She telephoned Miles, her brother, for his opinion on her decision. “If you do that,” he said, “it’s because you feel a lot for him. I’m not asking you how far this thing has developed, but I do know that the two of you don’t have an understanding. If you did, you would discuss the rumor with him and ask him how he’d feel about your printing it. I want you to get an understanding with this man, Felicia. Please don’t drift into an affair with him and find yourself with a broken heart five years down the road.”
“I don’t intend to do that, Miles, even though I…I’m nuts about him.”
“If that’s the case, you don’t hold the cards, sis.”
“Maybe not, but I’ve got the music that makes him dance.”
She loved hearing Miles laugh. It always started in the pit of his belly and rolled up slowly like water beginning to boil. “Maybe now. But you be careful. A man with sense doesn’t rush out to buy what he can get for nothing. And another thing. I want to meet his man.”
“I’ll bring him to see you, provided he ever gives me a reason.”
“That’s precisely my point. When is he going to give you a reason? End of discussion. I got a note from Aunt Lou. She said Papa’s not well, but I’m not exercising my behind to go to California to see him.”
“He definitely wasn’t there when we needed him, but—”
“It’s up to you, sis. I don’t want to embarrass him or to lay a guilt trip on him by showing up in order to help him breathe his last breath. Besides, I’d botch it. I don’t feel a thing for him, and why should I? I haven’t seen or heard from him directly in thirty-three years, and I’m forty years old. To hell with him! I cried enough about him when I was seven.”
“I don’t even remember what he looks like,” Felicia said. “Anyway, he made the choice, I didn’t. And he’s one reason why I can’t stand philanderers. He remarried the same day that his divorce from our mother was final. I wish him well. Thank God for Uncle Adam, God rest his soul.”
“Amen to that. See if you can get some tickets to a good show. I think I’ll take a trip to the Big Apple. Make it a Friday or Saturday.”
“Okay. I’m so glad you’re coming up. See you soon.”
“Right, and don’t forget anything I told you.”
Felicia took pride in her brother. Miles Parker was a Distinguished Professor of Law at GW and a frequent media consultant. “I won’t. ’Bye for now.”
“By the way,” Miles said. “Is Damon Underwood related to Ashton Underwood?”
“Why, yes. Damon is Ashton’s youngest brother. Why?”
“He just passed the national bar exams with high marks, and it’s his first attempt. That’s a good show. As I recall, he took a class under me and got the top grade. Be seeing you.”
She hung up and dialed Ashton’s office number. “Hi,” she began when he answered. “I was talking with my brother a minute ago, and he told me that Damon just passed his national bar exams. I’m not sure Damon knows it, yet. He made a high score, too.”
“Thanks for telling me. Mind if I hang up, call Damon and then call you back?”
“Of course I don’t mind. Congratulate him for me.”
Minutes later, she answered her phone and heard Ashton’s voice. “My brother is delighted. He hadn’t heard the news, and probably wouldn’t have known he passed until he received a notice in the mail. He’s a happy man. I had intended to ask if you’d like to go with me to the Village Vanguard tonight. Horton’s there. I hope you don’t have another engagement.”
“I’d love to go,” she told him. “What time?”
“What if I’m at your place at a quarter of eight, and we make the nine o’clock show? I want to have dinner at home with Teddy tonight.”
“Fine. See you then.”
“Is there a reason why I can’t have a kiss?”
She made the sound of a kiss. “’Bye.”
On the way home after work, she bought a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and a reddish-brown curly wig that, she had to admit, looked great on her.
“This disguise should give us some privacy,” she told herself. The idea of disguising herself for any reason gave her an odd feeling, however, for she didn’t regard herself as a celebrity or even as a famous person. If she were a political columnist, nobody would approach her, she figured, because frivolous people rarely became attached to a serious writer: they neither read nor appreciated literary work.
At home, she made a shrimp salad and garnished it with slices of tomato and avocado, toasted one slice of whole wheat bread, made a cup of tea and sat down to eat her dinner and to read over what she’d written for the next day’s column.
She had to keep her mind off Ashton; thinking of him interfered with her work. When the pages that she turned reflected his face, she closed her notebook, went into her living room and sat down.
She rarely allowed herself the luxury of enjoying her apartment. Now, she gazed around her, seeing the brown-velvet sofa, the beige overstuffed velvet chairs and the brown-and-gold Tabriz carpet as Ashton must have seen them. She’d chosen each item carefully, but she was most pleased with the walnut unit that housed her television, books, curios, valuable crystal vases and other important things. She kicked off her shoes, rested her feet on the brass-framed glass coffee table and crossed her ankles. The entire apartment bespoke elegance and not a small amount of money, but it wasn’t a home. To her mind, a home sheltered a family.
Oh, why had she allowed Ashton Underwood into her life? If he’d wanted to settle down, he would already have done it. That man only had to whistle and he’d have more choices that he could sample in a month. And she should stop fooling herself; she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She showered, dressed in a yellow seersucker suit and white sandals and flipped on the television set while waiting for Ashton.
A few minutes before seven, the telephone rang and shivers crawled down her spine as she went to the telephone. A strange feeling told her that something was amiss. “Hello? This is Felicia.”
“Miss Parker, Mr. Ashton asked me to let you know that he has to cancel your date. He’s very sorry.”
Her heart began to race. “Is anything wrong, miss?”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s Teddy. Mr. Ash took him to the emergency room.”
She sat down. “The hospital? Which hospital?”
“Columbia Presbyterian.”
“Are you Mr. Underwood’s housekeeper?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Thank you for calling me. Good night.” Felicia got the telephone book, found the hospital’s address, grabbed her pocketbook and left. She hailed a taxi at the corner of Central Park West and Seventy-third Street and a few minutes later stood at the hospital’s information desk.
“Did you register Theodore or Teddy Underwood in emergency within the last couple of hours?”
The woman eyed her dispassionately. “Yes, he’s here, but you can’t visit this time of night unless you’re a close relative, a parent or sibling. Are you his mother?”
Felicia presented her New York Evening Journal ID. “I’m his mother.”
The woman recognized the name Felicia Parker and didn’t question the absence of the name Underwood. “This way, Miss Parker.” She called a guard. “Jack would you please take Miss Parker to room E-7L?”
Felicia thanked the woman and hurried along behind the guard who seemed determined to give her a good workout. At the E section, the guard spoke with a nurse who escorted Felicia to Teddy’s room. Ashton sat on the side of Teddy’s bed holding the child’s hands.
“Ashton, how is he? Tell me what happened? Is he all right?”
Ashton appeared startled at first as his head came up suddenly, and he blinked several times, as if to assure himself that she was not a mirage. “Felicia. I don’t know how he is yet. He ate something that he’s evidently allergic to. Eartha thinks it was endives. It’s the first time he had those. They’ve pumped his stomach and given him medicine, but he’s still not himse
lf. He’s full of gas, has chest pains and stomach pains. And the worst part is that he can’t stay awake.”
She pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down. “The medicine may be making him sleepy. Excuse me. I want to speak with the nurse.” She rushed to the nurse’s station. “Miss, I saw a bubble in the intravenous feeder.”
Without a word, the nurse bolted from her desk and ran down the hall to Teddy’s room. When Felicia arrived there, she found the nurse adjusting the tube. After she finished, the nurse examined Teddy with her stethoscope, and Felicia could see the woman breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you were here,” the nurse said as she left them.
“What was that about?” Ashton asked her.
She didn’t want to alarm him, so she said, “That tube wasn’t set up properly, and I told the nurse.”
Ashton’s eyes narrowed. “That nurse seemed frightened when she ran in here. Whatever it was, was serious, wasn’t it?”
Felicia nodded. “Yes, but all’s well that ends well. Right?”
He took her hand and held it. “Thank you for coming. I hope you don’t like endives.”
“Actually, I do,” she said. “Anyway, you’re not sure what caused it, are you? Perhaps it was a combination of things.”
“That’s what the doctor said. We gave them a list of everything he’s eaten today and the time he ate it.”
“Ashton, do you mind if I get a closer look at him. I want to see him.”
“Of course I don’t mind.”
She leaned over and looked at the small replica of Ashton. “He’s a beautiful child, Ashton, and he’s so much like you.” She continued to look at Teddy, and suddenly she leaned down and kissed his cheek.
“Why were you shaking your head?” Ashton asked her.
“I—I just can’t figure how anybody wouldn’t love him. He’s…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
He squeezed her fingers. “That’s all right. I often think that myself. He’s a wonderful child. I’m…fortunate to have him. He’s…” His voice broke, and when she put her arms around him, he relaxed in her embrace. “He’s got to be all right. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
She held Ashton close while she whispered a prayer for the child’s healing. “He’ll be fine. I’m going to the cafeteria and get you something to eat. Would you eat a ham sandwich and drink some coffee?”
“I don’t want you to leave, but I’m hungry. I didn’t get any lunch today, and I didn’t have a chance to eat dinner.”
“Would you like me to call the housekeeper? She seemed upset when we spoke.”
“Good grief, I forgot that. You can’t use a cell phone in here, so if you’d call her while you’re in the cafeteria, I’d appreciate it. Her name is Eartha Clarke.”
She stopped at the nurses’ station. “Nurse, Teddy seems so…so pallid. Do you think he ingested something poisonous?”
“No. He’s allergic to something, but don’t worry, he’ll come out of it. He’s already much better than when he came.” The woman’s arms stroked her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. “We can be thankful that your husband noticed the changes in Teddy and got him here in a hurry.”
“Thank you,” Felicia said, and hurried to the elevator. She should have told the nurse that Ashton was not her husband, but if she did that, she wouldn’t be able to stay with him. When the elevator reached the basement, she stepped out and dialed Ashton’s home phone number.
“Miss Clarke, this is Felicia Parker,” she said, when the woman answered. “I’m at the hospital, and Mr. Underwood wants you to know that the nurse thinks Teddy is out of danger. I don’t know what time Mr. Underwood will be home or whether Teddy will be with him when he gets there.”
“Thanks for calling me, Miss Parker. I’ve been out of my mind. Lord, if anything happened to Teddy, I’d die. The precious little thing is like my own child. I’m so glad he’s going to be all right. Do you think I should keep Mr. Ash’s dinner warm?”
“I doubt it. Get some rest. Goodbye.”
She bought the sandwiches, coffee for each of them, and some grapes. When she got back to the room, the nurse was examining Teddy, and Ashton paced the floor with a frantic expression on his face.
Felicia rushed to Ashton. “What is it?”
“He began to perspire, so I called the nurse. I thought he was getting better, and this…this—”
She put the food on the table beside Teddy’s bed and went back to Ashton. “I know you’re worried, but have faith. He’ll come out of it a well and happy little boy.”
“I want to believe that.” He walked over to the nurse. “Why doesn’t he wake up?”
“The medicine makes him sleep. He should wake up in about half an hour, when the medicine wears off. Talk to him. He’ll recognize your voice. Right now, all his vital signs are normal, but I’ll ask the doctor to take a look at him so you’ll be less stressed.”
The nurse left them, and they sat on the side of the child’s bed and ate their sandwiches. Ashton nearly spilled the coffee when Teddy said, “Where are we, Daddy?”
He put the coffee on the table and gathered Teddy into his arms. “We’re in the hospital because you ate something that made you sick.”
“As soon as I drank that juice, I started to hurt.”
“What juice did you drink?”
“I don’t know what it was. Can we go home?”
“I’ll ask the doctor.”
“Who’s she, Daddy?”
“Her name is Felicia, but you have to call her Miss Parker.”
“Do you have any little boys for me to play with, Miss Parker?”
“No, Teddy. I wish I did.”
“Oh. Maybe my daddy can find you a little boy. Daddy, I’m hungry.”
The muscles of Ashton’s face worked furiously, but he didn’t manage to hold back the grin that altered the contours of lips. “Out of the mouths of babes—”
“I know the rest,” she said.
Immediately, Ashton’s mood switched to serious. “You can’t know what it has meant to me that you came here tonight,” he told her. “I won’t forget it. I’d never felt so alone.”
“What else could I do? I know how much you love him, and I knew you were miserable. It didn’t occur to me not to come.”
“Excuse me a minute,” Ashton said to Felicia. “I’ll be right back.” He placed his son in bed and pulled the sheet over him. “I’ll be right back, son.”
“I’m going to be sick,” Teddy said.
She grabbed the towel at the foot of his bed, picked him up and held him while he gagged. “What on earth?” Ashton said when he came back. “What…Good Lord!”
“It’s dangerous for a child to regurgitate while lying down,” she said. “Anyway, he warned me.”
“But your dress. It’s—”
“It’s hardly soiled at all. The towel caught most of it.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Parker.”
“Ashton, would you wet this washcloth in some cold water, please?” She laid Teddy on the bed. “It’s all right. You were a smart little boy and you warned me.” She took the wet cloth from Ashton and washed Teddy’s face. “Don’t you feel better?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She leaned over and kissed Teddy’s cheek. “You’ll be well and back home in no time.”
“Gee,” he said. “You smell so good. Can I have another kiss?”
She didn’t look at Ashton, but cradled the child in her arms and kissed his cheek. She knew that Ashton hadn’t been ready for her to meet his son, for he had avoided inviting her to his home. But she wouldn’t refuse the child a kiss, and especially not since she enjoyed the exchange. When she straightened to a sitting position, he grabbed her shoulders with both hands and, standing behind her, said nothing, but communicated with a gentle touch an emotion that she knew possessed him. After a minute, she turned and he pressed her face to his belly.
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Looks as if i
t’s out of my hands.” She didn’t ask what he meant, because she knew.
A little after seven the next morning, the doctor told Ashton that Teddy could go home, but that he shouldn’t eat anything exotic for the next two days. “He’s in no danger, Mr. Underwood. You’ll get a report on what we think caused this as soon as I get it from our laboratory. Fine boy you have here.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” He left the hospital with one arm holding Teddy and his other hand locked tightly with Felicia’s hand. It had been one of the most stressful nights of his life, almost as bad as the hours in which he’d waited for Karla’s decision as to whether she would marry him and deliver the child or have an abortion and go her way.
“I’ll take a taxi home,” Felicia said. “There’s no point in your dragging Teddy by my place.”
“You’re right. I’ll grab a couple hours of sleep and call you later. I won’t thank you, because I can’t.” He leaned forward and brushed her lips with his own.
Teddy held out both arms to her. “Can I have a kiss, too, Miss Parker?” She kissed Teddy’s cheek and, to Ashton’s amazement, Teddy’s face shone with the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen on his child. Teddy waved at her. “Goodbye, Miss Parker.”
“Goodbye, Teddy.”
“Why can’t she come with us, Daddy?”
“She has to go to work.” It was a lame answer, and he knew it wouldn’t be Teddy’s last question about Felicia. The child had the memory of an elephant, and he would nag until he either lost interest or got an answer that satisfied him. “She smells good, Daddy.”
Didn’t he know it! “She does, indeed, son.”
In spite of his happiness in learning that Felicia was there for him if he needed her, in knowing that she hadn’t hesitated to hold Teddy at the risk of ruining her dress, and in seeing in her the maternal instincts that Eartha lacked and Teddy needed so badly in a woman, he felt that his life was suddenly being orchestrated for him.
That afternoon, less refreshed after a short nap than he would have preferred, he opened his copy of the New York Evening Journal and turned directly to Felicia’s column. He read it and relaxed; the editor hadn’t changed one word. He looked at his watch and saw that it was exactly one-thirty, an hour before the markets closed.
Just the Man She Needs Page 13