Femme Tales Page 9

  “Sometimes that first step is always the hardest to take.”

  Chayse had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t seen the woman who had just spoken sitting on a bench a few feet from her.

  “Excuse me?” Chayse said as her gaze met the other woman’s. She had a short, completely white afro and wore large gold hoop earrings, a black velour hooded top with matching pants, and gold ballet flats.

  The woman grinned. “You’ve been standing there for about five minutes so I thought you might need some encouragement to head on in.”

  Chayse looked away in embarrassment. “That obvious, huh?”

  “She must be pretty special,” the woman said as she stood and walked toward Chayse.

  Chayse looked confused.

  The woman gestured toward the flowers Chayse held. “Orange roses mean you’re fascinated by or desire someone.”

  Chayse had chosen the flowers because the color reminded her of the top Serena had worn the last time she had come to the restaurant.

  “If you want some private time to see my granddaughter, you’d better come along. Once her brothers get here no one will be getting within ten feet of that room without an interrogation,” the older woman said as she hooked her arm through Chayse’s and gently pulled her along.

  “Wait, your granddaughter?” Chayse said in confusion as she allowed the woman to continue leading her toward the visitors’ desk.

  She ignored Chayse and spoke to the woman sitting behind the desk. “May I get a visitor’s pass for Miss Carmichael here? She’s visiting Serena Frazier.”

  “Mrs. Warren?” Chayse said in surprise.

  “That’s me, and you can call me Selah,” Serena’s grandmother answered.

  Chayse laughed. “How did you know who I was?”

  “I googled you after tasting your pie. Serena talked up your cooking skills so much I had to check out my competition.”

  “I’m glad you’re here because I wanted to thank you. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you calling the police and hospital to let them know who Serena was.”

  Chayse paused midstride as they walked toward the elevators, once again surprised by what Selah knew. “How did you know that was me? Are you psychic?” Chayse asked in jest.

  “Hardly. My husband, God rest his soul, was a police officer, and I picked up quite a bit from him on deductive reasoning. When the hospital called me instead of Serena’s parents I knew the only person here that had my contact information was you. Her cousin and roommate, Alex, is from her daddy’s side of the family so she would’ve called him if she’d known what happened. I take it you don’t know Alex.”

  “No. I only know Serena from the restaurant. When I saw the news story about her being attacked and they couldn’t identify her, I assumed she was here without family,” Chayse explained.

  “Alex travels a lot for work. She’s in Europe for a month so she didn’t know what happened until Serena’s daddy called her. We’re all very grateful to you,” Selah said.

  “It’s the least I could’ve done,” Chayse said.

  Selah patted Chayse’s arm affectionately, and they continued their journey to Serena’s floor in companionable silence. As they reached the room, Chayse hesitated outside the door.

  “Has she woken up?” she asked.

  “Not yet, but I have a feeling she will soon,” Selah said confidently. “Fortunately, the doctor says her CAT scan was clear so there’s no serious head trauma from the concussion she suffered.”

  Chayse took a deep breath and slowly released it to relax herself, then pushed the door open. The room was softly lit by a light above Serena’s hospital bed. The only sounds were the soft hum and beep of the machines monitoring her vitals. Chayse slowly walked toward the bed, her heart hammering in her chest. She gazed down at Serena who looked beautifully peaceful in her slumber. As if she would wake up any moment with a stretch and a sleepy smile in greeting. Her thick hair lay in a reddish brown halo framing her face. She looked small and fragile lying tucked in and hooked up to an IV and monitor. When Chayse noticed a fading bruise along the left side of Serena’s face, she felt an overwhelming need to unhook her from everything, carry her out of the hospital, and bring her back to her place to keep her sheltered and protected from any further harm. The need hit her with such ferocity she had to take a step back to keep from actually doing it.

  The door to the room opened, startling Chayse so much she dropped the bouquet of flowers she had forgotten she was holding.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was visiting right now,” said a nurse just as startled to see Chayse standing there. “I just need to change her IV bag. I’ll only be a moment.”

  Chayse knelt to pick up the flowers and place them on the bedside table. “No problem.”

  “She’s lying there so peacefully. Reminds me of Sleeping Beauty,” the nurse said.

  “You seem to be missing a Prince Charming to awaken her with a kiss.”

  “Who says it has to be a prince?” the nurse winked as she walked past Chayse and picked up the flowers. “I’ll put these in some water. Why don’t you have a seat and talk to her? Having loved ones talk to unconscious patients sometimes stimulates their brain and triggers awareness, which can lead to a quicker recovery.”

  Chayse watched the nurse leave with the flowers and wondered if she also knew the meaning of orange roses like Serena’s grandmother. The fact that her grandmother didn’t seem to have an issue with another woman bringing her such flowers more than likely meant that Serena was gay, something Chayse hadn’t been sure of from the few occasions they spoke. She almost laughed out loud at the irony of finding out that piece of information now.

  “I guess this wouldn’t be a good time to ask you out,” she said her. “That’ll look real good on a police report. ‘Lonely lesbian trolling hospitals for dates with unwitting coma patients,’” she said with a chuckle.

  Chayse sat in a chair near the bed, gazing down at Serena’s peaceful visage with no idea what to say. She wasn’t a loved one so Serena might not even recognize her voice.

  “So…um…I just wanted to come by and see how you were. Some of the staff at the restaurant wanted me to give you their best, and they wish you a quick recovery.” She hesitated before continuing. “I met your grandmother and she’s as feisty as you described her.” She smiled. “I think she and my grandmother would get along great. Maybe, once you’re out of the hospital and if your grandmother’s still in town, we can introduce them.”

  Chayse watched Serena’s face intently, looking for any sign of awareness, then had to chuckle at herself. “I’m sitting here watching you like the sound of my voice is some miracle cure that will awaken you at any moment.”

  She allowed herself one last gaze, then stood to leave. “Get well soon, Serena. There’s a sweet potato pie with your name on it waiting when you do.”

  Chayse smoothed a wayward curl away from Serena’s left cheek then left the room.

  * * *

  Serena wandered through a fog so thick she could barely see her hand in front of her face. The last thing she remembered was doing her morning run through the Riverside Park then nothing until the sound of a husky voice and the touch of a soft stroke along her cheek had drawn her here…wherever here was. She stopped and listened for the sound of the voice again, but there was nothing but silence. A sudden weariness came over her, and the fog morphed into a darkness that drew her into its inky blackness where she fell back into the nothingness she had been in before the voice called out to her.

  * * *

  Chayse found herself back at the hospital the next day just as visiting hours began. She knew Serena’s family was in town, and she didn’t want to interfere with their time with her.

  “Nice to see you back,” said the same nurse she spoke with the other day.

  “Thanks. How’s she doing?” Chayse asked.

  “The same. Her family’s been taking shifts sitting with her. Her grandmother sai
d she would be covering the first shift and should be here in about an hour, so you have her all to yourself until then,” the nurse said.

  Chayse realized the nurse might be under the misperception that she was Serena’s girlfriend, and although she could have easily corrected her, Chayse found she didn’t want to. She liked the idea of being Serena’s Prince Charming. She walked into the room to find cards hanging on the wall and balloons and flowers on almost every surface, including her roses that seemed to be missing a few stems but the ones that were left were still holding up nicely. She laid the new bouquet she had brought with her alongside the vase, then sat in the chair near the bed. She noticed someone had combed Serena’s wild hair, clasping it loosely at the nape of her neck with a hair clip.

  “Judging from all the flowers, cards, and gifts, you’re a pretty popular lady, Serena, which doesn’t surprise me.” Chayse smiled. “I can’t seem to keep myself away. For the first time in a long time I didn’t rush down to the restaurant because all I could think about was coming here to see how you’re doing.”

  Chayse’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand how I could barely know you, yet from the moment I saw you in the restaurant I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”

  Chayse leaned forward and placed her forearms along the side rail of the bed and rested her chin on them. “That sounds so stalkerish.”

  She sat silently watching Serena for a moment. “So I guess this would be the perfect opportunity for me to tell you something about myself without worrying whether or not I’m boring you since you’re already asleep,” she said.

  Chayse talked about her childhood, the strong influence her grandmother had in her life, and her love of cooking, promising Serena that once she got out of the hospital she would be her personal chef for a night as a welcome home gift. Chayse paused for a moment, watching Serena’s face, wondering if she had really seen what she thought she saw, the faint twitch of Serena’s eyelids. It was simply a muscle spasm. She looked at her watch and quickly stood. She hadn’t realized how long she had been there. She didn’t want to interfere with Serena’s time with her family.

  “Sleep well, beauty. I’ll be back to see you soon.” Chayse took one last look at Serena then left the room.

  * * *

  Serena awoke within the fog once again, feeling a comforting warmth surrounding her as the mysterious voice drifted in from the outer reaches of the dense fog. Although she could hear someone speaking, she couldn’t hear what exactly was being said, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the comfort she felt at the sound of it. The fog dissipated the longer the voice spoke, and Serena found that all she wanted to do was find the person it belonged to and curl up in the safety of their arms. There was no sense of time where she was, only the voice, and when she no longer heard it, the darkness came upon her once again. Before she allowed it to completely take her, she vowed the next time she heard the voice she would find it. She didn’t know how, but she knew that it would lead her out of the darkness and fog of confusion she seemed to be trapped in.

  * * *

  Chayse sat across the table from Ebony and Belinda in Ebony’s apartment hoping her friends could help her make sense of the intense pull she felt toward Serena.

  “It’s like I can’t stay away. I’ve been at the hospital almost every morning this past week and when I’m not I feel like I need to be,” Chayse said in frustration.

  “And you just sit there and talk to her?” Ebony asked.

  “Yeah, her doctor says it’s good for her to hear familiar voices so I just talk about what’s going on at the restaurant, what’s happening in the news, and even read to her.”

  “There’s been no response?” Belinda asked.

  Chayse shrugged. “Sometimes I notice a twitch of her eyelids while I talk to her, but I figured that’s just muscle spasms. That was until yesterday when one of her nurses told me they’ve noticed more brain activity in her scans since I’ve been visiting. I think she’s just saying that to be nice because her family is there just as much as I am so it’s more than likely their doing.”

  “Have they wondered about the mystery woman that keeps visiting?” Ebony asked.

  Chayse chuckled. “I actually met them. Serena’s grandmother brought them to the restaurant. They wanted to thank me for notifying the police about her identity. Up until then her grandmother was the only one I had been speaking to because she usually arrived when I was leaving the hospital.”

  “And she’s cool with it?” Ebony asked.

  Chayse shrugged. “She actually encourages it.” Chayse went on to tell Ebony and Belinda about how she and Selah, who now insisted Chayse call her Nan, first met.

  “Interesting. It seems to me that Grandma is trying to play matchmaker.”

  Chayse laughed out loud. “I don’t think so.”

  “Why not? You’re perfect grandma matchmaking material, a good-looking, successful, eligible woman who can cook her ass off. Any woman would be happy to have you,” Belinda said.

  Ebony’s eyes narrowed on Belinda. “Any woman?”

  Belinda leaned in toward Ebony. “You know you’re the only woman for me.” She placed a lingering kiss upon Ebony’s lips.

  “Ugh, c’mon, guys, we just ate,” Chayse said in mock disgust.

  “You’re just jealous.”

  “I am.” Chayse sighed wistfully. “This last year I’ve found myself wanting something like you two have and, ironically, when I finally find the woman of my dreams, she’s in a coma.”

  * * *

  Serena lay in a field of wildflowers letting the sun’s warmth envelop her in its comforting embrace. Not too long ago, she had followed the sound of the mysterious voice to this wondrous place and basked in its beauty waiting for a sign to when she would awaken from this dream. A few moments ago, she noticed a rose bush springing up amongst the wildflowers and had gone to investigate.

  On the vine grew dozens of fully bloomed orange roses. She plucked one, and another immediately grew in its place. She’d tucked the rose behind her ear and gone back to her bed of wildflowers listening to the soothing tone of the mystery voice that seemed to keep her from drowning in the darkness that arrived whenever the voice went away.

  * * *

  Chayse was telling Serena about Nan bringing her family to the restaurant when the door opened and in walked a visitor Chayse didn’t recognize. She was a petite, shapely woman with straight black hair and a dark chocolate complexion who wore a curve-hugging, cream business suit, three-inch brown suede pumps, chocolate diamond earrings and necklace, and was carrying a designer bag and pulling a matching suitcase. Whoever this woman was, Chayse could practically see “High Maintenance” blinking like a neon sign above her head. If she was a part of Serena’s family, she was nothing like the down-to-earth Frazier clan Chayse met the other night.

  “Hi, can I help you?” Chayse asked.

  The woman looked warily from Chayse to Serena then back again. “Who are you?”

  Chayse didn’t appreciate the snotty tone the woman addressed her with. “I’m a friend, and you are…”

  “A friend?” The woman frowned as her eyes locked on Chayse’s fingers entwined with Serena’s.

  Chayse followed her gaze, having forgotten that she held Serena’s hand. She shifted to release her grip then changed her mind. Something about this woman had her wanting to stake her claim on Serena like some Neanderthal saying “This woman mine!” By this time, the woman had deposited her bags in the corner and was standing on the other side of Serena’s bed with a heated narrow gaze locked on Chayse’s.

  * * *

  Serena felt a cool breeze, and the sky above her peaceful field began to darken with thick, rolling storm clouds. Something was wrong. Although she felt the presence of her mystery person, she no longer heard the sound of their voice. She sat up, feeling the need to comfort the person but didn’t know how. Her hand tingled as if it was being held so she closed her fingers around the invisible grasp in c
omfort.

  * * *

  Chayse noticed the other woman’s possessive gaze, and a niggling of doubt entered her mind. She knew nothing about Serena. What if she was already in a relationship and all of this was for nothing? She was just about to release Serena’s hand when Serena’s fingers suddenly folded around Chayse’s.

  Chayse tore her eyes from the visitor’s to Serena’s peaceful expression. “Serena?”

  Although there was no other physical response, Serena still held Chayse’s hand in a tender clasp, as if she knew Chayse needed comfort. Chayse smiled down at her.

  “Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’d like you to leave so that I may visit MY friend.”

  For a moment, Chayse had forgotten the other woman was there. “Look, I don’t know who you are, but—”

  She was interrupted by the arrival of Selah Warren. The jovial smile she gave Chayse turned to a frown at the sight of the other woman in the room.

  “Melanie, what in the world are you doing here?” Nan asked, obviously annoyed.

  “Hello, Mrs. Warren. As soon as I heard what happened I flew out here to be with Serena.”

  “Mm-hm,” Nan said doubtfully as she walked over to where Chayse was. “How you doing, honey?” she asked, placing an affection kiss on Chayse’s cheek.

  “I’m good, Nan. How about you?” Chayse answered, hugging her.

  “I’d be better with some good news about our sweet girl here,” Nan said wistfully.

  “Well, it may be just a muscle spasm or unconscious reaction, but she gripped my hand back.” Chayse brought Nan’s attention to her and Serena’s entwined fingers.

  Nan’s face lit up. “I knew you would be the one to bring her back.”

  “Let’s not turn me into a miracle worker yet.”