by J. L. Ryan
Feeling exhausted from her emotional ordeal, Jennifer apologized for making him listen to her pathetic troubles. He assured her that it was no trouble and he was happy to be there for her anytime. Suddenly he asked her address. “Oh, great!” she thought. “Now he thinks he needs to send me a sympathy card or something.” After giving him the information, Lorenzo did the strangest thing. He abruptly said he had to go but would contact her soon. Surprised by the change, she muttered a goodbye and hauled herself up off the sofa to get a much needed shower.
A couple of hours later her home phone rang with the tone indicating someone was buzzing her from the front entrance to her building. Alarmed, she asked who was there and was startled to hear Lorenzo’s deep voice announcing himself. After hitting the button to unlock the door to the building, she ran to the bathroom and was dismayed at what she saw looking back at her in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy and her nose a bright shade of pink after all the crying she had done that day. “Oh no. I’m a total mess,” she scolded herself. Splashing some cold water on her face didn’t seem to help either. Too late. Lorenzo was already knocking on her door.
Taking a deep breath she opened the door. Without a word, Lorenzo reached out and drew her into an embrace. They moved inside the condo without breaking apart. As the door closed behind them, her tears started again. He held her as she sobbed. It wasn’t until her body relaxed against his and her tears were spent that he gently pulled away just a little to look into her eyes. She saw his sympathy for what she was going through but she also saw something else. Almost as if it pained him to see her like this.
Realizing she must look a mess, Jennifer made to move away to get some tissues. Instead, Lorenzo tenderly stroked her cheek to wipe away a stray tear. His large hand cupped her face tenderly as he continued to gaze into her watery eyes. Not even realizing what she was doing, Jennifer leaned towards him and put her arms around his neck. Slowly, as if afraid to break away but also afraid to move closer, he tilted his head so they were eye to eye, nose to nose. Moments passed where Jennifer could only feel her heart thudding in her chest. Finally he closed the final distance and softly touched his lips to hers.
Tenderly at first and then with more urgency as long pent-up desire welled in them both, they kissed. His soft, sensual lips covering hers. As the kiss intensified his tongue parted her lips with a light stroke. The movement sent thrilling shivers through her body that left her hungry for more of him. Their tongues explored one another as if dancing to their own soft ballad. Deep inside her, Jennifer felt heat waves of passion surging throughout the body. From her very core to her limbs, long denied feelings bubbled up numbing her mind to anything else but the luscious feel of his body pressed against hers.
Lorenzo deftly guided them towards the oversized chair which was the first piece of furniture he could find. He settled her into the chair and knelt in front of her without breaking their connection. His hands caressed her face and neck as he deepened the kiss. Desperate to have him even closer her hands found the open collar on his shirt which she used to tug him closer to her. All thoughts had vacated her mind as soon as his lips had touched hers. There was nothing but sensation and the fire scorching through her veins.
Breathless, he pulled away to look into her blazing emerald eyes. There was a question in his eyes that remained unasked. Jennifer answered, without hesitation, as she pulled his head back towards hers. The intensity of their mutual need for each other was unable to be denied any longer. Had it always been there? Lorenzo gently scooped her up in his arms and moved them towards her bedroom.
Hours later, as the sun began to shine through her bedroom window, Jennifer stretched like a satiated cat as she ran her hand over Lorenzo’s muscular sleeping form. The light streaming between the blinds only accentuated the perfection that was the man. Despite knowing him for years and seeing him in everything from a tuxedo to swim trunks, never would she have dared imagined him like this. Naked, in her bed, with his tousled hair covering his eyes as he continued to slumber. Jennifer reached up to move the hair away from his beautiful face so she could get a better look. Seeing him asleep it was hard to believe this angel was the same man that had taken her to such dizzying heights of ecstasy last night. She blushed at the memories.
Then realization struck. If he was here, who was with Raphael? How had she not thought of him before? She shook Lorenzo awake. He groggily sat up and reached for her as if to replay the events of last night, but she stopped him by the distraught look on her face. “Hey, I thought we got rid of that facial expression last night. What happened while I was asleep?” he asked.
She couldn’t believe he didn’t know. “Raphael. What about your son? Please tell me you didn’t leave him alone just to come all this way to console me,” she begged. With a huge sigh and laugh, he told her that the reason it had taken him so long to get here last night was because he packed up Raphael and sent him to a sleepover at a friend’s house. Jennifer nearly collapsed back on the bed in relief. Of course he had taken care of his son first. Seeing her concern for the boy, Lorenzo smiled up at her and pulled her close. First he kissed her eyelids, then trailed light kisses down her face and neck before coming back to her mouth. They fell back on the bed together and spent the rest of the early morning enjoying each other.
A couple hours later, they had both showered and dressed. He needed to get back to coach his son’s soccer game that afternoon. She had rounds to complete at the hospital and she was already late. As Lorenzo kissed her goodbye he asked her to come out to the game and spend time with him and Raphael for the weekend. Maybe she could even pack an overnight bag, he suggested. An offer like that was too good to refuse so she agreed to text him when she reached the Metro station closest to Warrenton. With a final longing kiss, they parted ways for the day. Both anticipating seeing each other again in just a few hours. Both exhilarated by their realized passion for each other and both nervous about where that left them as friends.
Chapter 7
Jennifer found herself smiling like a silly lovesick girl as she made her rounds at the hospital. A couple nurses read the signs and were happy for the beautiful workaholic doctor. They commented, “It’s about time that girl got a man!” Even the fretful parents of her patients picked up on her improved demeanor. This was a side to their child’s doctor they had never witnessed. It was refreshing. The only person not happy about Jennifer’s improved mood was Jacob. Although he had never officially made a move on her, he still thought of her as the one he would eventually captivate and marry. She had all the attributes of the perfect wife – gorgeous, highly intelligent, career-centric, and most importantly, she could charm the bigwigs in Washington out of their money for the hospital with just a bat of her eye lashes. Yes, Jennifer was his ideal candidate for the job of Mrs. Jacob Mallory. She, of course, was completely unaware of his plans.
As she finished with her files and put them back at the nurse’s desk with specific instructions for each patient, Jacob approached her. As she turned to leave, she nearly bumped into him. “Sorry, Jacob. Didn’t realize you were there,” she apologized and made to go around him as she was anxious to get out to Warrenton for Raphael’s game. He blocked her way and instead took her arm and led her to his office on the pretense of needing to consult about a patient. Reluctantly, Jennifer followed.
As they sat down in his office, he coolly commented on her changed behavior. Jennifer could tell he was not happy about something but was not in the mood to wait around to find out why. He continued, “Normally, I would be ecstatic seeing you so smiling and downright jovial with the staff and patients.” His tone indicated he was not ecstatic at all. Quite the opposite. “However, it seems after you lost your patient just yesterday that perhaps you would become less distracted and refocus on saving the others instead of happily humming as you complete paperwork.” His objective was clear – make her doubt herself and refocus the blame on the patient’s death on her to guilt her into leaving behind whoever was diverting h
er attention from her work even for a second.
At first she was bewildered that he considered her to be unfocused on her patients and her work. After a few moments thought, she realized he could be right. Even she was astutely aware that ever since she had reconnected with Lorenzo, she found her mind drifting to him. Jennifer had convinced herself it was only when she was away from the hospital and not that often. After last night’s events, maybe it had been more than that and she just hadn’t realized it. Observing the look of doubt cross her face, Jacob went in for the kill. “Perhaps you need something to fire your motivation for your research. There’s a fundraiser tonight at Smithsonian. Why don’t you come with me? You can redouble your efforts if more money is flowing in for research.” Sadly defeated, she shook her yes and left the office. Jacob sat back in his chair with a smug smile.
Her new found pep vanished as she exited the hospital. “He was right,” she chided herself, “I could’ve saved that suffering child if I had just spent more time at the hospital, more time researching the new protocol so it could’ve been used before it was too late. This was all my fault. What was I thinking that I could have a personal life now? I’ve done without one for years. Obviously I don’t need a man or love, and certainly not a family. My life’s work is at a crucial stage. I can’t allow myself to be diverted any longer. I owe it to the other children in that ward. Despite her heart and body screaming their need for Lorenzo, she resolved to end things with him before she lost the will to do so.
Tears rolled down her freckled face as she dialed Lorenzo’s number. It went straight to voicemail so she left a short message saying there had been some complications at work and she would be unable to make Raphael’s game. Unable to hold herself together when he called back just a few moments later, she turned off her phone and headed back home. The condo seemed so much lonelier without him. She thought, “Has it really only been a few hours since Lorenzo was here holding her, kissing her, making love to her?” It seemed like a lifetime ago now.
Without feeling much like going to a party, much less a charity event with Jacob, she dressed in a subdued gray chiffon number that fell off one shoulder. She may look dazzling but she didn’t feel the part. Jennifer just went through the motions that evening. Smiling when talking with potential donors. Allowing Jacob to usher her around the room as his own personal property. She was even caught unawares when he introduced her to a high-ranking senator as his girlfriend. It jolted her out of her reverie like being struck by lightning. Unwilling to make a scene or embarrass him in front of the party guests, she continued to smile even when the senator made a remark to Jacob about not letting such a beauty get away. Jacob, of course, was in agreement with the suggestion.
Later that night, his car dropped Jennifer off at her condominium building. Jacob tried to convince her to invite him upstairs for nightcap and perhaps more. The entire ride back he had spent making allusions to how they made such a great “power couple”. Not in the mood to deal with him and not wanting to risk her job at the hospital by giving him a piece of her mind, she bolted from the car without as much as a goodbye. “How could she have allowed him to manipulate her like that?” she wondered. It took his antics tonight to reveal the creep underneath. He wasn’t worried about her neglecting her patients or research. He was only concerned about alienating her from everyone else so she would be vulnerable to him. How could she not have seen it before? Racking her brain for signs that she had missed, she recalled overhearing some nurses commenting about “poor sweet doctor” being preyed upon by “the big guy” and being completely oblivious. They had been talking about her, hadn’t they? Honestly, Jennifer didn’t know who she was more angry with…Jacob for pushing doubt into her mind that she was not a good doctor because she wasn’t focused enough on her work and making her believe it was her fault patients died or herself for believing him. She had denied herself any life for years due to her own self-doubts. He had merely amplified that doubt and handicapped her emotionally so she wouldn’t stray from her work, stray from his sight and control. Perhaps the best place to lay her anger was at her own feet for allowing it to happen.
She was so caught up in her inner rage that she didn’t see the tall shadow come up behind her as she opened the front door to the building. It wasn’t until she moved into the building and saw a muscular arm reach out to hold the door open that she turned around in fright. She was shocked to see Lorenzo standing in the doorway with an anguished look. What he was thinking she couldn’t guess. They had made plans to be together that day and she had wimped out by leaving him a message with no explanation. Now here she was dolled up from her night on the town with her boss. They stood in the vacant foyer staring at each other in the dark for several moments before Lorenzo turned to leave without saying a word. Desperate to explain, she reached for him but he flung her arm back.
As he brusquely walked out the door, a pouring rain had just started. Jennifer rushed out to stop him, but he continued briskly walking to wherever he had parked his SUV. Unable to keep up in her 2 inch heels, she stopped only long enough to pull them from her feet. The shoes were left there as she raced after him. Even though she was a fast runner and had placed in the last Marine Corps marathon, Jennifer found it difficult to keep up. As he neared his car, she dashed across the street unaware of an approaching taxi. The last thing she saw was Lorenzo’s look of horror as he turned to see the collision. Then everything went dark.
Chapter 8
Jennifer awoke to a throbbing in her head and the incessant beeping of heart rate monitor. Placing her hand to her head and feeling the large lump, she moaned in pain. The sound awakened the sleeping giant beside her bed. Despite everything, Lorenzo had stayed with her. Her mind was still too fuzzy from the accident that she couldn’t begin to understand why after she had ditched him and his son last night. Perhaps he could forgive her not showing up for him, but letting Raphael down – she doubted anyone could forgive that. She certainly didn’t forgive herself.
Lorenzo took her hand and asked how she felt. Instead of saying the expected response like “fine” or “horrible” or any derivative of the two, she simply said “stupid”. Thinking she meant stupid for running out into the street in front an oncoming car, he nodded agreement. “Haven’t you heard of looking both ways before you cross the road?” he challenged.
Her head still groggy and her thoughts jumbled, she tried to explain that it wasn’t being hit by the car that was stupid. It was how she had convinced herself that she was a horrible person for wanting a life, wanting him and his son in her life instead of spending every waking moment under Jacob’s thumb at the hospital. She tried explaining how he had manipulated her into doubting her dedication to her patients and guilted her into going to a hospital fundraiser instead of where she belonged at Raphael’s game. It was stupid to believe she couldn’t be a good doctor if she allowed herself to have anything or anyone else in her life. It was stupid not to realize that she wanted, that she needed love too. And it was stupid of her not to realize all this time that she needed and loved him.
By the time she finished speaking, they were both in tears. The nurse came in to check on her patient to find the doctor and her hot looking companion holding each other as if for dear life. She recognized the signs, so she quickly and quietly left in order to disturb the lovebirds.
As she was signing her release papers, Jacob stopped by her room. Lorenzo recognized him as the gentleman that had dropped Jennifer off the night before. He certainly didn’t like the way the man was looking at her. By the expression on her face, Jennifer wasn’t happy to see him but she motioned for Lorenzo to wait outside.
Jacob tried apologizing for not walking her in, as if that would have prevented the accident. Unable to contain her emotions any longer she let into him for all the years he had spent parading her around like an ornament at charity events. All the while belittling her work and making her doubt her own dedication and ability to saving children’s lives. It had all been f
or his benefit. With her by his side he could raise money supposedly for her research, but she never saw a dime of that money. She was always scrapping by with used equipment and no personnel. Despite the odds, she still made significant progress. Exhausted from her long overdue rant against him, she verbally gave him her notice of resignation. She would take her research and skills to another hospital.
After he left, Lorenzo returned awestruck by what he had heard through the thin glass doors. Apparently, the entire floor had heard her accusations as there was applause from the nurse’s station as Jacob stormed off to his office. With a look of admiration, he shook his head. “Well, does this mean you have some time to hang out with a young man who is desperately waiting to hear the news that you are okay, and with his old man?”
“ After all this, do you really still want me around? It’s not like we can just go back to the other night and pretend none of this happened,” she replied.
“ Yes, WE,” he emphasized, “want you around. And not just for a soccer game. Not just as an overnight guest. Not as just a convenient date for weddings.” Holding her bruised face in his hands, he looked into her eyes and confessed, “I want you, need you in my life. Ever since college, I’ve been in mad love with you but knew you didn’t feel the same. For years I hid behind the status of friend. Too afraid to speak up even when you took off for medical school.” He continued as she stared at him in disbelief, “Seeing you again brought all those feelings rushing back but you still showed no signs of wanting anything other than a platonic friendship. You were only focused on your work. I understand your need to help save lives. I understand your desire to find the cure so other children don’t have to suffer like your friend Hannah. I understand all that and love you for all that and more. You’ve just been too blind to see it,” he confessed.
