Lunchtime Chronicles: Naked Sushi

When Blake offered to pay for my sister’s rehab, I jumped on it. To save my sister from drugs, I would do almost anything. In the beginning, I wondered if Blake would try to take advantage in any way. He didn’t and had been a great boss, even trying to look out for me at times.

But now Reo was proposing a new freedom. The sort that allowed me to take care of myself too.

An early retirement.

I couldn’t pass that up. For once, this would deal with my future—my self-care.

But. . .what about if he pushes for sex?

While I knew most men would possibly try to get me naked and then take advantage, I didn’t think Reo was the type. He’d been a perfect gentleman during our elegant lunch. If he was an evil bastard would he have gone to all of the trouble?

And there were other things that I considered. If he wanted to harm me, he could have kidnapped me right in the abandoned amusement park. No one would have known. Instead, he gave me the biggest romantic surprise of my life.

I left the car and walked up to my place.

I’m not going to be nervous about this. My gut says that this is a good deal.

I opened my front door and entered my place. Instantly, the bright romantic high left me. I set my purse on the coffee table and headed to my sister’s bedroom.

Doom filled me.

I pulled out a new bed pan from under the kitchen sink. Next, I grabbed the bucket of cleaning supplies—ammonia, plastic gloves, sponges, and bags.

Hopefully, she didn’t throw up or poop on herself today.

With Tina, I never knew what to expect.

This is going to all work out. Soon, we’ll both be done with this.

After this deal with Reo, I would immediately put Tina into rehab. Then, I would finish my contract with Blake and. . .

I paused in front of my sister’s bedroom.

Once Tina is safe in rehab, what will I do?

I was embarrassed that nothing came to my mind. Surely, I’d had dreams long ago or some goals. Yet, no thoughts came.

Dear God. I’ve been so busy with her. . .I forgot about myself.

I opened the door.

A rank odor hit me first. Tina turned her head and looked my way. Sweat covered her brown skin. Her lips were cracked. Her eyes were red at the corners. One would have thought she had just been bitten by a zombie and was in the process of changing.

Her body trembled under the rope’s binding.

Why did I agree to this?

Under Tina’s request, I tied her up three days ago. I’d made a threat of kicking her out of my place. A cold turkey detox had been her solution.

Unfortunately, I researched that a full detox with no medical supervision could be deadly. Withdrawal symptoms would potentially be dangerous. There was no way we could try that method.

I told Mr. Meade about our dilemma. He gave me an illegal prescription of Suboxone. It was supposed to help Tina cope with the withdrawal symptoms while she detoxed in her bedroom.

Still, I wasn’t a fan of the idea at all. First, I was worried that a detox with no medical supervision could make her sicker. Second, the rope felt barbaric.

But drugs had destroyed both of our lives. At some point, I was willing to try anything to stop watching her kill herself.

“How do you feel? Do you need water?” I went to the bed, set the cleaning supplies down, and grabbed the pitcher of water next to the nightstand.

“No water.” Her words came out slowly. “You don’t need a new bed pan either. I’m dehydrated.”

I poured water into the glass anyway. “Water will help. Maybe, even a few sips at a time could—”

“I don’t want water.” Tina sneered.

Sighing, I put the glass and pitcher down. “Are you hungry? You’ve barely eaten anything.”

“Mom says I don’t need to eat.”

I paused. “What do you mean?”

“She came to me with huge, pretty wings.”

“Okay.” I grabbed a towel off the dresser and wiped her face. “Remember we read that hallucinations could be a result of the detox?”

“This wasn’t that. Mom was here with Jesus. They healed me.”

I dabbed at her forehead. “Good. I’m glad Jesus stopped by. I’ve surely prayed to him enough about this.”

With wild eyes, she grinned at me. “I’m going to be okay.”

“You will.” My hands shook as I finished wiping up the rest of the sweat.

“But. . .Jesus was upset with you, Lay. He doesn’t like this.”

“Tina, this was your idea.”

“Yeah, but I’m in so much pain. Jesus, wants you to untie me.”

I moved the towel away. “Is that what he told you?”

“I’m healed, Lay.”

“I don’t understand. Do you want me to let you go?”

“I’m in pain. My stomach hurts. My body too. It’s because of what you’re doing to me.”