“Oh my God, no. I don’t want to know about your sex life with my brother. That’s just gross. No, I’ve never talked to my doctor. I’m too embarrassed. Roger made me feel like I wasn’t a real woman. I thought for sure I’d never get involved with another man, ever again. But spending time with Kyle these past few days has changed my mind. I’m so scared of hurting him though. I don’t want to make him feel like a failure when he can’t make me come either. Don’t men take that type of thing personally?”
“You’re scared of hurting him. Honey, you haven’t even given him a chance. You’re only hurting yourself here in the end. I really want to help you though. Are you sure I can’t tell you a little? I won’t say his name and just don’t think about it being your brother, just think about it being a man I’m married to.”
“Oh, this is embarrassing. Alright, I’ll try.”
Willow starts laughing and I immediately think she’s laughing at my situation, and I’m ready to high-tail it out of here. Her face changes when she realizes what I’m thinking.
“Oh, no, I wasn’t laughing at you. I was just thinking about what Ash. . . . I mean, what my husband said to me just before Abbey was born. He called me a butt whore.”
“A butt whore? Oh God, I don’t think I can do this,” I tell her.
“Trust me, you can do this. Have you ever had a man’s finger up your ass?” she asks me seriously.
“Oh hell no! And, please don’t ever use finger and ass in the same sentence ever again,” I beg her.
“Don’t be so quick to dismiss it. Let me just say that I’m not into the whole anal sex thing, but a man’s finger up your ass is absolutely phenomenal.”
“You are kidding right?”
“No, I’m not. Look they have to know what they’re doing, but if I were to give you one tip to start with, it would be that maybe you just can’t have an orgasm through actual sex. Don’t be so hard on yourself. The article said that about sixty-five percent of women can only achieve an orgasm through some sort of clitoral stimulation. That’s either from toys or from oral sex. Most likely you’re just part of the majority and can only have an orgasm through oral stimulation. That’s a big percentage of women in the same category. There’s nothing wrong with you. And, if you can get a little finger action up the ass, let me tell you, it will rock your world.
“I think you should talk to your doctor though, just to make sure everything’s alright down there. You shouldn’t be embarrassed to talk to your own doctor.
“Roger is just a straight up asshole. He better hope I never meet him. Don’t be so hard on yourself. The right man will come along and he’ll want to love you the way you need to be loved. He’ll go out of his way to make sure your needs are taken care of, whatever they may be. Roger is a selfish prick and deserves to have his dick lopped off.”
“Willow, you crack me up. I’m so glad I had this conversation with you. I thought for sure there was something wrong with me. I’ll admit, I’m beyond scared to get involved sexually with a man, but I’m willing to give it another try.”
“Do you think Dr. Peters is the man to give it a try with?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Willow, I just met the man. We had a wonderful time last night and I’m seeing him later this afternoon. Actually, I should probably get going and get ready. We’re going on a hike.”
“Alright, Amelia, I’m always here for you, I hope you know that. I’m an open book with you. I’ll help you any way I can. Also, just a side note here. Once you get to know Kyle just before you think your relationship is ready to go there, talk to him about it. If he’s any decent guy worthy of you, he’ll listen. I saw the way he looked at you. Give him a chance.”
“Alright, Willow. Thanks for lunch and the talk. I need to go home and scrub my brain and get the vision of my brother sticking his finger up your ass out of my mind.”
“Go on, get out of here, have fun on your date.”
Kyle
I slip into Amelia’s apartment building as another couple is walking out. I take the elevator to Amelia’s floor and knock on her door at exactly two-thirty. She opens the door wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of hiking boots. Damn, a woman in hiking boots is hot.
“Kyle, it’s good to see you. I’m all ready. Let me just grab my backpack, then we can head on out.”
She grabs her backpack and I can tell there’s just something different about her today. She seems more . . . I don’t know, relaxed. I take her backpack from her, then we walk to the elevator holding hands. I can see the grin on her lips as we walk to my car. I know what she’s feeling, because I’m wearing that exact same grin. I put her backpack in the trunk with mine, then open her door for her.
“You seem happy. Did you have a good lunch with Willow?” I ask.
“Yes, I did. I should’ve had that talk with her a long time ago.”
“Is it something I can help you with?” I ask, hoping she’ll open up to me.
She looks at me with horror, while her cheeks turn a deep shade of red.
“No, uh, it was just a girl talk. You know, about girl things,” she says and looks out the passenger window.
“Well, whatever it was, I’m glad. I like to see you happy. Is your hand doing OK? I totally forgot about it. Maybe we should cancel the hike.”
“No, really it’s fine. I’ve been looking forward to the hike all day.”
“Alright, but I’ll keep an extra special eye on you all day.”
And I don’t just mean her hand, I say to myself.
We meet Spence and Amanda at Twin Falls Trail, just thirty miles outside of Seattle. The hike is beautiful and one we’ve done several times. This will be Amelia’s first time on this trail and I know she’s just going to love it.
“Is everyone ready to go?” Spence says, as he grabs his backpack and puts it on.
“I think Amelia and I are ready,” I say.
I help Amelia put her backpack on, then I put on my own.
Amelia and Amanda hit it off right away like I knew they would. They walk behind Spence and I, chatting away, getting to know one another. After a little ways, Spence grabs Amanda’s hand and they walk ahead huddled together talking and laughing with each other. I walk next to Amelia, take her good hand in mine and we walk in silence, as we take in the beautiful scenery.
“I’ve been thinking. If I tell you about why I almost gave up being a doctor, will you tell me what was bothering you at dinner about your ex-boyfriend?” I ask as I look into her eyes, hoping we can both open up to each other just a little.
I can see her thinking hard about that one. My guess is that she wants to know so bad why I almost gave up being a doctor, that she’s willing to tell me just about anything.
“That’s a tough decision. Let me think about it for a while. If I do tell you, it has to be alone, I wouldn’t want Amanda and Spence to be a part of the conversation.”
“Absolutely, they usually break off by themselves on the way back so they can have some alone time. Think about it, no pressure,” I assure her.
We walk hand in hand until we reach the half way point. Spence and Amanda rest for a few minutes, drinking water, then invite us out to dinner later this evening at a burger joint. We accept and tell them we’ll see them there at eight.
“So, did you think about it?” I ask her, hopeful she’ll let me in just a little if I give her a little piece of me.
“I did. I’ll tell you, but I’ll warn you if you laugh at me I will never forgive you. It’s extremely personal. I think I’ll need my head examined after I tell you.”
“Alright, I’ll tell you my story first. Full disclosure here, I’m only telling you about why I almost gave up being a doctor. My sister and my family are a whole other story for some other time. And Amelia, I would never laugh at you.”
“Alright, agreed then.”
“I was just out of medical school and I was doing my internship at a different hospital. There is a little bit of my sister in this stor
y, but only because it’s relevant. My sister and I are twins. We went all through college and medical school together. We were even doing our internship at the same hospital together. It was only our second birth we did together. The doctor on duty couldn’t be located, so Chloe and I had to do the delivery by ourselves.
“Something went horribly wrong. The mother and baby went into distress. Everything started happening all at once. Their condition deteriorated quickly. In the end the mother and baby died. It was the first time I had experienced death. I thought all through medical school that it was all about new life and beginnings for families.
“Of course, I knew there were risks and babies died, but I never prepared myself for a mother and baby to die together. It almost destroyed both my sister and I. I really questioned whether or not I could continue. A few weeks later, I learned it wasn’t our fault, that the mother had an underlying condition that put her and her baby at severe risk. I was told even the best of doctors couldn’t have changed the outcome.”
I finish talking, then glance at Amelia. She has tears streaming down her cheeks and I quickly wipe them away.
“Kyle, that’s so awful and sad. I don’t know what I would’ve done if anything had happened to either Willow or Abbey.”
“It took me a long time to accept what happened and move on. Alright, it’s your turn to share,” I tell her, hoping I shared enough of me to let me into a little of her.
“Ugh, alright. I can’t believe I’m going to say this to you, I only met you a few days ago.”
She tells me all about her ex-boyfriend, Roger, and the things that he said to her. Every word she says I have a hard time not losing my shit. I don’t want to interrupt her. I want her to get it all out. But this fuckwad obviously doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing, and I can’t believe a man would ever say those things to a woman. He obviously is no kind of man at all if he can’t see to the needs of his girlfriend. What a selfish prick.
“Amelia, I’m glad you talked to Willow about this. I’m glad she told you the things she did. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with you. It was probably a combination of several thing, but it probably has nothing to do with your ability to have a . . .”
“Please don’t say it! I’m already mortified that I told you the whole story,” she says, while holding up her hands to stop me from talking.
Well, I’m glad you told me and I’d never laugh at you. No real man would say those things to a woman. A real man sees to the needs of his woman. First.
I lean slightly toward her, then kiss her on the lips. She’s warm and soft and being out in nature, kissing a woman like Amelia, lessens the pain of my family drama. Just a little bit.
“We should head back if we want to make it back in time to meet Spence and Amanda for dinner,” I tell her, grab her hand, then lead her back to the car.
Chapter 5
Amelia
I never intended on telling a single soul about my problem, or about Roger, but today I’ve told two people in the matter of hours. I did leave out the spray paint this time with Kyle, because he already looked so angry. I can’t imagine what he’d do if he found out about the spray paint. I have to say it feels pretty damn good though. I was relieved Kyle didn’t laugh at me or think I was deformed. We drove back to my apartment and Kyle said he’d pick me back up at seven-thirty. I jump in the shower and quickly get ready. Soon my door is buzzing and I buzz Kyle up to my apartment.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks.
“I am.”
“Let me wrap your hand a little better for you. I think tomorrow you can leave the wrap off and just wear a bandage. I’ll check it again in a few days, and we might be able to remove the stitches,” he tells me.
I don’t think I can wait that long. My hand feels so much better, it’ll be nice not to have to wear this big gauze wrap.
We walk to the burger place a few blocks from my apartment. Spence and Amanda are waiting at a table, already drinking a beer. There’s a pitcher and two empty glasses waiting for us. All four of us order an enormous burger and garlic fries and wash it down with plenty of beer. The four of us get along so great and spending time with Kyle has been so incredibly nice. Tomorrow is Monday, and I can just imagine how crazy it’s going to be. I really should call it a night.
“I hate to break up this party, but I really should be going. I have a busy day tomorrow at work,” I tell everyone.
“Yes, I need to get going as well. I have rounds at seven in the morning,” Kyle says.
Kyle pays for our meal, takes my hand and we walk back to my apartment. We stand just outside the building and he pulls me in for a hug.
“I had a really nice time today. When can I see you again?” he asks.
“I do have a busy day tomorrow, then I have a dinner at Asher and Willow’s with my family. Let me give you my cell phone number and we can figure it out tomorrow.”
“Alright, thank you for listening to me today. I want you to know I really appreciate you sharing with me today too. I also want you to know, I’m pretty sure your ex-boyfriend is an asshole.”
“Willow said the exact same thing,” I say laughing.
He gives me a tight squeeze and kisses me. It starts off slow and warm, then the next thing I know, his hand is fisted in my hair and I have my hand up his shirt. I quickly remember we’re standing outside my apartment building and break the kiss.
“We’ll talk tomorrow?” I ask him.
“Absolutely. Have a good night, Amelia.”
“You too, Kyle, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
I don’t know what comes over me, but I grab the sides of his face and plant another hot kiss on his lips, then I turn around and let myself into the building. I push the up button on the elevator and glance out the window. Kyle is still standing there, just staring at the door with a goofy grin on his face. The elevator opens, then I step in, giving him a little wave goodbye. The elevator door closes and I realize, I didn’t give him my number.
Monday morning is as crazy as I thought it would be. Asher is taking two weeks off to be with Willow and Abbey. So not only am I an assistant short, I’m taking on some of Asher’s work too. I haven’t even had time for my usual espresso and I think I’m about ready to go postal on the next person to walk into my office. Just then there’s a knock on the door and I seriously have had it.
“WHAT?” I yell.
“I have a delivery for a Ms. Wellington,” a soft voice replies from behind the door.
Ugh. I get up and open the door to an arrangement of flowers and a card being held by a delivery man.
“I’m so sorry I yelled, it’s been one of those days.”
I take the card, then the delivery boy places the flowers on my desk. He doesn’t even wait for a tip and high tails it out of my office. I’m not going to survive this. Maybe I need a temporary assistant until Willow comes back. I inhale the beautiful smell of the flowers and try to calm myself down.
I plop in my chair and open the card. It’s from Kyle. He tells me to call him when I have a free moment and he hopes I’m having a good day. Well, I’m having a bad day, but it just got a little bit better. I dial his number and listen to it ring. On the third ring, I hear his soothing voice answer.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Kyle, it’s me, Amelia. I just got your flowers. Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“You’re welcome. How’s your day going?” he asks.
“A lot better now. Sorry, I totally forgot that I never gave you my cell phone number last night.”
“That’s alright. I still knew where to find you. Has your day really been that bad?” he asks with concern.
“It’s even worse than bad. I just bit the flower delivery guys head off, and I think I’m going to have to contact a temp agency to get a temporary assistant in here until Willow can return. How about you? How’s your day?”
“Busy, but no more than usual. I can’t talk long. I just wanted you to call me so I can have your nu
mber. I hope your day gets easier. I’ll try to text you later, OK?”
“Sure, thanks again for the flowers and I hope you have a good rest of your day too,” I tell him with a smile.
That was just what I needed to brighten my day. My next call is to a temp agency. The rest of my day goes pretty smoothly and I have a temp starting tomorrow morning. I can’t wait to spend some time with my new niece tonight.
I walk into Asher and Willow’s house and it smells amazing. Willow’s mom Judy is in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner. Both of my parents are wearing t-shirts that say they’re proud grandparents of Abbey. I can see Judy has one on too, what a bunch of dorks. My whole family is here, all my brothers and sister, along with Willow’s mom and step-dad.
We all gather at the table and eat the wonderful meal that Judy has prepared. Baby Abbey is passed around and is so content to just be held. For the past few minutes, Kyle and I have been texting. I can’t help myself, and I know I have a huge goofy grin on my face too. I catch Willow staring at me and she throws a huge smile my way. I know I’m being rude texting at the table, but it’s just so much fun.
Asher and Willow take Abbey upstairs to put her to bed, but as soon as Willow comes back downstairs she makes a direct path to me.
“Who has your attention this evening? Could it be the handsome Dr. Peters?” she asks sarcastically.
“He sent me flowers at work today. I forgot to give him my number, so he sent his number along with the flowers. Wasn’t that just so sweet? I talked to him earlier today, we’ve been texting back and forth all evening.”
“That sounds promising. Do you guys have any plans on a date?” she asks with a devilish smirk on her face.
“No. Why? What have you got going on in the crazy brain of yours?”
“I was just thinking. What do you think about going out on a double date with Asher and I. How about tomorrow night? See if he has the night off and I’ll make all the arrangements. I haven’t been out in so long. Asher and I could both use a night out. My mom would be ecstatic to babysit,” she says, waving her hands in the air.
Running Into Love - The Complete Box Set Page 20