Back to Me

by Wanda B. Campbell

  “Well, I usually just ask Him, and He directs me on what His will is for me. Since that’s working, I’m going to stick with that for now,” Reyna said after placing the punch on the table for Paige.

  “You sound like my mother,” Paige mumbled as Reyna walked away.

  Casual Christianity was something she’d never get used to. Her hunger caused her to cut her usual three-minute grace down to one minute, and she vowed that she’d add the two missing minutes to her bedtime prayer routine. Within seconds, Paige had tuned everyone out and was gripping a barbecued rib in one hand and a tiger prawn in the other. Within five minutes the first plate was piled high with clean bones, and barbecue sauce dripped from her fingertips. She’d just finished wiping her hands with a wet towelette and popping a jumbo shrimp into her mouth when she heard a commotion behind her.

  “If that’s the only vacant seat, no thank you,” a familiar voice said. “I’d rather stand.”

  Paige ceased chewing and snapped her head around. It couldn’t be, but it was. Standing next to Kevin, in a dark brown tailored suit, a tan shirt with gold cuff links, and alligator shoes, was the stranger she’d come to detest. He was holding a loaded plate.

  Kevin’s head tilted toward his male guest. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No. I’m not sitting next to that mean, judgmental, rude woman.”

  “Man, are you serious?” Kevin asked.

  The man’s presence and his assessment of her discombobulated Paige to the point where she forgot she’d just popped a jumbo shrimp into her mouth, and attempted to swallow. The shrimp got lodged in her throat, obstructing her airway. Instantly, her hands flew to her throat, and the gasping began. After several failed coughing attempts meant to dislodge the shrimp, frantically, she grabbed Kevin’s arm.

  A throbbing pressure in her head caused her eyes to slam shut at the same moment that she heard someone begin to pray in a tongue she didn’t understand. She guessed that Kevin understood her dilemma, because almost instantaneously, rock-solid arms lifted her from the chair and spun her around. What felt like the heel of a hand struck her between her shoulder blades several times before the arms encircled her and then a fist pressed into her torso, just above her naval. After three powerful thrusts the shrimp became dislodged and landed on Kevin’s shoe.

  Partially bent over, Paige didn’t wait to say a prayer of thanks. Between each labored breath she thanked God for sparing her life until her breathing returned to normal. When she finally opened her eyes, the brown alligators came into focus. It was then that she realized it was the stranger’s arms that were wrapped around her and not Kevin’s.

  He released her at the same time that she stood upright. The clapping and praising from the crowd distracted Paige long enough for her to gather her thoughts before expressing her gratitude to the man in the brown suit. She turned to face him, only to discover that he had removed his suit coat and was eating, as if nothing life altering had just happened.

  “Here. Drink this.” Kevin had returned with a bottle of water and was now offering it to her. In the commotion she hadn’t seen him walk off.

  Moments later Reyna and Marlissa joined them.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” Reyna asked, also handing Paige a bottle of water.

  “I’m fine, thanks to . . .” Paige turned to the man, who was now devouring ribs and potato salad, and let the words hang.

  “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” he said before she could swallow her pride and address him. “These dramatic moments are getting old.”

  “Huh? You two know each other already?” Marlissa asked.

  “Of course, they do,” Kevin answered. “I referred him to Paige for some investment property.”

  Paige gasped like she was choking again. “What?”

  Kevin’s face twisted. “Didn’t Tyson tell you about Serg-X?”

  “Who?” Paige wanted to know.

  Kevin turned to his guest. “Man, I thought you said you met Paige?”

  The guy took a swig of water before answering. “I did, but we didn’t have a chance to discuss business. She was too busy worshipping and doing the Lord’s work to give me the time of day. She doesn’t even know my name.”

  “Well, let me formally introduce you,” Kevin offered after he and the ladies shared a laugh at Paige’s expense. “Serg-X, the woman whose life you just saved is Paige McDaniels, real estate broker extraordinaire. Paige, this is my colleague Dr. Sergio-Xavier Winston Simone, but he goes by Serg-X. He’s the lead neurologist at Sutter.”

  Paige’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. In their two previous encounters, she’d treated the man like a common criminal. Yet in her crisis he hadn’t hesitated to come to her aid.

  “Hi. Um, it’s nice . . . Hello, Serg-X,” she said, stumbling over her words until he stood and ended the awkwardness.

  “My friends call me Serg-X. You can address me as Sergio-Xavier, Mr. Simone, or Dr. Simone. Or better yet, you don’t have to address me at all.”

  “Ouch!” Marlissa said and then tiptoed away, with Reyna following.

  For the third time, Paige watched his back retreat, and for the first time she wanted to chase after him.

  Chapter 7

  Sergio-Xavier dumped his half-eaten food in the trash on his way to a place that was still undetermined. He just knew he had to get away from Paige McDaniels. He had been to his colleague Kevin’s house only once before and guessed that the French doors on the other side of the room led to a deck or a patio. His assumption proved correct. The doors not only led to a deck, but also afforded him views of the Bay Area’s three major bridges and the San Francisco skyline.

  The second he stepped through the doors, the dry coldness chilled him to the bone. He walked over to the wooden railing and stuffed his hands into his front pants pockets, all the while thinking the freezing temperature was warmer than Paige’s attitude. The woman could freeze water with just a look.

  In his thirty-five years, he’d never felt like disrespecting a woman, yet on three separate occasions her callous personality had caused him to do just that with ease. The men in his family would not be proud. His father, grandfather, and uncles prided themselves on rearing respectable men who held women in the highest regard. He wasn’t proud of his behavior, but Paige McDaniels had a way of irritating him to the point where he disregarded everything he’d been taught.

  The effect she had on him left him confused, and confusion was not something he was used to. As a physician, he functioned based on logic and data. She disregarded him, and her words insulted him. Her prejudices infuriated him. Yet, in her moment of distress, he didn’t hesitate to come to her aid. Seconds before he’d been so disgusted with her, he’d refused to sit next to her, but her distress had ignited his compassion.

  “That’s just adhering to the oath,” he mumbled to himself, referring to the Hippocratic oath, which he’d taken upon graduating from medical school. “I’d help anyone in need.” Yet that didn’t explain why he had practically snatched her from Kevin. As a trained surgeon, Kevin was more than capable of performing the Heimlich maneuver.

  He rocked on his heels, trying to generate heat. When that didn’t work, he paced the length of the deck. Common sense dictated that he retreat back inside the house and enjoy the fellowship and food, but he didn’t want to see her. One more lap around the deck and he made up his mind. He’d go back inside, thank Kevin for inviting him, present the parents with a gift, and then excuse himself.

  He turned on his heels, but before he made it to the double doors, Paige stepped through them, wearing her coat and gloves.

  His shiver was more animated than necessary. “The temperature seems to have dipped ten degrees.”

  “I guess I deserve that, Dr. Simone,” she responded with her chin out. “My behavior toward you hasn’t exactly been professional or Christian.”

  He took a step backward. “Christian? I came to your office to hire you, and you in turn yelled at me. Then you acc
used me of being a thief without knowing anything about me. And today you can’t even say thank you after I saved your life. You’re speaking to me now only because you know I’m a doctor and that places me on your level.”

  “First of all, Mr. Simone, you didn’t save my life. God equipped you with the knowledge to help me, but He saved my life.”

  Sergio-Xavier looked down at the wagging gloved finger and shook his head. Paige McDaniels was way too spiritual for him.

  “Just because you’re a doctor doesn’t place you on my level. I came out here to thank you for allowing God to use you, but your ego is too big. You’re already claiming God’s glory.”

  Sergio-Xavier was no longer cold. The ebony beauty standing before him had managed to bring his anger to a level that frightened him. This woman had no idea to whom she was talking. The insult she’d just unleashed was far worse than all the others combined.

  “Reverend Mother McDaniels,” he sneered, “if I didn’t already have a personal relationship with God, I wouldn’t be inclined to get one after meeting you. Now I understand why people don’t like Christians.”

  “What do you know about Christians?”

  He thought the neck rolling and eye rolling juvenile but didn’t address them. “I know enough to know that I’m not one—”

  “That’s what I thought,” she interrupted, “so don’t be judging me.”

  “Judging is not something I do, because scripture clearly tells us not to. Besides, you pass enough judgment for ten people.” He stepped around her and reached for the doorknob. “For your information, I’m not a Christian, because the majority of Christians are like you—self-absorbed and self-righteous, and they are masters at judging everyone but themselves. What I am is a Christ follower, because I follow the teachings and actions of Jesus Christ.” He opened the door, but just before stepping over the threshold, he added, “If you have another medical crisis, don’t have it around me. I’m not so sure I would do what Jesus would do the next time.” He remembered he was a guest in Kevin’s home and avoided slamming the door just in the nick of time.

  Attitude seeped from Paige, only to be replaced by shame. She hadn’t meant to lash out at him. She’d actually come outside to thank him and to apologize for her previous behavior, but his insults had hurt her. How dare he imply she was stuck-up? She never looked down on people and didn’t consider herself on a higher level than anyone else. The comment about her Christianity didn’t help, either, although her behavior proved his point, though it was off base.

  The cold wind further cooled her attitude. She needed to get back inside before her toes froze. “A little frostbite might be a small price to pay to avoid that man,” she grumbled before turning the doorknob. With any luck, the good doctor would stay out of her space.

  The second she stepped back inside, her wish was granted. Across the room, Sergio-Xavier had his suit jacket on and his coat hanging over his arm. After a brief conversation with Tyson and Reyna, he handed them a small gift box, then headed for the foyer, Kevin following behind.

  “What am I doing?” she asked with each step she took toward them. Her feelings were hurt, and she still had her pride, but for some reason, Paige couldn’t let him leave without thanking him. That was the Christian thing to do.

  “Dr. Simone, may I speak to you for a minute?” she said in a timid voice that sounded foreign to her. From behind, she observed that his left arm was still midway through the left coat sleeve. His head shook before he resumed the motion of putting on his coat. “Please.”

  Both Kevin and Sergio-Xavier turned around just then.

  “If you need some privacy, you can use my study,” Kevin offered.

  “That won’t be necessary,” Sergio-Xavier answered while continuing to button his coat. “Whatever Miss McDaniels has to say to me, she can say right here.”

  “All right.” Kevin eyed Paige with uncertainty before walking away.

  Paige almost lost her courage when Sergio-Xavier finally focused on her, but she had to continue so her prayers would be received. His dark eyes always appeared to be examining her soul.

  “I’m sorry,” she said without preliminaries. The sooner this conversation was over, the sooner he would leave her presence. “Thank you for helping me earlier.”

  “Is that all?” he said with more disdain than Paige thought necessary.

  “What else should there be?”

  He stuffed his hands into leather gloves. “Miss McDaniels, if you don’t already have a clue, my explaining it to you won’t help.”

  Once again frustration got the best of her. Paige was used to hardball negotiations, but this was ridiculous. Something more important than a million-dollar deal was on the table. Her self-preservation and pride were at stake. “Look, I’m trying to make amends with you, you know, call a truce, but you’re impossible.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I’m impossible?”

  “All right, okay,” she said, her hands waving in the air. “I was rude, and I said some things I shouldn’t have. That day at my office, I didn’t know you were Kevin’s friend. And that day at the food bank, well, I’d had a rough week.” She briefly looked away, thinking of the memory. “I was tired and sleep deprived—”

  “What’s your excuse today?” he interrupted.

  Paige’s mouth opened and closed, but she didn’t have a comeback that wasn’t a lie, and she wasn’t ready to reveal that she just didn’t like the man. “There is none,” she finally conceded. “I don’t have one today.” Her head dropped. “Today I was just plain wrong.”

  “How about mean and nasty?”

  Paige figuratively and literally swallowed what little pride she had left. “You’re right. What I said was mean and nasty.”

  At the sound of his laughter, her head rose and she found a mouth with a set of straight ultra-white teeth smiling at her.

  “What’s so funny?” she wanted to know. Could he be callous enough to find this funny?

  “You are.” He was smiling, but Paige knew an insult was coming, and he didn’t disappoint her. “I bet that took a lot out of you. You’re an enigma, and I’m sure I never want to figure you out. In this case, I’m going to do a WWJD. I’m going to accept that pathetic apology, since it’s the best you can do. And I’m going to add you to my prayer list.” Then he was gone.

  Paige stood there staring at the etched glass in the door, trying to understand how anyone could insult someone and then offer to pray for them. More importantly, why did the idea of Dr. Sergio-Xavier Winston Simone praying for her excite her? And why did he have so many names?

  Chapter 8

  On Monday morning Paige skipped into her office building, feeling more refreshed than she had in days without the aid of caffeine. For the first time in weeks, she had enjoyed a restful night of sleep. No tossing and turning and no disturbing dreams. She attributed the peace to last night’s prayer time. During the two-hour session she had cried, repented, and thanked God repeatedly for sparing her life. As much as she loved shrimp, Paige doubted she would ever taste one again.

  After deactivating the alarm and manually locking the door—something she’d been doing since being caught with her butt in the air—Paige trotted into her office and turned on her favorite worship music and sang along while she worked. Two hours later, when the receptionist and the agents arrived, Paige had her whole week planned out. She was in the middle of reviewing a counteroffer when the intercom sounded.

  “You have a visitor,” the voice announced.

  Paige glanced down at her appointment schedule. The 9:30 a.m. slot was empty. This could be a new client, she reasoned, since over 30 percent of her clients started as walk-ins. “I’ll be right out,” she answered.

  Before walking into the reception area, Paige smoothed her hair bun and refreshed her clear lip gloss. Paige felt so good, she opted to leave her suit jacket draped across her chair. Believing modesty was best, Paige almost never displayed her hourglass figure.

  She round
ed the corner and extended her hand. “Good morning. I’m . . .” The remaining words stuck in her throat now that she knew her visitor’s identity.

  Sergio-Xavier took her hand. “Good morning, Miss McDaniels. After further consideration, I’ve decided to give you another chance, since I caught you off guard the first time. I stopped by on my run to schedule an appointment with you.”

  She finally released the breath she’d been holding to keep from passing out. The man didn’t believe in beating around the bush, but he did have a dedication to physical fitness. Only a fanatic would be out in fifty-degree weather in an Under Armour compression shirt and shorts. The bulges underneath the black fabric reminded her of what those arms felt like wrapped around her body, causing her to stare.

  “Miss McDaniels?”

  “Get behind me Satan.”

  “Excuse me?”

  His raised voice snapped Paige away from her lustful thoughts. She hadn’t meant to say the command out loud. Neither had she meant to hold on to his hand for so long.

  “What I mean is, I’m free now,” she said, clarifying the matter after releasing his hand. “That is, if you’re available.”

  His eyes were doing it again, examining her like she was a microscopic specimen.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose if you’re busy.”

  “I’m sure. Follow me.” She turned and started for her office. After several steps she looked over her shoulder to see if he was following her. He was, and she prayed the rest of the way. Today was a good day, and Paige was determined not to let him ruin it. No matter what he said, she would maintain her professionalism.

  “Dr. Simone, please have a seat,” she directed once they were in the confines of her office.

  He hesitated, but only briefly, before taking a seat. “Thank you.”

  An uncomfortable silence followed. Paige stalled by looking at her computer, then straightening papers on her desk, all the while mentally reciting scriptures.