Femme Tales Read online

  Ebony closed the refrigerator door and leaned heavily against it. “How’d you know?”

  “I came home and saw Mama Ellis’s door open and heard voices. I figured you guys were still having dinner, but when I walked in I realized the voices were coming from the guest room and it was obviously not something I wanted to interrupt,” she said.

  “Why would you do something like that? I thought you were past all of that bullshit, the fights and the promiscuous sex. I would’ve at least thought you learned your lesson after the last time you did something like this with the interior designer for your apartment. It almost got you sued for sexual harassment. You could’ve at least given her time to get Mama Ellis on the road to recovery before you screwed it up by seducing her.”

  Ebony stood quietly, her head lowered. Confronted with Sheree’s angry and confused expression she couldn’t find the words to explain what happened. She had no idea how things got out of hand so quickly with Belinda. She simply shrugged and lowered her head again, too ashamed to meet Sheree’s eyes.

  Sheree grabbed her wine glass and the expensive bottle of wine she’d taken from Ebony’s stash, and stood to leave. “You better fix this by the time we bring Mama Ellis home tomorrow afternoon, Eb. I’ve spoken to some of Belinda’s past clients and they have nothing but high praise for her. I think Belinda is one of the best home care nurses available so you need to figure out how to make this work, for Mama Ellis’s sake,” she said before walking out of the apartment.

  * * *

  The next morning, Belinda woke early relieved to find herself alone in bed. She wasn’t sure how she was going to face Ebony after what happened last night, and she needed time to gather her thoughts before she did. She did know one thing, if she was going to continue to work for this family what happened last night could absolutely not happen again, no matter how mind-blowing it was, and there was no question about that, it was definitely mind-blowing. Belinda blushed at the memory of how uninhibited she had been. Her past lovers wouldn’t recognize the passionate, multi-orgasmic woman she had been with Ebony. Hell, she barely recognized herself while it was happening. Just thinking about Ebony’s hands and tongue on and in her brought an aching throb between her legs that almost had her moaning with need. Belinda squeezed her thighs together until the feeling passed, and with a shuddering sigh of relief, forced herself to get out of bed to prepare herself for the repercussions of last night.

  After a quick shower, she put on one of her nursing uniforms, a pair of hot pink scrub pants and a black leopard scrub top with hot pink embroidered trim. She didn’t think wearing street clothes was appropriate but also hated the sterile look of a traditional nurse’s uniform and scrubs so when she discovered Heartsoul’s nontraditional and colorful scrubs, she was hooked. She believed it helped ease her patients’ discomfort when she looked less like a strict, serious nurse. Once Belinda was dressed, she twisted and wound her locs into a secure bun at the nape of her neck, trying not to think of the hunger in Ebony’s eyes when she’d lain down and spread her locs out the way Ebony had requested. Finally, after taking a deep, cleansing breath, she left the bedroom to tackle cleaning the kitchen since they never managed to finish it last night.

  To her surprise, it was spotless, as if some magical fairy had erased any sign of their dinner. Belinda didn’t need to wonder who that fairy had been because she couldn’t imagine as compulsive as Ebony was that she would leave the kitchen a mess. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the apartment door. She knew it could only be one of two people, and her heart beat frantically in her chest at the thought of it being Ebony. She walked to the door and could tell through the sheer curtains that it was Sheree. She tried not to look disappointed as she opened the door.

  “Good morning! I’ve come bearing gifts,” Sheree said as she held up a bag with the wonderful aroma of baked goods and a cup holder with two coffee cups.

  Sheree’s warm personality was contagious, and Belinda couldn’t help but smile as well. “Good morning. C’mon in.” She stepped aside to let Sheree in.

  Sheree headed toward the kitchen counter. “I remembered from our conversation yesterday that you like green tea instead of coffee in the morning so I picked some up along with some muffins and bagels fresh from the bakery oven.”

  “Thank you. You didn’t have to go to all that trouble,” Belinda said as she grabbed a couple of plates from the cabinet.

  “It was no trouble at all. I usually stop and pick up coffee and bagels a couple of times a week on my way back from my morning run,” Sheree explained.

  “Is there anything you need for Mama Ellis’s return?” she asked.

  “No, I think I’m covered. You and Ebony have been very thorough in getting the equipment I need. Dr. Jansen gave me her records yesterday and, based on the dietician’s recommendations, I’ve set up a weekly delivery of her meals for the first month so that we can focus on her physical recovery,” Belinda explained.

  “Okay. Ebony will also have her cleaning service coming in twice a week so you won’t have to worry about that. I’m sure you could tell by her apartment that they’re very thorough,” Sheree said.

  “She is definitely neat.”

  “Neat is an understatement.”

  They were both laughing when Ebony walked in. “Am I interrupting?”

  “No, we’re just having a little breakfast. I brought you a bran muffin,” Sheree said.

  Ebony strolled over to the counter and sat on one of the stools beside her sister. “G’morning,” she greeted Belinda cautiously.

  “Good morning. I noticed orange juice in the fridge yesterday. Would you like a glass?” she asked.

  Ebony’s brow furrowed worriedly. “Uh, yeah, thanks.”

  Sheree and Ebony watched Belinda casually take a glass from the cabinet, fill it with orange juice, and slide it across the counter to Ebony.

  “What time should I expect you all back with Miss Ellis?” Belinda asked Sheree as she casually sipped her tea.

  “We should be home by three p.m. I went to visit her yesterday while I was out and told her all about you, which, from what she told me, there was no need to. I guess having your father for her doctor gave her the advantage of having the down-low on you before we did.”

  Belinda blushed. “My father is very talkative.”

  “And very proud of his daughter. You already have Mama Ellis’s approval without even having met her so I guess you’re here to stay, isn’t that right Ebony?” Sheree said.

  Ebony frowned at Sheree. “What made you think she wouldn’t stay?”

  “You two didn’t seem to get along very well when Belinda first arrived so I was worried your curmudgeon ways would scare her off,” Sheree said.

  Ebony’s and Belinda’s gaze met across the counter.

  “I think we all want the same thing and that’s to help Miss Ellis make a full recovery. Whatever…feelings…or dislikes we have for each other will have to be put aside in order for that to happen,” Belinda said, hoping Ebony understood and agreed with her.

  Ebony’s gaze narrowed angrily as it held Belinda’s. Belinda forced herself not to turn away. She had to make Ebony believe that last night meant nothing but a casual fling to her, in spite of the fact that her body’s reaction the moment Ebony walked into the apartment said otherwise.

  After a tense moment, Ebony pushed her untouched muffin and orange juice away and stood. “I’ve got some things to take care of before we go to the hospital. I’ll see you later,” she said then turned and left the apartment.

  * * *

  Ebony looked at her computer screen where she had Belinda’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages open feeling like a stalker. Since she wasn’t a “Friend” or “Follower” she wasn’t able to obtain much information. She learned that Belinda was single, well educated, had less than one hundred friends, three of which she and Ebony had in common—Sheree, one of Ebony’s former lovers, and one of Ebony’s closest friends, Chayse Carmichael. She
picked up her phone, texted Sheree that she’d meet her at the hospital, grabbed a baseball cap and sunglasses, and then left the apartment. Ebony arrived at her destination twenty minutes later, Chayse’s Place, a soul food restaurant in Harlem.

  Ebony was greeted by the tall, leggy, redhead who manned the hostess stand. “Hey, Ebony! It’s been a while,” she said.

  “Hey, Raquel, is Chayse in yet?” she asked.

  “Yes, she’s in the kitchen.” Raquel waved over one of the waiters.

  “Please go in the kitchen and let Chayse know she has a visitor,” she told him then turned her attention back to Ebony. “I’m still waiting for that call.”

  “I’ve got a lot going on right now so I’m not really socializing at the moment,” Ebony said, not really in the mood for Raquel’s not-so-subtle flirting.

  “You do look a little stressed. You know, I’m a licensed massage therapist. Why don’t I come by later after my shift and help you relax.” Raquel ran her fingers up Ebony’s arm.

  “Raquel, now you know Ebony isn’t into vanilla no matter how tempting it is.”

  Ebony felt a sense of relief at Chayse’s arrival. She’d turned down Raquel too many times to count, but the woman was determined to get into Ebony’s bed.

  “Can’t blame a girl for trying,” she said.

  Chayse chuckled. “You gotta give her an A for persistence,” she said, then turned and gave Ebony a grip and hug. “What’s up, man, how’s Mama Ellis doing?”

  “She’s doing much better. She’s coming home today and is already asking when we can come here for Sunday brunch,” Ebony said.

  “You know she’s always got a table waiting for her. When you get a chance email me her dietary needs while she’s recovering and I’ll whip up something and bring it by this weekend.”

  “I appreciate that, man. She’ll love that,” Ebony said.

  “So, what’s up? The workaholic you are, you obviously didn’t stop by in the middle of the afternoon just to catch up,” Chayse said knowingly.

  Ebony looked down in embarrassment. “You got a few minutes?” she asked.

  “Yeah, always for you. Why don’t we sit out on the patio,” Chayse suggested.

  Ebony followed her through the restaurant to open sliding glass doors that led out to a small outdoor seating area. Once they were settled Ebony jumped right into what she had to say before she changed her mind.

  “So we hired this home care nurse for Mama Ellis, and Sheree noticed you two were friends on Facebook so I just wanted to get some info about her, you know, to make sure we made the right decision in hiring her,” Ebony said, instantly feeling guilty for adding Sheree’s name to the lie.

  “Who is she?” Chayse asked.

  “Belinda Jansen.”

  “Belinda Jansen? Yeah, I know Belinda. We go way back.”

  “Really?” Ebony had to fight off the sudden rush of jealousy at the look on Chayse’s face when she mentioned Belinda’s name.

  “No, man, it’s not like that. We went to high school together, and I won’t lie, I did have one of those school girl crushes for her, but she wasn’t out at that time. After high school I didn’t see her again until three years ago when she started volunteering with the same AIDS support group I provide weekly meals for. We’ve been good friends ever since,” Chayse explained.

  “You never tried to push up on her all this time?” Ebony asked.

  “No. Unlike you, I don’t need to seduce every sista that smiles at me,” Chayse said jokingly. “All kidding aside, you couldn’t have chosen a better caretaker for Mama Ellis. Not only is Belinda great at what she does, but she’s also a wonderful, caring person. You already know what a great doctor her father is, and I’m sure he’s the one who recommended her so what could I possibly tell you that he, or any of her previous clients, haven’t told you already?”

  “She’s going to be living in my house five days a week. I just want to make sure she isn’t going to rob me blind while we’re at work or something,” Ebony said.

  Chayse had a way of looking at people as if she could see all the things you weren’t telling her and she was giving Ebony that look right now.

  “What’s going on, Ebony? You and I both know you and Sheree have probably already gone through Belinda’s references with a fine-tooth comb, especially after the interior designer incident, so why are you really asking about her?”

  Ebony looked down, picking nervously at the edge of the tablecloth. She and Chayse had been friends since early in Ebony’s career when her producer introduced them at a party. Ebony had been the one to loan Chayse the money to start her restaurant. She was the closest thing to a best friend Ebony ever had and probably knew more about her than anybody, including Sheree and Mama Ellis, but for some reason she was embarrassed to admit she might be falling for a woman she’d only met a few days ago. Ebony “The Beast” Trent had a reputation of being a womanizer; she didn’t develop feelings. She barely spent more than a few weeks with one woman making sure they knew from day one that all she was looking for was a good time, nothing more, so they didn’t get attached. For Belinda to have such a strong physical and emotional effect on her so quickly was scary, and Ebony never admitted being scared of anything. She wasn’t going to start now.

  “I was just curious.” She slid her chair back to stand. “Thanks for the info. I’ll send you Mama Ellis’s dietary instructions when we get home from the hospital.”

  They walked back through the restaurant in companionable silence until they reached the entrance.

  “You know you can call me if you need to talk,” Chayse said.

  “I know,” Ebony said before walking out.

  * * *

  Belinda finished arranging the flowers, balloons, and “Welcome Home” sign Sheree had dropped off before she left for the hospital and began preparing a light meal for everyone. Cooking was relaxing for her, and she’d been a bundle of nerves after the look Ebony gave her before she left this morning. It was the same look of hungry desire she’d given her last night, and it took all Belinda had not to melt into a puddle of mush in front of Sheree. An hour later, she was feeling more in control of herself after making broiled salmon, grilled garlic and herb chicken, a spinach salad, a fresh fruit platter, and a pitcher of water with lemon and lime slices, all prepared with Miss Ellis’s diet restrictions in mind. Just as she laid everything out buffet style on the kitchen island, she heard voices outside. She walked out and opened the door just in time to hear Mama Ellis fussing at Ebony who was attempting to pick her up.

  “I’m not an old cripple yet. It may take me a while, but I can walk up the stairs by my own self!” She swatted Ebony away from her and grabbed the railing with one hand and her cane with the other to maneuver up the first stair.

  Ebony looked on worriedly, then noticed Belinda watching them from the top of the stairs. “What? You just gonna watch her fall and not do anything?”

  Belinda knew Ebony wasn’t intentionally trying to be nasty, but it still annoyed her just the same. She walked down the stairs to stand beside Mama Ellis who’d stopped on the second stair to catch her breath.

  “Hello, Miss Ellis, I’m Belinda. Do you feel strong enough to manage the stairs alone or would you prefer someone helping you?”

  “Child, I’ve been laid up in a bed for weeks, I’m barely strong enough to lift a finger, but I’m not gonna let that keep me from doing what I need to do.”

  Belinda smiled, liking her patient already. “Well, how about we compromise then. Why don’t you take my hand and we’ll do one step at a time at a slow and steady pace. That way you’ll have accomplished your goal by not being carried up, and Ebony won’t have to fire me.”

  Mama Ellis grinned then looked back at Ebony scowling up at them and Sheree smirking. “I like her,” she said, then turned back to Belinda, handed her the cane she was using, then took her hand. “Let’s do this. You two might as well go in. This is gonna take a while.”

  “I made something to e
at for everyone if you’d like to wait for us in Miss Ellis’s apartment,” Belinda said over her shoulder then turned her focus to helping Mama Ellis.

  Ebony opened her mouth to say something but was halted by Sheree. “Not everything has to be a fight, Eb. Mama Ellis told us to go in and wait so why don’t we just do that.”

  Ebony turned her scowl on her sister who shrugged, grabbed Mama Ellis’s bag, and left her standing in the middle of the sidewalk. She watched Belinda and Mama Ellis halt halfway up the stairs, then stalked angrily past them into the house. She paced back and forth in the middle of the living room, glancing toward the door every minute of the five it took Belinda and Mama Ellis to walk into the foyer. Seeing the tired and relieved smile on Mama Ellis’s face, it took true restraint for Ebony not to run up to them and snatch Mama Ellis in her arms and carry her into her bedroom to rest.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  Mama Ellis waved her hand dismissively. “I’m fine, Eb. Now, stop worrying so much or you’ll be the one in the hospital soon. Something sure smells good.”

  “It’s this salmon Belinda made, Mama Ellis. It’s bangin’!” Sheree said, sitting at the counter with a half-finished plate of food in front of her.

  “Why don’t you sit down, Miss Ellis, and I’ll make you a plate.” Belinda led her to the chair beside Sheree.

  “Thank you, honey, and call me Mama Ellis.” She patted Belinda’s hand affectionately.

  Ebony stared at the three of them as if they’d lost their minds as they chatted and laughed like it was just a normal day in the neighborhood. She didn’t know what was pissing her off more, the fact that they were completely ignoring her or that they weren’t taking any of the situation seriously.

  “So you all are just gonna sit there like nothing is wrong? Like Mama Ellis didn’t almost die? Am I the only one who hasn’t lost their damn mind!” she said angrily.

  “Well, since I didn’t die and there’s nothing wrong with me that Dr. Jansen and this talented nurse you hired can’t help me recover from, then yes, we are just going to sit here enjoying each other’s company and this delicious meal that was prepared for us, because judging from the welcome home sign, balloons, and flowers, this is supposed to be a party. Now you can grab a plate and join us or you can go upstairs and wallow in whatever funky mood you seem to be in.” Mama Ellis scooped a spoonful of strawberries onto her plate.