“Shana, I wanted to introduce you to Dr. Paxton. He is going to be your liaison for the golf event next week,” Dr. Tanner stated as he and Kal walked up.
“Oh, I thought you were, Dr. Tanner,” Shana countered, hoping there was some mistake.
“I’ve decided to pass it on to some young blood. I’ve done it for the last ten years. It’s time to hand it over and Dr. Paxton fits the bill,” Dr. Tanner said smiling at Kal.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Paxton,” Kal said extending his hand to her.
Shana looked at his hand and knew she had to shake it. She watched as her hand extended to meet his. Their hands touched. “Nice to meet you, Kal,” Shana said as she felt her face flush. Her body burned as if it was on fire when her hand touched his.
“Shana, I look forward to working with you,” he said still holding her hand.
“Shana, the janitor needs to talk to you,” Meg said as she walked up to rescue Shana.
“Sorry. I have to go,” Shana said, turned and walked away with Meg.
“We’ll talk later,” Kal said to Shana’s retreating back.
Kal watched her walk away. The suit she wore snugly fit every curve of her body. Her hips swayed provocatively as she walked. Her fragrance lingered, stirring up memories even after she’d gone. He’d never felt such a strong attraction simply from touching a woman’s hand. Her whole presence was sensual and alluring. He wanted to touch every inch of her body, not just shake her hand. He watched her talking to the janitor. She was smiling and laughing. God help him but he wanted her. Again.
“Have you two met before?” Dr. Tanner asked.
What?” Kal asked as his visual memory of their first meeting was interrupted.
“When she called you Kal it sounded as if she knew you.”
“It’s on my nametag,” Kal answered. He had not given it any thought when she had said his name.
“Oh yes, it is,” Dr. Tanner said as they walked out and down the hall.
“Now, you’re sure you don’t want to be the golf liaison?” Kal probed hoping that maybe he could get Dr. Tanner to change his mind.
“I’m sure. That Shana is quite an attractive young woman. Who knows maybe you two will hit it off.”
“Not looking, remember?” Kal reminded him.
“We’ll see,” Dr. Tanner stated and walked into his office. Kal continued down the hall to his own office.
He’d completely forgotten Dr. Tanner mentioning the golf liaison thing earlier in the week. He hadn’t agreed to do it then again he hadn’t declined either. Now what was he going to do? The physical attraction between him and Shana was so strong. If he wasn’t careful, the desires of his body would win and there was no telling what would happen next whether he planned it or not. Whether he wanted it to or not, may not be a deciding factor. And seeing her on a daily basis would only fuel the smoldering fire.
Chapter Seven
Shana sat at her computer typing a long email to Tara explaining what had happened to her in Phoenix. She was entirely convinced she was the unluckiest person in the whole world. Simply look at all the things she’d had to deal with in the last couple of years. Most people don’t have that many bad things happen to them their entire lives and if they do, they are spread out over an entire lifetime. Really, what were the odds she would ever run into Kal again much less end up working at the same place? Then for that place to be thousands of miles from home? Maybe she should never have left Minnesota. She ended the email and hit send.
It was after five and Meg had already left. Shana got her bags together and turned off the computer. She was ready to turn off the lights when the phone rang. She walked back over to the phone on her desk and saw Kal’s name on the caller ID. She didn’t know if she should pick up the phone receiver or not. What did he want? Why was he calling her? Especially after five? It rang again. She wasn’t sure how or why, nonetheless her hand reached for the phone and picked it up.
“This is Shana,” she said.
“It’s Kal. I’m glad I caught you before you left.”
“Why?” Shana asked, completely caught off guard.
“We need to talk,” Kal stated matter-of-factly.
“Why?” Shana asked again.
“I think it would be best if we talk before we work on this golf tournament together.”
“Talk?” she managed to get out.
“Since we’ll be working together at the hospital, it may be in both our best interests to talk first. How about meeting me after work tomorrow for a drink?” Kal asked.
“Oh-I’m not sure—” she barely got out.
“It won’t hurt, I promise. Meet me at the Desert Rose at six tomorrow night,” Kal offered.
“This is so awkward,” Shana managed to finally answer.
“Agreed. So tomorrow night then?” he asked.
“Okay.”
“Great! I’ll put you down in my date book. See you then,” Kal stated and ended the call.
Date book? Shana set the phone back down on the receiver while staring at the caller id as it went blank. Had he thought they were going on a date tomorrow? No. He couldn’t possibly be thinking that. Could he? They were only meeting to talk. About what she wasn’t exactly sure though.
God only knew there were things they needed to talk about. Unfortunately, there were things she couldn’t talk about. Not with him. At least not yet, though she did have questions she wanted to ask him. Like why he never called her after their one-night stand together. And she really wanted to know why he’d left her the fifty-dollar bill. She wasn’t so sure she could bring herself to ask that question, although she certainly did want to know what his answer would be.
Shana gathered up her purse and bag and headed out to her car. She walked outside to a beautiful clear sky and warm air. The weather in Phoenix was everything she’d thought it would be and she was glad to be here even if it meant having to deal with Kal. She would get through this. It was best to face him alone, away from the hospital, where no one else could witness or overhear their conversation. This was only between the two of them. The biggest obstacle she had to face was this strong attraction she felt towards Kal. An attraction that couldn’t go anywhere. So they would simply meet, talk about their fateful evening and how it had ended without any further conversation, and then they would go their separate ways—doing their own jobs, being polite to each other socially and at work. Yes, that was how it was going to work and she wasn’t going to give it another thought the rest of the evening.
Somehow, things never work out the way you plan. Tara read her email about Kal, and Shana’s phone rang as soon as she walked into her apartment.
“Shana, it’s Tara,” came the voice on the other end of the phone.
“Tara! I sent you an email today before I left the hospital.”
“I know. I just read it. Are you all right?” Tara asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Good, I was worried after reading that Kal is there in Phoenix,” Tara said.
“Shocking, isn’t it? I still can’t believe it. I mean what are the odds of this happening?” Shana asked.
“Extremely slim I’m sure.”
“So are you sure he recognized you?” Tara asked.
“Yes.”
“Did he say something to you?”
“Actually he called my office right after I sent your email.”
“Why? What did he want?”
“He wants to meet for a drink after work tomorrow.”
“Why?” Tara asked.
“He said we need to talk.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“I suppose it’s the best thing to do. To break the ice as they say.”
“It can be good as long as you feel up to it,” Tara offered.
“I have a few questions for him I’d like to have answered.”
“Like?”
“Why he never called? Why he left the money?”
“Yes, you deserve answers,”
Tara said.
“Not sure I can bring myself to ask about the money though. It’s so humiliating.”
“Are you going to say anything about the pregnancy?” Tara asked.
“No, probably not ever.”
“Okay. Are you sure you’re up to this?”
“Yes,” Shana answered with some hesitation.
“I’m sensing hesitation. Is there something else bothering you?”
“Tara, he is so damn good looking. I’d forgotten. It’s been close to three years since I last saw him.”
“Are you attracted to him?”
“Yes! Isn’t that crazy?”
“No, absolutely not. You had sex with the man, so you were obviously attracted to him then. So it’s no wonder you’re attracted to him now.”
“That makes sense, although I know it can’t go anywhere this time.”
“Try to relax and don’t stress out about it. You have some questions you need to have answered foremost. So focus on them for tomorrow.”
“I will. It’s so weird to spend the last couple years thinking about him and now having to see him almost daily.”
“Yes, that will be tough. You’re doing great though. You’ll be fine. I’m so proud of you!” Tara said emphatically.
“Thanks, Tara.”
“Call me tomorrow and let me know how it goes.”
“Okay.”
“Shana, you know you can call me anytime don’t you?” Tara asked.
“Yes, but—”
“Shana, we are friends. Call me.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know what answers he gives to my questions. Talk to you tomorrow,” Shana said as she hung up the phone.
* * * *
Kal drove home with Shana on his mind. He’d done it. He was finally going to talk to her. It’d been at least two years since he’d last seen her. Now he would have the opportunity to ask her some questions. Some he could ask and some he couldn’t. But all in all, he needed to break the ice between them so they could work together. He needed to make sure she didn’t know what he’d done. Because if she did, it was a whole new ballgame. He felt such a strong attraction to her though and he thought she’d felt it too. He could feel it when he shook her hand. He simply couldn’t understand why she’d not looked for him when she’d gotten pregnant. Unfortunately, they couldn’t have anything together now. It was just too late. Even if he wanted her, would he be able to forgive or forget what she tried to do. If she found out what he did, his whole life would be in her hands. He could lose his job, which was his life next to his daughter.
Kal pulled in the driveway and got out of his car. He saw the door to the house open and out came Kalsha.
She beamed and clapped her little hands together. “Daddy!” she exclaimed and ran into his arms.
Kal bent down, swooped her up in his arms and hugged her fiercely. Then he kissed her forehead. He looked into her eyes and saw Shana’s eyes. After seeing her today, he knew Kalsha was the spitting image of her mother. He knew then he could not let the two of them ever meet, because if they did no one could miss the resemblance. It would be obvious they were mother and daughter.
“Kal, how was your day?” his sister, Sadie, asked walking out the door.
“Sis, even if I tell you, you are not going to believe it.”
“Really. Try me.”
“Shana is working at the hospital.”
“No way! Are you serious?” she asked.
“Dead serious,” Kal answered.
“Come in,” she said opening the door to the house, “and tell me all about it.”
“Can’t wait,” Kal said and sat down at the dining room table to confide in his best friend, his sister. “Where should I start?” Kal knew it was time to tell his sister the whole story and in reality, he was relieved to finally tell someone else. Shana’s appearance had forced his hand. It would be good to confide in Sadie. He wasn’t sure what was in the future for him and Kalsha.
“The beginning is always best.” She sat down after sitting Kalsha down in the family room with her toys. “I’m listening.”
* * * *
Desert Oasis Golf Club left a message on Shana’s phone the next morning requesting the final count for the golf event. The problem was she didn’t have the counts they needed. She needed to get them from the golf liaison doctor, which was Kal. Couldn’t they wait until tomorrow? She didn’t want to call Kal, at least not until after they had their meeting tonight. Shana called the Desert Oasis but was only able to confirm they needed the counts today and they couldn’t wait until tomorrow. Damn. How was she going to get out of this? Finally, she opted to email Kal for the counts. Obviously, the chicken way out, nonetheless it would suffice. Kal promptly emailed her back the numbers and the names of all the doctors attending. Great. That was done.
The phone rang and she looked down to see Kal’s name appear on the caller id. It rang a couple of times before she reached for it.
“This is Shana,” she said.
“Kal. Just wanted to be sure you got my email with all the names for the golfers.”
“Yes.”
“Great. We’re all set then?”
“I’ll let you know if I need anything else.”
“Sounds good. And I’ll see you tonight at six at The Desert Rose.”
“I’ll be there.”
“I’ll see you later then.”
“Okay,” Shana said and hung up the phone. Well she’d survived that. Now hopefully she would survive tonight, too.
* * * *
Shana stood in front of her closet trying to decide what to wear. The day had flown by and before she knew it, it was five. Now she had only a few minutes to pick something to change into. Originally, she was going to wear the tan suit she’d worn to work, however decided to change into something less stuffy. She actually had no clue what she should wear. It wasn’t actually a date. She wasn’t really trying to attract his attention, was she? Hell, she didn’t know if she was or not. Finally, she grabbed a pair of capri-length jeans, a low cut black tank top and some black-heeled sandals. She changed quickly, touched up her makeup and hair before leaving her apartment. Not wanting to be late, she arrived about five minutes early. She walked into The Desert Rose to see Kal already there talking to the hostess.
Kal turned to see her approach him. “There she is,” Kal said to the hostess and smiled at Shana.
The hostess led them to a patio table with an umbrella. Music played in the background. The patio was surrounded by a make shift wall with planters of brilliant red roses on the top, providing privacy to the patrons.
“This is very nice,” Shana said.
“Yes, it is. A friend of mine recommended it. I will have to thank him.”
They both ordered a glass of wine. Then there was that awkward silence. Shana didn’t know what to say and felt it was up to Kal to initiate a conversation so she waited.
Kal studied her across the table. Unfortunately, he certainly liked what he saw. How could he not when every time he looked into Shana’s face he saw Kalsha’s face, a face he loved and loved to look at.
Why? Why had she done it? That was what he wanted to ask. Unfortunately, he couldn’t. Not unless she offered the information. So he decided to start at the beginning, since she was obviously waiting for him to start up a conversation. First, they would order dinner. He was not above wining and dining her to get the answers he needed.
The Desert Rose was a steakhouse so they both ordered steaks and salads. The waitress brought out their wine and a basket of breads and rolls, which they snacked on in silence.
Finally, Kal asked, “Do you remember the night we met?”
“Yes,” Shana answered. “A night I will never forget.”
“Why is that?” he asked.
“You were my first and only one-night stand.”
“A one-night stand, huh. I guess it turned out that way, didn’t it?”
“Yes, it certainly did.”
“That’s no
t what I intended,” Kal said honestly.
“What did you intend then?” Shana asked, as anger unintentionally surfaced on her face.
“When I saw you sitting at the bar, I thought you were beautiful and I wondered if I even stood a chance with you. My ego engulfed my thoughts and I approached you. I really didn’t expect you to be receptive to me. Figured you were probably already taken.”
“I figured you looked too good to be hitting on me. I rarely go to bars and even more rare that I went alone,” Shana offered.
“What made you decide to go there alone?” Kal asked, wanting to understand her motives better.
“I got laid off from my job of ten years that day. It was completely unexpected. I never saw it coming.”
“I see. But you didn’t say anything about it.”
“I think I was in shock. Plus, I don’t really drink and I’d had two drinks already when you came up to talk to me.”
“Are you saying you were drunk by then?”
“One is my limit, and I was starting my third.”
“I see.”
“No, I don’t think you do. Not only had I lost my job, I’d buried my mother only three months prior.”
“I’m sorry,” Kal said.
“That’s not even all of it. Mother had been sick for over a year before she died. I was responsible for all the medical bills.”
“Don’t you have any other family?” Kal asked.
“No,” Shana answered as her eyes watered.
Kal realized he’d opened a fresh wound as she thought of her dead parents.
“Needless to say, I was in bad shape. I really needed that job, and I really needed to be with someone that night. It had been two years since my divorce.”
“You hadn’t had sex for two years?” Kal asked, not that it was so unusual to go without sex, but it was personal. He wanted to know if she’d been with anyone else.
“Yes, it wasn’t so much the sex I wanted—not that it wasn’t great, because it was,” Shana said. Kal observed her as she continued, “I simply wanted to be held.”
Taking Chances Page 7