“Oh gawd,” Charisse said, covering her mouth sickened at just the thought.
“Ignore the man, but this position is going to work effectively in what we’re doing. Just take off your bottoms, put a pillow down there and wait until I return.” She handed Charisse some gloves. “That’s just in case you don’t like touching it that much.”
After putting on the gloves, she closed her eyes briefly swallowing the bile in her throat. She could only nod to show she had listened to what her sister had said.
“Good!” Chyna said and practically skipped out the room, leaving that disgusting book on the bed.
Picking it up as if it were an unhygienic piece of used tissue she raised her mattress and tossed it under there. Charisse sunk on the bed and put her face in her hands miserable to her soul and wishing she had killed herself a long time ago.
Clack! Clackity-Clack! Clack!
Her sister’s hurried high heels were returning in her direction. Quickly, Charisse threw off the underwear and tossed a pillow on the floor. Lying down, she waited with nervous anticipation as Chyna entered holding the turkey baster proudly with gloved hands. “I put a little Vaseline around the outside to go inside smoothly.”
“What do I do?” Charisse questioned.
“It’s just like the examination Dr. Redmond did on you,” Chyna explained gently. “Just insert it and squeeze.”
Biting the inside of her lip, she took it and nervously put it between her legs.
“You’re going to have to uncap it,” Chyna reminded. “And once you do that, go as fast as possible to put it as deep as possible.”
Reaching to the base, the baster was warm down there and she snatched her hand away as if it had gotten burned.
“What’s wrong?” Chyna asked.
“It’s warm.”
“It’s supposed to be. Come on, Charisse. Hurry up.”
Charisse took a deep breath and reached back down to uncap it and then gasped as she pressed the baster inside until there was a slight pinch. At that moment, she squeezed the top part and gasped again as the warm fluid rushed out and into her.
“It’s burning!” she hissed pulling the empty baster from her and tried to get up.
Chyna pressed her gloved hands on Charisse’s chest. “No, it doesn’t. It’s all in your head. Stay still and calm down.” She took the baster from her sister.
Sobbing because every muscle wanted to get up, run into the bathroom to throw up and take a hot scalding shower.
“You have to stay still for at least thirty minutes,” Chyna insisted.
“Thirty?! Chyna!”
“Please, Charisse. Just stay still.” She took the cover from the bed and covered her sister. “I’ll clean this off while you lay there.” She took Charisse’s hand in her own and smiled warmly. “Thank you, Charisse. Thank you.”
The genuine smile from Chyna caught Charisse by surprise and even relaxed her a bit.
Shivering just a little from the whole experience, Charisse only nodded and then closed her eyes fighting the vomit that wanted to come up.
***
He didn’t realize how fast he was going until he saw the police lights in his rear mirror. Cursing, he pulled over and prepared for the officer to give him a ticket.
“Do you know you were going almost sixty in a twenty-five mile zone?” the officer questioned after getting Parker’s license and registration.
“Not until you stopped me, officer,” Parker said after apologizing.
“Looks like you’re having a rough morning, Mr. Mills.”
“You have no fricking idea. I just made hooky with a turkey baster to help my wife’s sister get pregnant,” he blurted out.
The officer gave him a horrified expression.
Yeah, his day was really fucked up.
***
Thirty minutes afterwards, she went to the bathroom and took a hot scalding shower. By the time she got into the bathroom, she didn’t have to throw up anymore and the idea of knowing a little bit of Parker was inside of her, didn’t bother her as much as she thought it would. She didn’t feel like she was burning from inside out like she thought would happen and it really hadn’t been that hot. Matter of fact, if she had gotten it inside of her sooner, it probably wouldn’t have been noticed except for the extra wetness.
Chyna kept asking her how she felt, but Charisse would just shrug because she really wasn’t sure how she felt.
Would it be wrong to admit that it hadn’t been that bad?
Her sister brought a tray of warm tea and some crackers to calm Charisse’s stomach down.
Somehow Charisse fell asleep as soon as she lay on her bed and slept until late at night. Rochelle jumped up from the rocking chair she had pulled near the bed and came to her bedside.
“Are you okay?” she asked concerned.
Stretching, Charisse asked, “What time is it?”
“Ten. Are you hungry?”
Doing an internal check to see if the bottom portion of her had disintegrated or if she was in any pain, she found nothing wrong. “I’m famished.”
“Let’s get down to the kitchen. You need to walk around and get some air.”
Charisse trudged to the bathroom after putting on a robe. Doing another internal check, she was positive she didn’t feel any nausea, soreness or burning inside or out. It was almost as if this morning had never happened.
After emptying her bladder, she washed her face and joined Rochelle in the kitchen. Instead of sitting at the table, Charisse lifted herself in the bar like chairs around the counter, which was on an island in the middle of the kitchen.
“Something interesting happened today,” Rochelle said, setting a warm plate of spaghetti in front of her.
‘Same here,’ Charisse said to herself, stuffing a fork full of spaghetti in her mouth.
“Your doctor and I spoke today,” the nurse said.
“Really? What did he want to speak to you about so soon?”
“He just wanted an update on your condition.”
“And what did you say?”
“I told him I felt you were improving. And I told him about your decision with your sister and her husband.”
She stopped eating and straightened up in the chair. “You did?”
“Yes. I voiced my own apprehension to him about it. I didn’t think it was fair for your sister to use you like that.” Rochelle paused as she finished cleaning around the area where she had prepared the food.
Charisse watched intently as Rochelle cleaned a long sharp knife and then went over to a steel cupboard, took a key out to unlock it, placed the knife inside with other knives and then closed the door, locking it. The fact that Rochelle was breaking one of the rules by preparing food in front of Charisse put her at ease a little for what the nurse was about to say to her.
Rochelle continued, “I was shocked by his response.”
“What was his response, Rochelle?” she pressed.
Rochelle wiped her hands and answered, “He said you agreeing to do this is very hopeful towards your intentions of hurting yourself. And people with your suicidal symptoms would never agree to do something like this. But then I told him that I believe your sister and her husband could have struck and agreement with you.”
Just as the hope of getting rid of Rochelle came, the old bat just kept heaping on the agony of her presence.
“I don’t know why you would think something like that, Rochelle.”
“And you know what he said,” Rochelle asked and then took a dramatic pause. “He said the same thing too.”
Charisse did her best “I’m not surprised look” yet in truth she was floored.
“He said your sister and her husband went under extensive interviews in order to allow you to be released into their care because he was adamant about you not ending up dead or back in the facility again and he knew your other sister was prohibited by the courts from ever seeing you unless you were supervised by someone else.”
She had
not known that was ordered by Cheyenne. During the probate hearing, she had tuned all the court talk out because she really hadn’t cared. “Why can’t Cheyenne see me without anyone else being around?”
“Hello?!” Rochelle exclaimed as if she should know this. “That evil woman didn’t even care when you were in her custody. I saw the reports when they brought you in the hospital you had on clothes you’d worn for three days. Your hair was unkempt and you reeked from putting on so much lotion and perfume to hide the body odor. The emergency staff didn’t know if they should save your life or wash you down first.”
Charisse really had pushed all those memories out her head from her long stay at the facility. She remembered the job interview and how the woman said she was under qualified. She remembered being despondent and just sitting in her room for a couple of days. Even before that she hadn’t been really there in the world.
Since coming home from the facility this time, for some reason she had been much more alert to her surroundings and more responsive to people around her. Why did he have to come pick her up? Why couldn’t he have just been aloof like she thought he would be?
It was then she realized Parker Mills had changed her from that day by coming to pick her up. Something inside of her wasn’t the same like before.
“What else did the doctor say?” Charisse asked.
“He said with you agreeing to do this and your sister and husband caring deeply about you that if this pregnancy was actually a success, your probation period might end sooner than you think. I’m glad I spoke with him because he cleared up a lot of things that bothered me and he was very impressed by the way I’ve been handling you.”
She was too leery to raise her hopes up, waiting for Rochelle to add something else to crumble her. After a moment, Charisse asked, “Sooner like a couple of months?”
Rochelle winked her eye. “Pending my recommendation if I see that your disposition and behavior has improved your probation could be up in a couple of weeks.”
“Really? No one babysitting me? No more nurses and doctors?”
“Well, maybe a biannual check up, but yes.”
“Thank you.” Charisse said gratefully and then pressed her lips together tightly. That was a close to a grin she could muster.
“Hurry up and eat and then come on up to bed. I’ll turn down your bed,” Rochelle said.
Saying goodnight tenderly, the nurse left Charisse alone in the kitchen to her thoughts.
‘They are going to make it easier than I thought. Agreeing to do this was the best decision.’ Looking down at her left wrist she could still see the old scar where she had cut herself. ‘Maybe this time, I’ll press harder and do both this time.’ She remembered the light-headedness, the peace and the serenity. As if she were in heaven on earth until the pain took over her body.
“Does it still hurt?” his voice asked at the kitchen doorway.
She finished her food and took her disposable plate to the garbage. “No.”
“How do you feel?” he asked with that familiar concern in his eyes.
Tonight he was dressed in a soft crème shirt and matching tie, long black slacks and matching jacket that was already off and over his arm. He had set his briefcase on the counter and he waited for her to respond to his question as he set his jacket over a chair. The more she saw him the more she found herself paying attention to the details about him that he seemed to expose. Tonight his shirt was open a little more than last time and she could see the defined collarbone that seemed just as attractive as the strong arrogant jawline. His left ear was pierced, but he wore no earring in it and she could tell he hadn’t worn one in a while. Clean-shaven as always his goatee looked so straight it could be the foundation for measurements.
It was starting to annoy her how much attention she found herself paying to him when she felt he wasn’t worth the time. Yet, there was something about him that she couldn’t stop watching him.
She responded to his question knowing she was being sarcastic. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. I did it when I was twelve.” This was really just a façade because she didn’t want him to know she could read his mind.
Parker flushed and moved closer to her stopping arms length away on the other side of the counter. “I wasn’t speaking about that. I was talking about you and this morning. Any symptoms?”
“It’s not a pill, Parker. The side effects don’t kick in right away.” To create more distance, she went to the refrigerator and dug for an apple, but there were none.
To alleviate her sudden nervousness around him, she said, “You’re coming in late.”
“I didn’t know I had a curfew,” he shot back smartly.
Looking back at him, she wondered was everyone treated to his sarcasm or did she just bring it out of him. “You’re a married man. You’re supposed to come home at a decent hour.”
“Work keeps me from doing that.”
Charisse decided to hit back from that earlier crack. “Funny, I thought it was my sister.”
“Chyna doesn’t keep me away.”
“I wasn’t talking about her.”
Parker stiffened and quickly changed the subject. “What are you looking for?”
“An apple,” she answered.
He came over and she could smell almond and coconut. It was almost tempting to press her face into his shirt to see if a man could really smell that sweet or did he have an almond joy wrapper on his person.
After digging in the fruit drawer as she had done and then checking the other drawers and shelves in the refrigerator, he also found no apple.
“There are grapes and oranges. You could have one of those,” he suggested.
“I only like apples. Maybe Rochelle has one upstairs in her refrigerator.”
Just as she started to leave, he said, “Wait. I could check the pantry if you don’t mind them room temperature.”
“I don’t mind,” she said, not wanting to admit she wanted to stay in his presence just a little while longer. “But really, Parker, you can stop being nice to me. I agreed to do the baby thing already and I don’t take back what I’ve promised.”
Parker shrugged. “That’s not why I’m being nice to you, Charisse.”
“Why?” she was always one to look a gift horse in the mouth, because niceness didn’t run in her family.
“Because you’re a human being and a decent person.” He went over to unlock a small door by the refrigerator.
This gave her time to think about his words. Publicly, Parker gave this very serious demeanor, yet he seemed different when he was alone. Or maybe he is still pretending to be nice because you’re not pregnant yet. This is all an act. Keep engaging him to talk. His true demeanor will be revealed.
After a few minutes, he returned with a giant Washington red apple. “I thought I remembered seeing it left on the shelf when I retrieved my coffee this morning.”
“It’s so big. I won’t be able to eat it all.”
“I could share it with you, if you don’t mind.”
She asked sarcastically, “Are you trying to kill me with kindness?”
He shot back, “It’ll probably be better than your sorry efforts.”
Parker couldn’t believe he had let that one go.
Her face went very serious and he swore he was going to kick Jaelen’s ass for rubbing off on him at a very wrong time.
Chapter 12
The remark had really caught her off guard and he looked as if he wanted to chop off his own tongue.
It had been a good retort and she had to fight to hide the proud smirk that Parker had a real sarcastic streak she could really bring out in him. She was pushing him to show his true nature on purpose. Soon she could safely say he was a dirty rotten cheating ass.
Charisse decided to pretend he hadn’t said that. Tilting her head to the side, she licked her lips and said, “Don’t you need a knife to cut the apple?”
He went over to the drawer to retrieve the knife using that short moment to gathe
r himself and bit his tongue. After cutting the apple in half, he washed the knife and replaced it.
“Has it been difficult adjusting your life around your insane sister-in-law being here?” she asked after he placed her piece on a paper plate in front of her.
“A little but Chyna said it was important to her.” He relaxed, glad she had forgiven him for his sarcastic remark. Chyna had always told him that it would eventually get him in trouble. Parker had been trying hard to hide this horrible side and he wanted to kick himself for his insensitivity toward Charisse.
“And you do whatever she wants?” Her tone was filled with sarcasm, but he took the question serious.
“I do whatever my wife would like if it makes her happy. The house needed updating anyway and having you around certainly breaks the boredom.”
“Boredom. I would have figured Chyna’s hysterical moods and all the clacking she does around here would be entertaining enough.”
He chuckled. “And how long has she been having hysterical tantrums?”
“Since forever. Cheyenne would often get her way through being the oldest. I guess I got attention from being the baby so that left Chyna in the middle and you know Chyna loves attention. So the hysterical tantrums began from them when she felt she couldn’t get the attention she wanted, but only from my father. My mother didn’t care much about attention to anyone unless it was negative. But in the end, I guess Chyna was the special one, since she got you. She got everything she wanted.”
His eyes narrowed a little. “You think it’s wrong giving my wife whatever she wants.”
“Who does that?” she asked in disbelief.
“A man who wants to share his world with the woman he promised to marry. Any man giving less is half a man,” he said proudly.
His powerful words shook her a little. “What rock did Chyna find you under?”
His serious demeanor dropped and he even chuckled. “No rock. Actually it was a party her sister was supposed to attend.”
His Substitute Wife... My Sister Book One Page 10
