Elijah stopped again. “What do you mean? Were you treated this way?”
A smile touched her lips at the concern etched in his voice and written on his handsome face. “On a couple occasions, yes.” She didn’t want to talk about how she overheard a doctor and nurse discussing the unlikely probability of her being a virgin during a vaginal exam because of her age, race, and her body’s natural secretion.
As they began walking once more, Melissa said, “But what propelled me to become a cardiac nurse was a former classmate of mine and Jayla’s, Osha. She presented symptoms, including fatigue and shortness of breath, and was diagnosed with asthma. After being given a couple of inhalers, she was sent home. But her health continued to decline. She became lethargic and developed wheezing. Doctors thought it was an upper respiratory infection. Angry and desperate, her mother went to get second, third, and fourth opinions. They all said the same thing. The last doctor hinted Osha was pretending to be sick for attention. As he prepared to release her, claiming the swelling in her ankles was nothing of importance, her mother broke down.
“An African American cardiologist overheard some staff members talking about the case. She went back into the room and asked some more questions, during which Osha coughed up foamy, pink mucus.”
“Dilated Cardiomyopathy.”
Melissa nodded. “It was the reason her mother had taken her to the ER. Unfortunately, no one thought to check the emesis bag. Thankfully, she survived. Her family moved to Houston after Katrina, and a few months ago, she gave birth to twins.”
“How old were you when this happened?”
“Seventeen, in my final year of high school. I remember hearing Osha’s mother talking to my mother about it one day while we were at the grocery store. She praised this doctor, credited her with saving her daughter’s life, and I kept thinking about how the situation could’ve ended a lot differently had this woman not believed and listened.”
“Exactly. Thankfully, your friend’s family didn’t have to find out.”
“She was one of the lucky ones.” A tense silence filled the space between them, and Melissa instantly regretted the heaviness of the story. Her face scrunched into a frown as she shook her head, silently berating herself.
“What’s wrong?” At Melissa’s silence, he rushed on to explain, “You’re frowning.”
“Oh, umm, it’s nothing.” Melissa glanced at Elijah.
Elijah quirked an eyebrow.
She sighed deeply. “I thought maybe the story was a little too heavy and I dampened the mood.”
“You didn’t. I appreciate you sharing the story with me. It serves as a reminder of the issues people of color often face in the healthcare system. Thankfully, there are doctors and nurses, like you, who possess empathy for patients.”
“And like you,” she said as heat flooded her face at his compliment. “I mean, God had to give you, at least, an ounce of empathy since he failed to bless you with a sense of humor.” Elijah’s head snapped in Melissa’s direction. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open. Melissa laughed at his stunned expression.
“Wow. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you have dreams of being a comedian.”
Melissa wrinkled her nose. “Nope, not at all. But since we’re on the subject, who are some of your favorite comedians?”
Elijah twisted his lips to the side in thought. “My taste varies from Richard Pryor to Kevin Hart, but Bernie Mac was probably my absolute favorite.”
“I love Bernie!” Melissa put her hand on her hip, popped her lips, and did an impression of Bernie Mac’s nephew asking for milk and cookies. When Melissa looked at Elijah afterward, they both cracked up laughing. “I wish I’d gotten the chance to see him perform live.”
Nodding his head, Elijah said, “Me too.”
As they continued to walk, Melissa pointed to the storefront. “Can we go in here? I need to buy a couple of things.”
His eyebrows drew together in confusion as he glanced at the brown and white overhead sign attached to the red brick building: Ashes to Ashes Cigar Shop, then back to Melissa. “You smoke?” Elijah reached for the handle of the door and held it open for her to proceed.
“Ewww, no.” Melissa frowned. She passed through the door, taking extra care not to brush up against the wall of his hard chest, and sauntered over to a glass display case. “My brother has a penchant for cigars and asked me to bring some back for him along with other souvenirs for my family. He’s the last person who I need to grab something for.”
“Oh.”
“Who did you think I would be buying them for?” Melissa turned to face him, her lips pressed together to hide the amused smile threatening to overtake her features at the relief she heard in the one-syllable word.
Elijah shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure. A part of me thought maybe you had a boyfriend, whether exclusive or otherwise, back home.”
“Boyfriend?” Melissa said.
“Well, you’re an insanely beautiful woman. I’d gotten so wrapped up in wanting to get to know you it never occurred to me you may have a whole situation going on elsewhere until you mentioned wanting to go into the cigar shop. And while I don’t know a lot about you, I feel I know enough in the little time we’ve spent together. I think you’re smart, your degrees prove this, funny—although your jokes have been at my expense—compassionate, as most nurses are, kind with a big heart you wear on your sleeves, but you refuse to allow people to take advantage of you. By your reaction the other day, I’m guessing this is a new quality, one you’re getting used to having.”
All Melissa could do was stare at Elijah with her mouth hanging open. He’d spoken about her as though he’d known her for a long time. Like he’d written the book on Melissa Serenity Gaines.
“So, do you have some guy waiting at home for you to return?” Elijah prompted.
“No, I don’t.” Melissa tilted her head with a smile. “Do I look like the type of woman who agrees to gallivant across a tropical island with a man she’s attracted to when she has a boyfriend at home? Are those the kind of women you’re into, Dr. Grayson?”
“No, you don’t.” He took a step toward Melissa, invading her personal space with a sexy dimpled smile on his lips. “I’m not into ‘women’. I’m interested in one woman, and her name is Melissa Gaines. I want to learn all there is to know about her. Study her like she’s my favorite subject in school. Speak her fluently like I do English.”
Melissa was speechless. She opened her mouth to respond, then snapped it closed. He wanted her. If anyone had told Melissa she would be having this conversation with this man in this store on this day, she would’ve laughed so hard, she’d piss herself. After her breakup, Melissa put all thoughts of dating aside to focus on her career. But now … Melissa would readily admit there was something refreshing and intriguing about Dr. Elijah Grayson.
“So,” Elijah quirked a brow, and his smirk turned into a full smile, “you’re attracted to me?”
“Well …” Melissa cursed her loose tongue. She hadn’t meant to confess her attraction to Elijah, but the nearness of him was doing all sorts of things to her body. Wanton things. Wicked things. Things Melissa hadn’t experienced with any other man in all her sexual encounters.
“Don’t deny it, Melissa. As you can see, I’m very much attracted to you too.”
Adverting her gaze, Melissa fingered an open box of cigars. “I know. It’s …” She sighed deeply, wondering if she should tell him the truth. “I don’t have much experience with this,” she softly admitted.
“What’s this?” Elijah cupped her chin between his index finger and thumb, gently turning her head until their eyes connected. “What do you want it to be? What do you want, Melissa?”
Yeah, her inner voice taunted. What do you want? She inhaled deeply; the overpowering scent of tobacco filled the air surrounding them. The question was simple, but Melissa couldn’t say the words perched on the tip of her tongue. Her thoughts were inundated with images of walking
into his arms and kissing that sexy ass smirk off his sexy ass face. The unabashed desire she saw in his eyes threatened to bring Melissa to her knees. She pulled in a shaky breath, praying the lack of oxygen to her lungs didn’t cause her to faint at his feet. “I-I-I don’t know.”
She gnawed on her lower lip. Stop lying to yourself. Tell him you want to see if his lips are as soft as they look, and explore his hard body until you’ve memorized every detail of it, from the moles and freckles to the creases and crevices.
“You know, Melissa,” Elijah said, dragging his gaze slowly over her body, lingering at her lips, which Melissa instinctively licked out of nervousness before their eyes met. “But you’re afraid to admit it, and that’s fine. We’re equally attracted to one another, and in my mind, the only viable option we have is to explore it. However, we’ll take it slow with you in the driver’s seat. You’ll set the pace.” He dipped his head, bringing his mouth scant inches from hers. “So, whatever it is you want or need from me, let me know, and I’ll give it to you.”
Melissa didn’t miss the huskiness of his words or how his eyes were fixated on her mouth. Was he going to kiss her? She hoped to hell he would, not caring they were in a public place. Melissa wanted to finally taste the sexiest pair of lips she’d craved since meeting Elijah. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her heart began to beat faster in anticipation. The warmth of his minty breath fanned her face, sending delightful tingles through every one of her nerve-endings. He was so close. Then, instead of touching hers, as Melissa silently willed him to do, Elijah pressed his lips against the shell of her ear.
“And yes, beautiful, I had every intention of kissing you, but I don’t think you’re ready for me to do so.”
“Why?” Melissa opened her eyes as Elijah eased away from her and looked away, trying her best to hide her disappointment
“Because there is so much more we need to learn about one another.”
“Why did you become a cardiothoracic surgeon?” After their talk at the cigar shop, the guard Melissa kept up slowly began to crumble at his feet. She became more relaxed, laughing out loud at his jokes, talking more about herself, and gave him a glimpse into the woman who fascinated him. When they weren’t asking each other questions about their lives, they walked in companionable silence, listening to the soundtrack of the city, as they immersed themselves in their thoughts.
“My story is kind of like yours,” he began, accepting the bag filled with his and Melissa’s purchases from the cashier. Elijah turned to face her, took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers together as they exited the shop. She stiffened momentarily, her eyes sliding to their joined hands. But just as quickly as it came, the tension in her shoulders melted away. He smiled triumphantly. Elijah had never been comfortable with displaying affection in public.
Until Melissa.
Maybe it was because her soft hand engulfed by his larger one felt right. Like the final piece to a puzzle, it fit perfectly. Or it could have been her shyness that made Elijah want to encourage her to relax a little and get out of her head. Whatever it was, the contact, though simple and sweet, sent sparks of awareness straight to his groin. Thoughts of getting used to this feeling Melissa evoked in him crept through his brain. If Elijah didn’t know better, he’d say her hand was explicitly made for his grasp. But he did. Still, logic didn’t lessen the confusion he felt being in Melissa’s presence.
Forcing his attention back to their surroundings and the conversation, Elijah said, “The difference is, for as long as I can remember, I knew I would be a doctor. I come from a long line of them. My grandparents, who migrated from the Philippines, were both doctors. My aunt, uncle, and mother are all doctors. My mother is an internal medicine physician with her own practice.”
“Did you feel like you had to follow in their footsteps?”
Elijah took a moment to think about the question. “No. Like you, I always knew I wanted a career where I could make a difference. In the second grade, my teacher, Mrs. Charles, invited a doctor to speak to the class for Career Day.”
“Your mother?”
Laughing, he shook his head. “No, my mom was the hands-on president of the PTA, always at every assembly, awards show, sporting event, and field trip. I don’t think my classmates believed my mother was a doctor because of how much she stayed at my school. Her main focus has always remained on her family. Listening to Dr. Sheffield fascinated me. I was completely enthralled by her knowledge and her ability to answer every question.” He smiled at the memory. “But what solidified my desire to become a doctor was saving one of my best friend’s father’s life.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. “What happened? How old were you?”
“Fourteen,” Elijah answered. His mind traveled back to the day that changed the course of his life. “We’d arrived home from school with plans to meet in the game room of the converted triplex we lived in. I’d just made it to my front door when I heard a loud crash, then Anthony—AJ as we call him—began screaming. At first, I thought he was joking. AJ, myself, and our other best friend, Patrick, played jokes on each other, and earlier that week, Patrick embarrassed AJ in front of this girl he liked. I automatically assumed AJ was trying to scare Patrick but knew something was wrong when AJ rushed up the stairs with tears in his eyes. He looked like he’d seen a ghost. All the color had drained from his face.” Elijah glanced at Melissa. Her eyes were wide as she listened, totally enamored by his words. He sighed, remembering the erratic beating of his heart as they ran down the steps to AJ’s unit, the dread that seeped through his body when they’d crossed the threshold to find Mr. Jacobson passed out on the living room floor, and the sounds of AJ’s sobs mixed with Elijah shouting at Patrick to call 9-1-1.
“When I saw his father lying on the floor, this giant of a man, crumpled into a ball, something in me sprung to life. I started yelling directions at Patrick, pushed AJ out the way, and took his father’s pulse, only to realize he didn’t have one. I started CPR. A few minutes later, the EMTs arrived, along with my father. We were ushered out of the apartment as they worked on Mr. Jacobson. They shocked him with a defibrillator and got his heart started again.”
“Elijah.” Melissa turned to him, wearing a smile that brightened her eyes. “Your fast thinking saved your best friend’s father’s life. You were predestined to be a doctor, to be a cardiothoracic surgeon.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. His eyes slid to Melissa’s lips. They were perfect. The right amount of fullness, with the bottom slightly plumper, and all-day—since he sat down across from her in the restaurant—Elijah craved to taste her lips and feel their pillowy softness submit to his. He yearned to explore the crevices of her mouth, embedding her flavor on his tastebuds.
But Elijah wouldn’t make the first move.
No matter how hard it would be to keep his hands to himself and not kiss the clear gloss on her lips, which only seemed to heighten the natural glow of her radiant skin under the afternoon sun. He told Melissa he would allow her to set the pace of whatever this was between them, and that’s what he planned to do. It was the least he could do while sorting out his own expectations of their time together. A week-long fling with Melissa sounded great. It would be exactly what the doctor ordered after working tirelessly, but there was a tiny voice in the back of his head that couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if they took things beyond their time in Chaud.
The blaring of a car horn sliced through the air, cutting through the sexual tension surrounding them. Melissa turned away from him and continued walking. “Are you still close with your friend whose dad you saved and the other guy?”
“I am.” Elijah nodded. “I met AJ and Patrick in kindergarten, and we’ve been best friends ever since. We even work at the same hospital.”
“Are you all cardiothoracic surgeons?”
“No. AJ is in Peds but specializes in Neonatal surgery, and Patrick is a Plastic Surgeon.”
“Wow, that’s a pretty impressive
group of friends.”
“Most people would like to think so. They’re like brothers to me. Annoying brothers you can’t live with or live without.”
They laughed together before silence fell over them. Then he asked, “Where would you like to visit next? There are tons of attractions we can visit that we don’t need to take the ferry to access: the island’s oldest church, a couple museums, some historic houses, a natural reserve, the Crystal Caverns, and of course the beaches.” Back at the resort, Elijah mentioned the possibility of visiting one of the island’s famed black sand beaches and had advised Melissa to bring her bathing suit. “If you’re hungry, we can grab a bite to eat.” He looked at his watch, realizing it had been about four hours since they last ate. “Or I can call the driver to pick us up?” Elijah silently hoped she’d pick any one of the former options. Although they’d explored most of the shops in St. Claire, he wasn’t quite ready for their time together to end.
“I really would like to see the Crystal Caverns, but I haven’t spoken to Jay—” The ringing of her cell phone interrupted her. Melissa dug through her bag for the device. “Speak of the devil.” She glanced at Elijah. “I’m sorry, Elijah, but I need to take this to cuss my bestie out.”
“Go right ahead,” Elijah said with a chuckle, watching as Melissa sat on a bench a couple feet away, a frown marring her flawless features and the phone to her ear. He thought about his own best friends. The last time he’d spoken to them was before meeting Melissa at Ambrosia. Elijah took his cell phone out of his pocket and typed out a text.
Elijah: Wanted to check in with you two knuckleheads. I’m still alive.
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