Chayse Carmichael dipped a spoon in the industrial sized pot simmering on one of the three large stoves in the Chayse’s Place kitchen to taste the contents.
“Nikko, you forgot the whiskey,” she said to the sous chef in training standing beside her.
“Whiskey, Chef? In collard greens? I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Nikko said in disgust.
The usually loud, boisterous kitchen went silent and all eyes turned toward Chayse, everyone waiting for the sparks to fly. Chayse sighed, handed the spoon she had used to a bus boy standing nearby, and turned slowly toward the young man looking arrogantly down his nose at her. She’d worked too long and too hard to get where she was today to have some twenty-year-old snot-nosed wannabe bratty son of a celebrity chef tell her how to run her own kitchen. Chayse took Nikko under her wing three weeks ago as a favor to his father, a well-known Italian cuisine chef she had studied under when she was first starting out. He had called her to ask if she would mentor his son, and she couldn’t possibly say no to one of her own mentors.
When he told her Nikko could be a bit of a handful she hadn’t thought anything of it until his second day in her kitchen when he took it upon himself to make a change to her fried okra recipe by eliminating the corn meal, using just flour, and exchanging buttermilk for regular milk because he thought both made it too heavy. She hadn’t found out until a few of her regulars that night asked her why she changed the recipe. She had calmly explained to Nikko that although he was welcome to make suggestions he was not allowed to make changes without speaking with her first.
He had ignored her and attempted to make other changes the following week, but her other two chefs had circumvented the dishes before they made it out onto the floor. From that point on he was not allowed to prepare any of the dishes going out; he was simply there to learn how to prepare them from her and her other chefs. He had spent this last week criticizing under his breath how she ran her kitchen and, frankly, she was tired of it.
“Get out of my kitchen,” she said calmly, trying to keep her temper in check.
“Excuse me?” Nikko said in confusion.
“I said get out of my kitchen,” she repeated.
“You cannot just kick me out like I’m some common fry cook,” Nikko said indignantly.
“Man, you are really testing my patience,” Chayse said. “That’s my name on the restaurant, my money that pays the bills, and my food that everyone is eating so I can do anything I damn well please. Now, get the hell out of my kitchen…my restaurant…before they have to take you out of here on a stretcher.”
Nikko opened his mouth to speak, then, with an indignant huff, he gathered his personal chef knives and headed for the door.
“I will be informing my father of this,” he said.
Chayse waved him away dismissively. “Give him my regards.”
After Nikko stomped his way out of the kitchen, she turned back to her staff. “Show is over, ladies and gents, get back to work. Doors open in thirty minutes.”
As Chayse went about her routine of preparing the restaurant for the Sunday brunch crowd, she thought back to all those years ago standing on a chair in her grandmother’s kitchen helping her prepare Sunday dinner for the family. That was where she fell in love with cooking at the tender age of five, and by the time she was twelve she could prepare a three-course meal by herself. Her parents encouraged her talent and beamed with pride when she graduated from culinary school and then decided to continue her studies in Europe.
As a going away gift, her grandmother had collected all of the family recipes and given them to Chayse’s sister who had them printed into a spiral bound cookbook for her. That cookbook became Chayse’s bible. It went wherever she did, and when she decided to open her own restaurant she knew the menu would be based on the recipes from that book. She had even thought to name it Bea’s Place, but her grandmother had put a stop to that real quick, saying she would feel foolish walking around with her name on a restaurant. So Chayse did the next best thing and put her own name on it.
Unfortunately, opening her own place wasn’t as easy as she thought. Debt from her student loans kept her from getting a business loan, and investors didn’t want to back an unknown in a soul food restaurant when there were already so many in New York. Her grandmother gave her the idea to get into catering, so she started catering small parties and events for her network of friends. Her business grew through word of mouth and referrals, but it wasn’t until she and hip-hop artist Ebony “The Beast” Trent met and became friends that her dream for opening her own restaurant came to be.
Ebony was looking for an investment, and after seeing how well Chayse’s catering business was doing she thought Chayse would be the perfect investment opportunity. With Ebony’s backing, Chayse threw herself into making the restaurant a success. Sacrificing her personal life, and sometimes her sanity, to prove that it wasn’t just another soul food spot. Ebony’s contacts in the entertainment industry didn’t hurt either. As soon as celebrities were spotted eating at Chayse’s Place, business boomed, especially when regular folks realized that they could eat at the same place as their favorite entertainer without spending an arm and a leg to do so. There were two major stipulations Ebony made to Chayse—keep the food good and the prices reasonable, both of which Chayse had no issue with doing. That was six years ago, and Chayse had lines out the door most weekends and people making reservations months in advance just to ensure they got a seat.
One weekly reservation that caught Chayse’s eye had been walking through the door like clockwork every Sunday for the past month. Serena, a stunning, thick sista with curves in all the right places, rich, golden brown complexion, a mane of thick, reddish brown natural curls that haloed her face and cascaded to just past her shoulders, hypnotic hazel eyes surrounded by long, thick lashes, and a softly upturned nose above full, sensual lips. Chayse always made it a point to be out in the dining area whenever Serena arrived. Taking the time to admire Serena’s slow, easy grace as she walked across the room.
Other than smiles of greeting and quick, passing glances, Serena and Chayse had only spoken twice. The first was when Serena had asked the waiter if there was any way she could have one of Chayse’s sweet potato pies shipped to her grandmother in Georgia. Chayse had come out to personally make sure the pie was shipped by the end of the week. She had made the pie herself the very next day instead of using one of the pre-made and frozen pies her pastry chef prepared, and then shipped it herself. The second time was last Sunday when she came in to thank Chayse and to give her a message from her grandmother. The joy on Serena’s face when she talked about her grandmother reminded Chayse of how she felt about her own grandmother. It was one more of the growing number of reasons Chayse felt herself drawn to Serena.
Other than her name, the fact that Serena moved to New York from Georgia just six months ago for a job opportunity, and that she adored her grandmother, Chayse knew nothing else about the woman she had developed a serious attraction to. Today, Chayse planned to change that by stopping by Serena’s table to ask about her grandmother in the hope of drawing her into a conversation about herself. The goal was to find out if, one, she was gay, and two, if she would go out with her. If the first answer was a no, then Chayse would walk away with her tail between her legs and go back to her other life partner, her cat, Lucky, and resign herself to being a bachelorette for the rest of her life.
When Serena was a no-show for that Sunday, Chayse was actually a little relieved. It turned out her dedication to her career left her more confident in the kitchen than with charming the ladies. Maybe Serena’s new life in New York had finally brought her other interests to occupy her Sundays, she thought to herself as she locked up that night and made her way up to her loft apartment above the restaurant.
“Guess it’s just you and me, huh, Lucky,” she said to the black cat that met her at the door.
Lucky meowed in response as she wove herself through Chayse’s legs. Chayse dropped her backpack by the door, bent down to pick up the cat, and headed into the kitchen. The loft took up the entire top floor above the restaurant and was laid out in an open floor plan with sliding doors that separated the master bedroom and bath from the main living space. Her kitchen area took a large portion of the farthest side of the space and was a home chef’s dream kitchen. Chayse entertained family, friends, and business associates often, and a good kitchen was at the top of her list when she discussed the layout of the space with the architect.
She set Lucky on one of the stools along the kitchen island, turned on the TV, and prepared her four-legged roommate’s dinner of leftover broiled tuna. Just as she was about to set Lucky’s bowl down, a news story caught her attention. The reporter was saying that police were still looking for the identity of a woman who had been attacked while jogging in Riverside Park a few days ago. She was found unconscious with no identification and still remained in a coma at Harlem Hospital Center. When they showed the victim’s picture asking if anyone could help identify her, Chayse’s legs felt like they would collapse from under her and she had to grab the counter for support. It was Serena.
* * *
When Serena Frazier arrived in New York six months ago, it wasn’t as a naïve, wide-eyed, fresh-faced dreamer entranced by the big lights of New York City. At thirty-four years old, she came focused, armed, and prepared to make a name for herself. At fourteen, she had started her own side hustle designing flyers, posters, websites, and even CD covers for small local clubs, businesses, concert promoters, and independent artists in and around her home of Savannah, Georgia, to help her parents save money for college. She graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design from Georgia Southern University and had spent the past twelve years clawing her way to a senior designer level at companies that couldn’t see past her being a Black woman.
When an industry networking event put her in contact with Dennis Sanders, the CEO of a Black-owned graphic design start-up in New York, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to discuss her experience and ask for advice. They met for lunch the following day at the airport before his flight back to New York, and two weeks later, he had called to offer her a creative director position at his firm.
Serena was thrilled. Her girlfriend of almost two years, Mel, wasn’t. She couldn’t believe Serena was seriously considering leaving just as they were starting to look at apartments together. As much as she cared about Mel, Serena knew that to pass up the opportunity to not only further her career but to work for Dennis Sanders, a designer whose work she had always admired, would be crazy. Mel didn’t understand why Serena had to go all the way to New York when Raleigh, North Carolina, the Silicon Valley of the South, was practically next door. Serena felt that if Mel couldn’t understand what such a step in her career would mean to her, then she really didn’t know her at all. They argued for days until Serena finally broke it off with Mel. Within a day of that, Serena gave her notice at her job, called her cousin Alex who lived in Harlem to make arrangements to stay with her until she could find her own place, and within a month, said a tear-filled good-bye to her parents, brothers, and beloved grandmother and headed to New York.
Serena’s first couple of months were a whirlwind with getting to know her role and her team as well as her new home city. Her cousin Alex traveled a lot for her job so Serena was left to fend for herself quite often. She had only visited New York a few times since her cousin moved up several years ago, and she always loved the loud, frenetic personality of the city. It fed her creativity, but visiting and living in it were two different things. When a bout of homesickness hit her, she questioned her decision.
To cheer her up, Alex took her to brunch at Chayse’s Place one Sunday, which had the opposite effect she wanted. The food was so good it made her even more homesick for Sunday dinners at her grandmother’s house. When Serena called her grandmother that night and told her she had made a mistake and was considering coming back home, her grandmother surprised her by telling her that would be the mistake. She reminded Serena how miserable she was working for people who didn’t see her potential and appreciate her talent. It made no sense to work as long and as hard as she had to get where she was only to take a huge step backward because she missed her family.
“Child, we’ll always be here. We aren’t going anywhere anytime soon so wipe away that sadness and get back to doing you!” Serena’s grandmother had told her.
Serena adored her grandmother’s no-nonsense attitude. It was one of the main reasons she had called her instead of her mother because she knew her mother would agree that maybe she should come home. She had not been happy about Serena moving to New York in the first place, but her grandmother, father, and brothers had agreed it would be good for her to step out on her own. Because her mother seemed to be outnumbered, she gave up trying to convince Serena to stay in Georgia.
Taking her grandmother’s advice to heart, Serena wiped away her sadness and found other activities that would focus on her other passions to occupy her time. She signed up for a community art class and joined a running club. She also decided to go back to Chayse’s Place for Sunday brunch, but it would be at the same time her family usually had Sunday dinner so that she could at least get some down home food even if she couldn’t be down home to have it.
That was when she got her first look at the restaurant’s proprietor, Chayse Carmichael. Serena was usually attracted to feminine women, but there was something about Chayse’s androgynous appearance, neither specifically feminine nor masculine, that drew her. She stood about five ten with a slim but muscular physique; loose, shoulder-length jet-black locs; smooth chocolate complexion; sleepy, light brown eyes; wide nose; and full lips that always seemed to be spread into a warm smile no matter who she spoke with. Serena had surreptitiously watched Chayse move through the restaurant, greeting guests and talking with staff here and there, and she secretly hoped Chayse would stop by her table as well. When their gazes caught for just a moment and Chayse’s smile broadened a bit, Serena felt her heart flutter.
It seemed as if Chayse was going to make her way over, but she was waylaid by one of the servers. Serena had quickly turned away and looked out the window she sat beside. When she turned back a moment later, to her disappointment, Chayse was gone.
It wasn’t until the following Sunday that Serena came up with a possible way to connect with Chayse and asked about sending one of Chayse’s sweet potato pies to her grandmother. She had hoped, but not really expected, that Chayse would personally come out to speak with her, so it was quite a surprise when she spotted Chayse walking toward her table. Serena quickly looked away and took a large gulp of her mimosa to steady her nerves.
“Ms. Frazier, I’m Chayse Carmichael,” she had said and offered her hand in greeting.
Serena had stood, accepting her handshake, trying her best to ignore the fluttering brought on by Chayse’s smooth, husky voice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chef Carmichael.”
Chayse’s grip had been strong but gentle. A feeling of warmth had spread from their clasped hands, up Serena’s arm, and throughout her body. It was the strangest sensation she’d ever felt, and it took her a moment to realize Chayse had been speaking to her. She had quickly released Chayse’s hand and managed to catch enough of what she said to pick up the conversation. They had discussed the pie, Serena’s recent move to New York, and her grandmother. The conversation was brief and ended too soon with Serena giving Chayse her grandmother’s address and phone number to send the pie.
With a good-bye and a disarming smile that made Serena’s heart stutter, Chayse was walking away before Serena realized she had blown her opportunity to get Chayse’s number in return. She’d sat down with a frustrated sigh. Serena was not a shy woman. She’d spent so many years hiding who she really was that when she came out she promised herself that she would no longer shy away from going after what she wanted. Since then, she’d never had a problem asking other women out, but there was something about Chayse that had her wanting to be pursued instead of doing the pursuing.
Serena knew from a recent New York Magazine article about Chayse and the restaurant that, in spite of having been spotted out with a WNBA player and a fashion model over the past year, there was no one special in her life right now. The restaurant was her life, and she just didn’t have the time or attention to pursue a serious relationship. Serena had to remind herself that her own life was still getting settled and that adding a romance to the mix, casual or otherwise, would just be a distraction. Even though she’d caught Chayse glancing her way on several occasions, Serena decided that, for once, she would wait for the other woman to approach her.
At least that was what she was telling herself during her early morning run. Running always helped to clear her mind, which was why she decided to go for one on Sunday, which was usually her rest day. She’d woken up from a very vivid dream about Chayse Carmichael that reminded her of her lack of physical companionship since she and Mel had split up. Going back to sleep proved difficult so in spite of it being just past dawn, she was out running through Riverside Park trying to get X-rated thoughts of a woman she barely knew out of her head.
A sudden twinge in her hamstring made her slow her pace. As she limped over to a bench to stretch the cramp out, she was grabbed from behind and pushed into a copse of bushes nearby, then thrown to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and before she could even gather her breath to cry out for help, she felt a weight on her legs and someone tugging down the waistband of her pants.
The self-defense training her police officer father had given her, kicked in. She lay still, letting her attacker think she was unconscious, and as he began to slide her pants down, she felt him shift enough to give her some leverage to turn just enough to elbow him in the jaw. Catching him off guard, she was able to scramble a few feet away and scream as loud as she could, praying there were other runners out just as early as she was. Unfortunately, her pants were bunched mid-thigh, and her attacker was able to catch her before she could make it back out to the jogging path.
He yanked her back and backhanded her across her face causing her head to whip back and slam against the ground. As Serena’s vision flickered in and out, there was a shout and the sounds of a scuffle nearby, then the concerned face of a woman appeared in her line of vision asking if she was all right. Before Serena could answer, everything went dark.
* * *
As soon as Chayse saw the news story about Serena she called the crime stopper number they had displayed on the screen and told them Serena’s name and gave them her grandmother’s contact information which she still had from sending the pie. She then called the hospital and gave them the same information just in case there was a delay in the police getting it to them.
When they asked who she was Chayse had told them she was an acquaintance then hung up. After all, she couldn’t very well tell them that Serena had been a customer she had wanted to ask out on a date. She had done the right thing by calling, and all she could do now was hope Serena recovered soon.
At least that’s what Chayse told herself, but the following day she found she just couldn’t get Serena off of her mind. She worried whether Serena’s family had been notified and had to stop herself from calling Serena’s grandmother just to make sure. Instead, she found herself standing outside Harlem Hospital Center holding a bouquet of roses but hesitant to actually go into the building.
“Sometimes that first step is always the hardest to take.”
Chayse had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t seen the woman who had just spoken sitting on a bench a few feet from her.
“Excuse me?” Chayse said as her gaze met the other woman’s. She had a short, completely white afro and wore large gold hoop earrings, a black velour hooded top with matching pants, and gold ballet flats.
The woman grinned. “You’ve been standing there for about five minutes so I thought you might need some encouragement to head on in.”
Chayse looked away in embarrassment. “That obvious, huh?”
“She must be pretty special,” the woman said as she stood and walked toward Chayse.
Chayse looked confused.
The woman gestured toward the flowers Chayse held. “Orange roses mean you’re fascinated by or desire someone.”
Chayse had chosen the flowers because the color reminded her of the top Serena had worn the last time she had come to the restaurant.
“If you want some private time to see my granddaughter, you’d better come along. Once her brothers get here no one will be getting within ten feet of that room without an interrogation,” the older woman said as she hooked her arm through Chayse’s and gently pulled her along.
“Wait, your granddaughter?” Chayse said in confusion as she allowed the woman to continue leading her toward the visitors’ desk.
She ignored Chayse and spoke to the woman sitting behind the desk. “May I get a visitor’s pass for Miss Carmichael here? She’s visiting Serena Frazier.”
“Mrs. Warren?” Chayse said in surprise.
“That’s me, and you can call me Selah,” Serena’s grandmother answered.
Chayse laughed. “How did you know who I was?”
“I googled you after tasting your pie. Serena talked up your cooking skills so much I had to check out my competition.”
“I’m glad you’re here because I wanted to thank you. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you calling the police and hospital to let them know who Serena was.”
Chayse paused midstride as they walked toward the elevators, once again surprised by what Selah knew. “How did you know that was me? Are you psychic?” Chayse asked in jest.
“Hardly. My husband, God rest his soul, was a police officer, and I picked up quite a bit from him on deductive reasoning. When the hospital called me instead of Serena’s parents I knew the only person here that had my contact information was you. Her cousin and roommate, Alex, is from her daddy’s side of the family so she would’ve called him if she’d known what happened. I take it you don’t know Alex.”
“No. I only know Serena from the restaurant. When I saw the news story about her being attacked and they couldn’t identify her, I assumed she was here without family,” Chayse explained.
“Alex travels a lot for work. She’s in Europe for a month so she didn’t know what happened until Serena’s daddy called her. We’re all very grateful to you,” Selah said.
“It’s the least I could’ve done,” Chayse said.
Selah patted Chayse’s arm affectionately, and they continued their journey to Serena’s floor in companionable silence. As they reached the room, Chayse hesitated outside the door.
“Has she woken up?” she asked.
“Not yet, but I have a feeling she will soon,” Selah said confidently. “Fortunately, the doctor says her CAT scan was clear so there’s no serious head trauma from the concussion she suffered.”
Chayse took a deep breath and slowly released it to relax herself, then pushed the door open. The room was softly lit by a light above Serena’s hospital bed. The only sounds were the soft hum and beep of the machines monitoring her vitals. Chayse slowly walked toward the bed, her heart hammering in her chest. She gazed down at Serena who looked beautifully peaceful in her slumber. As if she would wake up any moment with a stretch and a sleepy smile in greeting. Her thick hair lay in a reddish brown halo framing her face. She looked small and fragile lying tucked in and hooked up to an IV and monitor. When Chayse noticed a fading bruise along the left side of Serena’s face, she felt an overwhelming need to unhook her from everything, carry her out of the hospital, and bring her back to her place to keep her sheltered and protected from any further harm. The need hit her with such ferocity she had to take a step back to keep from actually doing it.
The door to the room opened, startling Chayse so much she dropped the bouquet of flowers she had forgotten she was holding.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was visiting right now,” said a nurse just as startled to see Chayse standing there. “I just need to change her IV bag. I’ll only be a moment.”
Chayse knelt to pick up the flowers and place them on the bedside table. “No problem.”
“She’s lying there so peacefully. Reminds me of Sleeping Beauty,” the nurse said.
“You seem to be missing a Prince Charming to awaken her with a kiss.”
“Who says it has to be a prince?” the nurse winked as she walked past Chayse and picked up the flowers. “I’ll put these in some water. Why don’t you have a seat and talk to her? Having loved ones talk to unconscious patients sometimes stimulates their brain and triggers awareness, which can lead to a quicker recovery.”
Chayse watched the nurse leave with the flowers and wondered if she also knew the meaning of orange roses like Serena’s grandmother. The fact that her grandmother didn’t seem to have an issue with another woman bringing her such flowers more than likely meant that Serena was gay, something Chayse hadn’t been sure of from the few occasions they spoke. She almost laughed out loud at the irony of finding out that piece of information now.
“I guess this wouldn’t be a good time to ask you out,” she said her. “That’ll look real good on a police report. ‘Lonely lesbian trolling hospitals for dates with unwitting coma patients,’” she said with a chuckle.
Chayse sat in a chair near the bed, gazing down at Serena’s peaceful visage with no idea what to say. She wasn’t a loved one so Serena might not even recognize her voice.
“So…um…I just wanted to come by and see how you were. Some of the staff at the restaurant wanted me to give you their best, and they wish you a quick recovery.” She hesitated before continuing. “I met your grandmother and she’s as feisty as you described her.” She smiled. “I think she and my grandmother would get along great. Maybe, once you’re out of the hospital and if your grandmother’s still in town, we can introduce them.”
Chayse watched Serena’s face intently, looking for any sign of awareness, then had to chuckle at herself. “I’m sitting here watching you like the sound of my voice is some miracle cure that will awaken you at any moment.”
She allowed herself one last gaze, then stood to leave. “Get well soon, Serena. There’s a sweet potato pie with your name on it waiting when you do.”
Chayse smoothed a wayward curl away from Serena’s left cheek then left the room.
* * *
Serena wandered through a fog so thick she could barely see her hand in front of her face. The last thing she remembered was doing her morning run through the Riverside Park then nothing until the sound of a husky voice and the touch of a soft stroke along her cheek had drawn her here…wherever here was. She stopped and listened for the sound of the voice again, but there was nothing but silence. A sudden weariness came over her, and the fog morphed into a darkness that drew her into its inky blackness where she fell back into the nothingness she had been in before the voice called out to her.
* * *
Chayse found herself back at the hospital the next day just as visiting hours began. She knew Serena’s family was in town, and she didn’t want to interfere with their time with her.
“Nice to see you back,” said the same nurse she spoke with the other day.
“Thanks. How’s she doing?” Chayse asked.
“The same. Her family’s been taking shifts sitting with her. Her grandmother said she would be covering the first shift and should be here in about an hour, so you have her all to yourself until then,” the nurse said.
Chayse realized the nurse might be under the misperception that she was Serena’s girlfriend, and although she could have easily corrected her, Chayse found she didn’t want to. She liked the idea of being Serena’s Prince Charming. She walked into the room to find cards hanging on the wall and balloons and flowers on almost every surface, including her roses that seemed to be missing a few stems but the ones that were left were still holding up nicely. She laid the new bouquet she had brought with her alongside the vase, then sat in the chair near the bed. She noticed someone had combed Serena’s wild hair, clasping it loosely at the nape of her neck with a hair clip.
“Judging from all the flowers, cards, and gifts, you’re a pretty popular lady, Serena, which doesn’t surprise me.” Chayse smiled. “I can’t seem to keep myself away. For the first time in a long time I didn’t rush down to the restaurant because all I could think about was coming here to see how you’re doing.”
Chayse’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand how I could barely know you, yet from the moment I saw you in the restaurant I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”
Chayse leaned forward and placed her forearms along the side rail of the bed and rested her chin on them. “That sounds so stalkerish.”
She sat silently watching Serena for a moment. “So I guess this would be the perfect opportunity for me to tell you something about myself without worrying whether or not I’m boring you since you’re already asleep,” she said.
Chayse talked about her childhood, the strong influence her grandmother had in her life, and her love of cooking, promising Serena that once she got out of the hospital she would be her personal chef for a night as a welcome home gift. Chayse paused for a moment, watching Serena’s face, wondering if she had really seen what she thought she saw, the faint twitch of Serena’s eyelids. It was simply a muscle spasm. She looked at her watch and quickly stood. She hadn’t realized how long she had been there. She didn’t want to interfere with Serena’s time with her family.
“Sleep well, beauty. I’ll be back to see you soon.” Chayse took one last look at Serena then left the room.
* * *
Serena awoke within the fog once again, feeling a comforting warmth surrounding her as the mysterious voice drifted in from the outer reaches of the dense fog. Although she could hear someone speaking, she couldn’t hear what exactly was being said, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the comfort she felt at the sound of it. The fog dissipated the longer the voice spoke, and Serena found that all she wanted to do was find the person it belonged to and curl up in the safety of their arms. There was no sense of time where she was, only the voice, and when she no longer heard it, the darkness came upon her once again. Before she allowed it to completely take her, she vowed the next time she heard the voice she would find it. She didn’t know how, but she knew that it would lead her out of the darkness and fog of confusion she seemed to be trapped in.
* * *
Chayse sat across the table from Ebony and Belinda in Ebony’s apartment hoping her friends could help her make sense of the intense pull she felt toward Serena.
“It’s like I can’t stay away. I’ve been at the hospital almost every morning this past week and when I’m not I feel like I need to be,” Chayse said in frustration.
“And you just sit there and talk to her?” Ebony asked.
“Yeah, her doctor says it’s good for her to hear familiar voices so I just talk about what’s going on at the restaurant, what’s happening in the news, and even read to her.”
“There’s been no response?” Belinda asked.
Chayse shrugged. “Sometimes I notice a twitch of her eyelids while I talk to her, but I figured that’s just muscle spasms. That was until yesterday when one of her nurses told me they’ve noticed more brain activity in her scans since I’ve been visiting. I think she’s just saying that to be nice because her family is there just as much as I am so it’s more than likely their doing.”
“Have they wondered about the mystery woman that keeps visiting?” Ebony asked.
Chayse chuckled. “I actually met them. Serena’s grandmother brought them to the restaurant. They wanted to thank me for notifying the police about her identity. Up until then her grandmother was the only one I had been speaking to because she usually arrived when I was leaving the hospital.”
“And she’s cool with it?” Ebony asked.
Chayse shrugged. “She actually encourages it.” Chayse went on to tell Ebony and Belinda about how she and Selah, who now insisted Chayse call her Nan, first met.
“Interesting. It seems to me that Grandma is trying to play matchmaker.”
Chayse laughed out loud. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not? You’re perfect grandma matchmaking material, a good-looking, successful, eligible woman who can cook her ass off. Any woman would be happy to have you,” Belinda said.
Ebony’s eyes narrowed on Belinda. “Any woman?”
Belinda leaned in toward Ebony. “You know you’re the only woman for me.” She placed a lingering kiss upon Ebony’s lips.
“Ugh, c’mon, guys, we just ate,” Chayse said in mock disgust.
“You’re just jealous.”
“I am.” Chayse sighed wistfully. “This last year I’ve found myself wanting something like you two have and, ironically, when I finally find the woman of my dreams, she’s in a coma.”
* * *
Serena lay in a field of wildflowers letting the sun’s warmth envelop her in its comforting embrace. Not too long ago, she had followed the sound of the mysterious voice to this wondrous place and basked in its beauty waiting for a sign to when she would awaken from this dream. A few moments ago, she noticed a rose bush springing up amongst the wildflowers and had gone to investigate.
On the vine grew dozens of fully bloomed orange roses. She plucked one, and another immediately grew in its place. She’d tucked the rose behind her ear and gone back to her bed of wildflowers listening to the soothing tone of the mystery voice that seemed to keep her from drowning in the darkness that arrived whenever the voice went away.
* * *
Chayse was telling Serena about Nan bringing her family to the restaurant when the door opened and in walked a visitor Chayse didn’t recognize. She was a petite, shapely woman with straight black hair and a dark chocolate complexion who wore a curve-hugging, cream business suit, three-inch brown suede pumps, chocolate diamond earrings and necklace, and was carrying a designer bag and pulling a matching suitcase. Whoever this woman was, Chayse could practically see “High Maintenance” blinking like a neon sign above her head. If she was a part of Serena’s family, she was nothing like the down-to-earth Frazier clan Chayse met the other night.
“Hi, can I help you?” Chayse asked.
The woman looked warily from Chayse to Serena then back again. “Who are you?”
Chayse didn’t appreciate the snotty tone the woman addressed her with. “I’m a friend, and you are…”
“A friend?” The woman frowned as her eyes locked on Chayse’s fingers entwined with Serena’s.
Chayse followed her gaze, having forgotten that she held Serena’s hand. She shifted to release her grip then changed her mind. Something about this woman had her wanting to stake her claim on Serena like some Neanderthal saying “This woman mine!” By this time, the woman had deposited her bags in the corner and was standing on the other side of Serena’s bed with a heated narrow gaze locked on Chayse’s.
* * *
Serena felt a cool breeze, and the sky above her peaceful field began to darken with thick, rolling storm clouds. Something was wrong. Although she felt the presence of her mystery person, she no longer heard the sound of their voice. She sat up, feeling the need to comfort the person but didn’t know how. Her hand tingled as if it was being held so she closed her fingers around the invisible grasp in comfort.
* * *
Chayse noticed the other woman’s possessive gaze, and a niggling of doubt entered her mind. She knew nothing about Serena. What if she was already in a relationship and all of this was for nothing? She was just about to release Serena’s hand when Serena’s fingers suddenly folded around Chayse’s.
Chayse tore her eyes from the visitor’s to Serena’s peaceful expression. “Serena?”
Although there was no other physical response, Serena still held Chayse’s hand in a tender clasp, as if she knew Chayse needed comfort. Chayse smiled down at her.
“Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’d like you to leave so that I may visit MY friend.”
For a moment, Chayse had forgotten the other woman was there. “Look, I don’t know who you are, but—”
She was interrupted by the arrival of Selah Warren. The jovial smile she gave Chayse turned to a frown at the sight of the other woman in the room.
“Melanie, what in the world are you doing here?” Nan asked, obviously annoyed.
“Hello, Mrs. Warren. As soon as I heard what happened I flew out here to be with Serena.”
“Mm-hm,” Nan said doubtfully as she walked over to where Chayse was. “How you doing, honey?” she asked, placing an affection kiss on Chayse’s cheek.
“I’m good, Nan. How about you?” Chayse answered, hugging her.
“I’d be better with some good news about our sweet girl here,” Nan said wistfully.
“Well, it may be just a muscle spasm or unconscious reaction, but she gripped my hand back.” Chayse brought Nan’s attention to her and Serena’s entwined fingers.
Nan’s face lit up. “I knew you would be the one to bring her back.”
“Let’s not turn me into a miracle worker yet.”
Nan patted their joined hands. “It’s only a matter of time.”
Nan shifted her attention to Melanie who she had been ignoring since she walked into the room. “Now, Miss Melanie, it was my understanding that you and Serena ended your relationship before she left Georgia because you didn’t agree with her coming to New York, so I’m a bit confused as to why you’re here.”
Chayse gently eased her hand from Serena’s as she prepared to leave. “Nan, I should probably head out.”
“Honey, you stay right there. You have just as much right to be here as anyone else.”
Melanie sighed in frustration. “Mrs. Warren, it was Serena who decided to break it off. I still care about her very much.”
Chayse didn’t miss the side glance Melanie gave her at her declaration of feelings for Serena.
“Nan, I really do have to go. We’re delivering lunches to the homeless shelter today, and I need to get back to the restaurant to help prepare the food,” Chayse said.
“All right. We’ll still see you on Saturday?”
Chayse smiled. “Bright and early.”
“Good. I’ll walk you out,” Nan said.
Chayse nodded and took one last look at Serena. In what had become a habit, she grasped Serena’s hand, leaned down, whispered in her ear, “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” and then placed a soft kiss on her temple, ignoring Melanie’s angry glare.
“I didn’t catch your name,” Melanie said to Chayse as she was following Nan toward the door.
“If you had asked nicely I might have given it,” she said before walking out of the room.
* * *
Serena sat watching as the clouds dissipated and the sun shone once again over her little field of paradise. The sweet smell of the lone rose bush amongst the wildflowers and the warmth of the sunshine made her drowsy. As she lay down to rest, she noticed the strangest thing happening in the palm of her left hand, the very hand she had felt the tender grip of someone’s touch just moments ago. It began to tingle, and a beautiful rose tattoo wove its way into the delicate skin of her palm. Once the tattoo was complete, she held her hand over her heart and felt such tenderness it brought a tear to her eye. Just before she drifted off to sleep, she heard the voice that had become her lifeline in this strange world of unconsciousness whisper, as clear as if the person stood right beside her. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”
* * *
Later that evening, Chayse sat in her office wondering about her fascination with Serena. How could she possibly have such intense feelings for a woman she had only spoken with a few times? Well, at least while she was conscious.
Trying to fight the pull Serena seemed to have on her was liking denying herself air to breathe. Her priorities had changed since she began to visit Serena almost daily. One change in particular caught Chayse completely off guard. She had reached her goal with the success of her restaurant and was exactly where she wanted to be in her life, yet since Serena entered her world Chayse found herself wishing she had someone to share her success with, to come home to, to be able to wake up on a Sunday morning and prepare breakfast in bed for two rather than brunch for two hundred, or to simply share a conversation about how their day went. A knock on her office door interrupted her thoughts.
“Come in,” she said.
It was her hostess, Raquel “Hey, boss lady, are you going to hide in here all night? Customers are asking about you.”
“I’m not feeling too sociable. I think I’m gonna take off for the night,” Chayse said.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Raquel asked in concern.
“No, I think I’m just burned out and need a break. I’ll be fine by tomorrow,” she said reassuringly.
“All right. Call me if you need anything,” Raquel said before leaving the office.
Chayse stopped in the kitchen to check on her staff, then headed out through the back entrance of the restaurant to avoid running into anyone. She didn’t feel like sitting in her apartment moping so decided to go for a walk. Before she knew it, she was standing outside the hospital debating whether to go up or not. Visiting hours were almost over, and she was sure Serena’s family was probably still with her. She turned to leave.
“Chayse? Is that you?”
She turned back to find Serena’s mother heading toward her. “Hi, Mrs. Frazier.”
“What are you doing here so late?” Colleen Frazier asked as she gave Chayse a warm hug in greeting.
“I was out for a walk and ended up here,” Chayse answered.
Colleen smiled knowingly. “You really care about my daughter.”
“I guess more than I anticipated.”
“Why don’t we chat,” Colleen suggested.
Chayse nodded, following her to the same bench where she had first met Serena’s grandmother. She had spent some time with Serena’s family when they came by the restaurant to meet her, but other than Nan she had never spent any one-on-one time with any of them. Their next gathering was planned for that Saturday morning at the restaurant when she and Nan were going to make breakfast for everyone.
“Being our firstborn and only girl, Serena and I were very close while she was growing up,” Colleen said. “Then, her last year of high school, she told me about a crush she had on one of her female friends and I didn’t handle it very well. I told her it was nothing, just a phase, and that she just hadn’t met the right boy yet. I could see I’d hurt her saying that, but I didn’t know what else to say.” Her voice was filled with regret.
Chayse winced. She had heard that same response so many times from well-meaning family and friends when she came out, she completely understood how Serena must have felt hearing her mother say it.
Colleen’s smile was sad. “From your reaction I guess you’ve heard that one before.”
“Yes, and still do once in a while,” Chayse said.
Colleen nodded in understanding. “Our relationship wasn’t the same for a long time after that. It only got worse when she came out after her college graduation. I refused to believe my little girl was gay because that meant we would never share all the mother-daughter life experiences that most mothers look forward to, like planning her wedding and guiding her through her first pregnancy and motherhood. Instead of giving her the love and understanding she needed and deserved, I’d pushed Serena away for purely selfish reasons.
“After she told us, she and I barely spoke to each other for over a year. She even moved out to live with her grandmother to be able to live openly without having to see the disappointment in my eyes whenever she went on a date or brought a friend home. Regrettably, it took Serena getting sick for me to realize how stupid and selfish I was being.” Unshed tears shimmered in Colleen’s eyes, and Chayse instinctively reached for her hand in comfort. Colleen gave Chayse’s hand a gentle squeeze in appreciation.
“She went to see her doctor about abdominal bloating and pain and, after several tests, was diagnosed with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer. She was already in Stage 2 when they caught it, but it was treatable. Unfortunately, the treatment required her having a hysterectomy as well as months of chemotherapy. Although she refused my request to move back home so that I could take care of her, I was still with her every day and by her side for every chemo treatment. To see her go through what she went through without a complaint or show of fear made me so proud. My daughter is a strong, beautiful person, and most of all, a fighter. She lives life with so much joy and love, and I wouldn’t have her be any other way,” Colleen said, a sense of pride in her voice.
“Whoever she decides to settle down with will be blessed to have her and all the love she has to give, and if she deems them worthy of that love, then I’ll accept them as well as long as they prove their worth by loving my daughter just as deeply as she will love them,” she added, meeting Chayse’s gaze with open honesty.
“Your daughter is a very blessed woman to have you for a mother,” Chayse said.
“No, I’m the blessed one, Chayse. Now,” Colleen said, releasing Chayse’s hand with another quick squeeze. “My ride is here and you should get up there before visiting hours are over.”
They stood together and embraced once more before Colleen walked over to a waiting car.
“Hey, Chayse!” Serena’s father cheerfully greeted from the car.
“Hey, Mr. Frazier!” Chayse waved once more to the two before the car pulled away from the curb.
Chayse made it up to Serena’s room with twenty minutes left before visiting hours were over. She planned to stay just a few minutes, long enough to look in on Serena and say good night. She walked into the room and was about to take her usual position next to the bed when she noticed a few changes.
“Your mom’s been busy,” she said as she ran a finger along a soft curl in Serena’s hair.
Chayse grasped Serena’s hand, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles above the splash of deep plum color on her nails that matched the soft pink floral nightgown she now wore.
Chayse smiled. “Now you really do look like Sleeping Beauty,” she said as she bent to place her lips near Serena’s ear…
* * *
When Serena felt the warmth of the bright sunlight spilling over her and was enveloped by the strong scent of her rosebush carried on the breeze, she knew it was time. She closed her eyes, lifted her face toward the sunshine, and listened, patiently waiting for the voice that would carry her from her little field…
* * *
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” Chayse whispered. “There’s so much I’d rather say to you while you’re awake.”
Chayse placed a soft kiss along Serena’s cheek, inhaling the fresh clean scent of the soap Colleen must have used on her. She shifted so that she could see Serena’s face.
“Please wake up, Serena.” Chayse placed her lips on Serena’s in a gentle kiss.
The tender moment turned to shock as Chayse felt Serena’s hand flex within her own at the same time as Serena’s lips opened and a subtle moan escaped. Chayse eased away from Serena just as her eyes slowly began to flutter open.
“Serena?” Chayse said hesitantly as Serena’s gaze began to focus on her.
Since her right hand was still within Serena’s soft grasp, Chayse subtly pushed the call button with her left so as not to make any sudden movement that would make Serena finally waking up seem like a dream. The nurse was there immediately.
“I see someone has finally decided to wake up,” she walked over to the bed and gazed down at Serena.
Serena looked from Chayse to the nurse then back to Chayse and began to speak but winced in pain instead.
“Don’t try to talk. Your voice hasn’t been used in a while. Let her sip some water.” The nurse handed Chayse a cup with a straw. “I’ll get the doctor.” She smiled reassuringly.
Serena sipped the water Chayse offered. As her gaze became clear and focused she looked around the room then settled her eyes on Chayse. Since Chayse was the only person in the room when she woke up, Serena knew that she had to be the one who had been talking to her all this time. She tried clearing her throat and talking again, but the only thing that came out was a croak.
“The nurse said you shouldn’t talk,” Chayse gently reprimanded her.
Serena needed to know for sure if Chayse had been the one to pull her from her sleep. She pointed to Chayse, made the talking gesture with her hands, pointed to herself, and made the gesture for sleeping hoping Chayse would understand what she was trying to say.
Chayse smiled sheepishly. “Uh, yes, I was talking to you while you were sleeping. The doctor said it would be good for you.”
Smiling, Serena pointed to Chayse, her lips, and then to herself.
Chayse blushed and looked away. “Yes, I kissed you,” she said.
Serena grasped Chayse’s hand, interlocking their fingers. Chayse turned her gaze back to Serena’s and was met with such tenderness, her heart swelled in response. The moment was interrupted by the arrival of the nurse with a doctor.
“Well, Ms. Frazier, welcome back. I’m Dr. Garrett and I’m going to take care of you until we reach Dr. Jansen,” the doctor said.
“I better go and let the doctor do his thing,” Chayse said to Serena with a shy smile.
Serena grasped her hand tighter as Chayse started to pull away.
“I’m just going to step out in the hall and call your parents. They’ll want to know you’re awake,” Chayse said.
Serena nodded and released her hand, but her eyes followed Chayse until she left the room.
Chayse leaned against the wall outside Serena’s room trying to calm her racing heart. Did Serena wake up because of her? No, it was just a coincidence. Her family had also been here for days talking to her, and it was obvious all the stimulation must have helped.
“I just happened to be at the right place at the right time,” Chayse said to herself, dismissing the silly notion that she really had awakened her very own Sleeping Beauty. She looked once more over at the room, then took out her phone to call Serena’s grandmother knowing she would inform the rest of her family of her condition.
The nurse came out just as she ended her call. “You may go in now but only for a few more moments.”
Chayse nodded and followed her back into the room. Serena was now sitting propped up in the bed looking beautiful and refreshed, as if she had just woken up from a short nap rather than a comatose sleep. She smiled shyly at Chayse as the doctor finished his exam.
“We’ll schedule a few tests in the morning just to make sure everything is fine,” he was telling Serena as Chayse took her usual place at her bedside. “Until then, and I know it sounds strange to say under the circumstance, but get some rest,” he said. With a quick nod at Chayse, he and the nurse left the room.
Chayse didn’t know what to say to Serena now that she was awake. Serena surprised her by speaking first.
“The nurse told me what happened,” she said quietly, her voice still a bit raspy from being unused for so long. “I don’t remember anything after I got hit by my attacker.”
“Fortunately, he was caught by some Good Samaritans that were nearby when they heard you scream. How are you feeling?” Chayse asked.
“Like I overslept way too long,” Serena said with a grin.
Chayse chuckled. “Yeah, just a bit.”
Serena held her hand out to Chayse who clasped it. “Thank you,” she said. “The nurse also told me what you did for me. Identifying me, contacting my family, I don’t think I can thank you enough for that.” Tears sparkled in her eyes.
Chayse’s heart ached with tenderness for her. “When I saw the news story I just wanted to help.”
“But you’ve done so much more. She said you’ve been here every day since then; bringing me these beautiful flowers, talking to me.” She wiped a fallen tear from her cheek.
“I didn’t do anything different from what your family has been doing. Your grandmother, your parents, your brothers, and your cousin have all been here visiting and talking to you. The doctor thought it would stimulate you into waking up. Guess he was right,” Chayse said.
“But there was only one voice I heard while I was unconscious. Only one voice was able to reach me through the darkness,” Serena said.
“Probably Nan’s. There were quite a few times she tried fussing at you to wake up,” Chayse said with a chuckle.
Grasping Chayse’s hand with both of hers, Serena smiled. “I believe it, but it wasn’t hers, it was yours. When I woke up to find you here, I knew it was your voice that held the darkness at bay. Chayse, it was your voice, your kiss that brought me back.”
Before Chayse could respond, the nurse popped her head in. “I’m sorry, but the doctor wants her to rest.” Then she left them alone once again.
Chayse nodded and gazed back down at Serena. “I’ll be back in the morning.”
“Only if you bring a slice of sweet potato pie with you,” Serena said with a grin.
Chayse laughed. “With your family here I’ll have to bring two whole pies to share.”
“Good night, Serena,” Chayse said.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Serena said.
Chayse’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Just because Sleeping Beauty is awake doesn’t mean she still can’t get a kiss,” Serena said.
Chayse’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I told you it was you who brought me back.” Serena pulled Chayse toward her.
Chayse didn’t know how or why such a thing was possible, but she wasn’t going to deny it. When their lips met, it felt to Chayse as if some unseen tether sealed and bonded them together. The kiss only lasted a moment, but once they parted they were breathing as if they had run for miles.
Chayse touched her forehead to Serena’s. “I better go,” she said breathlessly.
“Okay,” Serena said.
Chayse placed one more kiss on Serena’s forehead, then slowly backed away from the bed.
“Good night, my prince,” Serena said with a soft smile.
“Good night, my beauty.”
* * *
The next morning, Chayse was up early baking two fresh sweet potato pies to give to Serena and her family and the nurses that had been taking such great care of her. She glided around her kitchen as if she were walking on air. Lucky even noticed the difference, sitting on a stool watching her curiously as one of Chayse’s favorite songs came on the radio and her gliding slid into dancing.
“Ah, you like that move?” she asked the cat as she did a quick spin.
Lucky blinked slowly then meowed in response, not the least bit impressed by her roommate’s fancy dance moves.
“Hey, I used to be real smooth back in the day. Maybe I’ll take Serena dancing when she’s feeling up to it.”
Lucky’s response was another slow blink then a yawn. Chayse laughed out loud at the fact that she was actually standing there having a conversation with a cat. Serena was just what she needed to keep from becoming the crazy cat lady. She placed the pies in an insulated bag to keep warm and made her way down to the restaurant. She decided to wait until late morning to visit Serena to give her family some alone time with her. Chayse tried to keep busy, but the hours seemed to tick by so slowly that she found it difficult to concentrate on anything. By ten thirty a.m., her staff was just as ready for her to leave as she was.
“Another half hour won’t make a difference. Just go,” Raquel told her. “If you go around and rearrange one more place setting, Libby is going to strangle you.”
Chayse looked up to find one of her servers standing just a few feet away, hands on hips, glaring at her in annoyance. Chayse slowly set the charger plate she had in her hand back on the table and nodded to Libby in surrender.
She turned to Raquel with a grin. “Yeah, I guess I should probably get there before she gets too tired from all the tests they had to run and her family visiting.”
“Good idea. We’ll be fine here,” Raquel reassured her.
When Chayse arrived at the hospital, she swung by the nurses’ station to drop off a pie for them then practically ran to Serena’s room. She was stopped short in the doorway by the sight of Serena sitting up cross-legged in her bed laughing and holding hands with her ex-girlfriend. Determined not to assume anything, she opened her mouth to speak, but her words were halted when Melanie reached up to gently smooth away a stray curl from Serena’s face. It wasn’t the act itself that caused the sudden ache in Chayse’s heart but the look on Melanie’s face. She still loved Serena, and Chayse didn’t believe there was any way she could compete with the obvious love and history Serena and Melanie had. With her heart slowly breaking, Chayse began to back out of the room, but the movement must have caught Serena’s attention because she turned to look her way.
“Chayse, I almost thought you weren’t coming.”
Serena’s bright happy smile almost dispelled the insecurity Chayse was feeling, but the cocky grin on Melanie’s face as she continued to sit on the bed holding Serena’s hand pushed it right back to the forefront.
“Uh…yeah, I can’t stay long. I just wanted to drop off the pie I promised.” On shaky legs, she walked into the room and set the insulated bag on the table at the end of the bed next to Serena’s breakfast tray.
“You’re not staying long?” Serena moved to stand, but wobbled on her feet and fell back onto the bed.
Melanie pulled her close. “Whoa! Not so fast. You know the doctor said not to push yourself too much.”
“I’m fine, I just stood up too fast,” Serena said.
“I have to get back to the restaurant. We have a VIP group coming in, and there’s a lot to do,” Chayse said as she turned and quickly headed for the door, her heart aching as she ignored Serena calling her name and kept walking.
“Was that Chayse I saw leaving in such a hurry?” Nan asked Serena as she entered the room.
“Yes. She dropped off some pies and couldn’t stay long.” Serena was hurt and disappointed by Chayse’s sudden departure.
Melanie gently squeezed her hand. “Maybe it’s for the best. You should probably only have close friends and family visiting anyway, at least until you’re back on your feet.”
“If it weren’t for Chayse, Serena’s family wouldn’t have even known she was here, so she has more right to be here than you do,” Nan said, not bothering to hide her dislike for Melanie.
Melanie’s cockiness wavered a bit under Nan’s glare so she focused her attention back on Serena. “I’m going to head back to the hotel so you can get some rest. I’ll come back this evening.”
“I appreciate you flying up here to check on me, but you really don’t need to stay. I’m fine. You should head back home,” Serena told her, slowly realizing Melanie’s presence might have been the reason Chayse left the way she did.
“I’m here because I want to be, not because I need to be. I care about you, Serena,” Melanie said, reaching up to caress Serena’s face.
Serena blocked Melanie’s hand. “Mel, I wasn’t hit on the head so hard that I forgot why we broke up. This doesn’t change anything.”
“But I’ve changed,” Melanie said. “I realize how selfish I was being, and I’m willing to try to make it work.”
“Make what work? I’ve also changed. I’ve had time to think about and discover who I am, and I love the me that I’ve become since moving to New York. I don’t plan to move back to Georgia or be with a woman who doesn’t support my dreams.”
“You plan on staying here? Is it Chayse? You barely know her. From what I understand you barely spoke to her before you ended up in the hospital. For all you know she could be some sick stalker who gets off on vulnerable women. You’ve always been so naïve,” Melanie said angrily.
Serena sighed. “I think you should go.”
“Serena, I’m sorry. Why don’t I come back in the morning and we can talk after you’ve rested,” Melanie said hopefully.
“There’s nothing to talk about. Thank you again for coming to see me. Have a safe trip home.”
Mel slowly stood. “Serena.”
Serena turned a determined and steady gaze towards Melanie but didn’t respond.
Mel turned to leave. “Bye, Serena,” she said, her voice breaking.
“Bye, Mel.” Serena watched her walk out the door and closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. “Nan, why do relationships have to be so contrary?”
Nan chuckled as she sat beside Serena on the bed. “I wish I had an easy answer for that. All I know is that when it’s right, when you find a person who makes all the contrariness worth it, you can’t let them slip through your fingers because you might not have that chance again.”
Serena slowly opened her eyes. “You’re talking about Chayse, aren’t you?”
“You tell me.”
Serena shook her head. “Like Mel said, I barely know her. How’s it possible to fall in love with someone I barely know?”
“Who said anything about love?” Nan said with a raised brow.
Serena looked down at her lap. “She led me through the darkness, Nan. I was told you all spent time talking to me while I was unconscious, but Chayse’s voice was the only one that came through.”
“And what does that tell you?”
Serena wasn’t sure she wanted to believe what she was thinking. “Maybe I’m so used to all of your voices that a different voice was able to penetrate because it was something unfamiliar.”
“That sounds like a good explanation, but do you really believe that?” Nan asked.
Serena met Nan’s questioning gaze. “Nan, this isn’t some fairy tale with a sleeping princess who can be awakened with a kiss. This is real life. Stuff like that doesn’t happen,” she said, knowing that’s pretty much what actually happened.
“She kissed you?” Nan asked with a grin.
Serena blushed. “It was just a quick peck at the same moment I was waking up.”
“Uh-huh,” Nan said. “I take it that wasn’t the last kiss that happened.”
“Nan, I don’t know what to think about all of this,” she said in frustration.
“See, there’s your problem. Stop thinking so much and do what you did when you decided to move here. Go with what you’re feeling.”
From that first moment Serena saw Chayse on the other side of the restaurant, she had felt an immediate pull toward her, and as far-fetched as it seemed, she couldn’t deny that it was definitely that same pull toward Chayse that brought her out of her deep sleep. There was also something Serena saw in Chayse’s eyes when she did fully awaken. She couldn’t say it was love, but there was something between them that had Chayse under its spell as well.
“You saw how she walked out of here. What if it’s too late?” Serena asked.
Nan smiled knowingly. “You don’t have to worry about that. Let’s get you a clean bill of health and out of here, then we’ll work on getting Sleeping Beauty her princess.”
* * *
Chayse slowly made her way up the stairs to her apartment above the restaurant having just returned from catering a celebrity charity event uptown. All she wanted to do now was throw on some sweats, make a cup of chai tea, curl up on the sofa with Lucky, and watch late night movies until she fell asleep and started everything over again in the morning. When she opened the door, she immediately knew something was off. Lucky wasn’t at the door for her usual greeting, and she picked up the lightest scent of vanilla and coconut as she walked through the door. She perused the open space of her loft, stopping in surprise when she reached her living room space. The sight before her had her wondering if she had finally gone nuts and her imagination had manifested some fantasy she had or if she was really seeing Serena lying asleep on her sofa with Lucky curled up in her lap. She stared for another full minute before she quietly closed the door and walked toward the sleeping figures. Sensing her presence, Lucky sat up, slowly blinked at her as if to say “What? You weren’t here so somebody had to keep her company,” and then casually jumped from the sofa and went to her cat condo in the corner of the room.
Chayse gazed back at Serena, still in disbelief that she was actually in her apartment. It had been almost two weeks since she had visited Serena in the hospital and found her and her ex-girlfriend getting reacquainted. The next day, Nan left a message for Chayse that Serena would be going home that afternoon. Chayse responded back with a text thanking her for letting her know and to Give Serena my best wishes.
Feisty as ever, Nan had texted back, Why don’t you give them to her in person with Serena’s home address. Chayse didn’t answer the text and felt guilty about it ever since. She had spent every day since doing anything she could to keep busy and not to think about Serena, which failed miserably. She constantly found herself thinking things like, did she and Mel work things out? If so, would that mean she would go back to Georgia? Did she think about Chayse as much as Chayse thought about her, which was pretty much every waking hour of the day? And now, as if all that thinking about Serena had manifested itself into reality, here she was.
Chayse perused Serena’s face which had filled out a bit since she had last seen her, and her expression was just as peaceful and serene as it had been before she had awoken in the hospital. Her gaze slowly made its way along Serena’s prone figure. She must have come from work because she was dressed in a white silk blouse that must have come unbuttoned while she slept, allowing a generous view of her lace camisole underneath and the rise and fall of her voluptuous chest with every breath she took. She followed the curve of her narrow waist to full hips encased in a burgundy pencil skirt that had hiked up around her thighs to display smooth, shapely legs that led to her delicate feet and the wine painted toenails that matched the color on her fingernails and lipstick.
The urge to run her hand along the curves her eyes had just followed was so strong Chayse had to ball her hand into a fist to keep from doing it. She forced her gaze back up to Serena’s face, surrounded by a halo of her thick curly hair. Chayse knelt in front of Serena, reached up to smooth a stray curl away, and whispered, “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”
Serena’s lips curved into a soft smile. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. What time is it?”
“It’s after midnight. How did you get in here?” Chayse asked.
Serena stayed in her prone position and propped her head up on her hand. “Raquel let me in. I came by the restaurant after work to see you, but she said you were catering an event and probably wouldn’t be back until late. I didn’t want to leave without talking to you so I asked if I could wait in your office, and she offered to let me wait up here because you probably wouldn’t go back to the restaurant until morning. I hope that wasn’t too presumptuous of me.”
“No, it’s fine. I see you met Lucky.”
“Yes. I didn’t know she was even here until after Raquel left. She showed me around your beautiful apartment then left. I felt something rubbing against my leg and almost had a heart attack.”
Chayse gazed curiously over at Lucky sleepily watching them from the top of her tower. “She must have sensed something pretty special in you because she usually doesn’t come out for visitors.”
Serena gazed over at Lucky as well. “Well then, I’m honored, Miss Lucky. Thank you.”
Lucky did one of her slow blinks, meowed in response, and closed her eyes. Chayse and Serena both laughed at the feline’s nonchalant attitude. When their gazes met again, it was like that first glance when Serena had awoken. That familiar pull on her heart that seemed to reach down to her very soul flared to life. Their eyes now locked, Serena reached forward, grasped Chayse by the back of head, and brought her toward her. Their lips met for a kiss so intense that the disbelief and doubt she had about what had happened between them while Serena was in the hospital faded away. She felt that this feeling, this moment right here, was all that mattered and all that would matter from this point on.
Chayse pulled away and asked, “Melanie?”
“Gone. It’s only you. It’s been only you since the moment I first saw you at the restaurant.”
Chayse closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she looked at Serena again, Serena’s heart skipped a beat at the intensity in Chayse’s eyes. The gentle, spirited light that was there moments ago was replaced by a passion that turned her pupils into a dark abyss Serena would gladly lose herself in. Without breaking eye contact, Chayse got up from her kneeling position, lifted Serena into her arms, and made her way to her bedroom. Once there she gently laid Serena on the bed and kissed her once again. Her tongue explored Serena’s mouth, licking and nipping gently at her full lips. Serena lost herself completely in that kiss and had no idea when Chayse managed to undo the tiny pearl buttons of her blouse to slip her hand beneath her camisole to brush the pad of her thumb along the tops of her breast. What she did know was that she wanted more…so much more.
She moaned with need into Chayse’s mouth, and it was as if Chayse understood what she was asking because her mouth began leaving a heated trail of kisses along her cheek, neck, and cleavage. Serena’s nipples strained against the constraint of her bra until she felt Chayse’s deft fingers reach behind her and undo the clasps in one swift motion to free them. When the heat of Chayse’s mouth enveloped her right nipple, Serena almost shouted for joy. When Chayse’s tongue joined the party and her long fingers gently grasped her left nipple, it was her undoing. The speed and ferocity at which her orgasm came took Serena by surprise, and she tried to fight it, but Chayse’s manipulations were too much so she allowed the pleasure to take over. She had never felt anything so intense, not even with Mel. When she came to her senses, Chayse was gazing down at her.
“You are so beautiful,” Chayse said in awe.
“Even while I’m awake?” she said with a smile.
“Especially when you’re awake,” Chayse’s hand traveled from Serena’s breast along her torso to beneath the hem of her skirt, which was now up around her hips, to where her panties were soaked from her orgasm, “and it seems to me that there are some other things that may need awakening,” she said with a sexy grin as she slowly rubbed Serena’s sex through her panties.
Serena’s breath caught in a shuddering sigh of pleasure. “I have way too many clothes on.”
Chuckling, Chayse shifted so that she could help Serena remove her now disheveled clothing as well as her own. “Lie back,” she told Serena with a look of pure hunger in her eyes.
Chayse crouched over Serena and lowered her head toward hers for another soul-stirring kiss before proceeding to lavish loving attention to the rest of Serena’s luscious body.
After what seemed like forever, Serena could take the torture no longer. “Chayse…” she pleaded.
Chayse slid her body up along Serena’s, cupped her hand over Serena’s sex, and whispered, “Open your legs for me.”
Serena willingly obeyed, widening her legs so that Chayse could lie between them. Once she was settled, Chayse slowly slid one of her fingers in and out of Serena’s heated vagina, gently flicking the pad of her thumb across her full clit and savoring another taste of Serena’s pebble hard nipples, where previously she had been completing each touch individually. Serena’s moans grew more frantic and louder as Chayse continued her lovemaking. When Serena’s pleasure reached the highest peak and her body tensed Chayse whispered in her ear, “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”
Those four words meant everything to Serena and sent her over the edge…awakening a passion and a love like she had never known.