Sinful Chocolate (15 page)

“W
elcome back to the land of the living,” Dr. Weiner said, smiling. “You gave everyone quite a scare.”

Charlie groaned. His head felt as if someone had taken an axe to it and had a damn good time. When he moved, pain exploded at the back of his head and forced him to collapse back onto the pillow.

“Easy, now,” Dr. Weiner warned. “We don't want you to overdo it.”

Charlie wasn't going to argue. He closed his eyes to retreat from the room's bright light and exhaled a long breath.

“Your friends tell me that you took a rather nasty fall.”

Had he? He couldn't remember. He opened his mouth to speak but his parched throat grated like sandpaper. “W-water.”

“Hold on a second.” Weiner turned toward the desk next to the hospital bed and poured a glass of water. “Here you go,” he said, tipping the cup toward Charlie's lips.

It was the best water Charlie had ever tasted. He drained the plastic cup in less than two seconds. “More.”

The doctor complied and then said, “I have to ask you a few questions. They may sound silly to you, but I need to make sure there hasn't been any bruising or severe brain injury from your fall. Can you tell me your name?”

“Ch-Charles Masters,” he whispered.

“Very good.” Weiner retrieved a pin light from his breast pocket and the flashed it into Charlie's eyes to check their dilation. “What day is it?”

“Saturday,” Charlie answered, trying not to be irritated by such mundane questions.

“Do you remember what happened?” Weiner asked.

At first, nothing came to mind, but after concentrating, bits and pieces of images surfaced. “Yeah, I—I think so.”

“What do you remember?”

Charlie pushed himself through the pain of talking. “Barbershop. My head started hurting. I got dizzy. Fell.”

Dr. Weiner nodded. “I'm going to order an MRI, but I believe you have a grade three concussion. We should probably keep you here overnight for observation. You'll live…for now.”

Charlie's eyes fluttered open.

“While I have you here—”

“No.”

A long silence followed. Dr. Weiner's hands gripped the bed's steel railing. “Charlie, you're making a grave mistake.”

“It's mine to make,” he countered. He glanced away when angry tears stung the backs of his eyes. “I—if I am sick, I don't want to spend what time I have left running in and out of hospitals.”

“I've always known that you were hard-headed, Charlie, but I'd hoped that cracking your head open had knocked some sense into you.” He paused. “I saw the look on your friends' faces out there. They care a lot about you. Have you thought about how they're going to feel when they find out you kept this illness from them?”

Charlie ground his jaw in stubborn silence. The last thing he wanted was a sermon.

“You have a responsibility to those you love. That includes telling them the truth. No matter how painful.”

Charlie closed his eyes again and was greeted with the image of Gisella lying in his bed of satin sheets and smiling seductively. How could he tell her he was dying after he had allowed her to believe they were preparing for a future together?

“You're being selfish.”

So what?
Why couldn't he grab happiness while he still had a chance? Charlie pressed a hand against his forehead, but no matter how hard he fought against it, the doctor's words seeped into his thick skull.

“I'm not going to lie to you. You're at a major crossroad,” Weiner continued. “It's not up to me to judge. You have to make your own decisions. But I gotta tell you, I think you're making the wrong ones.”

Charlie's picture of Gisella then changed into one of his mother greeting him Tuesday nights with a kiss and then one of him and his Kappa brothers laughing it up every Saturday morning at Herman's and then his thoughts returned to Gisella.

“All right. All right. I'll take your damn test,” Charlie snapped.

Weiner drew and released a satisfied breath. “I'll order for a nurse to come take you upstairs. The test won't take but a few minutes.”

“Now?”

“I'm not giving you a chance to back out of this…again.”

 

Gisella stared at Charlie's little black book.

She wasn't going to call anyone. What was the point? The women listed in there were all a part of his past. She was his future.

Right?

It was a good pep talk. One that worked for the first hour, but by the second, third and even the fourth, those words started to have a hollow ring. Even Lexi's sneering voice refused to stop echoing in her head.

“
In time, he'll get bored, and he'll dump you like he's dumped all the rest. It's what he does.
”

Was she telling the truth? Despite their dating for the last seven weeks, there was still plenty Gisella didn't know about Charlie. How many times had she sensed that he was keeping something from her? How many times had she caught him staring at her with an odd sadness in his eyes? Was he already getting bored? Was a breakup just beyond the horizon?

Yet, there was so much she
did
know—and loved—that had nothing to do with him being good-looking or good in bed—
great in bed
, actually. Charlie was intelligent, loyal to his friends, funny, kind and endearing. There was something about the way he held her that made her feel like the quintessential woman. In his arms, she was sexy, alluring, strong and powerful—all at the same time. With him in her corner, there was nothing she couldn't do. No challenge too hard, no dreams impossible.

How could she
not
fall in love?

Gisella's gaze returned to the little black book. How many other women had felt the same way about Charlie?

“Krista, could you take over?” she asked, removing her apron. “I'm going to head home.”

“Sure.” Krista smiled. “I don't know how you put in the hours you do anyway.”

At home, Gisella's anxieties increased. When she phoned Charlie, all her calls were transferred to his voicemail. If she could just hear his voice maybe she would calm down.

Curled up on the living room sofa with Sasha purring softly on her lap, Gisella stared at the black book as if in a trance. In the last hour, she had thrown the book in the garbage several times only to fish it out minutes later.

“
In time, he'll get bored, and he'll dump you like he's dumped all the rest. It's what he does.
”

There was laughter in the hallway seconds before Anna and the Lonely Hearts breezed into the apartment. Clearly, they'd spent the day shopping, judging by the number of shopping bags. However, they sobered when they spilled into the living room and saw Gisella.

“You're home early,” Anna said casually. A clear reflection of how their relationship had been strained since she'd learned about Gisella and Charlie's relationship. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“We can see that,” Nicole said. She lowered her bags near the coffee table and plopped on the cushion next to Gisella. “You look like a zombie.”

“What's this?” Emmadonna asked picking up the black book and joining them on the couch.

“Charlie's little black book.”

The Lonely Hearts gasped.

Nicole snatched the book from Emmadonna's hands. “Girrrl, how did you get your hands on this?”

“You mean men actually have those things?” Jade squeaked.

Excited, Emmadonna grabbed the book back. “Are you going to call any of them? Let's do it now.”

“No.”

“Where's the phone?”

“I
said
no.”

“No?” the women chorused.

“Why the hell not?” Nicole asked.

Still standing in the living room's archway, Anna stared at her sister. “What's the matter, Gisella?” “Nothing. I—I just…” She shook her head. “I was just thinking.”

Anna set her bags down and climbed over her friends' legs and forced them to scoot over so she could sit next Gisella. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Sasha abandoned Gisella's lap for her owner's.

Talk about what? That she had this unexplainable anxiety over a relationship that everyone kept warning her to stay away from? One look at her sister and Gisella could tell that she was just jumping at the bit to say,
I told you so
.

Besides, Charlie hasn't done anything. It was just a feeling that bad news was just around the corner, caused by the seeds that Lexi woman planted in her head.

Gisella forced on a smile and unfolded her legs. “You know what? I think I'm just going go and see my man.”

“You mean
everybody's
man, don't you?” Emmadonna thumbed through the pages. “Damn, do you know the mayor is in here?”

Gisella tried to grab the black book. “And I'm giving him his book back.”

“Whoa!” The ladies jumped to their feet.

“Let's not be too hasty there,” Nicole said. “Apparently, you're too emotional and aren't thinking clearly. You do
not
give a playa his little black book back. That's like giving an recovering alcoholic a bottle of Jack Daniels.”

Gisella snatched the book. “No offense, Nicole. But I'll start taking man advice from you when you have one of your own.”

T
he bone marrow test didn't take long. All that was left for Charlie to do was to wait. But he wasn't going to do that in a hospital. After insisting to be released, the Kappa Psi Kappa brothers drove Charlie back to his apartment. The ride was like a funeral procession. His boys clearly didn't know what to say to him and he certainly didn't know how to get the conversation started.

Once at his apartment, it was odd to see the Kappas, big, strapping manly men, fussing over him like a group of mother hens. Before he knew it, they had him propped up on the sofa with pillows and blankets and arguing who was better qualified to stay and watch for the night.

Derrick suggested calling Mama Arlene, and Charlie threatened him within an inch of his life when he'd picked up the phone. “I'm all right, man. There's no need to worry her. It's just a bump on the head.”

Grudgingly, Derrick placed the phone back on the receiver and then shared a look with the other boys.

“Just spit it out,” Charlie said.

Taariq crossed his arms. “Actually, we're waiting for you to tell us what's going on. What was up with all that extra testing?”

For a brief moment, Charlie thought that he could downplay the whole situation. “It was nothing. It…” He glanced at their solemn and dubious faces and knew that the jig was up. Time to come clean. “Dr. Weiner thinks I'm dying.”

Everyone quickly collapsed into the nearest chair.

“Go on,” Hylan said.

Charlie started from the beginning. How he'd gone to the doctor's to prepare for a business trip and ended where he'd finally was cornered into taking the test an hour ago. When he was done, the silence condemned him.

“And this is called a plastic what?” Derrick asked. He scooped out his cell phone so he could search WebMD.

“Aplastic anemia,” Charlie repeated. “I didn't
really
believe the diagnosis…until the headaches and dizzy spells. I mean, most of the time I feel fine.”

“It's just when you cracked your head on the floor that gave you pause?” Hylan asked.

Stanley looked on the verge of tears. “I don't understand. Why didn't you tell us? I thought we were boys.”

Here we go
.

“It's complicated, Stan,” Charlie said. “I didn't want you guys to start…”

“What?” Derrick folded his arms. “You didn't want us to start what?”

“Treating me different,” Charlie said.

“We wouldn't have done that,” Stanley protested.

The rest of the Kappas chorused in agreement.

Charlie laughed. “Please. Look at you. I've been in the apartment less than an hour and you guys got me snug as a bug in a rug. Hell, dawgs, a minute ago I was scared one of you were going to stick a thermometer up my butt if I asked for some aspirins.”

A couple of them hung their heads in guilt.

“All right. All right,” Hylan said. “Maybe we over-reacted. But it was a little disturbing to see you wipe out the way you did at Herman's. You scared us.”

“Sorry, man.” Charlie shrugged. “I was just trying to do the right thing.”

They bobbed their heads, but Stanley was barely keeping it together.

Having pity on him, Charlie said, “C'mon. Let's hug it out real quick.” He stood and the Kappas came together for one big group hug and then broke away as if the incident never happened.

“But why would you call old girlfriends and tell
them?
” Hylan asked.

“Trying to bring closure to whichever one of them vandalized my car and trashed my apartment. Whoever it is is still messing with me. Things keep disappearing around here.”

“Should've listened to Herman,” Derrick said, waving his finger. “He warned you about being out of the field too long. Look at you now. You're in the middle of some fatal attraction soap opera.” He glanced at his other brothers. “It's gonna happen to you guys too. Watch.”

Hylan rolled his eyes. “Can we save the preaching for Sundays?” He turned to Charlie. “So where does all this “I'm getting married” stuff fit in? Does your girl know about all this—or are you keeping this from her just like the whole bankruptcy thing?”

It was on the tip of Charlie's tongue to tell the guys that it was none of their business what he did and didn't tell Gisella, but he hesitated too long and they had their answer.

“Man, what the hell are you thinking?” Derrick exploded out of his chair. “Are you really that damn selfish? How are you going to marry someone and
not
tell her you may be dying?”

Hylan was equally outraged. “Bump that. Do you even really love this girl or are you just swept up in the moment because you think you're getting ready to kick the bucket?”

The accusation had Charlie jumping to his feet. “What the hell kind of question is that? Of course I love her!”

Stanley, who was still hunched over in his chair, calmly asked, “Are you sure?”

“Damn right I'm sure.” Charlie's face twisted in disgust. “Gisella is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Taariq shrugged. “But you have to admit it's a little convenient your falling in love at the twelfth hour.
You,
a man who ran only second to Wilt Chamberlain in the number of women he'd slept with, finds the love of his life the moment he finds out he's dying. Do you know what the odds are on that?”

Charlie blinked.

Taariq shook his head. “C'mon, dawg. Who are you fooling? Us? Or yourself?”

“Or Gisella?” Derrick added.

Charlie opened his mouth to protest…but no words came out.

 

Gisella arrived at Charlie's high-rise apartment with her heart in her throat. In just a few minutes she would see Charlie, and all the anxieties of the day would melt away. At least that's what she was hoping. She waved at Todd at the security desk as she headed toward the elevator bay.

At Charlie's door she elected to knock first instead of using the key he'd insisted on giving her. The last person she expected to answer the door was Isabella's husband. “Derrick?” She blinked up at him and then tried to glance around his large shoulders. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Gisella,” he said, looking equally caught off guard. After a beat of silence, she wondered whether he intended to let her in.

“Is Charlie here?”

“Who? Oh, Charlie. Yeah. Um, come on in.” He finally stepped back from the door.

Gisella gave him an awkward laugh before crossing into the apartment. The surprises continued when she found Charlie in the living room propped up on pillows and surrounded by three other guys.

“Gisella,” Charlie said, standing. “I didn't know you were coming by.”

Her curious gaze darted around the men's strange expressions.

“Oh. Um. You remember the guys from the birthday party. This here is Hylan, Taariq and Stanley,” he said, touching each one on the shoulder.

“Hello,” they greeted her, smiling.

“Bonjour.”

“And of course you remember Derrick there.”

Every fiber in her being told her something was wrong. The men were acting like she was an undercover cop who'd just busted them on an illegal act.

After the introductions were done, the silence in the room became a living, breathing thing.

Finally, Derrick broke the silence by clapping his hands together. “Well, I guess we'll be heading out.”

It sounded more like a command than a suggestion. The other Kappa brothers quickly agreed and gathered their belongings. The situation made Gisella feel as if she should be apologizing for breaking up the private party.

“It was nice meeting you,” Stanley said as he filed past her.

She nodded weakly as they all headed out.

“Bobby was right. She
is
fine,” one of them whispered.

Both she and Charlie remained silent until they heard the front door close. “They seem nice,” she said, easing into the room, trying to break the ice.

Gisella knew the Kappa boys more by the stories Charlie and Isabella shared with her than anything else. Her gaze took in the pillows and blankets spread out on the sofa again. “Camping out?”

“Sort of,” he said sheepishly. “I, uh, sort of had an accident at the barbershop today. Hit my head. Got a concussion.”

“What?” She instantly flew to him and tried to examine him for herself.

Charlie stopped her by taking her hands into his and kissing them. “It's all right. It's going to take more than a cement floor to bust open this head.”

She laughed and until that moment, didn't realize how much she needed to do that. “That must be why I was so worried about you today,” she said in relief. “I kept having this bad vibe ever since…” She shook her head and allowed Charlie to lead her to sit down and pull her into his arms. “I had the strangest visit from that Lexi woman, and I can't believe I let her get into my head.”

He frowned. “Lexi?”

Gisella opened her purse and pulled out Charlie's black book. “She brought me this.”

“What?” Charlie removed his arm from around her and took the book. “Lexi?” He shook his head as his rising anger caused visible lines along his jaw. “I should have known.” He slammed the book on the table.

“She suggested that I call—”

“And did you?” he snapped.

“Of course not! I would never do that.” She paused. “But it's a thick book.”

“So?” He stood up and started pacing.

She blinked at him. “So…I didn't really realize how many women you had in your life.”

“What…you wanted a number?”

Now Gisella jumped to her feet. “I never said I wanted a number, I'm just saying you've slept with a lot of women—even the mayor is in there!”

“Oh, so you read it?”

“No. Nicole—”

“Nicole? You let your
friends
read my personal property?”

“Nicole is not…” She stopped and drew a deep breath. “Okay. Are you purposely trying to start a fight with me?”

He stopped pacing long enough to breathe fire toward her. After a long minute passed, he finally glanced away. He didn't know if he could go through with this. After talking to the Kappas, he was suddenly confused on so many things.

Gisella forced herself to calm down. When she glanced back at him, she remembered his concussion. “Let's just drop this. Clearly, Lexi gave me the book for this very thing to happen.” She smiled and walked over to him. “But I'm not going anywhere, baby. In fact, I'm going to take care of you tonight. We'll stay in, and I'll cook us something to eat and we can sit here on the couch and watch a movie.” She kissed his cheek. “Would you like that?”

Charlie eased away.

Gisella's heart dropped. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “What makes you think something is wrong?” he asked, avoiding eye contact. He couldn't believe he was about to do this, but maybe everyone was right. Up until now, he was being selfish, planning a future when he didn't have one and wanting her to fall in love with him when he was just going to break her heart. Was this what the song meant when it said, if you love someone set them free?

Gisella studied him and was convinced that she could literally see the wheels in his head spinning. In that moment everything became clear.

“You want to break up with me,” she said simply.

He looked at her then.

She waited for him to deny the accusation.

And waited.

And waited.

“I see.” She shook her head and grabbed her purse from couch. “You know, you're a real piece of work.”

“Gisella—”

“Save it. You've already wasted enough of my time.” She stomped away from him and marched toward the door steadily cursing him out in French. If he thought for a second that she was going to throw some temper tantrum, he had another thing coming. So intent on her leaving, she was caught off guard when he grabbed her wrist. “Gisella.” He spun her around.

Out of reflex, she slapped him. “Drop dead.”