“Yes, you were. You didn't lie to me and you were willing to listen, just as you promised.”
“So you feel better?”
I gave him a tiny smile. “A little bit.”
“Good.” He looked at his watch. “What say you come out with me and my friends and I feed you?”
“No, Ethan, I don't want to intrude on your night. I should go home and face whatever's waiting there. Besides, I don't feel very sociable right now.”
“Just come out with me. We'll eat then go to a karaoke bar after. You can help my team win this week. We never win, so I need you and your beautiful voice. Monica and T will be there, too. Please?”
I smiled. I love karaoke and he knew it. I love to sing and I really love to see people's face when I open my mouth. The look on my siblings faces the first time they heard me was priceless. It was as I practiced for Mom and Pops' wedding. Monica actually cried when I finished.
“I'm in my scrubs, Ethan, I can't go out in this.”
“No problem,” he assured then hurriedly pulled out his cell. He smiled comfortingly as he waited for someone to answer. “Monica? I have Cookie here and she's in need of something to wear out with us.”
* * *
Monica brought a silk, mint green short sleeved dress for me to wear that hit just below my thighs, hunter green heels and a wide matching belt. How ironic, I thought as I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in Ethan’s bathroom. Marcus' favorite color. He is always around, even when he isn't, physically.
When I emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, Monica's mouth dropped open.
“Damn! Keep that dress, Mariah... you've just ruined it for me. I've never been able to do it this kind of justice!”
We went to Cavatappi and the atmosphere was much more calmed and relaxing at dinner time than the lunch rush. I soon found myself relaxing, partly from the smooth moscato I'd been drinking with my meal, but also the good company. Every now and again, I felt a sharp pang when something reminded me of Marcus and I quieted, but either T, Monica or Ethan would grab my hand or smile at me and I'd try to snap out of it. I didn't want to ruin the atmosphere for them.
There were eleven of us, six guys and five girls. Ethan and his friends were loud and boisterous, and they had a really good time hounding one another. One friend, Nicholas, had been stealing glimpses at me since we met. He was tall, a few shades darker than me and handsome. After dinner, while we were waiting for the valets, Nicholas made a move.
“So, Mariah, are you seeing anybody,” he asked.
Before I could answer, T stepped between us, his back to me.
“Move along, Nicholas. Nothing more to see here,” T murmured, patting Nicholas’ shoulder.
Nicholas frowned but walked away. T turned to me and pulled me close, hugging me sweetly. I missed having a brother while growing up, so much.
“Thanks, T,” I whispered, as a tear rolled down my cheek.
“He's a good guy, and if you weren't... I'll explain it later. He'll understand.”
“Okay.”
“You'll be all right, Cookie,” T guaranteed, handing me a pack of tissue.
I giggled. “What is it with doctors and packs of tissue?”
He chuckled. “You know, germs and the like. And… you never know when an emotional sister may need to wipe her tears.”
I smiled up at him. “Do you carry hand sanitizer, too?”
He grinned and produced his keys. Hanging on them was a small bottle of Purell. I laughed and it felt good. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
“Come on, Cookie. Let's go work those pipes of yours.”
* * *
The bar was a huge place decorated like a sleek jazz club. There was a long bar to the right of the entry and directly across from it was a stage that housed musical instruments. Tables, with black chairs, covered with white cloths filled the space between the bar and stage. Frank Sinatra was crooning in the background.
My team -Monica, Ethan, Brynna and Gil, a couple of law students with Ethan- surrounded me. T was elected out since I was there, which is good because he’s the worst singer ever and didn't know it.
“This place hosts different activities and tonight is karaoke,” Monica explained. “We try to get together every Friday for a friendly competition; the losers pay for dinner the following week, but we never win! I'm so glad you're here!”
“Your fiancé is the reason we never win,” Brynna said as she grinned at an eye-rolling T.
“Is she that good,” Gil asked.
Ethan smiled at me. “She's outstanding.”
Gil scoffed. “Good. I'm going broke with these fuckers and their shrimp and lobster every week!”
We all laughed loud and smirked as the other team scowled at us.
“Are there any rules,” I asked.
“Just sing and have fun. They pick an artist, you pick your song,” Monica replied. “The bar provides words and lyrics for you and the patrons vote on singer of the night and that person sings again, their choice, with the wait staff providing live background vocals. It's awesome. I can't wait for them to back you... it's going to sound so good,” Monica gushed with a huge grin on her face.
“Okay. We'll see if I win 'Best in Show',” I said, making them laugh hard again.
“We're keeping you for last, Secret Weapon,” Ethan whispered to me.
I nodded and took my seat.
I listened to everyone while waiting my turn. Everyone had decent voices and they threw interesting choices out there, from Britney Spears to the Rolling Stones to the Supremes.
When my turn came, it was after ten and the bar had gotten crowded and I felt my nerves getting rattled. I stood and threw back a shot of vodka followed by warm water. I walked to the stage and waited at the mic for my artist to be called. I felt the vodka burn in my chest, and was starting to relax.
Finally, someone called out Luther Vandross. I smiled, thinking that I knew every one of his songs. He'd always been a favorite of my mom and me.
“Suckers,” I said into the mic. My team and T jumped up and cheered. Gil stayed seated, still unsure.
The host scrolled the list of songs available and I chose, pointing excitedly, “That one, please. Twenty-two.”
He smiled as he nodded at me and walked away. I cleared my throat and waited. When the intro began, I took a deep breath and looked at my team.
“You guys need a win.” I grinned then smoothly sang, “And it’s gon’ be tonight.”
“Shit,” Nicholas muttered.
“Wow... we just lost, guys,” someone else shouted.
My team, this time with Gil, was back on their feet. I smiled then breathed in deep from my diaphragm, and on the cue I belted out the song. At the fade, the whole bar roared in applause at my effort. The other team genuflected to mine. I laughed and put my palms on my cheeks. They felt on fire!
I was about to go to my seat when the host joined me on the stage and blocked me there, applauding.
“I think we have a clear winner here, folks? Right,” he said into the mic and the whole place applauded in agreement. Ethan, T and some others were whistling.
The host turned to me and smiled big with his arm around my waist.
“I'm Rudy. What's your name, beautiful?”
I smiled shyly. “Mariah.”
“Mariah? Fitting! Well, Mariah, what's going to be your victory song?”
“I don't know...um...” I turned toward movement at the corner of my eye.
Mom, Pops, Lisa and Nathan were going to the table with my team. I frowned. When did they get here? Which one of these fools had the big mouth? I shot daggers at my 'team'. T shrugged and mouthed, ‘I'm not sorry.’
Mom was beaming. She loved to hear me sing and was adamant I’d gotten it from Daddy's side because no one on hers can sing anything.
“What are you going to sing next, Mariah,” a familiar voice asked to my right.
My heart skipped. I peeked over the host's shoulder, knowing wh
ose face I was going to see.
Marcus, standing a few feet from the entrance.
I shook my head and turned. “Go away.”
“No. What are you going to sing next?”
A tear rolled down my cheek and my mom stood. Lisa grabbed her hand and Mom looked at her. Lisa shook her head. Mom slowly sat back down. The whole place had gone quiet.
“Please don't do this here.”
“I just want to hear you sing again. I'll go after, I promise,” he said, moving to my view.
I looked at him, long and searching. Suddenly a song popped in my head.
“Madonna. Take A Bow,” I whispered to the host's ear and he raised his eyebrows.
“Are you sure,” he asked.
I looked back at Marcus. “Very.”
“Okay, folks, she's chosen! Back-ups, take the stage!”
Four waitresses circled the host and he told them the song. They all nodded. Good, they knew it. They waved at a waiter, as I'll need a male voice for this song. When they told him the song, he frowned at me, shrugged then joined me on stage, positioning a mic just behind me on my right. Two of the waitresses remained on the stage to my left.
I wiped my face with my hands. Monica brought me another shot, which I gratefully downed, and water. I cleared my throat, drank the water and waited, standing in front of the mic. The vodka warmed my chest again. I was beyond ready.
The intro started and I took a deep breath, and exhaled it slowly. Marcus’ eyes widened when he recognized the song. He almost looked... wounded. I cared and I didn't. I heard the cue and sang.
When I finished the last line, I stared straight into Marcus' eyes with the most disgusted look I could fix on my face. I finished, and the bar broke out into another roaring applause as Marcus turned and walked out the door.
I ran off the stage, straight to Lisa and threw my arms around her neck and burst into tears as I held her tight.
“I want to go home,” I begged through my sobs while the whole place applauded at my pain. “Please. Before I make an even bigger fool of myself tonight.”
“Shh... okay, Cookie, let's go,” Lisa soothed in my ear, holding me just as tight. “Let's go, Nathan. Now.”
Lisa held me as we walked to her car. I stretched across the back seat and cried softly. The car was in total silence, aside from my sniffles, the entire way home.
When we got there, I went straight to my room and closed the door. I hadn't stayed there all week and it felt foreign to me, even when I slid in the bed and wrapped up in the blanket.
I wept ‘til my head hurt. I took a mild pain reliever, praying it wouldn’t escalate. Under the cover again, I fell asleep in Monica's beautiful dress.
* * *
I reached across the bed. It was empty. Where did Marcus go? I opened my eyes and saw sunlight invade the room. My room. I winced as I remembered.
Shit... no more Marcus.
I gripped the bridge of my nose. I should take another pill. I looked around, wondering what time it was.
10:22. Damn.
I grabbed the bottled water from the table, glad Lisa or Nathan left it there for me, and my purse. I swallowed my pill and finished the water. Still, my mouth felt like cardboard and I had no energy. Why am I so out of it?
Vodka.
Damn. And there was wine with dinner.
I needed some tea and a shower to wake me up. I got off the bed and shirked out of my clothes as I went to my bathroom.
The water felt so warm and crisp running down my skin. I began to imagine Marcus was in there with me, kissing my neck, cupping my breast with one hand and fingering my sex with the other, just as he did whenever we shared a shower.
Immediately, yesterday's quickie in Marcus' eighth floor office invaded my mind. He’d texted me, asking that I’d come see him there during my next break. When I opened his door, he was sitting on the edge of the desk, reading something but looked up at me as I walked in and it was quickly forgotten.
He shook his head and said, “Lock the door.”
I did and before I could tell A from B, we were naked, and so hungry for one other, as though we'd parted for months or years instead of a few hours.
I'd highly recommend sex on a desk to anybody.
I giggled when I thought of his reaction to his phone ringing and he came thisclose to giving away exactly what he was doing.
I was lying naked across the middle of the desk. My legs were wrapped around Marcus' waist and he had just entered me. His hands were flat on the desk at my waist, giving me a slow, seductive rhythm while sucking my left nipple.
“Fuck,” he muttered when the phone rang, and stopped his movements. He picked up the phone and answered, still in me.
I swear nothing but climax kills his erections. Most times. Giggle.
“Dr. Alexander,” he yelled in the phone. I bet we looked like a sex statue. I giggled at the thought and put my hands over my mouth when he rolled his eyes at me.
“How long,” he said into the phone.
“Oh, well. Guess that's done,” I whispered, attempting to get up.
He put his free hand on my chest and held me down, looking me in my eyes. He started his rhythm again. My legs tightened around him and his hand slid up and gripped my shoulder.
“No, don't change the course. Is that all,” he said, then slammed into me, grunting.
“AH,” I yelled.
“Nothing,” he put his hand over my mouth and slammed me again. I let out another yell, but it was muffled because of his hand.
He started to move slowly in and out of me again and I moved my head and put two of his fingers in my mouth and sucked slowly. Marcus moaned.
“What,” he said into the phone. “No, I said ‘mm-hmm’ to agree. That's fine. Make sure Burns finds me after.”
He slammed me again. I groaned and sat up, circling my arms around his neck. He kept his slow rhythm then I started kissing and biting his throat and jaw.
“Shit,” he whispered as his rhythm picked up. “Yes. Just… give me… ten minutes... fuck… I'll call you back,” Marcus moaned then shut off the phone and tossed it on the couch.
“You are such a bad girl, baby,” he said into my ear.
“You like it though,” I smiled, still kissing his throat.
“I love it,” he confirmed as he reached under my arms, gripped my shoulders, lifted me and fucked me like he did Friday. I came all over the place and he was right behind me.
“I've missed you here this week,” he murmured, biting at my jaw as we calmed.
I laughed. “You never see me. I don't even visit the Peds floor, let alone work on it.”
“I see you. Everyday. I make sure of it, baby.”
“Stalker,” I whispered.
“Vixen.”
I giggled. “Are you calling me a reindeer, Dr. Alexander?”
“No, baby. You are a temptress,” he murmured, then kissed me with passion.
When our breathing composed, he let me go. I reluctantly broke away.
“Gotta go, boo,” I said as I grabbed my clothes and went to the washroom.
When I came out he was waiting to go in, wearing his suit pants. I glanced at my watch. 1:22. Shit!
“I really gotta go. I'm supposed to be working, you know. No more texts, no more trysts. Got it, boo?”
“Got it,” he deadpanned. “Think you can spare fifteen minutes around four?”
“Marcus!” I laughed, kissed him then went to the door and unlocked it. “You are just... Ugh! No!”
“I gotta have you, baby. All the time. I'll be ready after five; meet me at the car? You have the key?”
“Yes, I have it and I will. Later, boo.”
He smiled. “Bye, baby,”
When I closed the door, I heard him shout, “Whoo! Yes!”
I grinned and went back to Pops’ office.
I shut off the water and sighed. Felt like a lifetime ago.
* * *
It was almost twelve when I made it dow
nstairs. I wasn’t going anywhere so I threw on sweats, an old tee from UIC and flip flops. My stomach was growling and I need a drink. My mind was still set on tea.
I heard voices when I get to the bottom landing; Lisa’s, Nathan’s and... another woman? Who could that be? I peeked in the den and a woman was sitting with her back to me. I frowned as Lisa looked up.
‘Who is that,’ I mouthed to Lisa.
Lisa smiled. “Oh, here she is.”
The woman rose and turned to me with a smile. I gasped. It was Mrs. Cannon.
And we look like this? SHIT!
“Mariah, darling,” she breathed and held out her hands. “Come, talk with me.”
My first instinct was to refuse but my manners took over. “Okay.”
I walked in the room and took her hands. She kissed my cheek and we sat.
“Mariah, forgive me, but I heard about yesterday. My son was too... upset, to say the least... to go home last night so he came to see me. He spent the night at our house.”
I inhaled. “Mrs. Cannon, with all due respect, I don't think I should discuss anything about your son or our former relationship, with you. I appreciate your visit but he should not have sent you.”
“Marcus didn't send me, darling, I came on my own. He has no idea I’m here. I'm afraid I woke your mother last night and had a long chat. She gave me your address.”
I sighed. Yeah, that sounded like Mom.
“All right... what can I do for you, Mrs. Cannon?”
“We'll be in the kitchen, Mariah,” Nathan said, as he and Lisa stood.
Mrs. Cannon looked up at them. “No, please stay.”
They looked at me. I nodded and they sat back down. Mrs. Cannon looked back to me.
“Mariah, I'd like to discuss some aspects of my life with you that have affected Marcus deeply. May I,” she asked, as she meekly looks at me. I would never think of her that way but I felt her vulnerability and couldn’t deny her. Besides, I wanted to hear what she had to say, wondering what it had to do with Marcus and me. Plus, he may object to her talking to me, but at this point, as we were not together anymore, it shouldn't matter.
“Okay.” I sighed. “I'll listen.”
Mariah: The M Series: Book Two Page 20
