The bittersweet memory of Ash’s mouth on his cock, that wicked flickering tongue sliding down his hard length, confused him as always. The sharp pain of hurt, of a friendship gone as quickly as it arose, mixed together with his never before imagined desire for a man. “Nana. Trust me when I say he knows how to show it. He cares for Stevie, the young man in the clinic we’re all trying to help. I didn’t give up on Ash; he gave up on me, on our friendship.”
He stood and took both their now empty coffee cups to the sink. “Why don’t you let me take you out for dinner?” At her hesitation, Drew sat next to her and hugged her.
“Come on. I’ll buy you a nice corned beef sandwich and a big pickle.”
She sniffed, but her eyes twinkled. “You think you know me so well.” As they passed through the front door and he locked it for her, she said, “I may get pastrami this time.”
He grinned and took her hand as they walked to his car.
* * * *
At seven at night on Thursday, he and Shelly sat in the coffee shop around the corner from his apartment in Brooklyn Heights. He’d wanted to meet in his apartment, but she couldn’t stay long so they were having a quick date.
Every day this past week he’d planned on calling her, to set up a time to get together and have a talk. The talk that would more than likely end their relationship. Without a doubt he couldn’t continue to see her; he didn’t feel right leading her on, letting her believe they had a relationship when he knew he’d never fall in love with her. Hell, he thought she’d get the hint when he told her it was too soon for them to have sex.
They’d sat at the table for only a moment when his phone rang. He looked at the screen but, not recognizing the number, didn’t bother to answer it. The coolness of the iced latte quenched the dryness in his throat. Ever since his conversation with his grandmother, guilt ate away at him. He knew he should break it off with Shelly, but something always managed to prevent them from having “that talk.”
Drew sipped his coffee. “How’s your week going? You’ve been busy, huh?” An incoming text buzzed, but he ignored it as well. Why couldn’t people leave him alone? “You’re looking tired.”
As a menswear buyer for one of the major department stores, Shelly had explained to him how she was responsible for what clothing he saw in the stores. It was all Greek to him, since he cared very little about fashion.
She nodded. “They’re running us ragged planning the Christmas season sales already. I have to work late all this weekend, so we won’t really get a chance to see each other.”
“That’s okay. You have to do what’s best for work.”
She shot him a strange look but didn’t say anything and drank her coffee.
His phone rang again, this time with Rachel’s familiar tune. “I’m sorry, Shelly. I have to take this. It’s Rachel.
“Hey, sweetie, wh—”
“Drew, where are you? Why aren’t you answering your phone?” Her voice, normally so cheerful, sounded strained and on the verge of tears.
“What’s wrong?” His heart bottomed down to his stomach.
“It’s Nana. She’s in the hospital.” In the background he heard Mike’s voice; then his friend came on the phone.
“Drew. Get over to Methodist Hospital right now. We’re in emergency.”
He shoved the phone in his pocket and stood so abruptly his chair overturned. Shelly’s alarmed voice seemed to come from a great distance.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s my grandmother.”God please, please don’t let anything happen to her. “She’s in the hospital. I have to go.” He took off, not paying attention if she followed him or not. But she was there as he raced to his car and flung the door open. Without a word, she jumped in the front seat next to him and they took off.
Fortunately the hospital was less than ten minutes away. He parked in the doctors’ parking, threw his parking permit on the windshield, and jumped out of the car. The emergency room was its usual chaotic morass of patients waiting to be seen—EMS personnel, doctors, nurses, and technicians. Within moments he spotted Rachel and Mike.
“What happened?”
Rachel flung herself into his arms, sobbing. “I don’t know. It’s her heart, they said. I called and called her house, but no one answered, so I then called Mrs. Delaney. She went over, and the front door was wide open. She called the police, then me.”
Mike picked up the story as Drew continued to hold Rachel. “Keith was in Brooklyn investigating a case and said he tried to get you when he heard the call come in. He recognized your grandmother’s address.”
“I wasn’t picking up my phone. Shit.” He swore so loud, several people across the room stopped talking and stared. He didn’t give a damn. “Let me see what I can find out.”
He left Shelly with them and entered the emergency room triage area. They recognized him, as he had admitting privileges in the hospital, and one of the nurses pointed him to the curtained-off area where they said his grandmother was. There were several doctors there already, and he approached the one he recognized.
“Rob, what can you tell me?” Dr. Robert Porter was a cardiologist and one of the best. Drew’s heart rate steadied, knowing his grandmother was getting the finest care she possibly could. “She’s my grandmother.”
