by Shae Black
“Hello.”
“So where are we going first?!” Lana’s excitement is contagious.
“Hey Lana, what’s up?”
“I just hung up with Chloe and Trina, plan on being ready at ten, but I need to know where we’re gonna meet.”
“ I dun no…Club Rain?”
“Oooooo, yes, yes good idea, Rain perfect we haven’t been there in ages! I’ll let the girls know; dress up woman, were going to partaaayy tonight!”
“Oh Lana, you’re gonna stroke out if you don’t calm yourself.”
“Naaa, you’re just not into it yet. Get dressed up, do your hair and get ready to shake that sexy ass of yours!!”
“Ok, ok.. keep your panties on, I’ll see ya later.”
“Ok, ciao Bella!”
“Bye Lana.”
She’s so dramatic, if I hadn’t known Lana all my life I’d swear she was on something illegal; no normal person has that much energy! After six hours of restless sleep I’m awake and scrounging in the kitchen for something to eat, no sense in tempting fate by drinking on an empty stomach, nothing good ever comes of that. Sighing, I drag myself to the bathroom for a shower. When I’m dry I spend what feels like forever straightening it with a flat iron. Being mixed my hair is naturally curly but I frequently iron it smooth. I dig out my makeup bag, something I rarely need. I don’t care to have stuff caked on my skin but for a night with the girls I’ll suffer. It’s better than the alternative, which is a lecture from Lana about how to attract a man; she’d die if she knew I’ve already got my eye on one.
Satisfied with smoky eyes and glossy lips, I head to the closet to find something fitting for Club Rain. When these girls say ‘dress up’, you better take them seriously. I end up choosing a black mini with a sleeveless silver-sequined top. The top has a sexy cut out in the back that shows a little skin but not too much. Last are my black stiletto boots, I love shoes and I’m known for my ultra-high heel fetish. I’m gonna freeze outside in this outfit but the bar will be hot and packed so I grab a black cashmere sweater to cover my arms, my legs are just going to have to endure the cold. With a small clutch instead of my suitcase-sized purse I decide I’m ready. Once out the door, I immediately regret the mini, shit it’s bitter cold and the wind shoots straight up my legs! I hurry to my car, hop inside shivering and blast the heat. Finally after a few minutes my muscles begin to relax as I welcome the warmth blowing on my feet, oh the things I do for these girls!
Parking sucks, but after driving around the block a couple times I luck out and find a place not too far from the door. With my arms wrapped tight around my body I hustle inside. I spot the girls at a table across the dance floor and start toward them. Thank God they know me well and came early so I could have a seat or I would be going bare foot after a few drinks in these heels.
“Heyyyyy girl!” Lana shouts.
“My gosh Lana, keep it down,” I murmur mostly to myself and as always my request is promptly denied.
“You’re looking HOT mama!”
“Thanks Lana, Hi Clair, Trina, can’t you two keep her under control?”
Two sets of eyes roll severely at me, yea I know that feeling.
“Hey Imani, what do you want to drink?” Clair asks, and I consider for a moment just how intoxicated I’m willing to get tonight before deciding a martini is safe.
“How many have you guys had anyway?” I ask raising my eyebrows with the question mainly directed at Lana.
“She was here first, I have no idea how many she’s had,” Trina says defensively, holding her hands out in front of her and shaking her head back and forth.
“We just got here, this is our first.”
“Oh good, I hate being behind, things are more fun when we keep the same pace,” I say.
“Agreed,” Trina and Clair say together and look at Lana.
“HEY, I’ve only had three or four drinks, and you all know I can drink you under the table any night,” Lana says, defensively.
“Yea, she’s got a point there.” I say as a pretty, petite waitress arrives to take our order and quickly moves on to the next table. This place is packed for a weeknight, poor waitress has her work cut out for her but she surprisingly returns in a couple minutes with our round of drinks.
“So Imani, any hot dates lately?” Lana has spent every waking moment of the last 10 years trying to get me onto the dating scene. “Uh yea Lana, sure, I’m getting married next month, did I forget to tell you?”
Did her eyes actually just light up for a second? Incredible! She’ll never learn.
“Such a waste Imani, you’re a catch girl, little Miss Hottie; independent, creative, you just need to get out there and find your prince charming.”
“I’ll get right on that Lana.” I’m starting to get irritated.
I throw back my drink in an attempt to loosen up and not let this crap bother me.
“Oh look at her go!” Lana screeches.
“Lana, keep it down or they’re gonna throw us out of here!” Trina hisses, embarrassed by Lana’s boisterousness. Trina is my quiet bookworm, she has a boyfriend and out of the four of us she’s the most challenging to drag out on girls’ night, which makes her the most intelligent in my opinion. She’d rather stay in with Jack, if I had a man that’s exactly where I’d be too.
Chloe is the member of our group I’ve not known as long as the others, we met a year or so ago and I’m still not sure what I think of her. There have been times when she makes references to a lifestyle I know nothing about, she doesn’t have a boyfriend per say, but spends time with a man regularly, refusing to claim him as anything serious. I think she might be into something dark but I don’t pry, I’m not really sure I want to know any more.
My phone begins vibrating in my clutch on the table but I’m with everyone that would be calling me at this time of night, unless it’s the hospital needing help.
I get out my phone and sure enough it’s the hospital, I press deny; I can’t work after a drink anyway so there is no sense answering. As soon as I deny the call it begins again, what the hell? Something is wrong, I punch the answer button and Sheila is yelling at me, “Imani! We need you to come down here, the patient in bed 8 is FREAKING OUT and he’s screaming for you!”
Oh my God…He’s AWAKE!
Chapter 7
I knew it would happen on my night off, damn it! And he’s yelling for me!
“Imani!! Can you hear me?”
“Yea, yea, what’s going on?” I hear a man yelling in the background… and he’s yelling my name… shit what’s going on?
“He just opened his eyes and starting trying to get out of bed, he’s been yelling for you for 20 min straight; he won’t shut up, security is here trying to keep him in bed, please can you come?!”
“Uh, yea of course; I’ll be right there, don’t let him hurt himself!”
“Oh thank God, I’m gonna hang up and tell him you’re coming maybe he’ll calm down,” She sounds relieved.
I’ve been moving since I answered the phone, the girls are yelling behind me…
“Hey!”
“Imani! Where are you going?”
“Gotta go, he’s awake,” I call over my shoulder; they don’t even know who I’m talking about but I don’t have time to explain right now. I have to get to him, he’s awake and he’s screaming for ME…me… he must have heard me, I wonder if he could feel me touching him too? I shake that thought from my mind as I run out the door of the bar. I’m trying so hard not to speed but I’m still over the limit by 10 mph; I’ve recently had a drink, and I’m a nurse! I really don’t need to be pulled over, that will just waste the precious time I need to reach Marcus. I pull into the parking garage at a dangerous speed, swing into a spot and jump out of the car, not bothering to lock it.
I’m running, running in these heels. Shit! I don’t want to fall and break my leg or I’ll end up in a bed next to him! Ok so that wouldn’t be so terrible… I fumble for my badge and flash it at the security guard by
the door as I fly by. The poor guy looks confused initially but then he recognizes me. He’s used to seeing me in scrubs not dressed in a barely there skirt and stilettos. I punch the up button a million times before it opens. Jumping in it starts moving and I start to hear him I’m still two floors away from the ICU. His voice is deep, loud and panicked. I can’t make out what he’s saying, but I feel his desperation and it pulls at my heart. When the doors open I stumble out and race to his room. At his door I stop abruptly, I’m shocked at the scene before me.
Sheila is standing at the foot of the bed with her arms extended motioning and begging Marcus to lie back down. She’s trying to reason with a madman, which is a funny sight because she’s about five foot 2 inches and 100 lb. He dwarfs her several times over. Four security guards are at his bedside attempting to restrain him unsuccessfully while he thrashes and screams. Adrenalin can make a person temporarily superhuman and that’s what he looks like at this moment, super human! Gown torn off, chiseled chest exposed, hair wild and sexy; yep, he’s super in my book any day.
The security guards turn briefly to see who is entering the room, each one with their own personalized look of shock, mouths gaping, wide eyes, one even dropped Marcus’s arm that he had been attempting to restrain. It takes me a second before I realize what they are gawking at, it’s my outfit, or lack thereof.
Not exactly appropriate hospital attire, I didn’t even grab my sweater at the bar. That’s a lot of skin exposed under the harsh hospital lights of the ICU. The staring only lasts a second before Marcus begins to struggle again and they turn their focus back to him. The guards grip him tighter after their moment of negligence and the atmosphere in the room is chaotic. I’m frozen in the doorway; I don’t think he’s actually seeing me. But then again he’s never actually seen me, I need to speak to him, that’s what he knows…my voice.
I succumb to the familiar magnetic draw; it’s always been there for me, I wonder if he feels it now too? He continues to struggle with the guards and as I cross the room. I speak to him. “Marcus hey it’s me… Imani. I’m here now, right here, do remember me? I’ve been talking to you, waiting for you to wake up,” I remind him in a calm voice, I feel like I’m talking to a cornered wild animal. He stops struggling immediately at the sound of my voice. Emotionless empty green eyes stare back at me, the security guards continue to restrain his arms and his one good leg; they steer clear of the casted leg, he would no doubt use it as a weapon if given the chance. He looks at me for what feels like an eternity… his eyes move slowly from my face down over every single inch of my body. He lingers at my breasts and bare legs for an uncomfortable, inappropriate amount of time. He makes me feel naked; much more exposed than this outfit did only 15 min ago. He’s not just looking at me he’s leering now… holy shit… this man has violently returned from a coma less than an hour ago and he’s stripping me down, undressing me with his eyes, what kind of man have I summoned? Elena said he was ‘difficult’ could this be what she meant? He continues to silently rake over my body with his eyes.
“Imani?” he whispers,.
“Yes, it’s me; your nurse says that you’ve been asking for me…” I say quietly.
“You are Imani… you said you were waiting for me…” his voice trails off and he sounds hurt, like a boy instead of this massive powerful man. It’s like he has turned into a completely different person, this has me considering brain damage.
I need to figure out what he wants right now and get him settled down. Beads of sweat cover his forehead, his muscles are wound tight and the sheet covering him is trembling with anger or fear. His eyes seem to change again so suddenly that it’s disconcerting; I’ve never seen such a severe swing in personality outside of my psych rotation in nursing school.
“You do not look like a nurse…” A smoldering sexy man looks at me now with a smirk on those perfect lips of his. With one side of his mouth pulled up and his eyes slightly narrowed and a barely-there wink I’m officially a goner. Zero to one hundred in a split second, he’s gone from vulnerable boy to sexy, sensual predator.
“I was out with my friends, I’m not working tonight,” I say.
“Out with who?” he asks accusingly as if he has some sort of claim on me. “Girlfriends.” I answer
It’s none of his damned business who I’m out with but I’ve been called here to diffuse the situation, so I appease him with reassurance that I’ve been with friends and not on a date.
“Oh…” he says confused. Now he’s coming around, relaxing he looks at the security guards as if he has just noticed them standing there.
“Guys, I think I’ve got it from here, you can let him go,” I say.
One of the guards looks at me sideways with doubt. “You sure Ma’am, this guy’s been going nuts for an hour.”
“Yes I’m sure, let him go,” I snap. It’s obvious he’s calmer now and that guard is kind of pissing me off; who is he calling ‘Ma’am’? I know he’s just trying to do his job but that irrational part of me that lays claim to this stranger wants to protect him, not me. All four of the men let go slowly with apprehension and take a step away from the bed.
I step in close to Marcus and switch places with Sheila.
Placing my hands gently on his shoulders, I ease him down onto the bed until his head is against the pillows. I feel his eyes on me but I avoid eye contact.
“See, he’s fine, I’ll call if I need help, don’t worry I’ve got this.” I surrender my eyes to his I am hypnotized.
“You’ve got this…” he says, inaudible to anyone but me. “You said that to me didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. And I’m here now ok?”
Everyone slowly files out the door and into the hall. Sheila the nurse who called me is standing outside the door, eyes wide with bewilderment. I move to close the door and shrug; I don’t know what’s going on any more than she does.
“Just give me a few minutes to talk to him.” She puts her hand on the door stopping me from closing it.
“Imani, are you two…. I mean do you know him…from before?”
“No, just as his nurse, but he won’t hurt me.” I feel it somehow and I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.
“He’s dangerous Imani, you can’t be in there alone with him!” she hisses.
I’ve decided to go with my instincts; he may have brain damage but I’m willing to risk it. I have no facts to back up my unexplainable, illogical, strong feeling of safety and actually that makes me kind of nuts too
“Ok, put on the emergency light if you need us,” Sheila says, voice full of doubt.
“I will, I promise,” I softly close the door and turn to Marcus, who is now lying back in bed quietly staring at the ceiling. I approach carefully and take his hand in mine; he slowly turns his head toward me. “Where is Megan?” he asks.
“I don’t know who Megan is Marcus; is she someone I should call for you?” I ask. I can see the effort he’s making to sort out the details of his accident.
“She was with me in the car… I saw her hair floating around her face, she was so still, and so quiet we were under water.” Shit, he must be talking about the person in the accident who was DOA; I hadn’t thought to look up who was with him.
“Marcus, can I get you anything, are you thirsty?” I attempt to steer the conversation away from his dead friend, or girlfriend, whoever she was. He doesn’t need to deal with that right now, especially with the signs of shock he still showing. He rolls his head back and returns to staring at the ceiling.
“Yes,” he says. Good, thank God, baby steps, we need to start with baby steps. Out in the hall I glance back at him twice to make sure he’s not going to freak out when I leave the room. My co workers are staring a hole in my back as I fill a pitcher of water. I feel ridiculous in my club clothes. When I make my way back to Marcus’s room, all of the nurses pause and stare curiously as I walk by. Just keep your eyes forward Imani; I feel like I’m the spotlight featured float in The Macy’s Day par
ade. I huff a sigh of relief when I slip back into his room and close the door
“Pouring him a glass of water I peek from the corner of my eye and find him examining me. Here, take a drink.” I offer him the cup and watch him pull a long drink from the cup eyes locked on mine.
“I heard you talking to me,” he says.
“What do you remember?”
“You said you would take care of me… it pissed me off,” his voice is unexpectedly cold
“You were angry about that? Why?”
“I take care of myself, I always have; I don’t need anyone, for anything.” he spits back.
“Well you look like you need help now,” I snap, without thinking. I step back half a step and scowl at him.
“Mmm, a smart mouth, I didn’t see that coming, Nurse Imani.”
Oh so he’s going to be snarky now is he?
“Well you seem to be pretty ungrateful Mr. Castillo, I’ve just left a night out with my friends to come here because of your freak out episode.”
Shit, I need to knock it off, why is he making me react this way, I have better interpersonal skills than this, I need to pull myself together. Marcus looks smug, as if he has accomplished exactly what he set out to do, irritate, alienate and push me away.
“Look, obviously you were confused and you just remembered the name of the last person to speak to you when you woke up, I’m sure your irritable; let’s get you comfortable and I’ll be on my way,” I’m trying to show some compassion but he’s not making it easy.
His hand darts out tenaciously grabbing my wrist; every single muscle in my body seizes up. I lick my lips nervously and hold my breath waiting for what ever is coming next. My mind is instantly thrown back ten years when three men held me against my will in a dirty house that smelled of urine and mold. A layer of perspiration instantly breaks out on my body and I’v probably gone white with fear from the look on Marcus’s face. He eases his grip on me, but he doesn’t let go.
“Don’t go… stay with me Imani,” he says in his deep, quiet voice.
