4. Sametra #3
The memory of Malik stepping in, taking control of the situation without me even asking, made something warm curl in my stomach.
Besides my father and Samaj, and a few male friends at the station, interactions with the opposite sex had been few and far between.
Every man I’d dealt with since Ashe had come with an agenda, a timeline, an expectation of what I owed them for their attention.
They either wanted to fix me, change me, or prove something to themselves through me.
But Malik moved with the assurance of a man who knew exactly what he wanted and wasn't pressed about when he’d get it.
Because he knew he would. He could have left me to argue with Ashe, but he didn't. He saw that my walls weren't obstacles to overcome but just part of who I was—something to be patient with, not bulldozed through.
Malik kept it respectful but also let it be known not to push him. I found that combination very alluring. I was running out of reasons to keep him at arm's length. Soon I wouldn't be able to deny that the man I'd been waiting for was standing right in front of me.
Lord help me.
“He was just doing his job,” I lied coming back to the conversation.
“Job my ass,” Halo said. “That man was protecting his woman.”
“I’m not his woman.”
“Yet. And you want to be and he damn sure wants you to be,” Halo said, pointing her glass at me. “Don’t lie to us, MiMi.”
My phone ringing on the table stopped me from answering because I could see myself with a man like Malik, and that was just from the preliminary and very short time spent with one another.
It seemed like he could give me what I needed.
And the things I didn’t know I needed. I missed the call, taking forever to get to the table, but I had a text message when I grabbed my phone.
Dr. Holloway: Didn’t I say I’d be checking in on you? You good? Call me.
I stepped away from my girls while they all gave me knowing looks and called him back. He picked up on the second ring.
“Look at LT following orders. I know that hurt.” His voice came through, amused. He sounded like he was home, and I laughed to myself, how the hell would I know? I was so bad at this, and I hoped he couldn’t tell.
I never cared about impressing a man. What was the point?
For seventeen years, I’d focused on being impressive for myself, building my career, raising my son, creating a life that didn't require anyone’s approval.
Men came and went, but none of them had ever made me second-guess my perfume choice or wonder if I sounded too eager when I called back.
It hadn't been on my agenda, this wanting to be seen as desirable, as worth pursuing.
For some reason, I wanted to impress him. I wanted him to hear something in my voice that made him smile the way I was smiling right now. I wanted to be the woman he thought about when he was settling into his chair at home, the one who made him call just to hear her voice.
“Don’t get cute with me. My girls are over, so it took me a minute,” I said, but I was smiling. “I called you back, didn’t I?”
“You did. I’m impressed and appreciative. How’s the patient?”
“Settled in his room, pain meds got him knocked out. I think seeing his father threw him off more than he expected. Didn’t say much coming home.”
“And how’s his mama?”
The way he asked it, gentle, but he was making it clear my safety and comfort were important, it made my stomach flutter. “She’s...processing. Did I do too much? I feel like I did too much.”
“With Ashe? Hell nah. You did exactly what you needed to do. I would’ve been disappointed if you hadn’t checked him. I know my lady got some bark and an even bigger bite.”
“Really?”
“Really.” We bypassed him calling me his lady because he was doing too much, and my cheeks were hurting because of it. When he spoke, I listened, and that was rare.
“That man showed up on discharge day talking about ‘my son’ like he’d been there all along. You had every right to go off.” His voice got serious. “And for what it’s worth, I’m proud of how you handled it with Samaj afterward. That couldn’t have been easy.”
My shoulders relaxed at the validation. A part of me knew I’d done what was best. I just hadn’t anticipated getting there so soon.
Seeing Ashe took me back and had me seeing red.
I couldn’t believe he had the nerve to fake the funk and be embarrassed about being a deadbeat.
Especially when he didn’t have to be. “It wasn’t.
Part of me wanted to tell him hell no, but. ..”
“But you’re a good mama who knows her son has to make his own mistakes.”
“Something like that.”
“That’s what love looks like, Sametra. Protection when it counts. Distance when it’s needed. And the strength to know the difference. It’s a balance.”
The way he said my name, made me forget what I was going to say next.
“You still there?”
“Yeah, I’m still here. I was just thinking. You know you got my friend in my business.”
“You mean our business. “
“Ok, that’s three strikes. You calling me your lady, checking my baby daddy, and making personal calls after hours. What do you want from me Dr. Holloway?”
There was a pause, and when he spoke again, his voice dropped to that tone that made my knees weak.
“It’s Malik, chill.”
“Dr. Holloway, what do you want from me?” That was a weak attempt to pull us back to the professional side. He groaned and I smiled again. I wasn’t going to make it easy for him.
“What do I want? I want to take you out. I want to sit across from you at dinner and watch you smile while you talk about all the things that make you happy. I want to see what Sametra looks like when she’s not in mama bear mode or lieutenant mode.”
My lips curled into a smile. I was blushing again.
“But right now, I’m your son’s doctor. So, I’m gonna be patient.
I’m gonna keep it professional during his treatment.
And when that’s done?” His voice got lower.
“When I’m no longer Dr. Holloway to your family and I’m just Malik?
That’s when I’m coming to you on a personal level to ask for your time. ”
“And what makes you think I’ll say yes?”
“Because every time I’m near you, you forget to breathe for about three seconds. Because you called me back in under five minutes. And because right now, you’re standing with your back to your girls so they can’t see your face. That baby blushing.”
I automatically turned around to look at them, and sure enough, both Halo and Winnie were craning their necks trying to read my expression.
“So yeah, I’m gonna wait. But I’m also gonna keep checking on you and making sure you know exactly where my head is at. Can you handle that?”
“I...yeah. I can handle that.”
“Good. Now go back to your girls before they come and snatch the phone. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“Ok, thanks for calling and checking on us.”
“Answer when I call. Sweet dreams.”
He hung up, leaving me standing there holding my phone, probably grinning like an idiot. He was bossy and confident, but he had every right to be. This was going to get interesting.
I walked back over to the girls and plopped down while we all started to laugh. There was no need to push or pry, they knew who it was and they knew I’d share when I was ready.
“Don't,” I said before either of them could speak.
“We didn't say anything,” Halo said innocently.
“Your face said plenty,” Winnie added with a grin.
I settled back into my chair, fighting the urge to replay the entire conversation in my head.
I appreciated the space. I just wanted to keep him to myself for a little while.
Process without the opinions of others. I needed to figure out if I was ready for whatever this was becoming, because it was becoming something.
For now, this feeling was mine and I’d hold on to it.