Chapter 9
ARIELLE
With aching feet, I trudged toward the employee break room.
A yawn tried to claw its way out of my throat, but I held it back.
My eyes watered instead, so when I made it inside the break room, one of my colleagues asked, “You good, girl?” She was the only one sitting in there and looked to be halfway through a Caesar salad when I walked in.
I nodded at her and mumbled, “All good.”
That was the truth. I was all good simply because I was used to working long ass hours.
The issue was that I had taken several days off to move and get my apartment situated, so my body was all out of whack.
Same thing had happened when I came back from vacation.
It would take a solid week for me to get back into the groove of things.
As I plopped down into a hard plastic chair, I contemplated if I should change my schedule.
I was so used to working overtime, but there really was no need anymore.
My mind wandered to Kareem. We’d spent every day together since I moved in, only taking short breaks when he had to work.
I hadn’t even seen Mariah or Sloane or my parents.
I’d barely spoken to them because I was so caught up in Kareem.
My eyelids fluttered from exhaustion just as my stomach grumbled.
I groaned. In my haste to get out of the apartment this morning because I was running late, I forgot to pack a lunch.
I pulled my phone out of my light blue scrubs and scrolled through some quick options of food I could get.
I would just go down to the cafeteria, but I didn’t really want a sandwich, and the hot food was really hit or miss.
With my head propped up in my hand, I frowned at all the options. I was too tired to make a decision.
The break room door banged open. “Nichols, there’s some dude at the front desk causing a scene.”
I glanced at her, unamused. “Okay . . . what’s that have to do with me?”
We worked in a hospital. People caused scenes all the time. I worked in the trauma center where tragedy happened every day. I didn’t understand why Tiffany brought her wide ass in here to give me that information.
“Girl, he’s causing a scene about you.”
My eyes widened. Why didn’t she say that in the first place?
“Me? Who is he?” I asked as I stood up with my brows pulled in.
“Hell if I know. I just thought you should know. I think Flanagan is about to call security on him.”
With furrowed brows, I walked toward the break room door. My heart thudded in anticipation because I had the slightest inkling about who was crazy enough to cause a scene about me.
I rushed down the long hall and took a left before I heard his voice. When I laid eyes on him, he was behind the triage desk, hitting the computer.
“Sir, I told you already the employee schedules aren’t in there. These are confidential patient records—”
“This piece of shit don’t work no way.” He rounded on Flanagan, the shift supervisor with a balding head and a short stature. “Nichols. Arielle Nichols. Where is she? I already asked you nicely, and you wanted to act stupid.”
“I . . . I didn’t. I s-said I could page h-her, b-b-but if she’s in surgery, s-she wouldn’t be available,” Flanagan explained.
Kareem slammed his hand on the desk. “Mermaid always gon’ be available to me. Find. Her.”
His words were clipped, and a vein popped out of his neck. Feeling sick to my stomach, I quickly rushed over to him and stepped in.
“Kareem, what are you doing?” I hissed. I grabbed him by his ear and pulled him from around the desk.
My mind barely registered the fact that he snatched a dozen roses and a bag up from the counter before he allowed me to pull him away.
When we ducked off to a corner down a long hall that ended with a wide window and two chairs, I let him go.
I put my hands on my hips and looked up at him. “Well?”
“Hey, mama.” He grinned happily and tried to lean down to kiss me.
I pushed his face away and mugged him. “Kareem, seriously. What was that?”
“What?” he asked, genuinely confused.
“That.” I waved my hand in the general direction of the triage desk.
Kareem kissed his teeth. “Man, that lil nigga wasn’t tryna get you for me.”
I stared at him, waiting for more of an explanation, but it quickly became clear that there wasn’t more to the story.
I sighed and plopped down in the chair closest to me. Now that the adrenaline died down, the exhaustion came back. “Baby, this is my job. You can’t show up and bully people here. I could get fired.”
Apparently, it was his turn to stare at me. It took him several seconds to respond.
“Fuck this job.”
My jaw dropped, and I immediately shook my head. “Uh-uh. No. You can go now.” I stood up and tried to usher him toward the exit, but he stayed planted in place.
“You’re upset.” It wasn’t a question, so I didn’t answer. I simply looked up at him through slitted eyes. He sighed. “I’m sorry, mama.”
I blinked, and my eyes softened. “Sorry?” It wasn’t a word I expected from him. I could tell he didn’t say it much by the way his jaw clenched like it pained him.
He nodded. “I told you I don’t do well without access to you.”
I let out a slow breath. He had told me that, but I knew I needed to set some healthy boundaries here.
“Kareem, when I’m at work, you might not have access to me.
My job requires long hours and all my attention.
People’s lives are in my hands. You caught me on a break today, but those don’t really come often.
Are you going to be able to handle that? ”
“No.”
I giggled at his automatic response. “Kareem!”
His jaw twitched before his strong hand reached out for my waist. Once I was snuggled into his chest, he kissed my head. “Aight, man. I’ll deal with it. You out here bein’ superwoman and shit. I guess I can be patient with that.”
I melted into him, like I always seemed to. “That’s my man.”
He pulled back and looked down at me. I giggled. I knew what he was about to say.
“I’m ya man now? You been givin’ me a hard time.”
I poked his chest and pulled away. “You’re my man. All mine.”
He leaned down and kissed me. If I didn’t have another six hours to work on this shift, I would have taken him to one of the on-call rooms and took advantage of him, but his ass would put me straight to sleep.
“I love the sound of that.”
We embraced for a moment before I asked, “What are you doing here anyway?”
He walked over to the chair where he discarded his items and grabbed the flowers and the bag. “For you.”
“Aw, thanks, baby.” I smelled the flowers and then opened the bag to find a box with my favorite Greek restaurant’s logo. “This is just what I needed, bae. I’m so hungry, but I have to be in surgery in fifteen minutes,” I whined.
“Go ’head and eat, Mermaid. Will you come over when you get off?” A new wave of exhaustion hit me. He must have sensed it, because he quickly added, “Don’t worry about goin’ home and grabbin’ clothes or none of that. I just want you in my space, since you ain’t seen it yet, and help you relax.”
My pussy clenched at his words. “Just send me the address. I’ll be there.”
“That’s my girl.” He kissed my head again, and I walked him to the exit.
My coworkers looked at me like I was crazy as I kissed my man goodbye.
I knew Flanagan wanted to have a word with me, but that would have to wait.
I needed to scarf this food down and get to the operating room.
The sooner I could get through this shift, the sooner I could go see Kareem.
My heart smiled at that last thought, and I had a pep in my step as I walked back toward the break room.
It surprised me that I was able to make it to Kareem’s house in one piece. My eyelids drooped, and my brain felt like mush, but I made it. I was so sleepy I wasn’t really even able to appreciate the beauty of his home.
Before I could even ring the doorbell, the door flung open. Kareem took one look at me and said, “Aw, my baby,” before he pulled me into him.
I must have looked like shit. Truthfully, I wasn’t really feeling all that well either. The only word I could conjure up for how I felt was drained.
He pulled me into his home and locked the door behind me.
“Your home is beautiful, Kareem,” I muttered as he gestured for me to sit on an elegant bench next to the front door. I sat, and he proceeded to take my shoes off.
When I stood again, he swooped me up into his arms. “You gonna stay wit’ me tonight, okay?
” I didn’t work tomorrow, so that worked for me.
All I wanted to do was shower and find a soft bed to fall into.
I buried my head into his shoulder and swore I could doze off in his arms like that.
My brows furrowed when I felt outside air hit me. “I’ll give you a tour tomorrow.”
“Okay, but why are we outside?” I asked sleepily, but my eyes landed on my answer before he could even respond.
There was a large pool in his backyard, as well as a grilling area and seating, but what made my heart leap with excitement was the large Jacuzzi with steam rolling out of it.
“I just filled it with fresh water. I got some bodywash and fresh pajamas for you. I know you’re tired, so I just want you to relax, and then we can get into bed. That sound okay?”
My eyes swept over the charcuterie board and the bottles of water and wine. This man thought of everything. The gesture was so thoughtful it brought tears to my eyes.
“It’s perfect,” I uttered as he tugged my scrub pants down. I stepped out of them before I pulled my top off. He pulled my panties off, and I unclipped my bra. He guided me into the warm water, and I swear I could have orgasmed from how good it felt.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, and a few seconds later, Kareem joined me in the water and got behind me.
I leaned into him with my eyes still closed.
After a moment, I felt a cloth on my chest, and the smell of lavender and vanilla filled my nostrils.
This man could do as he pleased with me tonight, and I wouldn’t put up a fight. I was that spent.
“Do your shifts always make you this tired, Mermaid?”
“No. I think it’s just because it’s my first day back after moving. It’ll get better.”
He hummed. The vibrations tickled my back, and I snuggled deeper into him.
“I want you to stay wit’ me until you get adjusted again. That way I know you’re being taken care of. I bet you barely would have eaten if I ain’t drop food off for you.”
He wasn’t wrong. I would have taken too long to decide what I wanted, and then it would have been too late.
I sighed. “That isn’t necessary, baby.”
“Can you just let ya man take care of you?”
“Yes.”
It was all I could say. Even if I wasn’t too tired to argue, I wouldn’t. How long had I waited for a man to take care of me and genuinely want what was best for me? He could win this battle every day of the week.
“Good girl.” My eyes fluttered closed again at the sensation of him washing me up.
“You know I first called you Mermaid because you looked like a mermaid when you were in that ocean? I sat there and watched you for a few minutes before I approached you. You’re so beautiful.
” He kissed my temple. “I ain’t even know your name was Arielle then. ”
I giggled. “I thought you knew me when you called me Mermaid. It was too much of a coincidence.”
“Nah. That was God. He knew what we didn’t.”
I found comfort in that thought as he continued to wash me. The feel of his hands on me and his slow breathing lulled me to sleep.
When I woke up again, Kareem caressed my face gently and kissed my lips. “Wake up, baby. Let’s get you into bed.” I nodded, and we got out of the Jacuzzi. I felt bad that the food would go to waste. As if reading my mind, he said, “I’ll save this for tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He kissed my cheek and lifted me up again. My eyes fluttered closed. When they opened, it was because he laid me on the softest bed I’d ever felt. The room was dark, but Kareem moved around like there was sunlight streaming through the wide windows to the right.
“Here, baby. Let me help you put these on,” he murmured as silk fabric brushed against my leg. He pulled on some silk shorts followed by a silk tank top before he tucked me into bed. “I’m just going to clean up downstairs and shower. I’ll be back. Sleep, baby.”
I nodded. It was all I had the energy for before my eyes closed, and I drifted off to a blissful sleep.