Underestimated Too (25 page)

Slamming the glass to the island, I darted to the
bathroom, feeling the inevitable in the back of my throat. This was bad. This
was so bad. I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. How the hell did this happen?
I didn’t get sick. I hadn’t been sick since like high school.

‘Here, you should get out of those clothes and into
something a little more comfortable. You’re not going anywhere for a couple
days,’ Morgan assured me, handing me a wet washcloth. I looked up at her
peculiarly. Why would she help me? She should be doing some sort of happy
dance. I jerked the cloth from her hands, covering my face with the coolness,
moaning, sure that I was dying.”

Drew wasn’t lying about that, not that Drew really
lied anyway. He always told the truth, whether you liked it or not, but he was
right about dying. I prayed that I would die when I felt the way he was
feeling. It was horrible, pure hell.

“Morgan coaxed, ‘Come on,’ pulling me from my seated
position. I let her help me, thinking we were going to my room. She led me to
the living room where I practically fell to the sofa. I felt so drained, like I
had no energy at all.

Morgan squatted in front of me and removed my black
dress shoes and socks. I watched her, wondering what went through her mind. She
was taking care of me. Why?

‘Take your pants off. I’m going to see if I can find
a t-shirt in your room. Is that okay?’ she asked, turning back.

‘There are some white cotton shirts in the armoire,’
I helped. I should just go in my bed. That was a nice thought. I didn’t feel
like I could move. I was barely strong enough to remove my dress slacks.

I held the not so cool cloth over my face, observing
all the unwanted feelings. Sitting up, wearing only black designer boxers and
my unbuttoned shirt, Morgan pulled on the end of my sleeve, helping me out of
my shirt.

‘I don’t want that,’ I whined when she tried to put
the t-shirt over my head.

‘Lay down,’ she commanded. I looked at her, seeing
something in her that I’d never seen before. She wasn’t being a bitch, she
wasn’t looking at me in anyway but empathy, like she cared.  I didn’t get it. I
scooted up to the end of the overstuffed sofa, dropped my head, and moaned.

The room was dark when I woke. I could feel the
inside of my mouth start to water. The room felt like the walls were closing in
when I opened my eyes, feeling a bit of vertigo. I didn’t even see Morgan,
sitting in the chair, but as soon as I sat up she was right there, right there
holding the trashcan. Thank god she thought of that. I would have never made it
to the bathroom.

She disappeared while I hurled what was in my
stomach and then dry heaved. I was going to die. I wanted to die. This was the
worse feeling in the world. 

‘Here, drink some of this,’ Morgan said, holding the
glass to my lips, forcing me to sip it. I waited a second, needing to see if it
was going to stay down. It did and I sipped it again.

‘What are you doing?’ I asked, lightly wrapping my
fingers around her dainty wrist. She gave me a warm smile and pulled away
without an answer. I watched her walk back to the chair she’d been sitting in
and pick up her book. She opened it to her place, ignored me, and took up
reading by the dim lit lamp.

‘Lay down,’ she demanded, peaking over the top of
the book. I smiled and dropped back to the pillow.

I watched her read, wondering for the first time
about her. I wanted to ask her questions about her life before me, I wanted to
know things about her. Jesus, I wanted to know her. I was delusional. It was
the fever. It had to be the fever. Closing my eyes, I tried to relax and tell
myself I wasn’t going to get sick.” 

Drew’s story continued, “I smelled Morgan’s
expensive perfume before I saw her. ‘Hey,’ she softly spoke with her hand on my
bare chest. My fingers found hers on their own accord. She pulled hers away. I
opened my eyes, trying to determine whether or not I felt better. I needed to
feel better. I had a client coming at two. She was no doubt feeling better. She
looked amazing. She’d showered, her hair was perfect, and she wore a black
pencil skirt with a light pink satin blouse. A bright studded belt with
diamonds and pink ice gems circled her waist.  

‘Take a drink of this,’ she coaxed. I took the
glass, deciding that I didn’t feel any better. I just wanted to lay down and
die until this passed. ‘Can you get up? I ran you a cool bath. You need to go
to your room and sleep. You have a client coming. Derik is going to take care
of it for you.’

‘You stay the fuck out of my business,’ I angrily
demanded, instantly getting mad at her. I probably would have hit her had I had
the energy.

‘I don’t really care about your business,’ she
retaliated, pulling my hand to get up. ‘Derik called your phone about fifty
times. I finally answered it and told him that you were sick. He said to tell
you to rest and he’d be here to present the deal.’

‘Where is my phone?’ I asked, looking around.

‘Right there,’ she motioned to the table behind the
sofa. ‘I put it on silent so it didn’t wake you. Derik had your calls forwarded
to him. He told me to tell you that,’ she added. She didn’t want me to think
she had anything to do with it. Standing, I really didn’t care. I felt like my
legs were going to give out and not hold me. They shook and my uneasy stomach
moved to my throat.

‘I want to lie down,’ I said, walking through the
house in nothing but my boxers.

‘You need to take a bath. You smell, plus, you’re
still pretty hot. It’ll help with the fever.’

Normally I would have protested. I honestly didn’t
have the energy to do that. I barely managed to slide out of my shorts and make
into the bath without toppling over.

‘You want me to help you bath?’ Morgan asked.

‘Why would you do that?’ I asked, turning to look at
her curiously.

She shrugged her shoulders. ‘You’re sick. I know how
you feel. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, not even someone I hated,’ she added.

I snickered a little. ‘Do you hate me?’

‘Pretty much. Do you want help or not?’

‘I may take you up on that offer, it could be fun,
just not today.’

‘I’m not going to be offering this any other day.’

Smiling, I kindly reminded her that she didn’t
decide that. I did. She left.

I would have slept the whole day had Morgan let me.
She kept waking me, forcing me to drink. She woke me around six in the evening
with a bowl of soup, crackers, and more Sprite. I sat up, feeling like I felt
better.

‘What time is it?’ I asked, taking the glass.

‘Six, Derik wanted me to tell you that Mr. Sheffield
wishes you well, and to let you know that he got asking price.’

‘Where’s my phone?’ I asked. I needed to talk to
him, find out what happened. I didn’t even know he’d been there and gone.
Morgan handed me my phone and saw herself out.

The next time I woke was around eleven. I sat up and
opened my laptop, wondering where Morgan was. She was in her room, arms
crossed, leaned against the windowsill, lost in thought. I wondered what she
was thinking about. Was she looking out to a world that she’d never know? She
wouldn’t. I would never let her go, not now, I couldn’t. Our arrangement was
working out just fine. I didn’t need her dead anymore. I liked having her at my
beck and call.

I watched her turn, looking straight at the camera
towards the clock. She pulled on a robe and slid her feet into satin slippers.
I watched her descend the stairs, switching camera views until I realized she
was coming to me. I quickly closed my laptop and scooted down. I had planned on
feigning sleep but changed my mind. I didn’t want her to peak in and leave.

‘You’re awake. I’m going to get you something to
drink.’

I got up and walked to the bathroom, feeling better.
Morgan was in my room when I returned. She didn’t really come in here. I didn’t
really allow it, just the few times when I’d had too much to drink and wanted
to play with her or punish her.

‘You look better,’ she assessed, altering the stale
soda for fresh.

‘I feel better, I think,’ I replied, sliding back
under the covers. I still felt weak as hell. I wouldn’t be running any
marathons, that’s for damn sure.

Morgan nodded with a cold stare.

‘Well, night,’ she said, turning to leave me.

‘Stay, Morgan,’ I commanded, trying hard to make it
sound like a request more so than a demand. It didn’t really come out that way.
I didn’t know how to talk to Morgan that way

‘Excuse me?’

‘Stay here tonight.’

‘Why?’

I gave her a look of warning. She was pissing me
off. She wasn’t allowed to ask why. She knew that. She took a deep breath and obeyed,
knowing it was in her best interest.

 ‘Take your clothes off,’ I requested.

Morgan wasn’t modest about it like she had been at
first. She looked past me—as she always did— and undressed for me. She didn’t
even look at me when I told her how beautiful she was. Her eyes stayed focused
to the right of my head. She was beautiful, I meant that.

‘Come here,’ I whispered.

She stood by my side and let me fondle her beautiful
soft curves.

‘You’re still a little warm,’ she spoke as my lips
met her erect nipple. She was probably feeling the heat from my forehead on her
skin. I knew I was still warm and didn’t feel the greatest, but this wasn’t
really about me. I wasn’t going to tell her that of course. I kind of wanted to
reward her for being there and taking care of me. I was a little taken aback by
it. She didn’t have to do that.

I pulled her over my lap and rubbed her ass. She tensed,
waiting for the blow of my hand. I didn’t hit her. I brushed my hands over her
soft ass for a bit and then moved my fingers between her legs.

‘Do you want to come?’ I asked, dipping my middle
finger deep in her already wet pussy.

‘Yes,’ she answered with the only answer she was
allowed to use, knowing I really wasn’t going to let her. I was though. I
wanted to make her come. I guess it was the only way I knew how to say thanks
without really saying it.

‘Roll over,’ I told Morgan.”

“You were nice to me that night,” I interrupted
again, remembering. You took care of me, but didn’t ask for anything in return.

“I took care of you because you took care of me. I
wanted you to know that I appreciated you,” he said as he looked to me and then
to Deidra.

“You did?”

“Yes, love. I did. I didn’t know how else to show
you then.”

My lips curved up in a heartfelt smile. I felt loved.
That was one of the good nights with Drew. He used his fingers with his head on
his pillow too weak to lift it, and then held me close to his fevered chest as
he slept, sick as a dog. Maybe I was falling for him back then too. Nah, not
really. I still hated him most the time.  

***

“We’re okay, right?” Drew asked, holding me tight.
He didn’t want to leave after our session. I’m not sure if he was feeling
insecure or he was afraid I was. I was feeling insecure. I hated Thursdays as
much as I loved them.

“Yes. We’re fine. Get out of here before I don’t let
you go.”

“Do you want me to stay? I can send Celeste and do a
video conference,” Drew offered. As good as that sounded, I wasn’t going to let
him do that.

Standing on the tips of my toes, I kissed him. “Get
out of here before I take you up on that. I love you. Call me later.”

“But it’s Nicky’s birthday. I should stay,” Drew
replied, trying to talk himself out of going as much as he was fighting to make
himself go.

“Nicky, doesn’t know that. He’s going to think his
birthday is Saturday when we have his party and he sees those pictures of his
daddy holding him while we sing happy birthday. Go get Celeste, and go to
work.”

“I love you, Morgan. I love you more than anything
on this earth and no matter what I say or do, nothing is going to change that.
Please don’t give up on us.”

“Drew,” I said, pulling back, looking up to him,
bewildered. “Are you afraid I’m going to leave you?” Okay, I knew he was
feeling uncertain, but I didn’t realize the extent of his insecurity.

“I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”

“I’m not going anywhere—ever.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, now go to work,” I ordered, needing him to go
before I begged him to stay.

“I’ll call you after the meeting,” Drew promised,
kissed me on the head, and left.

I played with Nicky for a while and then laid him
down for a nap. What was I supposed to do for two days? I should have told my
mom to come a couple days early.

“What are you doing?” I asked, calling Alicia.

“Meeting Deidra for supper and a movie. Want to
come?”

“I don’t think Drew will let me.”

“Oh, my god, Morgan. Stop letting that man run your
life. You can have a girl’s night without asking Drew’s permission.”