for premature infants.”
And from what Lewis had heard and witnessed first-hand, she did a phenomenal job of it.
“But since her father was totally evil and wouldn’t let her see her baby and refused to tell her where he’d had the baby buried, she started to wonder what if the baby had really survived?”
If the topic of conversation had been fiction rather than fact, Lewis would have smiled at Jessie’s story-telling, wide-eyed and full of intrigue.
“I know it sounds ridiculous.” Scarlet picked up the story. “But what if my dad had my baby transferred to another hospital and arranged for her to be adopted? Which, if you knew my dad, you’d know was something he was fully capable of pulling off, considering he also managed to make all documentation from my hospital stay, including any record of the birth, death, or transfer of my daughter, mysteriously disappear. And he did it without any remorse at all to save himself the embarrassment of having an unwed teenage mother for a daughter.” Anger seeped into her voice and Lewis felt her stiffen beside him.
How horrible to have endured so much trauma at such a young age. He moved his knee to touch hers in a show of support that seemed to relax her.
“Anyway,” Scarlet went on. “If my daughter is in fact alive, she’d be about Jessie’s age. And when we met I told Jessie I’d hope if someone saw my daughter looking as sad and lonely as she did, they’d take the time to talk to her, and try to cheer her up, and see if there was anything they could do to help her.”
“Which is what Scarlet did for me,” Jessie said.
“And I am so glad she did,” Lewis said, turning to Scarlet. “I’m sorry about your daughter, but words cannot express how thankful I am for the kindness you’ve shown to mine.” Scarlet Miller had a true compassionate soul beneath her tough, joking exterior.
“No biggie.” She shrugged off his heartfelt thanks, seeming uncomfortable with the attention. “What do you think happened to our waiter?” She looked down at her menu. “I’m starving.”
He allowed the change of topic, but someday soon, when Jessie wasn’t around, they’d talk more about his appreciation for all she’d done for Jessie and for him. And he kind of looked forward to getting her alone. Scarlet Miller was fast becoming a woman he wanted to get to know much better.
In Macy’s Scarlet said, “If you’ll excuse me and Jessie, I have some shopping to do up in the lingerie department.” She shooed him away. “Go shop for man things. We’ll meet you by women’s shoes in half an hour.”
If there were any way he could have done it without Jessie seeing, and without getting slapped, he would have kissed Scarlet right then and there.
Forty-five minutes later they appeared, Scarlet carrying a Macy’s bag, Jessie empty-handed.
“Did you find what you needed?” he asked. Please say yes.
“Yup,” she held up a bag he hoped contained Jessie’s new undergarments.
“This is for you.” He handed her the biggest box of chocolates he could find in the store. “Thank you for coming with us today.”
“Wow.” Scarlet took the box. “The fat cells in my thighs are vibrating with excitement in anticipation of room to expand.”
“I heard how much you and your staff like chocolate,” he said, referring to the box they’d devoured before it could be redirected to his new clerk.
“That we do.” She smiled. He liked making her smile, liked the way her smiles made him feel. “Thank you, from all of us. But in the future, you don’t need to buy me things to spend time with you and Jess. I had fun today.”
“Me, too.” Jessie hugged Scarlet.
Lewis did, too. In fact today had been the most fun he’d had in months. Even with talk of periods and bras.
When they exited Macy’s Lewis asked Scarlet, “Where are you headed from here? You want to share a cab?”
“Nah.” She held up her Metro card. “I’m going to hop a bus to the hospital. I want to stop by to visit Joey before I head home.”
“Is there a problem?”
She shook her head. “No.”
As Lewis watched Scarlet’s appealing form walk away, he realized he was sorry to see her go. And as he raised his hand to hail a cab his mind went to work on creating a reason to see her again soon.
“FANCY MEETING YOU here,” Lewis greeted Scarlet with a big handsome smile as she exited the elevator on her way to the cafeteria.
“A big coincidence indeed on account of it’s Tuesday and you now know I meet Jessie in the cafeteria on Tuesdays and Thursdays around three,” she replied, not letting her happiness at seeing him show. In an unexpected turn of events, she’d been looking forward to the next time their paths would cross. And hoping it’d be sooner rather than later.
“I walked her over.” He held up a cup of coffee. “Then I waited, hoping to see you.”
How sweet.
“I need a favor,” he said.
Not so sweet after all. She tried to walk around him.
He stepped in front of her. “For Jessie. One more and I’m done,” he promised. “Then I won’t bother you again.”
Well forget about the fun they’d had on Saturday, and the signs of a friendship forming between them—that she’d obviously misinterpreted, and the unwanted stirrings of attraction that were totally his fault. All Lewis Jackson wanted from her was help with his daughter. “Lucky me,” she said. “One more favor and you’ll be done with me. I will have exhausted my usefulness to you, and I didn’t even have to take off my clothes.”
She pushed past him.
“Oh no you don’t.” He draped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her, rather firmly, to the quiet back hallway before releasing her. “What’s wrong?”
Scarlet adjusted her lab coat. “This must be a whopper for you to manhandle me into listening.”
“Why are you mad at me?” he asked, looking truly confused.
Because maybe it’d be nice for a man, one man, any man, to see her as more than a neighbor to get his mail while he’s out of town, or a competent professional nurse managing the NICU, or a resource for parenting his teenage daughter. Maybe it’d be nice to be noticed and appreciated as a woman, someone nice to spend time with and not bad to look at, maybe even a little sexy in the right outfit and dim lighting.
“What did I do?”
“Nothing,” she said. “Stressful day. Overreaction. Let’s move on. What’s the favor?”
“Did you want to take your clothes off?” he asked seriously. “Tell
