“I guess. It’s just …” Melissa measured her words carefully as not to offend her friend. “When I saw you the other day, you were cheesing, sis. Even a few minutes ago, you were smiling hard, and I figured it was because of Jae.” This was a conversation they’d had many times before, but if Melissa were being completely honest with herself, she’d secretly hoped that maybe Jae could be the one who changed Jayla’s outlook on love.
“It was.” Jayla shrugged. “But not for the reason you think. Now, what I want to know is what did Dr. Heart-Stoppa-Panty-Droppa prescribe to you that has you glowing and looking like you bathed in Oshun-Energy? I think Imma need three and a shot of vitamin ‘D,’ if you catch my drift.”
Melissa rolled her eyes at Jayla’s change of topic but was unable to stop smiling. She didn’t want to admit it, especially to herself, but while staring in the mirror a few nights ago, she’d noticed she looked different. She most certainly felt different, and knowing her best friend, since diaper rashes, noticed the subtle change in her spoke volumes.
“We didn’t have sex,” Melissa blurted out, unsure of why she needed to tell her friend this information.
Jayla plopped down on the bed covered with clothing. She lifted up a pantsuit from the pile, wrinkled her nose, and tossed it behind her. “I never said you did, Melly. All I said was you’re glowing. Your eyes are twinkling, the smile is blinding, and you actually look like a thirty-seven-year-old woman and not an old maid. I’m not saying you had to get your back blown out to achieve this. I think you needed to meet someone who made you forget all of your worries, even if for a week.”
“He did,” Melissa sighed. She pushed a pile of clothes onto the floor and sat next to Jayla. “I can’t believe half the things I did this week with Elijah.” Flipping her wrist over, she showed Jayla her tattoo.
“What the hell, Melly? You got a tattoo?” Jayla grabbed Melissa’s wrist and held it up, inspecting the tattoo of a small stethoscope with the tubing shaped as a heart. “This is so cute.”
“Thanks.” Melissa grew quiet.
“Sooooo,” Jayla hedged, “we both know why I don’t plan on taking my guy home to visit my mother, but what about you?”
“I don’t know.” Melissa picked at imaginary lint on the leggings she’d changed into after showering again. “I like Elijah, but I can’t help but think about Steven and the similarities they share.” Jayla opened her mouth to respond, but Melissa held up a hand. “And before you tell me they are two different people, I know. Elijah more than showed he was nothing like Steven this past week. I shouldn’t even be entertaining the thought of a relationship after what he put me through.” She sighed, finally looking at Jayla. “But I am, and it scares the hell out of me. I know he likes me. He’s said it several times, but how am I supposed to handle this thing between us?” Melissa thought about her conversation with Elijah at the cigar shop in Soblique. He’d asked her what this thing was between them. Elijah even declared Melissa knew what she wanted. At the time, she hadn’t, but now she did. “I could see us being good friends and a lot more if we lived in the same city. But we don’t.”
“Ahhh, okay. You’re worried about entering into a long-distance situationship with him.”
“I mean, yeah.” Melissa nodded. “Something like that. At the beginning of the week, I knew our time together had an expiration date set for tomorrow.”
“But now you’re hoping to extend the shelf-life a little longer.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Okay, Melly, that’s a start.”
“No, it’s not.” Melissa jumped up and paced in front of the bed. “I’m up here stressing about wanting to get to know him once I leave, but I don’t know if …” she swallowed past the emotion clogging her throat, “he wants the same.”
Jayla got up, walked over to where Melissa stood, and placed her hands on her friend’s shoulders, forcing Melissa to face her. “So, you need to find out if he does. Ask him. But I’m more than a little sure Elijah would be open to the possibility of keeping in touch with you. Now …” Jayla looked over to the mess of clothes on the bed and smacked her teeth together. She grabbed a royal blue, off-the-shoulder bodycon dress and handed it to Melissa. “We have to get dressed and meet the fellas. Jae said he needed to speak to me about something important, and I really want to know what it is. I hate secrets.”
“Yet, you enjoy keeping them.” Melissa took the dress Jayla held out. “Did you finally talk to your mother about the move?”
“Girl, yeah. She yelled at me for not telling her, but when I reminded her Baltimore was a six-hour road trip away, she piped all the way down.”
“I know she did.” Melissa laughed.
As she gathered her matching accessories and heels to get dressed, Melissa thought about Elijah. He’d grown up in the DC area, about forty-five minutes from Baltimore, and while they’d discussed their childhoods, they hadn’t talked much about their jobs. The island’s beauty created a bubble, keeping them from the outside world. Melissa wondered if Elijah still lived and worked in the area. If he did, it would definitely alleviate her hesitation to getting to know him more since they wouldn’t be too far from one another. Melissa decided she was kissing Louisiana good-bye and moving north whether she got the job at the hospital or not.
Chapter Seven
“I’m glad you suggested this.” Elijah laced their fingers together as they strolled along the wooden path toward the beach. “Not that I didn’t mind hanging out with Jayla and Jae, but Ambrosia was a bit too loud and rowdy tonight.”
“You’d think with the mellow 90’s and 2000’s R&B and a room full of prominent doctors, nurses, and the other healthcare specialist, the vibe would be a little more chill.”
“Nope, not at all. You forgot to factor in the open-bar happy hour at the beginning of the mixer, the drink specials, and the egos.”
“Especially the egos.” Melissa laughed. “I’m happy I finally got the chance to meet Jae. He seems like a nice guy. Obviously, very popular if him needing burly bodyguards was an indication.”
“Yeah, he’s a cool dude.”
Melissa thought Elijah looked like he wanted to say something else but shook off the feeling and allowed her mind to replay the time they’d shared together. If anyone had told her she would’ve done half the things she’d done, she wouldn’t have believed them. But she had and accumulated a lifetime of memories, and several keepsakes, to remind her. She idly rubbed the tattoo on her wrist.
Being with Elijah felt like she stepped onto the set on a Hallmark movie or was transported onto the pages of a syrupy sweet novel, equipped with all the bells, whistles, and nauseating clichés like finishing each other’s sentences, laughing out loud at the jokes they shared, and exploring Chaud while holding hands. Everything without the kissing, but extra heavy on the sexual tension.
Even now, as they silently walked hand-in-hand along the beach under a blanket of twinkling stars, with the sound of the ocean lapping at the shore providing the soundtrack to their late-night stroll, Melissa felt at peace. The earthy notes of Elijah’s cologne wrapped around Melissa and tickled her nose with each gentle breeze that caressed her sweaty skin from all the dancing she’d done in Ambrosia.
“What are you thinking about so hard over there?”
Melissa snapped her head up to find Elijah watching her intently. His thick eyebrows furrowed. She forced a smile, hoping it appeared genuine and didn’t give way to her nervousness about how the night would progress and the question of whether they would keep in touch after tomorrow. “Honestly?”
“I would hope so. It’s all I’ve been with you this week, and I have a gut feeling it’s how you’ve been with me. So, why change it now?”
“You’re right. There’s a part of me that wants to tell you nothing. Sweep it under the rug and pretend I’m fine. But—”
“You can’t because it’s not true, nor do I want you to hold anything back from me. So,” Elijah lifted their clasped hands to his lips an
d brushed a kiss against the back of them, “talk to me, Melissa.”
Melissa sighed deeply. Her steps slowed as they reached the end of the path. How easy would it be to admit to Elijah her hang-ups concerning the direction of their evening? To lay her cards on the table and save herself time and potential heartbreak? Easier said than done. However, Melissa always prided herself on being transparent. Mulling over the what-ifs wasn’t getting her any closer to the answers she needed. She bent to remove her shoes but stopped when Elijah held up a hand. He lowered himself in front of her, undid the buckle on her heels, and slipped them off her feet.
“Stop stalling, woman,” he joked
“Sorry,” she said above a whisper. Melissa drew in a deep breath and smiled to herself, sinking her bare feet into the cool, damp sand. “There’s a lot on my mind, and I don’t want to overanalyze things, but I already am.”
“No offense, sweetheart, but if you weren’t, I’d be a bit worried. Especially with the hell you’ve given me this week while planning our adventures.”
The smile stretching across his handsome face set off a flurry of sensations in the pit of her stomach. Elijah possessed the uncanny ability to not only weaken her knees with a touch or a look but could calm the anxiousness raging inside of her. As if he were in tuned to her body, knew exactly what to say—or do—to bring her a semblance of peace when she needed it most, and anticipated Melissa’s desires.
“None taken. It’s just…” She paused briefly, gathering her words, and looked away. “On the day we met, your ill-timed joke brought back painful memories. Ones I tried desperately to push to the darkest part of my brain but couldn’t escape no matter how hard I tried. At that moment, I relived the singlehanded most embarrassing moment I’d ever experienced in my life. It didn’t help that you’re a cardiothoracic surgeon like him.”
“Like who?”
“My ex.” Pulling in a much-needed deep breath, Melissa glanced over to Elijah. Once again, his dark brown orbs were trained on her, and thanks to the glow of the full moon that illuminated their steps, she could see the intensity they held. When he didn’t respond, Melissa continued, “It’s one thing to learn the man you love cheated on you, but it’s an entirely different ballpark when you discover he did the deed with someone you considered a mentor. A mentor. My immediate supervisor. Former supervisor,” she corrected.
“Wow, that’s messed up.”
“Yeah, but it’s only the beginning. This is the part of the story where you’d think the heroine has suffered enough and deserves some sort of reprieve, but the author—or God—feels she can tolerate more because she’s ‘strong’. Whatever that entails. When we broke up, things were awkward, to say the least. We still worked together, the three of us. Colleagues talked about the situation all the time, some in my face, most behind my back, but I was determined to keep my head high, work hard, and not allow it to affect me more than it already had. For the most part, I succeeded until the day Steven and Monica announced they’d gotten married and were expecting their first child together in three months. The crazy thing is, we weren’t broken up for three months. He got her pregnant while with me, and the reason they’d announced her pregnancy because she’d begun to show, and thought to tell the staff as I stood at the nurses’ station going over the chart of a patient.”
“He’s a heartless asshole, Melissa,” Elijah said, pulling Melissa into his embrace. “One who didn’t realize how much of a treasure he had in his grasp. But, sweetheart, I’m not him.”
“I know you aren’t, now. But before I got the chance to really know you, I looped you in the same category. I wanted…no, needed to believe you were as arrogant as him. Another guy who didn’t give a damn about anyone but themselves, so I don’t end up hurt again. But you went and blew that theory out of the water. It’s why I have so many questions.”
“Like what? Tell me, and maybe I can answer them.”
“What happens next?” Melissa observed the cloud of confusion crossing Elijah’s face. “I’ve never done anything like this. I live a quiet, predictable life. I would never tell a guy I’m attracted to him or put my trust in someone I barely know, but I did with you. It’s scary, yet exciting, and I would be lying if I told you I don’t want to have sex with you because I do.”
“But you’re not a casual fling type. Melissa, I knew you weren’t from the moment I met you.”
“You did?”
“Of course. I didn’t ask you out to get you in my bed. You intrigue me, period. I found myself wanting to get to know you, despite our first run-in.”
“But I apologized.”
“You did, and I accepted it. But it also triggered something in me that didn’t necessarily feel right. I’ve been called arrogant and an asshole plenty of times.” He shrugged. “However, you saying it hit differently. I felt like the world’s biggest jerk watching you stalk off. I told AJ I had to find you, to apologize, but I lied.”
The sound of a boat’s horn blowing in the distance pierced the air, causing Melissa to jump. Elijah laughed, squeezing her hand in his. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Melissa replied once her heart rate returned to normal. She glanced over at Elijah. “Why did you lie?” Her heart fluttered as she awaited his response. Maybe it was the lust burning brightly in his darkened eyes, the delicious curve of his lips in a sexy smirk, or the heaviness of his erection pressing against her stomach all working to further lower her defenses, but regardless of his answer, Melissa knew she could no longer deprive herself of the opportunity to kiss him, caress every inch of his body she’d committed to memory, and explore the areas she’d dreamt about. Elijah pressed a kiss to her forehead. Those damn butterflies commenced their assault on her stomach once again.
“Because I couldn’t admit to my best friend I’d met this woman who—in such a short span of time—awakened a part of me I closed off after my last relationship. He would have thought I was crazy if I admitted it to him then. I didn’t even know your name and referred to you as Young Gabby.”
“Young Gabby?”
“Yeah, like Gabriel Union. You sort of remind me of her.”
Melissa glanced away, hoping to hide the sudden rush of warmth that filled her face at his compliment. If any other man told her she looked like Gabriel Union, she would have thought they were feeding her a line. But this was Elijah. He was smooth as silk, yet he’d always told her the truth. At least Melissa believed he had. She cleared her throat. “What would you tell AJ now if he asked you the same question? Would you tell him what you just told me, or would your response still be the same?”
He tilted his head to the side and tapped his chin with his forefinger, appearing to be in deep thought, but the smile Elijah wore told her he knew the answer already, and he didn’t need to think hard about it at all. “AJ knows what I told you. I spoke to him and Patrick once I got back to my room earlier in the evening. They were both in agreement that you must be one helluva woman. They also said I would be an idiot to let you get away without exploring what could come from our time together.”
Completely caught off guard by Elijah’s admission, Melissa stopped short. Her heart rate accelerated, exceeding the standards of normal. Hope spread through her like a raging wildfire. Was he suggesting there be more of them after tomorrow? Melissa sure as hell hoped so, but she wouldn’t celebrate, despite the overwhelming urge to throw herself in his arms and kiss him until she couldn’t breathe.
As if he read her mind, Elijah nodded. “I don’t do the whole long-distance thing. My career is demanding, and I barely have enough time in a day to get a good amount of sleep. However, I’d like to keep in touch with you once you return to Louisiana and see where this goes. Even if we come to the conclusion that we would be better off as friends, I still want to explore this. I want us to continue to get to know each another, and if I’m lucky, you might agree to be my girlfriend in a few weeks.”
It was on the tip of Melissa’s tongue to tell Elijah about h
er possible move, but she didn’t want him to feel obligated to her for any reason. Yes, Melissa liked him a lot, and she’d had the time of her life in Chaud with Elijah, but she couldn’t help but feel hesitant knowing she’d just gotten out of a relationship.
She would take it slow.
Smiling, she allowed Elijah to lead her toward the shore. “I’d like that as well.”
“I told you about my last relationship, but you haven’t mentioned anything about yours except I awakened a part you closed off after it. What happened, and how did it end?”
Glancing over at Melissa, Elijah noted the expectant look lingering in the depths of her brown eyes. Under the velvet sky, dotted with hundreds of thousands of stars twinkling and the glow of the hotel in the distance, she looked absolutely breathtaking. Even more so than she had when she’d met him in the lobby earlier this evening. Melissa appeared lost in her element as the gentle breeze of the night’s air blew her loose curls around her face.
“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised you turned the question back on me, but still hearing it caught me off guard.”
Melissa frowned. “Why’s that?”
“I don’t really talk about it much. Never had a reason to drudge up the past.” Until now. A beat passed between them, Elijah lost in his thoughts on where to begin this awkward conversation. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d talked about his relationship with someone other than his best friends, but he also knew not answering Melissa’s question wasn’t an option. “I met Alexandra during my Cardiothoracic Transplant fellowship. We instantly bonded over our upbringing and our circumstances—two inner-city, bi-racial kids raised in a mixed cultured household. We stuck out, so it was no surprise how close we became. Besides those obvious similarities we shared, we had a lot in common. She easily became someone I depended on, a constant figure in my life. We could talk about any and everything, and it would still feel like we never scratched the surface of a topic. But I later learned there were stark differences we had that would push us apart no matter how hard I fought against them.”
Her Forever Fling Page 10