by Danielle Lee
The streets weren’t paved with gold like she imagined, but they weren’t filled with smog or dirt either. She was back in the void. She’d been there before. The last time, she had had a job to do; she was supposed to bring two people together, and she was damn proud of the job she had done. Only she had to resort to the same outcome as before. She shook her head at the irony.
She’d tried a few different times to bring them together. Nothing worked. Although it was her responsibility, she loved her husband deeply. She didn’t want to give him up. Once she met him, she knew she’d gone and done it. She’d fallen in love with him. She didn’t want the other woman to have him.
In her heart of hearts, she knew that he was meant for her and she was meant for him; like God said the last time, it was destiny. Ah, the hell with destiny—but when she found out she couldn’t get pregnant, she knew it was God’s way of telling her it wasn’t meant to be. She wasn’t meant for him. Then, miraculously, she remembered why she was there in the first place and took the steps to end her life and start Warren’s with Katherine.
“You know I’m not happy with what you’ve done, Sarah,” the deep voice said, suddenly emerging from the lighted staircase, appearing from the dark void of the room.
“Oh, I did what you wanted, didn’t I?” she said, annoyed.
“No, you didn’t. You were supposed to put them together; you weren’t supposed to end your life to do it. And, you were never supposed to hurt him. You nearly killed him, too.”
God was angry. She’d never seen Him like this. Sure, she’d seen Him mad before, but not disappointed in her; that was a different feeling altogether. When God was disappointed with you, it meant something.
“I’m sorry. I know what I was supposed to do. I got caught up with the life down there. I never had a baby; I really wanted one, and you presented me with a wonderful man. Before I knew it, I wanted him just as badly as Katherine does now.”
“That’s beside the point, Sarah. When you ask of things up here, you may get it. You weren’t supposed to defy me like that,” He said strongly.
“I’m sorry, you know I am. I don’t like what I did to him. But I can honestly say it helped bring her to him. She will love him completely, even more now.”
“I hope you’re right,” He said, shaking His head now, looking at the pictures that filled the void. “They do look happy, don’t they?”
She looked at the couple that were in each other’s arms. “Yes, they do. He loves her, and I know she loves him.”
God nodded. “Come on, Sarah, your family is waiting.”
She smiled. It had been a long time since she had seen them. Tears spilled from her eyes. “Thank you, so much.”
“You're welcome,” He said. They both looked down at the couple once more before gliding up the golden stairway.
***
The mess of legs and tangled sheets left little to the imagination as the upper half of Katherine was exposed. Warren lay beside her, staring down at her body in his. His finger ran slight shivers down her spine as she awoke to him touching her and feasting with his eyes. “Hi,” she said dreamily.
“Hi, yourself,” he said, looking at her mouth. “You have a great mouth.” He brushed his lips against hers and kissed her again.
“Mmm, thank you.” She reddened slightly, then pulled the sheet up to cover herself.
He pulled the sheet down to where it had been. “Now why ruin a perfect moment?” He smiled at her eyes as they rounded in surprise. “You’re so beautiful.”
She felt beautiful. Making love with Warren felt so delicious. She was relaxed, yet nervous at the same time, excited at the prospect of this man making love to her again. He was perfect; his skin, his body, his smile, his laugh. Oh, God, she was falling in love with him.
“What are you thinking about?” he mused.
“What? Nothing…”
“Yes, you are. When you’re thinking about something, your cute little nose scrunches up.” He smiled as he kissed her nose, then looked right back into her eyes.
“It does?”
“Yes, it does,” he said, kissing her again.
“Oh, well, I was thinking about how wonderful I feel.” She said it aloud. Why didn’t she just stamp I’m falling for you on her forehead?
“Good, I thought you were going to say something else. Thank God. I feel great. You were wonderful—are wonderful.” He brushed her hair behind her ears as he kissed the top of her head.
As awkward as she should have felt right then, she felt oddly comfortable. Lying in his arms, in his bed, it felt perfect; too perfect.
“I’m afraid to ask, but are you hungry?”
She laughed a little. “I thought you would never ask!”
They stood in the kitchen, where the whole thing started, as he smiled and opened up the refrigerator. He got out the mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, chicken breast, and fresh parmesan. She liked the way he moved in the kitchen. He had a smile on his face, and she was happy to know she’d put it on there. He pulled a bottle of wine off the rack beside the refrigerator. “Wine, my lady?”
“Sounds good. Need some help with dinner?”
“I have this covered. Why don’t you go downstairs and relax.”
She smiled as he took her hand and led her down the stairs.
“This couch has your name all over it. Prop your feet up, here’s the remote. Help yourself to any of the movies or if you like, the CDs are that cabinet over there.” He gestured to a small bureau in the corner.
“A man after my own heart.” She sighed dramatically.
“I aim to please,” he said, then blew a kiss as he walked back up the steps to the kitchen.
Several minutes later, the aromas wafting from the kitchen made her taste buds tickle. She could smell fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, and—if she was right—a hint of rosemary. Pasta was her weakness. She could hear him moving in the kitchen. She sighed as she turned off the television. She’d watched an old rerun of The Golden Girls, deciding she wanted to be more like Blanche Devereaux, sexy and confident. She laughed to herself, then picked her wineglass off the coffee table and made her way up the steps.
“Mmm, it smells so good in here, and looks great, too.”
“It just got even better,” he said, and smiled as he pulled out a chair for her.
She sat down, then he moved her hair to the side to kiss her neck.
“This is going to be the death of me.”
She laughed a throaty laugh, which threatened to crush him. He thought he had better sit down before his knees gave out.
“So, where did you learn to cook? This tastes wonderful.” She had picked up the fork, twirling her pasta, and taken a bite. She couldn’t help but notice the choice of wine, and she smiled. He definitely knew how to charm.
“Well, before deciding to be a doctor, I took a few cooking classes at a community college. My father said it was a good idea, how to get the ladies…if I remember correctly.”
She laughed. “Nice, good man…That sounds like something Dad would say to my brothers.”
“Yes, definitely.”
Everything was great, natural. The conversation, the mood, the whole day was looking to be the best in his life. He couldn’t stop thinking about making love to her, feeling his body in hers, the way they fit, like two pieces in a puzzle. The…The phone rang. Warren shook the thoughts off.
“Excuse me for a moment.” He stood up, wiped his mouth with a napkin, then went to the phone. “Hold on, hold on. Hello, this is Warren.”
“Warren? This is Gail.”
“Gail, hi, how’re you doing?”
Kat edged off her seat, then followed him into the kitchen. She saw the look on Warren’s face, then stepped back a little.
“Gail, everything’s going to be okay, I’ll be there. Kat and I will be there in a few minutes. No, don’t worry about that. You aren’t interrupting anything. Did you call…? Good, you did everything you could. I will be right over.” He hung up th
e phone and grabbed his keys off the hook by the refrigerator. “Katherine, we have to go; that was your mother.”
“Is she all right? Is Dad?”
“It’s okay, stay calm. We’re going to the hospital. They think your dad may have had another heart attack. But he’s in the hospital now, so he’ll be just fine.”
Katherine started crying, shaking as she stood there listening to what he said.
“Come on now, everything is going to be okay. I’m going to make sure of it. I wouldn’t let anything happen to that father of yours.” He smiled reassuringly, then rubbed the tears away from her face.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The trip to the hospital had Kat bundled in nerves. She’d barely spoken two words since they left his house.
“It’s going to be okay, Katherine. I’ll be there with you.” He put his hand on hers and she let their fingers entwine.
“Thank you, I hope so…” She started crying again. Her eyes were swollen from the tears as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. She wiped her eyes with her free hand and braced herself as Warren pulled his keys from the ignition. He got out of the car and walked around to her side, opening the door to help her. He took her hand as they walked into the hospital. Katherine’s mom and sister were standing at the counter.
“Oh, I’m so glad that you two are here!” Gail cried as she crushed them with her arms. “They just took him in. I gave him a kiss before. He told me to tell you both something if…” She couldn’t stop crying.
“Don’t talk like that, Mom! He’s going to be just fine.” She hoped that was the truth. She knew that Warren would keep his promise. She let go of his hand and took her mother’s. “Please don’t think that way. Think positive thoughts. What happened?”
“I’m going to go in there and see if there’s anything I can do,” said Warren. “I don’t understand why they didn’t page me. I’m his doctor.”
“Warren, he requested that they didn’t bother you. He wanted you to stay with Kat.” Gail looked up, pursed her lips together in a small smile, then squeezed Katherine’s hand.
“Oh, well I’m going in anyway. I’ll be back, Katherine, Gail.” He kissed the top of Kat’s head and gave her mom one last hug before he disappeared into the double swinging doors.
***
“What do you think is taking so long?” Gail Daniels said to her family in the waiting room. “You would think someone could come out and...”
From the double doors, Warren emerged fully dressed in scrubs, pulled his facemask off, and looked very tired, but a small smile emerged. “We believe everything is going to be all right. He gave us quite a scare in there, but he pulled through. He’s in recovery right now. But if you want, Gail, you can go in, only for a few minutes. He needs his rest, and you look like you could use something to eat.”
“Oh, Warren! Thank you so much!” Gail ran over to him and gave him a big hug and kissed him on the cheek.
“Now you’re going to make me blush if you keep doing that! Only a few minutes, five at the most, then I want you boys to get her something to eat.” He looked over at her sons and smiled. They all nodded as he walked over to Katherine. “Are you all right?” he whispered softly.
“I…Oh, Warren!” She put her arms around him and kissed him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He kissed her back as everyone watched. Her brothers didn’t seem to mind for once, and Karen had a big grin on her face. “I better get back in there. I have some things I still have to check on. He’s not out of the woods yet, but he’s certainly better than he was.”
Katherine nodded and held back the tears. “Thanks.”
He turned around and made his way through the doors.
***
The whole next week, Katherine had her hands full with her father’s complaining.
“Bacon? Come on, Kat…Don’t you want your daddy to be happy?” William Daniels’ cholesterol had hit new records at his last checkup. He wasn’t supposed to have anything except dry toast and oatmeal.
“I don’t think so. How can you even ask me that? You just had bypass surgery, for God’s sake! You don’t get anything unless it is on the list Warren gave me!” She had the same fiery spirit as her old man. They met each other head to head. If he thought he was going to get away with things with her, he had another think coming. Bacon…shit.
“Speaking of the young doctor, how’re you two doing?” With a not-so-subtle expression on his face, he looked her way.
She rolled her eyes. “What are you talking about? There is nothing going on between...”
The door swung open and Warren stood there with two Styrofoam cups from Starbucks in his hands. His eyes looked sad; he must’ve heard her.
“Um, Hi, Bill. I thought I would stop by to check on you. How’re you doing?” His voice was a bit unsteady as he talked.
“Doing well, Doc. Katherine here is following your directions to a T…won’t let me eat a damn thing. Think you could give an old man a break?” Her father glanced toward Katherine and noticed her eyes, then Warren’s. “Well, I’m getting a bit tired. I think I’m going to rest; too much excitement for one morning.” Bill stood up and went straight toward the bedroom.
Katherine rolled her eyes.
“I better get going, too. I have some things to do at the office, at home, I have to go.” He fiddled for the keys in his pocket, then opened the door.
Katherine looked at him as he left. She didn’t know what to do. Sure, she’d had the best sex of her life a few days before with him. She thought of him constantly, and she was so glad to see him come through that door that her heart threatened to burst, but she couldn’t go after him. She needed to think. She needed to go back to New York; she needed her old life back.
Bill Daniels turned around to his eldest daughter and gave her the “what for” look. “You know you better go out there! You’re going to ruin everything!”
“What are you talking about? Ruin everything? You're so dramatic!”
“Who’s talking? You know he must have heard you! Now get your skinny ass out there and apologize.”
“I will do no such thing. There isn’t anything—”
“Going on between you? Now, Kat, how stupid do I look? Your mother told me that you came into the hospital holding hands that night. You were at his house! Your brothers told me that you kissed him in the waiting room, and now you’re telling me nothing’s going on? That’s a whole lot of nothing!”
“I…” She put her hands up to her head. “It’s none of your business. Here you are meddling with my life again!” she yelled.
Warren could hear their voices coming from the outside. He listened for a while, then opened his car door.
“You’re making an ass of yourself, Katherine. Can’t you tell that the man is taken with you?”
“Understatement of the year, Dad. Whose fault is that? There’s one problem, though: as much as I would love to have something with him, he lives here! I live in New York! How in the hell do you think that’s going to work?” she yelled one last time, rolling her eyes.
The door opened abruptly, and Warren looked unhinged.
Katherine’s shoulders fell, and she closed her eyes.
“Listen here, Katherine, Bill. You” —he gestured his hand to Bill—“need not to get excited! You just had a fucking heart attack! And, you,” he said as he looked at Kat menacingly, “need to not get him all riled up! Do I need to camp out here so you can both grow up a bit? Stop this shit!”
Bill’s eyes grew wide and then he held back a smile. “Don’t talk that way in front of my daughter!”
“Oh, forget it! This whole family is nuts! I think that one minute I may have some…Forget it!” He threw his arms up, noticing the wild look in Katherine’s eyes, then turned on his heel and went out the door. “Call me if you need me!” he yelled from the driveway.
Bill Daniels had many expressions that he used on a daily basis, but between the look on his face and the laugh th
at escaped his mouth, Kat couldn’t determine which one this was. “That boy has got it bad! And so do you.”
Katherine shook her head and huffed. All she could do was think of her place in New York and how it wouldn’t work, and how she wished it would. “I leave in a few days. I can’t get mixed up in your little fantasy.” Then she turned and went into the bedroom, slamming her door.
***
Gail Daniels came home from work that night exhausted. Cooking at Zoran’s was the highlight of her life most nights, but tonight she had pulled a fourteen-hour shift with hardly any help at all. Her sous chef called in and then her backup decided not to show.
It was nearly ten o’clock when she got home. She rolled her neck back and stretched her shoulders as she walked in the door. Katherine was at the sink.
“Hi, Mom. Wow, it’s late,” she said, looking at the clock. “Are you working like this a lot?”
“Hi, baby. Occasionally this happens. Mostly I’m there in the mornings, doing prep work and the management end. Tonight was just awful. Martin, my sous chef, didn’t show up, and then when my shift was over, Chef Lauren didn’t show.” She shook her head in disgust, then looked up at her daughter. “How’s your father?”
“He’s fine. Stubborn as hell! He kept trying to get me to feed him things off the list.”
Gail giggled to herself. She knew how Bill could be; she’d been his wife for fifty-five years. He was a rascal. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know if I could’ve resisted that charm of his.” She smiled as she took her coat off and hung it on the hook beside the door.
“Charm?” Kat rolled her eyes. Never once had she known Bill Daniels to have charm.
“Well, there was none of that.”
“What’s got you all up in arms?” Her mother rounded on her as she opened the refrigerator, pulling out a two-liter of Coke.
Katherine had opened her mouth to speak when her father came into view.
“Lovers’ spat,” came his surly voice. “She and Warren are in that stage, and she doesn’t want to admit it.” He made a dramatic sigh and put his hand over his heart, crossing it.
