Seduced by Mr. Right(36)
The women exited the elevator and left the Atlanta Medical Center through the sliding glass doors. Hearing her iPhone chime, Sharleen pulled it out. The newest text message from Emilio made her heart soar.
I’m counting down the minutes until our flight to Miami. I’m going to wine you and dine you until you forget every other guy, and fall hopelessly in love with me...
Sharleen couldn’t wipe the grin off her face, didn’t even try. Emilio was a sweetheart, unlike anyone she’d ever met, and she adored everything about him—his boyish smile, his deep, throaty laugh, how his eyes twinkled at the corners when he was amused. He put her on a pedestal, treated her with kindness and respect and showered her with affection. And he’s an amazing kisser, too, she thought, her mind overwhelmed with memories of their last date. He makes me feel desirable, like the most beautiful woman in the world, and if I wasn’t so self-conscious about my body, I’d want Emilio to be my—
“I’m starving. Let’s grab something to eat at that fast-food place across the street.”
Making a mental note to return his text later, Sharleen put her cell phone away and turned to Jocelyn. “I don’t want to eat fast food. Let’s do dinner and a movie instead.”
“I can’t. I’m broke and unemployed, remember?”
“You haven’t been job hunting long,” she pointed out. “Give it more time.”
“I’ve applied for dozens of positions, but no one’s even called me for an interview.” Sadness filled her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled. “I told my mom I’d help her out financially until she got back on her feet, and now that I’m unemployed, money’s real tight.”
“How much are your mom’s medical bills?”
Jocelyn groaned. “Don’t ask. I’m trying to stay positive, but every time I think about that notice of payment tacked to my fridge I feel nauseated.”
Sharleen gave her a hug. It hurt to see her friend upset, so to cheer her up she said, “You’re coming over tonight. We’ll order pizza, make mocktails and watch movies.”
“You’re on, but no mocktails. The more tequila the better!”
After leaving the hospital, they stopped at the grocery store to stock up on food and drinks. They loaded the plastic bags into the car and set off for Inman Park. Driving across town, they sang along with the radio and reminisced about their early days at Pathways Center. It was hard for Sharleen to believe she’d known Jocelyn for five years, even harder for her to believe it had been almost a decade since her mom and dad died. I wonder if my parents would have liked Emilio.
Of course they would! her inner voice said. What’s not to like? He’s considerate and thoughtful and he spoils you silly! Jocelyn’s cell phone rang, but she didn’t answer it. “I have to change my number,” she grumbled, hurling her iPhone into the bottom of her handbag. “Brad calls constantly, and it’s driving me crazy. Why can’t he leave me alone and go harass someone else?”
“Have you considered going to the authorities?”
“No, but I have considered hiring a hit man.”
“Jocelyn, I’m serious—”
“So am I.” Blinking back tears, she stared aimlessly out the windshield. “I still don’t understand how this happened. I only had two glasses of wine the night we hooked up...”
Sharleen let Jocelyn vent, listened quietly as she recounted her story. Red flags went up, and a chilling thought entered her mind. “Did you leave your drink alone at any time? Was it ever out of your sight? Even for a second?”
“I don’t remember. That night is such a blur.”
“I think Brad spiked your drink. That’s why you don’t remember what happened—”
“No way. He’s a chauvinistic pig, but he’d never do something that sneaky.”
“Yes, he would,” Sharleen insisted. “He took naked pictures of you and threatened to post them online. I wouldn’t put anything past him. Guys like Brad are capable of anything.”
“He didn’t drug me, so drop it.”
“Okay, okay, don’t bite my head off. I won’t mention it again.”
Twenty minutes later, Sharleen parked in front of her brown two-story house. Inman Park was full of Victorian homes, trendy restaurants and boutiques, but what Sharleen loved most about the neighborhood were the people. Her neighbors smiled and waved as she got out of her car. Skateboarders zoomed down the street, and kids played hopscotch on the sidewalk. Laughter filled the air, and the smell of barbecue carried on the evening breeze.