I Like 'Em Pretty

I Like ‘Em Pretty

Rawiya

Copyright © 2012 by Sharita
Lira writing as Rawiya

Published by Triad Literary
Books at Smashwords

I Like ‘Em Pretty

Rawiya

Edited by Julie Lynn
Hayes

Cover Art Sara
York

ISBN
9781301229208

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be
otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than
that in which it is published and without a similar condition
including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Your non-refundable purchase allows you to one legal copy of this
work for your own personal use. You do not have resell or
distribution rights without the prior written permission of both
the publisher and copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be
copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your
computer to another through upload, or for a fee.

Disclaimer:
This book may contain explicit sexual content,
graphic, adult language, and situations that some readers may find
objectionable which might include: male/male sexual practices and
multiple partner sexual practices.

This is a work of fiction.
All characters, places, businesses, and incidents are from the
author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual places, people, or
events is purely coincidental. Any trademarks mentioned herein are
not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean
the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners.
Any trademarks used are specifically in a descriptive
capacity.

Trademarks mentioned in the
story

Murder She Wrote:
TV Show CBS Television 1984-1996 Universal
Productions

Top Gear
:
TV Show BBC Worldwide

Duran
Duran
: Songs
“Hungry Like the Wolf”
and
“Bedroom Toys”

Record companies HLTW
Capitol EMI from Rio Bedroom Toys Epic Music from
Astronaut

Depeche Mode:
British Band record companies: Mute, EMI, Sire,
WMG

Heineken:
Beer - Heineken International B.V.

E.L James:
Author of 50 Shades of Grey Trilogy

Blurb:
Men come in all forms; big, small, manly and not so much.
Rhoda Maire likes em' on the pretty side and won't settle for
anything less. Dr. Nicholas Fairlight might be just what she needs.
He's looking for a woman to settle down with after years of putting
his career first. Time for both of these lonely medical
professionals to find true love!
 

Dedication: For my good
friend Wendi.
You got
your
happy ending!

I Like ‘Em
Pretty

Rawiya

Chapter One

“
Rhoda? Rhoda, are you
listenin’ to me?” Nurse Rhoda Maire’s mother called to her
repeatedly through the handset.

“
Hmm? Oh sorry, Ma, I
was—”

“
Just driftin’ off to
dreamy land, right? It’s a wonder you made it through nursing
school with high marks, child. Your teachers mentioned how you
loved to daydream.”

Rhoda grimaced and sighed
inwardly. She switched her cellular from one shoulder to the other
while preparing her morning hazelnut blend. The best pick-me-up in
the world. She wouldn’t have it any other way. “Sorry, Momma, I was
thinkin’ about a patient at the clinic,” she lied.

“
Hmph. Well, I wish you’d
stop thinkin’ so much about work and concentrate on gettin’ a man.
You’re not any younger, baby. You’re pushin’ forty!”

“
Mom, I’m thirty-eight,
okay? I still got time before I hit the big four O. Besides,
haven’t I told ya I’m not into settlin’ for just
any
kind of
man?”

“
Yeah you have but…” Mom
went silent.

“
What?”

“
Well, darnit, girl, I’m
just worried, that’s all. I remember when your sister Moira fixed
you up with that nice man she works with.”

Rhoda rolled her eyes,
pondering that moment.

Yep, he was pretty, but
unfortunately he didn’t play for my team.

She smiled to herself,
knowing she couldn’t mention
that
to her mom. They had a great time on their second
date until the man spotted a good-looking brother at the bar,
checked him out, and promptly excused himself from the
table.

Still, he had the right
look. Very handsome man, light skin the color of her favorite latte
with black wavy hair and eyes; oh, his eyes were hazel.
Unforgettable. She could get lost in them. But he didn’t like the
girls as much as he did the boys.

If only he did, I wouldn’t
be havin’ this conversation with Momma right now.

“
He sounded like a fine
man, Rhoda! What did you say or do to him?”

“
Nothin’,” she scoffed and
glanced up at the ceiling. “Mom, can I call you back? I know how
you love to talk with me on Sunday mornin’ before you go to church
but I wanna finish my coffee, eat breakfast, and sleep in. I’ve got
three eleven hour shifts to pull at the hospital this
week.”

“
Okay, Rhoda. I’ll let you
go. For now. I wish you’d join me in church sometime. All the
sisters there miss you. Haven’t seen ya since you were a young
girl.”

“
Mhmm,” she smirked,
putting down her mug that read, ‘
I’m not
over the hill…yet
.’ “Maybe next weekend,
Momma. I actually have a Saturday night off for once.”

“
Good, then I’ll tell
‘em—”

“
No, no, no, please, don’t
have ‘em expectin’ me to be there. If I go out with Sharnette, I
might not be able to make it past my bed that mornin’.”

“
Mmm…mmm… you still talk
to her? She’s such a bad influence!”

“
Ma, she’s my best friend.
Just because she writes smut doesn’t mean she’s bad, m’kay? Now
lemme let you go.” Rhoda really wanted to hang up now with her mom
talking about her best buddy from high school. Sharnette was a
prolific author and party girl who Lorna Maire had taken issue with
for years. After all, this was the young lady who took Rhoda to her
first club when they were clearly underage.

“
Okay, baby. Make me happy
and go find a man. Stay away from that character you call a friend
and don’t drink too much,” she warned.

“
Uh, okay.” Rhoda wasn’t
quite sure where that came from. She only sipped wine when her and
Sharnette went to the bars and actually that wasn’t
often.

Rhoda barely had time to
think after working some of the shifts she’d been scheduled, but
she knew that before she took the job.

Nothing brought her joy
like helping other people who were sick and in need of care.
Nursing meant the personal life came second so she could satisfy
everyone who needed her help.

After she told her mom
goodbye, she pushed the disconnect and propped her feet up on the
table in front of her. Rhoda truly loved mornings like this when
she didn’t have to do anything but lounge around in her pink house
robe and fuzzy bunny slippers. Still, it was really disheartening
to know there was no one but the dog, Spearmint, to come home to.
Her brown and lovable Yorkshire Terrier had been the only steady
male in her life for the past three years.

Jesus.

When was the last time I
went out on a date with a man other than Mike, who liked the other
side of the fence?
She had to think about
it a moment and, unfortunately, her brain hurt just attempting to
remember.

“
Arf!” Spearmint sprinted
from the bedroom and immediately jumped in her lap, asking for
attention. To show his affection, he licked her face
repeatedly.

“
Ooh okay, I’ll feed you
and yes, good mornin’.” She laughed and nuzzled his cold, wet nose.
She lifted her cup and made her way into the small kitchen of her
two bedroom apartment. No, it wasn’t a palace, but it was clean and
only steps away from the Duke University hospital where she
worked.
You can’t beat not needing a car
except to run errands or go out for the evening.
It was convenience she paid for
handsomely.

“
Okay, there you go.”
Rhoda gave Spearmint his favorite breakfast and watched him eat on
the counter while finishing her coffee. Yep, mornings like this
were great. If only she had someone to share them with.

* * * *

“
Dr. Fairlight…Dr.
Fairlight, you’re needed in ICU. Dr. Fairlight?” Nicholas joked
while he sat at the table with his fellow physicians. Not that he
didn’t take his job seriously, but a little humor was good to take
the edge off after a long night.

“
That nurse has the hots
for you, Doc. She loves callin’ your name. Her and Mrs. Mackenby
might have a plan for you.” One of the doctors laughed.

“
Yeah, I’m sure they do.”
Nicholas heard his phone go off, signaling a patient needed his
assistance. When he noticed the caller ID, he groaned and slipped
his cell back in his hip compartment. “Well, I’ve been summoned
once again.”

“
Ah, that would be the
sixth call in the last fourteen hours, right?” With a smirk, his
good friend, Dr. Alexander Carthington, cocked an
eyebrow.

“
Yes, it would, Doctor.
She’s never going to give up, is she? Making excuses for me to come
see her so she can convince me to get hitched.” Nicholas shook his
head.

“
Yep, you know it. Hey,
you wanna go out with me and my girl next Saturday night? We’re
heading to this new club in the city called Enigma.”

Nicholas nodded, knowing a
night out on the town might do him some good. “Maybe. I do need to
get out more, especially when we have days off. These thirteen
hours are killin’ me.” Nicholas frowned and rubbed the back of his
neck. “Let me go see what my dear patient wants and I’ll get back
to you on that.”

“‘
Kay. I’ll be here. All
my patients aren’t as needy as yours.”

“
Piss off, you wanker,”
Nicholas snarled as he walked swiftly across the cafeteria to try
making the next elevator. He knew this wasn’t a clear emergency
since they hadn’t added stat to the message.

Mrs. Mackenby was a nice
lady but really not his type. With grown children and plenty of
ailments to last her a lifetime, Nicholas considered her to be a
momma more than a woman he’d want to get involved with.

Regardless, she still
tried, telling him she’d make the perfect wife for him. The young
lonely doctor who didn’t have many marriage prospects on the
horizon.

Despite this, Nicholas
wasn’t ready to become the other half in a cougar relationship.
Older women just didn’t do it for him.

Not in their seventies,
anyway
.

The warm air hit him as the
elevator doors opened. Nicholas made his way to Mrs. Mackenberg’s
room. When he passed the nurses’ desk, they all smiled at him,
knowing this wasn’t very important but he answered her anyway, as
long as he wasn’t in surgery.

“
Hi, Doc Nicky, come on
in.” She waved. Her blue eyes twinkled and she smiled
wide.

“
Hello again, Mrs.
Mackenberg. What can I do for you today? How’s everything
going?”

“
Oh, about well as it
could, I suppose. The ol’ bones aren’t up to par after the last
stroke. I can barely get out of bed.” She patted her grey bun on
top of her head and curled the loose ends around her
ears.

“
Well, it takes time to
recover, Mrs. Mackenberg. You’ll be out of the hospital in no time
and back at home soon.”

Thank goodness!

“
Yes, I know, Nicky. And
please, I dunno how many times I have to tell ya to call me Janet.
We’ve known one ‘nother for the last six months.”

Nicholas nodded in
agreement and forced a smile while he pulled up a chair from the
other side of the room. “Yes ma’am. Okay, why did you summon me?
Something hurts…or—?”