NYC Angels: Tempting Nurse Scarlet

by Wendy S. Marcus

  He now had a vividly clear understanding of parental apprehension and avoidance when discussing reproductive matters with their children.

  Pain typical of an ulcer started to burn through the lining in his stomach.

  His doctor self knew what had to be done.

  His father self would rather preach the pros of maintaining virginity until marriage.

  “He looks pale,” Jessie said, standing in front of him with her arms full of clothes.

  “Men often do when shopping for clothes with women.” Scarlet looked up at him with deceptively innocent eyes and smiled. “You feeling okay, papa bear?”

  “You are a mean woman,” he said so only she’d hear.

  “Nah,” she said. “If you’re nice to me, maybe I’ll handle ‘the talk’” she made air quotations around ‘the talk’, “for you.”

  A total father copout, but thank you! “Lunch is on me,” Lewis said, his vigor returning. “Then we’ll go to Macy’s to buy Scarlet a nice little gift for accompanying us today,” he said to Jessie.

  They found a little Italian bistro on 46th Street whose posted menu appealed to them all and squeezed into the last available corner booth, Jessie and all her bags on one side, Scarlet and Lewis on the other. When the waiter came to take their drink order Lewis asked Scarlet, “Would you like to share a bottle of wine?” Maybe bra shopping wouldn’t be so bad with a nice relaxing buzz.

  “No thank you,” she said to him. Then she turned to the waiter. “Just water for me, please.”

  After ordering a soda Jessie said, “Scarlet doesn’t drink alcohol, Dad.”

  “But don’t let me stop you from having,” Scarlet added quickly.

  Lewis decided on an iced tea.

  “You don’t have to tell him why,” Jessie said very serious. “What we say between us stays between us.”

  “It’s not something I share with everyone I meet,” Scarlet said. “But it’s not a secret, either.”

  Jessie jumped at the chance to share the reason. “When Scarlet was sixteen she went to a party where the kids were drinking alcohol,” Jessie said in horror. “She drank too and got so drunk she passed out.”

  “I hope you have a good reason for discussing your drunken teenage exploits with my daughter,” Lewis said.

  Scarlet turned to face him, her eyes met his. “Obviously alcohol impaired my ability to make good decisions because a few weeks later I found out I was pregnant.”

  She watched him, so Lewis was careful to maintain a neutral expression. He knew he should say something, but what? I’m sorry? How horrible? What happened to the baby?

  “That’s why kids shouldn’t drink alcohol,” Jessie said, taking the pressure off of him by filling the silence. “Because it makes them do stupid things they don’t remember doing. I’m never drinking alcohol even after I turn twenty-one.” She took her soda from the waiter and pulled the paper tip off of the straw.

  “Good girl,” he said, knowing a thirteen-year-old’s declaration of long-term sobriety could be recanted without his knowledge at any time as she moved toward adulthood.

  Jessie took a sip of soda then said, “Scarlet’s baby is the reason the two of us met.”

  Very interesting.

  Scarlet stared at her water glass, sliding her fingers through the droplets of condensation on the outside. If he wasn’t mistaken, a hint of a blush stained her cheeks.

  “Jessie, I don’t think Scarlet is comfortable with you telling me all this.” Even though he wanted to hear more.

  “No,” Scarlet looked at Jessie. “It’s okay. Go on.” She glanced at him. “Might as well get it all out.” She turned back to Jessie. “It’s not good to keep things from your dad.”

  Later, he’d thank her for that.

  “The nurses told Scarlet her baby had died.”

  Scarlet jumped in to add, “Which is why I decided when I grew up I’d become a nurse who specializes in caring for premature infants.”

  And from what Lewis had heard and witnessed first-hand, she did a phenomenal job of it.

  “But since her father was totally evil and wouldn’t let her see her baby and refused to tell her where he’d had the baby buried, she started to wonder what if the baby had really survived?”

  If the topic of conversation had been fiction rather than fact, Lewis would have smiled at Jessie’s story-telling, wide-eyed and full of intrigue.

  “I know it sounds ridiculous.” Scarlet picked up the story. “But what if my dad had my baby transferred to another hospital and arranged for her to be adopted? Which, if you knew my dad, you’d know was something he was fully capable of pulling off, considering he also managed to make all documentation from my hospital stay, including any record of the birth, death, or transfer of my daughter, mysteriously disappear. And he did it without any remorse at all to save himself the embarrassment of having an unwed teenage mother for a daughter.” Anger seeped into her voice and Lewis felt her stiffen beside him.

  How horrible to have endured so much trauma at such a young age. He moved his knee to touch hers in a show of support that seemed to relax her.

  “Anyway,” Scarlet went on. “If my daughter is in fact alive, she’d be about Jessie’s age. And when we met I told Jessie I’d hope if someone saw my daughter looking as sad and lonely as she did, they’d take the time to talk to her, and try to cheer her up, and see if there was anything they could do to help her.”

  “Which is what Scarlet did for me,” Jessie said.

  “And I am so glad she did,” Lewis said, turning to Scarlet. “I’m sorry about your daughter, but words cannot express how thankful I am for the kindness you’ve shown to mine.” Scarlet Miller had a true compassionate soul beneath her tough, joking exterior.

  “No biggie.” She shrugged off his heartfelt thanks, seeming uncomfortable with the attention. “What do you think happened to our waiter?” She looked down at her menu. “I’m starving.”

  He allowed the change of topic, but someday soon, when Jessie wasn’t around, they’d talk more about his appreciation for all she’d done for Jessie and for him. And he kind of looked forward to getting her alone. Scarlet Miller was fast becoming a woman he wanted to get to know much better.

  In Macy’s Scarlet said, “If you’ll excuse me and Jessie, I have some shopping to do up in the lingerie department.” She shooed him away. “Go shop for man things. We’ll meet you by women’s shoes in half an hour.”

  If there were any way he could have done it without Jessie seeing, and without getting slapped, he would have kissed Scarlet right then and there.

  Forty-five minutes later they appeared, Scarlet carrying a Macy’s bag, Jessie empty-handed.

  “Did you find what you needed?” he asked. Please say yes.

  “Yup,” she held up a bag he hoped contained Jessie’s new undergarments.

  “This is for you.” He handed her the biggest box of chocolates he could find in the store. “Thank you for coming with us today.”

  “Wow.” Scarlet took the box. “The fat cells in my thighs are vibrating with excitement in anticipation of room to expand.”

  “I heard how much you and your staff like chocolate,” he said, referring to the box they’d devoured before it could be redirected to his new clerk.

  “That we do.” She smiled. He liked making her smile, liked the way her smiles made him feel. “Thank you, from all of us. But in the future, you don’t need to buy me things to spend time with you and Jess. I had fun today.”

  “Me, too.” Jessie hugged Scarlet.

  Lewis did, too. In fact today had been the most fun he’d had in months. Even with talk of periods and bras.

  When they exited Macy’s Lewis asked Scarlet, “Where are you headed from here? You want to share a cab?”

  “Nah.” She held up her Metro card. “I’m going to hop a bus to the hospital. I want to stop by to visit Joey before I head home.”

  “Is there a problem?”

  She shook her head. “No.”
>
  As Lewis watched Scarlet’s appealing form walk away, he realized he was sorry to see her go. And as he raised his hand to hail a cab his mind went to work on creating a reason to see her again soon.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “FANCY MEETING YOU here,” Lewis greeted Scarlet with a big handsome smile as she exited the elevator on her way to the cafeteria.

  “A big coincidence indeed on account of it’s Tuesday and you now know I meet Jessie in the cafeteria on Tuesdays and Thursdays around three,” she replied, not letting her happiness at seeing him show. In an unexpected turn of events, she’d been looking forward to the next time their paths would cross. And hoping it’d be sooner rather than later.

  “I walked her over.” He held up a cup of coffee. “Then I waited, hoping to see you.”

  How sweet.

  “I need a favor,” he said.

  Not so sweet after all. She tried to walk around him.

  He stepped in front of her. “For Jessie. One more and I’m done,” he promised. “Then I won’t bother you again.”

  Well forget about the fun they’d had on Saturday, and the signs of a friendship forming between them—that she’d obviously misinterpreted, and the unwanted stirrings of attraction that were totally his fault. All Lewis Jackson wanted from her was help with his daughter. “Lucky me,” she said. “One more favor and you’ll be done with me. I will have exhausted my usefulness to you, and I didn’t even have to take off my clothes.”

  She pushed past him.

  “Oh no you don’t.” He draped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her, rather firmly, to the quiet back hallway before releasing her. “What’s wrong?”

  Scarlet adjusted her lab coat. “This must be a whopper for you to manhandle me into listening.”

  “Why are you mad at me?” he asked, looking truly confused.

  Because maybe it’d be nice for a man, one man, any man, to see her as more than a neighbor to get his mail while he’s out of town, or a competent professional nurse managing the NICU, or a resource for parenting his teenage daughter. Maybe it’d be nice to be noticed and appreciated as a woman, someone nice to spend time with and not bad to look at, maybe even a little sexy in the right outfit and dim lighting.

  “What did I do?”

  “Nothing,” she said. “Stressful day. Overreaction. Let’s move on. What’s the favor?”

  “Did you want to take your clothes off?” he asked seriously. “Tell me where and when and I will happily and enthusiastically join you.”

  Two weeks ago she’d have fired off a sarcastic comeback meant to shut him down. No, she did not want to earn a place on his long list of meaningless one-night-stands or have her name tossed into the hospital’s gossip channels as his latest conquest. But now, things weren’t so clear. He was different than she’d first thought. A caring doctor. A nice guy. A father trying to be a better parent. Maybe—

  Loud male voices interrupted her thoughts seconds before two men turned the corner into the back hallway.

  “Damn you, Cade,” the older of the two men said, pushing the other man up against the wall. “Do you hear what’s being said about me? People are questioning my integrity and my skill as a surgeon.” Both tall and handsome with dark hair, they could have passed for brothers. “I give you a job and this is how you repay me by trying to ruin my reputation?”

  Before they noticed them, Lewis pulled her into an alcove outside a closed janitorial closet door. “This has been brewing for weeks,” he whispered. “Let’s give them a few minutes to work it out.”

  “Who are they?” Scarlet whispered back, trying to ignore his close proximity and oh so yummy scent, and the feel of his big, solid, warm body touching hers in so many places.

  “The older one is Dr. Alex Rodriguez, the somewhat new head of pediatric neurosurgery,” he said quietly, his mouth right next to her ear, his hot breath making it difficult to concentrate. “The other one is his half-brother, Dr. Cade Coleman, a prenatal surgeon.”

  Scarlet peered around the corner.

  “Get your hands off of me,” the younger one—Cade—yelled, twisting out of his brother’s grasp. “I didn’t know it was a secret. What’s the big deal? You were cleared of the charges. Nothing sticks to you.”

  She turned back to Lewis. “What charges?” she asked quietly.

  “From what I’ve heard, Alex was named in a malpractice suit a few years ago after one of his patients died.”

  A voice she now recognized as Alex’s yelled, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You always come out on the plus side of things,” Cade replied. “Something bad happens, things get tough you walk away clean and leave others to deal with the mess.”

  “So that’s what this is about? Me leaving? You still haven’t forgiven me?”

  Scarlet leaned in toward Lewis and whispered, “I don’t think we should be listening to this.”

  “If we leave now we’ll interrupt.” Did he have to breathe so hot and heavy with every response? She tried to ignore the warm flush spreading along the right side of her face, down her neck to her chest. “And they’ll know we’re here.”

  Alex said, “I couldn’t take it anymore, the verbal and physical abuse. You were so young and your dad loved you so much. If I’d had any idea he would turn on you after I left, I would have stayed. I promise you that.”

  “A lot of good that did me then,” Cade said, sounding worn out. “And it means little to me now.”

  “There’s nothing I can do to change what happened other than to apologize. I know it doesn’t change anything, but from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry. For leaving. For everything you had to endure because I wasn’t there to protect you or help you.”

  Scarlet whispered, “How horrible for both of them.”

  Lewis nodded. “Now you understand why I didn’t want to interrupt?”

  She nodded. When no one spoke Scarlet peeked around the corner. Both men stood there not looking at each other. Then Alex said, “Can we get past it?” He held out his hand.

  Cade looked at it.

  Scarlet wanted to scream, “Take it. He’s your brother for heaven’s sake.” Oh how she’d wished for a sibling growing up.

  Eventually Cade shook his brother’s hand, and Alex took the opportunity to pull him into a hug. “I love you,” he said.

  Cade didn’t reply, but he did pat Alex on the back.

  When the men broke apart, they turned and started to walk in her direction. Scarlet ducked back into their hiding spot, sucked in a breath, and tried to blend in with the wall. “They’re coming this way.”

  Lewis jumped to action, moving her into the corner, pressing her back into the wall with the front of his body flush against hers.

  Okay. Not a bad plan. She’d be well hidden. But what about—?

  Her brain ceased to function when he lifted her chin, lowered his head, and set his soft, moist lips on hers.

  Just for show, she rationalized, to create a plausible reason for them to be there. In an effort to up the realism of their fictitious interlude she slid her hands up and clasped her fingers behind his neck.

  Just playing her part.

  His lips separated and his tongue ventured out to explore the seam of her mouth. Looking for entry? Only one way to know for sure, Scarlet created a slim smidgeon of an opening, purely for investigative purposes to see what he’d do.

  And hello, Lewis thrust his tongue into her mouth, over and over. Something about the taste made her mouth water, made her body ready, made her want—

  He closed his arms around her, deepened the kiss and thrust his hips.

  Whoa. Holy hard-on. This was realism run amok. At work.

  Scarlet forced her head to the side, breaking the kiss. “We can’t.”

  He released her instantly but didn’t move. The sound of their heavy breathing filled the quiet. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I guess I got a little carried away.”

  “You guess?” She placed her hands on his ch
est and pushed him back, needing air, but not feeling steady enough to move away from the support of the wall.

  He looked down at her and ran a thumb along her lower lip. “You look like you’ve been thoroughly kissed,” he said with the small smile of a man re-living the experience in his mind.

  “Perfect,” she snapped, losing patience. “When I’m on my way to meet up with your daughter. What were you thinking?” Scarlet took a tissue from the pack in her pocket and tried to wipe away the remnants of their kiss.

  “Well at first I was thinking about hiding you and giving us an excuse to be tucked away in our little nook.” He reached out to touch her cheek. “But you felt so good. And I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long.”

  She swatted his hand away. “We’ve known each other for all of eight days and every interaction we’ve had has revolved around your daughter or work. Exactly how long could you possibly have wanted to kiss me?”

  “Day three,” he answered without hesitation. “In the cafeteria, when you closed your eyes to imagine me in my underwear.”

  “I was pretending,” she lied.

  “No you weren’t.” He grinned.

  So sure of himself and his appeal. The haze of arousal cleared. Beneath his respected physician, nice guy, good father façade the fire of his womanizing sex-seeker still burned at his core. “Waiting five whole days to kiss a woman you’ve only recently met must have required quite a bit of restraint for someone like you.”

  “Someone like me?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. Amused.

  “Yes.” She took out her hairband and started to redo her ponytail. “Someone used to having sex with a woman within hours of meeting her.”

  He laughed. “If only it were that easy.”

  It was easy. For him. His good looks, charm, and a smooth confidence combined to form a lethal concoction that wreaked havoc on a woman’s good sense. On her good sense. “You disgust me.” She lunged back into the hallway.

  “Stop.” He said, holding on to her arm. “I’m sorry. I got carried away. But don’t go getting all holier-than-thou. You enjoyed my kiss.” He leaned in. “Don’t try to deny it.”