Take Care of Me

by Melita Washington

  ***

  She knew it was a dream, but Stacey couldn’t shake herself out of it. In her dream Nick paid Stefan cold hard cash to ask her out and the two men were laughing behind her back at how pathetic she was. In her dream it felt like she had felt when she was younger. She felt small and alone and lonely. Stefan looked at her and laughed harder. She could feel herself beginning to cry in her sleep.

  Stacey’s alarm awakened her and she rolled over and called Nick.  She didn’t even turn off the alarm. Nick heard the phone ring and disentangled himself from Mandy. It was Stacey; he answered and heard her alarm going off insistently and loudly in the background.

  “Why is there a klaxon blaring?” he raised his voice to be heard.  She turned it off.

  “Nick did you do it?” There was so much distress in her voice he immediately was concerned. She sounded like she was crying.

  “What’s the matter? Never mind, I’ll be right there.” Before he hung up Stacey could hear a female voice saying, “You’re leaving?”  

  Stacey was relieved that Nick was coming over. He always made things right. He would give a rational perspective to this whole thing; at least that is what Stacey told herself.

  As Stacey tried to pull herself together; she put on a pot of coffee, took a shower and as she was getting out, she heard the door open.  Nick lived just around the corner and had a key to her place so she wasn’t surprised.  As he came through her bedroom door she came out the bathroom and accused him, “Nick did you do it?” Her voice choked on unexpected tears.

  “What? What is it?” he closed the distance between them and held her by her arms.

  “I just need to know, did you put Stefan up to asking me out?” She took a couple of deep calming breaths.  He stared at Stacey with a perplexed expression on his face.  “Tell me everything. What are you talking about?”

  They sat on her bed as she recounted the evening in excruciating detail, leaving nothing out.  He held her as she talked. She even told him about how she felt punched in the gut when Stefan said she was beautiful. Then she told him about the horrible dream she had and how they both were laughing at her for thinking a hot guy would be into her.

  He listened to everything. Dried the irrational tears and kissed the top of her forehead. At that exact moment Stefan walked through the door holding coffee and a bag, “Hey your door is open….”

  He stopped as he saw Stacey in a towel, and Nick in very casual clothes holding her in his arms on her bed, with his lips pressed to her forehead.

  It seemed as though all the air had fled the room. No one spoke for what seemed like minutes. Nick found his voice first. “Hey, good morning man.” Nick untangled Stacey from his embrace and grabbed the coffee and the bag of donuts from Stefan’s hands.  “I love Krispy Kreme donuts.  Great timing, I was just leaving.”  He turned back towards Stacey and placed breakfast on her nightstand and whispered, “I didn’t do anything; there was no set up.” With that, he winked and left munching on a donut and smiling.

  The silence was very awkward. Stacey sat thinking of how handsome he was and how frumpy she must look in her towel and fuzzy slippers. If he had been interested in dating Stacey surely she scared him off with her red rimmed eyes and disheveled appearance. She must look like a drowned rat with her hair stringy and wet.

  His expression was hard; the storm was raging in his grey blue eyes, “I thought you said it wasn’t like that with you and Nick.”

  Stacey shouldn’t have been shocked that his thoughts had taken him there, but she was a little. Looking at it from his viewpoint she guessed she could see how he would make that assumption.  “No,” she assured him, “Nick is really just a friend. I am a bit of a mess.  Let me go make myself presentable.”

  “You look perfect just as you are.” Stefan stepped closer to the bed and held her in place to keep her from retreating. “It’s seven in the morning, why was Nick in your bedroom?” He looked deep into her eyes, trying to see the truth.

  Stacey couldn’t meet his stare.  She knew how ridiculous it had been to call Nick, but how could she admit to Stefan that she thought she was in love with him? To admit that was putting herself out there in a way that couldn’t be taken back.  But what else could she say? Stacey just decided to go for a portion of the truth. “I called him to ask him if he had put you up to asking me out. I was a little upset about that prospect and he just immediately came over. I didn’t ask him to come by, he’s just protective of me. Honestly there isn’t any sort of romantic relationship between Nick and myself.”

  He took that in, nodded his head and sat next to Stacey on the bed. “Let me be clear. I am very interested in getting to know you better. Nick had nothing to do with my asking you out. You can always just ask me these types of questions. I am going to take it on faith, that you are being honest with me, so I am going to accept your answer that there really is nothing going on between you and Nick.” He sat closer and lifted up her chin. “Are we on the same page?”

  Stacey nodded her head not trusting her voice. This whole situation just made her feel unbalanced. She usually had a quick answer for anything someone said, it was a self-defense mechanism. But with Stefan everything turned topsy turvy. Stacey took a deep breath trying to pull air into her lungs as well as pull herself together. She used the donut to give herself a moment. “Krispy Kremes really are the best donuts. Thanks for breakfast.”

  “I just wanted to make sure you were alright before I went to work. You really had me concerned last night. You are a lightweight if just a couple of glasses of wine do you in that badly.” He softened his criticism with a smile.

  Trying to stay with the honesty line of thinking she told him, “I really wasn’t drunk. It was you. You throw my equilibrium out of whack.”

  His smile broadened, “Well that’s quite the compliment.”

  “Just being honest,” Stacey stated stuffing the last bite of the donut in her mouth. “So it’s Saturday, why are you going to work?”

  “New kid on the block got to make sure I’m up to snuff for my first day Monday.” He took a sip of the coffee. “But, I am just putting in half a day; can I take you to lunch?”

  “Sorry,” She was truly disappointed. “I work at the hospital today from 11-8. But how about a late dinner?” She asked trying to disguise the hope in her voice. “I make a mean spaghetti.”

  “It’s a date.” He got up from the bed. He held her hands and gazed into her eyes. It felt like she couldn’t breathe.  He leaned down and brushed a quick kiss across her lips.  “I will see you later tonight then.” He glanced at Stacey’s bed as if he just realized where they had been this whole time. He left Stacey’s apartment and she felt a rush of adrenaline. Wow! This guy really is into ME!  She got dressed and went to the corner store to grab ingredients for tonight’s meal.

  Manny, the store clerk waved at Stacey, “Hey, good morning Ms. Richards. You look bright and chipper this morning.”

  She waved back and sent a smile over her shoulder, “And why wouldn’t I? It’s a glorious day.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing.”  

  Manny laughed, “It sounds like you’re in love. Oh, hey morning Mr. Faulks. Doesn’t Ms. Richards just glow this morning?  I think its love.” He winked at Nick and went back to stocking the shelf.

  Nick looked at Stacey. “You do look radiant.”

  She smiled back at Nick. “Stefan is coming for spaghetti tonight.”

  Nick didn’t return her smile. “I want you to be careful Stacey May.”

  “Is there some reason that I should be worried?” Stacey frowned at Nick.

  “Besides the fact that you have no experience with men, no.” He frowned at her. “Stefan is a good guy. If he wasn’t I would be more worried about you than I already am.  I just don’t want you to get hurt. I’ve never seen you like this before.  And you only had dinner with the guy.  Slow your roll Stacey May.”

  Stacey nodded her head. “I hear you. I don’t understand it mys
elf. I’ve never felt this sort of attraction before. Honestly Nick, I feel like its love at first sight.  And that scares the crap out of me.”

  “That makes two of us.” Nick wheeled her grocery cart down the aisle and absently put items in her basket. He put everything that Stacey would have wanted for the menu she had planned in the basket. They knew each other that well. That gave Stacey comfort.  Nick was her rock.

  They checked out and went to her apartment to put everything away.  They worked side by side in silence; each of them thoughtful about her situation. Stacey knew he was worried that she was going to get hurt and frankly she was too. Nick pulled a loaf of bread out and started making them both sandwiches. She grabbed the mayo for him and the mustard for herself. Nick got the chips from the pantry. They assembled lunch and Stacey was struck at how intimate it was that they could go through this process and not have to ask what the other one wanted. She guessed she could see how Stefan wouldn’t know what to make of her relationship with Nick. She said as much to Nick.

  “Do you think he was jealous?” Nick seemed incredulous.  

  “I don’t know Nick, but it definitely gave him pause. I mean how would you feel if you walked in on Jasmine with some guy and she’s only wrapped in a towel in her bedroom?”  Stacey asked shaking her head.

  “I don’t want to talk about Jasmine.” Nick paused, he seemed emotional but continued.

  “Loving you is like breathing, I don’t even think about it. But you’ve never been in a relationship in all the years that we have been friends, so I guess I am just worrying-- being overprotective.  I guess I should be jealous. He’s going to be taking your attention away from me. But all I can really think about is what if he hurts you? He is my oldest friend, but you’re my best and dearest friend.  He doesn’t know all the crap I was doing, the trouble I had gotten into. Doing heroine was the darkest time in my life and you were there to see me through that. You have seen the worst of me and still you have stood by my side.  You have been my rock.”

  Stacey laughed at how his thoughts were echoing her own. “I know our friendship has caused you grief with the girls you date. Especially Jasmine, but you don’t want to talk about her.”

  Nick had a steady stream of women that were bed partners, no one serious. Jasmine had been the one girl that he had gotten close to though.  Jasmine had been immediately threatened by Nick and Stacey’s closeness. She didn’t believe that a man and a woman could have a close relationship without it being sexual at one point or another. He always reassured her that their relationship wasn’t like that. But she constantly harped on Stacey’s presence in Nick’s life.  She always tried to exclude Stacey in everything they did. While Nick did the opposite and tried to include her in everything they did.

  Jasmine was beautiful. She and Nick looked like a matched Ken and Barbie set. Stacey had liked her.  She was savvy enough to be a match for Nick. Stacey wanted him to find someone to bring him happiness, but Jasmine saw Stacey’s acceptance as some sort of manipulation.  She thought that she was pretending to like her, but only to make Jasmine look worse to Nick. Stacey’s mind just didn’t work that way.  Stacey tried to be unobtrusive, but Nick would have none of it. His stance was if Jasmine couldn’t accept Stacey, then there was a fundamental problem in their relationship.

  So they kept trying to co-exist by sharing Nick. They would go out and Jasmine would barely speak to Stacey. It was like Stacey wasn’t even there. Jasmine did everything to have Nick pay attention to her. For Stacey’s part, she tried to stay out of her way. But it wasn’t enough.  She just resented having to put up with Stacey’s presence.

  Stacey told Nick to let it go. Stacey thought he was using her to put a wedge between them because he was getting too close to Jasmine. He was scared about falling in love with someone. To actually care about a bed partner was the biggest taboo for him. He hadn’t known how to face those emotions.

  Stacey remembered the night they broke up; unfortunately she had been front and center for the whole debacle. Jasmine blamed it all on her. She screamed at him, “She is all you think about.  She is all you talk about. And why? She is nothing special!  Look at her! She’s downright frumpy! I love you. I am the perfect match for you. We have everything in common. I turn my world upside down to accommodate you and all you ever do is put her needs first!”

  Stacey sat there stunned. But Nick wouldn’t have it. “She is three times the woman you’ll ever be Jasmine. Do you ever have a thought in your head that doesn’t start and end with how it benefits you? Yes I love her, because she is my friend.  I will not allow you to speak to her that way.  She has done nothing but try to be a friend to you. She knows I love you and she would have let our friendship go to do what would have made me happy. But no! You were too threatened to see that she could have been your strongest ally. Yes, you and I are a perfect match Jasmine. We are probably too much alike to be good together over the long haul.  But your blatant disrespect for Stacey is the breaking point.  How can I possibly be with someone who doesn’t give basic consideration to someone who is so important in my life? Get out. I don’t ever want to see you again.” He threw her out and never looked back.

  It was a hard break for him. And Stacey felt a certain amount of guilt. Maybe she was too much of a presence in his life.  So they continued filling the gaps in each other’s lives. Stacey felt an undeniable pull towards Stefan and wondered if she was going to have to face what Nick had with Jasmine.  It would be twice as hard if that was the case because Nick and Stefan were friends.  She would just have to take it a step at a time. Who knows where this was leading with Stefan. Just because she felt this pull didn’t mean that he felt it too. Nick was right; she had to slow her roll.  

  “I have to get going, I’m going to drop off some food to Mrs. Horowitz before I head to the hospital.”

  They left her apartment together and went their separate ways.  

  Mrs. Horowitz was Stacey’s mother’s friend. She was 77 years old. She had helped put Stacey through nursing school after her mother’s death. She was now in a wheel chair because of hip replacement surgery. Stacey brought her food every  other day and looked after her to make sure she was doing OK.  Her mind was sharp as a tack, but her body seemed to be failing her.

  “Hi Mrs. Horowitz, how are we doing today?” Stacey asked after she let herself in with her extra key.

  “I’ve had better days sweetie. But it does no good to complain, so I won’t.  You look beautiful today.”

  Stacey blushed, “Thank you.” She started fixing her a plate of food, keeping her head down so she wouldn’t try to probe further into the reason behind Stacey blushing. But it was too late. “So what’s with the glow?”

  She didn’t know why she tried to diffuse her inquiries; Mrs. Horowitz was too shrewd to be put off. “I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talking about Mrs. Horowitz.” Stacey turned towards the fridge pulling out the milk to pour her a glass.

  “Don’t try to work around me girlie girl. Spill. I want to know what’s put the rosy color in those cheeks.” She peered around the corner at Stacey. If she could have gotten up from her wheelchair she would have.

  Why was Stacey trying to avoid her question?  Here was a fount of information that she could tap.  77 years of experience with men, what better resource and insight could there be? “Do you believe in love at first sight Mrs. Horowitz?”

  She clapped her hands. “Oh this is wonderful!  You’re in love! It’s written all over you.  Tell me all about him. It is a him right?”

  Stacey was shocked. “Mrs. Horowitz!”

  “What? I’m not so old that I don’t know about these things Stacey. You’ve never been interested in a man before; even that gorgeous Nick that you are so attached to. So can you blame me for wondering about your orientation? From your shock I am assuming that it’s a man and not a woman.”

  “Yes, it is a man and I promise I will tell you all about him when I come back tomorrow.  I’
m late for work.” Stacey handed her the glass of milk she had poured and turned to leave. “But do you believe in love at first sight?” She stopped and looked back at her.  Mrs. Horowitz eyes crinkled in the corners as she answered, “Yes, I do.”

  Stacey gleefully made her escape from Mrs. Horowitz’s interrogation and was somewhat looking forward to grilling her tomorrow on male/female relations.

  Normally Stacey enjoyed her work. She looked forward to getting up in the morning because as a nurse she found fulfillment in helping other people.  She honestly knew she was on the right path in her life. Mrs. Horowitz often commented on how rare that was. Most people drift from one thing to another trying to figure out where they fit in the world.  But Stacey had known from a young age that she wanted to be a nurse.

  Stacey had leukemia as a child. She spent months on end in the hospital. And her nurse Ellen Costas’ nurturing care was the reason that she had wanted to become a nurse.  Ellen made such a difference in her recovery. Hospitals are scary places and as a ten year old it had been the scariest time ever, but Ellen was there along with Stacey’s mother every step of the way.

  She always had a silly joke, a cute toy or time just to sit and hold her hand. Stacey’s mom was a single parent, so she couldn’t take off work to be with her. Ellen was there when Stacey felt lost and alone. She remembered that. It stuck with her and it’s what made her want to be a nurse too. Ellen had retired the year Stacey graduated from nursing school. She had come to her graduation ceremony.  The pride in her eyes had shone through the tears.

  And here Stacey was working in that same hospital. She got along well with most of the staff. One nurse in particular she had connected with, Alyson Cooper. Alyson and Stacey had been friendly, but after Alyson had a one night stand with Nick she became the opposite of friendly. It saddened Stacey, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

  It seemed like time had stopped at the hospital.  Would eight o’clock never come? Stacey kept looking at the clock and Alyson noticed. “What’s up with you and the clock watch?” she asked snidely.

  Stacey answered her curtly, “I just have plans tonight, that’s all.”

  “With Nick no doubt.” The sarcasm in her voice was dripping acid.

  It angered Stacey. “No actually not with Nick.  Not that it’s any of your business.  You know Alyson, I did warn you what Nick was like. Why do you constantly take his use of you out on me?”

  She just turned and walked off in a huff.  Stacey sighed deeply, saddened by the situation. That was one thing she would definitely ask Mrs. Horowitz. Why do women blame other women, when they let themselves be used?  She truly did not understand why Alyson was mad at her.

  She didn’t have time to wonder about it as a new patient was brought into the ER. It was a young girl who had been hit by a car. The driver in that accident came in the next ambulance so her time was no longer her own to ponder the battle of the sexes.

  At 7:30, just when Stacey could see the light at the end of the tunnel of this endless day, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She answered it not knowing whose number it was and was pleasantly surprised to hear Stefan’s voice on the end of the line. “Stacey, hi this is Stefan.”

  She could hear the smile in her own voice as she responded, “Oh hi Stefan!”

  But the smile vanished quickly. “Stacey I am so sorry, but I am going to have to cancel on you tonight.”

  The disappointment was overwhelming. Stacey really felt like an idiot. Here she was thinking that she was in love; that at the very least he was attracted to her, and now at the first opportunity to get to know her better he was already making excuses not to spend time with Stacey.  How could she be so stupid?

  The tears were stinging her eyes as she retorted quickly, “Came to your senses, huh?”  

  “No, that’s not it.” He was quick to respond.  “We’re just having a bit of an emergency with my mom. No one seems to know where she is.”

  Stacey felt terrible. She had jumped to an entirely wrong conclusion. “What can I do to help?”

  “We’re forming a search party. We are just going from door to door around the nursing home, hoping someone has seen her.” His voice was tight with stress.

  “I’d be happy to join if you need an extra hand.”  Stacey said softly.

  “I won’t turn down any help.” He gave Stacey the address to the extended care facility where his mother had disappeared from and where everyone was gathering to start the search.

  Stacey called Nick. “Nick, did you hear about Stefan’s mom?”

  “No, what’s up? Oh hold on. That’s Stefan calling me now. Hold on Stacey.”

  During the pause when Nick had Stacey on hold; she was checking out at the front nurse’s station.  It was close enough to eight o’clock. She signed out and let the head nurse on duty know that she had an emergency to deal with. She practically ran to her car. The phone beeped back it was Nick.

  “You’re on your way?” he asked concerned. “Can you come by and scoop me up since it’s on the way?”

  “Of course I’ll be there in 15 minutes.” Stacey put her phone in her purse and focused on the drive to pick up Nick.

  When she arrived Nick was standing on the corner. He got in the car and they were on their way. They were silent the entire way, each lost in their own thoughts. She was really worried about Stefan. Dementia was a hard thing to watch your parent go through. She couldn’t imagine the stress this was causing him.

  They pulled up to the nursing home and several of the police cars were leaving. Nick got out and flagged down Stefan. “What can we do to help man?” They embraced in a one armed hug.

  “I am so grateful you came to help, man.” Stefan looked at Stacey and said, “Thank you both for coming. Here’s a picture of my mom that you can show to people. She was wearing a white jogging suit and a yellow baseball hat. We’ve got a map here of areas that are being searched. We are trying to go door to door in 6 block increments. Once those have been searched, groups come back for a different grid to search. You guys can canvas this area, grid 24. If you hear anything, please call.”

  The sun had set and it made doing the search so much harder. Nick and Stacey went door to door asking people if they had seen Stefan’s mom. They had been walking the search grid area and Nick was telling Stacey another story of when he and Stefan were kids. “I wish you could have known her when Mrs. Spencer was young Stacey. They had the perfect family. You could tell that they were in love. And she was always doing things for all the kids in the neighborhood. She would whoop you just like you were her own kid. ‘It takes a village’ she would always say. It’s just so hard to believe that she has deteriorated like this. Not to know where she is has got to have Stefan scared witless.”

  “He definitely has a hard road ahead with this illness,” Stacey added. “But she is in a good facility. Some of the nurses from the hospital moonlight over here.  I only hear good things about this place, which is a blessing. I have heard nightmare stories about other places.”

  “It has torn him up that this is what it has come down to. He never wanted to have his mother put away in a home. He says it felt like they were abandoning her.  But his father who has loved that woman all of his life, thinks it’s best. And that’s literally all their lives. They met in the sandbox and have been together since they were toddlers. Stefan said they made the decision as a family to have Mrs. Spencer in a nursing home, but it was after much arguing with his father, Dave. In the end Dave had to admit to Stefan that she just needed more care than he could provide. Even being with her every minute of the day, there was always something that got neglected which would have been a detriment to her health.  She has lucid moments when she understands why she’s there in the nursing home, but other moments when she doesn’t.”

  Nick was silent and Stacey thought about what he said. She wondered out loud, “Nick what if she just left to go home?”

  “Surely someone would have thoug
ht of that?” Nick said hesitantly.  

  “Well this is the last house in our grid to search. Why don’t we just go towards their house and take some back roads and see if we see her. She may have just wanted to go home and got turned around.” “Besides,” Stacey said, “I can’t bear to report back to Stefan empty handed. He just looked so worn out.”

  “Yeah, I agree.” said Nick.

  Since Nick knew the neighborhood where they had grown up Stacey let him drive so that he could find the little nooks and crannies that Sophia Spencer may have ventured towards. They were driving slowly trying to see if there was anything to be seen, the darkness didn’t help.  “Maybe we should get out and show her picture around here to see if someone has seen her,” Nick suggested.

  Stacey turned to answer him and saw a flash of white behind them.  “Stop the car Nick. I think I may have seen something.”

  Stacey got out of the car and looked where she had seen the white.  Nick was behind her. “What did you see?”

  “Stefan said she was wearing a white jogging suit. I just thought I saw something white over behind this house, but I’m not sure.”  Stacey went through the gate with Nick close behind her and saw a woman lying on the ground. Nick flew past her, “Mrs. Spencer! Are you alright?”

  She was unconscious. Stacey knelt beside them and took her pulse.  It was good and strong. She did a cursory examination and found a lump on the side of her head. “She must have fallen and hit her head.” Stacey pulled out her phone and called 911. When she hung up with them, she called Stefan.  

  “Stefan, it’s me Stacey. We found your mom. She’s OK.” Nick was smiling at Stacey as he held Mrs. Spencer and he shouted, “Stacey found her man!”

  “Thank you!” The relief in Stefan’s voice was evident. “Oh my God thank you.  I can’t thank you enough.”

  “It was just luck and a guardian angel, no doubt. Stefan. No need to thank me.  The ambulance is on its way. I can hear the sirens already.  We’ll meet you at the hospital.” When the EMT’s arrived Stacey gave them the update on her condition and they loaded her into the ambulance. Stacey turned to Nick and said, “Nick you should ride with her. Just in case she comes to, she’ll have a familiar face to see.”

  He nodded and hopped in.  Stacey got into her car. She was so relieved for Stefan.  She was sure that Mrs. Spencer was going to be OK. She might have a concussion, but other than that she would be alright.  It could have been a lot worse. You see so many reports on the news about elderly missing. Stacey was always sympathetic, but this just made such a deep impact on her. And Stacey didn’t even know her.  But Sophia Spencer was connected to her Stefan, so that made her important to Stacey.

  What’s with the possessive pronoun?  Where had that thought come from?  She really did need to get a grip on her emotions where this man was concerned. His mother was the priority right now. Everything else could wait. Her head was saying that, but her heart was just yearning to be alone with him. To make all of his worries go away. For them to be able to just focus on one another.

  Stacey had watched his face when he was giving them instructions on where to search.  He was just so closed off and scared. Stacey was hurting for him. He was doing the man thing. Being brave on the outside, but she felt that on the inside he was at a breaking point.

  Her foot unconsciously depressed further on the accelerator. She was anxious to get to the hospital to check on Mrs. Spencer and to also see Stefan.

  Once she parked her car, she checked with the head nurse to see where they had taken Mrs. Spencer.

  Stacey saw Nick and Stefan in the waiting area outside her room.  Stefan immediately pulled Stacey into an embrace. “Thank you so much for finding my mother.” He squeezed hard. “Nick told me how you spotted her. I will be forever grateful to you.”

  “You’re welcome Stefan.” She was enjoying his embrace, but embarrassed by the praise. She never took a compliment well.  

  “How is she?  Has she regained consciousness yet?” Stacey asked.

  “Yeah, my dad’s in with her now. She doesn’t remember anything. The doctor’s say she has a concussion and they are going to keep her overnight for observation. But she’s going to be OK. And that’s thanks to you and Nick.  Thank you again.”

  All this time he hadn’t let Stacey out of his embrace and it made her nervous. She stepped away from the warmth of his lean body and felt his absence like a chill down her spine. She must have shivered because Nick pulled off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders.

  Stacey placed her hand on Nick’s shoulders to thank him for his thoughtfulness. At that moment Alyson walked by, caught sight of them and misinterpreted the situation. She stepped in front of Stacey and said snidely, “I thought you weren’t involved that way with Nick?”

  Before Stacey could answer, both Nick and Stefan positioned themselves in front of her in a clearly defensive position. Stefan was first to exclaim, “Excuse me?” But Nick was quickly behind Stefan saying, “Whoa, Alyson you need to take it down a notch.”

  Stacey stared at their backs incredulously. They were defending her. It would have been funny had they not been here under such terrible circumstances. She told Alyson to back off that now wasn’t the time, but both men kept their defensive stance in front of her.

  Alyson looked at both men and turned around and walked off in a huff. As she retreated she mumbled, but loud enough for everyone to hear, “How does a nothing girl like that get two hot guys interested in her?”

  Stacey was extremely embarrassed, but put that aside to make sure her little tantrum hadn’t upset Stefan. He already had enough on his plate. “I hope Alyson didn’t upset you Stefan. She is a little bitter about her break up with Nick.”

  Nick turned to Stacey. “Well to be fair it’s not just me.  She’s just crazy jealous of you. Surely you realize she is just green with envy?”

  “What should she be jealous about?” She was clearly in the dark.

  “Woman, you never cease to amaze me on how you undervalue your worth. You’re beautiful, talented and caring. Any woman would want to be you. All Alyson ever did was gripe about how you were too perfect and how you were the staff doctors favorite nurse.”  Nick was shaking his head, “It’s the main reason why I didn’t continue to see her. Contrary to popular belief I do try to develop relationships with the women I sleep with. But for the 3 dates we had it was always Stacey this and Stacey that. I couldn’t take her always being so negative where you are concerned.” He lifted her chin and said, “Watch your back with her Stacey May.”

  Stacey could feel Stefan watching them, but he made no comment.

  Just then the doctor came out of Mrs. Spencer’s room with Mr. Spencer following. Mr. Spencer was speaking, “Thank you so much Dr. Weber, I really appreciate all you’ve done for Sophia.” The doctor and Mr. Spencer shook hands and Mr. Spencer walked toward Stefan. He walked up to Stefan and embraced his son.  They were the same height. They had the same dark coloring and build. You could definitely tell they were related.

  “How is she doing dad?” Stefan asked.

  “She’s fine son.  It’s just a concussion. They are going to keep her overnight for observation.”

  “Dad,” Stefan turned towards Stacey. “Let me introduce you to Stacey. She is the one who found mom along with Nick. Stacey this is my father, Dave Spencer.”

  “Nice to meet you Mr. Spencer.” Stacey held out her hand to shake Mr. Spencer’s hand and instead he pulled her into a hug. “Thank you so much Stacey.  And please call me Dave. You can’t know what a relief it was to find out Sophia had been found safely. “

  Stacey stepped away from him and said, “No thanks are necessary, I am just happy that Nick and I were able to find her and that she is OK.”

  Dave turned back to his son. “Son, why don’t you go to see your mom so she knows that you’re here?”

  Stefan turned and started walking towards his mother’s hospital room. He paused and turned back and loo
ked at Stacey. “Can you wait? Please?”

  His eyes seemed to smolder with an intensity that burned her to the spot. “Of course,” Stacey said.

  Stefan went into Mrs. Spencer’s room. Dave, Nick and Stacey turned and walked back to the chairs in the waiting area.

  “So Mr. Spencer,” Stacey began to say, but he cut her off.

  “Dave.” He said.

  “Dave,” she acknowledged and continued. “Nick was telling me that you and Mrs. Spencer have known each other since you were toddlers.”

  Dave chuckled softly. “Yeah, we were in the same kindergarten class and played in the sandbox together. I always knew she was the one, even when I was pouring sand over her head or stealing the Twinkies from her lunch box.  She is an amazing woman. Even now in this decline I can still see glimpses of her sparkle.”

  His eyes held sadness that Stacey understood all too well. The dementia was claiming his love and it would not get any better. It may be manageable but it was probably just going to get worse.

  Stacey wanted to take away that sadness from the eyes that were very much like Stefan’s eyes. “Tell me about her.”

  He smiled. “She is such a spitfire. She taught high school up until a few years ago. She always loved kids. It’s a shame that we couldn’t have more than Stefan.  She was always the neighborhood mom. Which is how we came to know this scoundrel here,” he laughed putting an arm around Nick.

  “You would be hard pressed to find a better lady than my wife. She loves life and takes everyone she knows to her bosom, even when it hasn’t been the wisest thing to do. She would often tell me after being burned by some person she had taken in, which happened more often than I wished; she would say that it didn’t matter. What mattered to her was that person left knowing someone in the world cared. That someone, even if it was just one person, was in their life that knew it wasn’t about an angle. And many times that person who misused her would turn around and come back into her life and she would still treat them with an open heart. I don’t know anyone who has the capacity to give of herself like my Sophia.

  “Stacey comes in a close second Dave,” Nick said as he rose. “Can I get you something from the cafeteria? “

  Dave answered, “A cup of coffee would be great.”

  “Bottled water, please?” Stacey asked.

  “Sure thing,” Nick answered as he walked away.

  Dave looked at Stacey. “That’s a high commendation especially coming from Nick.”

  “I’m afraid he has me on a pedestal. But the feeling is mutual. He’s my best friend, so he may be a little biased.” She added with a grin.  Trying to steer the conversation away from unnecessary compliments she asked, “And what do you do for a living Dave?”

  “I am a patent attorney. I don’t do anything exciting. It’s just a job to put food on the table. But I am passionate about travel and my job affords us to be able to do just that. Each year we take two trips. One trip is always to somewhere in the U.S. and then the other trip anywhere abroad.”

  “Well that sounds very exciting,” Stacey exclaimed.

  “I love to go any and everywhere.  Sophia was always able to go with me because of not working in the summer. I don’t think we’ll be able to do the trip we had planned this year.”  He said sadly.

  “Where were you planning on going?” She encouraged him to keep talking.

  “We were going to do Mt. Fuji in Japan,” he said.

  “Wow. That sounds really awesome. I have never been out of the U.S.,” she stated.

  “Is there anywhere in particular you would like to go?” He asked genuinely interested.

  “I guess Hawaii,” Stacey said thoughtfully. “But that’s not outside the U.S. Maybe Italy? Doesn’t everybody want to go there?”

  “But not you?” Dave surmised.

  “I’m kind of a homebody, but the idea of traveling sounds fun. But what do you do once you get there?”

  Dave clucked his tongue, “We need to broaden your horizons young lady. There is so much to do anywhere you go. Why right here in our little corner of the world there is so much that you can do, see and explore.”

  Stacey laughed, “It sounds tiring.”

  “There is nothing better than being bone tired at the end of a good day exploring. Sophia always likes to visit the little curio shops that she has scouted out. She is a bit of a pack rat.  Our home has so many knick knacks all over the place. But that’s the way she likes it. If it’s too neat, then it feels like no one lives there; like it’s not a home.  Or at least that’s the way Sophia feels about it.”

  “And you?” she asked.

  “I like whatever makes her happy. But of course it wasn’t that easy during the early years of our marriage.” He laughed softly. “I remember she moved back home with her parents after we fought over the fact that she didn’t put a book back on the shelf in alphabetical order.  I got over that real quick.  I definitely figured out it was easier to be with her and her clutter than to be without her and have a neat place.”

  “Really? You fought over a book out of place on the bookshelf?” Stacey asked laughing.

  “Silly right?  But it seemed so important to me at the time.  Like she wasn’t respecting the way I did things. But you learn very quickly when you’re married that your wife is always right.  It’s as simple as that.”

  They were both laughing at his avowal when Stefan came out from his mother’s room.

  They stood. Dave walked towards Stefan and asked, “How is she doing?”

  Stefan smiled, “She is fine. I left her sleeping dad.”

  “Which is what you should do, go home Stefan. It’s pretty late. Come back tomorrow son.”

  Stefan opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. “Sure dad, whatever you say.”

  He turned to Stacey “Hey I am so sorry about our plans for the evening. Do you think we could reschedule for another time?”

  “Of course, don’t give it a second thought.” Stacey said.

  “May I see you home?” Stefan asked.

  He was staring intently into her eyes. Stacey felt the magnetic pull between them. She was vaguely aware of Dave saying goodbye and going towards Sophia’s room.  But she was too caught up in Stefan’s eyes to be able to muster up a response to his exit. “I would love it.”  Stacey whispered to Stefan.

  They turned to walk towards the parking lot, when Nick walked up with a bottle of water and a cup of coffee. Stacey had completely forgotten about Nick!

  “Hey, your mom doing OK?” Nick asked, not knowing they both had forgotten about him and were about to leave.

  Stefan looked at Stacey and they both knew they had forgotten Nick and burst out laughing. Nick looked bewildered. His expression just made it even funnier.  Stacey thought it was the release that Stefan needed and she was so happy to hear the rich sound of his laughter; it made her laugh harder. She felt as light as a helium balloon being released towards the heavens.  She even felt a little light headed.  This man has such an effect on me!

  Stefan pulled in a deep breath to steady himself and answered Nick. “Yeah man, she’s sleeping right now. My dad is going to stay with her.  I was about to see Stacey home.” He again focused his gaze on Stacey and she could see the laughter still there in his eyes.

  It didn’t take long for Nick to see the situation. They all lived within a couple of blocks from one another so it wasn’t a big deal, when she told Nick to take her car and she would ride with Stefan. Stefan looked surprised at her suggestion, almost as if he expected that she would have backed out going with him to make sure Nick got home.  Stacey could be misreading the situation, but that is definitely the impression that she was getting from him.  She was very happy to surprise him, and was anxious to be alone with him.  This time she would be more composed and could actually be more coherent with him.

  They said their goodbyes to Nick as he dropped off the coffee to Dave in Sophia’s room.

  Stefan and Stacey walked to h
is car.  He opened the passenger door, she got in and he closed the door. She was excited for a chance to be alone with him.  If they got to spend more time together she could figure out what it was about him that made her feel so off balance.  Was she really in love? Surely once she saw all of his flaws she wouldn’t be this enamored.  But then panic set in, because what if the more time he spent with her, he saw her flaws and wouldn’t want to continue to see her?

  Stacey wouldn’t let that thought dominate her brain.  Calm, cool and collected were the words of the day. So what could she say that would have him come away thinking she was the most sexy desirable woman he had ever known?  Ha! Not likely in her scrubs, hair pulled back in a ponytail and no makeup whatsoever.

  Ugh! This was completely hopeless. But in the short term, Stacey thought they could be friends.  That was something she knew how to do. And it was a comforting thought. Centering on that line of thinking she decided to just be herself.  How silly she was being. But she really just didn’t know what to say to men.  She never had anyone really interested in her like that.

  Her thoughts were racing a mile a minute and the silence that seemed comfortable between them, now felt strained.  Now is the time to start the conversation she thought. “Your dad was telling me about all of the traveling that he and your mom do.”

  “Yes,” Stefan chuckled. “My dad definitely has a case of wanderlust. They have been all over the world. And they don’t just go to the expensive resort type locations. They like to visit the hut at the end of the world in Timbuktu. My favorite trips have always been to places here in the U.S.”

  “Really? That surprises me.  I would have thought that you would enjoy the more exotic locations more.” Stacey asked amazed.

  He responded, “I think it had more to do with me than the location. I am more of a hearth and home type guy. I know they loved to go and do and see, but me I was much happier when I could just sit back with my nose in a book. But it makes for great stories. I have had more experiences because of my parents than most people have had in a lifetime.”

  Intrigued she asked, “So is there no place that you would visit again?”

  Stefan shook his head, “Don’t get me wrong I really do appreciate all the travel I’ve done in my life, but I’d really be happy not to get on another plane again in my life.”

  Stacey laughed, “You don’t like to fly?”

  “No I always have such problems with ear pressure.  I’ve tried all the tricks that they advise you to do and nothing helps.”

  “Gum?”

  “Yeah, no that just makes my jaws tired.”

  Stacey laughed, “That’s too bad.  I know that can be really uncomfortable.  I haven’t done much in the way of travel.  When I told that to your dad, he looked at me like I was a heathen that needed converting.”

  Stefan laughed, “Yeah, he believes everyone should see outside their own immediate surroundings.”

  “So I know you don’t like to travel, but surely there is a place you’ve been to that is worth visiting twice?” she asked.

  “Sure,” Stefan answered. “There are some very beautiful places that I’ve visited. Greece is especially gorgeous. If there is a draw for me it’s the rich histories that some of these places have.  America is such a young country; you just don’t get that sense of how old the world is.  But go to the Parthenon and you are hit with it.”

  They were already at Stacey’s apartment. The time had flown by so fast. She didn’t want it to end. “Would you like to come in for a glass of wine?” The impulse to ask was spontaneous, so she had no time to censor it. Stacey now held her breath for his response.

  “I would love to,” he answered.

  Stacey felt like doing jumping jacks in her seat.  She kept her enthusiasm in check.  She directed him to where to park. They walked into her place.  Stacey put her purse down and handed him a bottle of wine to open. She excused herself to go to the restroom. Once away from him she worried. Did he think she was inviting him to have sex?  Oh how did she get herself into this situation? Now if she came out in her nightgown that certainly wasn’t going to entice him since they are all flannel gowns.  But if she came out in her sweats, that’s no better.

  She quickly used the restroom, brushed her teeth, ran a comb through her hair and decided on a tank top and a pair of running shorts.  Not a frumpy look, but also not a come hither look.

  “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long. I just wanted to get comfy.  Come sit and tell me about your mom.” She said leading him to the sofa.

  He said, “I’d rather talk about you.”

  This threw her off.  She figured as long as she kept plying him with questions that she would be able to keep the conversation going smoothly. What could she possibly say that would be of interest to him? Be myself. She had to keep telling herself that. Either he would like her or he wouldn’t. What did she want him to know about her?

  “Well, what do you know about me?” Stacey asked.

  Stefan started thoughtfully, “Nick has nothing but glowing things to say about you.  You’re a nurse and you’re a very caring person. Nick seems to think you’re the second coming of Mother Theresa.”

  Stacey laughed. “Well I am sure you’re exaggerating. But for my part, I guess I can say that I’ve been shown much kindness in my life and I do what I can to repay it. I had leukemia as a child, so I try not to take one single day of my life for granted. “

  Stefan said, “So we have established you’re a caretaker. And almost a saint, especially for putting up with Nick.  But what do you do for fun?”

  “Hmm… Not sure about that one.  I’ve got a pretty full routine to my days. When I’m not at work I’m volunteering for Meals on Wheels, helping Mrs. Horowitz or hanging with Nick.  Nick and I will usually just cook and watch a movie before or after his hook ups. Whenever he can fit me in.” Stacey laughed.

  “You two have a close relationship. I can’t decide whether or not to be jealous.” Stefan said thoughtfully.

  “Well I have seen Nick have trouble with women he’s seeing because of how close we are.  But I have never had sex with him.  He really is just my best friend.  I love him and he’s a priority, but I’m not in love with him. I know a lot of people have a hard time trying to define our relationship. Sometimes it’s hard to explain it to someone else.” Stacey paused and Stefan was staring into her eyes again, it made it hard to think.

  “My question is do you feel this too?” Stacey was scared to have voiced the question. But it was too late to take it back now.

  “Yeah, I feel it too. It’s kind of crazy.” Stefan looked like he wanted to kiss her.  They leaned into each other, but then he pulled back. “I just don’t want to rush into anything.”

  Stacey felt deflated. He doesn’t want me?

  “Don’t look so crushed. I am into you just as much as you are into me.  I can feel this pull when I’m with you and since I met you 24 hours ago, I can’t think of anyone else but you. I just think we should take it slow.  I have never felt this kind of pull with anyone and it’s a little overwhelming.”

  “Boy,” Stacey said “you have been picking the thoughts right out of my brain. I have been feeling so drawn to you that I didn’t understand it.  But I definitely would like to explore it.  I don’t have much experience in the romance department, so I think I might be a little insecure. So please be patient with me.”

  Stacey couldn’t make eye contact with him as she said this, and he picked up her chin, looked her directly in the eye and said, “You can trust me Stacey.  I am a good guy. We’ll go slowly until we figure this thing out, alright?”

  “Alright,” Stacey was relieved. He got up from the sofa.

  “So.” Stefan asked, “When can we reschedule our date?”

  “Just say when and I’m there.” Stacey said eagerly.

  “Well I really want to have this famous spaghetti you’re bragging about, so how about tomorrow?” He asked hopefully.


  “I actually don’t have to work tomorrow. So if you want we could make a full day of it.” Stacey suggested hoping she didn’t sound desperate.

  He smiled broadly. “I like that plan even better.”

  He stood up to leave and Stacey stood up with him. He held her hand as they walked to the door. He opened the door and kissed the back of her hand.  If she hadn’t been supporting her weight on the door she probably would have sunk to her knees. It wasn’t a big gesture, but it just hit her as so romantic.

  He looked into her eyes, “I look forward to spending the day with you tomorrow Stacey.” He walked out the door.

  Stacey watched him walk towards where his car was parked.  He turned, looked back and waved.  Embarrassed to be caught staring after him, she waved weakly back and closed the door.

  Wow, that had gone exceptionally well.  She felt tingly all over. She felt like Wonder Woman.  She did the spin in the middle of her living room and laughed out loud at her silliness.

  But then she started to think about what to do tomorrow. Anxiety suddenly filled her. What could they do for a whole day?  She didn’t know anything about his interests to know what kinds of things he would like to do for a day.  Oh I am a total idiot.  How could she plan a day without knowing what he likes?

  Oh but would he think that as the man, he needs to plan everything? She was totally panicking.  Nick!  He will know what to do!

  Stacey picked up the phone and called. “Hey Nick.”

  “Hey Stacey May.” He answered. “I am surprised to hear from you tonight.  I was sure that you and Stefan would be otherwise occupied by now. At least judging from the scorching looks you two were giving each other at the hospital.”

  “Well, we decided to take things slowly.” Stacey answered.

  Nick laughed, “He really must like you, which I am fortified to hear. Don’t want to have to fight my oldest friend over your honor.”

  “Ha, ha, ha.” Stacey said sarcastically.  “That would be a nightmare. And you have to promise me you wouldn’t ever do that Nick.”

  “Nope, I reserve the right to defend you no matter who it is against.” Nick said.

  “You’re not making me feel any better Nick.” She answered.

  “Too bad, it’s just the way it is.” Nick said with laughter in his voice.  He was enjoying teasing her way too much.

  “Back to the matter at hand.” Stacey said hoping to head off the next joke that was surely to come out of his mouth.

  “Yes. Do tell.” Nick said.

  She took a deep breath. “So I have plans with Stefan tomorrow.  We are going to spend the whole day together.”

  Nick interrupted, “Well that doesn’t sound like a problem.”

  Impatiently Stacey answered, “No that’s not the problem.  The problem is I have known this guy for 24 hours, feel like I’m head over heels in love, don’t know a thing about how to date, let alone how to make a good impression on this guy. I don’t even know what his interests are to be able to plan a day for him.”

  “Well first thing Stacey May, calm down.” Nick said patiently. “Let’s take this slow and logically.”

  “I am listening.” Stacey said with hostility, feeling that Nick was not understanding the severity of the situation.

  “So you don’t have to work to make a good impression on Stefan. You’re amazing, so just be yourself and as far as I can see, he likes you too, so this is nothing to stress about.” Nick continued. “It doesn’t matter how long you’ve known him. You’re a great judge of character. Trust that, trust your instincts and trust your heart.”

  She was beginning to calm down listening to Nick.  He always knew the right thing to say.

  He continued, “I can tell you some things that he likes to do, but then he would wonder how you know what he likes.  I am not sure you want to go down that path. If my relationships are any indicator you may have trouble with jealousy over our relationship. So you will want to leave me out the equation for the time being. And definitely you don’t want to have come to me for advice on something involving him. It goes against the testosterone code.”

  Stacey was nodding her head, but he couldn’t see that, so she interjected, “You’re right! I should have thought of that.”

  “But, between you and me, he loves books, and board games.  Grisham is his favorite novelist. He’s loves music of all kinds, except country music.  He likes sports, but he’s not super fanatic about any arena over another.”

  “Thanks Nick,” she said really appreciating his insight.

  “Just remember,” he said. “You never heard anything from me.”

  “Well this just gives me a starting point, so I really do appreciate you.” Stacey said sincerely.

  He chuckled softly, “Anything for you Stacey May. Now I’m going to call it a night. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Right.  Will do. Thanks again Nick.  I feel much better.” Stacey hung up truly feeling better. Her head was spinning with ideas on what to do for a day with Stefan. She was so excited she felt like a kid at Christmas. She felt like there was no way she would be able to sleep tonight.

  Stacey settled into her bed with a pad and paper writing out different options on how the day would go.  Different combinations of activities that would all lead back to dinner at her place; where she would wow him with her famous spaghetti. It would be their first date and she wanted it to go off without a hitch.

  But she would definitely let him take the lead if he showed signs of having thought out a plan himself. She laughed at her diagram and how convoluted she was making a simple date. Nick would definitely laugh at her.

  Nick’s words came back to mind now. How would Stacey handle it if Stefan showed real signs of jealousy? Many times Nick had sacrificed a relationship he was in because the women in question felt threatened by their closeness.  And then you add the male possessiveness factor into it, then you have a real possibility of a situation going really wrong.

  Stacey would not want a riff in Nick’s and Stefan’s relationship. That would be terrible.  She really did need to tread carefully. Nick and Stacey were so ingrained into one an other's lives that it was easy for him to dominate any conversation she had.  Because he led a much more interesting life by default than hers was the main reason. But the other reason was that she just liked to talk about him because she liked him so much.

  Was it really so strange to have a platonic relationship with a man? Nick was so beautiful; she’d have to be dead not to notice how attractive he was. But she never felt the nuclear hot attraction with him as she immediately felt with Stefan.

  Stefan was gorgeous in his own right. He was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. Dave looked like he was maybe African American or East Indian, she couldn’t be sure.  Stefan had a lot of his mother in his features as well. Beautiful couple and they produced a beautiful son.

  But comparing the two impartially, Nick was the more attractive of the two men. But Stefan definitely was no slouch. Stacey laughed out loud at the thought of comparing these two guys. They would both probably start preening.  

  Stefan flirted outrageously with her and it made her feel special. Just thinking about him made her smile.

  Stacey definitely was looking forward to spending the day with him now that her case of the nerves had passed.

  The thought of what to wear tomorrow passed fleetingly through her mind, but the haze of sleep was claiming her and she let it.

  Tomorrow was another day to figure all that out.