Hero

by Shani Greene-Dowdell

  The extra bedroom was a confusion of stacked boxes and random pieces belonging to us both. We just didn’t know what box belonged to who anymore. Neither of us wanted to figure it out. After bargaining for us both to unpack a box in there every day, she stumbled to her room to faceplant on her bed and stayed that way until morning. I didn’t sleep, didn’t see any reason not to leave for work a little earlier.

  Surprisingly, I met Tobin outside the gate around eight. He hadn’t specified he’d be following me to the office. Glad for it, I picked up Athena walking from the bus stop along the way. It wasn’t long after I quickly came to regret leaving the condo. More construction workers and other affiliate contractors had clogged the front lot with their work vehicles. We had to park around the back.

  Tobin was not happy about that as we poured through the back door. “Tomorrow, we make them clear a few spaces for you and your customers, or I’ll move them my way.”

  Seeing no problems with that, I didn’t question what he meant by his way. Deciding to start his session early, Tobin and I went straight in my office. Athena hadn’t been at her work station a minute when she yelled my name. Sure Chad had come back, we scurried out to her. Without a word, she pointed at the ground just outside the door.

  “Dammit!” I spat.

  Chad had been by for sure. He had dropped off unwanted presents again and left it on the sidewalk.

  My stomach plummeted into my black leather pumps. There was a food tray with a single red rose, a healthy breakfast in containers, and the makings for mimosas. As if I’d drink at work. Oh, but I wanted to. The bottle of Moet with matching bow and attached card around its neck looked real good right then no matter who it was from. Instead of gulping it down, I whirled in an aimless circle on the carpet, slapping my thigh in frustration.

  “I’m so sick of this shit!” I yelled. So close to bawling like a baby and considering moving again, I pressed fists to my eyes to shut the waterworks down. “He’s like a goddamn ghost living just at the edge of my world. I never see him, but I know he’s there.”

  “Cherise.” Tobin clasped my shoulders, shaking me gently and saying my name until I focused on him. “We’re going to stop this. It’s going to take a little time. You’re strong. Just hold on for me, please. Okay?”

  His plea worked some. I calmed down just enough to fall into the hypnotic storm of emotions swirling in his face. Damn, a kiss from this man would work wonders for my own emotional upheaval right now. A hug would do as well.

  “Okay, Cherise?” he urged.

  I nodded. Then, I was snatched into his body, powerful arms sweeping around me. My world was suddenly not as upside down as it was. I held on tight to him for as long as he allowed. Turned out, Athena clearing her throat was all it took to break up that moment. I backstepped to escape the bubble he had created. It would’ve taken nothing for me to hold on to him forever.

  Tobin peered down at me, his arms still around me. “I’ll get the stuff from outside and add it to the trashcan behind Athena’s desk with the other stuff.”

  That was as close to tossing out the gifts as he would let me. We decided to store it all in the waiting area. I wanted to haul Chad’s tactics to initiate me into his crazy to the nearest dumpster. Tobin vetoed that, stating we should keep everything as evidence for when the shit hit the fan, and the cops had to get involved. In my opinion, the shit was already spraying everywhere. I’d be damned if I was going to get covered in it without enjoying something besides work first. Tobin went to grab the unwelcomed packages.

  I walked over to the reception desk, where Athena sat expressionless behind it. “Athena, I don’t think you should keep working here. Chad is—”

  “Nope.” She shook her head. “You can’t fire me. I’m not going anywhere.”

  The twenty-one-year-old, determined to stick by my side, just endeared herself to me in a little sister kind of way. “I’m not firing you, honey. You’ll be on paid leave until Chad is caught, stopped, dead. At this point, I don’t give a damn.” He had no right to harass me, track me up the east coast, then harass me some more.

  Athena kept rocking her head side to side. “You can’t do intake and see patients too. We stick together when we’re here and eat or drink nothing that we can’t prove came from one of us. Besides, we have Tobin. He’s huge and knows how to fight, I think. I do suggest we get a lock for that door so no one can just walk in anymore, though.”

  Dusting his hands off, Tobin piped in, “Cherise, that’s one of the things I was going to mention in our talk tonight. Right now, I’m more concerned that you should just sit for a minute and take a breather. Our session can wait. This has to be taking its toll on you.” It was.

  “I think sitting for a minute won’t hurt anything,” I conceded, backtracking to my desk. Tobin closed my office door. Laying my head on the desktop, I drifted into a troubled sleep of being surrounded by pure blackness. A disembodied voice repeating the same words, “Acceptance starts now, Cherise.” Tobin was screaming my name. For the life of me, I couldn’t find him, couldn’t find shelter from the hidden menace.

  I knew I was dreaming and wanted out of that nap. Jerking awake, I checked my watch. Three and a half hours had passed… and Tobin hadn’t had his session yet. I jumped up, slinging open the door. Across the foyer in the waiting area, I found him in a chair dragged next to Athena’s desk. They were chatting quietly.

  “I’m so sorry, Tobin,” I interrupted them. “We can do your session now.”

  He trotted over to me. “Feel better?”

  “Honestly, not really.” The dream had left me feeling off.

  He took my elbow, guiding me back into the room. Insisting I sit on the edge of the desk, he cradled my face in his hands, looking me over. It took all the strength I had not to turn my face into his palm. Under his touch, I began to feel a bit better. Then, his hands dropped away as if he’d been burnt. I missed his nearness immediately.

  “Sorry, Cherise. I know how you are about being professional. If you don’t want to do my session today, we can reschedule. I don’t think one day away from the office will hurt. I’ll make sure you get home. You can rest until our date tonight.” Suddenly, he looked as if he’d seen a ghost. “I meant day at the carnival.”

  Athena cackled quietly in the next room, obviously eavesdropping.

  “It’s okay to say date, Tobin,” I assured him. After the last few days, coupled with that dream that was definitely trying to tell me something, being professional was the least of my worries.

  “It’s okay?” he questioned, completely baffled.

  As I raised up off the desktop, Athena’s snickers floated inside my office again. Tobin looked too shocked to be aware of the laughter at his expense coming from the other room.

  Hell, I sniggered myself. “Yes, it’s fine. We can go to the carnival at about eight this evening. Do you want to meet me there or pick me up?” These heels and formfitting dress would not be on the outing. Both were starting to pinch in places best left unnamed.

  “What?” Having shoved his hands in his pockets, Tobin was staring right through me. His body was here. His mind had went somewhere else far, far away.

  Athena laughed a little louder.

  I tried not to follow in her footsteps. “Are you picking me up or meeting me at the carnival, at eight?”

  He shook his head as if clearing away cobwebs in it. “Ah, picking you up would be better. One vehicle is safer right now. We can’t get separated that way.” He hadn’t understood what I meant by date, but he would. Separated from him was totally not what I wanted. I didn’t speak it for fear Athena would hear me. Begging for my license in front of a review board was still a problem if I wanted to keep my livelihood after Chad was dealt with. The fewer witnesses to the things I said and did to Tobin unprofessionally, the better.

  Reaching for my purse on the desk, I slung it over my shoulder. “I’m ready to go home. Malaysia would appreciate me unpacking a few boxes while she works.”
<
br />   I navigated around Tobin to exit. He was with me every step of the way. The waiting room was vacated. Athena had posted at the far wall by the back door, flinging it wide upon our arrival.

  “Athena, wait,” Tobin ordered too late.

  She had already gone outside, skidding to a stop on the pavement. “What is it, Tobin?”

  He rushed out after her, scanning the vicinity. “Let me go out and come in first when I’m here, please.”

  “If that’s how you want it,” she commented lightly. It had to be nice to not have a care in the world sometimes. Once upon a time, I lived like that every day. Carefree had been stolen from me.

  “I do want it that way,” he verified for her. I hovered just at the exit, watching him in action. His protective ways were downright sexy. His manners weren’t half bad, either. “Cherise, you can lock the door now. Thank you for waiting. I want you to talk to your landlord about an alarm system that’s connected to the doors and windows as soon as possible. We need to contact a company about giving you an alert button to carry with you.”

  While he made a loop around my car, I let the door slam shut, noticing his truck was missing from the space next to mine. “Where is your truck? I can have my pendant button reactivated here with the same company as before. The alarm company is scheduled to do an installation next week. I moved in before the landlord could get it done. This office wasn’t supposed to be ready for another month.” I wasn’t making money sitting at home.

  “Good,” he muttered, peering inside my vehicle. “Cherise, it’s okay to drive. My truck’s around the front. I had a little chat with the construction workers while you slept. Athena, how are you getting home?”

  “Dr. Johnston volunteers to take me to the bus stop up the street and wait with me for the bus to come every day. You can have shotgun, Tobin.” Athena slipped into the back seat after I deactivated the car’s alarm. Her head popped right back out the car, “Ah, sorry about volunteering your chauffeuring services for Tobin too, Dr. Johnston. I just didn’t think you’d let him walk around to his red truck in the front.”

  Of course, Athena would know what he drove. She didn’t have much else to do today besides look out the windows. I haven’t even thought about how he got here, let alone how he’d leave. Subconsciously, I didn’t want him to, I was way too contented in his company. Apparently, it was time to think about all the ramifications of being with him. Oh, how my mind took off with that. Wrestling it back out of thoughts of feasible sex positions in my car took some doing. How in the actual hell did my mind even get there?

  Well, I knew how and it had to stop for now, at least. When I checked back into reality, Tobin and Athena were giving me weird looks. How long had I been gone mentally on this balmy, sunny day? Girl, get a grip, I told myself. And I did, on my door handle. Those images of getting it on with Tobin wouldn’t go away, and I was supposed to say something. Like right now.

  My mouth started dribbling words on its own accord. “Um, no problem, Athena. It’s the least I can do for him. Tobin, get in.”

  He jumped to it. “Don’t mind if I do. My truck’s a few spaces down from your office.”

  Moving in sync, we took our perspective sides of the car, reaching for seatbelts. I moved so fast that I nearly headbutted him when trying to buckle up. Mortified, I fell back on my side of the car quick. Giving him a migraine wasn’t a good look. In my rearview mirror, Athena’s shoulders shook from her soundless laughter. Ever the gentlemen pursing his lips to keep his laugh at bay, Tobin insisted I buckle up first.

  Edgy from the near-disaster and his nearness sucking the air out of the car, I drove to the front. Braking roughly behind his truck like I just learned to drive was likewise humiliating. There was no excuse for it. The car had an automatic engine. I wondered if I’d be this awkward on our date. God, I hoped not.

  “Thanks for the ride.” Tobin unbuckled. “When we get to your home, I’ll do some reconnaissance there too while you go inside.”

  “That’s fine,” I agreed too fast.

  He got out. My head swiveled to keep him in my sights without my consent. When his hard body was safely ensconced in his vehicle, it was a tragedy. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. Startled, I jerked around.

  Forgotten about Athena snickered wildly. “We can go now.”

  “Oh! Okay.” I wheeled around. Like I said, the only thing I got a grip on was the door handle.

  Our takeoff went smoothly, thankfully. Entering traffic was a breeze. A grinning Athena sat primly with her hands crossed in her laps. The scenery downtown seemed to have stolen her attention. I knew that because my eyes kept gluing themselves to the rearview mirror. Tobin was keeping pace behind us.

  A mile down the street, the bus stop came into view. I pulled into the restaurant behind it, parking. Tobin’s truck drove up beside us, blocking our side view. Neither of us minded. We just stared at the fender of his truck at eye level. Once Athena got tired of the silence, she got chatty.

  “Do guys really need a truck that big?”

  “A few do for work, a few to accommodate their size. Others are overcompensating for something,” I remarked nonchalantly.

  She rocked her body as if thinking hard. “I thought so too. We know what category Tobin fits in. The man is supersized. The bus will be here in about three minutes.” The small talk was leading to what was really on her mind.

  “However long the bus takes is fine, Athena. I’m not thrilled about unpacking boxes. Now, you gonna say what it is you really wanna say before the bus gets here?” If she wanted in my business, she was getting the full flavor of my southern accent.

  She twirled her head my way so fast it almost went all the way around. “Well, since you asked. I like your accent, by the way. You know he’s a good guy, right?” One more member for Team Tobin coming up. He might need them when dealing with Malaysia.

  I dropped an elbow down on the window frame, cupping my chin in my hand. “Yeah, I know. I think I always knew. I also have to worry about him as my patient, Athena.” Did I really want him seeing anybody else for therapy? No. I didn’t want him seeing anyone else in the biblical sense, either. Tobin and I shouldn’t just put any relationship we formed out there for the world to see neither. He still had his future to think about, which meant it was my concern as well. Athena couldn’t know about us. “That means I can’t date him, Athena.” Out in the open anyway.

  Now that I spouted all the right things to my employee, it rang as utter nonsense in my head. My conscience wouldn’t let me lie to myself. If my stars were aligned, the bus would come sooner. I’d hate to have to start deflecting her nosiness. That took mental skills. My mind was absorbed with other things presently. It didn’t want to be distracted. Thinking about Tobin was pleasurable. Athena was distracting.

  She grabbed the edge of both seats, hurling herself forward. “You can date him after therapy, right? A blind woman could see that man is into you.” She was practically breathing down my neck.

  Into him too, I slid sideways to eyeball her. “Yes, I could date him afterwards.” God knew I wanted to, and she wasn’t going to let it go. “But is therapy ever really done, Athena?”

  For a moment, there was peace and quiet in the car. It didn’t last long enough. “That’s one of those deep questions followed by more deep questions that therapists ask with no right or wrong answers, isn’t it?”

  Dragging out my professional persona, I tilted my head. “I don’t know. Is it?”

  Athena tooted up one side of her lips in frustration. “Answering a question with a question is just mean, Dr. Johnston. Since my bus is coming, we’ll talk about it at our next session. Thanks for the ride.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  She jogged away in black combat boots, joining the cache at the bus stop. I reversed out to go home with Tobin sticking close behind me. Several times, I almost rear-ended other cars. I was drawn to the rearview mirror where he was. I was drawn to him. Knowing that didn’t put the brakes on m
y growing attraction.

  “That is not going to turn out well, Cherise,” I admitted to myself.

  In spite of that revelation, I wanted to go wherever it led almost at any cost.

  Tobin

  Highly alert and ready for World War 3, I took my turn going through a four-way intersection behind Cherise. A chime resonated from the speaker system. Andre’s name and number swam across my radio’s screen. Keeping an eye on Cherise and the passing vehicles, I took his call.

  “Andre, we’re not at the office. We’re a quarter-mile away from Cherise’s home.” I spit out her address to him, making provisions to inform Cherise of that straightaway. “If you’re calling me, you’re not flying. I bet the passengers love that. How did you get here two hours early if you’re here that is?”

  He snorted. “I’m here after annoying the hell out of the pilots instead of the passengers this time. Kind of got myself detained on the plane. They couldn’t kick me off it midflight, so they sped up. Everything went according to my plan. I can meet you at Cherise’s in an hour and a half if you need me to, got my own transportation. Isn’t it a little early for her to be knocking off for the day?”

  “I’ll be there to let you in the apartment, and it is a little early.” I grew furious just from recalling the reason why she was headed home. “Chad Lowell struck again. It was sliced fruit, omelets, and toast with avocado spread this time. Orange juice and a Moet to wash it down. She lost it big time.” I got to hold her, touch her, and breathe her in. If I was desperate, I’d tell Chad to keep it up. The results of his lunacy were marvelous for me. But he had to go. Cherise was reaching her breaking point with his stunts.

  “He’s got good taste in food and women at least. What else happened?” Andre pressed.

  “Nothing,” I conveyed as we took a right onto the inbound lane onto the property of Cherise’s home. “But, he’s getting bolder. We’re going to the carnival tonight to work on me and talk about Cherise’s situation. Instead of coming here, meet me at the carnival tonight at eight.”