A Moment Like This (4 page)

Several months later she received an email of crossroads. Michael had been drilling into her head how dangerous meeting someone you knew strictly from the internet could be. Should she accept the man's invitation?

Next week is our six month anniversary next week. If we're going to do this like a true couple I insist on taking you out for it. Meet me at the Lazy Daisy at six o'clock on the 23rd? I'll be sitting at the far table with a red present wrapped in blue ribbon.

What could it hurt? She thought to herself. If she was terribly uncomfortable with the man she could always excuse herself from the date early.

I accept your invitation. You should recognize me from my picture but if not my handbag will be the giveaway. It's a Leiss original and there's only one in the whole world. It's like carrying my personality about on my arm.

His reply came back a most flattering acceptance of her own and the date was set.

"What's there to explain," Colin snapped as he placed the woman's brain into a tin nearby; it made a metallic, squishy plop. "You're obviously an item…again. Half the hospital must know you've lost your mind!"

With a precision no one else could manage while arguing her opened up the woman's chest and delved inside with a keen eye. He was mumbling into his recorder when she interrupted his work.

"I thought you would be happy for me," Promise responded in a stricken tone. "I was finally able to put a painful part of my past behind me."

"Yeah, now you're dating it," he retaliated cynically, "did you learn nothing, Prick?"

"I'm giving him a second chance," she said defensively, "he's changed."

"People like Aidan Feral don't change, Promise; they just get better at masking who they are."

"I've got to try, Colin," she told him quietly. Tucking hair behind her ear she avoided meeting his eyes. "I know you don't think he can change but I've got to find out myself. I need to know what might have been if…"

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Colin replied with the same calm tone.

"I won't," she assured him, "please just give Aidan another chance. At least be civil with him."

"I can try."

"Colin…"

"All right, Prick. For you I'll pretend I like the guy."

"Really? Thank you so much, Colin!" She settled down in a chair to watch him work.

"No good," he murmured prodding about in the woman's chest; examining the dynamics of her heart he whispered again, "no good."

"What happened to her?" Promise asked quietly as she watched him work. Colin looked at the old woman's face and sighed.

"The official cause of death is myocardial infarction. However," Colin told her searching her eyes deeply, "I think she died of a broken heart."

"Prom, you won't believe who I ran into yesterday!"

"Neither will you," Promise teased but it was lost on her excited friend.

"I ran into Simon! Remember the computer technician who…"

"I ran into Aidan Feral," Promise told her calmly.

"You… you did?"

"He met me at the Half Shell for lunch."

"You let him call you?"

"I called him."

"But I thought…"

"We worked through it like mature adults; that's what we are after all."

"I'm surprised at you," Adelie said with an almost a maternal pride in her voice.

"I'm surprised at myself," promise confided, "I didn't think I'd have the guts to see him again."

"But…"

"Well I told him that I'd be willing to give him another chance. After I get to know him again that is."

"That's wonderful news."

"Colin wasn't too thrilled," Promise confessed.

"He's just jealous."

"Colin? Jealous?" Promise had a good laugh at the ridiculous notion. "Colin and I have been friends since kindergarten. Dating Colin would be like you dating Johnston."

"Eww."

"Precisely," Promise responded, "he's just protective."

"Even Johnston isn't that protective of me," Adelie commented about her older brother. Shrugging Promise returned to her coffee running her finger about the rim thoughtfully. Colin was just protective right? She wanted to laugh at the suggestion of otherwise; however, if Colin did think of her as anything but a friend things could get…awkward.

Some days later Michael was over at Selah's house for diner. He walked by her computer and doubled back. Leaning down he stared at the screen reading the words with growing disgust.

"Do you realize this guy is asking you your bra size!"

"Oh that jerk," she said turning up her nose, "I've been meaning to block him."

"
May I do the honors?"

"
Calm down, Michael," Selah admonished, "I'll get to it soon enough."

"
Do it before I leave," he demanded.

"
Chill out man," Dante suggested tossing the football to his other hand. "She can take care of herself."

Michael sent him a piercing glare. When Selah wasn't looking Dante shrugged at him and, tossing the ball to his other hand, he hurried after her.

"
Is there anything I can do to help with dinner?"

"
You Dante?" her delighted laugh funneled back into the room where he sat, "I forbid you to even think of cooking in my kitchen."

"
I'm not that bad."

"But you are," Selah returned as he laid his football down on the stove. "Dante your ball!" Sheepishly he removed the offending item from the red glowing surface. "Go sit out with Mike before you burn my house down."

"Come on, Sey..." he started to beg.

"Out."

It was Dante's turn to glare when Mike sent him a smug look. However his triumph didn't last long.

"
At least I was allowed in." Mike's smile faded then his features became serious.

"
You're really not concerned about her talking to people like that at all?"

"
Course I am but," Dante said shifting in his seat so there was a measure of privacy between them. "You can't let the ladies know that."

"
Why not?"

"
You saw how rowdy she got. You just got to be smooth with it," Dante informed him with gestures.

"
Oh really."

"
Shure," Dante told him going to approach the doorway, "watch and learn my man."

Michael sniggered as Dante flushed and returned to sit beside him.

"
Real smooth man," he taunted with mimic.

"
Ok then we just gotta come at this from a different angle."

"
And what angle do you suppose we take?" Mike asked as Dante shifted positions so his elbow was balanced on his ball.

"
If you can't get them to listen you just gotta keep an eye on them until they do."

"
And how do you suppose we do that?" Mike asked in a condescending tone. "If she doesn't want us telling her who to talk to she certainly isn't going to like one of us shadowing her every night."

"
Who said she had to know we was doing it?"

"
I hate to break this to you, Dante, but you're on the wrong side of the tracks to blend in." It wasn't meant to be insulting but the man was black. This part of town just wasn't heavily populated by the African Americans.

"
You aren't no master of disguise either, Mikey."
Dante reminded Michael as he flicked his opposition's red bangs. The rest of his head was stark black. His face wasn't on to be missed in a crowd either.

"
What are you two talking about?" Selah cut in a pot steaming pot in her hand as she questioned them from the doorway.

"
Who's cuter," Dante responded lightly.

"
You both know it's me," Selah teased with a wink as she returned to the kitchen, "there's no contest."

A small ripple of tension surfaced between the two of them at the mention of Selah's looks. They pretended to get along well and for the most part could treat each other civilly when Selah was about each man knew Selah was the reason they were here. As far as Mike was concerned Dante had had his chance. Selah had dated him in high school and he had broken her heart. Now, seven years since then, she had forgiven him and now the two flirted, innocently on her part, back and forth constantly. It made him sick.

"Lighten up, Mikey. You know Sey isn't interested in either of us."

"
She's too busy flirting with you to give me a chance."

"
You've had since you were in diapers to impress her. If you haven't made an impression by now I think it's time to face the face you aren't going to."

"
Shut up, Nyckels," Michael snapped. Selah groaned as she entered the room.

"
Don't tell me you two are at it again. I've about had it with all this fighting."

"Sorry," Michael apologized.

"Suck up," Dante coughed.

Adjusting her purse on her shoulder Selah exited the restroom with her old clothes on her arm. Once she stowed them in the back all she had to do was wait. She'd been meeting Haruko for the first time any minute now.

"
Miss. Donavon, Steward just yakked all over the floor in the men's room. He's supposed to be filling in for you."

"
I told you not to talk to me about the café until Haruko leaves," she said anxiously as she looked about, "block it off until you can have someone clean it up. Call Beth to fill in for me."

"
Yes Miss. Donavon," the waitress said leaving to do as she was commanded. Selah made a mental note to apologize to her later. If she treated all her employees like that she wouldn't have any pretty soon. She was just so nervous, she told herself.

She caught her breath when a man entered in an outfit with distinguished modern flare. His Asian features were prominent and when he looked at her his eyes matched his photo with stunning realism. Smiling at her across the way he made his way to her side.

"
Heaven?"

"
Call me Selah."

"Thinking about someone…special?" Promise jumped at the sudden inquiry and turned startled eyes to gaze at the older woman.

"Edith! I didn't know you were there."

"You didn't know anything was going on, Promise. You're eyes were a million miles away." Promise grinned sheepishly and began to shuffle the papers in front of her. Edith's hand came to rest atop hers. "Let's take lunch early. I want to know everything about this man!"

"Edith…" she groaned as she was tugged to her feet.

"I won't have no for an answer. Hurry now lunch starts as soon as we leave this area and I don't want to miss a single detail."

When it came time for her to leave Promise shuffled out the front door weary from a busy day. A hand touched her shoulder and she leapt away with a screech. Colin motioned for her to quiet and when she had come close to her again made a move to speak. Still half out of her mind with fading fear she scolded.

"Don't do that to me!"

"Sorry," he amended as they began to walk to the parking lot.

"What are you doing here?" she interrogated with a small worry in her voice.

"I heard your car embraced the dust. I came to pick you up."

"But your shift doesn't end for another hour." He raised his eyebrow at her.

"I'm fairly certain none of my patients will mind I took off early." Opening the door for her he let her slid in then shut it and slipped into the driver's seat. As he started the car she rubbed her temples and laid back against the headrest.

"Long day?" he inquired.

"The longest. We admitted two new people and the girls managed to switch their files."

"I sense there's more."

"You always were very observant Mr. Minstrom," she praised quietly then continued with a sigh, "we had to send three patients out today and there seems to be a flu slowly creeping from room to room."

"There's more," he said more than asked.

"I have a date with Aidan tomorrow and I'm not sure I'm going to feel up to it."

"You aren't coming down with that flu are you?"

"No, I'm just tired."

"Then just tell Aidan you can't make it," Colin said casually as he stopped at the shining red traffic beacon. He cross his arms over the top of the steering wheel and stared upwards at the light with his chin resting on his arms.

When the light favored them again he uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on the wheel. Pulling through the intersection he made the turn onto her road. His driving slowed as he prepared to enter her driveway. Putting the car in park he rotated to face her.

"Your stop my lady."

"Thanks, Colin," she said unbuckling her seatbelt and grabbing her bag. She turned then paused and finally her head popped back into the car. "Do you want to come in? I feel like there's something you're not telling me."

"Nothing you haven't heard before," he admitted with a tentative smile.

"All the same you better come in," she said withdrawing with a smile. "Alex has spotted you and I'll never hear the end of it if I let you drive off without saying hi."

"What does Alex think of Aidan?"

"You think she'd like him," Promise pondered aloud as she readied each of them a cup of coffee, "but she only tolerates him. Avoids him as much as she can honestly. I told him it's just because he doesn't know him very well."

Colin scratched the attention starved cat behind the ear. Alex arched up against his hand a deep purr rumbling through her chest. When he moved to rubbing under her chin she settled down in his lap and rolled onto her side. He laughed and petted her belly roughly being sure to give her head attention as well. When she reached up and marked his cheek he withdrew in surprise.

"A wet kiss?"

"She drools when she's really happy. It's odd I know but it's Alex."

"Indeed it is," he said pampering the spoiled feline farther.

When Promise handed him his mug he let Alex settle in his lap and absentmindedly stroked the small head.

"What's bothering you, Colin?" she asked quietly when their cups were half empty and neither had said a word.

"It's nothing," he said shrugging, "just now that you've got Aidan I'm well... I'm a little lonesome."

"You really need to get out more," she told him in a caring tone, "Adelie could hook you up with someone."

"Let's face it, Promise, no one's going to want to hear about my day at work and you know I need talk, especially when I've had a bad day."

"There's got to be someone, Colin," she seemed to get excited at a thought, "there's got to be someone you're interested in. Ask her out."

"She's…taken," he sighed in defeat as he stroked Alex's head.

"Is she happy?"

"She's not sure. She thinks she is."

"Have you talked to her?"

"Yeah she just keeps telling me the same thing."

"Let me talk to her," she said after a small silence, "I'm sure I can talk some sense into her."

"Nah, she'll come around. If not… maybe it's not meant to be."

"You're not even putting up a fight?"

"She only gets mad when I try to talk to her about him."

"She doesn't sound like someone you'd be happy with."

"Then I've explained her all wrong!" he exclaimed in a small panic. "I know it would work if she gave me a chance…"

"You've got it bad, Colin," Promise sighed shaking her head. Staring at the bottom of his empty mug he tried to force a chuckle.

"You don't know the half of it."