Chapter 12
I smiled to myself as I walked into Sacred Warmth.
Even though I was just here a few hours ago, I still felt refreshed and ready to take on the new day.
I had to give credit for that to Quentin.
There was just something about sleeping with my body pressed up against his that made my entire nervous system feel safe enough to put me in a sleep coma.
I stepped into the employee lounge and placed my purse into one of the drawers we used to house our belongings. Once I put my things away, I headed to the front desk. “Good morning.” I greeted Nina, the receptionist.
“Hey.” She grinned at me. “I heard y’all had a late night last night.”
I pretended to wipe sweat from my brow. “We did. Baby boy Witherspoon was trying to stay inside his mama.”
We both chuckled.
“Well, I hope you got some rest because your first client is here.” She handed me a file. “Mrs. Ayers and her husband are in room 3.”
I took the file and gave Nina a smile. “Thanks. See you later.” I really enjoyed the atmosphere at Sacred Warmth. The staff was so friendly and warm that they made me feel welcomed and capable right away.
I walked into room 3 with a smile. Mrs. Ayers was a new patient to the center.
She was a late arrival, only deciding to change her birth plan to include a doula and a midwife when she was well into her second trimester.
It was only our second visit together, but I liked her and her husband.
They were a sweet couple who were expecting their second baby.
“Good morning. Good morning.” I chirped upon entering the medium-sized room. Both she and her husband were seated on the sofa.
“Good morning,” she responded.
“Good morning,” he parroted.
“How are you feeling today, Mrs. Ayers?”
“Ugh, tight.” She grimaced, placing a hand on each side of her swollen stomach. “I can tell this baby is growing. Every day I feel like he has less and less room to move around.” She held up a finger. “But that doesn’t stop him from trying.”
We both laughed.
“Well, we’re at the part where we need to start planning for this impending birth.”
She nodded.
“Let me give you a quick overview of what we’ll cover today. If I leave anything out that’s important to you, let me know. We can discuss it.”
She nodded again. “Sounds good.”
I jumped right in, talking to her about her birth plan, her preferences during the delivery, some strategies for her to increase her comfort, emotional support, partner support, and her postpartum plan.
After our talk, I moved her to the bed. We practiced some breathing patterns and a few positions that might help during labor.
She complained about some pain in her hip area and a tightness that wouldn’t let up in her back.
I beckoned her husband over and showed him how and where to massage her to give her some temporary relief.
He knew his wife’s body well, so it only took a few suggestions from me for him to decipher what she needed.
She gave me a smile of gratitude as her husband worked her sore body.
Interactions with patients were yet another thing that made me love my job.
During the workday, Quentin texted me and asked if I felt up to hanging out with him that night.
Since he was one of my favorite people and I had a growing attraction to him, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
I texted him back about where he was taking me and what I should wear, and, of course, he was vague.
He told me to dress casually, but other than that, he wouldn’t give me any other info.
The thought of hanging out with him kept a smile on my face all day.
After work, I pulled into the driveway and headed into the house as quickly as I could, without looking like I was completely frantic.
He must’ve been in his bedroom because I didn’t see him at all as I hustled from the front door to the guest room.
I wrapped up my hair, showered, then stood in front of the guest bed, eyeing at least seven different outfit options.
There was a light tap on the door and then Quentin’s voice. “Yo, E, I heard you get out the shower a half an hour ago. Don’t stress over your clothing choice. You’re gonna look good in anything you pick.”
He said I would look good, not fine. I caught the distinction, and it made me grin. “Gimme a hint, Q.”
I heard him huff out a sigh. “Jeans, lil mama. Jeans and your favorite top.”
I wanted to do something other than jeans.
I grabbed my favorite flowy miniskirt. I was a slim girl.
I didn’t have much curvature to speak of, but I grabbed the one skirt that gave the illusion that I had hips, thighs, and ass.
I paired it with a soft pink off-the-shoulder blouse and slip-on sandals.
I considered wearing my hair down but decided that with the early August humidity, it was best that I pulled it into a ponytail, so I did.
Then I grabbed my crossbody bag and left the room.
Quentin waited at the front door looking appropriately country boy in well-worn jeans, a graphic T-shirt, a baseball cap, and his cowboy boots.
Maybe it was the fact that I was born and raised in the country that made me love that particular look so much.
Other women might’ve had other opinions, but there wasn’t much sexier to me than a man in worn jeans and a baseball cap.
“Hey,” came out all soft and shy, which truly wasn’t my intention.
He grinned at me, showing me his dimples. “Hey.” His eyes swept up and down my body. “You look good.”
“Same.”
He grinned again. “Let’s go.”
We got in his pickup and hit the highway toward Londynville. “We’re going to Londynville?”
“Yeah. I saw something on my way home from work today, and I thought you would enjoy it.”
“That was thoughtful.” I didn’t ask any more questions, and the ride continued in silence until we arrived at Londynville Chops, which was one of my favorite restaurants. “You remembered?”
He pulled into a parking spot with ease. “Of course I remembered. We only had dinner here every time you had a special event in your life.”
“That’s true,” I said while cheesing. Each year for my birthday, for making the honor roll, for getting any kind of academic award, my parents always brought us to Londynville Chops.
Because Quentin was Kobey’s best friend, he often tagged along with us.
“I haven’t had them in years. I hope the food is still good. ”
“It is,” he assured me, before hopping out of the truck and coming around to my side to help me out.
We walked inside and were quickly greeted. I was glad that I’d decided on the skirt, blouse, and sandals. It wasn’t a fancy restaurant, but it wasn’t a chain restaurant, either. In my outfit of choice, I didn’t feel over or underdressed. That immediately made me relax.
The hostess started to lead us when Quentin leaned up and said something to her that I couldn’t hear.
She course corrected and led us to a less populated, more quiet section.
She said her spiel, gave us a smile, and set two menus on the table.
Quentin waited for me to take my seat before taking his.
“I was hoping it wouldn’t be too crowded tonight,” he commented.
It was a Saturday night. It was busy, but the section we were seated in had noticeably less patrons.
“It’s good. I’m good,” I promised as I picked up one of the menus.
The offerings were mostly the same as I remembered with the exception of a few new dishes.
I always got the same thing, and even though it had been years, I wasn’t about to vary from the script. “Um, I’m having the steak bites.”
“Shocker,” he teased with a chuckle.
I waved him off dismissively. “Forget you. You have a good day at work today?”
He filled me in on his day. Saturday was mostly for children’s classes. He taught karate and jujitsu. They were kids, so there was always something hilarious to report—something they said or did. “What about you? After last night, I hope today was less stressful.”
“It was.” I gave him a rundown of my day. While I was talking, the waitress came over and took our orders. When she walked away, I trained my eyes on him. He met my gaze. “I slept really good last night, Q. It seems like I get the best sleep when I’m lying next to you.”
“You decided that sleeping in the guest room was best. I never asked you to stop sleeping in my bed.”
“I know.” I huffed out a sigh. “Q, can I talk honestly to you? Not as Kobey’s little sister or somebody you watched grow up. Not like somebody who lived through a life-altering, traumatic experience. Can I just talk to you as Eastley?”
“You should always talk to me like that, E. That’s how I see you. I see you as a separate entity from KD. You’re not just his little sister to me. I see you as the grown ass woman that you are. Talk your grown shit.”
I tried to hide my smirk as I cleared my throat. Just hearing him say that made me feel like I could really talk to him. “When I was young, I always had a crush on you,” I began.
He coughed a little and cleared his throat. “Wow. Okay. Didn’t see that coming, but I follow. Keep talking, mamas.”
“Now, I’m back. And like you said, I’m a grown ass woman.
And I have a grown ass woman attraction to you.
But I’m conflicted, because it’s obvious that you’re still in love with Teagan.
I don’t wanna be pressin’ up on you when you’re not available for me to have.
” I sighed. “When we’re lying in your bed, all snuggled up and you’re holding me, you feel like mine, Q.
But in the light of day, you’re still very much hers. ”