Chapter 11
COLE
We were all sitting in the back area of the emergency room. There was an empty seat to my right, and Clarissa was sitting to my left, holding my left hand. In front were Ralph, sitting all the way to my right, and Rocco, who was directly in front of me.
“They’ve already checked my blood type,” Rocco said. He had a very nervous look on his face.
“If anything happens to my dad, I don’t know what’ll happen to the business. My grandfather is not the easiest person to get along with. He’ll probably come up from New Jersey,” Rocco said with much concern in his voice.
“Have you notified him yet?” Clarissa asked.
“Are you crazy?” he snapped. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. Just the thought of Grandpa coming back to town gets me really nervous. He’s a very violent person. You don’t know him.”
Yes, I do.
“Don’t worry, Rocco. Everything is going to be okay,” Clarissa reassured him.
Ralph stayed quiet, waiting for his turn to test his blood.
A nurse finally came out and called out my name.
“Cole Bennett, I need a Cole Bennett, please.”
I raised my hand.
“Follow me, please,” she said.
I got up.
This nurse looked fantastic. Her white uniform was so tight it looked like a surfing outfit. She was 5’7" with eyes of heaven. All her measurements were right on the money, just the way I liked them.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said rather enthusiastically.
Clarissa slapped my thigh.
“Stop ogling the woman. Don’t you have any respect? We’re in a hospital for crying out loud.”
“Stop hitting me. I’m not your kid. And this is not a church or anything sacred like that. Relax. You’re not my wife anymore. Remember?”
This is why we got divorced.
“Don’t make a fool of yourself. You’re no spring chicken anymore,” she shot back.
“Mr. Bennett, are you coming, sir?” the nurse said louder.
“Not yet, but maybe soon,” I said to myself very quietly as I chuckled. “Yes. Yes. I’m following you. Please lead the way,” I said much, much louder.
The nurse looked even better from behind. She swayed those hips like models on a runway. Her beautiful brunette curls swayed in the wake of her hips. Boy, I was smitten.
She looked back at me.
“Looking at anything you like?” she asked.
Oh, Jesus. Yes!!
“I’m sorry. What do you mean?” I asked, clearing my throat.
“You heard me.”
She looked back again. I walked a little faster to catch up next to her.
“I asked, are you looking at my ass?”
I gulped.
I didn’t know what to say. I’ve never had a woman be so direct with me. I panicked a little bit.
“Well, umm, well—”
“Let me stop you right there, Mister.”
She put out her right palm, facing up.
“Before you say something stupid, which you may think is flattering, I must warn you.”
Who the hell does this rude bitch think she is?
“Ah, excuse me. What do you mean?” I asked.
“My boyfriend is Vito. He works for Mr. Moretti. He’s the muscle. He’s about 6’3", has muscles for days, and has a temper, which you wouldn’t care for. So if he finds out you’ve been gawking at my perky little ass, he’s going to beat you up and make you look like hamburger meat. Capisce?”
Oh, God. This is Vito’s girl? Unbelievable.
“Yes, loud and clear. I meant no disrespect.”
“None taken,” she said.
“What’s your name?” I asked politely.
“Now you’re asking too many questions.”
There was a pause.
“Just kidding. My name is Lucia, pronounced Lu-Chi-A, because I’m Italian, but my boyfriend calls me Lucy.”
“I like Lucy. That’s a pretty name,” I said.
“So does Vito. He says Lucy rhymes with …”
“Yeah, let’s not get that personal,” I interjected.
I was going to get myself in trouble with this girl if the conversation continued in this way. I already knew her boyfriend, Vito. I wasn’t interested in being turned into hamburger meat.
“Well, listen. You have to be a good listener if you want a successful relationship,” Lucy said.
Everyone is a therapist nowadays. First Ralph and now this one.
We continued walking down the hallway and turned into a room to do the blood test. The room smelled like alcohol and hospital, if that were a thing. There was a chair and a bunch of blood samples sitting on the table waiting to be processed by the lab, apparently.
“Vito says Lucy rhymes with Susie. That’s his mom’s name. She’s a sweet lady. I love her with all my heart. What were you thinking I was going to say?”
“I’d rather not say.”
I sat on the chair.
“You need to get your head out of the gutter, Mister. Life is not all about that, you know.”
Here we go again. Blah, blah, blah.
She took the blood samples, cleaned the puncture wound with an alcohol pad, and put a Band-Aid on it.
“You did really good. You’re really brave. You didn’t cry or nothing.”
“Why would I cry? I’m a grown man,” I said.
“You’d be surprised how many grown men cannot stand the sight of blood. Vito is one of them. All bark, no bite. He’s a sweetheart.”
I’m sure he is. I’m sure he’s lying to you. He beat up my son real good.
“I’m sure he is, Lucy. You’re a very lucky girl,” I lied.
She was much too beautiful to be with Vito the orangutan.
Women and their choices of men.
“Thank you, Mr. Bennett.”
“Just to clarify,” I said. “My head is not always in the gutter.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
She took a lollipop out of one of the drawers. She took the wrapper off and started sucking on it.
She’s testing me.
“Would you like one?” she asked as she licked it.
Boy, would I?
She saw my expression.
“Oh, Mister, it is nothing like that. Would you like a green one? It helps to get your mind off of the stinging sensation after I pinched you with the needle.”
I nodded. She gave me the lollipop, and I put it in my pocket.
“I’ll take it for later,” I said.
I blushed and turned to look at the table next to me. Something caught my eye. There was a paper titled “Bus Blood Drive,” and it had Michael’s name on it, among others.
That’s strange. What’s his name doing here?
I got up from the chair and turned my attention to Lucy.
“Lucy.”
“Yes, Mr. Bennett.”
“Do you know my son, Michael Bennett?”
“I knew there was something familiar about your name. We had a blood drive a few days ago. Have you seen those buses that park in some parking lots and ask for blood?”
“Well, yeah. What does that have to do with him?”
“Those samples come here for processing. He must have donated to one of those buses. I think I saw his name on the list from a few days ago. I haven’t seen him come in here, though. I’m the one in charge of this.”
“Okay. Great. Good to know. Thank you for the information, Lucy,” I said. “You’ve been very helpful. And I’ll keep my head out of the gutter.”
“Glad to hear it, Mr. B.”
Mr. B. That has a nice ring to it.
I went out of the room and drank some water out of the water fountain, which was right there in the hallway next to a vending machine.
I hadn’t noticed it on my way in because Lucy’s hips had my full attention.
I stopped for a moment.
I went back to the room. Lucy was getting the blood samples ready for the lab.
“You’re back. Would you like to donate more blood?”
“No, no, no. I’m fine. Since we’re testing to see if we’re a match for Moretti, would you check my son’s blood type as well? Moretti is a good friend, and we just want to do right by him.”
“Sure, Mr. B. I’ll tell the doctor to include your son’s sample as part of it.”
“Thank you, Lucy.”
“Toodles,” she shot back.
I walked out of the room, went down the hallway, and made a left.
Clarissa and the rest of them were still sitting in their seats.
I walked back to my seat and sat down.
“Well. That took you long enough. Were you hitting on that poor girl?” Clarissa asked with resentment in her voice.
“Clarissa. Relax. This is not the time or the place,” I whispered. “It’s not my intention to get you all upset. Remember your condition. I don’t want to aggravate things.”
“You’re right. I need to take care of myself. Just promise me you’ll stop doing stupid things like that.”
“Fine. Just relax for now,” I whispered.
The boys, Ralph and Rocco, looked totally bored, just waiting there.
“Boys, why don’t you get something to eat? There’s a vending machine with sandwiches and drinks in the hallway,” I said.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Ralph said.
They both nodded. They both got up to go to the vending machine.
“We’ll just have to see what comes of this,” I said.
“This is nerve-wracking,” Clarissa replied.
Let’s hope for the best.