Thank you for your continued support. More lockdown madness for your reading pleasure...I hope.
Standard disclaimer.
"This is a bad idea…I can feel it…"
"I don't think so, girl Chang."
"I do…"
"Well don't. Chica, think of this as...one…having a little fun in your life...two…getting a chance to hang with us, and three…teaching Trouty's fine ass a lesson."
"I don't want to teach him a lesson…at least, not this way…"
"I agree."
"Thank you, Tee. San..."
"Unbelievable! Where's that bold, sassy, chocolate diva I know and love? And you, my Asian friend, where's yours? You two need to channel your diva-tude and bring it."
Three weeks ago….
"Look man, I have to go. Mercedes will be home in a few minutes. I need to get showered and…"
"Shit man! You don't have to rub it in. I know what you're gonna be doing..."
"Puck, I was gonna say, warm up the dinner I made for us. We're dining in tonight…"
"That may be so, but I know you, Evans. After dinner, you're gonna be tearing up those expensive sheets of yours. I'm not mad at you…if I had me a woman that looked half as good as sexy mama…man, I'd never let her out of my sight. Lucky bastard!"
"Not lucky bro…blessed. I'll check you later, man."
Twenty-six-year old Sam Evans stood, and walked to his bedroom and started stripping for the shower.
He smiled to himself, as he thought about his beautiful girlfriend, Mercedes Jones.
She is the love of his life and very soon, she'll be his wife.
They've been together, since they were fifteen years old. His thoughts drift to the first time he'd ever seen her.
Twelve years ago at the Evans' mansion….
"Sammy, honey…you have to go. There's nothing to be afraid of…you've been to the dentist many times…"
"I don't like Dr. Angelo."
"Why not, sweetheart?"
"He's too rough and I always get nightmares after I've been there."
"Well, why didn't you say something before?"
"I don't know..."
"Oh Sammy, baby, I don't want you to ever feel, as though you can't tell me or your dad anything. That's what we're here for…you're our son and we love you. We always have yours and the twins' best interest at heart, okay?"
He nodded and grabbed his jaw.
"Oh honey, you're in pain. Get your coat, I won't take you to Dr. Angelo's, I promise. But you need to see a dentist, right away. Let me get my purse and message your dad, and then we'll get going, okay?"
"Okay."
Inside the master bedroom, Mary Evans was just getting off the phone with her husband Dwight.
"Thank you, sweetheart and thank your new assistant for me. I love you."
She hung up and exited the room.
At the door, fourteen-year-old Sam Evans, waited impatiently for his mother to return.
He wasn't a wuss, but Dr. Angelo scared him. Maybe it was the weird pictures, plastered all over the walls in his office…or the fact that, in three years, he's never seen him smile.
Whatever it was, Sam has never felt comfortable around him.
"All set honey?" his mother asked, and he nodded.
"Let's go. Dad's new assistant, gave us the name and address of a different dentist…her husband. And the good thing is, she called ahead, so we don't have to wait. Wasn't that nice of her?"
He nodded again, as pain shot through his jawline.
Twenty minutes later, they pulled into a huge parking facility and following the directions given to her, Mary Evans drove around the back of the bright green building and came to a stop in front of a dentist's office.
"Ready, sweetheart?" Sam nodded.
His mother leaned over and kissed his cheek. His green eyes, resembling his dad's, shone with un-shed tears.
Her face softened at the sight of them.
Sam is her first born.
He's six years older than his twin sister and brother and has always been a responsible, mature boy.
He does his chores, helps with the twins and on weekends, help his dad catch up on paperwork. She didn't like seeing him like this…it hurt.
They entered a door, with a sign saying, DR. MALACHI JONES, HERO OF SMILES and Sam indeed smiled, because right beside the words 'hero of smiles' there was a man wearing a cape, with dentists' tools in each hand.
Right away, he felt at ease.
They were ushered into the office, almost immediately.
Inside the room, everything looked nice and clean. And it smelled wonderful.
Sam's eyes were drawn to the many pictures on the walls, making him smile again.
Besides the pictures of kids and a few adults smiling happily, there were some of various comic book heroes, having their teeth cleaned, checked or extracted.
Then, there was a big one of a young girl, taking up considerable space on the wall. She was smiling widely, showing her perfect teeth and all Sam could think, was how pretty she was.
His mother smiled, watching him staring at the picture.
She felt happy, seeing him looking so comfortable, almost as if he wasn't in pain anymore.
Secretly, she snapped a picture of him, as he continued to stare at the picture, of the mystery girl on the wall.
A few minutes later, a man entered and introduced himself as Dr. Jones.
After shaking Mary's hand, he shook Sam's hand, motioned for him to sit in the chair and said,
"Okay young man, can you tell me what's the trouble?" He smiled, his brown eyes sparkling, as he towered over Sam.
"I have this pain in my jaw, sir…"
"I see. Does it hurt when you open your mouth? When you chew?"
"Yes, sir."
"Hmm…do you get pain in the neck and ear sometimes?"
"Yes, sir."
"I see. Just to make certain, I'll take a look inside and see if you have any cavities…which I don't think you have…and then I'll tell you what, I do think you have. Is that okay?"
Sam nodded.
"Great. You did well, Sam."
Dr. Jones inspected Sam's teeth and just as he'd suspected, there were no cavities.
He took off his gloves, disposed of them, washed his hands and motioned for Sam and Mary to sit in front of his desk.
"Mrs. Evans, speaking from experience, I'd say, Sam has TMJ syndrome…also known as Temporomandibular joint disorder. Problems in this area, can cause head and neck pain, facial pain, ear pain and a jaw that is locked in position or difficult to open, problems with biting, and jaw clicking or popping sounds when you bite. It may be caused by too much strain on the jaw joints and the muscle group that controls chewing, swallowing, and speech. This may be due to teeth grinding, injury to the jaw, head, or neck, or arthritis."
Mary's eyes widened.
"Oh my God! Is it treatable?"
"Absolutely! TMJ disorders often responds to home remedies, including ice packs to the joint, over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, avoiding chewing gum, massage or gentle stretches of the jaw and neck, and stress reduction. Now, I need you to go home and try any of those…but, just to be on the safe side, and to ease some of your pain, I'll write you a prescription for some painkillers…which can be filled right here in the clinic."
A relieved sigh escaped Mary and she smiled, when she saw her son looking much better, than when he came in.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Jones. You and your wife are gems. We're forever in your debt," she said. Dr. Jones smiled.
"You're very welcomed Mrs. Evans. Here's the prescription. Just outside my office door, is another door…make your way through that and you'll see the pharmacy straight ahead of you. My daughter Mercedes is there, she'll help you out."
"Thank again, doctor. Sammy? Are you ready son?" Sam nodded. He stood and offered his hand to Dr. Jones again.
"Thank you, sir." Dr. Jones smiled and patted Sam's hand.
"You're welcome, son. It was nice meeting you. Take care of that jaw, okay?" Sam nodded. "Mrs. Evans, Sam is a delightful young man. You and your husband did well with him…I applaud you."
Mary was taken aback, and Sam's cheeks reddened.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Jones…we can only try. How much do I have for you?" Dr. Jones smiled and waved her off.
"No charge Mrs. Evans…."
"I can't do that, Dr. Jones. You performed a service… a very good one and you should be paid." Dr, Jones stepped forward and rested his hands on Mary's shoulders.
"Mrs. Evans, my family is very grateful to your husband, for hiring my wife. I'm sure there is someone much younger and more qualified than her out there and your husband didn't have to hire her…but he did and we're extremely grateful. Your family looked out for mine and now, it our turn to look out for yours."
Mary was gob-smacked.
She didn't know what to say.
Tears welled in her eyes.
"Plus, as a way of giving back, I never charge the first and last customer of the day. And you guys are my first." Mary hugged the good dentist.
"Like I said before, you are a gem…and for the record, my husband's office is in much better shape, now that your wife is there. Have a good day, now."
They exited and went to the little pharmacy, as instructed.
Inside, the same smell as the office invade their noses.
Mary took a deep breath and said,
"I should find out what that is…it smells wonderful."
"It's Joe Malone Pomegranate Noir," a soft girly voice said. Both Mary and Sam looked around, not seeing anyone.
"Hello? We heard you…but we can't see you," Mary said. Just then, a small pretty girl appeared behind the counter, smiling.
"Here I am! My name is Mercedes. I take it, my dad sent you?"
Sam's eyes bugged out.
It was the same girl in the picture. But, she looked so much prettier. Her smile was everything.
"And you are right. I'm Mary and this is Sam." Sam was still staring. His mother nudged him, and he lowered his head, feeling his face heat up.
"Sammy, can you say hello to Mercedes?" He lifted his head and shyly smiled.
"Hi Mercedes."
"Hi Sam. Did my dad scare you?"
"No. He was very nice."
"I'm so glad to hear that. Some people don't like dentists, you know?" Sam flushed.
"That's true…but, I like your dad."
"Aww…I'll be sure to tell him."
Mary Evans just stood there, smiling and listening to the two kids chat. It was good to see Sam looking happy again.
"So, do you have a prescription for me?" Mercedes asked.
"Yes, honey," Mary said, handing it over.
Mercedes took it and went about filling it.
Sam and his mother were amazed, that she actually knew what she was doing, for someone so young.
After a few minutes wait, with the two kids still chatting, the prescription was filled.
It took a few minutes more, for Sam to finish chatting with Mercedes, but that day, was the start of a beautiful friendship, which turned into an equally beautiful relationship, between the two of them.
Sometimes, Mercedes had to go to the office with her mom, when her dad was away at conferences, and there, she'd see Sam sometimes.
Then, on some occasions, when the office was busy, they would be at his house, playing games or just hanging out.
Other times, they'd partner up and have long study sessions and during one of them, they shared their first kiss. From that day on, Sam asked her to be his girlfriend.
Sam came out of his thoughts, when he heard a door slammed.
He stepped out of the bathroom and wrapped a towel around his hips.
"Baby? Is that you?" he called. No answer, just angry footsteps.
He walked to the bedroom door and just as he was about to open it, the door swung opened.
In the doorway stood his girlfriend Mercedes, with an angry scowl on her face and her hands on her hips.
'Uh-oh,' he thought.
"I've asked you many times...many, many times Sam Evans, to tell your friends, stop harassing my boss. And did you listen? Hell no! If you'd so much as told them…"
"Hang on, baby," he started, with his hands raised in the air. "Sit down and start from the beginning, okay?" he quietly commanded.
She rolled her eyes and stood her ground.
"I don't need to sit…Ooh! I'm so mad at you, Sam Evans."
'This doesn't look good. This is the second time she's said my name.' Sam sighed. He ran his hands through his damp hair and shook his head.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I think you know exactly what happened. Noah Puckerman…I'm gonna strangle him when I see him. He, Mike and a couple others, accosted my boss in a parking lot last night…"
"Where?"
"If you cut me off, one more time Sam Evans…"
"I'm sorry…it won't happen again. Continue."
"Will said, he was in the parking lot of that new club and your friends came up to him and started harassing him."
Sam bit his lip to calm himself. But he couldn't stop himself from asking,
"Will? Is that what you're calling him now?" Her nostrils flared and a hard look blossomed on her face.
"Is that all you got from this conversation? For your information, he's asked me to call him that and I don't see anything wrong with it."
"What else has he asked you to do?" Too late, the words were out, and she was livid.
"How dare you Sam Evans?
'Three times!'
"I'm a grown woman, I'm not some naïve little child, who doesn't know what they're doing. I have a strictly professional relationship with my boss."
"I know that…but I still don't trust him."
"Well, trust me…I'm the one who's in this relationship with you…not him."
"Fine. And I do trust you."
"That's all fine and dandy, but you need to speak to your friends…they listen to you. I almost got fired, because of that little stunt they pulled."
"So…I think it's high time you packed that in, anyway."
Anger and hurt masked her features.
"Mercy, baby…I didn't mean it like that," Sam apologized, reaching for her, but she stepped back, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry, baby…I know you love your job…"
"But you don't. You've never shown any support when I got that job."
"Why should I? You spend your time and energy helping people, to get established in the music business, when you're the real talent there."
"I love what I do, and I'm good at it."
"Yes, you're good at it…but where does that leave you? I have the means and the connections to get you, wherever you want to get and you won't let me. You don't need that job…I can take care of you…"
"I'm not, nor will I ever be a kept woman."
"Is that how you see it? My helping you and taking care of you?"
"How else can I see it?"
"You can see it as your man, trying to do something for you," he said, hurt emanating from his voice.
"I don't need any help. I'm capable of doing for myself…just tell those idiots to back off."
She turned, in an attempt to go back through the bedroom door, but Sam was too quick for her. He got to the door first, closed it, and stood in front of it.
"Where are you going? You just got here."
"I'm leaving. I don't want to be here right now."
"How come?"
"I need to cool off…both of us, before we say something we can't take back," she replied.
"I want you to stay…I made dinner…"
"That's nice, but I can't be here right now."
"You're gonna have to go through me, if you want to leave." Mercedes stared incredulously at him.
"You've got to be kidding. Move Sam." He shook his head and water droplets flew around him. And that's when she noticed what he was wearing.
'Why does he have to look so damn sexy?'
Her heart fluttered and she licked her lips.
For a moment, she wanted to forget everything and jump him, but she shook the thoughts from her head and schooled her features.
"Sam, I'm warning you, move…I need to leave."
"I'm not stopping you, baby. I'm just standing here." She took out her phone and showed it to him.
"Move, or I call the cops."
"Call them. I don't care…I haven't laid a hand on you…"
She started dialing, not the cops, but Sam didn't know that.
His face morphed into anger and he stalked towards her.
"You'd do that? Call the cops for me…" She dashed around him and ran for the door, but he grabbed her and pushed it close.
"You're unbelievable," he said, trapping her, by putting his hands on either side of her. "I don't get why you're this angry. I haven't done anything wrong."
"It's because of your jealousy, we're in this position. I've warned you over the years and you haven't heeded it."
"Why can't I be jealous? You belong to me…"
"Let me stop you right there Sam Evans…"
'How many is that? Four? Five times? I've lost count. God, she's beautiful!'
"Did you hear anything I've said?" He shook his head, but she wasn't convinced. "I don't belong to anyone. I'm not anyone's property."
"That's how you see it."
"I just can't with you. Now, I need to go."
"Where will you go?"
"Over to San's place."
"And when will you be back?"
"I don't know…maybe later tonight."
"I need you to be more specific, baby."
"Unbelievable! Okay, fine. I'll be back later tonight. Now, can you please let me go?"
"Not before you kiss me."
"You're really pushing it, Sam Evans." He smiled.
"I'm waiting."
She pressed her lips to hi,s in a chaste kiss and started to pull away, but he grabbed her and plundered her mouth.
He released her a while later, leaving her with a dazed look on her face.
"Something to remember me by," he said, with a smug smirk on his handsome face.
She turned and went back through the door.
That was three weeks ago.
Be honest, what did you think about it? It's ended on a cliffhanger...sort of. Up next, the final chapter. Stay safe and stay blessed.