He couldn’t be upset with me, though. I didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, I should be upset with him for completely stomping on any hopes that we could hang out again in the future. I knew it wasn’t supposed to be more than a drunken hookup, but it would have been kind if he’d at least asked for my phone number. That would have made me feel better.
“Supper is ready.” Paul’s voice rang through the spacious entrance. I followed Chad through his home to the dining room.
“Doesn’t this look amazing, Whitney?” my mom asked, marveling at the spread. For such a small party, Paul had gone all out with the meal. A golden turkey sat waiting to be carved amongst a throng of delectables like homemade rolls, stuffing, different vegetables, and desserts. I would have really appreciated what he had done to make my mother and me happy if I weren’t so annoyed with his son.
“Go ahead, sit down,” Paul said eagerly.
As I sat down in the nearest chair, across from Ted, I saw Chad talk to his friend. With a confused look from Ted, he switched seats.
“What was that all about?” I asked Ted, glancing across the wide table at Chad. He was very focused on piling food on his plate.
Ted shrugged his shoulders. “He just said that we should get to know each other.”
His cute face was so confused that I couldn’t help but giggle. “Then I guess we’ll get to know each other.”
Unlike Chad, my first move was for the wine. I took a long sip of the red, letting the strong flavors cool my nerves. The alcohol in my empty stomach provided much relief.
We spent most of the meal in silence, except for my mom’s and Paul’s conversations. They were clearly in love with each other, despite only seeing each other for such a short amount of time. During dinner, they recounted their romance as I poured more wine and Chad shoveled more food into his face.
“And I know that this is a big surprise already,” Paul said, “but there’s something Sandra and I want to announce.”
They looked at us with goofy smiles on their faces. My mom’s eyes were shining.
“We’re getting married!” my mom squealed.
I felt like I’d just received a kick in the stomach. My head was spinning, and not just from the merlot. Not only would I be experiencing a life-changing event, but I would have to go through all of it with Chad. I couldn’t imagine anything less appealing at that moment. I couldn’t escape the awkward feeling around him. We were going to be stepsiblings.
Maybe there was still time. If I started looking now, I could find a new job sometime in the next year at a different hospital, far away. Maybe the engagement wouldn’t last.
“When?” I asked, hoping for a date way into the future.
“Valentine’s Day,” my mom cried.
“Really?” Chad snorted.
“I bet you didn’t think your old man was romantic, did you?” Paul asked his son, beaming with pride.
“That’s only a few months away,” I protested.
“It’s not going to be a big event,” my mom said. “Besides, you’re great at planning. With your help, I bet I could get everything ready in a week.”
I forced my mouth into a smile as my stomach churned. There was no escaping this.
Looking over at Chad, I could tell that he was experiencing a similar reaction to this news. His hands were clenched so tightly around his knife and fork that his knuckles were turning white. His lips were tightly pursed together.
Poor Ted kept looking at everyone around the table, clearly out of place. To keep himself busy, he focused on cutting his slice of meat smaller and smaller until he got to the molecular level.
“Congratulations,” Chad said to our parents. “I’m glad that the two of you are happy.”
My mom rested her hands over her chest, beaming at her new stepson. It made me feel even more terrible to be so unhappy in response to their happiness.
“Yeah, this is really great,” I said, mustering up all of the sincerity that I could.
After their big announcement, we had dessert. I picked at a slice of apple pie while I nursed a glass of moscato. I usually didn’t drink this much at family functions, but I didn’t know if I could deal with this completely sober.
After dinner, Ted quietly announced that he was going to leave. I didn’t blame him.
“Are you sure?” Paul asked. “We could play a game or watch a movie. I just got new surround sound speakers.”
I cringed. If this were their plan, then I would have to stay for much longer than I wanted to. I didn’t want to ask for my mom to take me home because she seemed so happy with Paul. I wouldn’t dare ruin her Christmas.
“Yeah, I should get going,” Ted persisted. “Thank you so much for including me,” he said politely. “And congrats on the engagement.”
“Do you think you could give me a ride home?” I asked. “I’m starting to get a migraine, I’m afraid.”
“Maybe it’s the wine,” my mom said, frowning. “Do you want me to take you home?”
“It’s no problem,” Ted replied.
Chad raised his eyebrow at the two of us. I quickly looked at my mom and Paul.
“Thanks for dinner. I’ll see you back at the hospital.”
I gave them a quick hug, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Chad so he wouldn’t expect an embrace.
Ted and I walked out the door into the cold wind. I wrapped my coat tighter around my chest, feeling a chill that wouldn’t go away.
“That was the strangest Christmas dinner I’ve ever been to,” Ted said.
“Same. I’m sorry you had to sit through that. I’m sorry I had to sit through that.”
“Do you know Chad well?”
I expelled a quick sigh of relief. At least Ted didn’t know about Chad and me.
“Not very. He hasn’t been working at the hospital for long. I haven’t really, either, for that matter.”
“I’ve known Chad for a while. His dad’s a great guy. I don’t know your mom, but I bet she’s pretty lucky to have him. Chad’s family has been through a lot after his mom left, and then died later. It’ll be good for Paul to have someone.”
“I didn’t know about all of that,” I said softly.
“Chad doesn’t talk about it much. It was pretty awful for him. He’s okay, but I don’t think that pain ever really leaves a person.”
“I suppose it doesn’t.”
“I’m sure it’s weird to suddenly have new stepsiblings, but Chad is as good as they get. At least you’ll know that every family gathering will be a ton of fun. The guy is a legend.”
I chuckled. “I’m sure he is.”
When we got to my driveway, Ted stopped the car and looked over at me. He seemed nervous.
“Thanks for the ride. Maybe I’ll see you again sometime,” I said, hoping I wouldn’t have to be around Chad long enough to run into Ted.
“About that,” he said, biting his lip. “Do you think we could hang out sometime? I mean, Chad can be there too, but he doesn’t have to be.”
“I don’t know, Ted,” I said, blushing. “I’m pretty busy at work.”
“Can I at least give you my number? That way, I won’t bother you, but if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me.”
I handed over my phone to Ted, who quickly typed in his name and number before handing it back.
“Thanks again,” I said, getting out of the car.
“It’s no problem. I hope to see you again soon.”
I walked into my house, clutching my phone in my hand. I wasn’t sure if I would see Ted again, but I was thankful that at least one person wanted me.
Chapter Six
Whitney
I’m not exactly sure how we did it, but Chad and I made it two full weeks without saying more than a couple of words to each other. I think he talked to the head nurse about switching his schedule around because I saw that he had been rescheduled to work the night shift most days. For someone who was apparently a party animal, it must have been rough fo
r him to miss out on all of the fun times.
Just because we rarely spoke, doesn’t mean that I didn’t still think about him. I was feeling particularly lonely around this time of the year. It was hard to see virtually everyone around me coupled up. Between Christmas and New Year’s, there were so many parties and events where dates were necessary. When I watched my friends go home with their boys, I felt a twinge in my stomach when I went home alone.
It couldn’t be just any boy. I wanted to be with a man whom I had chemistry with. I wanted someone who could make me laugh, but I could still take around to my mom’s house for dinner. I saw how charming Chad could be and how gentle and sexy and fun he was. I wanted someone who was like Chad, but just not him. I wanted someone who wanted to see me again after the first date.
Fortunately, there was someone else in mind to fill this need. I had thought about calling Ted for a few days. Finally, one night when I was feeling very lonely, I sent Ted a text after a glass of wine. I figured if he wasn’t interested in hanging out, there was no harm done. I could always see if Chad had other cute friends.
Hey, it’s Whitney. I’m free tomorrow if you want to get lunch or something.
I sat with my phone in my hand, waiting for a response. Luckily, he texted me back immediately. That was a good sign.
I’d love to. Do you want to meet me at the Garden Café at noon?
I grinned. I thought Ted was really cute and I wanted to get to know him better. He seemed quieter and kinder than Chad. I thought I felt the smallest hint of something between us. We didn’t have much time to speak at the dinner, but the more I thought about him, the more I convinced myself there was a spark. I needed to test the waters to see if he felt the same way.
On the day we went out to lunch, I put on a modest sweater and a pair of snug jeans. I wasn’t sure if Chad had told him about me, and I didn’t want him to think that I just wanted to sleep around. I wanted to look cute but still like someone whom he could casually date.
When I got there, he was already waiting at a table. I liked a guy who could be on time. Without saying anything, he was already starting out well in my book. He waved toward me and stood up to greet me.
“It’s really great to see you,” he said. “How was your week?”
“I’ve had worse.” I smiled. “Have you ever had to help your mother plan her second wedding? I went into a bridal store and ran into an acquaintance from high school trying on dresses. She started asking me about my wedding before my mom finally stepped in and claimed it. It was pretty horrifying trying to explain how I was nearing my thirtieth birthday and hadn’t even dated in over a year.”
“Yikes,” he said. “I know how you feel. Every time my mom sees me, she asks if I’m dating anyone. I’ve told her a million times that if that day ever comes, she’ll be the first to know.”
“It’s crazy, isn’t it? There’s so much pressure on people our age to settle down with someone when we’re doing exactly what we want to do. We both have really great jobs and steady income, so why worry about complicating that by attaching your life to someone else’s?”
“I’m glad somebody gets it. Although,” he said, looking down to his menu, “I think I’d like to settle down with someone one day. When the moment is right, you know?”
I nodded and suddenly felt very selfconscious. This was a weird conversation to have at the very beginning of a first date.
After we ordered, we started talking and realized that we had a lot in common. We were both pretty busy with work, but we liked the same sports teams and the same books and movies. The more we talked, the more we realized we had in common. For a moment, I thought he was just trying to impress me with his similar interests, but listening to him talk, I knew that he was completely honest.
Once we were done eating and waiting for the check, the inevitable came up—Chad Brent.
“So,” Ted said carefully, trying to breach the subject, “I heard about what went on between you and Chad. It’s not a big deal for me, but it felt wrong not to tell you that I heard about what happened.”
My face burned red. This was the last thing I wanted Ted to know about. But I knew if they were really close, he would find out anyway.
“Oh, God,” I groaned. “What did he tell you?”
Ted looked embarrassed too. The poor guy continued to find himself in uncomfortable situations between Chad and me.
“He said that you guys hooked up, but it wasn’t anything. He said that he thinks you’re cool, but being stepsiblings has made him feel creepy and weird, and that it was fine if I went out with you. In fact, before we even met, he encouraged me to ask you out.”
“Really?”
Ted nodded. “Yeah. Chad hooks up with different girls all the time. He said that he’s having a hard time looking you in the eye because of everything happening with your families, but he’s hoping that things will go back to normal.”
“I hope so too,” I said. “That would be terrible if we had to see each other a few times a year and we still felt this awkward.”
“I think that will pass, eventually,” Ted said. “I wouldn’t worry about Chad. He has a short memory for these types of things. Besides, you could take his weirdness as a compliment.”
“How so?”
“If he didn’t care about you at all, he just wouldn’t give a shit. He must think you’re pretty cool if he’s embarrassed. That’s good, isn’t it?”
I bit my lip. If anything, this revelation only made things more complicated. I was attracted to Chad, but he was completely off limits. Not only would it be completely unprofessional to go there again, but it would also practically be incest. We would be stepsiblings in just a few short months. I understood that technically, we weren’t related, but it was still super weird and forbidden to even think of him that way.
The thing that drove me crazy was that I craved Chad’s touch when there was a perfectly good man sitting across the table from me. Ted was really cute and fun to talk to. The longer we sat together, the more attractive I found him. But, he was also Chad’s best friend. If I spent more time with Ted, I would probably see Chad more often. The only way to avoid the situation altogether would be to swear off men and move somewhere far away.
But I knew I could never do that. I wasn’t going to let some guy run me out of town. I was here first, after all.
My chest fluttered when Ted took the bill and left a sizable tip. He wasn’t brandishing his money in some sort of grand gesture, but quietly so I wouldn’t even think of it. He was a good guy, and it would be silly for me not to see where things went with him.
“Can I call you sometime?” he asked before we parted ways. “I had a lot of fun today.”
I nodded. “I had a good time too. Thanks for lunch.”
“No problem. I guess I’ll see you around,” he said, inching slightly closer.
I leaned in to give him a hug goodbye and felt his lips quickly kiss my cheek. As we began to part, we faced each other, just inches of space between us.
Without thinking, I kissed him on the lips. At first, it was meant to be a quick peck on the mouth, but then I didn’t want to stop. He wrapped his arms around me as my lips parted slightly.
He was a good kisser, but it felt different from when I kissed Chad. With Chad, there was nothing but white-hot lust for each other. With Ted, it was sweet, and I wanted to savor the moment. I didn’t want to go all the way with him at once. The anticipation would be just as good.
We only parted because I think we both remembered we were making out in a public place in the middle of the afternoon. But, as we said our final goodbyes and walked away, I could see the smile on his face. There was definitely a spark there. I hoped it would be bright enough to outshine the spark I felt with Chad.
Chapter Seven
Chad
After a long shift, I went over to Ted’s apartment because he said he wanted to hang out. I told him that I was tired and didn’t feel like it, but he said he had just ordered
pizza, so I couldn’t refuse. I raced over and walked in just as the delivery guy was walking out.
“I thought you said you were going home first,” Ted said, noting my work attire.
“I changed my mind,” I mumbled through the melty cheese of the supreme pizza. “What’s on tonight?”
“Blackhawks game,” he said, “but that’s not why I wanted you to come over.”
I set the slice back in the box. “Are you bribing me with pizza for some reason? I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“It’s not a bribe.” He laughed. “I just wanted to ask you about something.”
“Shoot.”
“I went out with Whitney a couple of days ago.”
I swallowed my bite and clenched my teeth.
“Oh?” I said nonchalantly, as if there was nothing about this news that I would find interesting.
“I just wanted to make sure that was okay with you.”
“I’m the one who set the two of you up in the first place. Didn’t I encourage you to ask her out?”
“Yeah, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t a problem with you since you guys have hooked up.”
“That was over a month ago. I’m not interested in her. I promise.”
He gave a sigh of relief before going on with his story. I half-listened while flipping through television channels.
“I took her to a restaurant for lunch and I found out that we have a lot of similar interests. You’re actually pretty lucky that she’s going to be your stepsister because she’s really cool. I suppose things could be a lot worse for you.”
I snorted. At that point, I would have preferred to have a weird stepsibling that I never wanted to spend time with over one I wanted to spend time in bed with. One day, we’d be at our parents’ wedding anniversary celebration when we’re in our fifties, and all I’d be able to think about is that time we got it on—twice—at a house party.
“And then at the end of our date,” Ted continued, “we kissed. It was a pretty good kiss, too, not just a quick peck on the lips. I wouldn’t call it a make out, but it was pretty close.”
Forbidden Prescription 3: MFM Ménage Stepbrother Medical Romance (Forbidden Medicine) Page 4