by M. C. Cerny
“Want me to check and make sure nothing is broken?” He’s laughing, but I’m too relaxed from the orgasm to care.
“I feel like you’re making fun of me but I’m not sure I have the energy to do anything about it.” Not only am I sated but I’m grumpy too. Chase applied the towel down below and cleans up the lube and everything else. Soft and warm, he gently washes away any mess. It does feel better but I don’t tell him that either.
He’s already gotten that wicked smirk on his face thinking he’s right about this. I hate when he’s right about things because I can’t find a single valid argument back. He’s completely at ease in the caretaker role and I love that about him–wait, what? Oh god, I’ve spilled the L word. Inside my head and after the happiest satisfying sex ever. I’m shocked and panicked that I nearly miss what he says next.
“I would never make fun of my beautiful girlfriend and her fine ass.” He caresses my butt squeezing it and petting me. My stomach grumbled and I realize we’ve been in bed for a while without any snacks to keep my hangries at bay.
“Uh huh. I think I deserve a meal out of this. Maybe a movie, but definitely a meal.” I have to push aside anymore thoughts about love because I don’t know what this is that we have going on right here, right now.
“Well, then get dressed.” He rolled me over spanking my ass and I rubbed the spot giving him my evil eye.
“Oh now I get the disapproving stare?” He joked.
“I didn’t realize you were that level of kink.”
“Honey, I am any level of kink you want me to be.”
“Okay, sure.” I slipped away into the bathroom and take a look at my face. I felt my cheeks pink and the post sex sweat made my face glow. I’m a mess, but I’m kind of a pretty hot mess all things considering.
“Hurry up I gotta pee again.” Chase shouted and I’m not sure how comfortable we’ve suddenly become with each other.
“Your house has a second bathroom, go use that.” I yelled back plopping myself down on the toilet.
“But I like this one. It’s mine and there’s none like it.”
“Ugh, you do not call keeps on a bathroom toilet.”
“I do in this house.”
“No!” I argued.
“I could pee in the shower.” He suggested and the look I gave him has him throwing up his hands defensively. What it should have done was stifle the urge he had to pee. What is it with men thinking they can pee anywhere they want? He better not have been marking his territory. Men were disgusting.
“Fine!” I hurried up flushing and before I could even wash my hands Chase skipped in, lifted the rim and peed in the toilet. There was zero shame in his game as he glanced over his shoulder winking. Fucking winking.
“Eww gross!”
“Aw babe, we could have shared a flush you know.”
I stomped my foot.
“No, we will not be sharing flushes.” I demanded.
“Love you too!”
I’m too irritated to process what he’s just said. Did Chase just say he loves me while peeing? Was that normal?
It’s crazy because moments before I was on the same wavelength and I think I might love him too.
“Uh, did you just?”
Chase peaked his head around the corner grinning ear to ear to reply. “Yes, I did.”
My voice dropped from the shock. “Chase?”
He huffed taking a serious tone. “Look, I’m not expecting you to jump up and say it back. I just know when I feel something I’m not going to hold back and lose out on it.”
“Alright.” My confidence wavers and he must see that.
“It’s not the butt sex talking either. I loved you before that.” He clarified.
Strangest declaration of love and the first and only one I’d ever had so maybe I didn’t know what I was talking about.
“Thank goodness. I thought I seduced you with my fine hindquarters and all.” I smacked my ass in a showy demonstration while rolling my eyes. This man exasperated me.
Chase flushed the toilet and washed his hand at the sink looking at me in the mirror.
“Winsome Gray, how I could not fall in love with you?” Chase’s face turned to one of sweetness and it felt like that time my nephew sucker punched me in the middle, breathless and shocked, but full of love if not something else for being blindsided.
My eyes start to water. “Chase Calloway, I love you too.” The words tumbled from my mouth like word vomit. How had this guy suddenly become my everything?
His hands caressed down my shoulders calming me. “Babe, don’t cry.”
I furiously wiped tears away blubbering. “I can’t help it. You’re the best surprise out of coming here and I don’t want to go home.” The thought of leaving this little town made my stomach clench. It was like eating too many dirty water dogs from the street cart before your belly exploded in an angry rebuttal to something you already knew was bad for you, but you couldn’t help yourself from eating three of them anyway. Chase was my trifecta of dirty water dogs but I wanted him anyway.
“We don’t have to decide anything, let’s just be whatever we are and go from there.” He made it sound so simple and easy that I almost believed him. Almost.
25
Chase
I should have known feeling off all day that tonight would be terrible. I was too old to die of a heart attack, but I might have scarred poor Mrs. Fitzsimmons for life. I was riding the high of telling Winnie how I felt about her last night and now I was stuck on a date with a lovely woman old enough to be my grandmother and more handsy than my girlfriend.
“Now my Gerald had the same thing almost thirty years ago. I’m sure with modern technology you’ll be just fine.” Mrs. Fitzsimmons patted my hand and who knew I would be the one being comforted by a woman who preened about her sexual prowess some thirty decades earlier. “Unless they gotta stick one those tube things up your–”
Holding up a hand I interrupt her from discussing tubes and my dick in the same sentence. “Okay, I think I’ll just wait for the doctor.” The pain inside was sucking the life out of me and I really wished I had Winnie here or even my mom. I knew it was bad when I wanted my mom to hold my hand through this. Catherine Calloway wasn’t known for her warm and fuzzy feelings throwing the law book vigorously in her courtroom.
I leaned into the wall wafting the sting of antiseptic up my nose. The waiting room was filled with a cranky toddler, a drunk guy who was probably a regular and a teen boy dressed in athletic gear with his worried mom. I wondered if my pet patients felt a similar anxiety waiting to see me. I’d have to ask Sheila to make sure we kept extra treats on hand.
“Chase Calloway?” A surly male nurse called my name and I moved to stand up with Mrs. Fitzsimmons help.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine. Strapping young man like yourself.” She patted my hand again and I grimaced.
“Follow me please.” The nurse held the door open and we hobbled behind down a long corridor to a room with an open door.
I sweated through my dress shirt and felt my phone in my pocket. I’d wait to call a little longer.
The doctor, an ED internist looked me over. Mrs. Fitzsimmons busied herself in the corner not giving me a lick of privacy. He probably thought she was my grandmother. She clicked away on Candy Crush while I was poked and prodded.
He peeled off his gloves tossing them into a bin. “I’m going to order a CAT scan to clear you, but I’m certain you’ve got a kidney stone.”
Mrs. Fitzsimmons looked up from her phone. “I could have told you that. Poor dear will just have to piss it out.”
“Or blast. You could blast it out right?” I asked feeling the panic descend. My knee was a lost cause but if they could get rid of this stone I’d be fine.
“If it’s around the size I think it is, you’ll be alright to pass it with minimal pain meds.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Don’t be such a baby, Chase.” Mrs. Fitzsimmons chastised m
e.
“I’ll write up the scan and be back to check on you.” The doctor took his chart and left like there was free coffee and doughnuts in the hall with his name on them. Now I was waiting for a follow up CAT scan to clear me so I could pass this thing in peace or die trying. Death might have been a good option.
“Chase Calloway what the heck is going on.” I groaned like a baby rolling over into the pillow hearing my annoying baby sister calling my name from the hallway.
“You didn’t call anyone did you?” I asked my date who was obliterating peppermint candies on her screen.
She shrugged. “I texted instead.”
“Seriously?” I glared at Mrs. Fitzsimmons.
“You never said not to and I’d be a terrible date if something happened to you in my care.” She smiled and the game applauded her victory.
At this point I would have no dignity left. If I was lucky they might discharge me with some decent painkillers and I could ignore my sister who hopefully hadn’t called in the Calvary. Voices from the hallway confirmed my nightmare. It was too late. The Calvary had arrived and perfunctorily bayonetted my manhood in a billow of floral scents.
“Chase? Honey?” Christ on a cracker my mother was here. So much for wanting her to hold my hand. Judge Catherine Calloway was probably still wearing her robes from court. The way she said honey made me think I was in trouble for disrupting her evening instead of the concern I had wished for.
“Mom let him rest.”
“Kristen this is serious. What if its broken like his knee?”
I doubted my dick was broken but damn if I planned on explaining that to my overly logical mother.
“Dude, I heard your junk’s broke.” And that would be my sister’s pain in the ass boyfriend. Damien snickered. I’d punch him later next time we got together at Hunter’s house.
“Hey mom, I’m good.” I peeked from behind the pillow to see her suit rumpled from the office but luckily no robes from court.
“Are you going to eat this jello?’ From my peripheral vision, my sister helped herself to my cherry blob.
“Go for it Kristen.” Hell I’d give up pudding, sweets, anything to get these people out of my room. She was welcome to it considering I ate hers when she broke her arm years ago.
“Where’s Winnie?” I looked up into the sea of faces for dark hair and almond shaped eyes that could calm me down from jumping ship to escape from here. She was my solace, my better half.
“Right here.” She stepped out from behind the crowd in my room. I took in her worried face and beckoned her to come forward and hold my hand. Her nose scrunched as if she was holding back tears and the need to console her outweighed anything else.
“I’m okay. Promise.” Holding her hand was a life line. It was a kidney stone for crying out loud. Not like Whit who got pulled from a fire gasping for oxygen. I would be fine. One hundred percent fine. This also wasn’t like my busted knee that ended my career. My ego Winnie wasn’t going anywhere. I wasn’t letting her.
I should have this dick rock blasted into space instead of waiting on it to pass. Of course it ended up being the perfect size in between where the doctors made it their mission to make me suffer. I welcomed a more invasive procedure if it meant the pain would go away quicker.
“Honey, I can call a specialist in Albany. Maybe your orthopedist knows a guy. This is fairly common for young men your age. An easy fix with diet alterations.” Mom was already on the phone walking out the door before I could stop her. Kristen was up and ready to go after her, but I waved her off. I heard mom’s no nonsense voice arguing with an office manager about booking an appointment as soon as possible, preferably yesterday. She got louder the more they ignored her lawyerly tone.
Kristen sat on my bed patting my leg. “If it helps I can tell her I’m dating someone new.” As if telling mom about her and Damien was a good idea.
“Hey!” Damien growled open mouthed chowing down on the rest of my untouched tray of food.
Kristen gave him side eye and patted my leg.
“Thanks, I think I’ll manage mom though.” My sister shrugged and snapped her fingers getting Damien to follow on her heels. They quietly left the room leaving me with my girl, alone, finally.
“How’s the pain?” Winnie asked. Her grip on my hand was gentle but strong.
“I’ve got the good stuff but it won’t last. If I have to pass this at home, it’s not going to be fun or pretty.” I would be out of commission for a bit and high as a kite.
Winnie leaned in whispering, “Darn, I was so looking forward to a repeat of last time.” She pushed back from the bed biting her lip looking coy and sweet and anything but. Her sweet breath blocked the hospital scent and I wanted to pull her back. Drown in her goodness while I was stuck here waiting to be discharged.
“She devil.” I growled.
She curled her hair behind her ears reverting back to shy girl.
“I’ll bring toys and you can watch.” Her cheeks turned pink under the shitty lighting. It was adorable.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.” She nodded.
“I’ve created a monster haven’t I?”
“Yes, you did.” She kissed my cheek and I pulled her close to my bedside as another wave of nausea and pain radiated through my lower abdomen forcing me to curl inward.
“Should I call the nurse?” Winnie worried her bottom lip.
“No, just stay with me while I ride this out. Rumor says once this part is over the worst has past.” I gritted my teeth and she runs her cool soft fingers over my head scratching the short parts gently.
The pain intensified and I huffed out unsteady breaths.
“Should you like try going to the bathroom?”
“Yeah, maybe.” She helped me stand up and pulled my IV cart along to the bathroom where I sat on the toilet catching my breath.
Winnie held court just outside the door.
“I’m gonna pull up a chair if that’s okay.” I cringed listening to the chair scrap against the linoleum flooring squeaking.
“You think I’m going to be here awhile?”
“I googled this. It’s could take hours.”
“Fuck me.”
“Later, but if you get good at pushing these out maybe we should consider you being the one to give birth to any future children.”
“Cute, Winsome. Planning on naming this stone too?”
“Sure, what about Coal?”
“Coal?”
“Yeah as in Diamond if this takes you that long.” She snorted.
Winnie might be joking about me turning this stone into something precious but I was glad she was here even if we kept having these ridiculous meet ups. I’d do all the practice pushing in the world if it meant she’d be here by my side for all of it.
26
Winnie
My boyfriend was a horrible patient. If it was possible to quantify the worst of the worst, Chase Calloway was it. Volunteering at the animal shelter was looking like heaven compared to him whining and carrying on. At least the animals would have been receptive to a chin scratch or a bowl of fresh water. I heard he was a bear with his knee after the surgery, but this was a kidney stone for fucks sake.
Maybe he was worried about sexual dysfunction. Maybe he was pissed I asked the nurse about it who laughed out loud snorting. Yup, full on snort. Maybe he was mad about his mother stopping by several times and making him an appointment for a doctor in Albany. Maybe we needed a break.
Except right now we were driving to Albany, rather I was driving because he was in too much pain. The kind of pain that made the attending doctor call the office and get his appointment moved up a week.
“What time is the appointment again?”
“I think eleven thirty.” He groaned looking out the side window as I navigated traffic up route 87 in his car because it was more comfortable for him to get in and out of. My hands sweated on the steering wheel driving his car but he insisted handing me the keys without eve
n a second glance. Probably not a good time to tell him about my last fender bender or slew of parking tickets. I wasn’t the best driver and my city girl life relied on public transportation.
I pulled up to Albany Mass General and parked the car in the outpatient lot. “Alright wimpy, we doing this?”
“Fine, but I’m walking in.”
“If you say so.” I parked as close as possible to give Chase a break but we still had to navigate inside the hospital to the urology department. I held onto his arm and took note of the effort it took to get him to walk down the hall.
“Are you sure you don’t want a wheel…” I didn’t even get to finish the sentence.
“No.” He gritted out pushing the doors open to the Urology practice inside.
I helped him sit down and grabbed the clipboard with release papers for him to fill out. We’d done most if it online except for all the HIPPA forms.
“Chase Calloway.”
I glanced up hearing the gruff voice I’d only heard over the phone the past few months.
“Dad?”
“Winnie?” Both Chase and my father said my name looking back and forth between me and Chase and then my dad. It was awkward at best. Poor Chase flushed scarlet and I felt a heat of embarrassment come over me.
“Sweetheart, what are you doing here? Is everything alright?” Dad was as confused as the rest of us.
“Uh, I’m bringing my boyfriend for an appointment. I didn’t know you were working at this Albany hospital.”
Chase and dad exchanged a look.
“Win, this is the only major hospital in Albany.”
“But I thought like New York City...” I trailed assuming wrong again. Of course New York had the potential for multiple hospitals. Albany was a fraction of the size and boast one main hospital branch servicing the entire area.
