Lin looked at the handsome doctor. He was smiling at her. She gave a small smile in return. Maybe he assumed her blood sugar was low or something. “I had a cupcake for breakfast. And a latte. From Starbucks. So to answer your question, no, I’m not really all that hungry.”
“Look, it’s been a while. I’ve spent most of my adult life in school. I’m sure there’s a much better way to do this.”
“Do what?” Lin asked, extremely curious about Dr. Reeves’s strange behavior.
“I’m asking you out on a lunch date.”
Lin’s eyes doubled in size. “What!”
“I guess that’s a no. Like I said, it’s been a while since I’ve asked a beautiful woman on a date. I apologize.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Lin asked, astonished at his words.
“I’ve never been more serious in my life.”
Lin gazed into his eyes. They were a deep blue. Like the Caribbean.
A wry glint appeared in his eyes as he returned her stare. “You have the most unusual eyes I’ve ever seen. They’re…silver.”
She nodded.
“Does that mean yes to lunch or yes to the eyes?”
Feeling as though she were having an out-of-body experience, Lin nodded a second time before saying, “Yes.”
A vague sensation passed between them. Electrical. White hot. It took her a minute to gather her thoughts. Sexual attraction, that was what it was. Dr. Reeves peered at her. Her entire being seemed to be filled with waiting, wanting.
This is ridiculous!
The attraction between them was disturbing in its intensity. Lin licked her lips, wondering what it would feel like to kiss the doctor. What would it feel like to run her hand along the firmness of his chest, the muscles that rippled in his arms? She shook her head. She felt like Dorothy in Oz. Only Dr. Reeves did not resemble the great and powerful Oz in the least. Or the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, or the Scarecrow. God, he was manliness magnified times a zillion.
“To both,” she finally managed to answer.
“Your eyes are silver, and you’ll have lunch with me?” This was framed as a question rather than a statement.
“Yes.”
“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
She nodded.
What the hell had just happened? Lin could never recall in her entire life being so…attracted to, so mesmerized by a man. My God, he’s Nick’s doctor! And she’d just agreed to have lunch with him!
Taking a deep breath, Lin decided to go with it for once. She didn’t think anything would come of their sharing a meal. But it would take her mind off her next move—getting Will away from campus as soon as his afternoon classes were over that day.
“Let’s go.”
“Shouldn’t we introduce ourselves or something?” Lin asked as they left Dr. Reeves’s suite of offices.
“I’m Evan Reeves, and I feel like a total jerk. Where are my manners? My mother would kill me. Of course I should introduce myself. I already know that you’re Lin Townsend, age thirty-six, in reasonably good health, though your cholesterol might need to be checked. And I know that you wanted to share something personal with me. That’s what brought you here in the first place. I also know that whatever it is between us wasn’t the kind of personal you were referring to when you called my office this morning to schedule an emergency appointment.”
“You know more about me than I do you. But then again, I know you’re single. At least I hope you are, because I do not go out with married men, even if it is just lunch.” Lin looked over and up at Evan. He was smiling.
“So far, so good,” he said.
“Uh, you have a mother and a father, I assume. And you went to school so long, you never developed proper dating etiquette. How am I doing?” Lin asked.
“Very well. Now”—he pushed the door open, sending a gush of cool air up to greet them—“where would you like to go? I have an hour and a half, more if I’m willing to make my patients wait, which I’m not, so wherever we go, it’ll have to be quick.”
He stepped off the curb, his right arm in the air. A taxi came to a full stop just as Evan stepped back on the sidewalk. They got into the taxi.
“You’re the one that invited me to lunch. Shouldn’t you have thought about this before asking?”
“You’re absolutely right, I should have, but I didn’t, because I was afraid if I took my eyes off you for one second, you’d disappear.”
“I guess I can live with that.”
“So, any suggestions? I usually eat lunch at my desk.”
Lin knew he thought she lived in the city permanently and knew of the best places to go. She knew only Starbucks, the Magnolia Bakery, and the mom-and-pop pizza kitchen where she had ordered takeout every evening during the past week. Lin didn’t want Evan to know that she wasn’t a true New Yorker, even though he had to know by her accent that she wasn’t from the New York area.
“I’m not really familiar with this part of the city. Why don’t we ask him?” She motioned to their driver.
“Sure. Excuse me.” Evan leaned across the edge of the front seat.
“Can you suggest a place where we can get a quick lunch? Some place nice.”
The driver spoke with a heavy New York accent. “Sure do. I’ll drop you two off at Grand Central Station. They have everything imaginable, though it ain’t fancy. You’ll see they have variety.”
“Sounds good to me. Are you okay with that, Lin?”
She would’ve settled for a Sabrett hot dog from the many street vendors but didn’t tell him that. “It’ll be perfect for both of us since I can take the subway from there. I have another appointment across town.” At least that was the truth.
Thirty minutes later they were seated in the food court at Grand Central. She’d chosen a fresh fruit salad, and Evan had opted for fresh shrimp tossed in a lemon butter sauce and salad with mixed tender baby greens and fresh snap peas.
“This is delicious. I wonder where they’re getting their off-season fruit? I can’t even get this from…at my local market.” She’d made another slip. She’d almost said she couldn’t get fruit this fresh from her supplier in Dalton, but he didn’t have the first clue about her chosen profession.
“Hey, it’s New York. If it can be had, this is the place you’ll find it.”
“Yes, of course. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She forked a plump strawberry.
“So tell me about yourself. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to ask on a first date?” Evan inquired between bites.
Taking a deep breath, Lin knew that was where things could get tricky. Wanting to lie as little as possible, if at all, she couldn’t think of a thing to say. “I…” Realizing whatever she said would generate even more questions, and not to mention she was so very, very tired of lies, she chose the truth, damning its consequences. “I don’t live in the city. In fact I have only a three-month lease on my apartment in SoHo. I…own a restaurant. In Georgia.” She took a large slice of orange and practically crammed it into her mouth.
“Hmm, I don’t think you put that on your patient info form,” Evan said, a grin showing a dimple in his left cheek. How could she have missed that?
“No, I didn’t see the point at the time.”
“And why tell me now?” he questioned.
Remembering she wanted to be as honest as possible, Lin said, “I’m tired of lying.”
Evan furrowed his brow, took a deep breath. “Is it a problem for you? I know a couple of doctors that can treat that type of thing. It’s much more common than you would think.”
Laughter exploded from her mouth like an iron ball from a cannon blast. “It seems I haven’t explained myself very clearly. First, I can distinguish the truth from a lie. Secondly, I have some personal issues in my life right now, so it just seemed easier to lie than admit the truth. It’s something I’ve had to wrestle with since I was a young girl. Events have sort of catapulted me into a position that may force me to confront someone with a secret I’ve k
ept from him his entire life.” Lin felt as though a cement block had been lifted from her heavy heart. Waiting for a reaction from Evan, she was stunned when he reached for her hand.
The lighthearted note in Evan’s voice was gone when he asked, “Is that what brought you to my office?”
Vowing to continue her crusade of truth, she nodded. “Yes. But it’s so complicated, so…There are so many other factors to deal with. I’ve done some things of late that I’m not very proud of.”
“I don’t understand how I, as an oncologist and hematologist, can be of help to you.”
Lin’s eyes pooled with tears. Shit-house mouse! “I’m sorry.” She dabbed her eyes with a paper napkin. “It concerns one of your patients.” There. It was out in the open.
“I see.”
Lin knew she would have to tell him the full truth. Why, after all these years, she suddenly felt comfortable discussing her most personal secrets with a man she’d known for little more than an hour was beyond her. Lin felt as though she’d known him forever, as though whatever she said, he wouldn’t judge her. It was that gut thing again. She would go with it.
“The marrow drive for Nicholas Pemberton, it’s connected to that.”
“That’s public knowledge. It was in the Times yesterday. Tell me what’s so terrible that you’ve felt you had to lie about it.” He wiped his mouth, tossed his napkin on the tray, then took both of her hands in his.
“I don’t even know where to start,” Lin said.
“The beginning is usually your best bet.”
“Yes, it is. However, it looks like it’s time for you to get back to your office, and I do have that appointment I have to make.”
“So, I guess this is good-bye. For today, I mean. You’re not going to slip away from me, Lin. I mean that. I know it’s been less than two hours since we met, but there is something quite unusual between us, wouldn’t you agree? I don’t want to lose you when I’ve just found you. God, that’s a cliché, huh?”
It was, and she loved it, but she wasn’t ready to tell him that. “I think if I don’t catch the crosstown train, I’m going to be late.” She reached inside her purse, found one of her business cards for Jack’s Diner, scribbled her cell-phone number on the back. “So you’ll always be able to find me. I’ll wait for your call, Evan. I promise. Thank you for the lunch. This has been one of the best days I’ve had in a long time.”
“How about dinner tonight? I should be through around six. Then I have to make my rounds at the hospital. What do you say?”
Here goes nothing. “Could I bring my son along? I’d like for the two of you to meet.”
Evan stared at her as though seeing her for the first time. “You’re full of surprises, Lin Townsend, I’ll give you that. By all means bring your son along. I would like to meet him.”
Lin expelled the deep breath she’d taken. Thank you, Evan Reeves, she thought as she reached for his hand. Thank you so very much.
“We had almost one hundred donors today. There were so many, the medical teams ran out of swabs and syringes and had to shut down at lunchtime. I’m betting the number will increase with each day,” Nick said.
“You sure put your money where your mouth is. I still can’t believe you’re offering a fortune to the matching donor. Isn’t that unethical or something? Trying to bribe people. You and I both know the board isn’t going to approve such an expenditure.”
“I didn’t ask them to. This is coming out of my own pocket. And no, to answer your question, it’s not the least bit unethical. Marrow drives are quite common.”
“Are you telling me you’re using our money for this? I can’t believe you would do this to me!” Chelsea paced the living room, stopping in front of the floor-to-ceiling window that looked out over the city. “Have you thought this through? What if you can’t find a match, and someone tries to sue you? This is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard of. Have you ever thought what will happen if you don’t win your battle, Nick?” Chelsea looked at her husband. His face was even more pale than what was becoming the norm.
He slowly made his way across the polished marble floor to where she stood at the window. “It’s my money, Chelsea. You want me to die, don’t you?”
Chelsea looked at him, then cast her eyes back to the view of the city lights. “Of course not. Stop being an idiot.”
“Let me make something perfectly clear to you. I don’t care if it takes the entire Pemberton fortune, nor do I care if I have to sell out, go public with the company, whatever it takes. None of that matters if I’m not here to reap the rewards of three generations of hard work. If I die before you, not one cent of my money will be left to you. Only through a divorce will you get any of my money, and trust me, I’ve had my father’s will gone over with a fine-tooth comb. You don’t want to fuck with me now.”
Chelsea walked away from the window, back to the large sofa in front of the fireplace. A fire burned there, spilling a rich, smoky scent throughout the living area. Chelsea hated the smell; it reminded her of the weenie roasts she’d attended as a kid, where many times the hot dog would comprise her only meal for days at a time. She knew what was in Nick’s will. Upon his death, unless there was an heir, and she knew that wasn’t going to happen in her lifetime, Pemberton Transport was hers. Yes, there were parts of it that she didn’t completely understand, but for a price she’d find someone who could. Someone who wasn’t on the Pemberton family payroll.
Softening her voice, she said, “I’m just trying to be realistic, Nick.”
“Then support what I’m trying to do. You should be at the campus with me. Hell, it wouldn’t hurt if you and some of your social-climbing friends volunteered to do something. Provide the damned doctors with one of those fancy catered lunches you’re so fond of. Use your connections to influence all those charitable organizations you give my money to. It might even make the Times. Think how good that would make you look to all your friends. Why, it wouldn’t surprise me if it didn’t get you on that Trump guest list you seem to covet.”
“As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. I should be doing something to help with the drive. I’ll make some phone calls later. Why don’t you lie down for a bit? I’ll bring you a pot of that tea you seem to have developed such a taste for. I think Nora made cranberry scones.”
Nick watched his wife. He wanted to think she had something up her sleeve, an ulterior motive, but he honestly couldn’t see a trace of deception on her perfectly sculpted face. “That’s sounds good, Chels. I think I will lie down for the night. It’s been a long day. I still don’t have my strength back.”
“I know you don’t. I’m sure it will take a while to regain your strength. Go on and get ready for bed. I’ll be there as soon as I make the tea.”
“You surprise me, Chels. You really do,” Nick said as he watched his wife go to the kitchen.
She called out to him. “And why is that?”
He walked into the kitchen, where she was filling the kettle with water. “You can be so nice when you want to. Really. Thanks.”
Chelsea’s heart rate tripled at his words. “Why, thank you, Nick. I’m not a bitch all the time.” She smiled at him so he would know she was teasing. “Now go on. Get in bed, and, Nick”—she paused for effect—“don’t put on those stodgy old pajamas tonight.”
He laughed and shook his head. “I’m not sure I’m ‘up’ for that just yet.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is lie there and enjoy. Now, go before I change my mind.”
Nick scuttled out of the room, grinning from ear to ear. At times like this, he almost liked his wife. “Don’t take too long,” he called out to her.
In the kitchen Chelsea waited for the kettle to come to a boil. She took out the silver tea service that had belonged to Nick’s grandmother. Nora did keep it polished, one of the few things she did right. She had never liked the woman, felt she overstepped her boundaries, but all of that was about to change. And
soon.
The teakettle whistled. Scooping the loose tea from its special packaging, Chelsea filled the tea ball, put it inside the silver pot, then poured the boiling water on top. Since Nick’s illness had begun, she’d made a point to learn how to make tea. Better than Nora’s, he’d said. That was good, because when he wanted his tea, she was more than willing to make her special brew for him. She told herself she wouldn’t have to do this much longer. Besides, she liked the stuff herself, minus the “extras,” of course. After squeezing half a lemon in the fragrant brew, she poured a heaping amount of honey, then a quarter cup of sugar. Next came the fun part. With a mortar and pestle she’d purchased at one of those cheap shops in Chinatown, Chelsea took six ten-milligram Ambien from her pocket, crushed them to a fine powder. For good measure she added three Ativan into the mixture. If this didn’t knock Nick on his ass, she didn’t know what would. She poured herself a cup of tea before adding the mixture to the silver teapot.
She arranged the scones on a small silver platter, added dessert plates and forks. She washed the mortar and pestle thoroughly, returning it to the cupboard above the commercial-sized freezer. She knew Nora never looked in that cupboard, because inside was a fine layer of dust. For once, the woman’s slacking ways had paid off.
Hurrying to Nick’s room, she was surprised to find him sprawled totally nude on his bed. He grinned when he saw her. “I bet you thought I’d be asleep, so you wouldn’t have to keep your promise.”
Chelsea placed the tray on the night table next to the bed. “Not on your life, Nick. I’m looking forward to it, actually.” To prove to him she was intent on a night of pleasure, she removed her black Prada slacks and cashmere sweater. She wore a creamy beige bra that left nothing to the imagination, nor did its matching thong.
“You still look good, Chelsea. Damn!”
He watched as she reached behind her and unhooked her bra. Her breasts were perfect round mounds on her chest. They were fake, but the surgeon’s work still had the power to get a rise out of Nick. Next, she hooked her thumbs in the waist of her thong, inching it slowly down her long tan legs until it reached her feet. She kicked it away, then stood tall. She smiled when she saw his erection.
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