Ms. Perfectly Imperfect: BBW BWWM Interracial Romance

by Roxy Wilson

  He picked up the phone. “Hello, Mark. What is it?”

  “Clint, what is this that I’m hearing about the investigation that you’re carrying out on the deaths that have taken place in your department?”

  Clint sat up. His gaze took in Layla who was still in deep sleep. Rolling out of the bed, he strolled out of the room with the phone tucked between his ear and shoulder, so as not to disturb her. He checked the time. It was eight in the morning. Since it was Saturday, he wasn’t expected to be in the hospital. “It’s not an investigation. I’m only trying to see if there’s some sort of negligence going on that is the cause of so many unexpected deaths.”

  “Negligence?” Mark yelled. “Have you lost your mind? A word like that is taboo in our hospital. Do you know what could happen if the media got wind of your so-called investigation? And what if the parents get to hear about it?”

  Clint rubbed his forehead. Sure, he hadn’t considered the possible ramifications if his hunch was right, but he couldn’t wash away the doubts that plagued his mind. “Four children are dead. They could’ve lived—at least, that’s what I thought.”

  “Cancer doesn’t move in expected ways. It’s possible that you’re clutching at straws just because you don’t want to accept the final outcome.”

  Clint huffed in annoyance. Everyone was telling him the same thing. Sure, it was a possibility but Clint had been working with kids for a long time. He knew the way these things worked. Some patients died despite his best efforts. That was expected. But these four…he wasn’t so sure. Something was seriously amiss in his calculations or else there was another factor at play that no one else was willing to consider. “You could be right.”

  “I. Am. Right,” Mark insisted. “You’re stirring up trouble, Clint. And I can’t accept it. Come in now and we’ll talk.”

  Shit! Clint didn’t like it. Sure, he could be way off the mark but his instincts told him that he wasn’t wrong. Something was amiss with the way the children were being looked after. He’d double checked the treatments that were given and the lists of medicines that he prescribed. Nothing was out of order—and yet he couldn’t let it go. “Okay. I’ll come in.”

  “Now. I’m waiting,” Mark barked before he cut the call.

  Clint rubbed his eyes as he put the phone on the table. What the hell was going on here? Could he be wrong about this? He wasn’t so sure. In fact, he was quite positive that he was on the right track. All he needed was one clue, but somehow he wasn’t getting it.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He whirled around

  Layla stood at the bedroom door.

  “Sorry. Did I wake you up?”

  She nibbled her lips. Uncertainly swirled in her eyes. All she wore was his t-shirt that he’d discarded last night.

  Even with her eyes heavy with sleep and no makeup, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Strolling over, he drew her in his arms.

  “I’ve got to go,” she said.

  He sighed. Clint wanted to take his time to have breakfast with her. Perhaps they could have gone to a nearby bakery and shared a croissant and coffee. He longed to do all the normal things that people did when they had time and wanted to spend it with each other, but of course, he had things to do. He couldn’t ignore Mark’s summons. “I’ve got to go, too. The hospital administrator wants to see me.”

  Layla’s eyes widened. “Did you lose another patient?”

  “No. We just need to talk about some measures that I’ve been taking.” Regret flooded through his heart. He wanted nothing more than to be here with her, but of course, it wasn’t possible. He lifted her chin with his finger and pressed his lips against hers. For a few moments, he felt as if she held back, but then her mouth opened and his tongue delved in. It was heady to taste her mouth once more, to explore the hidden depths, and the nooks and crannies that excited him. Finally, he released her and stepped away. “I don’t want you to go.”

  She smiled. “Okay, then let’s stay in.”

  He pulled a face. “It’s work. Damn it! How about I pick you up afterwards? Or better still, why don’t you stay right here and I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

  She cocked her head. “I’ve got to go home, take a shower, and change. How about I meet you afterwards at the smoothie shop across from the hospital?”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Give me a couple of hours. I’ll call you when I’m done. Now that I’m going in, I might as well check on my patients too.”

  “They’re lucky to have you as their doctor.”

  “And I’m lucky to have you.” He dropped a kiss on her lips and took a moment to run his hands over her voluptuous hips. Man! She was solid. It was crazy the way desire triggered in his gut every time he looked at her. With an effort, Clint pulled away. “See you soon.”

  After a quick shower and a hurried breakfast, he dropped her at her apartment and drove to the hospital. As expected, the meeting with the administrator didn’t go well. The man all but accused him of creating trouble and putting the hospital’s reputation at risk. Clint could understand the reason for the man’s dismay. If news regarding this leaked out, they might get sued. It wasn’t a pleasant scenario but neither was death.

  Clint stood his ground. “I will agree to not making my concerns public, but that’s all I am willing to concede. If there’s something wrong with the way we’re treating the patients or if there’s indeed some negligence, we need to take a look at it before someone else discovers anything about it. I’m not going to be involved in any sort of cover up.”

  “There’s no cover up. If you had a shred of evidence to support your theory, I would back you one-hundred percent, but until then, I command you to keep your mouth shut.”

  Clint pursued his lips in a thin line. He didn’t like the way the man talked to him. If Mark was trying to intimidate him, he wasn’t doing a good job. He wasn’t willing to back down at any cost. “Command?”

  “Yes, command. I know that you enjoy a stellar reputation, but you also need goodwill to survive, and if you pull stunts like this, it might be harder for you to remain here at General Hospital.”

  “Are you threatening to fire me?”

  “I’m not threatening, but telling you the truth. Now, please…I urge you to reconsider this false trail and concentrate on the job that you do so well.”

  “What—”

  “Goodbye.”

  Clint hated to be dismissed in that cursory manner, but he knew that there wasn’t much he could do to convince Mark. Yes, he didn’t have proof. Yes, he wasn’t sure as to what was wrong, but there was something serious going on in his department and he was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. He strode out and went straight to the pediatric oncology ward. Even though he wasn’t on duty, he took some time to talk to his patients and then called Layla. She didn’t pick up so he left her a text. After about thirty minutes, he walked out and strolled into the smoothie shop. She wasn’t there yet so he sat to wait.

  Ten minutes later, she came in.

  Like always, the sight of her reduced the anxiety that bubbled in his heart.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Shit! He didn’t want to burden her with his troubles. “Nothing much. Just got a rap on my knuckles for saying stuff.”

  She sat opposite her. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  After he ordered, Clint tried to relax. There wasn’t much that he could do right now, so he might as well enjoy his time with Layla. They talked, and it was such a glorious, wonderful morning that they ended up staying at the smoothie bar far longer than he planned. Finally, Clint pushed aside his glass. “Ready?” He honestly felt reluctant to separate from her. “Why don’t we go for a walk and then have lunch?”

  She fiddled with her head wrap in a seemingly unconscious gesture. “Clint, where is this going?”

  His heart thundered in his chest. Now that she asked him out loud, he felt hesitant to sp
ill out whatever was in his heart. What if she didn’t like his answer? What if she was scared away by his reply? “I like you, I suppose that much is obvious…but I think what may not be obvious is that I’m falling in love with you. Fast.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise.

  “I suppose it’s crazy to think in those terms when we’ve barely dated.”

  “Barely,” she whispered out the words. “I mean—we don’t even know each other.”

  “Our hearts recognize each other,” he said. Clint meant every word. Ever since he met Layla, he’d known with an absolute certainty that there was something special about this woman. She was THE ONE. Sure, he backed off pretty quickly when she told him that she was engaged but now that she was with him, he didn’t want to waste time playing games. Together, they were cool. Together, they were good.

  And he wanted to keep this spark alive.

  She shook her head.

  Fear coursed through his veins. Did she regret that they’d made love? Was she going to get up and walk? Had she been taken aback by his frank admission?

  Instead, she leaned back and studied him. “Clint, I have to admit that I feel the same way.”

  Delight was a like a drug inside him. “You do?”

  “I suppose it’s crazy—but it is what it is.”

  He leaned forward and held her hand. “Wow! I feel like I’m on top of the world.”

  The sound of her of her bubbly laughter was like music to his ears. He wanted to see her this happy and carefree all her life. “Same here. Come on now, let’s get out of here.”

  When he slid out of the booth, Clint was taken aback when he saw his much married colleague walk in with a woman who was definitely not his wife. He worked closely with Warner. The man was responsible for maintaining and operating the linear accelerator that dispensed radiation to the children who came in for cancer treatments.

  This was definitely not Warner's day off. Clint slipped out of the booth and marched over to the man as he stood at the counter, holding hands with the woman. “Hey.”

  The flush of color and the shifty glance that Warner gave him told Clint that Warner wasn’t supposed to be here. Or perhaps he was just wary of being caught with someone other than his wife.

  “How is it going, Clint?”

  “Good. And you?”

  “I’m all right.” He began to turn away, clearly not willing to talk. “See you.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be on duty right now?”

  “Just slipped out for a break.”

  “But I checked in the ward and you’re due to give three treatments today.”

  “Yes, and I’ll do them all. Now, if you will excuse me…” He turned his back on Clint.

  Clint frowned. This could be nothing, or else perhaps this was the first validation he got that something wasn’t right with his ward. Rather than question the man further, he clasped Layla’s hand and walked out. “I need to go to the hospital.”

  “Okay, sure.”

  His mind raced as he searched for possible answers.

  “Clint?”

  “Ahh—sorry about that.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll take you out for lunch. Um—I just—I need to…”

  Layla squeezed his hand reassuringly. “It is fine, Clint, we’ll talk later.” She tiptoed and planted a kiss on his cheek.

  Feeling relieved that she didn’t seem to mind his sudden urge to explore the hunch that burned in his mind, he picked up pace after she left and marched straight to the treatment room. Everything looked good. The first two patients had already left. The third was due to come in ten minutes. Perhaps he was reading too much into this situation. After all, Warner could easily take off fifteen minutes in between appointments, but the rule was that he stayed behind to calibrate the accelerator.

  Clint strode over to the machine and read the calibrations. He checked the charts and then rechecked the machine. Something didn’t add up. As he glanced at the big machine, suddenly everything fell into place with a loud click. He knew why his patients were dying—and the man responsible was in the smoothie shop taking a break.

  He fished his smartphone out of his pocket and punched in the seven digits. “Hey, Layla!”

  “Hi, Clint.”

  “This might take longer that I thought.”

  “No worries.”

  “Thanks, Layla, I owe you one.” He quickly ended the call; only one thought dominated his mind…get to the administrator and show him what he found. Finally, he could get rid of this demon and move on with his work. Rage burned in his heart as he thought about the innocent lives lost and the pain and regret the families had suffered through.

  It would all come to an end.

  Or at least, that was what he hoped for.

  Chapter Nine

  Breathe and trust that you can survive this too. Trust that this struggle is part of the process. And trust that as long as you don’t give up and keep pushing forward, no matter how hopeless things seem, you will make it.

  ~Daniell Keopke

  A few weeks later, Layla and Clint sat on the same bench where they’d enjoyed the divine waffles. It was a good day. The breeze grew stronger as it whipped around their bodies, and the waffles were hot and tasty.

  “I can’t believe this nightmare is finally over.”

  “Which nightmare are you referring to?” he asked.

  Layla couldn’t help the grin that lifted her lips. He was right, of course. Over the past days, they went to hell and came back. She had to deal with the implications of firing her manager, pressing charges against him, and hiring a new one. Much to her surprise, the modeling industry came to her full support. She was hailed by many as the hero. The bald bombshell with smarts. They liked that she took a stand for what she believed in and didn’t dismiss his attempt as many might have done.

  “Bryan is neck deep in trouble. The case is moving at a fast track, and I think that he’ll go to jail, but the good news is that my new manager is very supportive and has already landed me a new deal—but…” She bit a piece of her waffle, knowing that Clint was waiting for her to finish the statement. “I turned him down.” She giggled when she saw how his eyes widened. “I’ve decided to go ahead with my soap manufacturing dream.”

  “Woo-hoo!” He couldn’t seem to contain his excitement. “That’s great.”

  “I’ve actually signed on with another company that’s already making soap. They’ll launch a new brand in my name. I’ll be the face of it as well as the Creative Head. We’ll own it together and I’ll get forty percent of the profits.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah, and it’s all thanks to you.”

  He took a bite of his waffle and sighed with contentment. “Me? What role did I play in the life of this great creative genius?”

  “When I saw you working so hard to overcome the obstacles that stood in your way and then win against all odds, I realized that the only way we can achieve something that’s important is to give it our best.” Layla took another bite. “And in order to do so, we have to start somewhere. She sighed. “I was actually talking about your quest to get to the bottom of this mystery. I’m sorry that you lost four of your patients because of Warner’s negligence.”

  The pain that swirled in his eyes wasn’t new.

  She knew that he would beat himself about the fact that he didn’t latch on to the truth before the kids died. It wasn’t his fault, but he was the one who was going to suffer.

  “He has been fired and is facing serious charges regarding gross negligence, but it’s not going to bring those kids back. Mark assured me that they’ve decided to take swift action. From a PR point of view, it looks good that they caught the person on their own and removed him before he could do more damage.”

  Layla frowned. “They didn’t catch him. You did.”

  “Well, that’s not the story that’s going to the media.” He shrugged his shoulders. “But who cares? It’s not going to change anything.”

&nbs
p; She held his hand and squeezed it. “You did the best you could, Clint. Don’t beat yourself about it.”

  He stood and tugged her hand. “Let’s go and celebrate our victories at my place.”

  Layla’s gaze was drawn towards the tall, distinguished man who was striding towards her. “Gage? What are you doing here?”

  He took in her appearance. With the new wig, Layla looked the same as she did before. “I was walking past when I saw you.”

  All of a sudden, Layla felt overheated. “Um…” She turned to Clint. “Clint, this is Gage Shelton, my ex-fiancé.”

  “Ex?” Gage snorted. “Now that you’ve found a new guy, I’ve become your ex?”

  “What are you talking about? You were the one who dumped me.” She felt astounded at his audacity. What the hell was he playing at? “Are you suffering from amnesia?”

  “Whatever, darling. I passed by your apartment and didn’t find you.” Gage cocked his head to the side. “Guess you’re too busy to talk, huh. Models? My mother was right.” His lips curled. “I shouldn’t have trusted you. Never mind.” He shook his head in what seemed like disgust. “See you around…or perhaps never.”

  Layla’s mouth hung open as she watched Gage walk away. Had he lost his mind? Why did he say such terrible things? She turned towards Clint and saw the speculative gleam in his eyes. Suddenly, Gage’s rant made perfect sense. He intended to create trouble between her and Clint. Did he stumble on the idea when he saw them together or did he actually find her to make Clint think she was two timing? “He’s lying.”

  Clint rubbed his jaw as he stared at her. “He said he didn’t break up with you.”

  “He’s talking nonsense. We broke up because he didn’t want to be with me. It was his decision, and to be honest, I was happy with it.”

  “Did you break up with him after you met me?”

  “That’s not true.”

  Clint didn’t look convinced.

  She couldn’t believe that he would fall for such an obvious ploy by the man who was deliberately doing this to make mischief.