by Lisa Eugene
“Okay,” she answered “I hope it’s not formal. I only have jeans.”
He issued a low chuckle. “Formal? No way. Mike and Lisa have a one-year-old. They gave up formal a year ago. We’ll be lucky if we’re not all sitting in high chairs and drinking out of sippy-cups.”
“Sound like my kind of gig.” She laughed and pecked his cheek.
He turned his head and captured her bottom lip for a nibble. Her heart kicked hard in her chest, and she pulled away, feeling a sudden breathlessness. She rebuffed him playfully then scampered away to catch her breath.
Mike was tall, almost as tall as Wade. In fact, she guessed that they might be the same height except that Mike hunched his shoulders and that cheated him out of an inch or two. He gave Wade a bear hug, clapping him on the back, then turned to Nina and smiled. Wade made the introductions, and Mike shook her hand, adjusting his round glasses with the other. His eyes inspected her, and she knew instantly that that was the way he approached life, analytically, dissecting everything in an attempt at understanding it.
“Glad to meet you.” Mike smiled brightly, ushering them into the large living room where another couple perched on pillows on the floor around a rectangular coffee table. A pretty blonde woman stroked a large white tabby cuddled next to her.
Wade introduced Nina to his friends Mark and Veronica, and they stood to greet her, smiling warmly.
“Is that Wade?” A loud feminine voiced boomed from another room.
Mike looked at Wade and smirked. “You’re really in for it now, buddy,” he warned.
Wade’s look of foreboding was amusing as he shook his head gravely.
“We could hide you under the coffee table, but I’m afraid those long legs of yours would stick out,” Veronica mused.
“No aiding and abetting. He’s got to face the music,” Mike said grimly, mirth tugging the corner of his lips.
Nina was wondering what the trio were talking about when a petite woman burst into the living room, her hands wringing around a dish cloth. She marched right up to Wade, and standing on her tiptoes, grabbed an ample portion of his cheek and squeezed. Nina laughed as Wade’s face wobbled crookedly.
“I ought to give you a good tongue lashing for not visiting us recently! Your god-daughter has been just furious!”
Nina watched as the person whom she assumed was Mike’s wife, Lisa, finally released Wade’s face and gave him a giant hug.
“Well, considering that you almost broke your arm on our floor, I’ll go easy on you—this time!” Lisa warned, then turned to Nina with a beaming smile. She introduced herself, and her eyes narrowed critically. “Are you a model?” she asked, scanning Nina’s face.
Nina laughed. “No. I’m a physician.”
Lisa turned to Wade, the height of her eyebrows showing she was obviously impressed. A grin cracked her pretty face. “Wow, Wade, beauty and brains. That’s a change for you.”
“Ouch.” Mark winced and chuckled.
Wade smiled and shook his head slowly. “I think I’ve come to the wrong apartment. I was looking for my friends,” he teased then looked to Nina. “Don’t believe a word they say about me tonight. All lies.”
“Humm…they seem like pretty reliable people to me,” she responded.
Lisa sniggled. “We love her already. Good judge of character!”
Mike clapped Wade on the shoulder and shook his head grimly. “Quit while you’re ahead, bud, once the women get together it’s all over—trust me I’m the divorce lawyer.” Mike’s comment bought him a playful lash of Lisa’s dishrag.
Waving away Nina’s offer to help with dinner, Lisa took the wine they’d brought and headed back into the kitchen. Nina settled onto the floor next to Veronica, who started telling her about how they had all met, while Wade poured drinks.
Nina found out that Wade, Mike and Mark had all met in law school, and the two wives had met through them. Wade apparently was the only one in the group left unmarried, and that was a constant source of ribbing for him.
Wade sat on a cushion close to Nina, and she felt sweetly comforted by the protective hand he kept on her thigh. She laughed aloud as Veronica relayed several stories of a prankster Wade she could not imagine.
Soon Mark choired in, telling her of the Wade who’d dyed his hair green in law school to prove a case, the Wade who’d gotten locked out of his apartment wearing nothing but underwear and black dress socks, and the Wade who’d foiled a midtown mugging only to find himself arrested and dragged off to the police station as the perpetrator ran free. Wade pouted his lips playfully and objected during various points in the stories. He was only brushed away by Veronica who reminded him with a pixyish grin that he was not in a courtroom.
A few minutes later Lisa came into the room carefully balancing a teacup on a small saucer. She placed the brew directly in front of Wade and ordered him to drink up. Wade looked at her, bewilderment in his eyes as his eyebrows knitted together.
Nina and the others struggled desperately to contain their laughter as they swapped surreptitious glances. Nina didn’t know what was in the teacup, but an unpleasant odor wafted to her nose and made her stomach flip.
“What is this?” Wade asked, disgust wrinkling his nose.
“It’s good for you. Drink up. Mike mentioned that you caught a bug in your throat or something. This is a special recipe that I’ve concocted.”
Nina blushed beet-red when Wade’s gaze flicked to her. She gnawed on her bottom lip to hide the guilt that she felt for having put him in this predicament, and to also contain her secret amusement. She watched as Wade tentatively poked his nose into the rising steam then drew back with a shudder of his wide shoulders.
“Trust me, it’s guaranteed to cure everything.” Lisa stated, pushing the cup closer to him.
“What the hell is in it?”
“Oh, garlic root, ginger essence, flower extracts, sulfur powder, etcetera…”
He looked at Lisa blankly. “Yeah, yeah…sticks and snails and puppy dog’s tails. What are you, a witch?”
“No, silly. I’m reading a book on herbal remedies.”
“I’m telling you that stuff really works,” Mark piped in only to get a scorching glare from Wade.
Wade looked to his cohorts for help, but saw that all eyes were riveted to the floor. Constant tremors shook his friend’s shoulders. He knew he wouldn’t get much assistance from the wimpy bunch. Even Nina had turned on him.
“Drink up!” Lisa patted his back, got up, and strolled back into the kitchen.
Lisa had barely made it into the other room when everyone but Wade suddenly exploded into a fit of laughter.
“Thanks for all your help, guys,” he said sarcastically, again sniffing the potent brew. He wrinkled his nose and pulled away.
“Listen, I was afraid that she’d bring a cup out for all of us,” Mike said. “She’s been going crazy with this herbal stuff.”
Wade looked to Nina and could tell by her expression that she felt sorry for him. Although, the amusement in her shimmering green eyes was apparent. He waggled a long finger at her, laughter on his lips. She shrugged apologetically, assuming responsibility for his dilemma. He imagined his retribution and his groin ached in anticipation.
An idea sprouted. He placed his tea cup on the floor and watched his friends dissolve with shaky laughter. With a sweet cooing voice, he somehow cajoled the cat over to lap up the entire contents of the cup.
“How is it?” Lisa yelled from the kitchen.
“Humm…Delicious!” Wade answered, warning them all not speak a word of what he’d done.
“If my cat drops dead tonight, I can only blame you,” Mike whispered between gulps of laughter.
“Better him than me, bud. Besides, he’s got nine lives. I only have one.”
Just then, the soft whimper of a baby reached the living room, stopping the boisterous chatter.
“Oh, I think we woke up Sophia,” Mike said, rising from the floor.
Wade put a hand on his friend’s
shoulder. “I’ll get her. I think she misses her Uncle,” he said proudly. “Come see the cutest baby in the world.” He helped Nina up, and they walked down the hall, following the cries that were quickly increasing in amplitude.
Nina stepped quietly into the nursery behind Wade. A night-light softly illuminated the room, casting blurry shadows on the wall. She watched as his long legs carried him to the crib. She saw his broad shoulders hunch then straighten as he bent and collected a small bundle. The child in his arms squirmed and shook as she belted high pitched notes from her small lungs. Nina’s heart melted in her chest as he cuddled her close and jostled her rhythmically.
His deep voice was soothing as he murmured into Sofia’s ear, and Nina was in awe when she choked up several small cries, then bobbed her head quietly into his chest. Nina was swollen with emotion when his gaze found hers. He smiled and winked, his strong chin braced against the child’s curly head. She smiled back, her heart pulling in her chest. Suddenly feeling that breathlessness she had earlier, she looked away.
Sofia returned to her peaceful slumber, and Wade gently placed her in her crib. Nina was about to step out of the room when his long fingers circled her wrist. Nina felt them brand her skin and she almost winced. She swayed when she felt his lips tease hers open, and she leaned into him, surprised at the sudden weakness of her knees and the ache in her heart.
“Is everything okay?” he whispered, concern creasing his brow in the darkness. “If you’re tired we can leave.”
“No!” Glancing at the crib, she lowered her voice to a whisper. “No. I’m having fun, really. I like your friends.”
“Good. They like you too.”
Nina smiled, reassuring him that she was just fine. Out in the hall she slipped into the bathroom while he continued into the living room. She braced her hands on the sink and stared into the mirror, trying to bring order to the chaos inside her, trying to remind herself that passion was all that was shared between them. Nothing else. She needed to keep her heart safe.
The next few days were a true test of her resolve. Wade worked from home and indulged her completely. She marveled at how easily they laughed together, and how smoothly things flowed between them. His teasing light-hearted humor was an appealing contrast to the stern intensity he often projected. Whether they were simply watching a movie or working out together in the building’s expansive gym, there was a constant connection.
She was insatiable when it came to his body. Sometimes it took but a single sultry glance to ignite her passion. They’d made love in every room of the apartment and each time had been passionate and consuming, taking her to new levels of ecstasy.
But, the euphoric bubble abruptly burst when Wade brought up the subject of her work. He didn’t think it was a good idea for her to go back to work and advised her to take a leave of absence. Although Nina realized his delivery was a gentle as possible and that his words demonstrated concern for her safety, she couldn’t help but chafe at his request. The unpleasant memory of her ex-boyfriend’s highhandedness surfaced and fueled her vehement opposition.
There was no way she could take time off work. This was a pivotal time in her career. Her pending promotion was just one week away and she was already nervous about the outcome. Taking time off now would be detrimental to her career goals. Plus, she had argued, she couldn’t hide out in Wade’s apartment forever. They had disagreed fiercely, but in the end he had relented, though she could tell by his anger, that wouldn’t be the last of it.
Wade fumed, recalling his argument with Nina. She was as stubborn as she was beautiful. But, the danger was real, and it scared him. He was sitting in his living room reviewing some legal documents when his cell phone rang.
“Wade?”
He tuned in his attention when he heard the voice of Police Captain Matt Ryan on the phone. Wade had stopped by his office and filled him in on the details of the case earlier in the week. Captain Ryan was an old family friend. He’d grown up with Wade’s Uncle Tim and had been very supportive to his family when his aunt and uncle had died.
“Matt, any news?”
“Nothing on the street about Ben’s shooter. I wish you’d come to me sooner we could have really gotten a jump on this.”
“Nothing personal Matt, you know how I feel about—.”
“Yeah, yeah I know, ‘cops scaring away your bad guys.’”
“Things didn’t get crazy until Ben got shot. I figured the shooter was a hired gun.”
“Yeah, looks that way. We need to get back into the girl’s apartment to take another look. Maybe we’ll find something. We can’t get in touch with the landlord to open up.”
“I think Nina has an extra key.”
“Great, I’ll send Detective Sullivan over.”
Wade groaned at the sound of Detective Sullivan’s name.
“Listen, I know you two have had your differences, but he’s a good cop. Besides he’s the only one I can spare right now.”
“I guess I’ll have to tolerate him.”
Captain Ryan laughed gruffly. “Yeah. He said the same about you.”
“Thanks Matt. I really appreciate it.”
“How’re your parents doing?”
“Good. Last I heard they were in Turkey raising money to restore ancient landmarks.”
“How do you keep track of them?” Captain Mike chuckled.
“I don’t. Call me with any new developments.”
Wade braced himself when Michael rang the intercom to tell him Detective Sullivan was on his way up. He had no desire to see the person on the other side of the door. Their last encounter had been less than amicable. He pulled the door open and Detective Sullivan, wrinkled and unshaven, marched boldly into his living room and assessed his surroundings.
“Nice to see you’re slummin’ it like the rest of us.” He flung the sarcasm in Wade’s direction.
Wade bit his tongue, determined to not give the detective the satisfaction of a reaction.
“What, you don’t offer me a drink? So much for hospitality.”
Wade ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Look, Matt told me you’re going to be helping out on this investigation, so let’s just try to be civil.”
Detective Sullivan coughed up a coarse chuckle. “Civil.” He screwed up his craggy features as if mulling over the concept. “All right. I can do that. We could start over. I could go back out into the hall, and when you open the door, I can curtsey.”
Wade’s patience was wearing as thin as ice. He reached into his pocket and handed him the spare key Nina had given him. A curse spurted past his lips when she came walking down the hall into the living room. A big fat grin split Detective Sullivan’s face, causing her to halt in her tracks. Detective Sullivan raised a bony finger and hooked it in her direction.
“You’re the doc from the hospital, right?”
Nina nodded silently.
“I thought I recognized you at your apartment the other morning. What, you making house calls?”
“I believe our business is done Detective,” Wade interjected, opening the door.
Detective Sullivan turned to Wade and looked at him hard. “How’s Ben?”
“He’s still unconscious,” Nina answered when Wade didn’t respond.
“That’s too bad. I’m sorry,” Detective Sullivan said before he left, and Wade almost believed him.
“He doesn’t seem to like you very much,” Nina stated, causing Wade to nod in agreement. “Why?”
“My best friend Mike handled his wife’s divorce. Let’s just say he wasn’t too happy with the results. He’s not too fond of lawyers.”
Nina nodded with understanding. “Are you sure he’s going to help?”
Wade stared at the door thoughtfully. “I hope so.”
CHAPTER NINE
Despite her bravado, Nina was wary her first night back at work. Wade had cautioned her repeatedly to watch her back and to stay with groups of people. She was glad to see Sally’s easy smile. Her presence
added a layer of normalcy to her muddled life. It was difficult keeping secrets from her, but Nina had to fortify her resolve and remember that getting her friend involved would only expose her to risk.
It was also difficult not disclose the fact that she was staying with Wade. She circumvented countless questions about her reclusiveness during the past week. Sally thought Nina had been hibernating because she was still depressed and hurt over her breakup with him. Nina listened mutely while Sally offered her support and continued to curse his very existence. Her friend threatened to amputate certain vital organs if she were to ever lay eyes on him again, and Nina couldn’t help but quirk a satirical brow as the memory of the usefulness of said organs popped into her brain.
It was well past four in the morning and most of the physicians had retired to a call room in search of rest while Nina was seeing her last in a long line of patients. Walking out of an exam room she was surprised to see Dr. Reynolds approach her, his face stoically set.
“Hello, Nina.”
“Hi Dr. Reynolds,” she said, feeling the familiar awkwardness that always surfaced in his presence.
“How are things going?” he asked smoothly.
“Fine,” she replied, but couldn’t shake the feeling that he was waiting for a more detailed response. Fine hairs on the back of her neck stood in instant alarm.
“Only a week left before the board meets to decide on your promotion to senior attending,” he reminded.
Nina felt her muscles tense in alarm at his words. It wasn’t so much what he said, as the way he said it. He left the sentence hanging precariously in the air like an intangible concept that threatened to float away.
She nodded mutely.
“I imagine that’s very important to you.”
“Yes it is. I’ve worked very hard for it.” she declared.
“I’m well aware of that.” Dr. Reynolds deep baritone droned like a tuned engine then came to a sudden stop before revving up again. “I wouldn’t think you’d want to do anything to jeopardize what you’ve worked so hard for. I’ve always thought that you had a promising future. Always remember whose side you’re on.”