Take Care of Me

by Melita Washington

  Chapter 4

  Stacey never really thought about protocols on how to date. Was it too soon to call Stefan? After talking to Nick and seeing his confusion and determination about Jasmine, it just made Stacey want to cement what she and Stefan had going on together.

  It was in the back of her mind at all times. She had seen Mrs. Horowitz and was encouraged by her approval of Stefan. As Stacey drove to the Jones’ home she was again struck with an urgency to see Stefan or at least hear his voice, but shouldn’t he make the first move?

  After going to see the Jones’, Stacey went to the hospital and decided to check up on Stefan’s mother, and to bring some food to Dave. If he had spent the night, surely he’d be hungry and in need of a break. So the plate she had fixed to take home she now held in her hands to offer it to Stefan’s father. She tapped on the door of Sophia’s room and heard Stefan’s voice answer, “Come in.”

  Stacey entered and was encouraged to see him smiling. His mother was awake and looked at Stacey with clear inquiring eyes. She looked to be having a lucid moment which was good, especially for Stefan.

  Dave was nowhere to be seen. “Hi. I stopped by to see if your dad was hungry.”

  “Come on in. Dad went home to shower and grab something to eat,” said Stefan.

  His mother answered, “But I’d love something that wasn’t hospital food.” She smiled and Stacey could see where Stefan got his dimples from.

  Stacey placed the plate in front of her and said, “Bon appétit.”

  “Stefan are you hungry honey? I can share this with you.” His mother asked in a tone very reminiscent of how Stacey’s mom used to speak to her. It made her miss her mom so much in that moment. She had to clear her throat to speak.

  “Sorry Stefan I should have thought to bring more.” Stacey smiled at Stefan

  Stefan noticed her watery eyes, but said nothing about it. Instead he got up and said, “Mom this, by the way, is Stacey. She’s a good friend of Nick’s and we are also dating.”

  Stacey was so surprised. Her eyes got huge and her mouth dropped open.

  Sophia laughed. “Are you sure she knows that Stefan, she looks totally shocked to hear you say it.”

  Stacey closed her mouth and turned to look at Stefan. He put his arm around her waist and squeezed. “Yeah mom she knows. She is the one that found you. She’s an amazing woman. I think you’ll like her a lot.”

  “Well at the very least she is a wonderful cook.  This is delicious young lady. Thank you for the meal and thank you for finding me.” She continued to eat and Stefan led Stacey out the door.

  “Mom, excuse us for one moment.”  She nodded her head and they stepped out of her room.

  “Well this is a surprise. I was going to call you when I got done here.” He said smiling down at Stacey.

  Her heart was beating so loud, she was sure he could hear it. “I had gone by Mrs. Horowitz and Mrs. Jones and I thought about your dad having been here all night. I just figured he would be hungry. I should have thought you and your mom would want something too.”

  “No worries. I actually figured we could get together today. My dad should be back in a few moments. Can you stick around?” Stefan asked.

  “Of course, I would love to spend time with you today.” Stacey was pleased that he initiated the date. She had begun to feel so desperate for contact with him and the relief of having him want to get together with her just made her feel so elated. She had the silliest grin on her face.

  He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Let’s sit with my mom for a little bit. She’s having a really good day and I hate to miss any time when she’s so lucid; which is why I told her we were dating. I wanted her to know how special you are while she was in a good place to understand it.” Stefan was gliding his hand up and down Stacey’s back almost in an unconscious way. But Stacey was very aware of the electricity he was sending through her body.

  Stacey had to focus; she understood what he was saying and decided not to add more weight to the meaning behind it. Just because she felt head over heels didn’t mean that he was. Every indicator that he gave to her, she lapped it up because she was eager to know that these feelings she was having weren’t one sided.

  They walked back into his mother’s room. Sophia put down the fork and said, “That was absolutely delicious Stacey. Son you should marry her for her cooking alone.”

  Stacey blushed and accepted the compliment. Sophia then commented. “And she is beautiful too.”

  Stacey glanced at Stefan to see what reaction he was having to his mother’s rainbow of compliments towards her and he was looking at her with such fierceness that she almost gasped. The electricity arced between them and she found herself wanting to be anywhere alone with him.

  “She is a keeper, mom.” He turned to his mother and smiled at her. Her return smile mirrored his and Stacey really wish she had known her before this illness had struck. You could see a myriad of emotions and the depth of love they felt for one another.

  “Well life is short Stefan, I have loved your father for a lifetime and I want so much for you to find that kind of happiness. The way you’re looking at her and the way she is looking at you gives me hope. Stacey I hope you don’t find me too forward, it’s just that I know I may not get to say some of these things, so I tend not to waste time anymore.” Sophia asserted.

  Stacey nodded, “I find your directness refreshing Mrs. Spencer.”

  “Sophia, please. So tell me where on earth did you learn to cook like that?” Her smile was so warm.

  “My mother worked in the school cafeteria so I learned all the basics from her.  I am also an avid Food Network fan and get a lot of tips and recipes from them as well.  I just like to cook.  It soothes something in my soul.” Stacey said with a wistfulness that made her actually want to get back into her kitchen.

  “Stefan is not so shabby in the kitchen either. He would cook with his grandma all the time.” Sophia laughed.

  “Well I keep hearing what a great cook Stacey is and I haven’t sampled her culinary excellence yet.” His tone was light and teasing, but the undercurrent of I want to do more than cook with you was there.

  The look was not lost on his mother. “Why don’t you two get out of here?”

  Stefan turned his most dazzling smile on his mother and said, “Not a chance Lady, you’re stuck with us for the duration.”

  “You are so full of hooey Stefan Michael Spencer! Stacey don’t let him charm the panties off you girl. He’s been trying to wrap me around his finger since the day he was born.” She leaned into Stacey and whispered, “And he’s done it, but I have to put him in his place every once in a while.”

  They all laughed and it was good to hear. At that moment Dave walked in. “Looks like I’m missing the party.”

  He walked into the room and went immediately to place a kiss on his wife’s lips. She looked up at him adoringly. It was a very sweet moment, one that again had Stacey yearning for alone time with Stefan. Stefan seemed to be on the same page with her because he rose from the side of his mother’s bed. He embraced his father and then kissed his mom on the cheek. “Dad we’ll let you take over the festivities.”

  Dave answered, “Yeah I’d like to have this foxy lady all to myself.” Sophia swatted at him and giggled like a school girl. It was good to see.

  “I hope that I am not taking you away from your family.” Stacey said once they were out of the room.

  “Hardly.” Stefan answered. “My dad really does want to be alone with my mom. They are worse than a couple of teenagers sometimes. And I know that since she is having such a good day he wants to spend it with his wife, not the mother of his child.”

  “Well I can definitely understand that.” Stacey answered.

  “Would you like to get a cup of coffee?” Stefan asked.

  “Sure I could use a caffeine boost.  I seem to be dragging a little bit today.”

  They went to the coffee shop around the corner and sat at a table an
d were discussing the value of a good cup of coffee.

  “Sometimes I swear if I could, I’d hook up an IV and do an intravenous feed with coffee.” Stacey laughed.

  “Boy that is quite the endorsement for the java bean.” Stefan shook his head. “And are you a Starbucks lover?”

  “I’m not picky,” Stacey answered. “Whatever is closest at hand. I like the atmosphere there. It seems like all the cool people hang out at Starbucks. Sometimes I will take my laptop and just hang out and people watch on the sly. But that’s just anywhere.”

  “Yeah, people are amazing. I like to people watch as well. Take that guy over there.” Stefan indicated a middle age man at the counter. Looking at him he seemed to be a business man judging from his suit. He was short, overweight and balding. He was on his CrackBerry, our affectionate term at the hospital for a blackberry phone.

  Just then a stunning twenty -something long legged blonde sauntered up to him and stuck her tongue half way down his throat.

  Stefan and Stacey were both amazed; they looked away putting their heads together and snickered.

  “Boy that was unexpected.” Stacey said.

  “OK so my impression of that guy just did a 180.” Stefan was still laughing.

  “Well I don’t know, maybe midlife crisis? What do you want to bet that he’s driving something red, shiny and shaped like a penis?” Stacey said.

  Stefan grabbed his chest. “On behalf of all males I take offense.  I’m wounded in the extreme!”

  Stacey was shaking her head at him. “Surely you have seen it too many times to be able to deny that the stereotype exists for a reason.”

  “Nope, sticking with my fellow brothers on this one. I reserve the right to my midlife crisis car without being lumped in with the rest of the philanderers.” Stefan folded his arms across his chest to emphasize his point, but couldn’t hold it and ended up laughing.

  They were both laughing together when a different beautiful blonde walked up to their table and interrupted them. “Well isn’t this cozy. Does Nick know that you’re stepping out on him? I had no idea you had a life outside of Nick Faulks.”

  It was Jasmine. She was staring down at Stacey with contempt.

  Stefan stood up and said, “Excuse me.”

  “Oh honey, it is completely my pleasure to give you an excuse to get away from her.” Jasmine drawled.

  Stacey interrupted whatever Stefan was about to say. “Jasmine, it’s so nice to see you. Please meet my boyfriend Stefan Spencer.” It was so gratifying to see her mouth drop open.

  “Nick will be so happy to know I ran into you.” Stacey continued. “He was just expressing to me how much he was hoping to get together with you for a talk.”

  Jasmine exploded. “A talk? After throwing me out of his life without a backward glance for you! He is lucky I didn’t spit on him when I saw him.  And you with your self-entitled intrusions into his life, how dare you even look at me like you were innocent in this whole mess!”

  Stefan could remain silent no longer, “I think you need to just walk away.”

  Jasmine turned her fury onto Stefan. “And you, you’re her boyfriend? Good luck competing with the almighty Nick Faulks. She will at every turn drop you for whatever he needs. If you stick around for that you’re a bigger fool than I was.”

  Jasmine turned to walk off, but Stacey stopped her. “Jasmine, I know Nick hurt you, but I promise he loves you. Please give him a chance to make things right.”

  Jasmine hesitated and her eyes betrayed the hurt she was feeling, but she ended up shaking her head and shrugging out of Stacey’s grip. “I won’t get sucked back into this competition with you. You can have him.”

  Stacey sat down and gathered her things.  “I am so sorry about that. Can we leave? I need to talk to Nick.”

  Stefan was confused. “Nick?”

  Stacey looked at him and could see he didn’t understand what had just happened. “Don’t  you see Stefan, if she is this upset, that means she still loves him. He has to fight for her and I was telling him to be so cautious. I think he should go for it.”

  Stefan was incredulous. “Are you serious? That woman hates you and Nick’s guts with a passion!”

  Stacey was pulling him out the door as she was saying, “That’s exactly how I know that Nick needs to go to her now.  I watched Jasmine for a long time while she was with Nick. I know how she thinks and I’m telling you, this is the best time for Nick to make his case of getting back together with her.”

  “And how is this any of your business?” Stefan had stopped them on the sidewalk.

  She stopped and really looked at him. “Stefan, please. All I want is for Nick to be happy and I can see that this is his chance to go for it.”

  Stefan asked, “Is she right? Am I going to be a second priority behind Nick?”

  “Nick is your friend too Stefan. Don’t you want him to be happy?” Stacey asked frustrated.

  “Of course I do, but I don’t need to drop everything I’m doing to go hold his hand.” He stated equally frustrated.

  “But Stefan.” Stacey began, but he cut her off.

  “Why don’t you go do whatever you need to do and call me when you have time for me?” And then he walked away.

  Stacey couldn’t believe it. How did things go so wrong? She wasn’t choosing Nick over Stefan but he certainly seemed to have taken it that way.  She stood on the side walk watching Stefan’s retreating back, absolutely flabbergasted by the argument they just had. Her fears that Nick would be a problem came true and she hadn’t seen it coming. Not by a mile.  Didn’t he understand that she just wanted Nick and Jasmine back together so that they could be as happy as she was now? Or as happy as she had been until Stefan walked away.

  But what should she do now? Go after Stefan and plead her case? He seemed so angry, Stacey just wasn’t sure he would listen to reason at this point. She turned and walked the opposite way, to go see Nick.

  He opened the door, took one look at her and said, “What’s wrong?”

  “I had a fight with Stefan. Over you.” Stacey answered.

  He pulled her into his apartment and asked, “What on earth could you have argued over me about?”

  “I ran into Jasmine at the coffee shop. Nick you’re right. She is still in love with you. You have to go and get her back.”

  The hope in his eyes made the fight with Stefan worth it.  She knew he needed to hear this.  Nick interrupted her train of thought by interjecting, “But how, what did she say exactly.”

  So Stacey relayed the story to him putting in her interpretation of Jasmine’s anger and he agreed with her assessment. He was absolutely jubilant. “I knew it. She was so cold towards me; it had to be a front. I’m going to find her now!”

  He was about to head out the door and stopped. “But what has this got to do with Stefan?”

  Stacey could tell he was anxious to go, so she didn’t stop him. “Go Nick. Don’t worry about me. Go find Jasmine.”

  “No, tell me about Stefan.” He stood in the doorway obstinate.

  So she gave him the short version. “He’s upset that I cut our date short to tell you about Jasmine. I’ll give him time to cool down and then I’ll talk to him. Go find Jasmine. Stop worrying about me.”

  He grabbed his keys and said, “He’s a fool if he throws away a chance at a relationship with you.” He kissed her cheek and ran out the door.