Chapter 8Really Doc?
Chapter Eight
REALLY DOC?
“I can’t believe you’re still dragging your feet. I am stopping by your office today and drawing the sample myself. You are a doctor for God’s sake!
Your health and well-being should be paramount to you.” Kimberlin had been making the same argument for weeks. Her heart was in the right place, but it only added to the war between instinct and logic. Kimberlin had finally worn Ivy down.
Regret.
Regret pierced her. Seeing the pain on Emmanuel’s face was almost too much to bear. Ivy could recall every time she had seen her husband cry. Mostly, they all surrounded their children. Moments of joy. The announcement that he was going to be a father or holding them for the first time. The only moment of sadness Ivy could recall was when the doctor announced that her third pregnancy wasn’t viable. Manny had hidden away in their closet after he thought she was asleep. So, wiping away his tears was heartbreaking.
Maybe it was for the best that she hadn’t told him beforehand. Ivy would have talked herself out of it. She had been so lost in her thoughts, at first, she hadn’t heard him.
“Ivy.” When her gaze met him, he continued. “Did you also want me to take a test?”
Yes. Ivy figured if she took one, he should go ahead and take one as well. It was what was best. Having to actually tell him that was another matter altogether. The words wouldn’t come. Finally, it was Manny who broke the silence.
“I see.” He nodded slowly in acceptance. “I’ll stop by a lab tomorrow.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to offer to do it herself, but a haunting look of despair crossed his features. So, she shut down her request.
“I’m going to head up and take a shower.” He was already walking towards the entrance of the kitchen.
“Your plate is in the warmer. And there is lots of cake.” Ivy attempted to inject false cheer into her voice but was certain she failed monumentally.
“I’ll be back down after my shower,” he called over his shoulder.
Ivy removed the cakes from the oven when the timer went off and placed them on the cooling rack. Snap. She hadn’t finished the icing. Vanilla Bean? Why had she even brought out the Vanilla Bean? This recipe didn’t even call for it. What she needed was a fresh lime?—
Fuck!! Ivy raced from the kitchen. Her speed would have made a sprinter proud. By the time she slowed as she entered their bedroom her breaths were coming in short, sharp puffs. A quick scan showed that the bedroom was empty, so she went to the bathroom but stopped short at the entrance. Manny stood frozen and naked. From the look of things, he hadn’t showered yet. He held the bag from the pharmacy in one hand and the contents in the other.
Suddenly his head whipped in her direction. “Really Doc?” His voice cracked as he shook his head. “We need condoms… now ?”
Ivy understood the accusation in his tone. The fact was they had never used one. Not ever. He had been her first.
“Manny, I am ready.” Ivy wasn’t sure if she should tell him or not. This is where her inexperience reared its ugly head. They had been dating for over a year. Never in all that time did she feel pressured to take things further. They were passionate with each other, but Manny always cooled things off before they went too far. There was evidence that he was able to take things further, but he always allowed his care for her to overrule his needs.
The two had been sitting in Manny’s condo, on the sofa. They were supposed to be watching television, but Ivy was completely distracted.
Her legs were stretched out and lay in his lap.
“Ivy, I told you there is no rush. I enjoy being with you ? —”
Ivy left her spot and straddled him so that they faced each other.
“Me too. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t feel comfortable enough to—” She suspected that he knew but wanted to leave no room for question. “I wouldn’t be comfortable enough to lose my virginity to you.”
That was odd. She had been certain that Manny had known she was a virgin. Yet he looked so surprised.
“I know that can be a big deal, Ivy. Honestly, I am cool with waiting.”
Ivy felt the evidence of his eagerness between her thighs. Seduction wasn’t something she was well versed in. In fact, she was a novice on the subject. What she did know was she was tired of the cold showers. His patience was affecting her as well. The fact was she wanted to take things further. Had hinted at it many times. Now, she was done hinting. His stalling was frustrating her.
“Why don’t you want to be with me?” She all but whined.
“Really? Does it feel like I don’t want to be with you Ivy?” He punctuated his statement by thrusting his hip. “I want you.”
“So, let’s ? —”
“I want. No, I need it to be special for you. I want you to look back and think of the night I took your flower as special, okay?”
“Tonight, will be special.”
“Baby, not special enough. Okay? Look, I made plans for us to go away for spring break. Paris. Wouldn’t that be the perfect place?”
“That’s a lovely thought and all but I am tired of leaving you and taking care of myself. I want you now.”
Oh my gosh. Ivy was mortified. Was she seriously begging for sex? The urge to cover her face overcame her.
“Hey,” Manny called gently as he pulled her hands away. His hand caressed her jaw. “You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about. I want you too Ivy. Give me ten minutes. I'm going to go to my room. Then you can come join me, okay?”
“You don't have to ? —”
“Yeah Ivy, I do. When you remember tonight, I want you to look back on it and smile. Know that I care about you. Stand up for me.”
Ivy did as she was told. She fixated on the clock as the ten minutes ticked by. Her steps were hurried as she made her way to his room. Then she paused, before the closed door. This was it. Rap, rap. The knock was soft.
Emmanuel chuckled. “Come in.”
In ten short moments, he'd accomplished a lot. Soft music played in the background. The sandalwood candle that she had given him was lit. The covers were turned down. It was so sweet. The closing of the door drew her attention to him. He stood before her in a pair of joggers, shirtless.
Manny cupped her jaw and sighed in contentment. “It means a lot to me that you chose me.” He gave her a tender peck on her forehead. “Anytime you want me to stop, you tell me. Okay?”
“I won’t.”
“No, Ivy promise me.”
She nodded.
“If you don't like something, tell me.” The back of his knuckles stroked her cheek. “Okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Also, if you like something, you want more you also let me know.”
Ivy smiled as he winked at her. He kissed her then as he worked his hand under her shirt. Caressing her sides and back. This is where his experience showed. One moment she was standing and being tenderly kissed. The next, she sat on the edge of his bed with her top off. He joined her and sprinkled her collarbone with feather-like pecks before switching to open-mouth kisses.
Ivy felt lightheaded at the sensation. Deft fingers released her bra. Emmanuel guided her so she laid back on his bed.
“God you’re beautiful.” He rained kisses on each shoulder. Then trailed down to her full globes. He had played with her breast before, but this felt different. The sensations in her nipple mirrored the throbbing in her core. She moaned in satisfaction. His attention moved from one breast to the other. All while he worked her skirt and panties down off her hips.
“That feels so good,” she praised him. The sensation of him groaning around her nipple sent a sharp zip to her pulsing clit. What the hell was that?
Later, Ivy would blame her awkwardness on the torrid sensations.
“Manny.”
Emmanuel stopped immediately and looked up at her. “Yeah?” He was fully alert.
“I was thinking. Since this is my first time, and we’ve just gone through a full medical workup maybe we could go bare.”
He was shaking his head before she could finish. “Ivy. I don't think that’s a good idea. So much could go wrong.”
“Wait, no. I'm on contraception. I'm super responsible about it.”
Ivy had convinced him that it was a good idea. Her first turned out to be a first for him as well. The first time he’d ever been with a woman without a barrier between them. They had never reversed their decision. Except now… they were.
Ivy could see his jaw working. God, Emmanuel could barely look at her. The offensive box was stuffed in the bag and chucked onto the vanity.
“Yeah.” Was all he said as he powered walked into the shower.
God. Ivy felt like she’d fucked up.
After Ivy’s encounter with Emmanuel, she wasn’t sure what to do. She considered waiting for him to come out of the shower to talk things out. However, she wasn’t sure that anything she said could make things all right. When she saw a smudge on her hand, she remembered the cakes. Her trip back to the kitchen was considerably slower.
“Hey Momma,” Sage called as she munched on a carrot.
“I thought you had dinner with your grandma.”
“I did, but I came home to all this cake. I knew if I cut into one before you glazed it, I’d be in trouble. So, I’m eating this to distract myself.”
Ivy smiled and pulled Sage into a hug. She probably held on longer than she should have, but her baby gave her the best hugs.
“Momma, are you okay?”
“Of course.” Ivy pulled from the embrace. “Can’t I just give my little girl a hug?”
“Yeah. But…” Sage looked around the kitchen. “You normally only bake when you are upset.”
Seriously? Did everyone know her coping skill? And when did they pick now to point that out?
Ivy had long ago decided she’d not intentionally lie to her children. Conversely, it was her firm belief, parents shouldn’t burden their children with adult worries. Especially a child that internalised things the way Sage did. So, she found herself in a conundrum as to how to respond.
“It’s really not a big deal.” Was it a lie if she wished it to be the case?
“Sure, if you say so.” Sage shrugged and then peered at her mother. Probing. Searching for an answer. The little girl shrugged.
Well, hardly little, she was an inch shy of her mother’s height. Sage sighed and shrugged again. “Can I help you glaze?”
“Yeah, that would be nice.” The two set about working together to put the finishing touches on the cakes. Like they had done countless times before. Like her mother, Sage’s culinary skill was relegated to baking.
While they worked Sage filled her mother in on her day. “Momma, guess what Navel did?”
Ivy laughed for the first time that day. ‘Navel’ was a classmate of Sage’s.
“Oh, I can’t stand that girl! She thinks we are rivals. But we would have to be on the same level for us to be rivals.”
Now the poor child’s name wasn’t Navel. It was Maureen. However, little Maureen had gotten a very bad tan, that made her look… like an orange. So, her clever daughter dubbed her Navel. All this happened a week after she had decided to spread a vicious lie about Sage liking to service the soccer team.
“What did she do?”
“She asked for an audit of the money we have raised for the spirit team. Oh, I can’t stand her! Uncle Frank gave me more for my birthday than we have raised so far!” Sage huffed and then her eyes rounded. “Anyways, no one went for it, but she tried it though.” Sage rushed on.
Frank! Damnit. Although Emmanuel and Ivy had a lot of wealth. They tried not to go overboard spoiling their children. It was an uphill battle. Especially with family members, who loved to overindulge her children. Frank was the godfather of all of them.
“ Ivs, you guys knew I would spoil your children when you made me their godfather. Just go with it.”
“Back up. What did you do with the money, Sage?”
“I gave fifteen percent to charity because I know how you love us to give back.” Sage beamed at her mother in hopes of avoiding getting herself into trouble. Frank had bought the little girl a designer bag and Ivy had told him it was more than enough. It seemed he hadn’t listened.
“And the rest?”
“I put it in stocks. It is doing pretty well. I increased it by twenty percent so far.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Oh, because technically you knew when I got it. It was in the bag already.”
Frank was the King of damn loopholes. Ivy wouldn’t take a gift that her children had already received. Why hadn’t she thought about checking the bag? Manny! She was distracted because before the party he had blown her back out.
As if she had summoned him, he entered the kitchen.
“Hey, Daddy.” Sage immediately dropped what she was doing and launched herself into her father’s arms. He caught her effortlessly.
“How’s my girl?” he inquired.
Sage completely forgot she was helping her mom, as she sat with her father as he ate. They were joined by Ivy, who cut a slice of cake for each of them. Emmanuel’s, thank you, lacked its normal warmth. Ivy sat and ate her cake while Sage talked a mile a minute in between bites.
The lack of touch made the cake hit her stomach like pieces of gravel. He wasn’t being unpleasant towards her, but he was being so… civil! That was the word. It felt foreign. Ultimately, she knew it was her actions that were eliciting his behaviour. But still!
“Good night, Mom, and Dad,” Oliver greeted. Then attempted to ruffle Sage’s head. “Junior.”
“What, did you smell the cake from downtown?” Sage taunted.
“No, but it would have been nice for someone to call and let me know.” Oliver was a grown man, but in moments like this, all she saw was her sweet baby boy.
Oliver reached for Sage’s fork only to stop short, when she issued her warning. “I guess we are going to have to count on Benjamin to carry on the family name.”
“Mom, can I please have a slice?”
“You have hands Ollie.” Sage seemed to forget not too long ago her mom had presented her with her piece. Ivy got up and got Oliver some cake. He was on his second piece of cake.
“Oliver, where are you?”
“Crap.” Oliver’s eyes rounded. “In the kitchen.”
“Why are you in…” Benjamin trailed off. “You have got to be kidding me. You begged me for a ride over here to grab something. Then you leave me out there while you are in here eating cake?”
“Umm, Mom baked.”
Benjamin finally seemed to take notice of the rest of the occupants in the kitchen. “Sorry. Good night, Mom.” He walked over and dropped a kiss on her cheek, before reaching over and dabbing his father, “Dad.” His sister got a head nod. “Junior.”
“Hey Benny, want me to grab you a slice of cake?”
“Thanks, Sis.”
Oliver looked on at the exchange with his mouth open. Ivy never understood how her youngest was able… it seemed, effortlessly to get under her eldest’s skin. It was an art, she guessed. Sage was a master. Who to top things off stuck her tongue out at her brother.
“Seriously Oliver. You couldn’t message me and tell me to come in for cake?”
“Sorry man,” Oliver said around a mouthful.
“Jackass.” Benjamin mouthed. He knew better than to swear in front of his mother with his father present.
Manny was a pretty laid-back father, but on that, he had no compromise. “I’m raising gentlemen.” That was his creed.
After the day she had, it was good to have her family together. It was loud and beautiful. It almost made it feel like there wasn’t a heavy cloud looming over their family, threatening the fabric of the bond between Emmanuel and Ivy. She hadn’t looked over in his direction for a while. The last time she had done so, her heart sank. One of the kids had said something funny. She looked over at Manny, expecting to find him waiting to share the moment with her. Instead. He wasn’t even smiling, but looked off with a faraway look.
“Mom, do you have milk?”
“No sorry, we are all out of Oat milk, Oliver.”
“Ahh, come on Mom.”
Before Ivy could respond. Sage got great satisfaction in doing it. “We don’t have to keep Oat milk. You don’t live here, dude.”
That elicited a healthy debate between the children. Through it all, Manny remained quiet. He was a million miles away. If the children noticed, they probably chalked it up to work worries.
“Dad,” Oliver called. To which his father nodded. “Are you gonna make my last game against Saint Augustine’s on Thursday?”
“Yeah, but I’ll be like a half hour or so late.”
Oliver did the best he could to mask his disappointment quickly, but Ivy spied it.
“I have a track meet right before your game. No one is going out after. So, I will come with Dad to your game,” Benjamin added.
His boys needed him, so he moved heaven and earth to try to be there. Dad goals.
So why are you doubting him? Why did you take that damned STI test? Oh, that part of her was a toughie. Held her to unfair… inhumane standards.
“Oliver, I have to head back to the dorm. If you want a ride back, let’s go.”
Oliver nodded at his brother.
“Boys, take one of the cakes with you.” On second thought, Ivy specified. “You guys split it in half.”
Hopefully, that would keep them from fighting. It was wishful thinking on her part. Oliver went off to grab the item he had stopped by to grab and left his brother to divide the cake. Once Oliver returned, it was clear the hope of them not getting into it was dashed in smoke.
Sage excused herself to go finish her homework. Manny and Ivy worked together to straighten up the kitchen. So Ivy hadn’t paid attention to what Benjamin had done. Besides. Benjamin was normally the responsible one.
“Are you kidding me? Mom, Dad. Get your money back! Benjamin isn’t going to get that undergrad in mathematics. Does this look like half as?—”
“Oliver!”
“Sorry, Dad. But look at this.” Oliver opened the container. Both Ivy and Manny looked at the piece of cake and burst out laughing. Oliver was lucky if there was a third in there.
“How is this fair? Mom, Dad do something.”
Manny went into dad mode. “Benjamin. Come on, man.”
“Dad, Oliver made me drive him all the way out here. Then I waited in the car forever. While he ate cake. He owes me.”
“Those aren’t the instructions your mom gave. Was it though?”
“No, Sir.”
Emmanuel pivoted in his other son’s direction. “Oliver. Don’t take your brother’s time for granted.”
They straightened up and flew right when Manny spoke. He commanded the boy’s respect. That was one of the aspects she loved most about sharing a life with him. He was an amazing parent/partner.
Soon the boys were gone.
“I’m going to work for a while. You should head up. I’ll be in the office.” Manny nodded at her. Then he, too, was gone. Ivy decided she wasn’t ready for bed. What would it hurt to whip up another cake?