Forget Me Not

by Crystal B. Bright

  “Gideon?” She covered her free ear and concentrated on the caller.

  “Janelle. Thanks for taking my call.” He sounded defeated. “I know we didn’t part under the best circumstances this morning.”

  “No, we didn’t.” Janelle wanted to talk about that, especially after hearing on the news what troubles Gideon faced right now.

  “Do you have any time to break free from work right now? I don’t want to have this conversation over the phone.”

  “Where are you?” She scanned her location to find the elevators.

  “At the hospital.”

  “I know. Where are you in the hospital?”

  Silence.

  “Are you here?”

  Janelle chewed on her lower lip, afraid of what he would say when she answered. “Yes. I’m downstairs.”

  “Come up to their third floor. I’m in the family waiting area.”

  She beamed at his invitation. “On my way.”

  The elevator took too long to arrive. She should have taken the stairs. As soon as the doors opened, she gasped when she saw Gideon standing outside the doors. He smiled as soon as he saw her.

  “Thanks for coming.”

  Only hours ago, she had allowed this man to caress her in a way she hadn’t been touched before. Now she didn’t know how to greet him. Should she hug him? Shake his hand? Kiss him?

  Before she could continue thinking about the possibilities, Gideon took the responsibility away from her and planted a sweet kiss on her lips. Janelle felt all warm inside, a smoldering heat that started at her toes and rose up through her body like a creeping ivy to the top of her head. Then he held her hand.

  “I was going to go to the cafeteria. Care to join me?” He didn’t move until she responded.

  “Yes. I would like that.” She turned to the elevator but felt resistance from Gideon’s firm grip. She turned back to him.

  “Before we go, I’d like to introduce you to some people.” He carried a slight smile as he led her to the family waiting area.

  Janelle followed him while nervous energy fluttered through her chest. He gripped her hand tighter as he walked.

  Gideon stopped in front of a couple seated in the center of the room. The man looked like Gideon except he had a crew cut. He had the same sparkling blue eyes, same determined jaw, and same muscular build. Despite the similarities, Janelle didn’t feel the same way seeing him like she did with Gideon. Gideon had something special.

  The African-American woman who sat next to the man had short, black hair styled with minicurls. She held the man’s hand like his life depended on it. If Janelle had been a betting type of woman, she would guess that Gideon had brought Janelle over to meet his brother. Since Janelle knew Elizabeth didn’t have any daughters, she assumed the woman had to be his brother’s girlfriend, or rather, his fiancée judging by the huge rock on her left hand ring finger.

  “Gunnar,” Gideon began.

  The big man stood. He looked to be a couple of inches taller than Gideon.

  “This is Janelle Gold. She owns Flowers Galore near Mom’s place.” Gideon turned to Janelle. He stared at her for a moment before he finished her introductions. “She’s a good friend of mine who keeps me in line.”

  Janelle chuckled a little at that description. She guessed Gideon didn’t mind a woman who spoke her mind.

  Gideon continued. “Janelle, this is my older brother, Gunnar.”

  Gunnar extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.” He offered a polite smile.

  Janelle knew that had to be difficult for him to do considering the circumstance. “Very nice to meet you. I saw the story on the news about the shooting. Glad you’re okay.”

  Gunnar nodded. “Thanks. I’m blessed to be here.”

  To lighten the mood, Janelle mentioned the men’s mother. “Queen Elizabeth is very special. From the first day I opened, she supported me.”

  “Nice to hear. You’ll have to come see her when she can have visitors.” Gunnar’s deep voice didn’t match Gideon’s.

  Janelle didn’t feel the same pulse-pounding feeling when Gunnar spoke like she did when Gideon said anything. She squeezed his hand tighter.

  “Janelle, this is my fiancée, Eboni Danielson.” Gunnar helped Eboni to her feet. “Eboni, Janelle Gold.” He leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

  Whatever he said, Eboni giggled and gave him a teasing slap on his arm.

  “Very nice to meet you. I work for Queen at her hair salon.” Eboni peered up at Janelle. “Pretty hair. How long have you been natural?”

  “Since college. About seven years.” On instinct, Janelle touched her hair that she had styled in a topknot bun.

  “If you ever want it styled, come on to Press ’N Curl.” Eboni wrapped her arm around Gunnar’s waist. “He can do wonders with natural hair.”

  Gunnar kissed her forehead. It shouldn’t have surprised Janelle to hear that this big man, the MMA fighter she had heard about, knew how to style hair. Gideon had a great knowledge of all types of foliage.

  “Are you guys sure you don’t want to come down to the cafeteria?” Gideon asked.

  Gunnar shook his head. “I want to be here in case there’s another update.” He put his hand to his stomach. “Besides, I don’t have much of an appetite right now.” He glanced down at Eboni. “Babe?”

  “No, I’m fine. I’ll stay right here with you.” She patted his chest. “Very nice meeting you, Janelle.” She looked at Janelle and Gideon. “Maybe once Queen is back home we can all do dinner sometime.”

  Janelle didn’t want to get too far ahead of herself. Right now, she didn’t know where she and Gideon stood with each other.

  Gideon answered for her. “I think that would be great.”

  Janelle didn’t refute his statement. She returned her attention to Gunnar and Eboni. “It was very nice to meet you two.”

  “Nice meeting you.” Gunnar patted Gideon on his shoulder. “Go straight to the cafeteria. Don’t get diverted anywhere else.” He winked.

  “Good thing you’re injured.” Gideon shook his head as he went back out to the hallway to the elevator.

  He pressed the Down button on the elevator and waited next to her.

  She scanned around him. It didn’t take long for people passing by them to notice him and point. “People are looking at us.”

  He leaned down close to her. “You know how I handle that?”

  The elevator dinged and the doors opened.

  After he stepped inside and pulled her behind him, he said, “I keep my concentration on the person I’m with.”

  Once the door closed, Janelle continued with her questions. “You aren’t afraid that they’ll take a picture of us and put it out for the world to see?”

  He shrugged. “I learned a long time ago that more than half of the stuff published about me is not true.”

  “Even about your knee and being put on the injured list?”

  Gideon glared at her. Janelle swallowed hard but returned his stare with a lethal one of her own. When the doors opened, he continued holding her hand. He led her to the cafeteria area.

  He placed a tray on the rails in front of Janelle and allowed her to get her food first. He followed after filling his plate with a large salad, a couple of sandwiches, and a large bottle of water. She started to feel guilty getting a chili dog and fries until she saw Gideon’s massive plate of food.

  He found them a table at the far corner of the room. She froze when she saw him praying before he ate his food. She hadn’t seen a lot of people, especially men, doing that nowadays. She couldn’t hide her smile.

  “Didn’t know you were really religious like that. It’s nice.” She shook some pepper onto her fries before dipping one into a pool of ketchup.

  “To be honest, I haven’t prayed before a meal in a while. Today, I asked God for a favor.” He picked through his undressed salad. Before taking a bite, he continued unburdening himself. �
��Before I called you, the OR nurse let us know that Mom is doing okay. They’re halfway through surgery. I’m hoping she’ll make it the rest of the way.”

  “We’re all thinking about her and praying for her.” Janelle put her hand on top of Gideon’s, which seemed to calm him.

  He took a deep breath before he smiled and ate a forkful of his salad. “I normally don’t like eating in public. I’m a homebody.”

  “Really? I’m kind of surprised to hear you say that. I would have thought you would be one of those guys who likes to go out to clubs and stuff.”

  He snickered. “Me? Do I look like the dancing, bottle-service type of guy?”

  “No. But you don’t look like you would be happy being holed up in your house either.”

  He shrugged. “I partied enough in college. I don’t need that life anymore. Now I value my privacy. I love playing football. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do since I was a kid. The money is great. I like the fact that I can be a leader.”

  “You could have gone into the military if you wanted to lead.” She took a bite of her hot dog and followed it with some water when the bland flavor hit her throat. Damn hospital food.

  “Tried. Mom freaked out when I told her I wanted to go into the Marines. She cried for days. It killed me. So I told her I’d changed my mind and I played all through high school and college. I got offers from several teams all over. I decided to pick a team close to home.”

  Janelle stared at the man across from her. She’d had no idea about Gideon’s protective nature.

  “It’s true.” He wiped his hands and glanced around their seating area before he continued. “A couple of weeks before the Super Bowl, I hurt my knee. I didn’t tell anyone. I thought with enough ice and rest before the game, I would be fine. I wasn’t. Word got out about it, and the other team came right for me. They tried taking me out.”

  She dropped her fry and covered her mouth. “This is why I can’t watch football. I can’t imagine people purposefully being cruel to one another. It’s barbaric.”

  “Then you definitely don’t want to follow my older brother in his sport. He’s an MMA fighter. His matches can get pretty brutal.”

  She shook her head. “So what happened with you?”

  “I saw a doctor after I got home. He said I didn’t tear my ACL, which is a good thing. But I banged it up pretty badly. He recommended surgery. I opted to go for a knee brace.” He finished off his salad.

  “You need the surgery. That’s the only way you’re going to get better.” She kept her voice low. She’d learned since Gideon had come into her life that everyone around them had the potential to overhear him and run to the media.

  “Now you sound like a mother.” He picked up one of his large sandwiches and took a hefty bite.

  “I knew Queen Elizabeth was a wise woman. You should listen to her.”

  “I did when she told me to go see you if I needed help.” He smiled. “Best advice ever.”

  She laughed until she noticed him getting serious again.

  “I have a hard time asking for help. I don’t like doing it.” He shook his head.

  “Why?” She dipped another fry in ketchup and ate it. At least they’d fried the fries and not baked them. She liked her greasy foods whenever she could indulge in them.

  “I never want to be perceived as weak. When you’re a kid and you get passed around from one home to another because no one really wants you, that chips away at your soul a little. You start to feel like you’re worthless. I hated that feeling. So once I got with Queen, I made sure to always be self-reliant. I wanted people to need me. I never wanted to need anyone.” He dropped his food and held Janelle’s hand. “I need you.”

  Her heart thudded under her ribcage. “Oh, wow.” She’d longed to hear those words from someone. To hear them from Gideon Wells made her feel like she could slay dragons.

  “I’d like another chance to have a proper date.” He curved her hand around and kissed the back of it. “No tricks. No stunts. Just me and you. Would you like that?”

  Janelle nodded. “Sounds lovely. Will it be at your house again?”

  He shook his head. “It doesn’t have to be. Understand that when I go out in public, I’m usually hounded by fans. I was kind of hoping for some quality alone time with you, but I’m trying not to be so controlling.” To punctuate that idea, he smiled. “I’m trying to relax.”

  “Good. Then I’ll plan it.” She rubbed her hands together.

  “Really?” He picked up his sandwich and took another bite.

  “You don’t think I can arrange a good date, do you?” She gave him a suspicious glare.

  “I don’t know how you can top a hundred roses and a gourmet meal cooked by yours truly.” He moved in closer to her, lowered his head, and whispered, “Then there’s that other thing we did.”

  Janelle giggled and put her hand to the side of his face. “That other thing was really nice.”

  He held his hand up like a Boy Scout. “I promise. I’ll be on my best behavior. I couldn’t control myself last night.”

  “Or this morning.”

  “I’ll do better next time. I don’t want you thinking I only want you for one thing. Well, two things.”

  She felt her eyebrows coming together. “What’s the second thing?”

  “That award-winning hibiscus you’re growing.”

  That got a big laugh from her. “It hasn’t won yet. When it wins, you can have it.”

  “Really? What else comes with that?”

  Her eyes widened. “I need to sweeten the deal more?”

  “You never accept the first offer. Besides, I know there’s more you want to give, right?”

  Janelle licked her lips and parted them to respond when a flurry of flashbulbs stopped her. She turned to find diners in the cafeteria had their phones aimed at her and Gideon without shame. She put her hand up to block the sudden lights and cover her face.

  “Hell. Excuse my language.” Gideon sat back. “I wish that guy would just leave me alone.”

  Janelle lowered her hand and looked into the sea of people who suddenly turned their attentions to them. In the middle of the group sat Jules. All the sudden, she felt like a snake had slithered around her body and wrapped around her neck to choke her.

  From what Gideon had said, sounded like this nuisance had been following Gideon around for a while. Had Janelle led Jules to Gideon?

  She turned to Gideon. “I shouldn’t have come here. You alone would have been fine. With me it’s now a story.” She started to stand when he held her hand.

  “They would have done this anyway. Finish your meal. If you want to wait with me to see what happens with my mom, I would like that. Or you can—”

  “Suddenly, I’m not that hungry.” She put a balled up napkin over her food. “Thanks for lunch. Let me know what happens to your mother.”

  “And the date?”

  Unable to answer, she shook her head as she darted out of the cafeteria area. The only way she could keep Gideon happy and maintain her integrity would be to stay away from him. Now she felt like her slimy ex who’d dumped her after a wonderful evening.

  * * * *

  Gideon sat beside his mother’s hospital bed. Although he faced her, stared at her motionless body while she slept, his mind remained on Janelle. He’d seen the pure fear in her eyes when the diners in the cafeteria had photographed them. He’d gotten used to it after all these years. He knew it would be a lot to ask of her to accept the pitfalls that came with being with him. He had hoped she would.

  Gunnar stretched as he sat on the couch that doubled as a bed. Eboni rested her head on his chest and had her legs curled up next to her. Gunnar squeezed his fiancée and reclined his head back.

  Gideon took that opportunity to get up from the chair and make his way to the drowsy duo. He tapped Gunnar on his shoulder. “Hey, take Eboni home and you two get some sleep,” he said in a whisper.

/>   Gunnar shook his head and slowly opened his eyes. “No way, man. I’ll stay here all night with you.”

  “No use for both of us to stay. Mom will sleep all night. Victor said he’ll run the flower shop while I’m gone. One of you should be at the hair salon. Go home.” He patted his brother’s knee. “I don’t have anyone to go home to.” He didn’t mean to get morose.

  Unlike his big brother, he wouldn’t be lucky in love. Not this time around.

  “Where’s Janelle? Did she leave?” Gunnar asked.

  Gideon nodded. Instead of telling him the full truth, he said, “She does have her own business to run. You two go. I’ll be fine here.”

  “Are you sure?” Gunnar held Eboni closer.

  Gideon nodded. “You’re still not a hundred percent. You’ve got to take care of yourself. I’ll go home whenever one of you comes back tomorrow.”

  Gunnar stood slowly and helped Eboni to her feet.

  “Where are we going?” Eboni leaned against her man, still with her eyes closed.

  “Home. Mom’s house.” Gunnar kissed her forehead as they headed to the door.

  “Is she okay?” Eboni opened her eyes and peered over at Queen Elizabeth in repose.

  “Surgery went great. She’s sleeping. Hopefully they’ll remove the intubation tube tomorrow.” Gideon walked his brother and his future sister-in-law to the door. “I’ll stay. You two go and get some sleep.”

  Eboni, while still holding Gunnar’s hand, strolled over to Gideon, got up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thanks so much, Gideon. Had I told Gunny that we should go because he’s still not all the way healed, he wouldn’t have done it.”

  “Hey, I listen to you.” Gunnar pulled Eboni close to him.

  “See you tomorrow.” Eboni waved to Gideon before leaving with Gunnar.

  Gideon stood by his mother’s bed and stared at her. She’d made it through this surgery. If she could do that, he shouldn’t have a problem with having his knee repaired. The idea of going under that knife didn’t bother him. He worried about his place on the team. He worried about his job.