Page 10 of Wes
Natalia: Ouch! No!
Wes: I give up!
Natalia: Four-inch candle in glass jar in rectum.
I halt my steps and read her text a few times. A car honks, and I realize I stopped in the middle of the parking lot. I move the last ten feet and reach my car where I toss my bag in the back seat.
Natalia: Big man speechless?
Wes: I’m not sure there’s a correct way to reply. We’ll go with my first response: What the fuck?
Natalia: Ha! I’ve seen quite a bit, but this one was a first.
Wes: How does one have a candle removed from the ass?
Natalia: The patient’s in surgery right now.
Wes: Damn!
Wes: When will I get to see you?
Waiting for her reply, I turn the car on. Blood thuds in my ears and the air around me is thick with nervous tension. I keep telling myself she’s just another woman and I shouldn’t be this desperate to see her again, but it’s not working. What is it about Nurse Natalia?
Natalia: I’m off on Saturday and can meet for coffee. Two o’clock? There’s a place down the street from the mall.
Shit! I have Reece on Saturday, and I do what I can to make every minute count. The thought of him reminds me of our last conversation.
Wes: Hey, bud, what time’s your movie?
Reece: 1:40 p.m.
I exhale. The theater is in the mall, and the timing is perfect. I prefer wining and dining Natalia, but I’ll take what I can get. I send her a text confirming the information and drive off the school property with a huge smile on my face. It might be a small victory, but I’ve lost too many battles in the last few years.
***
My knee jiggles with each passing second. The smell of coffee and quiet conversation surrounds me. I look at my watch for easily the fifth time in thirty seconds. Reece is with his friend, and I’m sitting here at a table for two in the corner, waiting for Natalia to walk through the door.
Will she be as beautiful as I remember? Or are my memories tainted by the pain and fear I felt? At the thought, I adjust myself casually and am relieved there is very minimal discomfort.
A bell on the door rings, and I face the newcomer. The way the sun comes in through the windows, I can’t make out the details but know it’s a woman. A shadow slashes over her features. She moves forward, and my breath lodges.
Natalia.
I’m pleased to say she looks amazing—gorgeous really. She’s not in scrubs today, and her hair falls gently over her shoulders. Her jeans hug her legs nicely, and her shirt molds to her breasts. Forcing my eyes back to her face, I watch the moment her hesitant gaze locks with mine.
I grin, hoping it doesn’t come across as lascivious. My physical response is nothing compared to my excitement to get to know her better, but the woman is breathtaking.
After pushing to my feet, I meet her in two strides. “Natalia…”
“Wes.” My name sounds a bit shaky, but she gives me a shy smile. “Hi.”
“You look beautiful,” I tell her and shove my hands in my pockets so I won’t pull her into me. “I didn’t know what you wanted, so I waited to put in our order.”
We move to the counter side by side. Our shoulders brush, and the zing I feel hits my stomach in a delightful flop of nerves. I know she felt it too when her shoulders stiffen and her head starts to lift before she pauses.
This attraction is not one-sided. I breathe a little more easily at the revelation.
“Can I help—Mr. Wilkins?” the young lady behind the counter smiles with recognition. She is an old student of mine.
