by A. L Long
“Mom was off doing her own thing. She never had time to show me how to cook.”
“I guess you never sat down together and shared a good meal then?”
I must have overstepped my bounds, because Emma was up off her chair heading to the bedroom. Turning off the stove, I said, “Emma, wait.”
Emma stopped where she was with her hands clenched into tight fists. Turning to face me, she placed her hands on her hips and sputtered, “I am not like you, Lou. I haven’t been given things, for your information, and that includes proper dining etiquette. My mom did the best she could for me and whatever she couldn’t give me, I did for myself.”
“I didn’t mean it that way, Emma,” I backpedaled. I never thought that what I said would have been taken the wrong way. “I just meant that sitting down to a home-cooked meal might not have been something you did a lot of. That’s all.”
Moving towards her, I took her by the hand and pulled her close. The minute her eyes met mine, I couldn’t help but lower my lips to hers. Even though she didn’t move away from me, I could feel her hesitancy. Breaking our connection, I rubbed my finger across her lips and said, “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
With a slight nod, she replied, “I’m sorry I over-reacted.”
Emma followed me back into the kitchen, where I turned the stove back on and finished cooking our meal. She took her place at the breakfast bar looking absolutely beautiful, as usual. Grabbing the pan of sautéed mushrooms, I placed it on the other burner and checked on chicken that I had baking in the oven. Pouring us each a glass of wine, I took our dinner to the table and separated the plates and silverware. Emma took her place next to me as I sat the head of the table.
The minute she took a bite, I could tell that she was impressed by my cooking talent. Hearing her moan with every bite was beginning to have an effect on my manhood. It was a good thing that I was seated at the table. When the time came for her to take the last bite, I couldn’t be happier. The confinement in my jeans was causing a very uncomfortable strain on my cock.
Gathering a couple of dishes to hide the effect she was having on me, I headed to the sink to drop them off. Thankfully, Emma remained at the table while she finished drinking her glass of wine. This kind of thing never happened to me before, at least not in that manner.
Finishing the dishes, I suggested that we have another glass of wine and sit on the couch and relax. As we sat there, Emma’s thoughts were a million miles away. I had called out her name several times, but she didn’t hear me. Placing my hand on her leg, I said in a soft tone. “What is going on in that pretty little head of yours?”
Reverting her focus from the view out the window to me, she replied with a whimper, “I feel helpless with what happened to Melissa and Kate. I wish there was something that I could do to help find who did this to them.” She took in a deep breath before continuing. “Even though I didn’t know them that well, I would have loved to. I don’t know very many people. It would have been nice to have them as friends.
Her head slowly fell to my shoulder and I felt the need to wrap my arm around her. I had a funny feeling just by the way she acted that she didn’t have very many friends, and the one friend she did have was trouble in my book, and really not worth having as a friend. He was a lowlife scumbag and not a good person for Emma to know. There was still something about him. I knew I had seen him before. I just couldn’t for the life of me remember where.
Taking a chance, I decide to see if Emma would be willing to give me some information on him. Kissing her lightly on the head, I came out with it. “You said that you knew TJ from school, have you two kept in touch all this time?”
“No. Not really. He came by the motel a few days ago wanting to catch up,” she shared.
“So, what is old TJ up to nowadays?”
“He said something about working at one of those call centers. I guess he is a day shift manager there.”
“Really. He doesn’t seem like the manger type,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, I’m beginning to think that too,” Emma stated.
“Why is that, baby?” I questioned.
“Can we talk about something else besides TJ?” Emma requested, tilting her head upward.
“How about we just sit and enjoy the view?” I suggested.
Pulling Emma closer to my body, I took a sip of my wine and just sat looking out the window until darkness came. I loved Manhattan, especially at night. Who could ask for anything more than a beautiful woman in your arms and a beautiful view to go along with it?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Emma
The last thing I remembered was falling asleep on the couch in Lou’s arms. But when I woke up the next morning in his bed, I had no argument, since I couldn’t have been more comfortable with Lou’s arms wrapped around my body. Turning my head slightly, I took in a breath, smelling his scent on my pillow. If there was a way that I could put it in a bottle and save for later, I would in a heartbeat.
Feeling his body move, I rolled over and watched as his eyes began to open. I was pretty sure the magnificent color in his gray eyes was because of the reflection of the sun shining through the blinds that were slightly drawn. Placing my hand on his cheek, I said softly. “I could stare at you for hours.”
With a small chuckle, he smiled, “Only hours? Because I could look at you for days, maybe even years.”
His words were the sweetest thing I had ever heard. I leaned in, meaning only to give him a short kiss, but his arms wrapped around my body and soon I was on my back with his strong sexy body hovering above me. Gently moving the hair that had fallen on my face, he whispered softly, “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.”
Without another word, his mouth was over mine and the warmth of his tongue slipped between my waiting lips. I may have been overly excited, but I pulled him even closer, deepening our kiss. I was mystified by my own desire for this man as the thought of what would happen next sent my head into a wild swirl. Frantically going at each other like we would disappear into dust in a matter of seconds, our clothes were off and scattered everywhere in the room.
Lou slowly moved his mouth from mine, trickling soft, unrushed kisses down my neck to the swell of my breasts. The warmth of his mouth on my skin sent a wave of unbridled sensations down to the tip of my toes. If this was the beginning of something wonderful and beautiful between us, I never wanted it to end. Just as I was reeling in my blissful thoughts, Lou gently bit on the tip of my taut nipple. Although it wasn’t painful, it made my body jolt with pleasure. He exchanged the small nip with a soft, but very effective, swirl of his tongue, causing a surge of wetness to pool between my legs. It was only when his mouth completely surrounded the sensitized bud that my back came off of the bed, needing more of what he was offering
Feeling as though my body was going to burn with the tingling heat running through it, in a heated breath, I pleaded, “Please, Lou.”
I had never seen a man move as quickly as Lou did. He practically jumped off the bed to grab his jeans. Pulling out a small packet from his pocket, he had it opened and the condom inside was sheathed over his engorged shaft in a matter of seconds. As I felt the heat of his body return as he laid next to me, he lowered his mouth to mine, resuming where he had left off moments ago. While his lips were doing magic on my mouth, his hand slid down my body, stopping just shy of my wet throbbing sex. Working against his hand, I needed to feel him inside me. Taking my cue, he dipped his finger inside my moistened channel and began moving it slowly in and out. His movements were driving me crazy as I began to circle my hips to get more friction.
Knowing that he could feel my desperation, he continued to tease me with his slow movements. Once again, I pleaded, “Lou,” before his finger curled just enough to hit the spot within me to make my body shudder with pure ecstasy. Never had I come with such force. When my body finally relaxed, he lowered his head to my ear and whispered, “Now you will get what you asked for.”
&nb
sp; The warmth of his hand left, but only to be replaced by the demand of his cock as he slowly began working it inside me. As he gently eased inside, I could feel my walls begin to stretch to accommodate his size. Spreading my legs wider, I wanted to feel all of him. Having him fully buried outweighed the pain as he pushed deeper and deeper. I wanted this, I wanted him.
Pushing my legs against my chest, Lou took hold of my arm and placed it above my head, using it as leverage as he continued to thrust deep inside me. I wanted so badly to wrap my arms around him, but when he took hold of my other arm and placed it above my head and held me there with one hand, I knew he had control over me. Just the thought of being at his will made my walls tighten, sending me in a free fall as I could no longer hold the pleasure wanting so desperately to be freed. In a soft whisper, he proclaimed, “This is us, Emma. Just like this.”
~****~
The hot spray of water on my body felt wonderful. Every muscle began to relax. Being ordered to take a shower was something that I had no problem with. What was going to be even better was the meal that was waiting for me, satisfying the appetite I had worked up. Rinsing the last of the conditioner from my hair, I grabbed the soft plush towel from the rack and wrapped it around my damp body. Wiping the steam from the mirror, I looked at myself in the mirror to find a different woman staring back. I didn’t feel like that helpless girl who was brought up on the streets of Manhattan. I felt more confident than I had ever felt before.
“Emma, breakfast is ready, babe,” I heard Lou say through the bathroom door.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I responded, liking the way he referred to me as ‘babe.’
Heading out of the bathroom, I found my bag next to the dresser and placed it on the bed. Searching for something to put on, I finally decided on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. Placing my hair in a messy bun, I headed to the kitchen, where I knew a delicious meal would be waiting for me.
As I entered the kitchen, Lou was on his cell looking like he had lost his best friend. The second he turned toward me, I realized that he was holding my phone in his hand. At first I was confused as to why he would be talking on my phone, but then he walked over to me and said, “That was the Red Oak Nursing Home. It’s your mom. She’s been taken to MacNeal Hospital in Chicago.”
My heart fell to my stomach. Walking to Lou, I took my phone from him and swiped the screen. I couldn’t believe that Red Oak would be calling and I needed to see for myself. Bringing up the recent calls, there it was, their number. Looking over to Lou, I asked hesitantly, afraid of what he would say, “What happened to her?”
“They said she had a seizure. We need to go, Emma,” he declared.
We were out of the apartment and on our way to Chicago, Illinois, within a matter of minutes. I was so ridden with worry that it didn’t even occur to me that it was going to be a twelve-hour drive. All I could think about was my mom and what could have caused her to have a seizure. I knew that Lou was also concerned. Not so much for my mom, but for me. I caught him looking my way several times before I finally said, “I’m okay, Lou.”
“Everything will be okay with your mom, baby,” he assured me.
“I know. I just need to stay positive. I just don’t know what could have caused this.”
“Maybe they will know more by the time we get there.” Lou replied.
The drive to Chicago was pretty pastoral considering the events leading up to the trip. The only conversation was the cussing that Lou did at the drivers who either cut him off or wouldn’t move over to the other lane so that he could pass. He had been driving so fast, I thought for sure that he would end up with a speeding ticket.
Eleven hours and thirty-eight minutes later, we pulled into a parking spot at MacNeal Hospital. Entering the emergency entrance, I headed to guest services and asked, “Please, can you tell me where they have taken Carolyn Atwood?”
The lady at the desk began typing away at her computer. When she found the information that she was looking for, she looked to Lou and said, “Carolyn Atwood is in ICU, room two. It’s on the third floor.”
The minute she told us my mom’s location, we were on our way to elevator. It seemed like it took forever to move. I always thought that time was of the essence in a hospital. Finally stopping on the third floor, we saw the sign that said ICU and headed down the hallway, which took us down another. Coming to two large wooden doors, we picked up the call phone and waited for someone to answer on the other end. As soon as we told them who we were, the wooden doors began to open
Lou was the first one to the nurse’s station. I was looking in the rooms trying to spot my mom. She wasn’t in any of them. Running up to the nurse’s station, I placed my hand on the counter and demanded, “Where is Carolyn Atwood?”
The nurse behind the desk was not very happy with my demand. I could tell by the tone in her voice. “Ma’am, you need to chill out. Ms. Atwood is down in radiology getting a CAT scan. She should be back up in a few minutes. You’re welcome to wait in room two for her.”
Feeling remorse for my rudeness, I apologized, “Sorry for being so rude, but this is my mom.”
With a half-smile the nurse replied, “Understandable.”
While we waited in my mom’s room, I couldn’t help but wonder what the equipment was for and if all of it was for my mom or was standard for the ICU. Taking a seat in one of the hospital chairs, I waited for them to bring my mom back to her room. Lou was outside the ICU, trying to get a hold of Jagged Edge to let Peter know where he was. We had left so fast from Manhattan, and Lou had driven like a maniac, so he didn’t have a chance to call anyone. His only concern was getting me here so that I could be with my mom.
Everything about this room seemed so sterile and kind of creepy. It felt as though this was the final place a person came to before they died. I hadn’t been to a hospital since my mom was put in the nursing home. Even back then, I thought for sure that the hospital was going to be the last time I was ever going to see her. Trying to think positive, I stood from my seat and headed out the glass doors. I couldn’t stay in that room any longer, but most of all, I couldn’t stay in there alone.
Walking past the nurse’s station, I opened the heavy wooden door, hoping that I would be able to find Lou without going too far in case they brought my mom back to her room. Walking to the waiting area, I spotted him sitting on one of the leather sofas talking on his cell phone. I walked over to him and took a seat beside him. The spot he had chosen to sit at was in perfect line with the hallway and I would be able to see them bring my mom back. Waiting patiently until he got off the phone, I decided to occupy my time by looking through one of those frilly magazines sitting on one of the end tables.
I heard the elevator, which was also close by, and waited for whomever was inside to come into view. I could see that it was two orderlies pushing a gurney and what looked to be a doctor following behind. Rising to my feet, I placed the magazine on the sofa and headed in their direction. Even though I hadn’t seen my mom for some time, I would recognize her anywhere. She didn’t look too well and she had some kind of tube coming out of her mouth with some kind of machine at the foot of the gurney.
Following them through the wooden doors, I looked over to Lou to find that he was still on the phone. Whatever he was talking to Peter about, it must have been pretty important. I wished that he would hurry and end his call so that he could go inside with me while they got my mom settled. When the double wooden doors closed, I knew that he was going to probably be a while.
Staying out of the way, I waited until they had my mom off of the gurney and onto the other bed before I entered the room. I tried to stay out of the way as much as possible while the nurse, who followed us in, started hooking my mom up to the various monitors and equipment. If I didn’t know better I would have thought that she was dead instead of unconscious. When the nurse was finished with what she was doing and all of the monitors began to light up and begin beeping, I knew that my mom was alive. Conce
ntrating on the green line that went up and then dipped down, I wasn’t aware that the doctor had spoken. “Excuse me, Miss, are you related to Ms. Atwood?”
Diverting my attention from the monitor to him, I answered in a soft voice, “I’m her daughter.”
“Can we step outside of the room for a moment?’ he asked.
Waiting for me to go through the glass doors, he soon was out of the room himself. Taking a deep breath, I asked the ultimate question. “Is my mom going to be okay?”
Before he could answer, Lou came through the double doors, diverting his attention. When Lou was finally by my side, the doctor looked at me and said, “I’m afraid not. Given your mom’s history and the fact that she had sustained blunt force trauma to the head from a past assault, her brain at this moment is showing no signs of activity.”
“But she is alive. The machines are showing that she is.” I argued.
“That is only because we are keeping her alive. I can’t tell you what to do, Miss Atwood, but I am afraid that once we remove the ventilator, your mom will not survive and will ultimately die. Right now, I believe it is the only thing keeping her alive. We can keep her on it for a couple of days, but after that, it will need to be removed.”
