Boss Me (5 page)

I hang up and look over at my own son standing next to me, scouting the concessions menu.
See, I can be nice.

“Did you decide what you want?” I ask Zach as I switch my phone to silent and drop it back down into my purse.

“Yeah! I want the large popcorn with extra butter, Twizzlers, and a jumbo Coke,” Zach exclaims as I see the sugar practically float in his eyes.

“We’ll split a small popcorn and the Twizzlers, and you can have a small Sprite or root beer,” I negotiate.

Fine,” he mumbles quietly as I order our snacks.

Loaded up with enough salt and sugar to satisfy a small country, we head into theater number four to watch the latest zombie apocalypse movie. I have an iron stomach, but the thought of spending two hours with my son watching people get eaten by zombies doesn’t exactly rate high on my fun list. But I know Zach can handle it. He’s been reading sci-fi books since he was old enough to pick up chapter books, and watching some nighttime drama about the apocalypse for two seasons now. The kid loves it, and if suffering through the gory film is what I need to do to spend some one-on-one time with him, then I’m all in.

We find a set of seats in the middle of the half empty theater and settle in for the movie. “So, that phone call? It was about work. The wife of one of my employees is having a baby so he needs some time off,” I say as I pop a few kernels of warm, buttery popcorn into my mouth.

“Yeah?” Zach says through a mouth full of popcorn.

“Yeah. The problem I have is that right now, I don’t have enough workers to cover that shift. I might need to work a few of his days. The first one would be this Sunday,” I say and watch his reaction. I haven’t worked a weekend since we moved to Rivers Edge.

“That’s cool,” he shrugs and dips his hand back in the popcorn tub.

“I was thinking that I could call Abby and see if she is available to come over and hang out with you,” I offer. Heaven knows I can’t say the word
babysitter
. He’d freak out and insist that he doesn’t need one, and he technically doesn’t. I just worry about him.

“I don’t need Abby to come over and watch me, Mom. I can handle it by myself for one day. I promise,” he says with big, brown, hopeful eyes.

“I don’t know, Zach. It’s a twelve-hour shift,” I start, but he immediately cuts me off.

“Just try it one time. If I don’t behave or if I have trouble, then you can call Abby to come over and hang out with me.”

It only takes me a matter of seconds before I know what I need to do. I need to trust him and give him this chance. “Okay. Sunday you can stay home by yourself. I have to go in early, before you get up, so I want you to call me as soon as you wake up. And I’m going to check on you throughout the day, too,” I concede.

“I’m sure you will call me all day long,” he replies with a big greasy smile.

I reach over and fluff his shaggy, brown hair just as the lights dim. The screen comes to life, giving us a sneak peek of a wide range of upcoming flicks. I pull off a licorice stick and shove it in my mouth. Maybe if I concentrate on chewing, I’ll be able to stomach the next two hours. Perhaps I should think about work. Surely, if I mentally plan out every detail of each day through next Wednesday, I’ll forget about the invasion on the screen.

As the movie starts and the first bite takes place, I glance over at my son. Zach is sitting there, wide-eyed and full of excitement, absently inhaling kernel after kernel of fluffy popcorn. He’s growing up so fast. I just pray we’ve finally settled into a solid, stable routine and that the hurdles are in the past.

As I watch a female zombie devour her husband, I can’t help the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that even the events of our past, those we work hard to bury deep down in the dark recesses of our mind, always seem to rear their ugly heads.

I just pray to God we’re strong enough to withstand it when it happens.

Chapter Three

Will

I’m walking up the wide sidewalk towards the emergency room, carrying a large travel mug of strong black coffee, when I run into Carmen coming from the opposite direction. She’s wearing an identical navy uniform to the one that I am wearing, carrying a large cup of steaming coffee. To say I’m surprised is an understatement.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, trying hard to keep my annoyance out of my voice. By the way she winces at my question, I guess I did a horrible job. “Sorry. Let me rephrase. To what do I owe this visit from the boss,” I say, taking a big gulp of my coffee.

“I’m working with you for the day,” she replies with a cool, yet pleasant look.

“Seriously?” I reply wide-eyed, again without filtering my words, almost spilling the coffee in my hand.

“Yes, seriously,” she chuckles. She actually chuckles. Her entire face lights up by that one simple action. The hard lines of her eyes disappear and little wrinkles appear around her upturned lips. Little puffs of warm breath mixing with the bitter cold temperature draws my attention directly to her lush mouth. “I do actually hold certifications, William. I have maintained enough hours and continuing education to work the field.”

We enter the sliding glass doors side by side and make our way to the small employee lounge adjacent to the emergency room. I remove my coat and grab the few pieces of gear I carry with me while at work, from my personal locker. Carmen doesn’t have a locker since she has an office, so she grabs one of the empty ones at the end of the row. 

Once her coat is stuffed inside, I get my first glimpse of the fierce woman with whom I’m going to be working very closely with today. Today, she looks less harsh. Today, she looks human. Her brown hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail at the nape of her neck. The navy blue pants stretch nicely over her firm, heart-shaped ass. Long legs extend to eternity making her five foot eight body appear even taller. Her white button down shirt is tucked tightly into the top of her pants, pulled firmly over her round tits. I can tell she’s wearing extra layers for warmth underneath her uniform, but it doesn’t make her look boxy or thick. Oh, no. In fact, it makes her that much more fucking enticing and my fingers itch to discover what assets are hiding within.

Carmen turns around quickly, and I don’t have time to avert my eyes. Yeah, my boss just busted me checking out her ass. Awesome.

“Ready?” she asks with the slightest raise of the corner of her mouth. Carmen reaches back into her coat pocket and removes a pair of earmuffs and a stethoscope. I grab my stocking cap, stethoscope, and identification then shut my locker. Carlos and Darin, the guys manning the other rig today, stroll into the employee lounge as Carmen and I are heading out. They manage a brief greeting to the boss, but give me a horrified look as soon as she’s out the door. A look that conveys their pity and dismay.

I give the guys a nod, grab my coffee, and head out the door after her. I catch up with Carmen in the main corridor of the emergency department, where a handful of nurses and a doctor are standing around, sharing stories of their evening activities. The day shift starts in fifteen minutes and the changeover will soon be getting underway, however no matter my start time, I’m always early. I’ve always been the first one on shift. I prefer to double check the restock of the rig myself, making sure that everything is in its place and ready to go.

As soon as changeover is complete, Carmen and I head out to the awaiting ambulance. “You driving or am I?” I ask before assuming what this woman will do.

“You drive,” she replies and hops into the passenger seat. The polyester material of her uniform pants stretches tautly over that beautiful ass of hers.

Damn.

As soon as I jump in the driver’s seat, I smell her, and it’s like fucking heaven. She’s not sweet or overly perfumed like so many other women I know. No, Carmen is musky with a hint of lavender. Her scent wraps around me like a warm blanket, choking the air out of my suddenly dry throat. Her entire being is teasing my senses in the most intoxicating way. And for some shameful reason, my pants are suddenly two sizes too small.

I pull my focus off of the woman sitting next to me as I steer the ambulance out of the bay and onto the street. The hospital is nestled on a quiet street close to the heart of town and is easily accessible from any direction.

Our first stop is the local gas station. We fill up the rig every morning, no matter what the gauge reads. It’s the best way to ensure that someone isn’t caught somewhere without fuel. It’s also a great time to fill up your morning coffee cup or grab something sweet. You never know when the next time you’ll be able to stop will be.

Carmen grabs my cup just as she hops out of the ambulance before I can even say anything. She hustles inside, shoulders hunched against the wind, while I go about loading up our ride with gasoline. I’m just topping off the tank when she returns carrying refills of both of our travel mugs, plus a bag with two bottles of water in it.

I hurry inside to finish the transaction for the gas. When I get inside and head towards the back coolers, I realize that Carmen has thrown off my morning routine. She’s already grabbed a bottle of water for me. I almost don’t know what to do with myself. After standing in the middle of the aisle like an idiot for a few seconds, I head up to the counter to sign the charge slip.

When I slip back inside the warm ambulance, Carmen is sipping her fresh coffee. “Everything okay?” she asks while I stare straight ahead.

“Yeah,” I reply, clearing my throat.

“I refilled your coffee and grabbed you a bottle of water. I wasn’t sure what you like to drink so I went with the safe bet,” she offers.

“Thanks,” I croak out over my dry throat.

The rest of the morning progresses somewhat quickly with a couple of calls. Carmen has taken two phone calls, but always has me pull over and excuses herself to step outside and take the calls in private. I’d be a liar if I said my curiosity wasn’t peeked. I can’t help but wonder who is calling her. She doesn’t wear a wedding band so it’s assumed that she’s not married. The running joke at work is that there isn’t a man out there willing to put up with her on a permanent basis.

It’s just after lunchtime when we finally decide to hit the local diner. We park the idling ambulance on the street out front and step inside for a quick bite. The diner is known for quick, delicious food, but they always make sure to provide speedy service to us when we arrive. You never know when your next call is going to be.

“Hey, sugar,” Jane says as we slide into an open booth. “Ice tea?” she asks as she deposits clean silverware and ice water in front of Carmen and me.

“Yes, please,” I reply.

“And what about you, dear?” Jane asks, turning her attention to my lunch companion.

“Ice tea is good. Thank you,” she says.

“Having your usual, Will?” Jane asks before offering Carmen the menu.

“You know it,” I reply as I take a healthy sip of my water.

“I’ll be back with your teas and give you a few minutes to check over the menu,” Jane offers before turning and retreating behind the counter.

“So, what is your usual?” Carmen asks from across the booth.

“Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy.”

“Oh, that sounds good. I’ll get that,” she says as she closes the menu and places it on the edge of the table.

Jane returns moments later with two large glasses of tea. “Have you decided?” she asks.

“Yeah, I’ll have what he’s having,” Carmen says.

“Coming right up,” Jane says, grabbing the menu, and returning to her perch behind the counter.

“She called you sugar,” Carmen says with a hesitant, but friendly smile.

The question takes me completely by surprise since Carmen seems to pride herself on remaining clinical and professional. “She’s a sweetheart. Jane is friends with my mom and has always had some nickname for me and my siblings,” I tell her as I stir just a little sugar into my tea.

“So you have a lot of siblings, then?” she asks curiously, though the look on her face says she’s not entirely comfortable with her own personal inquisition. She looks as comfortable as a hooker in church as she shifts from side to side in her booth seat.

“I have four. I’m the middle child,” I confirm.

“That’s nice,” she says politely.

Silence hangs between us like thick air. Part of me wants to dive into this woman and discover everything I can. Has she always been this cold and impersonal or was it something she developed somewhere along the way following some drastic turning point in her life? Does she come from a large family like my own or did she grow up with a smaller one? Does she prefer to be on top or bottom? Morning or evening?

My eyes widen at the sexual thoughts bouncing around in my brain. Inappropriate thoughts. “So, you’re filling in for Tim. When does he return to work?” I ask, steering the conversation to the only safe topic I can think of. Work.

“Not until the seventeenth. I figured out how to cover three of his five shifts, but I’m afraid I’ll have to work one more,” Carmen says.

“Which one?” I ask, thinking that maybe I could offer to pull a double or something so that someone else doesn’t have to deal with her.

“Day shift on Friday,” she says without looking up from the tea she’s holding.

Ahhhh. Now I see why she didn’t ask me to pull the extra shift. I’m already working that one.

Jane chooses that moment to deliver our plates and top off our glasses of tea. Carmen dives into her hotplate as if she hasn’t eaten all day. I cut a hearty bite of the gravy covered chicken fried steak and am about to take a bite when Carmen’s moan completely throws my world spinning into outer space. I look up, my shocked blue eyes locking solely on her wide brown ones.

“This is the best food I’ve ever had,” she mumbles with a mouthful.

I watch helplessly as she slowly chews, the delicate skin of her throat working to swallow. I clear the frog I suddenly have in my throat. Hell, it’s more like a whole slew of frogs. “Yeah, Jane’s husband, Craig, whips up a mean batch of chicken fried steak.”