by J. L. Ryan
As soon as they entered Jennifer felt that all eyes were on them. At least all the females in the room were looking at Lorenzo and sizing her up. He may not realize it but she could tell some of those females weren’t too happy to see another woman on his arm. Lorenzo, on the other hand, saw more than a few envious stares from the attending men. He knew he had a hottie on his arm and he enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing that this fetching beauty was with him. Just friends or not, he was still proud to be seen with Jennifer whether she was in sneakers, a formal dress, or just his shirt. The image of her wearing his shirt coming off the beach had haunted him ever since that night. Attempting to shake off the vision, as they were in a church and that could only lead to “un-churchly” thoughts, he moved to shake hands with some of the gentlemen in the foyer and to introduce his date.
They were ushered into the crowded sanctuary by an elderly gentlemen and took their places in a middle row. Luckily the ceremony started soon after their arrival as Jennifer was feeling awkward having so many people looking her over She knew they were evaluating in their minds if she was good enough for the handsome man next to her. Some, she noticed, frowned. Others gave a small grin of approval. However, there was more than one that gave her an outright evil look. The buxom blonde in the third row was obviously not happy with her presence. Sweet-natured Raphael kept leaning over to point out and whisper the names of everyone he knew. The blonde in question was the teacher’s assistant in his class.
The ceremony was beautiful and much longer and formal than Jacy’s wedding had been. Raphael was well-mannered and remained quiet and observant the entire time. Too bad the three preteens in the back row weren’t so well-mannered. When the ceremony was over, they went back to the car to drive to the local country club for the reception. Raphael resumed his constant chatter with Jennifer. He pointed out his school and his team’s soccer practice field. He described, in detail, his last game where he scored the winning goal against his arch rival Landon. The boy definitely had spunk and character. Jennifer already loved him and they had only been together for an hour or more.
The reception was held at an antebellum-looking house overlooking a pristine golf course. There were tennis courts adjacent to the building and a pool with colorful winding slides behind it. After dinner the children were taken to another room in the building where they could play arcade games or use the indoor basketball courts while the adults stayed in the banquet hall for dancing and drinks. Several people came over to introduce themselves, including the teacher/bride. One sweet middle-aged woman, who had already had a bit too much wine with dinner, commented that Raphael’s dad had outdone himself with his date and that she shouldn’t mind the other women there giving her jealous stares. Laughing, Jennifer agreed wholeheartedly. However, she was shocked when the blonde teacher assistant strutted over, and without acknowledging Jennifer’s presence, asked Lorenzo to dance. He was stunned as well and indicated he already promised his date a dance. With that, he led Jennifer to the small dance floor as the music changed from some hip-hop number to a more subdued soft rock ballad. Trying not to giggle, Jennifer glanced over at the blonde woman who had stormed off.
The rest of the evening, Lorenzo and Jennifer kept mostly to themselves. Dancing when it was a slow tune and sitting out the club dance music. Raphael came bounding into the room again when he tired of the game room. Deciding it was time to leave, they again congratulated the bride and groom and made a beeline out the door. Once outside, Lorenzo issued a genuine sigh of relief it was over. Jennifer now understood why he had needed her tonight – to fend off the hordes of women wanting to throw themselves at him. “Must be a tough life,” she thought as she started to giggle. Raphael just looked confused. He was so cute at that moment, Jennifer had to resist the urge to pinch his little cheeks. She was pretty sure he would not appreciate that.
The little boy seemed genuinely upset when they arrived back at the Metro station for Jennifer to catch her ride home. Looking into his sad face, so much like his father’s, she promised it would not be the last time they would see each other. Surprising even herself, she asked him for a hug which he gladly provided. The look on Lorenzo’s face as she shyly glanced up through her eye lashes, was a mixture of sadness and pride. Jennifer imagined he would give anything to have Raphael’s mother here to give him hugs. Standing on tiptoe, as she had quickly reclaimed the sneakers when they had left the reception so was lacking the added height from the heels, she gave Lorenzo a quick kiss on the cheek while holding onto his hand so as not to topple from the effort. Being so tall, she was truly on the tips of her toes. He, in turn, held the tips of her fingers a little than necessary as if not wanting to let go. With a reassuring smile, Jennifer turned towards the Metro station to leave.
Chapter 6
Lorenzo sent a thank you message to her via Facebook the next day with an emoticon of flowers. After that Jennifer didn’t hear from him for over a week. She tried to convince herself she wasn’t disappointed and refocused all her energies on her patients.
A new protocol she had designed was showing positive results for a couple of her younger patients in the earlier cancer stages. Unfortunately, it had been too little too late for one young boy in the more advanced stages of lymphoma. It had been an incredibly difficult day as she dealt with his loss. Jennifer kept chastising herself for not developing the protocol sooner so she could’ve saved him. Jacob, after seeing her distress, ordered her to take the rest of the day off. Several hours were spent running to rid herself of her demons. The ones that tormented her every time she lost a patient.
She heard her phone ringing as she approached the door to her condo. Unable to unlock the door fast enough, she missed the call. Checking caller id, she recognized Lorenzo’s number. The voicemail indicator came on and she pushed the button to listen. He had just heard from their mutual friend Kyle in Dallas. His wedding date was set for the first week in December. The official invitations would be in the mail soon but he suggested booking the flight and hotel sooner rather than later. His fiancé had just discovered there was a convention of certified public accountants in the same hotel as the wedding. He ended by jokingly asking if she was up for yet another wedding.
Not in the mood to think happy thoughts that should always go along with weddings, Jennifer postponed calling him back until later that night. Despite trying to sound cheerful, Lorenzo sensed something was off. Changing his manner of voice from jovial to concerned, he asked what was wrong. She didn’t mean to have a meltdown but was unable to say the words without her voice shaking and tears springing to her eyes again. She hadn’t lost a patient in months and this time it really hit her hard. He listened sympathetically and tried say reassuring words of comfort. His heart ached for her as the agonizing pain in her voice was clearly evident.
Feeling exhausted from her emotional ordeal, Jennifer apologized for making him listen to her pathetic troubles. He assured her that it was no trouble and he was happy to be there for her anytime. Suddenly he asked her address. “Oh, great!” she thought. “Now he thinks he needs to send me a sympathy card or something.” After giving him the information, Lorenzo did the strangest thing. He abruptly said he had to go but would contact her soon. Surprised by the change, she muttered a goodbye and hauled herself up off the sofa to get a much needed shower.
A couple of hours later her home phone rang with the tone indicating someone was buzzing her from the front entrance to her building. Alarmed, she asked who was there and was startled to hear Lorenzo’s deep voice announcing himself. After hitting the button to unlock the door to the building, she ran to the bathroom and was dismayed at what she saw looking back at her in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy and her nose a bright shade of pink after all the crying she had done that day. “Oh no. I’m a total mess,” she scolded herself. Splashing some cold water on her face didn’t seem to help either. Too late. Lorenzo was already knocking on her door.
Taking a deep breath she opened the door. Without a word, Lor
enzo reached out and drew her into an embrace. They moved inside the condo without breaking apart. As the door closed behind them, her tears started again. He held her as she sobbed. It wasn’t until her body relaxed against his and her tears were spent that he gently pulled away just a little to look into her eyes. She saw his sympathy for what she was going through but she also saw something else. Almost as if it pained him to see her like this.
Realizing she must look a mess, Jennifer made to move away to get some tissues. Instead, Lorenzo tenderly stroked her cheek to wipe away a stray tear. His large hand cupped her face tenderly as he continued to gaze into her watery eyes. Not even realizing what she was doing, Jennifer leaned towards him and put her arms around his neck. Slowly, as if afraid to break away but also afraid to move closer, he tilted his head so they were eye to eye, nose to nose. Moments passed where Jennifer could only feel her heart thudding in her chest. Finally he closed the final distance and softly touched his lips to hers.
Tenderly at first and then with more urgency as long pent-up desire welled in them both, they kissed. His soft, sensual lips covering hers. As the kiss intensified his tongue parted her lips with a light stroke. The movement sent thrilling shivers through her body that left her hungry for more of him. Their tongues explored one another as if dancing to their own soft ballad. Deep inside her, Jennifer felt heat waves of passion surging throughout the body. From her very core to her limbs, long denied feelings bubbled up numbing her mind to anything else but the luscious feel of his body pressed against hers.
Lorenzo deftly guided them towards the oversized chair which was the first piece of furniture he could find. He settled her into the chair and knelt in front of her without breaking their connection. His hands caressed her face and neck as he deepened the kiss. Desperate to have him even closer her hands found the open collar on his shirt which she used to tug him closer to her. All thoughts had vacated her mind as soon as his lips had touched hers. There was nothing but sensation and the fire scorching through her veins.
Breathless, he pulled away to look into her blazing emerald eyes. There was a question in his eyes that remained unasked. Jennifer answered, without hesitation, as she pulled his head back towards hers. The intensity of their mutual need for each other was unable to be denied any longer. Had it always been there? Lorenzo gently scooped her up in his arms and moved them towards her bedroom.
Hours later, as the sun began to shine through her bedroom window, Jennifer stretched like a satiated cat as she ran her hand over Lorenzo’s muscular sleeping form. The light streaming between the blinds only accentuated the perfection that was the man. Despite knowing him for years and seeing him in everything from a tuxedo to swim trunks, never would she have dared imagined him like this. Naked, in her bed, with his tousled hair covering his eyes as he continued to slumber. Jennifer reached up to move the hair away from his beautiful face so she could get a better look. Seeing him asleep it was hard to believe this angel was the same man that had taken her to such dizzying heights of ecstasy last night. She blushed at the memories.
Then realization struck. If he was here, who was with Raphael? How had she not thought of him before? She shook Lorenzo awake. He groggily sat up and reached for her as if to replay the events of last night, but she stopped him by the distraught look on her face. “Hey, I thought we got rid of that facial expression last night. What happened while I was asleep?” he asked.
She couldn’t believe he didn’t know. “Raphael. What about your son? Please tell me you didn’t leave him alone just to come all this way to console me,” she begged. With a huge sigh and laugh, he told her that the reason it had taken him so long to get here last night was because he packed up Raphael and sent him to a sleepover at a friend’s house. Jennifer nearly collapsed back on the bed in relief. Of course he had taken care of his son first. Seeing her concern for the boy, Lorenzo smiled up at her and pulled her close. First he kissed her eyelids, then trailed light kisses down her face and neck before coming back to her mouth. They fell back on the bed together and spent the rest of the early morning enjoying each other.
A couple hours later, they had both showered and dressed. He needed to get back to coach his son’s soccer game that afternoon. She had rounds to complete at the hospital and she was already late. As Lorenzo kissed her goodbye he asked her to come out to the game and spend time with him and Raphael for the weekend. Maybe she could even pack an overnight bag, he suggested. An offer like that was too good to refuse so she agreed to text him when she reached the Metro station closest to Warrenton. With a final longing kiss, they parted ways for the day. Both anticipating seeing each other again in just a few hours. Both exhilarated by their realized passion for each other and both nervous about where that left them as friends.
Chapter 7
Jennifer found herself smiling like a silly lovesick girl as she made her rounds at the hospital. A couple nurses read the signs and were happy for the beautiful workaholic doctor. They commented, “It’s about time that girl got a man!” Even the fretful parents of her patients picked up on her improved demeanor. This was a side to their child’s doctor they had never witnessed. It was refreshing. The only person not happy about Jennifer’s improved mood was Jacob. Although he had never officially made a move on her, he still thought of her as the one he would eventually captivate and marry. She had all the attributes of the perfect wife – gorgeous, highly intelligent, career-centric, and most importantly, she could charm the bigwigs in Washington out of their money for the hospital with just a bat of her eye lashes. Yes, Jennifer was his ideal candidate for the job of Mrs. Jacob Mallory. She, of course, was completely unaware of his plans.
As she finished with her files and put them back at the nurse’s desk with specific instructions for each patient, Jacob approached her. As she turned to leave, she nearly bumped into him. “Sorry, Jacob. Didn’t realize you were there,” she apologized and made to go around him as she was anxious to get out to Warrenton for Raphael’s game. He blocked her way and instead took her arm and led her to his office on the pretense of needing to consult about a patient. Reluctantly, Jennifer followed.
As they sat down in his office, he coolly commented on her changed behavior. Jennifer could tell he was not happy about something but was not in the mood to wait around to find out why. He continued, “Normally, I would be ecstatic seeing you so smiling and downright jovial with the staff and patients.” His tone indicated he was not ecstatic at all. Quite the opposite. “However, it seems after you lost your patient just yesterday that perhaps you would become less distracted and refocus on saving the others instead of happily humming as you complete paperwork.” His objective was clear – make her doubt herself and refocus the blame on the patient’s death on her to guilt her into leaving behind whoever was diverting her attention from her work even for a second.
At first she was bewildered that he considered her to be unfocused on her patients and her work. After a few moments thought, she realized he could be right. Even she was astutely aware that ever since she had reconnected with Lorenzo, she found her mind drifting to him. Jennifer had convinced herself it was only when she was away from the hospital and not that often. After last night’s events, maybe it had been more than that and she just hadn’t realized it. Observing the look of doubt cross her face, Jacob went in for the kill. “Perhaps you need something to fire your motivation for your research. There’s a fundraiser tonight at Smithsonian. Why don’t you come with me? You can redouble your efforts if more money is flowing in for research.” Sadly defeated, she shook her yes and left the office. Jacob sat back in his chair with a smug smile.
Her new found pep vanished as she exited the hospital. “He was right,” she chided herself, “I could’ve saved that suffering child if I had just spent more time at the hospital, more time researching the new protocol so it could’ve been used before it was too late. This was all my fault. What was I thinking that I could have a personal life now? I’ve done without one for years. Obv
iously I don’t need a man or love, and certainly not a family. My life’s work is at a crucial stage. I can’t allow myself to be diverted any longer. I owe it to the other children in that ward. Despite her heart and body screaming their need for Lorenzo, she resolved to end things with him before she lost the will to do so.
Tears rolled down her freckled face as she dialed Lorenzo’s number. It went straight to voicemail so she left a short message saying there had been some complications at work and she would be unable to make Raphael’s game. Unable to hold herself together when he called back just a few moments later, she turned off her phone and headed back home. The condo seemed so much lonelier without him. She thought, “Has it really only been a few hours since Lorenzo was here holding her, kissing her, making love to her?” It seemed like a lifetime ago now.
Without feeling much like going to a party, much less a charity event with Jacob, she dressed in a subdued gray chiffon number that fell off one shoulder. She may look dazzling but she didn’t feel the part. Jennifer just went through the motions that evening. Smiling when talking with potential donors. Allowing Jacob to usher her around the room as his own personal property. She was even caught unawares when he introduced her to a high-ranking senator as his girlfriend. It jolted her out of her reverie like being struck by lightning. Unwilling to make a scene or embarrass him in front of the party guests, she continued to smile even when the senator made a remark to Jacob about not letting such a beauty get away. Jacob, of course, was in agreement with the suggestion.