Her Forever Fling

by Kimmie Ferrell

  The first thing she wanted to do was find Elijah but thought better of doing so. His shift began when hers ended, and while Melissa had only seen him once as he made his rounds, seeking him out right now would draw unnecessary attention. Instead, she shot Elijah a quick text message.

  Good morning, Dr. Bae. Sorry we didn’t get the chance to really “speak” this morning. *sad emoji face* But I want to make it up to you. Dinner tonight, your place. I hope you have a great day. And if you haven’t gotten your daily booster shot to your ego, remember you are brilliant. Love you *heart emoji*

  Before hitting send, Melissa reread the text. Her breath escaped her lungs in a loud swoosh as her eyes lingered on the last two words of the message. Love you. She hadn’t meant to type it, or realized she’d done so, but it seemed as though her brain gave a command her fingers followed. She quickly deleted those two words, leaving only the heart emoji, then sent the text. Though her mind raced, and the increasing speed of her heartbeat should’ve alarmed her, it didn’t because Melissa could no longer deny the truth. She couldn’t pinpoint when or where it happened, nor could Melissa determine what Elijah did—if anything—that sent her emotions spiraling out of control for him, but somewhere between their time together in Chaud and the morning he’d taken her home from work, Melissa accepted the depths of her feelings.

  She loved Elijah.

  Still, telling him via text message wasn’t exactly the most romantic way to confess what was on her heart. Melissa couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips as a plan of wining, dining, and seduction began to formulate in her head. She would tell Elijah she loved him while they celebrated her new position over one of his favorite meals. But before Melissa could focus on what was to come, she had a few errands to run in preparation for the visit from her parents, her brother, niece, and Jayla’s mother tomorrow, and dinner with both their families tomorrow evening.

  Slipping his key into the lock of his Ellicott City condo, Elijah opened the door and stepped inside, dropping his keys and wallet into a bowl on the console table and his overnight bag at his feet. He made a beeline toward the kitchen, following the delicious aroma that wafted from the room. Leaning against a wall near the kitchen entrance, Elijah watched as Melissa moved through the space with ease and a sense of familiarity that caused his heart to swell, opening cabinets to extract silverware, pulling out spices and plates to set the table. Although this wasn’t the first time Melissa visited his home—Elijah had given her a set of keys and placed her name on a list for immediate access—this was the first time she’d been here without him, and Elijah noted how comfortable she was. In her element, as though she truly belonged there. As if this was her home.

  It could be.

  The thought should have jarred Elijah, but he didn’t mind it one bit. More than anything, he wanted Melissa here, in his home, in his life, and in his heart, forever. To absorb the light and joy she so easily emitted whenever she entered a room. Elijah craved the softness of her body next to his as they slept tangled between covers rumpled from hours of lovemaking, with her head rested on his shoulder, and his arm wrapped securely around her. The feel of her breath tickling his chest or the side of his face and the soft sounds of her snoring filling his ears.

  Melissa ruined him. And not for the next woman who would be so lucky to have his attention or his love because Elijah knew there was no one else. Melissa was it for him. He didn’t need to play games like most men did, jumping from one woman to the next under false pretenses of falling in love. Elijah didn’t have to scour the globe searching for the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He found Melissa when he wasn’t looking…or rather, Melissa found him when she bumped into him all those months ago.

  Since Melissa had yet to acknowledge his presence, Elijah used the opportunity to take in her appearance. She looked sexy as hell wearing one of his now throwback Gilbert Arenas Washington Wizards jersey that stopped mid-thigh, leaving Elijah to wonder if she were wearing anything under it. She stood at the stove, stirring the contents of a pot while holding a glass of red wine with the other, singing along to her cleaning playlist, a playlist Elijah himself was quite familiar with a few weeks ago when he spent the night at her home and woke up to the sounds of Hi-Five’s “I Like the Way” blasting on a small, Bluetooth speaker while Melissa folded laundry.

  His gaze fell to her bare feet, and right away, Elijah noticed some of her toes were missing the burnt-orange polish. The fact that she didn’t seem to care about it while she cooked dinner for them, or hadn’t stopped after work to get a pedicure, didn’t go unnoticed by Elijah. In fact, it was small imperfections like chipped nail polish, lipstick on her teeth, choosing to sleep with a satin bonnet, and wearing non-matching socks that made everything about Melissa perfect.

  “Are you really going to stand there and stare at me, or are you going to get cleaned up so we can eat?” Melissa turned to face him, crossing one ankle over the other.

  The hem of the jersey rose slightly, answering Elijah’s earlier question. She indeed wasn’t wearing anything underneath.

  “I know you’re hungry.”

  Elijah pushed off the wall and crossed the kitchen to stand in front of Melissa. He took the wineglass from her hand and took a sip before brushing his lips over hers. “I’m starving, sweetheart, and while it smells delicious in here and my stomach is grumbling, the only thing I want to eat is you.”

  “Oh, really?” Melissa asked. “And why should I allow you to overindulge in gluttonous behavior?”

  “Because,” Elijah wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled Melissa to him, and nuzzled her neck, “you taste so good.”

  Melissa giggled. “Babe, stop.” She squirmed in his arms, laughing so hard tears leaked from her eyes. “Hurry up and wash your hands, so we can eat dinner.” She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “We need to talk.”

  Like water dousing the flames of a four-alarm fire, Elijah released Melissa. His eyebrows knit together in confusion. Nothing good ever came from those four words. “Sounds serious.”

  Stepping from his embrace, Melissa walked over to the cabinet, opened it, and grabbed a glass from the shelf. After filling it, she handed it to Elijah. “It is.” She turned off the burner and removed the pot from the stove.

  “Oo-kay.” Elijah would be lying if a part of him wasn’t scared of what could come from her mouth. Things were going well. Though it wasn’t easy working together, they’d made the best of the situation, choosing to spend whatever time they could outside of the hospital together. They were open about the things they wanted, needed, and expected of each other and their relationship, and although Melissa had yet to say she loved him again, Elijah knew in his heart she did.

  He walked over to the sink to wash his hands, then turned to Melissa. “Whatcha need me to do?”

  “Can you grab the salad from the fridge while I plate the food?”

  “Of course. What are we having for dinner? It smells delicious.” Elijah pulled out the bowl of salad and a cruet of salad dressing. He placed them on the table, then grabbed two bowls out of the cabinets.

  “A mixed green salad with red wine vinaigrette, spaghetti topped with a mushroom garlic meat sauce, and garlic bread. The salad dressing, sauce for the spaghetti, and the garlic bread are all homemade.” She placed the plates on the table and went back to grab their glasses and the bottle of wine.

  Elijah pulled out Melissa’s chair, waited until she sat down, then took his own. He recited a short prayer, and watched as Melissa served herself a small portion of salad and two garlic bread pieces. “So, what’s up?”

  She sat down her fork and folded her hands together. “I met with Chief Webster, Dr. Simeon, Nurse Collins, and Nurse Kemp earlier.”

  “When?” Elijah asked, forking up some spaghetti.

  “After my shift ended. Francine was placed on bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy, and they asked me to take her position as charge nurse until she comes back
from maternity leave.”

  “That’s fantastic!” Elijah jumped out of his chair, pulling Melissa into his arms, and peppered her face with kisses. “I know how important this opportunity is to you.”

  “It means a lot to me.” Melissa smiled as she retook her seat a beat later, though Elijah noticed how it failed to illuminate her eyes. “But I’d be lying if I didn’t express my concerns too.”

  His brows furrowed. Concerns? Elijah definitely didn’t like how that sounded. But instead of questioning her, he waited for Melissa to proceed. And when she didn’t, he reached across the table, taking her hand in his, wanting to ease her fears though he had his own. Ensuring Melissa was alright and cared for somehow became second nature to Elijah. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

  “I know.” Melissa sighed. “I wanted to celebrate this achievement and bask in the knowledge that I was selected for this position with you, but I couldn’t, not when I learned about it. I had to wait until you got home because I didn’t want to add fodder to the hospital rumor mill. As I was leaving, I overheard a couple of people saying Dr. Simeon named his successor.”

  Elijah heard the same thing, only his information came from the direct source. Dr. Simeon had pulled Elijah aside to assure him that while people believed he made his announcement, he hadn’t but would be doing so in the upcoming days.

  “It made me think about how rumors are like wildfires. All it takes is one little spark—or in this case, one person—to bring it to life, and it could destroy everything in its path.”

  Elijah wondered where Melissa was going with her spiel. He agreed most rumors led to destruction. And although he wanted to know why she felt this way or what propelled these thoughts, Elijah knew Melissa had to work out her feelings herself. No amount of probing or prodding would make her reach her point any faster. He took a sip of his wine, mentally preparing himself for whatever would come.

  “Rumors are dangerous. They can change a person’s perception in an instant.” Melissa worried her bottom lip. Her eyes were focused on a spot over his shoulder. “I just started working at BCMH, and although it’s been a couple of months, I am still trying to fit in and build relationships with the staff. I guess I’m concerned about my reputation.” Her gaze finally connected with his moments later as she asked, “How many stories have you heard about a doctor and a nurse together, whether they are dating, married, or having casual sex?”

  Elijah thought about the question before responding. “I hear about it a lot. With BCMH not having a no-fraternization policy, people screw whomever they damn well please.”

  “Right. And in most cases, it’s almost always a male doctor and a female nurse. Even if the couple agrees to secrecy, word somehow gets out, and in every scenario, the male doctor gets high-fives and praises heaped on him like he won the freaking Super Bowl, while the only thing the nurse gets is dirty looks from her peers and becomes the topic of conversation in ‘locker room talk.’ Soon it’s all she’s known for, having slept with a doctor, and heaven forbid the nurse dates or sleep with another doctor at the same hospital because then she becomes a hoe.”

  “Is that the issue? You’re afraid people would look at you differently if it came out we’re dating?” Elijah didn’t believe this would be the turn in their conversation.

  “Yes. Maybe not in the sense that I’m a hoe for dating you, but…” Melissa paused and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she reopened them, Elijah could see the pain swimming in her brown eyes. His heart constricted. “I don’t want you to think this is one-sided or I am more concerned about my career than yours because I’m not. That’s the furthest thing from the truth. I want you to be named the next Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery without drama or speculations of nepotism because it somehow is made known we’re dating, and I was suddenly offered this position. I know this will sound crazy, and you may disagree with my stance on this, but I think we need to continue to keep our relationship on the DL. At least for a little while longer.”

  Sliding closer to Melissa, Elijah gently pulled her from her chair and placed her on his lap. “Okay, sweetheart,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her temple in a sweet kiss. “Remember, you set the pace. If you’re not ready to shout your feelings about me out for the world to hear, I respect and accept that.”

  “Good, because there’s something else I wanted to discuss with you this evening.”

  “Gahh more,” Elijah said with an exaggerated groan, then laughed as Melissa pinched his arm. “Ouch!”

  Melissa pouted. “Be nice. This is important, but it shouldn’t take as long as the previous conversation.” She closed her eyes, pulling in a deep breath, then opened them with a timid smile on her face. “Even though I’m not ready to shout this out from the mountaintops, I think you should know how much I care about you. How much I-I love you, Elijah. Thank you for always being patient with me, for understanding me, and for pushing me out of my comfort zone. I feel free and unshackled with you. Your love has broken down walls and transcended barriers I placed around my heart.”

  When Melissa spoke of her love for him in her sleep, he believed nothing could top that feeling. But Elijah was wrong. Hearing her speak those words now, at this moment, was unlike anything Elijah ever experienced before in his life. His heart swelled in his chest as he cupped her face in his hands and brushed his thumb across her lips before claiming them for himself in a gentle kiss he hoped conveyed his innermost thoughts and feelings for her.

  But with each tongue stroke, each soft moan Melissa uttered against his lips, the feel of her heavy breasts against his chest, and the rolling of her hips against his hardening erection, the kiss became more urgent. They devoured each other’s mouths with more fervor. Elijah grasped the back of her neck, angling her head to further sink into the warmth of her mouth. Without breaking the kiss, Elijah stood up from the table. The force knocked his chair back and over, and sent droplets of red wine sloshing over the rim of his glass. But Elijah didn’t give a damn. His main concern was the woman in his arms.

  Melissa yelped, her hands tightened around his neck. “Elijah! What are you doing? What about dinner? It’s gonna get cold.”

  “Fuck that dinner. All I wanna eat right now is you.” Elijah’s lips moved from her mouth to the spot beneath her ear as he carried Melissa out of the kitchen, down the hall, into the master bedroom. He placed her gently on the bed, yanked his shirt over his head, and tossed it across the room. Joining Melissa on the bed, he whispered against her lips, “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Elijah slid the door close behind him, then made his way over to the nurses’ station. He was beyond ready for the day to be over, and it had nothing to do with his patients or even his colleagues but everything to do with the woman he pried himself from this morning. After their failed dinner attempt, Elijah went to the kitchen, reheated their food, and they ate while sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace on blankets Melissa laid out. They made love several more times before passing out from exhaustion hours later. What made it difficult to leave wasn’t the fact Melissa had slipped on the same jersey from the night before and prepared avocado egg toast and a fruit smoothie while Elijah showered, or even the hug and kiss they shared before he left out the door. Instead, it was her manifesting a good day for him, and hearing her shout she loved him as he headed out his condo and down the hall to the elevators.

  Now, with more than five hours left of his day, Elijah was praying for a burst of energy that would carry him through his shift, back into the arms of Melissa, and through dinner with both their families. It would not only be the first time he met her family, but the first time Melissa met his, along with his godparents as well, despite their close proximity to Baltimore. Elijah wanted the evening to go on without a hitch. This evening was important to him, Melissa—who’d stressed over the details from where they would eat to what she and Elijah should wear—and their relationship. It wasn’t lost on Elijah
the significance of meeting her family since he recently learned her ex never got the honor.

  Glancing at his watch, Elijah headed toward the exit of the ICU. He had a meeting with Dr. Simeon. A small part of Elijah wondered if Dr. Simeon would announced his successor. If so, Elijah hoped and prayed the announcement would be in his favor. While there was nothing wrong with Dr. Banks, and Elijah respected her as a surgeon, he believed she wasn’t mature enough to run the department. Over the last few weeks, Elijah the impression her only reason for wanting to do so stemmed from the pressures of her parents, although he couldn’t be sure. Ten minutes later, Elijah knocked on the door of Dr. Simeon’s office.

  “Come in,” a voice called.

  Elijah stepped into the spacious office. Natural sunlight illuminated the drably decorated office through the blinds of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The taupe-colored walls were decorated with certificates and pictures of smiling faces of Dr. Simeon, his wife, children, and grandchildren in ornate, embossed, dark walnut frames. The gray patterned carpet was heavily stained in some areas and looked almost new and untouched in others.

  Dr. Simeon stood from behind the L-shaped desk and waved Elijah in. A hint of a smile touched his lips. “Good afternoon, Dr. Grayson. Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?”

  “No, thank you.” Elijah slid into one of the leather guest chairs and wiped his hands down his scrub pants. He was anxious to find out why he’d been called there.

  “I know you have patients to tend to,” Dr. Simeon said, reclaiming his seat. “So I won’t keep you any longer than necessary. Nor will I beat around the bush. Congratulations, Dr. Grayson, on becoming the next Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery.”

  Stunned, Elijah’s jaw dropped. His eyes widened as he stared unblinkingly at Dr. Simeon. He heard the words, saw the huge smile on the face of the man who’d inspired Elijah to work hard and mentored him throughout the years, yet he found it difficult to speak and process the words he’d hoped to one day hear.