“Again, I’m not looking to date, and besides, I’ve given up on men. I think if I got back in the dating game, I’d play for my team.”
“Well, you’re going to have to do something, because it sounds like either way, one of you is going to be miserable.”
“I don’t think I’d be miserable; I just don’t want to go.”
Rohan sighed. He really wished that she had gone to his brother with this problem. At the very least, he wished she hadmore female friends she could talk to about things like this. Not that he minded talking to his mother about her problems, but sometimes it was very clear to him that she needed another female perspective on it. He’d thought about signing her up for one of those friend apps he’d seen popping up left and right, but decided against it.
“Maybe if I stay here and wait until after work tomorrow to go home, he’ll have forgotten about it.”
“Really, Mom?” he questioned, causing her to shrug as she placed more popcorn into her mouth. “That would just be putting off the inevitable. Go over to his house and tell him that your agreeing to go out with him was a misunderstanding and that you aren’t ready to date. Hell, you can even tell him you’re a lesbian if you want to.”
His mother swallowed as she nodded. “Yeah, that actually may work. I mean, he knows I have children, but it’s never too late to declare your love of—”
“Vagina?” Rohan questioned, cutting her off with a smirk.
It was now his mother’s turn to roll her eyes. “I was going to say, women. Because who doesn’t love women?”
He watched his mother finish his popcorn, placing the empty bowl back on the table. She leaned in and kissed his cheek before standing and heading out of his living room.
“Good talk, son,” she threw over her shoulder, and a few seconds later, he heard the front door open and close.
Shaking his head, he grabbed the empty bowl and went into the kitchen. He made more popcorn before heading back into the living room to finish his movie; he made himself a mental note to call his brother and tell him that the next time their mother had what she called a crisis, it would be his turn to handle it.
10
“Hello, beautiful.”
Jalen turned from placing the charts, which she had just finished inputting into the computer away, to find Rohan standing at the nurse’s station. She smiled and walked over to the counter that divided them.
“Hey. What are you doing here?”
“Well, you told me you forgot your dinner at home, and I figured you didn’t want vending machine food. So,” he started, holding up a bag. “I brought it to you.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I’m sure you have to be up early tomorrow.”
It was currently Jalen’s turn to work the night shift. When that happened, she would typically get home at six in the morning, which gave her enough time to prepare her sisters for their day and take them to school. On the one day that she had class the next morning after working a night shift, she would go to it and then sleep afterward. Later, she would get up to do homework or pick up her sisters.
“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to. Besides, my first meeting tomorrow isn’t until ten.”
“It’s almost one in the morning,” Jalen told her, placing her hands on her hips. “You need to get your rest to be productive.”
Rohan chuckled at her. “Don’t lecture your elders.”
She rolled her eyes playfully at him. “Fine. I go on break in about five minutes if you have time to stick around. We can eat together.”
“I always have time for you,” he responded with a wink.
She laughed, shaking her head at his playfulness as he went to one of the many vacant seats in the waiting area.
Five minutes ticked by pretty quickly, and Jalen informed the head nurse on duty that she was going to take her break. She went over to Rohan, and the two of them headed to the cafeteria. While it was closed for purchasing food. Staff members could still use it to eat.
Jalen tapped her badge against the sensor, allowing them access. There were only a few other people inside. They chose a secluded corner so they wouldn’t be disturbed and, in return, wouldn’t disturb the others who were there.
Rohan pulled her seat out for her before sitting beside her, and for the first time, Jalen smelled the aroma coming from the bag. It was honestly mouthwatering, and she was glad she wouldn’t be having vending machine food. Granted, she could have left and gotten food, but everything but fast food was closed at this hour, or it was just too far out of the way to go.
“Whatever that is, it smells fantastic,” she told him.
“I’ve been told it tastes even better than it smells.”
