Page 9 of Mr. Mistletoe
“What are you doing out here?” he asks.
“I,” I clear my throat. “I, is my mom, okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, well when I went in there, Deacon was unhooking her from the machine and hooking up another drainage bag. Did you know she was sick?” he asks.
I turn to face him, “She’s not sick. Nothing is wrong with my mother,” I say to him.
James’ dark and bushy brows furrow as he looks at me like something is wrong with me. “You can clearly see that something is wrong. I’m not saying go do something about it but you have to face the facts.”
“If my momma says she’s fine then she is. Don’t do that James, I know what you’re doing, and we’ve talked about this, none of that impersonal doctor mumbo jumbo outside of work. We talk to each other like regular human beings, remember? We’re friends and that’s what friends do.”
James smiles and I sigh as he pulls me into his arms. “You’re right, Kimmie.” James is not built like some of these men who get their muscles from working all day. He is on the smaller side but he gives some of the warmest hugs. His warm dark green eyes against his olive-toned skin make him a handsome and attractive person but sometimes I wonder how we even got this far in our friendship if I have to remind him that we don’t have to be doctors all day every day.
I get out of his hold after a bit but when I walk back into the house, momma is nowhere to be found and Deacon is heading out the door. “Where’s momma?” I ask.
“The treatment makes her a little tired, dizzy and a bit confused, so I stick to a schedule for her. She’s sleepin’ it off. She’ll be up in about 4 hours, and you’ll notice how much that sleep gives her strength,” Deacon answers but I can tell this isn’t his normal warm tone.
“Where are you taking those?” I point to the drainage and everything.
“Hospital. Her doc checks everything. Tell her I left but I’ll be back to tend to her garden. I’m busy,” he says and walks out slamming the front door.
“Is he always so…” James starts.
I turn ready to defend Deacon. “Always so what?”
James lifts his hands in surrender. “Forget it, I’m going back to bed, do you need me for anything?”
I shake my head, “I think I’ll go lay down with momma for a bit.”
He nods, kisses the top of my hair and walks off. I sigh following up the stairs and make my way to my momma’s room. Once I’m in there, I don’t bother to turn on the lights and I make my way to her bed. I get under the covers and cuddle her as much as I can. I make sure not to disturb her while she sleeps on her back. “Your fiancée is the exact opposite of Deacon,” she starts. Before I can answer, she continues, “You’re my baby and I love you with all my heart but you missed out on a good man because you were scared.”
“I wasn’t scared, momma,” I answer but she’s knocked out cold. I kiss her cheek and fall asleep.
Deacon
As soon asI got home, I jump on the treadmill. I need to run my anger away before I go into the office. Being the first deputy mayor means I have to have my shit in control or else the damn people of Fairhope won’t take me seriously. Not only that but I can’t reveal who I am to everyone. I need to calm down. I am not an angry god, but sometimes being brought back a second time, doesn’t mean things will be the same way it was the first time.
It took a while for them to really think that someone like me could get my act together but what they didn’t realize was that I don’t mix business with pleasure. Never have and never will. I tried to balance it all; Love, life, happiness, sadness, even work, but sometimes you have to run away from it. I can’t physically leave the country at this moment but the next best thing that I can do right now is run here on this treadmill, in my home gym. I contemplate going to take a run on the beach and a dip in the water after since I know nobody is out there, but I change my mind. I don’t have time to do that. Maybe I’ll just run laps in my pool.
A phone call distracts me from my thoughts, and I pick up from my wireless earphones, “You’re calling too early, Elisabeth.”
Arden snorts loud enough for me to hear her. “Good morning to you, asshole. Anyway, I’m calling on official business matters, first deputy mayor.”
I roll my eyes as I don’t stop running, “What matter could you possibly need to call me at seven AM for?”
“Hiram, we both know that you were taking care of Ms. Faye and you do that routinely at five am. Now, don’t complain about getting a phone call two hours later. It’s tacky.”
I chuckle. “You truly get on my damn nerves. What in the hell do ya wan’?”
“You at the Fairhope-Winters’ Christmas fundraiser gala as Mr. Mistletoe. This is your year, Hiram.”
Ahh, now it clicks, this is what Loki was talking about. “Uh…hell naw. Get your friend Mack to do it, you want me, the person who’s allergic to mistletoes to represent them? That’s the craziest thing you’ve ever asked me.” I need to keep on with the pretense of mistletoes because my allergies were very much extreme since I was born. Almost close to deadly.
Arden groans. “Come on, man, Mack is Mr. Valentine for the Sweetheart Festival in February so he can’t do this one. Come on, jackass, don’t be like this.”
“I’m busy,” I say out of breath at the rate that I’m running. I’m tiring my mortal body at this point. Close to exhausting it on purpose.
“Someone would think you’re fucking while you’re talking to me on the phone but I know that’s impossible cause Kimmie is in town and we all know when she’s around you can’t get it up for anyone else but her,” Arden says.
