by Navi' Robins
“Me? It was her! I apologized, I was cordial and nice, and she still couldn’t let what happened go. She wanted to remain ‘professional.’ Then she started insulting me, saying the only reason I came to her was that I was afraid of what Kronte and his boys would do to me.”
Timothy laughed at Ayana’s misconception that Daniel was afraid of Kronte and his men.
“She doesn’t know your place of origin, does she?” Timothy teased.
“I guess not, but fuck it. I don’t need her. If she doesn’t help me, I’ll find someone else, or go it alone.”
Hearing Daniel’s comment alarmed Timothy, but he decided to remain silent. He didn’t want to reprimand Daniel and cause him to shut him out as well. Daniel had seen many professionals when he got back from Africa, and it was apparent none of them did a damned thing to help him. Ayana’s specialty was situations like what Daniel was dealing with, and Timothy secretly decided he was going to make her work with his friend, even if he had to pay her an exorbitant fee. He had to admit that he didn’t expect Ayana to allow herself to be just as immature as Daniel. She had to have feelings for him, and his rejection of her trying to help him must’ve hurt her feelings. Therefore, he was going to play on those feelings, no matter how deeply she tried to bury them.
Later on that evening, Timothy stood in the middle of his living room while he waited for Ayana to answer her phone. She eventually picked up, and he could hear loud music in the background.
Damn, she’s at a club on a Monday. I like this girl.
“Hello, this is Ms. Burundi. Who’s calling?”
“Hi, Ms. Burundi, this is Dr. Timothy Avers.”
“Who?”
“Dr. Timothy Avers, Dr. Bennett’s colleague.”
As soon as she heard the name Bennett, Ayana’s anger immediately grew, and she was prepared to curse Timothy out and hang up. However, she was curious about how he got her number and why he was calling her, besides the obvious.
“Oh, the ‘white bitches are crazy guy,’” she replied sarcastically.
Refusing to be deterred by her sarcasm, Timothy decided to play along. “Yep, the same, and ain’t nothing changed. They still crazy!”
His reply caught Ayana off guard, and she found herself laughing at his comment, which eased her anger, and she calmed down, willing to hear what he had to say.
“If you are calling on your friend’s behalf concerning me assisting him, I want to be up front with you. I’m not interested. I’m sorry if that disappoints you, but that’s my final decision.”
“I understand completely. My boy can be a real dick sometimes, but I want you to reconsider once you’ve heard everything I have to tell you.”
“Listen, I’m out of the office, so if this is going to take long, you can call me in the morning, Doctor.”
“Yeah, right. After you get drunk in the club, you won’t be in the mood to hear a damn thing I have to say in the morning. I assure you I will be quick, and you can get back to your twerk session.”
Laughing at his comment, she replied, “I’m much too old to twerk, Timothy.”
Damn . . . With all that ass, she would be a winner.
“Understood. Again, I will be brief,” he replied while imagining Ayana twerking and shaking her amazing body to the head-banging beats that were blaring in the background. Snapping out of his brief Ayana-inspired “twerk fantasy,” Timothy began to detail his experiences with Daniel and his near-death episode on his bedroom floor.
The more Timothy explained things that Daniel conveniently left out, the more her heart began to ache for the doctor. She had no idea he was so tormented and haunted by his experiences in her country. Things began to make sense and explained his hostility toward her and the idea of going back to Sudan. To hear him better, she moved into the ladies’ room, and Timothy could hear the echo in the background. Noticing the club music was now muffled, he felt optimistic that he was making headway with her.
“Does he know you called me?” she asked.
“No, he doesn’t, and I’m sure he won’t talk to me for a while after he finds out I told you everything. But he’s like a brother to me, and if something isn’t done, I fear I will lose him. So, will you help him?”
“Yes,” she replied without hesitation. “But his condition is extremely severe, and to help him, he’s going to have to endure a few things he’s going to find uncomfortable.”
“Whatever, whatever he needs to do, I will make him do it,” he responded excitedly.
“Okay, Dr. Avers . . . I need to finish up some cases here in New York, but I can be there within a week.”
“Call me Timothy.”
“Okay, Timothy . . . I’ll be there shortly. Oh, and by the way, my friend Meagan is white, and she’s not crazy. Just so you know,” she teased.
“If that’s the case, have her call me,” he played along. Then after thinking about his current situation, he continued. “Wait, have her call me in about two months.”
“Why two months? Even though I don’t think you are her type, I’m just curious.”
“I’m going through a kind of cleansing period, and I can’t enjoy the company of the opposite sex.”
“Ha! You assume she would even go there with you. You are funny, Timothy.”
“Not assuming, but at the same time, if she did, I don’t think I could resist, and I have to keep my word. Rather, stay away from the fire than play with it and get burned.”
Shaking her head and laughing loudly, she said goodbye to Timothy and ended the call. Then she turned and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and smiled while praying that she wasn’t making a mistake. Dr. Bennett’s condition was more severe than anything she’d ever come in contact with, and she needed to devise a plan that would help him. She felt sorry for him and still hated his guts for his behavior, but she couldn’t bring herself to refuse to help someone that tormented.
Meagan is going to think I’m freaking insane.
Chapter 9
In-Home Care
Eight days later. Chicago, Illinois
“No! Hell no! She is not . . . Oh, hell no! Timothy, you are way out of line if you think I agree to this! Over my dead body, bruh!”
Daniel was standing in his doorway, yelling at Timothy and Ayana. Timothy was standing there with his arms and hands filled with Ayana’s luggage. Daniel was led to believe they were coming to talk, but when he opened the door, he knew exactly what was going on, and he wasn’t having it. Ayana stood there, rolling her eyes, trying to remain patient with the crybaby in front of her. She wanted to force a smile but decided she wasn’t going to pretend with the doctor. She wasn’t excited about moving in here with him either, but for her to watch him closely, there was no other way. He needed to be in the comfort of his own home so that she could help him more effectively.
Timothy, annoyed and tired of standing in the hallway holding Ayana’s heavy bags, forced his way past Daniel and walked into the living room, dropping the bags in the process.
“Dude, shut your whining and let that woman in here. Ayana, come in please,” Timothy said while waving her in.
Now, furious beyond comprehension, Daniel slammed the door behind her and began screaming at Timothy.
“This isn’t your house! You don’t pay any bills in this muthafucka! You can’t tell someone to just come in here without my permission.”
“Well, look at that? I just did, and she’s in your condo because I told her to come in.” Looking at Ayana, Timothy gestured for her to have a seat on the couch. She smiled brightly and sat down while looking over the condo.
This place is beautiful. How could such a toad live in a place like this? she thought.
Daniel’s skin was heating up with anger and beginning to turn a different color. Seeing his deep anger, Timothy walked over to face him.
“Whether or not you like it, this is happening. In-home therapy. She’s great at what she does, and I’m sure she can help you. I can’t stay here anymore, dude. I j
ust can’t. You need someone that can help you while you take a vacation.”
Eyes wide with surprise, Daniel couldn’t believe what Timothy was saying to him.
“What vacation?”
“Oh yeah . . . The vacation you will be taking, starting today. Call the hospital and let them know I will be taking over your duties for the next month or so . . . Yeah, I checked your vacation time, and you got over five months accumulated. So you are good on that front. You two can have all the time you need to get your mind back on track.”
Hearing that Timothy decided to halt his research to help him, Daniel immediately calmed down. Timothy was on the verge of making a big discovery on the road to curing cancer, and for him to drop everything to cover for him demanded that he shut down his rampage.
“I didn’t know you did that, Tim. I’m grateful, but you shouldn’t have to pay for my crazy shit.”
“Dude, you are like a brother to me. It’s the least I could do. Plus, I felt kinda bad going behind your back and setting this up without your permission.”
Looking at Timothy as if he wanted to punch him in the face, Daniel nodded his head, then looked at Ayana. She was still as beautiful as she was the first day he met her, and as much as he despised having her invade his personal space, he couldn’t deny he’d rather it be her than anyone else.
Looking at both Daniel and Ayana, Timothy smiled and decided it was time for him to leave. He didn’t want to be around when the bombs over Baghdad started.
These two need to bone and get it over with . . . stat.
“Well, would you look at the time? A playa gots to roll. So much to do, and tomorrow, I start working in the ICU. You two have a wonderful evening. I’ll check on you both tomorrow evening. Hopefully, you haven’t killed each other by then.”
Without hesitation, Timothy closed the door behind him, leaving Daniel and Ayana sitting in the living room together. The air in the room seemed to leave as soon as the sound of the door closing echoed through the condo. Neither of them would look at the other, and both remained silent for about ten minutes before Daniel decided he needed to make the best of this arrangement.
“Are you hungry? I could order something to eat if you’d like.”
“No, I’m fine. Timothy took me to a restaurant. I just need to shower and get some sleep.”
“That’s fine. The guest bathroom is right down that hall, and there are clean towels in the hall closet.”
“Thank you. You have a great place here.”
“Thank you, and thank you for agreeing to help me,” he replied, looking at his watch. “It’s getting late, and I’m going to turn in. If you need anything, I’ll be in the bedroom.”
Nodding, Ayana stood up to take a shower.
He better not try to sneak a peek. I need to make sure there aren’t any hidden cameras or secret holes in that bathroom.
Standing up, Daniel took in a deep breath of her perfume. An intoxicating fragrance he’d never smelled before, it quickened his heart rate each second it invaded his nose. Trying to prevent himself from getting aroused from her scent, he quickly left the living room and went into his bedroom, closing the door to prevent the smell from following him . . .
3:02 a.m.
Daniel was awakened by the sound of Ayana screaming his name. She was hysterical, her face filled with a fear he’d only seen once, and that was on Timothy’s face the first time he saw him have another episode. Relieved after seeing him come out of his attack, Ayana fell back on the carpeted floor, exhausted and shaking.
“Oh my God, Dr. Bennett, are you okay?”
Lying on his side, Daniel felt exposed and vulnerable. He was covered in sweat and only in his boxers. He was afraid to sit up and face the woman who’d seen his weakness in its most terrifying form. His body felt limp and overworked, and his muscles ached while his lungs burned as if he’d just inhaled a large amount of smoke. Suddenly, he felt Ayana’s soft hands reach for his arm, trying to help him to his feet. She saw he was fighting against her, so she stopped pulling his arm and knelt by his side. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she called to him.
“Daniel, look at me. Look at me.”
Seeing him refusing to look at her, she slid down and got on her belly so that she could be level with him on the floor. Reaching for his chin, she gently turned his head toward her and looked into his eyes. In her eyes, he saw compassion he hadn’t seen in a very long time. He’d been so closed off. No one seemed to care about him. No one really gave a damn about what he’s been dealing with until tonight.
“It’s okay. All you have to do is stand up,” she pleaded. “Just stand up. We will get through this, but you have to stand up first. Can you do that for me?”
Nodding, Daniel began to lift his body off the floor. The cold air from the air-conditioning hit his sweat-covered body, and he shook momentarily before reaching over on the bed to get his robe. Ayana stared at him, and no matter how much she tried to keep herself from looking at Daniel with longing eyes, she couldn’t help it.
Jesus, this man is fine.
The sweat seemed to enhance every muscle and chiseled feature on his body. He was in excellent shape, and his body screamed power and stamina—something she’d been missing for a very long time. Nevertheless, he is a client, a very disturbed yet incredible-looking client. Successful, intelligent, oh yes . . .
Girl, pull yourself together. Remember, I have to keep this strictly professional. I am here to help him, and complicating things with sex will only make matters worse because it would never work out between us. But I can’t keep my eyes off him. I think he’s noticing me looking at him like a great big chocolate bar . . . I need to find something else to do. I think I’ll go back to my room . . . This is getting weird now.
Daniel stood there, smiling at the look on Ayana’s face. She appeared in a daze as she looked over his body while he slid into his bathrobe.
Wow, she’s staring at me like she wants to pounce on me right now! I guess all those nights at the gym is finally paying off.
“Ayana, is there something you need?” he asked, with a mischievous grin on his face.
Noticing his facial expression, she quickly snapped out of her daze. “No, Doctor, I’m fine.”
“Thank you for helping me. I guess you being here with me isn’t a total loss after all.”
What the hell? I actually needed that from him, because I thought maybe I was wrong about this asshole. Hmmm, men just don’t know when to keep their mouths shut.
“I guess not,” she replied, smiling as she walked out of his bedroom and rolling her eyes.
Knowing he’d just put his foot in his mouth, Daniel looked up at the ceiling in frustration and walked into the bathroom to take a cold shower . . .
Later that morning, Daniel decided to relax on his couch and read the newspaper. Suddenly, the morning breeze from the open balcony doors blew the alluring aroma of Ayana’s perfume up his nostrils. His nose flared as he peered around the side of his newspaper to watch her walk toward him, wearing a colorful summer dress that gently caressed her amazing body. The dress was a midthigh length that exposed her long, dark chocolate, well-oiled legs. The summer shoes she wore possessed a slight elevation toward the back that caused her already amazing backside to poke out even further, and her leg muscles to play peek-a-boo every time she moved. Swallowing deeply and trying to contain his excitement for what his eyes were blessed to behold, Daniel attempted to act as if he didn’t see her, but Ayana caught him staring, and she smiled at his reaction.
“Going somewhere?” he asked while refusing to look up from his newspaper. He didn’t want to do something he couldn’t control, like drooling or howling like a dog in heat.
“Yep, we are going somewhere.”
Daniel knew she was referring to both of them, but he decided to play dumb. Maybe if he annoyed her, she would just leave by herself. He didn’t want to be around a bunch of strangers and would rather enjoy the comforts of his condo.
“Oh, you have a date? Lucky guy.”
“I don’t have a date, and, yes, he is very lucky to even be in my company, but he’s too bullheaded to realize it.”
“Bullheaded? Really? Is that how you see me?”
“Well, you are smarter than you pretend to be because you just tried to act like you didn’t know I was referring to both of us getting out of this house. Summer will be over soon, and you won’t have beautiful days like the one we have today. Also, my therapy begins with a day out of your comfort zone, and since you only travel from here to work and back, I think a change of scenery would do you good. Get you out of your normal routine.”
“What’s wrong with my normal routine?”
“Well, after what I saw last night, I would figure a whole lot. Looking over your medical records, you’ve had different types of therapy, and none of them have worked for you. So, doing the process of elimination, I concluded that the problem isn’t that the therapy failed. Instead, the patient purposely rejected the treatment.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t reject anything.”
“So, why are your nightmares getting worse and your mental state becoming more unstable?”
“Maybe because no one understands what I went through. Ever thought about that?”
“Or you don’t want people to understand and decided you would rather live a nightmare than trust someone to let this weight go.”
Becoming frustrated with her probing, Daniel decided it would be better for them to leave the house and go somewhere loud so that she couldn’t ask him anymore questions and make assumptions.
“Fine, let’s go out.”
Smiling brightly with her first victory, she stood there while watching him put on his shoes, so that they could walk out the door. Looking over his attire of khaki shorts, white T-shirt, and brown sandals, she shook her head, letting him know that he could’ve done better with his appearance, but she didn’t want to delay any longer. She didn’t have the patience to argue with him anymore. She just wanted to get the day started.
