by K, S
Keisha headed down the long hallway to Marcus’ room. Seeing Aleesha softly snoring and peacefully sleeping as if she didn’t have a care in the world pissed her off all over again. “Bitch, wake your ass up, had me waiting at the airport for you to pick me up! Ya’ll are gonna reimburse me for that taxi ride over here, too.”
Marcus laughed and shook his head as he heard her shouting at Aleesha. He decided to give them a little privacy and went to the kitchen to put some coffee on before going outside to get the paper.
Aleesha loudly groaned and covered her head with the pillow. She was having the worse nightmare, and Keisha was the lead villain. Keisha jumped on the bed and began gleefully shaking Aleesha’s shoulder. Aleesha was the grouchiest morning person she knew, had been ever since they were kids.
“Stop it!” Aleesha shouted from underneath the pillow.
“Get up, dammit. You couldn’t wake your ass up to come and pick me up from the airport, but you’re gonna wake up now.” Keisha continued shaking her until Aleesha groaned and pushed her away.
“Okay, Okay. I’m up! Damn, Keisha, you always know how to piss people off,” she said in a sulking voice.
“Yes. It’s a gift,” Keisha proudly replied.
“Keisha, why do you have to irritate my woman so early in the morning,” Marcus asked in an amused tone as he gave them each a cup of coffee.
“Because I can, Dr. Bennett,” Keisha answered with a smile.
“Here you go baby,” he told Aleesha, leaning down to kiss her.
“Thank you, baby.”
“Oh God.” Keisha’s voice was full of disgust as she muttered under her breath. Marcus left out of the room still laughing as he went to read the paper.
“So,” Keisha said taking a sip of coffee. “Things seem to be going pretty good between you two again. Was he surprised when you showed up early?”
“You have no idea.” Aleesha filled Keisha in on what she’d found when she first walked into Marcus’ house.
“Oh, hell to the no!” Keisha shouted as she sat straight up. “I hope you whipped that bitch’s ass!”
Aleesha looked at Keisha from the corner of her eye. “Please! Do you even have to ask? I tried to stay calm at first, but this bitch wanted to get all smug and shit. Marcus had to pull me off her ass.”
“Hmph!” Keisha grunted, somewhat satisfied. Then, unable to help herself, she said “I hate to say I told you so, but fuck it. I told you so. You leave a man like Marcus out here with no ‘punani’ the bitches start circling like hungry vultures.” Aleesha paused in the act of taking another sip of her coffee and glared at Keisha. “What?! I’m just sayin’….” Keisha trailed off before changing the subject. “So Marcus said Jerra and the baby are doing good.”
Aleesha’s face softened. “Yes. Wait until you see him, Keisha. He’s gorgeous.”
Marcus walked back in. “Speaking of which, we should get going soon if you ladies are about ready.”
Keisha went to the guestroom to freshen up. When Marcus went in the bathroom to take a shower, Aleesha decided to lie back and get a few more minutes of shut eye. Seconds later though, she heard him clear his throat. Lifting her head, Aleesha saw him standing in the doorway of the bathroom with his hands on his hips wearing nothing but his ‘morning wood’ and a smile. Her eyes lit up at the morning greeting. Marcus just grinned and turned around to go back in the bathroom.
Aleesha jumped out of the bed and ran after him. They laughed as he pulled her in the shower. Keisha would have to wait.
About an hour and a half later, everyone was gathered around Jerra’s bed once again admiring the little star of the show who had them effortlessly eating out of his tiny hand. Aleesha was on one side of Jerra and Keisha was on the other cooing and smiling at DJ when a soft knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” Darrell called out.
Dominick walked in carrying a large arrangement of balloons and flowers. His handsome face lit up with a big smile. After putting the flowers down on a nearby table, he congratulated his boy and shook hands with Marcus before walking over to the women. Aleesha got up and gave him a hug.
“What’s up, champ?” he asked Aleesha, referencing the fight she’d had with Melanie the night before. He laughed when she playfully punched him in the shoulder. Marcus looked on, still not the least bit amused. Seeing his frown, Dom laughed even more.
Darrell sent a questioning glance towards Marcus. Glaring at Dominick, Marcus just shook his head and said through clenched teeth, “I’ll tell you later.”
Dominick walked over to Jerra and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. “Congratulations, Mommy,” he told her while looking down at the baby. “He’s adorable.”
“Yes, he is,” Jerra answered with a smile.
When Keisha inconspicuously nudged Jerra, Jerra quickly said, “Oh, Dominick. I’d like you meet Keisha, the other half that makes up the Musketeers,” she said with a laugh. “Keisha, this is Dominick Spain and well, I guess he makes up the other half of the Musketeers for the boys.”
Dominick did a double take when he looked at Keisha. He quickly glanced over at Marcus and Darrell, his eyes asking them why they hadn’t told him what a knockout she was.
“Hi, Dominick. Nice to meet you.” Keisha turned up the wattage of her smile and blinked flirtatiously. Mmm…now he could get it. No doubt about that!
Jerra cleared her throat, effectively bringing the two out of their trance.
Dom wrenched his eyes away from Keisha. “Well, Jerra, I’m not gonna stay, I just wanted to stop by and give you guys my congratulations and see the little man here.” He told the women goodbye and slapped hands with his boys, his eyes relaying the message that they would definitely talk later. He looked back to Keisha. “Nice to have met you. Are you going to be visiting long?”
“I’ll be here for a little while,” Keisha answered, staring at him just as intently as he was her. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other before I leave.”
Dominick’s eyes ran over her body. “Most definitely,” he muttered before leaving the room.
Aleesha and Jerra gave Keisha "the look." They recognized the expression on her face all too well.
"What??” she asked, grinning.
“Ok, ladies, hate to break up your fun, but we’d better be going. I think they’ll be releasing Jerra tomorrow, so after they have a chance to settle in, we can go by the house to visit,” Marcus said.
“Settle in my ass.” Keisha leaned down to kiss Jerra. “Call us the minute you get home.” The three of them laughed and said their goodbyes. Darrell told Jerra he would be right back after he walked them to the elevator.
After they were gone, Jerra looked down in amazement at her baby. She wrapped her hand around his tiny fingers and brought them to her lips, instantly transported back to another time when she’d done the same thing for the first child she’d given birth to before she signed adoption papers.
When she was barely fifteen years old, she had been violently raped and beaten by her stepfather. She'd barely managed to escape when he passed out in a drunken stupor afterwards. Jerra ran away and never looked back. She would have still been running if it hadn’t been for Darrell. Jerra considered herself a survivor and was determined to put the entire incident of the assault behind her, but last year Earl found out she was living in Atlanta and showed up on her doorstep. Darrell had just left to head to the airport and catch his flight back to Vegas, but a nagging feeling he couldn’t shake urged him to return to Jerra’s condo. He’d busted down the door moments before Earl was able to rape her again.
Sighing, she kissed her baby’s butter soft cheek. She’d never told Darrell about the child she’d given up from adoption, but she knew her time was running out. The longer she kept it from him, the more damage it would do to their relationship and Jerra couldn’t let that happen. He and her child meant everything to her. But how would he feel once he found out she gave up her baby the same way his mother did with him when she abandoned him
at an orphanage?
“Jerra?” Darrell was standing in the doorway watching Jerra with a concerned expression on his face. “You okay? Why are you crying?”
Having not even been aware that tears were running down her face, Jerra hurriedly wiped them away and fixed a shaky smile on her mouth. “Nothing. Hormones. You know.”
Darrell stared at her for a moment before he leaned down and softly kissed her lips then kissed the top of his son’s head. Looking at her with an unwavering intensity, his voice was gruff with emotion. “You’ve made me the happiest man on earth, Jerra. Marcus is the only family I’ve ever known. I never thought I’d have this. A wife. A son. My mother was a sorry excuse of a parent, almost destroyed my ability to trust anyone, but I trust you and I love you more than my own life. Believe that.”
As Darrell lay down on the side of the bed with her and pulled her head to his chest, Jerra couldn’t stop the sense of dread that continued to contract into a hard, painful knot in her stomach. She had to tell him. Soon.
As Marcus, Aleesha, and Keisha were getting ready to step on the elevator, Marcus heard someone call his name. He turned and saw the chief of staff, Dr. Roberts, walking towards him. “Dr. Bennett. I was just on my way to phone you. I need to speak with you please. Right away.”
Marcus frowned when he heard the serious tone of Dr. Roberts’s voice. He glanced at Aleesha. “I’ll be right back.”
Aleesha’s brows knitted together as she watched him follow the older woman.
Marcus and Dr. Roberts walked in silence. He had no idea why she needed to see him, but something was definitely wrong. As they went to her office, Marcus closed the door behind him.
“Please have a seat,” Dr. Roberts directed him.
Marcus sat down in the chair in front of her large desk and waited for her to speak.
“Dr. Bennett, serious allegations have been brought to my attention this morning. There’ve been several accusations against you of sexual harassment.”
Marcus stood up. “What?!”
“Dr. Bennett, please. Sit down.”
Marcus did as she requested, but his face reflected his shock at what she’d just told him. “Dr. Roberts, I don’t know what’s going on, but I can assure you I’ve been nothing but professional to anyone I work with!”
“Actually there are a couple of women who claim you’ve used your position to make advances towards them, threatening to make their jobs unbearable if they didn’t sleep with you.”
“That’s crazy! I want to know who in the fu-" Almost forgetting where he was for a moment and who he was talking to, Marcus bit off the rest of the sentence and took a deep breath. "I don't know who told you this, but they're lying.” Marcus was furious.
Dr. Roberts looked at him over her glasses. “It’s Dr. Blalock and Nurse Paula Charles. They’re threatening to sue you and the hospital. Until we can investigate these claims, I’m afraid I have no choice but to suspend you – effective immediately.”
Chapter 7
Aleesha and Keisha took a seat as they waited for Marcus. They talked enthusiastically about Jerra’s baby and how they couldn’t wait to hold him and spoil him once he came home. When Keisha’s phone rang, she indicated to Aleesha that she would be a minute.
Aleesha decided to send out a few text messages to friends at home to let them know Jerra had given birth. After a few moments, though, the hairs on her neck stood up. Turning her head, she scanned the room. Her eyes came to a screeching halt when she saw two women whispering to each other and staring her down. Aleesha immediately recognized the tall, fair skinned one right away - that bitch from Marcus’ house last night.
Aleesha’s eyes narrowed as she crossed her legs and stared directly at Melanie to let her know she wasn’t intimidated in the least. Melanie must have been feeling a little courageous due to her friend standing beside her because she defiantly held Aleesha’s gaze then rolled her eyes. Aleesha switched her attention to the other woman. She was very attractive with flawless dark skin framed by naturally curly dark hair which fell past her shoulders. Unlike Melanie, she didn’t avert her eyes, just continued to stare at Aleesha with intense dislike.
Keisha ended her call and slipped her phone back into her purse. “Okay. Sorry, girl. What were we talking about…?”
Her voice trailed off as she noticed her friend staring across the room like she was ready to give someone a serious beat down. With her expression unconsciously mirroring Aleesha’s, she turned in the direction Leesh was glowering in to see what had her so angry. That's when she saw the two women standing by the nurses’ station. One had on a doctor’s coat, while the other looked to be a nurse. They were both staring at Aleesha with salty expressions. When they saw Keisha looking at them, they leaned close and began to whisper again.
Keisha sat on the edge of her chair and slowly turned towards Aleesha. “Who - in the fuck - are those bitches?”
It took a moment for Aleesha to answer. “Remember the fight from last night I told you about? Well, the tall light-skinned one with the long hair is the one whose ass I kicked. I assume the other woman is a friend of hers.”
Keisha’s mouth fell open as she turned completely in her seat to face the two women. “You mean that bitch is a doctor?”
“Apparently so…”
“What kind of fuckery is that?! She must be ready for another ass whippin’ the way she’s mean muggin’ you over there. She’s a bold bitch, isn’t she?”
“Bolder now that she thinks she has back up.”
Keisha looked at the woman standing beside her. “Back up my ass. Watch my purse. Bitch thought you were ghetto. Oh, she hasn’t met Keisha Danielle McKnight. I‘m about to show her ‘ghetto‘.” Keisha stood up, but Leesha shook her head.
“Keisha, wait. This is where Marcus works. I don’t want to do anything to get him in trouble.”
“He’s your man, not mine, so he won’t get in trouble. You stay right here. I just want to have a little talk with her.” Keisha gave Aleesha a deceptively sweet smile and walked off before Aleesha could grab her arm.
“Keisha!!” Aleesha hissed.
At that exact moment, Marcus came walking towards Aleesha with long, quick strides. He turned his head just in time to see Keisha making a bee line over to Melanie and Paula.
“Keisha!” he called out in a sharp voice.
Keisha glanced over her shoulder. She held up one finger for him to hold up just one moment and kept walking.
“Keisha!” This time there was no mistaking the fact that Marcus demanded her attention.
Hearing the no nonsense timbre in his voice, Keisha stopped and turned towards him with a frown.
Marcus strode up to her and curled his hand around her arm. “Let’s go.” Keisha opened her mouth to respond, but Marcus walked back to Aleesha, bringing Keisha with him.
Aleesha stood up and gave Keisha her purse. She looked at Marcus with eyes full of concern. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
Marcus shook his head. “We’ll talk about it when we get home.”
Leesha and Keisha walked ahead of him and glared at the two women as they passed them, but both women’s eyes were on Marcus. Melanie’s mouth twisted in self-satisfaction and Paula‘s face wore an expression of lust and desire she couldn’t hide. Once he was close to them, Marcus paused and stared into their eyes. His glare made Paula quickly turn away, but Melanie, however, held his gaze, refusing to be cowed.
“Everything okay? Doctor?” Her tone was spitefully triumphant.
Marcus’ jaw clenched. He knew he should ignore her and keep walking, but he couldn’t. “You’ve just made one of the biggest mistakes of your life.”
Melanie leaned close and whispered, “No. You did, the moment you rejected me for - that.” She jerked her head in Aleesha’s direction. “No one treats me the way you and your little uncouth girlfriend did and gets away with it. Then you practically blackmail me into not calling the police? Now, you’ll be paying the price for underestimating me - with
your career,” Melanie said with a vindictive expression. Marcus’ face darkened with fury.
“Marcus!” Aleesha shouted. “Baby, let’s go.”
Marcus’ glare promised retribution to both women before he stalked off, anger evident in every step he took.
“Bye, Marcusss…” Melanie sang out in a teasing voice.
Marcus’ stride faltered and his hands curled into fists. He resumed walking out of the hospital, trying to control himself until he got home.
The ride back to Marcus' house was made in absolute silence. The moment Marcus unlocked the door, he headed straight to the wet bar in the corner of his living room and poured a healthy shot of whiskey. After throwing it down his throat, he poured another before telling Aleesha and Keisha about his meeting with Dr. Roberts. Both women stared at him in complete shock.
“They said what?”
“You heard me. They’re both accusing me of sexual harassment and apparently, I’m guilty until proven innocent. I’ve been suspended until an investigation is done.”
Aleesha’s hands covered her mouth as she gasped. “Oh…! Oh baby, no!”
“That’s why those bitches were staring us down like that,” Keisha said. “They probably knew you were being suspended at that very moment. Damn, I wish you had let me get on their asses.”
Marcus shook his head. “No. That would have only made things worse, Keisha. Believe me, I would have loved to let you loose on them, but it wouldn’t have helped my situation.”
Aleesha walked over to Marcus and reached up to hug him. “Baby I am so sorry. I feel like this is my fault because of what happened last night.”
Marcus wrapped his arms around her waist. “It’s not your fault, baby. Melanie’s crazy. I should’ve let you beat her ass some more instead of pulling you off of her,” he said, only half- joking.
Aleesha pulled back to look at him. “Who was that other woman?”
