I'll Stand by You

by Wayne Jordan

  “Stop,” she shouted, before her brothers could get a word in edgewise.

  She turned to Darren. “I don’t wish to be rude, but I think it’s time you go. I need to have a good talk with my brothers.”

  Darren smiled, walked over to her, kissed her on the lips and whispered in her ear, “You’re sure you don’t want me to stay?”

  She smiled back at him and, loud enough for her brothers to hear, said, “I’ll be okay. I need to deal with them on my own.”

  He nodded in understanding. “You’ll do fine,” he said quietly, but also not out of earshot of her brothers. “I’ll be back for the rest of my clothes later.”

  With that statement, Darren opened the door and heard one of her brothers snort. He turned around, his gaze narrowed on the brothers.

  “I think the three of you need to take a good look at yourselves. Yeah, I understand you want to protect your little sister, but you need to realize that she isn’t a little girl anymore. She’s a woman. Don’t alienate yourself from her with your heavy-handed behavior.”

  He smiled and stepped into the hallway. It was testament to Darren’s control that he closed the door quietly behind him.

  In the wake of Darren’s departure, the room was quiet. Eboni could have cut the tension with a knife.

  “He’s right,” she said. “And he’s said all that I wanted to say. I really don’t want to talk to any of you right now so I think it’s best you leave. I want to talk to all of you, Mom and Dad included. I have to put an end to this nonsense.”

  She walked over to the door, opened it and stood aside so they could leave.

  Not one of them said a word and as the last one walked out, she closed the door behind them.

  She listened for their retreating footsteps. It was a full two minutes before she heard the sound.

  When she was sure they were gone, she rested her back against the door, slowly slid to the floor and cried.

  * * *

  All cried out, Eboni finally got in the tub and had a long, hot bath, after which, she climbed into bed and fell into a deep sleep. When she awoke it was after eleven o’clock. At least she had the strength to leave her bed this time.

  She had to work the next day, but she didn’t want to sleep alone. She dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and headed for Darren’s condo.

  Ironically, she’d never been there before. They had spent most of their time together at her place.

  She walked briskly to his entrance and pressed the doorbell.

  She heard some rummaging and then a loud curse. She almost laughed. She hoped he’d not hurt himself.

  The door opened and he stood there, a towel around his waist.

  “Sorry for disturbing you.”

  He stepped back, inviting her in.

  When he closed the door behind her, he reached for her, pulling her against him.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “I wanted to call, but I wasn’t sure what happened after I left. Next time, I’m staying there with you.”

  “I promise you, there won’t be a next time,” she stated. “I’m going over to my parents’ home one evening after work. I’ve told them all to be there. Maxwell is the only one who no longer lives there, but he had better be there.”

  “That’s my girl. You tell them like it is. Want any moral support?” he asked.

  “I wouldn’t mind, but I need to do this on my own,” she explained. “They have to see me for who I am.”

  “Okay, I know exactly what you mean,” he replied. “I was as pissed as you were earlier.”

  “I could tell, but you’re the first of my...friends to stand up to them.”

  “Hon, I don’t exactly scare easily,” he stated firmly.

  “I can see that.”

  “No matter what happens, I’ll stand by you.”

  She smiled, snuggling closer to him.

  “So what are your plans for tonight? Want to sleep over?” he asked, a finger trailing along her arm.

  “I was hoping you’d ask,” she admitted. “I’ve grown accustomed to not sleeping alone. I’ll get the grand tour tomorrow morning since this is the first time I’ve invited myself here. But I can already see compared to this, mine is definitely humble.”

  “I’m sorry. Didn’t realize you’ve never been here, but you did get to see my private sanctuary in Scarsdale.”

  He slipped his hands away, leaving her feeling empty.

  “Follow me,” he said, taking her hands in his. “Welcome to my home away from home.”

  The one thing she noticed was that his home in Scarsdale felt like a home, but his condo had a temporary feel. That was not to say it hadn’t been decorated well. In fact, the decorator had done a fabulous job creating an interior that shouted affluence.

  Darren kicked the bedroom door open and carried her to the bed.

  “I thought that our lovemaking earlier would be enough for me, but something tells me that I’m not going to sleep until I have you again.”

  * * *

  The next few days sparked with sunshine. Thursday morning brought the perfect week to an end. Rain poured, but nothing could dampen Eboni’s spirit.

  Lying in bed, memories of the past few days flashed through her mind.

  Making love with Darren was on her list of the most incredible things in her life. She didn’t know where their relationship was heading, but she did know that she loved being around him. Since their weekend in Scarsdale something had changed. It was not an overt change, but one that was more intimate, more internal.

  It was about her attitude toward the relationship. In the initial stages, she placed no labels on how she felt about Darren...neither of them had.

  She hadn’t even thought about her sisters for the past few days nor had she had one of her dreams. In fact, she’d slept like a baby. She and Darren had settled into a comfortable routine. Thanks to Captain Ward, who still seemed concerned about her, she’d been granted permission to return home at night. However, in a few weeks, she’d be back to her usual shift.

  For now, she spent her nights either at Darren’s condo or hers. They were always together. She had to admit, where they slept didn’t matter to her—she just wanted to sleep in his arms.

  Last night, as with most nights, they’d made love. They couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. Each time they made love she discovered something new about his body. Last night, she realized that the area along his spine was overly sensitive, unlike hers, and she only needed to trail her tongue along the area to drive him crazy.

  She also discovered that he was adventurous and believed that variety, with her, was the spice of life. She realized that where sex was concerned she’d been raised a prude. With Darren, each time they made love it was a new adventure.

  Last night, he’d brought a tub of ice cream to bed, but when she’d complained about eating so late, he demonstrated a new way to consume it. She could not wait to see what he had planned next.

  As she rose from the bed, she mentally planned her schedule for the day.

  Darren found the situation amusing, but she didn’t. After tonight, she expected her brothers to show her the same respect she had always shown them.

  In the kitchen, she glanced at the clock above the refrigerator. She had an hour to eat breakfast and get to work.

  She made a quick breakfast and thirty minutes later she was out the door.

  As she stepped through the firehouse door about twenty minutes later, the alarm immediately sounded.

  “Eboni,” the captain shouted, “sorry to ask you to go out so soon, but we have a massive fire on 48th Street. I want you there.”

  She groaned, but the adrenaline was already pumping into her system. Five minutes later, she was in gear and ready to mount the truck.

 
The drive to 48th Street did not take long, despite heavy traffic.

  At the site of the fire, they jumped into action, each knowing exactly what role they had to play.

  “Wynter, you’re going in with me,” Karl ordered. “There is nothing we can do about the other building, but there’s someone trapped in this one.” He pointed to the building directly in from of them, its facade barely visible in the thick smoke.

  She nodded, unable to speak.

  “You ready for this?” he asked, concern in his voice.

  “Yes,” she replied. “I’m ready.”

  “Good. Just follow my lead. We have to get this little boy out.”

  He turned and walked toward a single window with a broken pane.

  She breathed deeply. Paralyzing fear slammed her in the face. She sent a short prayer upward and then took a strong step forward.

  When she reached the window, Karl had already disappeared inside. She followed him, the heat hitting her in the face, but she knew the window had been the best choice of entry. Thick curls of smoke made it impossible to see, but the light on her helmet cut through blackness and made things easier. Karl’s silhouette moved with quick purpose ahead of her.

  When he reached the stairs and started upward, she followed him cautiously. In the midst of the crackling and creaking, she heard a voice.

  “Karl?” she shouted.

  He stopped.

  “I heard something. Listen.”

  He did, pointed to the left and moved swiftly ahead. She followed. At the end of the corridor, flames licked at the walls, blocking their entry into the room.

  Karl stopped abruptly.

  “He’s in there,” she shouted over the noise.

  She stopped, the heat was still bearable, but she knew they had to act quickly.

  Without hesitation, she ran forward, breaking through the flames. Karl followed.

  A little boy sat on the floor coughing. He’d had the sense to wrap a blanket around him. Karl picked him up. Turning around, he paused briefly and then burst through the flames.

  “Eboni, we have to go,” Karl shouted.

  She ran through the flames and raced down the corridor. Karl was already hurrying down the stairs.

  A few minutes later, she flew through the door, flames licking at her heels, and into the street.

  Thunderous cheers greeted her.

  She felt an overwhelming desire to cry, but couldn’t spare the time. Later, in the privacy of her room, she’d cry. For the little boy they’d rescued, for Marcus, whom they couldn’t save, and for her triumphing over the fear that had dogged since the accident.

  A man and a woman took the boy from Karl, but the paramedics soon took over.

  She walked slowly away, stopping next to one truck, a short distance from where the crew had gathered. She leaned against it. Karl followed, and stood before her.

  “You did well today, kid,” he said, admiration in his eyes.

  She eyed him wearily. “Why did you take me with you?” she asked. “The last few fires, I stayed outside.”

  “I knew you would be afraid, but I had to make you face that fear or you’d never be any good to me...to us,” he replied. “I knew you’d do what you had to do. You were ready.”

  The tears started to flow, but she didn’t care.

  Karl put his arms around her.

  “You did well, kid. I knew if anything happened, you had my back. We’re always afraid, but it’s how we handle that fear that makes us good at what we do. I knew the day you joined us you’d be a good firefighter.”

  She lifted her head and smiled.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  He held her hand and together they walked toward the other members of the crew.

  The flash of cameras greeted them.

  Chapter 9

  Darren slammed the phone down and rose from behind his desk. He had to go to Los Angeles. There was a hitch in the negotiations of a property he’d sold and he needed to be there. He might be gone for a week or more. How was he going to handle being away from Eboni? He wouldn’t even see her tonight since he had to leave on a flight as soon as possible.

  He turned, picked up the phone again and hit the intercom button.

  “Kim, see if you can get me on a flight to L.A. before the end of the day. I can go directly to the airport from here. Call my housekeeper there and let her know I’m coming and what time. You can hire me a car also.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll get on it.”

  Five minutes later, she called back to give him his schedule. “I’ve sent the documents you need to your Dropbox account. Any idea when you’ll be back?”

  “I’d like to be back by the weekend, but it may be longer. I’ll keep you informed.”

  “Okay, sir. I’ll see you when you return. I’ll call if anything important comes up.”

  “Let Roger know that I’ll give him a call when I get to L.A.”

  “Yes, sir. Will do. Have a good trip.”

  Darren hung up and immediately reached for his cell phone. He dialed Eboni’s number but got her voice mail. He left a brief message, explaining the situation and informing her that he would call her later that night.

  He took a quick shower and changed into something a bit less formal and packed his carry-on bag. He’d learned that in his job he always had to be prepared.

  Three hours later, he boarded an American Airlines flight and waited patiently for takeoff.

  The five hours to Los Angeles passed quickly. He read documents on his laptop for the first few hours. He spent the rest of the time with his headphones on, listening to a few of his favorite podcasts. Eventually he drifted off to sleep.

  He awoke to the flight attendant gently shaking his shoulder and informing him it was time for the pre-landing procedures. He thanked her, clicked his seat belt into place as she requested and waited impatiently for the plane to land. He’d had enough flying for the day.

  And hour later, he was sitting in his office trying to find a solution to the problem that had brought him to Los Angeles.

  When he walked into his L.A. home several hours later, it took all his willpower not to immediately fall sleep after he collapsed on the bed.

  He picked up his cell phone where he’d dropped it on the bed and dialed Eboni’s number.

  The phone rang for a few seconds before she answered.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello, honey,” he said. “I’m sorry I called you so late, but I just got in. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “You didn’t. I was reading while I waited for you to call.”

  “You must be tired.”

  “Yes, had a hard day at work today.”

  “Saved any lives?” he said jokingly.

  “I did get a little boy out of a fire today.”

  “You did? How are you doing?”

  “I’m good. I feel good.”

  “I’m glad you are.”

  “It was a bit...scary. I almost froze, but I worked through it.”

  “I’m proud of you. Any more nightmares?”

  “No, none since Scarsdale.”

  “That’s good,” he said. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too,” she whispered. “How long are you going to be there?”

  “Hopefully, not beyond the weekend, but I’ll call you every night.”

  “I’m glad you called, but I know you must be dead on your feet. Go get some rest and I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” she said, and then added, “Sleep tight.” And hung up.

  He disconnected his phone. He really needed to get up and take a shower, but his body refused to move.

  He missed Eboni already, missed her more than he thought he would. When she’d told him about the fi
re, he’d been worried. Her job worried him, but he knew she loved it and he’d just have to work through that fear just as she had earlier that day.

  He rose slowly and stripped off his clothes then dropped them in the clothes hamper.

  A shower was definitely what he needed, but most of all he needed her. How on earth was he going to sleep tonight without her warm body next to his? He wasn’t looking forward to sleeping alone.

  Five minutes later, he lay in bed, his arms wrapped around a pillow, thinking about her soft floral scent until he was making sweet love to her in his dreams.

  * * *

  By the following Friday, Darren thought he would go crazy. While he’d chatted with Eboni each night, he missed her so much he wished he could just shut down shop and return to New York.

  When he left the office that evening, he felt like going directly to the airport.

  He’d finally solved his client’s problems and regained some goodwill. Now he could go home. He wanted to leave on the next available flight, but there were still documents to sign in the morning. Then he could hop on a flight and be home in time to hold Eboni in his arms after a late dinner.

  Later that night, after he’d gotten into bed, the phone rang. He wondered if Eboni missed him so much that she was calling back despite having talked to him an hour before. The smile on his face faded as he saw the name that scrolled across the caller ID.

  It was his ex-wife, Barbara.

  “Darren, I’ve been trying to reach you all day,” she said, her tone accusing, as if he’d purposely avoided her calls. She still didn’t get it—he worked during the day. He ran businesses and people depended on him to do his job regardless of what was happening in his personal life.

  “Yes, Barbara, it’s nice to speak to you, too. How was your day?” he asked, forcing calmness into his voice. All he had to do was let her state her case, then he would respond and get the hell off the phone.

  “I’m sorry,” she said and her apology surprised him. “I’m just frustrated. I hate when plans change. It shows a blatant disregard for anyone involved.” She paused, sighing. “I have to leave for New York tomorrow instead of next week. Kenya will be there tomorrow. I hope that’s not a problem”