I
told the nurse at the station who I was there to see and she pointed
me toward the waiting room. A few minutes later, she came in with a
cup of coffee.
"Just
made it fresh. I hope you take cream and sugar."
"Yes,
thank you."
"Grace
has talked about you non-stop for days," she said, taking a seat
across from me. "My name is Tammy."
"Hi,
Tammy. I'm Blake. So, anything good?" I took a sip of the coffee
and complimented her. It was just right.
"All
good. Though I take it it hasn't progressed."
"I
just met the woman." Why does everyone expect me to be a
womanizing man-whore? "Great kisser," I complimented Grace.
Or, for all Tammy knew, I could have been talking about myself. "I
have no intention of hurting your friend," I told her without
being asked. "I like Grace, she's pretty fantastic."
"But
you aren't from here."
"No,
but I can be. I can do my job from anywhere. I know she didn't put
you up to this."
Grace
is too direct for that. If she wanted to know, she'd ask me. Or, I'd
tell her without her asking. I have no secrets from her. That wasn't
for Tammy to know. I'm not involved with her.
"But
would you?"
"I
don't see how it's your business. No offense, but I don't know you
well enough to share that information."
She
nodded, amazingly understanding and accepting that. "She and I
have looked out for each other for awhile. She's my person."
I've
seen Grey's Anatomy. I
know that phrase. "I understand. It's good to have someone to
look after, who looks after you. I get it." I have Dray as my
person. Best friends and business partners for close to twenty years.
"Yes,
it is."
We
sat in awkward silence. She fiddled with her fingers in her lap. I
sipped my coffee.
"May
I be brutally honest?" I asked.
"Sure."
"I
like Grace—a hell of a lot. Would I like things to progress? Well,
duh! Will I push to get that result? No. Sex is no fun unless both
people are totally into it, don't you find?"
Tammy
blushed, nodding quickly.
"So
don't worry about your friend. If she wants me, I'm here. If she
decides she doesn't, I'll find a dark corner and play with myself."
Tammy
burst out laughing. "That's one solution."
"Not
my favorite, but it does the job." And it had been the extent of
my sex life for the last few months. I didn't share that with Tammy.
She
excused herself and went back to the desk. A few minutes later, Grace
arrived, breathless, damp haired and smiling.
"Sorry
it took so long. I had to drain an abscess and you don't want to know
a thing about it."
"No,
I surely don't." I pulled her close, kissing her deeply, letting
her know how glad I was to see her. "Feels like I was gone a
lifetime. A lot happened in a few days."
We
walked to the elevator arm in arm and headed to my car. With her
giving me directions, we went to Canal Street for lunch. There's a
nice sandwich shop on a corner and we had a great meal. I told her
about the crazy women in Key West.
"Must
be something in the water," she said. "Or it's just the
fact that you're hot as seven kinds of hell."
"Could
be that, I reckon. Only one woman I want in my bed," I said very
softly. "And I'm lookin' at her."
©
2018 Dellani Oakes
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