A Demon Inside

Chapter 4-1

Chapter 4

Hunter heard the phone ringing as he groped in his pocket for his keys. For once he was glad Nana had eschewed modern conveniences like answering machines and voice mail. As long as the person calling hung on, he would be able to answer.

“s**t!” They would hang on—even if he dropped his keys. Scooping up the keys, he hurried to unlock the door and rush inside. He snatched up the phone on what seemed like its twentieth ring.

The voice that came over the line was deep and warm. “Hunter…how are you? I’ve been meaning to call, but things have been crazy busy the past few days.”

Nana also didn’t approve of caller ID. “Hi. I don’t mean to be rude, but who is this?”

“You’re not being rude. I should have said. This is Jay Blackstock, your grandmother’s doctor.”

“Right. Sorry I didn’t recognize your voice.”

“Anyway, I was thinking about you and wondering if you’re doing okay.”

Hunter sat down, tired, in the brocade chair next to the phone. He was most definitely not okay, but he couldn’t say that to this man with whom he had only had a passing professional relationship, could he? “I’m okay, thanks. It’s going to take a while to get over my, um, loss, but considering, I guess I’m okay, Dr. Blackstock.” Maybe one of the things he should do now that he was on his own, Hunter thought, was to learn how to speak like a normal adult.

“Please cut the Dr. Blackstock bit. I only just turned thirty, so I know I’m not much older than you are. Jay, okay?”

“Sure…Jay.”

“I tried to call earlier, but there was no answer.”

“I was with Nana’s lawyer. The reading of the will, you know?”

“Oh?”

“Yeah…it all seemed so removed from her. All this legal stuff…any sense of Nana just…well, it wasn’t there.”

“So, everything okay? I would imagine she took good care of you.”

“Yes, very well, in fact.”

“Really?”

Hunter didn’t know if he liked the sudden uptick in interest in the doctor’s tone. Perhaps he was calling about some unpaid bills? But wouldn’t he have staff to make such calls?

“Listen, Hunter, I really wasn’t calling you in a professional capacity.”

Hunter didn’t know what to say to fill the pause that followed.

“Yeah…I hope I’m not out of line here, but I just wanted to see if maybe you were free for lunch tomorrow? I know it’s short notice, so if you’re busy, that’s okay. It’s just that I usually have tomorrow off and thought it might be nice to see you under different circumstances, more pleasant ones. If you want to, of course.”

Hunter was taken aback by the call. Was he asking him out? Hunter’s sheltered life had included no dating. He was embarrassed by that fact and the fact that he was, in his early twenties, still a virgin. Why are you thinking such things now, you dolt? The guy is just asking you to lunch, not to bed. But Hunter knew exactly why he was thinking such things as he conjured up an image of Jay Blackstock, his dark skin and eyes, the thick thatch of hair atop his head.

“Hunter? You still there? I’m sorry, maybe it was inappropriate of me to call.”

“No! Don’t be silly.” Hunter really did not want to go to lunch tomorrow. It seemed too soon, almost unseemly. Yet what else was there for him to do? Rattle around this big empty house? Watch soap operas? He mustered up his courage, and before Jay had a chance to ask him again if he was still there, said, “That would be really nice.”

“I’ll pick you up at noon.”