Chapter 13
I t was only Wednesday and clinicals had been whooping Blake’s ass.
She really needed to sleep her whole weekend, but she knew she couldn’t.
She was meeting Emon’s mother at a family barbecue.
She was excited but couldn’t focus too much as she made her rounds and passed out her affirmation snacks to the patients in her ward.
She loved this and couldn’t believe she was going to be graduating soon and be done with school.
She’d be able to take a break or dive headfirst into her career. She wasn’t sure which she’d choose.
Months ago, she would have said she’d dive headfirst into her career, but not today if she was asked.
Blake had been in school nonstop, it felt like, and financially, she didn’t have to work, but she loved to serve and wanted to save.
To hell with the money was how she felt.
Now that Emon was in the picture, she was thinking about a small break so they could spend more time together.
She liked being his woman. Cooking for him, oiling his beard, and washing his clothes if he had a busy week.
She liked sitting with him, doing nothing.
She enjoyed him being on the other side of her study flash cards.
I love him.
That realization had just set in. She’d never been in a position where she had to consider a man before and wasn’t sure how this worked.
She thought she could probably run it by him the next time they saw each other.
He was always so wise and patient that he’d give her a perspective that she was comfortable hearing.
It was strange to her, the difference in how people acted when hearing his name and who she knew.
Emon told her about his life before. He didn’t hide it from her.
He was a hellion, doing what he wanted when he wanted.
He made some waves, got into some bad habits, pissed some people off, but changed his ways the minute his circumstances allowed.
He deserved a second chance, but she also loved that he didn’t care if he got one or not.
He wasn’t trying to impress anyone to begin with.
The truth was that a lot of people didn’t like that he was his own man.
He didn’t need other people to make him feel like he was a big dog.
He just was, and those that knew, knew. Those that didn’t would find out if it came to that.
“Ms. Rose, you ready for your affirmation of the day?” Blake asked, entering room 412.
The elderly woman was sitting up in bed, already smiling at the sound of Blake’s voice.
Even though Blake’s ED rotation started next week, she’d specifically requested to keep her Wednesday mornings with Ms. Rose.
Some patients just touched her heart differently.
“Child, you know I’ve been waiting. What you got for me today?” Ms. Rose adjusted her headscarf, the one her granddaughter had brought her last week.
Blake pulled out a carefully decorated card from her pocket. She’d stayed up late making these, even with Emon telling her to come to bed, but her patients’ smiles made it worth it.
“Today’s affirmation is ‘I am stronger than any challenge ahead of me.’” Blake perched on the edge of the bed, taking Ms. Rose’s hand. “Just like how you’re stronger than this.”
“Mm-hmm, that’s right.” Ms. Rose squeezed her hand. “Lord, I’m gonna miss you when you leave. These other nurses don’t take time like you do. They don’t love it like you do.”
“Don’t you worry about that. I already told charge nurse that Wednesdays are my Ms. Rose days. I might be gone, but I’m not letting go of my favorite patient.”
“Speaking of care, how’s that man of yours? The one who been bringing ya lunch and stuff every week?”
“Nosey.” Blake smiled and joked, thinking of the orange roses that would probably be waiting at the nurses’ station. “He’s good. Taking me to meet his mama this weekend.”
“Ohh next come the ring and then the baby!”
“Now, Ms. Rose, don’t do too much.” Blake winked.
“I ain’t, but listen, he better treat you right. Not many nurses would make these cards at midnight just to make an old lady smile.”
“I have no complaints at all so far. He’s good, just good hearted. He runs that community market Be Fed. You heard of it?”
“I sure have. Even been myself. You go in and you grab what you need at no charge. Those the type of people God finds favor in. Don’t let a good one go. Yall’s hearts seem to match. What a blessing.”
Blake squeezed her hand before leaving the room and returning to the nurses’ station. Ms. Rose was right. Emon and Blake shared a heart for people and helping them when they needed it.
She sat and checked the time, anticipating her surprise delivery but also knowing she had some work to do.
“For you, Ms. Bishop,” she heard above her. Looking up, she saw Dr. Cameron sliding a coffee across the nurses’ station. “You’ve been amazing with the Thompson case.”
Blake smiled politely, continuing to update her charts, because she wasn’t interested, and as much as Emon had been up to see her at work, she wasn’t sure how he hadn’t caught on. When she interacted with him, she kept it short and to the point. “Just doing my job.”
She didn’t want to give him the wrong impression, and she damn sure didn’t want Emon to get the wrong impression.
“Well, you do it better than most.” He lingered. “Maybe we could discuss your bedside manner over dinner?”
“Dinner?” Blake asked through squinted eyes. How did he miss the memo? She was already someone’s dinner.
“Yeah, it ain’t no secret I’ve been feeling you for a while. I’m just saying maybe give me a chance.” She smiled, trying to keep it polite.
“I have a boyfriend. I thought you knew that, Dr. Cameron.”
“I do, but you need a man. Someone that fits for you.”
“And what fit is that?”
Before Blake could get a response, a familiar cologne filled the air. She looked up to see Emon walking down the hall, carrying a massive bouquet of orange tulips. Several nurses stopped to stare, both at the flowers and the fine man carrying them.
“Special first of the month love for my baby,” Emon said, setting the flowers on the counter. His eyes flickered briefly to Dr. Cameron before returning to Blake. “Couldn’t let my girl start her new beginning without some flowers.”
Blake stood and came around to embrace Emon.
She loved that he participated in her first of the month ritual.
Even though her dad wasn’t around anymore, Blake kept the tradition to treat herself to something nice every month like her father would.
It was silly, but it was her way of reminding herself that self love and care were a must. She appreciated Emon joining in on it, too, because he didn’t have to.
“Flowers again?” Cameron asked, trying to maintain his presence in the conversation, although his presence was most certainly not needed. Blake regretted being nice to him, even though it was harmless, and that she was just a nice person.
“Yeah, and what about it?” Emon replied smoothly, his hand finding the small of Blake’s back.
Emon was confused as to why he was still in their face, but he also understood.
Blake was fine, gorgeous, she was smart, and she was probably his type, but that was too bad, because when it was all said and done, Emon was going to be her last. The heavens had already lined it up.
Blake bit back a smile, noting how Dr. Cameron’s confident demeanor deflated slightly.
“Thank you, baby. They’re perfect,” she said, hoping he would get the hint. She didn’t have to get his feelings hurt and stepped on anymore. As far as Blake was concerned, she had no desire for anyone else.
“Anything for you.” Emon’s eyes held hers, communicating so much more than the words.
Dr. Cameron hadn’t budged, and she couldn’t believe it or understand it.
She giggled a little bit at him standing there like a watchdog or security.
Awkward. No one was afraid of him or thinking about him.
She did, however, hope he found someone for him. It just wasn’t going to be her.
“Let me holla at you a little bit, privately.”
There was something about Dr. Cameron hanging around his woman that Emon didn’t like.
He wasn’t jealous or worried. He just didn’t like it, and boy math told him that was his right.
Emon thought maybe Dr. Cameron wasn’t getting the hint, or maybe his woman wasn’t making it clear that he was it.
There’d be no other niggas as long as he had something to say about it, but something a lot more upsetting crossed his mind.
Maybe she was unsure about them. He shook that thought from his head and decided he was about to find out.
“Yes,” she said as she led him away to a small closet down the hall, giving them a little bit of privacy.
“What’s up with this nigga? Every time I come around he lingering around you like he got an itch he wanna scratch. You like him, love?” he asked, quickly sucking the air out of the small closet, drawing so close to her their chests touched. His cinnamon gum tickled her nose. He was so close.
“No, never. Be serious,” she said with a slight chuckle, thinking he couldn’t be serious. The look on his face told her he was absolutely on bullshit. Had to be.
“You sure about that?” he asked lightly, playing with the soft skin near her panty line. The sensation tickled, and she hissed. Her mind was going a mile a minute. She should’ve known he was on bullshit when he asked to speak privately.
“Not here, bae, please. I’m at work.”
“You don’t tell me what to do and you know that begging does something to me,” he said, swirling his tongue on the side of her neck and lightly sucking. His hand was now completely in her pants, gripping her bare ass cheek.
“I know, but not here,” she whimpered, but her body was saying something different—as it always did when he was around.
“You unsure about me?” His voice was low, dangerous. He wasn’t interested in anything she had to say right now. Even though he didn’t believe she could be unsure about them, he needed to make certain his woman knew exactly who she belonged to.
“No.”
“I don’t know, baby. I can’t tell with that nigga all in your face and you letting him stay there way too long if you ask me.” His hand had moved to the front and now rested lightly on her clit. She closed her eyes and squeezed her thighs together as he smirked.
“Emon,” she breathed out, “I told him I had a boyfriend.” That answer didn’t work for him either.
He applied pressure to her bulb and gently massaged it with two fingers.
Her eyes grew wide, and she squirmed in the palm of his hand, literally.
She was so wet, her juices covered his hand.
He couldn’t believe she had the nerve to tell him no when she knew it was a hell yes. Her body couldn’t say no to him.
“Boyfriend?” He raised an eyebrow and applied a little pressure before allowing his fingers to dip in and out of her. “That all I am to you?”
Blake’s heart raced and her breath hitched. “What would you call it?”
“I’d call it forever if you stopped playing and let me.
” His lips brushed her ear, and he continued to toy with her, sliding his finger in and out slowly, then faster, then slow again.
She struggled to keep her moans down to a low whimper.
She felt like the nosey nurses were right outside the door listening, wishing it was them.
“You haven’t made me a wife yet,” she said, trying to be grown and smart. He smirked and bit her jawline. She moaned. Blake learned that she had a bite kink a few weeks ago, and he hadn’t let up on using that knowledge to have her creaming in his hand since.
“Oh, you think this shit a game for me?” he asked through gritted teeth.
She shook her head, but it was too late to retreat and walk the cute shit back.
“You gon’ stand on that.” Emon’s fingers picked up the pace, gliding in and out of her.
His lips crashed into hers to muffle her moans.
His fingers tap danced all over her clit until her walls contracted, letting him know she was on the verge of busting all on his hand.
“Emon.”
“Nah, not yet, big dawg.” He breathed into her mouth. She whimpered as he applied a little more pressure. Her eyes begged for him to let her cum, but as he watched her pant with tears rolling down her eyes, he wasn’t sure she deserved it. He was going to teach her a lesson about playing with him.
It wasn’t until he heard a muffled, “Baby, please,” that Emon allowed his queen to soak his hand.
“I love you,” she said, barely above a whisper.
Emon removed his hand and wiped her juices on his shirt.
He straightened her scrubs, kissed her cheek, and opened the door before she knew what happened.
The job he needed to do had been done. Emon walked out first, and Blake sheepishly, deliriously walked out behind him with a grin on her face.
“We still on for mama’s barbecue this weekend?” the maniac asked her like he hadn’t just done her dirty, filthy seconds ago. By the wink he gave her, he let her know not to play with him ever again in any way. Dr. Cameron needed to never look or speak to her again if it wasn’t about work.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” she replied, trying to gather herself.
This nigga is crazy and reckless, she thought. She’d never had anyone do her that way.
“Good. Because ViceAnne said if I show up without you, she gon act up.” He leaned in, kissing her neck softly.
A shiver ran down her spine as a flash of his hands in her pants played in her head.
“Finish saving lives. See you later or maybe not,” he whispered the last part, and he had her fucked up.
She would be seeing him tonight, and he would be finishing what he started. He had to know that.
She pouted because it wasn’t even that serious, but muttered, “Yeah, ok.”
She also couldn’t deny how much she enjoyed the liberation. He winked at her because he couldn’t deny her for too long.
“Aye, bruh, be easy,” he said with a smirk to Dr. Cameron as he headed out.
Blake watched him leave, wanting to follow like a lost puppy, but she didn’t.
She caught several nurses fanning themselves.
She couldn’t blame them. Emon had that effect, but what had her really glowing was how he’d marked his territory without doing too much.
He just showed up, showed out, and showed everyone exactly why she wasn’t interested in dinner with any other nigga.
“Girl, he got a brother?” Sherita asked with a giggle.
There was no doubt they knew what had just gone down in the broom closet. She hoped no one reported her. However, she really didn’t care. She had a bounce in her step, ready to finish her shift.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she smiled when she read the message.
Emon: I love you, too. A nigga really do.