Playing With Fire

Wendell edged a little closer. “Is it serious?”

Her eyes bulged. He truly had lost his marbles. “You are— We are not talking about this.”

“Talking about what?”

At the sound of Nicholas’s voice, both of them turned in his direction. Blood rushed to Zienna’s head, and she thought she might pass out.

How much had he heard?

Stepping coolly away from the bar, Wendell said, “I was prying. Asking how you met, when you started dating.”

Nicholas made a face, as though that answer didn’t quite make sense to him. “Oh. It kind of sounded like Zienna was upset.”

“That’s because...” Wendell shrugged sheepishly. “Well, I asked her how long it was before you guys ended up in bed.”

Nicholas rolled his eyes as he set two glasses on the bar in front of them. “Zee, pay my friend no mind. He always was motivated by his dick.”

“Shocking,” Zienna said in a tone of feigned disbelief.

“My bad.” Wendell held up both hands. “I’m just used to the days when Nick and I had no secrets between us.”

“Those days are over.” Nicholas’s tone was jovial, but there was something about how his eyes flickered that made Zienna think there was more to the comment.

“I call this Island Sunset,” Nicholas went on, pushing the drinks forward. “Mango, pineapple and coconut rum.”

Wendell sipped it. “Nice.”

“And I’ll be right back with the main course.”

Zienna felt Wendell’s eyes on her, but didn’t dare look his way as Nicholas disappeared into the kitchen. Thankfully, he returned quickly, carrying two steaming plates.

He was beaming as he placed the entrées on the bar. “And in keeping with the island theme, this is my Jamaican fried snapper on a bed of vegetables steamed in a spicy vinegar sauce.”

“Looks amazing,” Zienna said. “And it smells even better.”

“You think so?” Nicholas asked. “To be authentic, I’ve kept the whole fish intact instead of using filets. I don’t know how the guests will feel about that, but when I’ve traveled to Jamaica and Costa Rica, that’s how they serve snapper.”

“Looks good to me, man,” Wendell said.

Zienna cut a morsel of the fish with her fork and brought it to her mouth. “Ooh, spicy,” she said after a moment.

“Too spicy?” Nicholas asked, regarding her with concern.

She shook her head as she continued to chew. “No. It’s delicious. Very flavorful, and just the right amount of spice.”

“She’s right,” Wendell concurred. “Loving the spice. But you know I’ve always loved heat.”

Zienna paused as she was about to swallow, unable to stop the thought that Wendell’s comment had been a loaded one.

“So I should add this to the menu?” Nicholas asked.

Zienna nodded. “I think it’s great.”

He smiled. “Good. I can always decide to use filets if that’s the feedback I get. Good, good. I’m glad you two like it.”

“I’ll bet you created a dessert to go with this. Something with pineapple or coconut. And lots of whipped cream,” Wendell stated.

At his comment, Zienna angled her head slightly toward him, and wasn’t surprised to find that he was looking at her. Because she knew, just knew, that mention of whipped cream had been for her benefit.

“Mango cheesecake,” Nicholas told him.

Suddenly, Zienna slipped off her bar stool. “You know what, sweetie—I’m gonna head home.”

“What?” Nicholas asked. “You just got here.”

“I’ve had a long day. I should really get some rest. Your friend’s back in town. Spend some time with him.”

“Don’t leave on my account,” Wendell said.

Zienna ignored him and picked up her purse. “Will you walk me out, babe?”

“You sure you have to leave?” Nicholas asked.

“I really should. I feel a headache coming on.” And she shot a glance at Wendell.

As they moved toward the exit, Nicholas placed a hand on the small of her back. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

When they were through the front door, he turned her in his arms so that she was facing him. “Is it Wendell?”

“No. No, of course not.” Zienna stroked his cheek. “I’m just tired, babe.”

“Why don’t you go to my place, get into bed and rest until I get there?” He lowered his voice. “If I can’t have more of you right now, I at least want your body next to mine tonight.”

“That I can do,” Zienna told him. She smiled. “And, yes, maybe a couple hours of rest and some aspirin will do me a world of good.”

She headed to her car with one goal in mind. When Nicholas got home, she was going to do him good.

Do him until she rid herself of the memory of Wendell altogether.

3

“Pick up, pick up,” Zienna said into her cell phone as she sat in her car, anxious to speak to Alexis. She’d called her friend the moment she’d left Nicholas’s restaurant the night before, desperate to reach her, but her series of calls had all gone to voice mail.

Even though Zienna had put every ounce of her energy into making love to Nicholas, and should have been tired, once he had fallen asleep beside her she had instead lain awake, the evening replaying in her mind.

I’d really like to talk to you at some point. Clear the air.

At a quarter to five, Zienna had slipped out of Nicholas’s bed and gotten dressed. She had hoped he wouldn’t wake, but he had.

“Go back to sleep,” Zienna had whispered. “I’m heading into the office early, and there are some things I have to do at home first.” She gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Once she’d left Nicholas’s house, she rushed to her car and immediately tried calling Alexis again. Ever since they’d become friends in second grade, Zienna had been sharing everything with Alexis, the good and the bad. And Alexis had forever earned her trust when she’d punched the class bully in the face for throwing a rock at Zienna’s forehead in third grade. That incident had sealed their status as best friends for life.

Now, Zienna groaned in frustration when she heard her friend’s cheerful voice begin her short message again. Where on earth could she be at this hour?

Undeterred, Zienna promptly disconnected, then called the number once more. She would redial one hundred times if that’s how long it took to reach her.

Three rings later, a groggy-sounding Alexis finally answered the phone. “This had better be good.”

“I need to come over,” Zienna said without preamble.

“Now?”

“Yes, now. I’m going out of my mind, Alex.”

“Shit, Zee—it’s five-fourteen in the morning.”

“Which is why you know it’s got to be urgent. I called you hours ago, you didn’t answer.”

“I ended up going out for a drink with that guy I was telling you about, the one I met online. I forgot my phone at home.”

Zienna had pulled up to the curb on a street a few over from Nicholas’s house, waiting to reach Alexis. Now that they were talking, she started her car. “I have to tell you what happened. I’m kind of freaking out.”

“Okay.” Alexis didn’t sound happy, but Zienna knew she wouldn’t abandon her in her hour of need.

Sure, Zienna could wait until the work day was over and see her friend then. But she’d already had to wait hours, since leaving the restaurant and going to Nicholas’s place. Making love to her man had done nothing to alleviate her stress. And the way her heart was still beating rapidly, Zienna knew that she had to see Alexis now and share with her what had transpired.

“I’ll see you soon,” she said. “Want me to grab coffee or something?”

“No. I’m going back to bed once you leave.”

Zienna ended the call and began to navigate her way through the Lincoln Park neighborhood, where Nicholas lived, toward the West Loop, where Alexis made her home in a trendy loft. It was a vibrant and artistic area, with chic cafés and restaurants, and several warehouses that had been converted to loft-style condominiums.

As Zienna continued to drive, she wondered why she was so torn up over seeing Wendell again. Seriously, she shouldn’t be this frazzled.

“You got the shock of your life,” she told herself. “That’s why you’re freaked out.”

But damn, what were the chances? She had had the hottest sex of her life with Wendell, and it turned out that he was Nicholas’s best friend? Could this situation be any worse?

The traffic was light at this hour, and Zienna made it to Alexis’s loft within twenty minutes. She parked her car at an available meter and then called her friend’s number.

“I’m downstairs,” she told her when they connected.

Zienna hurried out of the car and up the steps of the building. Moments later, the front door opened. Alexis faced her with one hand perched on her hip. She looked none too pleased.

“You know I hate you right now.” She flashed her the evil eye.

Zienna breezed into the condo foyer, her heels clicking on the marble floor. “Wendell’s back in town.”

“What?”

Zienna didn’t answer, instead walking the short distance to Alexis’s unit. Her friend scurried into the loft behind her and closed the door.

“Wendell called you?” she asked, then rubbed her eyes with balled fists. “I can see why you were surprised, but girl, it’s not even six in the morning—”

Zienna’s throat felt tight as she sauntered across the living room toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the street. She glanced outside, and wondered how the world could look the same when it had undeniably changed.

Inhaling deeply, she moved to the nearby armchair and gripped the back of it. “Remember I told you that I suspected that Nicholas wanted to introduce me to his friend tonight? Well, I was right. Wendell’s the friend. Wendell. He’s Nicholas’s best friend.”

A beat passed. And as Zienna’s words registered, Alexis’s jaw dropped. Then her eyes bulged. “Oh, my God. You’re saying you saw Wendell last night—with Nicholas?”

“Yes.” Zienna rounded the leather armchair and plopped onto it.

“Holy shit.” Alexis crossed her arms over her chest. “Does Nicholas know?” She went to the sofa across from Zienna and sat on the arm. “What did Wendell say?”

“Nicholas doesn’t know, but Wendell— Fuck, he told Nicholas he knew me years ago. That I was the kinesiologist he worked with when he was playing for the Bears.”

“Okay,” Alexis began slowly. “That’s not so bad, right? I mean, there’s no reason not to say you knew each other.”

“Except for the fact that Nicholas looked suspicious.”

“He did?”

“Yeah, and he made an offhand remark about being surprised Wendell never hit on me. And then it gets better. All this time I thought Wendell didn’t want to commit to anyone...well, it turns out he did want to commit. Only to someone else. Some swimsuit model named Pam.”

Alexis looked as confused as Zienna had been hours earlier, so she took her time and filled her in on exactly what she’d learned.

“Damn.” Her friend made a face. “The bastard was friggin’ cheating on you. Or cheating on Pam, it seems.”

“No matter how you slice it, he was fucking around.”

“Wow,” Alexis said. “At first I was pissed that you woke me up, but damn, I get it now. Bloody hell.”

Zienna didn’t smirk the way she normally did when her friend used her latest British curse. Instead she said, “Bloody hell is right. I just about died when Wendell walked through the door.” Looking even sexier than he did four years ago...

“I can imagine. It took you years to get over him.”

Hearing her friend say those words gave Zienna pause. Because with that statement, she had summed up what Zienna’s big issue was with Wendell’s reappearance. It had been incredibly hard to shake him from her system, and though she was getting close with Nicholas, there was definitely a part of her that feared seeing Wendell again was going to erase all the progress she’d made.

And there was an even bigger issue. “What do I do?” she asked. “Nicholas knows that Wendell and I used to work together, but do I tell him about our relationship? Or do I say nothing at all? And if I tell him, is he going to be okay about it, understand that Wendell and I were over a long time ago? Or is it going to cause undue grief? I have no clue what to do.”

Alexis was silent as she contemplated Zienna’s dilemma. After a moment she said, “I think you tell him. Tell him before Wendell does.”

Zienna’s eyes bulged. “You think Wendell will tell him?”

“Maybe not intentionally, but there’s no guarantee he won’t let it slip.”

“Oh, God.” Zienna groaned. “Are you sure? I just... Telling him could open a whole can of worms. Create an issue for him and Wendell, for one thing. And maybe even cause him to feel insecure. You remember how iffy Nicholas was during the first couple of months we were dating. He liked me, but didn’t entirely trust that I was into him.”

“I remember. He couldn’t understand why someone as beautiful as you would be single.”

“And I’d said the same to him. He’s gorgeous, successful.... Things are finally easy between us. And now this.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t say anything, then.”

Zienna paused. “But if I don’t tell him, and Wendell does—”

“It’s going to be much worse,” Alexis finished for her. “Nicholas is a big boy. He knows you weren’t born yesterday. So what if you dated Wendell years ago? He can’t hold that against you.”

“True.” She was silent a moment. “But I don’t think Wendell would tell him. I mean, what has he got to gain from something like that? They’re best friends. And if not best friends, at least very good friends. Wendell has to know better than to open his mouth.”

“I still think you should tell him,” Alexis said. “There are too many variables.”

Zienna drew in a deep breath. “And it kind of gets worse.”

Alexis eyed her warily. “What do you mean by that?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s nothing. It’s just...I’m not sure what Wendell wants.”

“You’re totally confusing me.”

Zienna was confused, too, which was part of her problem. It was one thing to find out that Wendell was Nicholas’s best friend. But what he’d said to her had undeniably added to her anxiety. “Wendell asked me if my relationship with Nicholas was serious. And then...then he said that he wanted to get together to talk, clear the air.”

“Shut up.”

“What am I supposed to make of that? That he wants to pick things up where we left off? Or did he just not know what else to say? Maybe he feels bad because of how he ended things with me—and the fact that I just learned he was a cheater.”

“You’re not gonna do it, right? You’re not going to meet with him to talk?”

“No,” Zienna said emphatically. “Definitely not. I don’t want to talk to him. I want nothing to do with him.” She paused. “But...I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a small part of me that wouldn’t mind hearing what he has to say. If for no other reason than to give him a piece of my mind when he’s finished. Because that’s what I wanted to do when I saw him last night. I wanted to scream and yell and slap him, and tell him what an asshole he is. All that crap about not wanting to get married and not wanting to hurt me, when he was really seeing someone else. But I couldn’t react. I had to pretend as though him coming into the restaurant hadn’t affected me one bit.”

“Zienna...” Alexis’s tone held a hint of caution.

“What? I’m not stupid. I’m over Wendell. But that doesn’t mean I’m not mad at him.”

“Unless you want to flirt with danger, then you need to drop it and stay away from him, period. And maybe what you’ve just said is the biggest reason why you need to tell Nicholas about your history with Wendell. Tell him the truth, and he’ll make sure the two of you stay apart.”

“Don’t misunderstand me,” Zienna said. “I’m just telling you what would be nice—in a perfect world.”

Alexis made a face as she regarded her. “It took you a long time to get over Wendell.”

“And I am. I am over him.” She sighed softly. Alexis knew her too well. “Maybe you’re right. Nothing good will come of me giving him a piece of my mind. In fact, the best revenge will be him seeing that I’m happy. That I’ve moved on. And perhaps the fact that it’s with his best friend is even better.”

Alexis continued to regard her with a narrowed gaze, and Zienna could see the wheels churning in her mind. “What?”

“Just be careful. Come clean with Nicholas, because it’s not like you did anything wrong. But come clean so there’s no issue that can come back to bite you. And unless you still want something with Wendell, I’d stay away from him.”

“You’re right,” Zienna said. At least regarding her advice to stay away from Wendell. But she wasn’t so sure about telling Nicholas that she and his friend had once been lovers.

For the time being, Zienna had done the most important thing, and that was to get this troubling news off her chest. Speaking with Alexis had allowed her to think clearly, and now that she had, she was starting to realize that her past with Wendell would be an issue only if she made it one. Because certainly Wendell wouldn’t say anything to hurt his friend, would he? Not when he knew how much Nicholas liked her.

As she left Alexis’s apartment so that her friend could get another hour of sleep before getting up for work, Zienna felt a lot better. No, she wouldn’t say anything to Nicholas. Their relationship was going well, and she couldn’t see Wendell doing anything to jeopardize that.

So if he wasn’t going to say anything about their past involvement, there was no reason for her to. She had stressed over Wendell’s reappearance for several hours, but it was suddenly apparent that she had done so needlessly.

Because the fact that he was back in town wasn’t going to affect her relationship with Nicholas.

Not at all.

4

Zienna finished reading the medical questionnaire her newest patient, who was sitting on the examining bed, had filled out, describing the pain he was experiencing. Before he’d arrived for his appointment she had studied the files that had come from his physician—over two cups of very strong coffee, since she needed the caffeine to help her stay awake after her largely sleepless night.

“So, let me sum up what I understand from what you’ve told me and what I’ve read in your file,” she said as she placed the clipboard on her desk, then moved to stand in front of him. “You’ve been dealing with pain in your right elbow for nearly two years, which you attribute to your work as a machinist.”

Ed, a heavyset man in his mid-forties, nodded. “Yep.”

“And despite various therapies, you’re still suffering pain.”

“Yeah. And now my doc has suggested surgery, but I don’t want to do that. Not yet, anyway.”

“Which is why you’re here.” Zienna smiled pleasantly. “I’m very glad you contacted our clinic. Even though you had disappointing results with other doctors, you’re going to be quite happy with your decision to put off having surgery.”

“You sound really sure about that.”

“There’s a saying—he who treats the site of pain is lost. So let me ask you, have you ever had any problems with your left knee?”

Ed’s chubby cheeks puckered with his frown. “My left knee?”

“Kinesiologists believe in holistic treatment, which is based on the interconnectedness of the entire body. What I see time and again is that the area where a person suffers pain is often not the source of the pain. It’s something called interlimb neural coupling, which is a fancy way of saying that the limbs are connected in terms of functionality. So hearing your symptoms with your right elbow, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that you’ve had issues with your left knee.”

Zienna regarded Ed, and saw in his eyes when his brain connected the dots. “I did. I injured my left knee years ago when cycling. I still feel pain there from time to time.”

She couldn’t help smiling. “Excellent.”

“Excellent?” he echoed, looking confused.

“Sorry,” she said. “It’s just...well, I love my job, and I especially love when I’m able to help someone who feels all hope is lost. Just last month I had a patient come here with a torn ligament in his shoulder, and he, too, believed he would have to have surgery. Once I was able to diagnose the true source of his shoulder problems—which were actually connected to problems in his opposite ankle—within a couple of sessions he was pain-free.”

Ed looked skeptical.

“It’s the magic of kinesiology.” Zienna had treated patients whose issues were emotional, with their stress manifested as pain in their body. In her practice, she dealt with a person’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being as a way to effectively care for their problems.

“I won’t begin treatment until you’ve had all the tests we require here at the clinic, but I feel very confident that I can successfully eliminate the pain in your elbow.”

Now Ed smiled. “If you can save me from surgery, I’ll be forever in your debt.”

At that moment, the wall phone rang. Zienna turned to look at it, knowing that for the receptionist to have put a call through to her in the examining room, it had to be important.

“Excuse me a moment, Ed.”

She crossed the room to the phone and lifted the receiver. “Hello?”

“Hey, babe.”

At the sound of Nicholas’s voice, Zienna frowned slightly. Why was he calling her on this line?

“Hey,” she said in a lowered voice. “What’s up?”

“Just concerned about you. The way you left this morning...it didn’t feel right. I called your cell, but you didn’t answer.”

“Right.”

“You okay?”

“Um-hmm. Yep. But, um, can I call you back in a little bit? I’m with a client right now.”

“Oh, okay. No problem. I just wanted to hear your voice. Make sure you’re all right.”

“Excellent,” she said, hoping for Ed’s sake to sound professional.

“I get it. You can’t talk. But let’s do something tonight.”

“Sure. You’ll give me the details in a bit?”

“Yeah, I’ll call you later.”

Zienna was inwardly beaming as she replaced the receiver. It was a nice feeling, knowing that Nicholas was worried about her. He was a great guy, and for the first time in a long time she was in a happy relationship. She still got butterflies when she talked to him, something that hadn’t lasted with the men she’d dated in the more recent past.

“If you go out to reception, Jamie will take care of booking the tests we require, which are all done in-house. You should be able to see me again by next week.”

“Great. Thanks so much.”

Zienna saw Ed out of the examining room, but her mind was on Nicholas and what she’d discussed with Alexis that morning. Hearing Nicholas’s voice, she felt better about her decision not to tell him of her past with Wendell. Doing so might hurt him, and she didn’t want to jeopardize what they had.

“Um, hey.”

Zienna turned, and was surprised to see Ed standing in the doorway. “Yes?”

“I just wanted to say that not only are you beautiful, you’re incredibly smart. I’m glad my friend referred me to this clinic.”

“Oh.” Zienna hadn’t expected that. “Why, thank you.”

Ed offered a bashful smile, then a little wave.

As he disappeared again, Zienna made a face, confused by what had just happened. Was Ed simply being nice, or was he a little bit smitten?

It wouldn’t be the first time a client had become enamored with her. She was attractive and liked to smile, something that won over many men. The way she saw it, having male clientele develop a crush on her was a bit of an occupational hazard.

As she sat at the desk, her mind ventured back to when she’d met Wendell five years ago. And the crush that had turned into something more.

As one of the four athletic therapists for the Chicago Bears, she had seen him during practices, and then when the NFL season had started. He’d been thirty-two at the time, almost considered a senior when it came to professional sports, but he still had the kind of skill that put some of the younger players to shame. His talent as a wide receiver kept him in the starting position on the team’s roster.