by Tasha Jones
“Okay,” she said quietly.
“See you in a few hours then.” With a general wave of goodbye to everyone, Jeremy walked to the front desk, paid for his haircut and left the salon.
The minute the door closed behind him, all the girls erupted into a chorus of excited chatter.
“Oh my God! He’s so dreamy.”
“Did you check out his ass?”
“How romantic!”
“Where have you been hiding this delectable little piece, Violet?”
“Guess who’s going to get some tonight? Better run home and shave your legs, girl.”
“Were you seriously going to turn him down? Girl, you be crazy!”
Violet didn’t dignify any of the comments with any responses, her mind was whirling with this sudden turn of events, did she really have a date with the handsome doctor? She was having a hard time wrapping her head around it, what could he possibly see in someone like her? They came from two different worlds entirely; the women he typically dated must all be gorgeous and sophisticated with blonde hair, small breasts and long legs.
No doubt they vacationed in France, spent their weekends at the Hamptons and dressed only in designer clothes. Violet was the polar opposite of all those things. Her mind went over her limited closet as she thought of what she could wear and settled on a pair of jeans and a pretty summer blouse. She was certain girls from Jeremy’s social circle dressed much fancier, but she was determined she wouldn’t hide her true self or pretend to be someone she was not. After all, she was proud of who she was.
***
Punctual as always, Jeremy arrived at her door at 5 p.m. sharp. He handed her a gorgeous bouquet of calla lilies and roses, “They made me think of you,” he explained simply when she exclaimed how he shouldn’t have. And he had another bouquet of brightly hued daisies and peonies for Tanya, who accepted them shyly.
Debra greeted Jeremy warmly and gave Violet a wink of approval as she shooed her out of the house and into Jeremy’s car with strict instructions she wasn’t to worry about anything.
“Have a good time tonight honey.” She shamelessly eyed Jeremy, focusing her attention below his belt, “You’re a lucky gal, make sure to take advantage of it.” This was said in such a loud whisper Violet’s ears burned with embarrassment, she was sure Jeremy had heard. And as she settled into the car, Debra’s words echoed in her head and she was consumed with visions of her and Jeremy’s naked bodies slick with sweat as they made love.
If Jeremy had heard Debra’s comment he kept it to himself, instead he asked her questions about her day and they spoke briefly about Tanya’s recovery and soon they were chatting away comfortably.
“Where are we going?” Violet asked curiously.
“Nothing overly special, just dinner at a restaurant and then home because I don’t want to keep you too long.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
The restaurant he had chosen was a laid back, informal place and to his relief there was no awkwardness or tension and their conversation from the car continued to flow easily and pleasantly. After a glass of wine, Violet seemed even more at ease and she flowered before him into a fun, carefree woman having a good time.
“Have you never spontaneously done something utterly unsuitable just for the fun of it?” she asked him smiling impishly.
Jeremy thought about the question and wracked his brain trying to think of a time when he had done something truly spontaneous, of a time when he had allowed his emotions to carry him away. He came up with a blank. “I can’t think of anything, does sneaking into the girls’ changing room in high school count?”
“Depends on why you did it.”
“I lost a bet.”
Violet shook her head, “Sadly, bets don’t count. Do you always play it safe, Jeremy?”
“Not always…” his mind was searching through its catalogue of memories, trying to dredge up at least one memory of him doing something unpredictable and totally out of character. A vague memory took form and he smiled at Violet triumphantly, “I don’t always play it safe but it’s not a memory I can share.”
Jet black eyebrows rose up in twin question marks, “That’s very convenient isn’t it, why can’t you share it?”
“It wouldn’t be right given our relationship…”
Violet grinned, “Is it an ex-girlfriend story?”
“Maybe.”
“An ex-girlfriend sex story?”
He looked away from her questioning eyes, “Maybe,” and then asked her the same thing, “Have you? Done something utterly spontaneous?”
She considered his question for a minute, “I guess deciding to have Tanya and getting married was an utterly irresponsible and spontaneous action.”
“Oh?” He was surprised.
“Yes, I wasn’t exactly ready for motherhood at twenty you know…”
“Were you happy?” Jeremy didn’t know what possessed him to ask such a question, Violet seemed equally surprised by such a direct and personal question.
She moved her fork away from her mouth and considered the question carefully before answering him, “I was happy enough, it wasn’t exactly the life I had dreamt of or planned out for myself, but I wasn’t unhappy either and I got Tanya out of it. Something I wouldn’t trade for anything else in the world. She has been a joy and a blessing to me every single day.”
“I’m glad you have no regrets.”
“No, no regrets. Life often doesn’t pan out the way you thought it would, but when you look back sometimes you realize it unfolded exactly the way it should have. Does that make sense?”
It was Jeremy’s turn to mull over her words as he thought of things in his own life. “I know what you mean, whenever I think about the past I feel very certain I dodged a major bullet. Even though at the time it hurt unbearably.”
“But having dodged that bullet, you’ve also closed yourself off to everything pleasurable in your life, focusing all your energies into work because you’re scared of hurting again. Aren’t you being unfair to yourself?”
Jeremy was surprised at how perceptive she was and how quickly she had read him, but instead of answering the question he asked one of his own, “Why did you never marry again? Didn’t you want to?”
Violet shrugged, “Not particularly.”
“Serious relationships?”
“None.”
“Why?”
“You’re full of questions tonight, aren’t you,” she teased him gently.
“Sorry,” he muttered, taking a sip of his wine, “you don’t have to answer anything.”
His contrite expression melted Violet’s heart and she answered him truthfully, “It’s okay, I’m just pulling your leg. I really don’t mind. After Alex passed away, it’s not something I thought about, it wasn’t a priority for me. I loved our little family of just her and me. I also didn’t want to bring another man into Tanya’s life, it was really important to me she have stability and not have to worry about too many changes in her life.”
Jeremy sensed there was more and he nudged her gently, “Was there any other reason?”
After a few moments of hesitation, Violet replied simply and honestly, “I also told myself the next time I get involved with anyone seriously or plan to get married, it will be for love and for nothing else.”
Jeremy couldn’t explain why the answer pleased him but it did. The waiter arrived with their food and their conversation moved on to Tanya. They didn’t linger over coffee or dessert because Violet wanted to be back to tuck Tanya into bed.
When he pulled up on her street, she thanked him and said goodnight. He stared at her intently for a few seconds and then whispered, “I’m about to do something impulsive now.”
Before she could utter a word, he leaned down towards her, his face so close she could feel his hot breath on her cheek then his mouth covered hers sending shockwaves down his spine. At first she held herself stiffly, taken aback by the kiss, but as his lips molded against hers softly, plying her lips op
en, she felt herself relaxing and giving into him. Her hands went up automatically and wrapped themselves around the curve of his neck, her fingers raked through his short hair. His hands slid from around her waist to just below, softly massaging her back with sensual strokes. She pulled herself away from him and whispered weakly, “Tanya’s waiting.”
Not trusting his voice, Jeremy nodded and drove off once she had gone inside.
Later that night as Jeremy documented some patient notes, he thought about the kiss he had shared with Violet and recalled a question she had asked him earlier during their date, “What makes you happy, Jeremy?”
He hadn’t been able to think of anything right then, but it was an interesting question, what did make him happy? He ticked off the things in his life, trying to find the one thing which filled his life with joy.
His parents? He loved them certainly, he would do anything for them, well almost anything, but they didn’t bring him joy or happiness exactly. He had happy memories, he liked being around them and spending time with them like any other son, but they didn’t add sparkle to his life.
His material possessions? He drove a very nice car and lived in a large and tasteful home. He had a closet full of expensive suits and shirts for the rare times he attended a formal occasion. He had gadgets galore and the money to buy almost anything he wanted. His possessions brought him comfort and made his life easier, but that wasn’t really happiness, was it. He could easily give them up.
His job? That surely gave him happiness, but thinking deeply he realized that while he derived a lot of satisfaction and pride from his work, it could not be characterized as genuine happiness. When he cured a patient’s illness or saved their lives, he felt a rush and thrill at having solved a complex puzzle, but was that happiness?
Then his thoughts went to Violet, whenever she was around he felt a warmth within him, a sense of belonging. He loved hearing her joyful laughter, loved to watch her eyes shine and sparkle as she played with Tanya or gently teased him. To his great surprise, he realized happiness is what he felt whenever he was with Violet or whenever he thought about her. The next morning when he woke up, he called Violet and asked her if he could see her again. Hesitating briefly she said yes, she would like that very much.
Through the course of their next few dates, they came to know each other intimately, they talked every chance they got, he told her about his childhood, how hard his father worked to become so successful. She learned about his mother who sounded formidable but kind. She learned about his old love Julia who he had almost proposed to but he had discovered her cheating on him with his best friend. He learned about Alex, and her own childhood of growing up in the projects and how she dreamed of taking Tanya away from it.
In the meantime, the results of Tanya’s tests came back and Jeremy explained to Violet as gently as he could that Tanya would need to undergo surgery so he could fill the hole in her heart, otherwise she would face serious complications within a few short years. Violet cried that day and he held her for long moments while reassuring her that everything would be all right.
CHAPTER EIGHT:
The night before Tanya’s surgery, Violet came home from the hospital where Tanya had been admitted and spent the evening frantically cleaning the house. By the time she was done, she was exhausted and went to bed, hoping sleep would take away all her worries. She lay awake through the night, tossing and turning, her mind thinking over worst case scenarios and her stomach bubbling unpleasantly as she thought of her precious daughter’s chest being opened up. By 8:30a.m. the next morning, she was at the hospital. To her relief, Jeremy was already there as well, finalizing the preparations for Tanya’s surgery.
When Violet was allowed into Tanya’s room, she was sitting up in bed cheerful and happy, enjoying the novelty of being in a hospital and getting to eat bunny shaped jello. A few short hours later, she was wheeled into surgery. With a lump in her throat, Violet watched her being taken away, desperate prayers on her lips. She clung to the belief that no harm would come to Tanya while she was in Jeremy’s care.
Sitting in the little room decorated like a comfortable den, Violet watched the minutes tick away on the clock, thinking of all the times she had sat waiting with Tanya at a doctor’s office or in the hospital. Please God, after today, let her get better, let her life never be in danger again, she murmured over and over again. After what seemed like endless hours, she saw Jeremy coming walking towards her, a broad smile on his face. Jumping to her feet, she half ran to him, “Is she okay? Is she awake? Can I see her?”
Jeremy grabbed her outstretched hands and squeezed them gently, “Hey, hey,” he murmured in a soothing voice, “relax, don’t stress. She’s in tip top shape. The surgery went extremely well and now all she needs to do is rest and take things easy.”
“Can I go see her?” she asked him eagerly.
He shook his head, “Not right now. She’s very weak and tired and she’s sleeping right now. But you can look in on her through the window.”
Taking her hand in his, he led her down a long hallway and through a set of double doors and to the room where Tanya was sleeping. Through the large window, Violet could see that Tanya was fast asleep, her little chest softly rising and falling. Having made sure she was in fact okay, she followed Jeremy into his office so he could explain the procedure and the next steps.
***
Tanya spent the next four days at the hospital because Jeremy didn’t want to release her until he was certain she would be strong enough to go home. Over the course of the four days as Violet and Jeremy watched over Tanya, their relationship deepened and evolved into something more intimate. By the time her daughter was released and pronounced well enough to go home, Violet knew she was head over heels in love with Jeremy and she also realized in that moment that somehow, over the span of a few months, they had slowly become a family unit with Jeremy coming over often for suppers and lunches, taking them out for picnics, going to the zoo, movies and other fun stuff. The Violet who had made a habit of never depending on anyone had slowly become dependent on Jeremy’s love and the happiness he brought to their lives.
CHAPTER NINE:
A few weeks after the surgery with Tanya well on her way to being fully recovered, Jeremy called her one day to ask her out on a proper date.
“A proper date?” she asked him feeling amused.
“Yes, a proper one. I want to take you out on a date with all the bells and whistles.”
“Sounds complicated,” she teased.
“Don’t be difficult about this, is tomorrow night good for you?”
“Yes.”
“Great, I’ll pick you up at 7p.m.”
“See you then.”
The minute she hung up the phone, Violet was speed dialing Debra urgently. “Debra! I need help right away.”
“What’s wrong? Is Tanya okay?”
“Yes, sorry, it’s not Tanya. It’s Jeremy, we’re supposed to go on a ‘proper’ date tomorrow night with bells and whistles, I need to…”
“Be dolled up? Don’t worry babe, I’m coming right over and we’ll figure this out.”
An evening of trying on dresses and accessories with Tanya and Debra followed, full of laughter and silly jokes. They finally settled on a long-forgotten bridesmaid dress Debra pulled out from the closet. It was a one shouldered dress, gathered under the bust in a soft shade of green which complemented Violet’s dark skin tone and light brown eyes. Her lips pursed in a thin line, Debra considered the floor length dress for a few moments.
“We’ll have to shorten it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, honey, you can’t wear this dress as is, it’s too old fashioned. How attached are you to this dress?”
Violet shrugged, “Not much, it’s from ten years ago.”
“Excellent, okay you go and do your nails and other lady things while I take care of this dress.”
In Debra’s skillful and almost magical hands, the dress was transf
ormed into a gorgeous one. She snipped and cut until the hem fell in a soft swirl above Violet’s knees, along the bodice she added a string of sparkly crystals, which she took off another old dress. The final result was a stunning masterpiece.
The next day, Debra came over once more to help Violet get ready and to look after Tanya. They worked tirelessly on Violet’s dark, curly hair until it lay in smooth, shiny waves around her shoulder. Her makeup was minimal and tasteful, the dress accentuated her round breasts and curvy figure and was set off brilliantly with a pair of faux diamanté earrings Debra produced from her own wardrobe. When Violet looked into the mirror that evening, she hardly recognized herself.
“Mommy, you’re so beautiful,” Tanya whispered in reverent awe.
Kneeling down to Tanya’s height, Violet gave her a big hug and kissed her forehead softly. “Thank you, honey,” she whispered back, “Now you be good tonight for Aunty Deb, okay?”
