“Shit!”
My coffee cup practically explodes in my hand and I’m now wearing coffee all down the front of my white dress shirt.
“Fuck. My. Life. Really?”
So now I’m running late to the office, wearing my morning coffee and severely under caffeinated. I walk into the office and notice my partner isn’t in yet, which is unusual. I stop at his secretary’s desk and she shrugs. She hadn’t heard from him. I go to my office and look to see if I left another shirt in there, and of course I didn’t.
I check my messages and set up my plan for the day. I’m just diving in when my cell phone goes off. I look at the number and it’s my mom. I answer quickly.
“Hi, mom. What’s going on? I just left there.”
My mom chuckles and says, “Well you know how it is. Your son wants to be sure you’ve made it to work.”
I laugh. Yes, as per usual, my four-year-old dictates my world. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not spoiled, and he doesn’t really dictate my life, but he is my world.
“Put him on.”
I wait as I hear him in the background and the fumbling of the phone until he says,
“Dad! Grammy and I are going to go to a movie today. She says I can have popcorn and everything.”
I laugh as he’s always excited and he can’t wait to share every detail of his life with me. Although I already know this I answer him back.
“Ok, Jayden. It sounds like you’re going to have fun today. But I’m at work, and you know the rules.”
He interrupts me before I can continue.
“When Daddy’s at work, Grammy is in charge and I can’t pester Daddy for no reason.”
I laugh. “Exactly. Now put Grammy back on and enjoy your day.”
When my mom gets back on the phone I smile as I say, “So who needed to know I made it to work, you or him?”
I imagine her smiling as she says, “You’ll always be my little boy.”
Then the phone clicks and I shake my head hanging up.
Again I try to dig into the work in front of me. I work deals on properties. I have clients that are looking for certain real estate and I try to make what they want happen. It’s a profitable job and it’s enjoyable. I enjoy the challenge of finding the exact property my clients want and need. I pride myself on not stopping until I find exactly what they want and then I wrangle the best deal. I should explain, I don’t find small properties. I find large properties, land and such for my clients to build or make a business out of.
I work hard. Obviously I have a son. I don’t have time for women or relationships. I’ve been there, done that and now I have a son. I’m a single dad. Never married and the mother of my child is an addict. I had her rights to our son terminated. Until she can prove herself a worthy mother she’s done. She nearly killed my son with her addiction and I will never forgive her for that. NEVER! She is lucky she’s still breathing. I am not a violent man, but don’t fuck with what is mine. That’s the best piece of advice I can offer anyone.
My work and my son are my priorities. Of course my mother too. My dad passed away two years ago and I’m sad that my son will never really remember him. He was too young when he died. My dad had a massive heart attack and died in his sleep.
Thankfully it was peaceful, but it was still hard on my mom. Having Jayden helped her through her grief. She loves my son and she is my rock. I’m grateful I don’t need to find child care for Jayden and I’m always glad that if I can’t be there for him every second of every day that the other person helping me is my mom.
Do I date? No! I don’t have time for it. I grab a quick fuck here and there, but serious? Hell no! No time, no desire and no one I’ve found of interest. I still have basic needs, and I fulfill them with whomever is interested in the same thing. Please, I’m not a dick or a man whore. The women I sleep with know the score. I’m upfront and honest. I don’t lead them on because I just can’t take the drama.
No one ever meets my son and I don’t sleep with anyone in my home. I don’t want them coming here after we’re done. Nothing touches my son. Do I hate raising him alone? Yes. But I will not be with someone just so Jayden has a mother. I want what is best for him. That doesn’t include settling just so Jayden doesn’t have to know what it’s like growing up without a mother’s love.
My best friend and partner, Jax, used to be my wing man. But he went and fell in love. Wow, I guess it’s been over a year now. He has a son as well and he is a lucky bastard. Am I jealous, yes. His woman is perfect, for him. She cooks, she loves his mother and actually was one of her care takers for a time. She worked at the nursing home where his mom resides. She still volunteers there, but she is now a full-time mom to Daniel. Lacie is a beautiful woman and motherhood only made her more beautiful. But she’s not my type, still I am a man and I notice her curves and her beauty.
I remember their wedding. It was simple and perfect. It was at their home in the backyard. Lacie was glowing. She was already pregnant with Daniel and they had the wedding quickly before she showed too much of a baby bump.
I stood beside Jax as his best man and Lacie’s friend, Abigail was her matron of honor. It was a beautiful day and the wedding was perfect, if you like weddings. Me, I like them to pick up women, however there weren’t many there. Lacie kept a low profile and only had a handful of friends.
When the wedding was over and everyone mingled I did meet an interesting woman, but before I could find out much of anything she was gone. She was quite interesting. She had beautiful blonde, brown hair and the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. She was curvy in all the right places, well for my liking anyway and she held herself in a way that said don’t fuck with me. Yea, that’s right, a strong woman attracts me. I approached her and asked if I could get her a drink.
She laughed in my face and said,
“Not in this lifetime slugger.”
I was struck speechless for a moment but recovered enough to ask, “Slugger?”
She laughed at me and said, “Strike one.”
Before I knew what happened she was gone.
I sit at my desk now, smiling to myself at the memory. I had a hard on after meeting her and I have one now thinking about her. Damn. I don’t know what it is but something drew me to her. I didn’t ask Lacie about her and I figured I’d meet her again somewhere, sometime if she was a friend of Lacie’s, after all Jax and I spend a lot of time together running his company, Diamond Corporation. As luck would have it, I did run into her again at Daniel’s christening. I didn’t have much of an opportunity to speak with her as I was the Godfather and I had obligations to maintain.
I saw her watching me and I could feel her eyes on me. Don’t ask. I don’t know how I was so in tune to her but I was. My body was betraying me. Call it a dry spell, but I wanted to bend her over right there in the church and drill myself into her so that she would just stop messing with my head. Wrong? Oh hell yea it was wrong on so many levels. Did it happen? No. She disappeared again. She hugged Jax, Lacie and kissed Daniel, she looked at me nodded and said,
“Slugger.”
Then she was gone, while I stood there with a stupid ass grin on my face.
That was the day I got her name. Lacie overheard her calling me slugger and laughed. I looked at her and questioned,
“What’s so funny?”
Lacie looked at the door to the church that my mystery woman just walked out of.
“Slugger?”
I shook my head, “I don’t get it either. I don’t even know her.”
Lacie handed Daniel over to Abigail, his Godmother then moved beside me lacing her arm into mine.
“So, this isn’t the first time she’s called you this?”
I shook my head no.
“I approached her at your wedding asking if I could get her a drink, her response was “not in this lifetime slugger.” When I questioned her all she said was “Strike one.” What does that mean?”
Lacie laughed whole heartedly and I had to wait until she composed herself to talk.
“That was Vanessa. She’s a nurse and a friend at the nursing home. She’s a bit of a hard ass and a big baseball fan. She talks in baseball. She must like you that she remembered you. Remember me asking you if you liked baseball? That was why.”
That got my attention.
“Likes me? I’d hate to see what happens when she doesn’t like you, or what she calls you. I remember that conversation about baseball, but Lacie, I’m not looking for a woman, not a serious one atleast.”
Lacie patted my arm and said, “She’s very guarded emotionally. She’s a friend Trevor, don’t hurt her. She’s not one of your harem, ok?”
Before I could say anything else she moved away greeting more people at the church for the christening.
After that I didn’t see her again. I should say, I didn’t physically see her, but I see her in my mind every night. I haven’t forgotten her and when I’m in my shower I find my hand and I slide one off thinking of her. Sick bastard? Fuck, no. Just lonely sometimes and did I mention, I’m in a dry spell. Time to be serious, I tried to turn my attention back to my work and my office phone rang. Direct call, it didn’t go through my secretary. The only two people that can do that are my mom and Jax. I picked up.
“Hello,”
I paused, “Fuck. I’m on my way.”
I forgot to pull on my suit coat as I jumped up from my chair and headed to my secretary’s desk. “I’m out the rest of the day and so is Jax. If anything arises urgent, call me and only me. No one bothers Jax today. No one! Got it!”
She nodded and I yelled over my shoulder, “Spread the word, let Lydia know.” I ran to the elevator and pressed the button over and over again until it finally opened as I stepped in repeating the process, pressing the lobby button until the door closed.
I jumped into my BMW, don’t judge. I make good money and I like the car. I hauled ass to the nursing home. The call. Well it was Jax. His mom, Gail, is not going to make it. She’s been in the home for a little while. She seemed to be doing well and recently had been taking a steady turn for the worse.
My phone rang and I answered it, “Hello,”
It was Jax’s secretary, Lydia.
“It’s Gail isn’t it.”
I cursed under my breath, “Yes.”
I heard Lydia start to cry as she said, “I got this. Please give the family my love.”
With that she hung up and I continued on my way. Shit, Jayden. I called my mom. She was friends with Gail and her husband before he passed. This would be hard for her, but Jayden would keep her busy.
I told her what was going on and she cried. I promised her I would send her love to Jax and that I most likely wouldn’t be home until late. I asked her if she could keep Jayden over night? With that handled, I drove the 45minutes to the nursing home, hopefully before anything happened.
Jax’s company was his dad’s. He inherited it when his dad died and Gail, well she was like a second mom to me. When I started at the company I didn’t know squat. I was pretty much an errand boy.
Jax and I became friends and Jax’s dad took a liking to me helping me learn. I spent time with Jax and his family. We were close. Gail, she is the best. When I went through everything with Jayden’s mom, Gail had told me prior to her getting pregnant to move on. The girl was trouble and wasn’t worth my time.
Did I listen, obviously not. I should have though. I owe a lot to Jax’s family. They helped me gain a career, a way to support my son and they gave me a family I didn’t need, but loved just the same. My mom would go and visit Gail when she was still at home and even when she went into the nursing home. She loved the woman as well. They bonded over not having their husbands.
Jax, or Jackson which is his proper name, will be devastated by this. His mom means the world to him and now with the baby. This is going to rock him. At least he has Lacie and me.
Lacie. Jax’s wife. Jax doesn’t need me, he has her. No, Jax still needs me, he’s like a brother to me, and Kerrigan, his sister. This was going to rock their world. I continued on and when I arrived at Sunny Spot, I parked and ran into the building. I knew where her room was, as I visited on occasion. I got to the room and stood in the doorway. Kerrigan saw me first and ran to me. She hugged me and said,
“Trev, it’s not fair.”
I held her while she cried and Jax came to me. He reached out a hand and I took one arm from around Kerrigan and shook his hand. He nodded at me saying,
“Thank you.”
I knew he meant thank you for coming, thank you for being here and thank you for just being his friend. We knew each other. Words were not necessary.
Eventually Kerrigan moved away from me and to her husbands’ side. I moved behind Jax and placed a hand on his shoulder. Lacie turned and hugged me then noticed my shirt.
“What happened to your shirt?”
Of course she would notice.
“Exploding coffee cup.”
I grinned at her and she moved aside letting me move to see Gail. Jax backed up as well and I moved beside her bed taking her hand. I’m not a spiritual man, but I pray. I held her hand and I prayed to myself, “Lord in heaven, please comfort Gail on her journey to you. She is the best, obviously you know that or you wouldn’t be calling her home. Please be with her family and comfort them in their time of loss and God, please don’t let her suffer.”
I bent down and kissed her cheek. Out loud this time I said, “I love you Gail. Thanks for being my family too.”
I heard Kerrigan choke on a sob and I felt Jax’s hand on my back. I stood up looking down at her. I needed to move away. I mumbled about going to see if I could get a shirt and that I’d be back. I just needed a minute to myself.
I stepped out into the hall trying to compose myself. I walked down the hallway to the water fountain. When I stood up I saw her walk from a room to the nurse’s station. I felt my body just take over and before I knew it I was in front of her at the nurse’s desk.
She looked up and saw my face first, then looked down to my shirt.
“What the hell happened to you, Slugger?”
I almost couldn’t answer, it had been a while since I saw her last and she was more beautiful than I remembered. I came to my senses and said, “Exploding coffee cup.”
She shook her head,
“Damn I hate when that happens. Wait here, let me grab a scrub top for you.”
She went behind a door and in a few minutes came back with a scrub top. I took it from her and said, “Thanks.”
I started unbuttoning my shirt and getting ready to swap shirts, when I noticed her rapt attention.
“Any idea where I can get some coffee? As you can see, I pretty much didn’t have any today.”
I watched her as she watched me. I wasn’t ashamed of my body and I didn’t mind her seeing me and enjoying the view. My ink that is always hidden under my work clothes, showing itself to her. Yes, I have ink, lots of it too. There is enough there to keep anyone’s attention. Again, not ashamed of my body because I work hard at it. Conceited? Maybe, but I really was enjoying her attention.
Vanessa seemed to have caught herself and broke her stare.
“Hurry up and get the shirt on slugger and I’ll take you to get some coffee. I’m sure the family could use some as well.”
I took my shirt off replacing the coffee stained shirt with the scrub top and then she came from behind the desk. We walked side by side down the hall. She was quiet and seemed lost in her head. I had to break the silence, I wanted to talk to her to know her. Wait? Know her? I don’t get to know anyone. But still I spoke.
“So you’re a friend of Lacie’s?”
Vanessa looked at me and rolled her eyes.
“You’re a smart one there aren’t you Slugger? Yes, I’m a friend of Lacie’s. I worked with her. This sucks for her and Jackson.”
I nodded, not knowing what to say at first. Then I noticed she wasn’t in scrubs.
“How come you’re not wearing scrubs?”
She looked down at herself for a moment, “Shit. I forgot to change. I was actually off. They called me to tell me about Gail and I just came in. I wasn’t planning on working but someone called off so I told them I’d fill in.”
We walked in silence a little while longer then she said, “Nice ink by the way.”
I grinned and followed her lead to the cafeteria where we got enough coffee for the whole clan and even an extra for me since I didn’t have a drop today. Walking back to the room I asked her, “Do you have any ink?”
She shook her head no.
“I’ll tell you a secret, I’m terrified of needles that I don’t control.”
I barked out a laugh before I could stop myself.
“Oh, go ahead and laugh, funny man. I’m not afraid of much, but needles, yes.”
I smiled at her and said, “I can imagine that makes you a terrible patient.”
She nodded, “Damn right. But I’m one hell of a nurse. I’m quick and fast with the needles and I rarely have a fainter because I’m that good.”
I smiled at her and said, “Toot your own horn much?”
She shrugged, “I know I’m good at what I do, no need to toot as you say. Just stating a fact. I am who I am, I make no apologies for how I am.”
We reached the door to Gail’s room and went in. I let Vanessa move ahead of me and took a look at her as she moved to the table in the room where she was putting down her carrier of coffees. I liked what I saw of her. She was a beautiful woman. I followed her and put my carrier down. I picked up two coffees and moved to the side with them, placing one on a table while drinking the other one.
I watched Vanessa move to the bed and talk to the family. She hugged Lacie and put her hand on Jax’s shoulder. When they all stepped aside she moved next to Gail and bent to check her pulse and rub her hand on her arm. She listened to her heart and lungs and then bent down to kiss her cheek. When she stood I saw the tears in her eyes briefly, then they were gone almost as if I’d imagined them, but they were there.
Vanessa stopped to talk to Lacie and she hugged Kerrigan then she stopped in front of me.
“If they need anything, don’t hesitate to come find me or press Gail’s call button. I’ll be here.”
She started to walk away and before she disappeared I followed her out into the hall.
“Hey.”
She turned around to look at me.
“What if I need something?”
She looked at me as though she was going to hit me at first then said, “I gave you a clean shirt and took you to get coffee. There isn’t much else I can do for you, slugger. That’s a walk, be happy with that and don’t try to steal a base.”
She winked then just walked away. I smiled after her turning wondering what the hell I needed to do to steal a base and if she’d like me to try. I headed back to the family that was hurting to see if there was anything I could do.