Code-Switching

by Zena Wynn

  “Tikki, who’s this? Why is he with you?” her mother asked.

  “Not now, Ma,” Catherine said dismissively and stalked off. I was right on her heels.

  By the time we reached the desk, Catherine was back in business mode. “I’m Catherine.”

  The woman looked up, saw her, and gazed past her to me. “You two together?”

  “I’m her fiancé,” I answered before Catherine could.

  Catherine didn’t dispute my claim. Her focus was on the woman. “Can I see my brother now?”

  “Yes, the orderly will take you back,” the woman said, waving to the Indian-looking man in scrubs.

  “This way,” he said.

  We followed him through the double doors and down a rabbit warren of halls. Medical personnel in a rainbow of scrubs scurried about, interspersed with doctors in white lab coats and people, like us, looking for loved ones. Machines beeped and hummed, and the antiseptic smell universal to hospitals everywhere filled my nostrils. Our guide stopped in front of a hospital room sectioned off by ceiling-to-floor curtains. The orderly parted the curtain and motioned us inside.

  Chapter Three

  Zach

  In the hospital bed laid a young teenager who couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen. Given Catherine’s age, her brother was younger than I’d expected. His face had the same oval shape as Catherine’s, and they shared the same eyes and nose. His complexion was a darker, golden brown. His stature, while not heavy, was still stockier than Catherine’s lean frame. Either he was going to be short or, this was more likely, he’d yet to hit his growth spurt. Jamie’s eyes were closed, an IV was attached to the back of one hand, and machines beeped as they monitored his blood pressure and pulse.

  She immediately moved to his side and took his free hand in hers. “Jamie?”

  He slowly opened his eyes and gazed at her with pain-glazed eyes. “Tikki.”

  There was relief and something else in his voice.

  “How you doing?” she asked.

  “Hurts,” he mumbled.

  “Yeah, well, be glad you’re in that bed, or I’d kick your ass. Didn’t I tell you to stay out of the old neighborhood?”

  He grimaced. “Yeah, but—”

  “But, nothing. What the hell were you doing there?”

  “Tikki, I—”

  “Don’t Tikki me. You could be dead right now.”

  His gaze dropped and he plucked at the sheet. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  “Why were you with Deke? You know how I feel about him.”

  Unnoticed at the bottom of the bed, I frowned. She was grilling the kid like she was his mother.

  “He said he had to take care of some business, and then he’d take me to the store for a new video game,” Jamie said.

  “Video game?” She muttered something in Spanish that had him wincing. Jamie glanced at me. I think the kid hoped to deflect Catherine’s attention from himself. “Who’s he?”

  “Zachery Anderson, the guy I work with,” she said dismissively.

  “Her fiancé,” I added, eyes narrowing. Granted, we hadn’t been a couple long but I had asked the woman to marry me. I was getting a little tired of being treated as inconsequential.

  He slanted his sister a look and said something in Spanish. She glanced at me before responding in kind. It was obvious I was the topic of conversation.

  “You know, it’s rude to speak another language in front of someone who doesn’t speak it,” I said, in case they were interested.

  The kid looked abashed, but Catherine didn’t bat an eyelash. “What happened?” she asked.

  “Deke was meeting with some guys. I was off to the side, playing Fortnite on my phone. A car coming down the street slowed to a crawl, opened fire, and then sped off. People screamed and ran.” He frowned and lowered his gaze. “I froze. Deke was hollering at me to get down when the first bullet hit. One got me in the side, spun me around, and another grazed my shoulder. The one on my side went straight through. The doctor said I’m lucky nothing vital was hit.”

  I heard a clicking sound and realized Catherine was tapping her nails on the bedrail. Her face was flushed a deep red, her eyes flashed, and her jaw clenched so tight it’s a wonder she didn’t break a tooth. She held up a finger, spun on one heel, and walked out of the room. I debated following her but decided I’d learn more by staying put.

  The boy gazed at the swaying curtain, his gaze worried. “Shit’s about to hit the fan. Tikki’s not going to let this go.”

  The kid was obviously feeling chatty. Maybe it was the pain meds or maybe he simply wasn’t as tight-lipped as his sister. Either way, I engaged him in conversation. “Who is Deke, and why didn’t he ride with you here to the hospital? You were transported, weren’t you?”

  Jamie shrugged. “He and the guys he was with took off running when the shooting stopped. That’s what the lady who called 9-1-1 told me when I asked.”

  I did some cursing of my own. They’d probably been doing something illegal and didn’t want the cops involved. Regardless, you didn’t leave a man behind, especially not a kid who’s been shot. “Who is this Deke guy?” I asked when I got myself under control.

  “A dead man,” Tikki said, returning into the room. “Where the hell is your doctor? I want to speak with him.” She seemed to have her temper under control. Her accent wasn’t as pronounced. I wondered if she’d heard Jamie or if she was already aware her brother had been left bleeding on the sidewalk by the adult in charge.

  “The nurse said they’re keeping me overnight. Something about blood loss and possible infection,” he said, his eyes struggling to remain open.

  “Did they give you something for the pain?” she asked.

  “Yeah, but I don’t think it’s working,” Jamie said.

  I looked at the kid. It was working, all right, otherwise the kid would be in tears. The meds didn’t blot out the pain, like most people assumed. They only took the edge off, made it bearable.

  “I’m going to find the doctor.” Catherine swept out of the room again.

  “Who is Deke, a relative?” I asked, determined to have my question answered.

  Jamie shook his head and shifted uncomfortably in the bed. “Ma’s boyfriend. He spends a lot of time at our house. If Tikki wouldn’t pitch a fit, I’m sure Ma would have allowed him to move in already.”

  “What does Catherine have to do with it?” I asked.

  He gave me a quizzical look. “Tikki pays the bills, and she doesn’t like Deke. She doesn’t like most of Ma’s boyfriends, but she really dislikes Deke. If Deke moves in with Ma, Tikki will cut her off.”

  “Does your mother have a lot of boyfriends?” I asked, being nosy.

  “Ma likes to party and have a good time.” Jamie shrugged, as though it were no big deal.

  I gazed blankly at the wall, beginning to understand Catherine’s attitude toward her mother. If Catherine were the one paying the bills while her mother spent her time partying, no wonder she’d shown the woman no respect and ordered her around like a child. What astounded me is that her mother allowed it.

  “Tikki makes a lot of money,” the kid said, recapturing my attention. When I shifted my gaze to him, he watched me with suspicious, knowing eyes.

  I wanted to laugh. Was the kid accusing me of being a gold digger? “So do I. In fact, I’d venture to say my salary is higher than hers.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Really?”

  “Yes, really,” I said, keeping my expression bland.

  “If you make more money than Tikki, why do you want to marry her?”

  The question told me so much about the kid’s home life. “That’s between me and your sister,” I said.

  The kid wouldn’t understand corporate games or upward mobility. Or maybe he’d understand too much, my mostly dormant conscience said. I shifted uncomfortably under his regard, realizing up until this point, Catherine hadn’t been a person in my mind.

  Oh, I knew she was a smart, intellig
ent, sexy woman, and bedding her would be no hardship. However, my focus had been more on how acquiring her would benefit me than how it would affect her. More business merger than marriage. After all, I was a great catch. What woman wouldn’t want me?

  Today, staring into this boy’s drugged and protective gaze, I was forced to reevaluate. I still wanted Catherine Brown to be my wife, for all the reasons listed, but I was becoming fascinated by Tikki.

  Tikki spoke to the part of me I kept hidden from the professional world. Tikki could turn out to be my perfect match.

  Chapter Four

  Zach

  Catherine’s return interrupted my musings. “Because of your age, they’re keeping you today and maybe tomorrow. Soon as your room is ready, you’ll be moved. Ma’s in the waiting room. I got shit to take care of so I’ll send her back. You need me, you call. You got your phone?”

  Jamie shook his head. “It flew out of my hand, and I think someone grabbed it.”

  She cursed. “I’ll swing by the store, get you another one, and cancel the line on the first.” Catherine pulled out her phone, fingers swiping in rapid moves as she sought out one particular icon.

  “Tikki, when I get out of the hospital, I want to come live with you,” he said.

  I froze. A kid living with us wasn’t in my plans, unless the kid was ours. Even then, I wanted to hold off a few years before introducing children to the mix. When we had children, I planned to be hands on, like my dad had been with me. Right now, I was too busy climbing the corporate ladder.

  She glanced up from her phone and frowned. “Something going on with Ma you didn’t tell me about?”

  The kid suddenly looked nervous and unsure. “No, no more than usual. I just want to stay with you.”

  Both of her eyebrows rose. “You sure you want to do that? I work long hours. You’d be home alone. What about food and shit? I don’t cook.”

  “I can take care of myself. Unless you don’t want me with you because of him,” Jamie said, and his hard gaze fell on me.

  “He doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she denied, like my opinion hadn’t even been a passing consideration. “Let me think about it. We’ll talk more when I bring you your phone.”

  “I already checked into schools, and if you don’t want to move me this close to the end of the school year, I can catch transit,” he said in a rush. Pleading his case and showing he’d put a lot of thought into this.

  “I said we’ll talk,” Catherine said, her accent heavy. She pressed a slender hand against his cheek in a brief caress. “Take care of yourself. If I can get back tonight with your new phone, I will.”

  “Okay.”

  “In the meantime, rest. I authorized the nurse to give you stronger pain meds if those aren’t working well enough.”

  He sighed in relief. “Thanks. My side and shoulder really hurt.”

  “I’ll go get Ma.” She turned to leave.

  When she reached the curtain, Jamie spoke. “Tikki, don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

  Catherine smiled. “I don’t do stupid.”

  Don’t know about the kid, but I wasn’t reassured in the least.

  We made our way back to the emergency room waiting area. Catherine paused by the information desk long enough to let them know we were leaving and her mother had arrived. She requested her mother be sent back to keep Jamie company.

  “You’re not going to speak to her?” I asked as I followed her to the exit.

  “No.”

  Seemed cold to me, but I kept my opinion to myself. “Where to now?”

  “Back to the office. Now that I know Jamie is okay, the rest of this can wait,” she said, abandoning her accent and switching to business mode.

  This right here was one of the reasons I believed she would eventually accept my marriage proposal. In this regard, we were perfect for each other. “I had Marisa clear our schedule for the rest of today, not knowing how long all of this would take. We can have her reschedule our interrupted conference for...” I glanced at my watch. “I think after lunch at one-thirty would be good. Does that work for you?”

  “Yes, that’s fine.”

  “Who’s your phone carrier?” I asked.

  “Sprint. Why?”

  “On the way back, we can stop by a store. It will save you time later,” I said. We exited the sunlight and entered the shaded garage.

  Catherine glanced at me, her expression considering. “Thanks. That would be helpful.”

  I winked at her. “Just doing what any loving husband would.”

  “We’re not married, and I’d appreciate it if you’d stop introducing yourself as my fiancé,” she muttered.

  We’d reached my car. A luxury sports sedan, purchased in executive blue. It was, I’d freely admitted, a status symbol of my success. I trapped her against the passenger door and leaned in close. “You haven’t said no.”

  Her eyes narrowed with irritation. “I didn’t say yes, either.”

  I placed my hands on the hood of the car, close but not touching her. “And why is that? How long do you intend to make me wait for an answer?”

  “As long as it takes for me to decide.”

  “Yes or no. Sounds simple enough to me,” I said, knowing it was anything but. In any other circumstance, I’d applaud her caution.

  She stared into my eyes, her expression guarded. “I barely know you, and you don’t know me as well as you think. You’re talking marriage, and we haven’t even had sex.”

  I shifted closer so she could feel my straining erection. “If it’s sex that interests you, I’m more than willing to satisfy your curiosity.”

  Catherine sighed and placed her hands on my chest. I believe the move was intended to prevent me from coming closer. Since I was still playing the gentleman, I abided her unspoken request. “I didn’t say I wanted sex. I’m pointing out that where you see our relationship and where I see it differs dramatically.”

  I allowed my gaze to roam over her face as I considered her words. In the normal dating world, there was a natural progression. Acquaintances became friends, friends became lovers, and lovers became spouses. After today’s surprises, I couldn’t claim friendship and as she’d said, we’d never progressed to being lovers. That was an error on my part.

  “So let’s get on the same page,” I said and kissed her.

  This wasn’t the tame, gentlemanly closed mouth pecks of the past few months. With this embrace, I unleashed a portion of the hunger for her that had been riding me since her outburst during our staff meeting. Catherine intrigued me, but Tikki fascinated me. Could I tempt Tikki to come out and play?

  At first, she stiffened, and I wondered if I’d made a mistake. Then she softened and parted her lips, allowing me entrance. I curved an arm around her waist, tugged her close, and enjoyed the hell out of my first real taste of Catherine Tikki Brown.

  Though she returned my kiss, I could tell she held back. Still playing the cool, untouched lady? Maybe, or maybe Catherine realized, like I should have, that this was neither the time nor setting for displays of passion. I lingered another second before ending the kiss.

  “As I said, I’m more than willing to take our relationship to the next level. Think about it.” I nudged her to the side and opened the car door so she could enter.

  After closing her door, I strolled to the driver’s side. Two single adults who both lived alone had no shortage of opportunities to engage in behavior of a carnal nature. When one of the adults had a child or caretaker responsibilities, those opportunities became limited.

  “Are you going to allow your brother to live with you?” I asked, hoping she’d say no.

  “I’m considering it.”

  I glanced at her, hoping my thoughts on the matter didn’t show. “Will your mother allow it? Ultimately, it’s up to her, correct?”

  “Ma has no say in what I do with Jamie,” she said, her tone firm.

  “How on earth would your mother not have a say in any decision concerning her
child?” I wondered aloud, bewildered by her response. Even inept, irresponsible, and/or criminally negligent parents had the final legal say in all decisions concerning their offspring.

  Catherine’s jaw clenched, and she faced straight ahead. “We should get going.”

  With a heavy sigh, I started the engine, put my foot on the brake and pushed the gear into reverse. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed the path to be clear, and I eased out of the parking space. “Open the center console and pull out change for the parking attendant.”

  “I have it.” She reached into her purse and came out with a twenty-dollar bill.

  I wanted to argue but I’d pushed enough for the time being. There would be time enough later to learn the secrets of Ms. Catherine Tikki Brown.

  Chapter Five

  Tikki

  I entered my apartment and closed the door behind me with a sigh. After today’s excitement, it had taken hours to get everything back on track. Mentally, I once again cursed myself for slipping. “Girl, you gotta do better. You know how those people are. You gotta be above par at all times. Never let them know where you’re from,” I told myself as I hung my jacket in the entryway closet.

  Now that I was home, I could really think about what happened and what I needed to do to correct the situation. It was a sure bet I wouldn’t let it slide. Deke should have known better than to fuck with what’s mine. Ma should have told him. If nothing else, peeps in the old neighborhood should have clued him.

  I was a fucking legend. Earned my street cred’ at the tender age of fourteen. Excellent grades and a scholarship to Harvard may have taken me out of the ’hood, but nothing could take the ’hood out of me. And that, I thought, was my dilemma.

  Zachery Anderson was just the type of man Catherine Brown was expected to marry. He was tall and handsome, with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. His body was buff, and he dressed with a casual elegance that made women look twice. More importantly, the man was intelligent and ambitious. He was going places and wanted to take me with him.