by Tosha Damaya
For a moment, she thought it was Jonathan playing a joke on her, but then she realized that she wasn't home in Austin but at Sean's place in San Antonio. She opened her eyes and expected to see Sean in the room with her, but she was alone. Who or what was touching her? Whatever was in bed with her was now rubbing against her side.
Johari was terrified to see what it was. She counted to three and lifted the blankets. When she saw the snake staring back at her, she screamed and jumped out of the bed.
"Oh, my God!" she yelled. To make matters worse, the snake slid out of the bed. She needed to get out of the room, but the snake was blocking the door slithering towards her.
"Sean! Sean! Sean!!!!"
A couple of minutes later, he busted into the room. "What's wrong?"
Johari pointed to the ground. "Snake. On. The. Floor!"
Sean looked down and saw the black snake. He breathed easier when he identified it as a rat snake. He picked it up and allowed it to wrap around his arm. "Honey, it's just a harmless rat snake. They aren't dangerous."
"I don't care what type of snake it is. Get it away from me!"
"Okay, I go it." Sean left the room with the snake and she could breathe easier.
Just then, Destiny poked her head in the room and blew Johari a kiss and then walked away laughing.
This little brat. Johari got up and shut the room door and called Sydney and Zeke. She needed someone to talk to. She answered on the third ring. "Hello?"
"Hey Syd, did I wake you?"
She yawned. "No. Teddy has been awake since 7:00. What do you need?"
"Actually, I need to ask your husband something."
There was a pause. "Okay. Hold on."
Johari heard shuffling and then Zeke was on the phone. "Jo?"
"If I kill a seventeen-year-old, how much time would I get in prison?"
Chapter 7
“Have you spoken to Johari today?"
Jonathan stared at Zeke confused. "No, I haven't spoken to her. She was supposed to call me but didn't," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. He just figured that she was busy.
"Call her," Zeke demanded. "Destiny has been giving her a hard time. I spoke to her this morning, and she was plotting a murder.”
Jonathan nodded his head. "I'll call her later."
"Call her now," Zeke pushed. He bet Sydney that Jonathan and Johari would end up together. If he won, he could purchase a boat. He could see himself relaxing on the water drinking a beer. For that to happen, he needed them talking.
Jonathan was confused, "Okay." He walked away for a little privacy and called Johari on his cell phone. It went to voicemail. "She didn't answer."
Jonathan grabbed another box and took it inside. Zeke was disappointed, and Ethan noticed. "What in the hell is wrong with you?"
"I'm trying to get him and Jo together."
"Why? I think he and Avery would be a good match. I got her number and gave it to him."
Zeke wanted to pick something up and throw it at Ethan. "Really? If I don’t get my boat I’m kicking your ass.”
Ethan was still confused. "Am I missing something? What in hell does a boat have to do with it?” he asked as he followed Zeke and Jonathan into the house.
↔
Later that night after he finished helping Ethan with the nursery, Jonathan was home in bed looking through college catalogues online. He was considering going back to school. He loved his job as an EMT but felt he could be doing more and had the potential to make more money.
He was looking at the University of Texas when the phone started to ring. He answered it without looking at the screen. "This is Jon."
"This is Jo," she mocked.
Jonathan smiled and removed the laptop from his lap so that he could get comfortable. "I don't know anyone named Jo?" he replied playfully.
"Jonathan, don't do me like that," she whined. "It's Jo!" she repeated.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know a Jo."
"I live with you.”
"Still doesn't ring a bell.”
"I'm the woman that cooks for you every night."
Jonathan pretended to think it over for a minute. "Oh, this is Johari! The same woman who said she was going to call me. Now I remember."
She groaned. "I'm sorry. I'm calling now."
Jonathan snorted. "Only because I called you earlier."
"Not true. I can't find my phone. I'm calling you on Sean's house phone, because I was thinking about you," she replied.
"Where's your phone?"
Johari was in bed also and snuggled under the blankets as she cradled the cordless phone between her neck and shoulder. "Honestly, I think Sean's daughter has it. She's a terror, Jon. I called you because I needed someone to calm my nerves."
He chuckled. "Is she really that bad?"
"Hell yeah. Today was good because she was at school, but, as soon as she came home, it started again. I went outside and when I came back inside my phone was gone. I swear want to kill her, but Zeke said not to do it."
"Please don't do it. I wouldn't be able to see you. How can I live without my JoJo?"
Johari's heart swelled. Therefore, she called him. He could always take her mind away from the drama. It was why she ran to him. She turned her bedroom light off and buried herself in the blankets. It was after 11 p.m. She told Sean that she had a headache and was heading to bed early. "I miss you. Will you talk to me until I fall asleep?”
“You sound like you’re half way there, are you okay?”
“It was a long day. Please talk to me for a few minutes.”
“About what?”
“Any and everything.”
Jonathan thought of something quick. “I think I’m going to join Noel in college. She probably wouldn’t like it though.”
Johari laughed. “It’s not like you’re some creepy old uncle. You’ll fit in. Would you stay on campus?”
He smirked. “Maybe; I never got the real college experience. I didn’t party, drink or sleep around. Better late than never.”
There was a pause before she answered. "Bye.”
Jonathan chuckled. "Stop, I’m only kidding. I’ll just commute back and forth. I like my own space.”
“What are you planning on studying?”
“I’m thinking of attending medical school.”
Johari sat up in bed. “Why?”
“Why not?”
“Does this have to do with Sean?”
Jonathan groaned. “Are you kidding? So, you’re saying I want to become a doctor because your boyfriend is one?”
“No, of course not.”
“I don’t sit around thinking about you and Sean all day. I have a life.”
“I know.”
“Ok good. I got to go. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.” Jonathan ended the call before Johari could respond.
"Goodnight."
Chapter 8
Hi, my name is Johari and I like to suck dick.
I charge $20 for vaginal and $25 for anal sex.
I'm a gold digger and I chase after older men for money.
Ethan read through the text messages from Johari and was confused. "Hey Jon, have you gotten any strange text messages from Jo?" he asked.
"It's not her. She can't find her phone."
Ethan and Jonathan stepped off the elevator and walked towards Sierra's hospital room. "Well, someone needs to tell her. Imagine who else is getting these messages."
"I tried calling Sean's house, but no one answered. My guess is that she doesn't even realize that the messages are being sent. It has to be Sean’s daughter.”
Jonathan and Ethan walked into Sierra's room. She was sitting on the side of the bed holding the baby. Ethan went towards Sierra and gave her a kiss on the lips and kissed Sammie on the forehead.
"Are you ready to go, baby?" Ethan asked her. The hospital was finally letting her discharge after having Sammie. Jonathan was there to help Ethan grab all the gifts and baby supplies.
"Hell yeah, I'm ready; I need to be in my ow
n bed."
The nurse came with a wheelchair for Sierra. She looked at it and laughed. "I don't need that."
"Ma'am, its procedure."
"That's a stupid procedure."
Ethan grabbed Sammie from Sierra. "Stop being difficult and get in the chair."
Sierra rolled her eyes and walked over to it mumbling the entire way. Ethan gave her the baby once she was settled in the chair. Ethan and Jonathan got all her belongings and gifts and followed her out of the room.
"Jonathan, have you talked to Johari? I got a message from her saying she suck dick. I replied me too," Sierra said with a chuckle.
Ethan laughed while Jonathan groaned. "Jo would never send messages so vulgar.”
The trio got on the elevator heading towards to lobby of the hospital. Ethan's car was there waiting at the exit. "Have you called Avery yet?" Ethan asked Jonathan once they were off the elevator.
"Not yet."
"What are you waiting on? She's a dime piece. There aren't too many women like her."
"What the fuck?" Sierra questioned.
"Baby, you know you're my number one girl. I'm just trying to set Jon up with someone."
"You better be. You already can't get any for six weeks, I'll make you wait longer."
Jonathan groaned again. He really needed to get some new friends. He was tired of hearing about his little sisters having sex. "I'll call Avery today."
"Or, you can just talk to her now," Avery commented. She was standing behind them and witnessed the conversation. They all turned to stare at her. "There was a purse left in the room," she said before handing it to Ethan.
Sierra sized Avery up and down. This chick was bad. "Damn, you are good-looking. I would get with you if I liked women," she admitted.
Avery smiled and took it as a compliment. "Thanks. You must be Sierra. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"You too," she replied still staring. "Jon, you need to handle your business. We'll be in the car waiting," she said before the nurse started pushing her out of the lobby.
Jonathan and Avery were left alone. "I'm sorry about my sister. She's not good at holding her tongue."
Avery didn't mind it. "I'm not complaining. I like her," she said with a laugh.
"What about me?" he questioned.
Avery put her index finger on her chin and thought it over. "Hmmm. Well, Ethan got my number a couple of days ago and you still haven't called me. So, at this moment I'm not so sure about you," she teased.
"Will taking you out to dinner make up for it? We can talk and eat, get to know each other better." He didn't know much about her, but Ethan voiced that she was an amazing woman. She was certainly beautiful, that much was obvious. He knew from past experiences that a pretty woman could cause trouble. Danielle taught him that hard lesson.
Avery smiled. She couldn't get a complete feel on Jonathan. A dinner date would give her time to assess him. "Okay I'm down. How about tonight? I just have to check on a patient and then I’m available.”
Jonathan grinned. "Tonight is fine with me.”
↔
Saturday night, Avery walked into the restaurant and looked around until she saw Jonathan sitting at the bar. She walked over and got his attention by tapping his shoulder. "Sorry I'm late," she apologized before settling on the barstool beside him. "Work was crazy, so I stayed late, and I still didn't get everything done." She felt horrible for not being able to go back to Nina's room. She received five new patients that occupied her time the rest of the day.
First thing tomorrow morning, she was going to see Nina Rice. She wasn’t doing too well, and Avery was worried about her. If her blood pressure didn’t return to normal levels they would have to deliver the baby early.
"It's not a problem. The restaurant is booked solid. The hostess said the wait is about thirty minutes for a table."
"Let's just eat at the bar."
He was surprised to hear that. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm starving. So, I don't want to wait."
The bartender came and took their drink and food orders. Avery didn't drink, so she ordered a water while Jonathan got a beer. When he walked away, Avery turned to Jonathan. "So, tell me about yourself?"
"What do you want to know?”
"The full story. I already know that you're related to Ethan and his scary brother and that you work at the hospital."
Jonathan laughed. "Ethan and Zeke are married to my younger sisters, and I've been at the hospital for a few years. In addition to working there, sometimes I help my sister with her flower store."
"So, you only have two sisters?"
"Yeah. What about you?" he asked.
"I have a little sister that's twenty-three and a brother that's only nineteen. They live in New Mexico near my parents."
"What brought you to Texas?"
She sighed. "The truth?" Jonathan nodded. "I followed my boyfriend. He dumped me after I moved here. By that point I already had a job here, so I stayed."
Jonathan was about to comment, but the bartender came with their meals. "Love will make you do some crazy things," he said after a few minutes.
"Sounds like you have some bad experiences."
"I do," he said. His thoughts went to Danielle. He still couldn't believe that he fell for her lies. "I'm more careful about what type of women I involve myself with now. This is the first date I've had in a while."
"So besides working, what do you do for fun?"
"I spend a lot of time with my family. Every weekend I do something new with my roommate Johari."
"Tell me more about your roommate," she urged. She was a romantic and since she didn't have her own love life, she would typically live through someone else's.
Jonathan thought it was an odd request, but he didn't mind talking about Jo. "She's amazing. My sister forced me to spend time with her, and now I'm glad she did. She's an amazing cook and loves to try new things. She has such positive energy despite her negative past. She's important to me and I miss her."
"And you love her," Avery concluded.
Jonathan shook his head in denial. "No, I don't. She's a part of the family."
"Have you ever thought about her naked?" Avery boldly asked. When Jonathan smiled, she knew the answer. "No need to tell me," she chuckled.
Jonathan shared her laughter. "You do realize that we're on a date and you're forcing me to speak about another woman?"
"This is no longer a date. As soon as you mentioned your roommate, your face lit up. Now we're just two people sharing dinner and drinks. Why are you wasting time with me instead of chasing after her?"
Jonathan didn't consider spending time with Avery a waste. The experience was a real eye opener. "She's currently involved with someone."
"Does she have a ring on her finger?"
"No."
"Then, she's not taken. My motto is that a woman is still available if there isn't a ring. There's still a chance for you, Jonathan."
Avery and Jonathan finished dinner and he walked her to the car. "Thank you for tonight. I'm glad I got the chance to spend time with you. Ethan was right; there's something special about you, Avery."
"Thank you. Have a good night, Jonathan. Next time I see you, I want Johari on your arm."
Chapter 9
Johari cooked dinner for Sean and Destiny to show her appreciation. She waited for a snide comment to come out of Destiny's mouth, but she ate quietly.
"That was delicious," Destiny said with a smile.
Sean was so shocked by the response that he dropped his fork. He and Johari shared a look. "Thank you," Johari replied.
Destiny excused herself from the table to complete some homework. Johari and Sean watched her leave. "I don't know who that little girl is, but she's not my daughter."
"She has been acting abnormal today."
Despite Johari's phone still being missing, she had a great day with Sean. It was her second night with him and she could tell that he was growing more confident as they spent more time tog
ether. He held her hand as they explored the San Antonio River Walk earlier and stole kisses when she least expected it. He was sweet and made her feel special. One thing bugged her though; no matter how much she focused on Sean, Jonathan would creep into her mind. She wondered what he was doing and how his day was going. She hoped that Syd or his mother was keeping him fed and that he wasn't starving to death. She found herself missing him and was anxious to hear his voice.
"Are you in the mood for a night cap?" Sean asked breaking into her thoughts.
Johari smiled. "Sure. Let me put the dishes away first." She stood from the table, but Sean stopped her.
"No, I can do that. You cooked, so I clean."
"Alright. I'm going to go call Sierra. I know that she was released today from the hospital. I want to check on her and the baby."
"Okay, we can meet in the living room in fifteen minutes."
That gave her enough time to call Jonathan and Sierra. "Sounds perfect."
↔
Johari rushed upstairs and dialed Jonathan's cell. She was disappointed when it went to voicemail. "Hey Jon, its Jo, and I just wanted to hear your voice. Maybe I'll try you later. Bye."
After ending the call, she dialed Sierra's number. She picked up right away. "Hello."
"Hey Mrs. Coleman!" Johari playfully said into the phone.
Sierra laughed. "Hey slut. Why are you calling me? You should be under Sean calling his name," she joked.
"We're taking things slow, Sierra. None of that is happening soon."
"Keep waiting. It's going to start growing cobwebs, it's been closed for so long. How long has it been, Jo?"
Too long. But she didn't call Sierra to discuss her sex life. "I called Jon, but he didn't answer. What's up with him?"
"Honey, he's on a date and let me tell you. Ms. Avery is drop dead gorgeous. She could get it from me. I might switch sides for her." Johari could hear Ethan in the background complaining.
"Wait! A date? What? How?"
"Ethan set them up. He's going to be mad that he missed your call."
Johari sat on the bed and sulked. She couldn't believe that Jon was on a date. "Why would he be mad?"
"He wanted to talk to you. Well, we all wanted to talk, but we didn't feel comfortable calling Sean's phone."