Healing Mr White

by J A Fielding

  “Oh please. Have you seen yourself?” Natasha asked as she looked at Rita’s black and white bandage dress and pink peep toe heels. Rita shrugged.

  “Well, I tried,” she said. “By the way, I forgot to give you the 411,” she added as Natasha took a seat. She looked at Rita and raised an eyebrow.

  “What 411? What the hell happened?” Natasha asked.

  “Well, I have good news and really shitty news. So what goes first?” Rita asked.

  “Shitty news, of course,” Natasha said.

  “So, Jay came over to my place last week,” Rita started.

  “Last week? Why didn’t you tell me?” Natasha asked.

  “I’m telling you now, aren’t I? Anyway, he came down to my place and he was weird. I think he had been drinking and he was asking me to give him the address to your house because he’s tried calling you and you never pick up his calls,” Rita said. “He also said that he tried to come to NSCS but he couldn’t get past the gate. Something about the guards being given a direct order?” she asked as she looked at her friend. Natasha sighed.

  “Well, yeah. I had to. That guy was turning stalker real fast,” she said. “So what did he want?” she asked.

  “Well, he told me to tell you that he misses you and that he would like to have a sit down with you,” Rita said. Natasha rolled her yes.

  “What for? What could he possibly have to tell me that I haven’t heard from his lying ass already?” she asked.

  “I don’t know but his words were that he wants his friend back, and that he misses you. He also said that he would want to be in Alexis’ life,” Rita said. Natasha scoffed.

  “Why in God’s name would I let that freak anywhere near my little girl?” she asked.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought. He said that and I was like, what?” Rita said as she leaned back.

  “Actually what he didn’t tell you was that I have been down this road before. I have tried to let him in and everything but that train crashed before it even left the station,” Natasha said. Rita raised an eyebrow.

  “Why do you say that? How did that train crash?” she asked.

  “A few months after I got married, he called me up with some sob story how he missed being friends because we started out as friends first and like a fool, I fell for it. But almost as soon he was back in my life he went all psycho telling me that he would do whatever it took to get me back. That was too weird,” Natasha said. “And it only got worse when I got pregnant. He would come up to my work place and tell me that Mitchell didn’t have to be in the picture. I had to get a restraining order. He was getting weird and fast,” she added.

  “So that’s why he had to come to me,” Rita said in a low voice. “I thought it was some kind of best friend bond,” she added frowning.

  “You got played, sister,” Natasha said as she brushed a curl off her face.

  “I feel so used,” Rita said. Natasha laughed.

  “Enough of that lowlife. What is the good news?” she asked as she took Rita’s hand in hers. Rita smiled.

  “Well, turns out that you got more business and it had a butterfly effect trickling all the way down to me. I got this great kid from college who does some gorgeous expressionist pieces, and your latest client, the Arab...” she explained.

  “Naima?” Natasha asked.

  “Yeah that one. She saw something at your offices she liked so someone told her where you got it from and she came down to the gallery. She took a keen interest in the expressionist art and she ended up getting fourteen pieces,” Rita said excitedly.

  “Oh my God, that is awesome!” Natasha said smiling.

  “I know, and she made an order for six more. Apparently she wanted to make sure every member of her family got one,” Rita continued.

  “Seven, that’s a big family,” Natasha said. Rita shook her head.

  “Actually the seven are for her house. She must have a freakishly huge house. The fourteen are for the family,” she said. Natasha’s eyes grew wide. “I did some digging. Her dad has the whole four wives thing, hence the many children,” Rita added.

  “Wow, all that and she is my client. I seriously had no idea,” Natasha said.

  “Well I like making sure I get to know every little thing about my clients, especially the ones that get fourteen pieces at a go,” Rita said, winking.

  “True that,” Natasha said. “I’m happy for you. This gallery thing is the one thing you’ve stuck to and with good reason,” she added.

  “I know. I was not sure when I started out myself but well, everything worked out so I guess I can say that everything worked out for the best,” Rita said just as the doorbell rang. Natasha got up.

  “That’s probably Stacy and Mona. I’ll get it,” she said as she walked to the door. “There’s my star player,” she said as she looked at Stacy.

  “Oh, thanks but I think we can all agree that Stacy here is the real star player,” Mona said as she hugged Natasha. Natasha and Stacy exchanged glances that said, “you can be so full of yourself.”

  “I was talking to Stacy,” Natasha said pulling away. She looked at Stacy and waited for Mona to get in before she pulled her close in a long bear hug. “I am so proud of you,” she said in a low voice as she held Stacy close.

  “I just did what anybody else would have done,” Stacy said.

  “Anybody else would not have upped the deal for an extra ten million,” Natasha said as she pulled away.

  “Oh, I did that one for me. I need a generous commission for that,” Stacy said smiling.

  “That is definitely a done deal,” Natasha said as Leo walked up to the door. “Ah, the prodigal son returns,” she said as Leo kissed her cheek and hugged her. “You have become another Santa,” she said. Leo looked at her confused.

  “And I didn’t get you anything,” he said. Natasha laughed.

  “No silly. It’s just that I feel like I only get to see you once a year,” she said. Leo laughed.

  “I’m sorry about that but don’t you worry. All that is about to change,” he said. She raised an eyebrow. “I’m setting up office in the States, matter of fact in this very town,” he said.

  “Yay! When will this be?” she asked as the two made their way to the living room.

  “We are still trying to work out the logistics but it should happen soon. Not more than four months if I should give a timeline,” he said as they walked into the living room.

  “There he is, the prodigal son,” Rita said when she saw Leo. Leo turned and looked at Natasha.

  “Really? Is this a thing now? It’s only been a few months,” he said before Rita got up to say hi. Natasha and Mona walked to the kitchen and came back with some of the trays. As soon as Leo sat down, Rita got up to help them. She came back carrying two pitchers containing the juice while Natasha carried the wine into the room.

  “Wow, you guys, this is too much,” Stacy said looking at the trays the girls were laying on the table.

  “Well, if you were working for me I would buy you a car after the deal you just closed,” Leo said.

  “Watch it, I might just take you up on your offer,” Stacy said.

  “And I will kill you if you ever take the best employee I ever had,” Natasha said as she looked at Leo. At that moment, Dave and Mitchell’s voices could be heard as they slowly made their way to the living room.

  “Hey! No cast? I came with a pen and everything,” Leo said, frowning, as he looked at Mitchell’s brace.

  “If I had not oversold the concept, you would not have been here,” Mitchell said as he sat down.

  “It’s good to see you, man,” Leo said as the two shook hands. Dave and Rita shared a quick kiss before everyone sat down.

  “So everyone is here. We might as well get started,” Natasha said as Mona poured the wine into the glasses. She handed out a glass to everyone as Natasha gave a glass of juice to Mitchell.

  “Bro, no wine for you?” Leo asked.

  “I am on medication. So no, not for anoth
er few weeks,’ he said. Leo smirked and Natasha shot him a dirty look.

  “Really? Smirking?” she asked. Leo mouthed an “I’m sorry” before Natasha cleared her throat. “Okay, I think we should all hear something from the special lady tonight,” she said. Stacy’s cheeks flushed. That always happened any time she was put on the spot.

  “Go on, Stace. Tell us what this feels like,” Mona said as Stacy stood up. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked around.

  “Wow, I really don’t know what I am supposed to say. Like I told Tasha, I just did what any other assistant in my shoes would have done,” she started.

  “All other assistants make coffee and get dry cleaning. You make me millions,” Mitchell said smiling.

  “The offer to work for me still stands,” Leo said. Stacy smiled at him and nodded.

  “You know a few years ago if you had told me that, I would have probably jumped at the idea but working for NSCS and for Natasha in particular has been a great experience. I have never had a boss that believed in me the way Natasha did. I never even thought I would get a chance to work for and be a friend to such a cool boss. So Leo, I guess I would say no because I would want to see what challenge Natasha has for me after this,” she said. Natasha walked towards her and hugged her.

  “I don’t know about you but that’s the best speech I ever heard,” Mona whispered to Rita. Rita smiled and nodded at her.

  “I know, right?” she said. Natasha pulled away and raised her glass.

  “This is to the best assistant I could ever ask for and the best employee I will ever see. Here is to Stacy,” she said.

  “To Stacy,” everyone echoed as they clinked their glasses together and drank. Mona walked up to the home theatre and turned up the music. Now the party was complete.

  Chapter 7

  It had almost been three hours since Leo and Dave picked Mitchell up for some quality guy time…even though the guy time involved having Leo and Dave have a few beers while Mitchell went on with the therapy. Natasha took her phone and called her dad.

  “Hey Daddy, how’s everything?” she asked.

  “Great. How’re you?” Eric asked when he picked up.

  “Good, I can’t complain. How’s my little princess?” she asked as she leaned back on the couch.

  “Being very good to us. I have never seen a baby with this much appetite,” Eric said. Natasha smiled. She had always loved the way Alexis made feeding so easy even after so many people swore by the fact that feeding a child is right up there next to singing to a rock.

  “Well, Nan told me that she is just like I was,” she said.

  “Oh, she was just trying to make you not feel bad about yourself,” Eric said. Natasha scoffed.

  “Oh please. I was a good baby and I know it,” she said.

  “Well, you had your days,” he said. “Do you think you guys could come over tomorrow for brunch again? Or better still, dinner?” he asked. Natasha ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.

  “We have done so much over the past week. Brunch with you the other day, Stacy’s party. I don’t want Mitch to over exert himself. Maybe next week?” she asked. She heard her father breathe out loudly.

  “Of course, baby,” he said. She smiled. She loved how her father was always so understanding. “His health comes first,” he said.

  “Yeah it does, Daddy, but we will be back to our usual traditions soon enough. I promise,” she said.

  “Yeah, I miss our Sunday dinners,” Eric said. She could tell he was smiling as he said it.

  “Me too,” she said. She then went quiet for a while as she tried to bring up something that had been on her mind for a while. “Daddy, I hate to do this over the phone but I need to know something,” she said.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Do you…do you ever hear from my mother?” she asked. She heard her father go quiet before he took a long deep breath. “Hello, Daddy, are you still there?” she asked when Eric got too quiet.

  “Honey….” He started to talk before Natasha cut him off.

  “I really need to know, Dad,” she said. Her voice was full of hope.

  “She did, once,” he said. “When you were about eight, but she has never done it again,” he added.

  A sad smile played on Natasha’s lips. She thought of a mother’s smile, the one she always got when she saw Alexis crawling, when she first saw her daughter sit up all on her own or the time she heard Alexis’ first word. How could a parent be okay with missing all that? Missing every little part of your child’s life and not even feel a pinch?

  “You still there sweetie?” Eric asked when Natasha got too quiet.

  “Yeah, I’m here,” she said as she shrugged her shoulders. “It’s just a lot to take in at once,” she said.

  “And that is why I never want to talk about it. She wanted out of your life and that’s just it,” Eric said.

  “And that’s okay. We don’t need her,” Natasha said echoing the words she had heard her father say to her as she grew up.

  “That’s right. We do pretty damn good on our own,” he said. Natasha laughed as a tear rolled down her cheek. She brushed it off but another one just rolled down in its place. “But remember, you are a better woman, a better mother than she ever dreamed of being. What you are doing for your husband and Alexis, nothing could ever measure up to it,” he said.

  “Thanks, daddy. I needed to hear that,” she said. And she meant it, too. Having her father and Nan take care of her daughter was hard for her. She felt like this was just like what her mother had done. And even though she tried as much as she could to pass by their house and spend a couple of hours with her, it did not feel the same.

  “Don’t be sad. You are here almost every day. I’m sure she rarely misses you,” he said.

  “Ouch,” she said laughing.

  “You know what I mean,” Eric said. She ran her fingers through her hair again.

  “I do,” she said. At that moment she heard a car pull up in the driveway. She guessed that Leo and Dave must have dropped Mitchell off. “I have to go, Dad. Mitchell’s back,” he said.

  “Try not to think about it, okay love?” Eric said.

  “I’ll try. I love you, Daddy,” she said.

  “Love you too, princess,” Eric said before Natasha hung up. She wiped away her tears and then walked up to the door. She could see Dave and Leo driving off as Mitchell made his way up the steps. She was proud of him. He was now walking up and down stairs with the crutches with great ease and seeing how far he had come, she was more than proud.

  “Hey,” Mitchell said as he approached the door.

  “Hey,” she said before she threw her arms around him and began sobbing.

  “Whoa there. Are you okay?” he asked as he held her with one arm. She nodded, her head still buried in his shoulder. “Want to talk about it?” he asked. She shook her head again.

  “I…I…just talked to my dad,” she said when she pulled away. She looked up at him as he slowly brushed her cheeks with his fingers. He had not seen her this sad for a long time.

  “Is it Alexis? Is she okay?” he asked as panic took over. She shook her head.

  “Our daughter is fine, Mitch,” she said as she pulled away from him. “Come on in,” she said as she stepped aside. She looked at him as he made his way to the couch.

  “Okay, what’s going on?” he asked when he finally sat down. She walked up to where he was and sat down next to him.

  “I asked him about my mother,” she said as another tear rolled down her cheek. Mitchell put an arm around her and pulled her closer to him. “I asked if she had ever tried to come and see me or at least ask about me,” she said.

  “What did he say?” he asked.

  “She did, once. When I was eight,” she said in a low voice. “And she has never done it again. It’s as if I was a piece of garbage that she never wanted around her. She left me like I was nothing!” she said as yet another tear rolled down her cheek.
r />   Mitchell planted a kiss on top of her head. She looked up into his eyes and shook her head. “I know she knows about me and you but she did not even come to my wedding or even try to make contact with me when I had Alexis. She can’t say she didn’t know because the tabloids were buzzing with the news, Mitch,” she said. He pulled away from her and looked into her brown, tear-filled eyes.

  “You know what you are, Tasha? Amazing. An amazing woman who captured my heart because of how pure and awesome she is. And because of that, I know for a fact that the woman who gave birth to you does not deserve a tear from you,” he said. He held her face in his hands and gently kissed her lips. “You are who you are because of what you went through and guess what, Alexis knows it too,” he added when he pulled away.

  She looked into his eyes and smiled. He always had a way of making her feel better. She leaned in and kissed him gently before she pulled away. “It’s late and I can see you are already in a robe,” he said gently. She smiled and nodded. “Let’s go to bed,” he said before he pulled himself to his feet. She got up and slowly followed him to the bedroom and then sat on the edge of the bed as he got ready for bed. When he came back out, he walked to the bed as she took off her robe. He almost gasped when he saw what she had underneath: a blue stretch lace chemise and matching thong. Natasha looked down at what she had on and sighed. The talk about her mother had completely messed up her plans.

  “I’m so sorry, Mitchell. It all slipped my mind and…”

  Her words trailed off as he made his way towards her. She looked into his eyes when he stood in front of her before he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, her eyes were closed and at that moment, they both became aware of the scent in the room. Natasha had lit some candles earlier but she had waited on Mitchell for so long that the small candles had all burnt out, leaving only their sweet scent in their wake.