced in Ms. H’s sky-blue eyes, but all she said was, “Don’t be late.”
    Under the warm spray of the shower, Cassidy mused about last night. Hopefully, Dave wasn’t too pissed off. She could live without having sex with him—though, man, dancing with him and kissing him had sure been a turn-on—but she’d hate to lose his friendship and her job. Maybe she should call and apologize, but she’d only said things he needed to hear. Surely he’d realize that. Best thing to do was show up for work tomorrow as if nothing had happened.
    Resolved not to let worry spoil her day off, she dressed in shorts and a purple tank top worn over a pink bra. No make-up. With her coloring, she didn’t need it, so she wore it only on special occasions. With a couple minutes to spare, she put last night’s clothes in the laundry hamper, folded up the hide-a-bed sofa, and moved the coffee table back in place in front of it.
    Her studio apartment had been created from the house’s original dining room and spare bathroom. The furniture wasn’t fancy, but it was clean and functional. The sofa and a reading chair were grouped with a coffee table, an end table, and an old TV. A small table with two upright chairs served either for eating or as a desk. The mini kitchen had a sink, fridge, microwave, and toaster oven. Her landlady had told her that, if she wanted to do any real cooking or baking, she was welcome to use her kitchen.
    The place was perfect for a nomad like Cassidy, and she loved having her own space rather than sharing an apartment.
    She gave a