Race Relations

Doctor's Office

Doctor's Office.

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               Nathaniel had tucked Leila into his car and brought her to the doctor’s. It had been the company’s doctor, but he decides to leave that part out. The doctor had taken an ex-ray and decided that Leila’s ankle is perfectly fine, “Just a few days of rest” he had told them. With the wait, the ex-ray, Nathaniel and Leila did not leave the doctor’s office until noon. “You did good Nathaniel” Dr. Miles tells him as he leaves with Leila’s entangled with his for support.

“Excuse me?” Nathaniel asked confused.

“Your girlfriend is a great catch, and is pretty too.” Nathaniel’s eyes opened seven mile wide and Leila coughs at the accusation. “Now you keep her happy now” Dr. Miles tells him while looking at Leila, “And if he ever gets you mad Leila, just throw something at his head.” Being polite, Leila gave Dr. Miles a smile and nudged Nathaniel, indicating that she wished to leave.

“Lunch?” he asked her as he opened the door of the black Cadillac and letting her in.

“Yes please”

Inside the restaurant, Nathaniel slid the chair for Leila to sit and then takes his seat. Quickly ordering two burgers, which Leila insists costs too much and tells him where they could have found the best burger in Manhattan. They talked about Leila’s childhood, and laughed about Nathaniel’s siblings. In that hour nothing mattered, as they chow down on their burgers, discussing their likes and their dislikes. In that hour, Nathaniel did not difference in pigment, or different in thoughts, it had been an invigorating experience. As they talked, Leila’s interrupting phone disrupts the conversation. “Sorry,” Leila said, taking the phone and placing it near her ear.

“Hey sweetie” she said to the phone, smiling. “I missed you too” Nathaniel suddenly felt an ache in his chest. He wondered who the person on the other line was; he could faintly hear the deep voice, letting him know it was a man due to the quietness of the restaurant. It pained him to think that she had someone. She never mentioned it, so she must not have someone he thinks quietly to himself. And it could be her gay friend, but her gay friend’s voice did not sound like that. He watches as he hangs the phone. “We have to go, I have someone coming to my apartment.” So, it must be someone significant.

“Yes. Ok, I’ll take you home.”

               Nathaniel entered with Leila into her condo. Only to find a male, sitting on her couch, his legs loosely hanging over the coffee table, the flat screen TV turned to ESPN. “Derrick!” she yells and the male flashed a great big smile, running over to Leila, scooped her up from Nathaniel’s arm. Kissing her on hr forehead, the strange male, says to her. “I missed you Tiger” Nathaniel felt his chest rising as he watches Leila into the guy’s arms. He didn’t quite understand why, but he did not like looking at the way Leila clutched on to him.

“I missed you so much; I’m so happy that you are back!” feeling awkward, Nathaniel cleared his throat.

“uhmm, I guess I’ll be leaving” he said while smiling at Leila with heartache,

“No! Don’t leave. Nate come” She said holding out her hand to him. He took it as he look into her eyes. “I want you to meet my brother Derrick; Derrick this is my life savior Nathaniel, I call him Nate, and his full name is just too much of a mouthful”

“Brother?” Nathaniel asked, he felt the river of relief washing over him, as he shook Derrick’s hand. A brother, of course a brother, he should have assumed that instead, maybe he wouldn’t have spent the last past half hour inquiring about everything in his mind. Now that he took a clear view of the man, he recognizes the familiar from the picture he had seen in Leila’s office.

 "Yeah! So you’re my little sister’s life saver unh?”

 “No, just a friend”

“Yes he is” Leila argues as she took a seat on the couch, I broke my ankle and he took care of me, I needed to see a doctor and he took me.”

“What about the others”

“The Hamptons”

“Well.” Derrick said looking back to Nathaniel,

“Any friend of Leila is a friend of mine, let me know if you need to beat someone up,” he said with a laugh,

“Oh, hush! Don’t take him seriously Nate. I don’t know what it is about being a marine that boosted him and his friend’s egos a thousand mile high.”

“Hey, being a marine doesn’t boost your ego up.” Derrick defended. “Anyways Nate, what do you do.”

“I manage the family business,” he answered, carefully choosing his words.

“Really? What do you guys do?”

“Well, lots of things, especially with sports you know.” that was an answer, and it was true, he thinks. “So, I have to go Leila” The answer that she got from her literally stopped him from taking another step.

“Will I see you again?’ Turning around to her, he smiles and responded.

“Well, I hope so.”

                       “So he slept here? Here?” Thomas asked as he sat on the side of Leila’s bed later that night. They had come from the Hamptons and the first place he ended up is here. “You lucky bitch, and he lives in this building? Listen here; tell me if you don’t want him because I’ll do my part to turn him”

“Oy, he is so gorgeous, and what men you know take care of a helpless stranger like that? But I just don’t think he is into me”

“Are you kidding me? Now what men do you know take care of a stranger like that if he didn’t like them?”

“You’ve seen Nate. Do you see how gorgeous of a man he is? He needs to be undresses and place in a Calvin Klein add. And these distinct people don’t date people like me.”

 “When you say people like you; you mean, a black woman”

“I mean maybe he would not mind having me as a friend, and even getting me in the sack; but having a real relationship is reserved for people like them.” She confides sadly.

“I guess. But who knows, maybe he might fall for you”

“I’m most likely never seeing him again.”

“It doesn’t have to be like that. Why don’t you call him?”

 “And say what? Hey Nate, Guess what I think I might have the biggest crush any girl can have on a man but I know you don’t even feel the slightest way?”

“Well yeah, and if he says the same thing then oh well; but im pretty damn sure he like you!”

 “Whatever, let’s just get some sleep, I have the meeting for the add tomorrow”

 “And if anything, he can be cute and make you forget about Nathaniel”

 ‘Oh, I doubt it”

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Sorry if there were many errors. I tried to fixed them.