Almost Doesn't Count

by Angela Winters

  “Look at yooouuu!” Mabel Peterson opened her arms wide as she rushed out from behind her desk toward Erica.

  “Hi, Mrs. Peterson.” Erica smiled and braced for the hug.

  Mabel Peterson was a very large woman, and Erica had endured her very warm and tight embraces for as long as she could remember. She usually let go when you told her you couldn’t breathe anymore.

  “Stop that.” Mabel released her to look her over. “You’re a big girl now, you can call me Mabel.”

  “My mother wouldn’t like that,” Erica said.

  “Bless her heart.” Mabel, a devout catholic woman, made the symbol of the cross across her chest. “I miss her so much, but I’m so glad to see you. You never come by here anymore.”

  Here was Sibley Hospital. This was the place that Erica’s mother, Achelle, Mabel, and one other woman were the only black nurses working there a few years before Erica was born. Mabel had come from a nursing school in Atlanta and knew no one. Erica’s mother and her became fast friends. Thirty years later, a widowed mother of three, Mabel had gone from a first-level registered nurse to the head of the entire hospital’s nursing department and a member of the hospital’s board.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Erica said. “Things have been crazy for me. I haven’t been by since your twenty-five-year anniversary party.”

  “Wasn’t that fun?” Mabel did a dancing move with her hips as she sauntered over to the sofa in her spacious office. “We were dancing and carrying on girl.”

  Erica obeyed Mabel’s instruction to sit next to her on the leather sofa.

  “You have to come to my retirement party,” Mabel said.

  “You’re retiring?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” Mabel snapped her fingers. “Fifty-five. Ms. Mabel got her money straight and is ready to retire early back to Atlanta and spend her winters in the Bahamas.”

  “Good for you.” Erica wished she could be so lucky. “I hope your family is doing well.”

  “Wonderful. I’m about to have my second grandbaby, and . . .” Mabel looked at Erica’s expression and sighed. “Baby, what’s wrong. You sounded very upset when you called. I know you’re upset about Nate, but there wasn’t anything I could do.”

  “I know, Mabel.” Erica sighed.

  “It’s a shame because you know I would do anything for you and your mama.”

  Erica nodded. “I know you were the one that covered for him when he started working here and needed time to get his act together.”

  “He’s a good kid,” Mabel said. “Don’t forget that. None of this means he’s a bad person.”

  She appreciatively rubbed Mabel’s arm. “I’m just so worried about him. I’ve recently found out some information that . . . I’m just gonna be straight and honest about it.”

  “I know what you’re going to say,” Mabel said.

  Erica could see the expression on Mabel’s face and it hurt her badly.

  “Nate told me he’d been fired because he got into an argument with an important person here, but that’s not true, is it?”

  Mabel pointed a noting finger. “Now, that is true. That did happen, but wasn’t why he was fired. There were suspicions about him and another young man who worked here, but that morning we had conclusive evidence.”

  “I talked to his ex-girlfriend, Kelly, the other day, and she told me she thinks Nate is on drugs.” Erica swallowed hard. “Are you telling me you have proof?”

  “I can’t tell you what I think you’re here for. He’s entitled to his privacy.” Mabel lowered her head. “What I can tell you is that we drug test every year, honey. People here have access to a lot of medications and we need to be careful.”

  Erica fell back on the sofa feeling as if she wanted to cry. She had tried so hard after her mother died to continue what her mother had started. She tried to raise her brother, even though she was only nineteen herself when the burden was placed on her, as best she could. She hadn’t been good enough.

  “This isn’t your fault,” Mabel said as if sensing what Erica was thinking. “Nate is a wonderful young man. He’s slipped up. It happens to the best of our young men these days. We should have never hired Reedy. He was bad news. He’s been a bad influence on Nate since he showed up last year.”

  “Reedy?” Erica looked up, wondering why that name sounded familiar. “Is he the other . . .”

  “I can’t tell you more than that.” Mabel was getting upset. “Look, the only thing that matters is that you’re there for Nate. You have to get him in shape. Tough love is called for.”

  “I’ve been trying.” Erica sighed. “Terrell and I have . . .”

  “You and Terrell are back together?” Mabel asked in a hopeful tone. “Nate had told me you weren’t engaged anymore.”

  Erica smiled and nodded, grateful for something to smile about. “He’s really been trying to help me out with Nate, but I don’t think it’s working.”

  “Good,” Mabel said. “No offense to you, Erica, but he needs a grown man to be on him. Let me give you something.”

  Erica stood up as Mabel rushed over to her desk. She riffled through the drawers for something. When she found it, she pulled it out and brought it over to her. They were brochures on dealing with a family member on drugs. It sickened Erica to look at these because she never expected to be a person that needed them.

  “Come here, baby.” Mabel opened her arms again.

  This time, Erica was the one that squeezed hard.

  Walking toward her car in the parking lot of the hospital moments later, Erica got a call from Terrell and he sensed something was wrong right away.

  “It’s drugs, Terrell.”

  There was a silence on the phone, and she thought she’d lost the signal.

  “Are you there?”

  “I’m here,” he said quietly. “Well, we kind of knew that, didn’t we?”

  “Nate was fired because he failed a drug test, not because he got into a fight.” Erica suddenly started crying. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I can’t lose my brother to drugs. I just don’t know . . . Mama would . . .”

  “Calm down, baby. Calm down.”

  “No,” she said defiantly. “I’m gonna confront him. We have to do an intervention. I’m gonna find out who this Reedy is and make sure he stays away—”

  “Erica! Listen to me!”

  “Terrell, we have to work together on this!”

  “I will handle this,” he said.

  “You keep saying that, but nothing is working,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for what you’re doing, but it’s just not working.”

  “I’ve been through this before,” he said. “Remember my cousin, Nick?”

  “Yes.” Erica remembered his cousin who dropped out of premed and got lost in drugs. He almost died. The family intervened and forced him to a clinic.

  “It’s not as bad as Nick,” Terrell said. “And we saved him. Let me find out what’s going on and I’ll take care of it. It’s just taking longer than expected.”

  “Okay.” Erica slowly began to calm down. “I love you, Terrell.”

  She honestly didn’t know what she would do without him.

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  11

  Billie was trying to focus on her work when the call came in that Ricky Williams was there to see her. She was already incredibly upset and frustrated after talking to Sherise. That ordeal was the only thing that made her stop thinking about almost kissing Ricky in the alley. Now that he was dropping by for an unexpected visit, it was back on her mind.

  “Can you show him down?” she asked, reluctantly.

  Billie scrambled to find her file on the case, which was coming along well but was the last thing on her mind right now. She had a meeting on another case in fifteen minutes, so this would have to be brief.

  She grabbed her pocket mirror and checked herself quickly, telling herself this is what she did before she met with any client. That was true, but for some reason she n
eeded to remind herself of that this time.

  Her door was open when the receptionist ushered him in before leaving right away. Billie noticed that he was wearing a suit, looking even more handsome than usual. Damn him!

  Billie got up and walked briskly around her desk. “Mr. Williams, this is unexpected. We didn’t have an appointment.”

  “I was in the area,” he said, looking at her with confusion.

  She closed the door behind him and ushered him to the chair on the other side of her desk. “What are you doing in these parts?”

  “Um . . .” He watched as she walked back to the other side of the desk. “I knew this was going to happen.”

  “I don’t have much news on the case,” she continued as she sat down. “But I plan to have some great news in a bit. What we’ve been doing has ruffled feathers and—”

  “Billie, please.” He held up a hand as he stood at the desk. “I didn’t come by for an update on the case. I came to talk to you about your visit.”

  Billie sighed. She wasn’t in the mood for this for a variety of reasons, but most importantly, this was her office. “Mr. Williams, I—”

  “Ricky,” he said, laughing. “Come on, now.”

  “Ricky,” she said firmly. “I don’t think we need to talk about that at all.”

  “It seemed to bother you.” He leaned forward, placing his hands firmly at the edge of the desk. “I think we should talk about it.”

  “This is a professional setting,” she argued. “It’s not the time or the place to—”

  “I think it’s important to this case,” he said.

  Billie wasn’t sure how to address that. It was true in a way. “I agree that the fact that we almost kissed is important to the case in the sense that going any further could have put this case in jeopardy and I’m not willing to—”

  “What?” He stood up straight, his brows centered in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  “What?” She was starting to stutter. “Y-You were . . . I was. Oh my God. You’re not talking about that are you?”

  He smiled an accomplished smile, but it only turned her immense embarrassment into anger.

  “This is funny to you?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry.” He took a moment to compose himself. “I came here to talk about what you think is drug activity behind my shelter.”

  Billie couldn’t remember the last time she felt like such a fool.

  “And here I was thinking,” he continued, “that was what had been on your mind these last couple of days.”

  Billie seethed at his arrogant grin. “The only reason I was thinking about it was because it was extremely unprofessional and won’t happen again.”

  “Too bad.” He shrugged. “I actually thought it was very nice.”

  “What did you come here for?” she asked impatiently.

  Ricky studied her for a moment. “What’s wrong with you?”

  Billie sighed. “Look, Ricky. Actual suspected drug activity in the area aside, if those calls were legit, no one would have tried to get them removed.”

  “Tried?” he asked. “Does that mean you’ve located them?”

  “We’ve issued subpoenas and we’re on our way. People are nervous. That’s a good thing.”

  “A very good thing.” He made a victorious fist pump. “I knew you could do it.”

  “We haven’t done it yet,” she said, “but we will. Now if there’s anything else . . .”

  “So we aren’t going to talk about your suspicions?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I’m here to try this case.”

  “It does matter,” he answered back. “To me. Billie, I’m not a perfect guy, but . . .”

  Without thought, Billie made a huffing sound and rolled her eyes. She hadn’t even realized she’d done it until Ricky’s quick reaction. She immediately wished she could take it back.

  “What was that for?” he asked, seeming offended.

  “Nothing,” she said. “Go on.”

  “No,” he said. “You clearly have a problem with me. I know it’s a woman’s way to make the guy figure it out, but—”

  “What are you talking about?” She shot up from her chair. “The woman’s way? The guy? We aren’t in a relationship, Mr. Williams. You don’t have to—”

  “Ricky,” he corrected.

  “Mr. Williams,” she repeated. “You don’t have to figure anything out. That was a sexist comment.”

  “How was it sexist?”

  “I’ve had it,” she said under her breath.

  “I heard that,” Ricky said.

  She tilted her head and squinted her eyes. “If that was all you came for, you can rest assured, it’s not a problem. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

  He watched as she walked around her desk, headed for the door.

  “At first I thought this was about you being embarrassed,” he said, “but it’s more than that.”

  “Embarrassed?” She faked a laugh. “Don’t worry about me.”

  “Some dude pissed you off, didn’t he?”

  He wasn’t wrong. Billie had just had enough of men. Porter and Robert. Now even Justin wasn’t trustworthy. Then this man came over and tried to judge her? He was right, but that made her only angrier.

  “This is inappropriate,” she said, standing at the door.

  She reached for the door, but in that second, Ricky was there. He reached out and took a firm yet gentle hold of her face, bringing her to him. His lips descended down on hers in a quick but possessive motion.

  Billie’s immediate shock at the act was replaced with the explosion of desire that shot through her entire body. His lips were demanding and she gave in immediately, so fast that it frightened her. It frightened her enough to make her realize what was happening. She ignored the part of her body that told her she was enjoying this and wanted more and listened to her head.

  She pushed him away from her, trying to show the angriest face she could think of, but he just smiled.

  “That,” he said, taking a step back, “was inappropriate.”

  Billie was breathless and couldn’t speak or move for the next few seconds. Finally, she mustered the strength.

  “How dare you do that?” she asked.

  Ricky’s eyes were smoldering. He was clearly turned on and this frightened her.

  “I work here,” she said. “How could you put me at such a risk?”

  “I wanted to get it out of the way,” he said. “It’s hanging there between us. I’m attracted to you and you’re—”

  “Your lawyer,” she interrupted. “That’s what I am. Your lawyer, and this shouldn’t have happened. You have to leave.”

  “Look, Billie, I—”

  “Now!” She pointed to the door, taking a few extra steps back to be safe. She still felt her heart beating so fast.

  “No one has to know this happened,” he offered.

  “I’ll know,” she responded, turning her back to him. “Just please leave.”

  She heard him sigh for a moment before opening the door, leaving, and closing it behind him. When he had left, Billie fell back against the wall with her hand to her chest. She wanted to make excuses. He had done it so unexpectedly, what was she supposed to have done? But she knew. While he had kissed her by surprise, she had kissed him back and it felt good. She felt a passion she hadn’t since Porter, and her body wanted that.

  But she couldn’t have it. Not with him. She had to figure out a way to get that through her head and Ricky’s.

  When Sherise heard footsteps coming down the hallway, she sat up in bed and tried to pull herself together. After her failed pursuit of Justin and the other woman, she had gone home and tried to face her demons. She had tried to call Billie and Erica, but neither of them were picking up. She had to face the fact that up until today, there was a part of her that really believed she could be wrong. There was this little lying voice that said this was all a series of misunderstandings. It was
stupid, she knew, especially after hearing from the doctor’s office and receiving the napkin, but she had.

  “Hey,” Justin said flatly as soon as he entered the bedroom.

  “Hi.” Her voice sounded weaker than she’d expected it to.

  He tossed his already discarded tie on the bed as he approached it. He looked at her, but she kept her head down, pretending to focus on the magazine on her lap.

  “Honey?”

  She looked up in response to that. He hadn’t called her “honey” in a long, long time, and it touched her. When their eyes caught, she could see that her obvious pain affected him. She had been crying and her eyes were red. She must have looked awful, but it pleased her to see him at least a little upset by it.

  “What’s wrong?” He hurried around the bed to her side.

  “Nothing.” She tried to smile, but it didn’t work. “I’m sorry. I didn’t make anything for dinner.”

  “Is Cady okay?”

  She nodded. “She’s napping.”

  “What happened, then?”

  Was she kidding herself or did she see real concern in his eyes? He was still her husband. He hadn’t left her for that whore, whoever she was. There was still something left.

  “I love you,” she said, reaching out and touching his cheek gently.

  She noticed a spark,just a spark, of guilt in his eyes. Sherise thought that should please her, but it didn’t.

  “I love you, too,” he said after a moment.

  He slid close to her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her gently on the cheek as tears started streaming down her face again.

  “Don’t cry,” he whispered. “Baby, please don’t cry.”

  “I wish I was a better wife,” Sherise said. “I wish I could be everything you want, everything you need.”

  “Don’t say that,” was his only response.

  “Why do we fight all the time now?” she asked. “We hardly ever fought before.”

  “Because I always let you have your way,” he said, smiling.

  “I’m serious, Justin.”

  “I know.” Justin shook his head. “We’re just going through a rough patch, Sherise. It happens to all married couples.”