At the door, she called my name again and I turned. “Bring him back to me.”
I gave her the only answer I could. “I’m going to try.”
I unlocked the truck and had one foot on the running board when my phone vibrated with Navy’s name. The sight of her name changed my mood. I answered before the second ring. “What’s up?”
For a second, all I heard was movement behind her and voices calling to one another, and a monitor beeping steadily somewhere in the distance. “Hey are you busy?” she asked.
I looked back toward BJ’s window. “Just leaving my grandma’s.”
“Oh.” She paused. “I can call you later.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“You called asking if I’m busy.”
“I just wanted to talk to you.” Her voice had softened on the last few words, and I felt the reaction to it low in my chest.
It was happening too fast. I had known women who wanted me, women who enjoyed being around me, enjoyed what I could do for them, enjoyed the doors my name opened. I knew how attraction felt when it was simple. It stayed physical, clean enough to walk away from when the morning came. However,whatever was growing between me and Navy had stopped feeling simple without asking my permission.
I looked forward to her calls even if it was business and thought about shit she said hours later. I found myself making room in my day like right now to talk to her when I had other shit I had to do.
“What time you get off?” I asked.
“I’m about to leave in a little bit.”
“I’m closer to your job than I am to your house, so I’ll come get you. we can go eat; I’m starving. ”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Wait by the entrance,” I told her. “I’ll be there in fifteen.” I ended the call before she could talk herself out of it.
The hospital entrance was crowded when I arrived, but Navy stood near one of the concrete columns with a large tote hanging from her shoulder. She had changed out of her scrub jacket but still wore the navy-blue set beneath it. Her hair was pulled into a low bun, with softer pieces curling from the humidity around her face. When she saw my truck she smiled and that smile did too much to me. I leaned across and pushed the passenger door open from the inside. She climbed up, pulling the tote onto her lap before she turned to buckle her seat belt.
I pulled from the curb. “You eat?”
“Not since earlier.”
“There’s a café across the street.”
“I know but their coffee is terrible, so I hope you don’t want none.” She giggled.
“We ain’t going for coffee.”
The place was small enough that we could see most of it from the door. It only had six tables that filled the narrow dining room, with two more beneath an awning outside. A glass case was near the register that held croissants, slices of pound cake, and sandwiches wrapped in paper. The air smelled like toastedbread and burnt espresso, confirming Navy’s complaint about the coffee before we even sat down.
We took the table farthest from the register. Navy placed her tote on the empty chair beside her and rubbed both hands slowly over her face.
“You had a long day?” I asked.
She shrugged looking over the place. “They’re all long lately.”
A waitress approached, balancing two menus beneath one arm. Navy ordered tea and a turkey panini. I asked for water and the same sandwich. Once the waitress left, it got quiet for a few seconds. Navy traced one fingertip through the condensation left by the water glass in front of her.
I watched her wondering what she wanted to talk about. “You said you wanted to talk.”
“I do.”
