by Iris Bolling
A Lassiter’s Christmas
A Gems and Gents Novel
Copyright © 2014 by Iris Bolling
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Printed in the United States of America
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are with the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, locales is entirely coincidental.
SIRI ENTERPRISES
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
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www.irisbolling.net
Books By Iris Bolling
The Heart Series
Once You’ve Touched The Heart
The Heart of Him
Look Into My Heart
A Heart Divided
A Lost Heart
The Heart
Night of Seduction Series
Night of Seduction/Heaven’s Gate
The Pendleton Rule
Gems and Gents Series
Teach Me
The Book of Joshua I – Trust
The Book of Joshua II – Believe
A Lassiter’s Christmas
Brooks Family Values Series
Sinergy
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Books by Iris Bolling
Chapter 1
The siren from the ambulance could be heard as it pulled up to the bay with another gunshot victim. It was number four in the last twelve hours. The signal of the door swooshing open sounded as he stripped the soiled gloves from his hands and dropped them into the waste bin. He ran his hands under the hot water washing them as thoroughly as he could before the nurse slipped another pair onto his hands.
“Two entry wounds, one exited, one lodged near the spine,” the EMT stated, as they pulled the gurney from the back of the vehicle and rushed through the double doors. “Massive blood loss. Believed internal bleeding.” The portable monitor beeped indicating the victim’s heart had stopped.
Dr. Theodore Prentiss jumped onto the gurney and began chest compressions. His white coat swung wildly behind him as attendees pushed the gurney quickly down the corridor towards the trauma room.
Four hours later, an exhausted Theo, as his friends called him, exited the operating room, in a clean pair of scrubs, a book bag over his shoulder and weary over the fact that he had only saved three lives from reckless violence. None were over the age of eighteen, yet they had no problem taking another person’s life. At their age, he was thinking about college, girls, girls and college. Not guns, turf, or drugs. What in the hell is the world coming to? He wondered as he walked past the nurse’s station.
“Goodnight, Theo,” one nurse, with blonde hair and blue eyes called out.
Theo stopped and turned just as the head nurse, Mrs. Gordon, rounded the corner. “He is Dr. Prentiss to you, Amber.” She looked at the young nurse sideways. “Don’t let me correct you again.” She then looked up at him. “Goodnight, Dr. Prentiss.” She nodded with a slick smile and a wink that Amber could not see.
“Good night, Nurse Gordon, Nurse Hayward.” He nodded, smiled, and then turned to walk out of the emergency room door exit. He understood what Nurse Gordon was doing. There was never a time when any of the nurses would call other doctors by their first name, for all the others were either foreigners or of the Caucasian persuasion. However, he was an exception. He understood his position and accepted it for what it was. He was the number one trauma surgeon in the area; he was thirty years old, unmarried and an African American male. He wasn’t supposed to be in the position he was in, but hell, God put him there, along with his parents who worked long, hard hours to see him reach this point.
The cold air hit him the moment the doors opened, then swished closed behind him. When he came in seventy-two hours ago, it was nice, so he hadn’t bothered to wear a coat. Yes, it was the weekend after Thanksgiving, but in Virginia, the weather varied from the high 50’s to the low 30’s. All he wore in was long johns under his scrubs and his timberland boots. Now he had to walk in the cold from the ER to his vehicle that was parked 0n the lowest level of the hospital garage. On top of that, somewhere along the way it had snowed.
Theo quickened his pace as he walked down the ramp leading to the lowest level of the parking garage. It was a little past two in the morning and all he wanted to do was climb into his king-size bed, with his thousand count sheets, temperature controlled room, and the hot meal he had just set his microwave to cook from his tablet. The next forty-eight hours were his to do with as he pleased. And it pleased him to just sleep. No drama, no suspense and definitely no gunshot wounds. Only one thing was missing from his thoughts as his vehicle came into sight and that was a woman between those sheets with him. “Yes, that would clinch it,” he said as he looked up.
A noise captured his attention. His steps slowed as he took a quick glance around the parking lot. It was empty. He pulled his keys from his pocket, then hit the button to unlock his vehicle. Looking behind him again, still nothing, but he heard a voice, mumbling. He opened the door with the intent of getting in and going home, but there was the sound of distress in the voice. If the person was injured and he didn’t at least attempt to help, he would never forgive himself. He placed his book bag in the passenger seat, then closed the door. Slowly, he walked around one of the cement pillars in the parking lot and froze. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again to make certain he wasn’t dreaming.
The hood of a car was up with the loveliest round bottom he had ever seen bending under it. Long legs clad in black leather boots, extended beneath a short black skirt with thick thighs. The voice was a little clearer. The woman was cursing up a storm at the vehicle. The trunk of the vehicle was up and the driver’s door was wide open. On the ground he saw a purse, with what appeared to be all the contents of said purse at her feet and a crowbar.
He stopped, took a moment to evaluate the situation. They were at least seven floors below the entrance to the hospital, in an underground garage, with no one around and a crazy woman was beating up a vehicle.
Ouch, he thought as she missed the tire and kicked the rim. He heard her curse as she bent down to grab her injured toe. The woman fell against the car grimacing in pain.
He slowly approached the woman. “May I help you with something?”
The woman quickly bent down, picked up a device from the ground, then turned pointing it at him. For a second he jumped back thinking it was a gun and he was about to become a victim like the ones he had just saved. He threw his hands up.
“Hey, hey, watch where you wave that thing.”
“Where in the hell did you come from?” The woman looked around, surprised at his appearance.
“The hospital.” Theo pointed to the building. “Where did you come from?” he asked in a slow assessing voice.
“From the hospital.”
“Were you just released?” He chose his words very carefully.
“No, I was visiting my brother’s…” She waved he
r thought away. “What do you want?”
What a natural beauty, he thought as she stood there in a short black leather jacket, with her short skirt, knee high boots, and afro with a band pulling it away from her face. No make-up, just tearstains running down her cheeks, from the most expressive brown eyes he had ever looked into. “Just thought you may need some help?”
“Well, I don’t.” She gave him a sideways sister girl look and attitude.
It was two in the morning. He had worked three straight days. Attitude was not something he wanted to deal with regardless of how fine a package it came in. “Not a problem.” He threw up his hands then turned.
“Just like a man to walk away,” the woman huffed under her breath.
Theo stopped, turned back about to respond when he saw her pick up the crowbar and began beating on something under the hood of the car. The sight was so adorable he stood there smiling. He could walk away—hell probably should walk away, but there was no way he could leave her out here this time of night alone. Suddenly, she stood with the crowbar in her hand and was about to strike the windshield of the vehicle from frustration. He ran over, grabbed her around the waist, picking her up off her feet, and shook the crowbar from her hand. The metal hit the cement with a clamor just as the heel of her boot connected with his jewels, causing him to buckle to the ground. His grip on her never loosened and she landed right on top of him.
She attempted to scramble up, but he held her firmly.
“Stop it, damn it,” he spoke calmly, but clearly in pain. “Breaking the windshield of the car is not going to make it start. Now stay still.” He tightened his hold on her.
“Let me go,” the woman demanded, just before he caught the elbow she was about to land in his throat.
He wrapped his arms around hers, then threw his leg over hers to keep her from kicking him again. “Calm down. I’m just trying to help you.”
“You can help me by letting me go.” She threw her head back, but collided with this stubborn chest rather than his nose as she intended.
“Stop fighting me.”
“What in the hell did you expect, coming up behind a sister like that. You’re lucky I didn’t hit you with the crowbar.”
“You’re lucky I haven’t lost my temper yet. Now be still,” he demanded. Taking a moment to get himself under control, he slowly began to untangle their bodies. Not one to trust what the woman would do next, he held her down with one hand as he stood. He then extended his hand down to help her up. The angry brown eyes were hesitant. Then she reached up and took his hand. They stood there assessing each other for a long moment. Neither was oblivious to the appreciative glare being shared.
“My car won’t start.” She was the first to speak up.
“Really,” and raised a sarcastic eyebrow. “I thought you just liked hanging out in a parking lots inciting brothers.”
She smiled, and to his surprise, dimples appeared on the dark smooth skin.
“That’s my day job.” She turned towards the car. “You know anything about cars?”
“No. I have this thing called a mechanic I call whenever I have problems with a vehicle.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Figures.” Then bent back under the hood.
“Why don’t you lock up the car, I’ll take you home and call someone about the car in the morning.”
The woman turned back towards him. Looked him up and down. “You work here?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“What’s your name?” she asked as if assessing if he was trustworthy.
“Theodore Prentiss and yours?”
She hesitated, then extended her hand. “Pearl Lassiter.”
“Well, Pearl Lassiter. Let’s lock up, grab your things and get out of the cold.”
Pearl nodded, thinking, baby, it may be cold outside, but inside, her body was at lava point from the tangling of their bodies. However, she began picking up her things from the ground and placing them back inside her purse. This was not a booty call moment. She was tired, frustrated and still upset about her brother.
Theo closed the trunk and the hood of the car. He stood next to the door as she gathered her things. “Do you need anything else out of here?”
Pearl shook her head. “No. I’ll get it in the morning.” She looked around, but didn’t see any cars. “Where are you parked?”
He tilted his head. “Behind the pillar,” he replied. He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
Pearl hesitated for a moment, then walked in the direction he pointed. He placed his hand on the small of her back as if it was the most natural thing in the world. They walked down the short ramp to his vehicle. Pearl stopped, looked at him, then looked at the vehicle again. “What kind of work do you do at the hospital?”
“I help people,” he replied. “What kind of work do you do?” he asked as he opened the passenger door to his G-Class Mercedes SUV, for her.
“I talk to people,” she replied as she stopped, took a picture of his license plate with her phone, then sent it to someone. “Just in case you’re a serial killer or something. My family will know how to find you.”
He closed the door as she got inside, trying hard not to react to the thunder thighs she displayed under her skirt. Once inside, he pushed the button to start the vehicle. “If I really wanted to harm you, I could do it here, throw your body into the woods behind the parking deck and no one would be the wiser until your body began to deteriorate and dispense an odor.”
He had the nerve to smile at her when he said that. “It sounds like you have thought about that possibility a little too much.”
Pulling out of the parking space, he grinned. “Just once or twice. Where to?”
She gave him the address, then sighed as the warmth of the heated seats began to set in. “So you know, I have six brothers and five sisters who will hunt you down like an animal if you do anything to me.”
“You mean like, save you from a bad situation in an abandoned parking garage and taking you home at two in the morning out of the cold, snowy night.”
“Yes, something like that.” She grinned and looked out of the window.
Theo smiled as he looked in both directions before pulling out of the garage. After driving for a few minutes, he asked, “Did you say something about your brother being in the hospital?”
“Yes, he’s visiting with his woman,” she husked.
The way she said the word woman, then rolled her eyes and looked out of the window made Theo chuckle. “I take it you don’t like her.”
“No, I don’t like her. She’s one of those light bright women with the long curly hair and hazel eyes who thinks every man in the world is supposed to bow at her feet just because.”
“Don’t hold back your feelings,” he laughed. “I want you to tell me what you really think of her.”
Pearl glared at him across the interior of the vehicle. That was the second time tonight he had made her smile. He glanced at her and smirked.
“Sorry.” She looked out of the window. “It’s been a rough day.”
Outside, snow began to fall lightly, coating the city skyline with its lights glistening in the background. The building with twenty or more floors would leave lights on inside offices to spell out Happy Holidays. Inside, where the atmosphere should have been a little strained for two strangers, it had fallen into a comfortable silence. When they reached the turn for interstate 64 or 95, the GPS system told him to go straight. He hesitated.
Pearl looked over at him. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” he replied. “I’ve never been to this part of town before.”
“Are you from Richmond?”
“No, Chesterfield.”
Pearl laughed. “Oh, you’re a suburbanite.”
“You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”
“You say no…Chesterfield, as if Richmond is a bad thing.”
Theo shook his head. “I don’t know if it’s good or bad. I’ve never lived in Richmond.
”
“You work at the hospital, that’s Richmond. Don’t you go out to eat or explore downtown?”
“I’m running from the moment my feet hit the floor, until I leave. I rarely get to sleep or eat when I’m there. And why are you making me feel as if I have to defend living in Chesterfield?”
“Maybe because of your hesitation to go across the bridge back there,” she huffed. “Why don’t you pull over? I can walk from here.”
“I’m not going to drop you off to walk in the snow. Nor am I going to have this ridiculous conversation because I don’t live in Richmond,” he hissed. “This is what I get for trying to help a sister out.”
“Look, I didn’t ask for your help.”
“I gave it anyway. The least you can do is be grateful.” The GPS system indicated they had reached their destination. Theo pulled the vehicle over and parked in front of a two-story home with a wraparound porch, nice big yard and a vehicle parked in the driveway. Another vehicle pulled around them, and stopped in the driveway as he stepped out. He walked around to open the door for her.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m walking you to the door, as a man should do late at night.”
“It’s not like we were on a date or anything. You just gave me a ride home. That’s all.”
“Are you combative about everything or is it just me?”
Hands on her hips, she took offense. “I’m not combative.”
“You could have fooled the hell out of me.”
“Is there a problem here?”
Theo turned to see a tall, tall, tall, dark-skinned man standing behind him.
“No, Daddy, there’s no problem. Mr. Prentiss was just leaving.”
Theo extended his hand, looking up at the man he estimated to be a good seven feet tall. He was six-two and had to look up at the man. “How do you do, Mr. Lassiter? There is no problem. I was explaining to your daughter how a man should treat a woman, even if she doesn’t act like a lady.” He gave her a stern look.
