by Claire Adams
"I have 11:30 to 1 open. Does that work for you?"
"Yes, that’s perfect. So shall I meet you around here somewhere? What about the tavern across the street from the clinic? How is the food there?"
"Surprisingly, I haven’t tried it yet but I'm willing to give it a go. Meet you there?"
"Yes! Sounds like a... I mean yes I will be there." I gathered my purse and pulled my shirt on over my harness. I almost called this a date. This would be interesting but I felt like it was important to make peace with him. Let's face it, I was definitely into him.
Chapter Ten
Bullet
I hardly knew what to think about Lilly. Just when I had written her off, just when I thought I would not see her again she shows up and changes everything. Unlike her, I remembered that evening perfectly. In fact, I frequently conjured up images from that night whenever I needed a little help in the shower or lying in bed. She had been my number one fantasy for the past week at least. I could see her naturally golden hair spread around her as she smiled at me, welcoming me inside her. Playful and energetic, she had been the ideal lover. She had that perfect balance of coyness and curiosity, so rare a combination to find today. I went to bed with the perfect woman and woke up with someone completely different.
When it first happened, she had confused the hell out of me. I barely remembered in the beginning what all had taken place but once my memory came back I knew she was no victim. Still, she wanted an apology so I gave her one. I guess on some level, I knew she was drunk but hell, so was I. I did not wake up screaming because some woman was in my bed. For the record, I never let women stay the night, so Lilly was not the only person breaking all the rules. What was weird was I hadn't minded a bit.
Compared to the old Bullet Steinmann, the guy who offered his patients something a little extra at every opportunity, I was now living like a celibate monk. I had not had sex since the night Lily and I had met at Allistair's. She had rocked my world with her perfect bottom and perky breasts. I loved kissing her golden skin and those green eyes allured me into thinking all kinds of naughty things. Now here she was again- obviously, she had forgiven me or else she would not be here. She wanted to meet me outside of my professional environment. I took that as a plus. Miss Lilly Brightwood wanted me although she was too polite to say so. Okay, I would play along and see where this went.
I walked into the tavern and took off my sunglasses to allow my eyes a chance to adjust to the lighting. Compared to my bright office, this place was a cavern not a tavern. She sat at a table near the door and I could tell that she was wearing her harness. I really wished she would change her mind about this operation. I had no medical reason to offer her, no legitimate way to recommend that she change her mind I just wished she wouldn't. She was perfect and beautiful just as she was. I was afraid that once she had the surgery, she would be like all the rest- superficial and void of personality. Some women who had breast enlargement depended way too heavily on them afterwards.
"Hi! Please have a seat. I ordered a Coke, do you want something?" Lilly laid her menu down and smiled. She waved the waitress over to our table.
"A Coke sounds great. What looks good here?"
"Well, if you like fried foods, you will find plenty to choose from." She crinkled her nose in disgust.
"Not a fan of zee French fry?" I teased her with my best French accent.
My inflection brought a smile to her angelic face. "Now French fries I can handle." She pointed at an item on the menu. "However, a basket of fried vegetables does not sound appealing to me at all. I like my fried vegetables served one at a time thank you." I couldn’t help but smile.
"It can definitely hinder your fitness plan. Eating fried foods is a good splurge but I agree that looks like a bit much. So, that is a no on the fried vegetables. Well don't think too badly of me but I'm going to have a cheeseburger."
"Let's make that two, minus the fries. I will have to get a bigger harness if I eat those." I laughed aloud.
"Well if you find the harness is too snug I can loosen it — or you can." I quickly added. I still did not understand what we were doing here, why we were together but I did not want it to end. At least not yet. If there was a chance, even a remote chance that I would see Lilly Brightwood naked and in my hotel room again I was going to take it. She was becoming my addiction. I wasn't sure how I felt about that but I didn’t dwell on feelings too much so it wasn't hard to push those aside, at least for a while.
The server returned eventually and we placed our orders. Lilly insisted on two tickets but I wanted to pay for lunch. "I remember what it's like to be in college never having any money. I got this." She shook her golden curls and flashed me a coy smile. Oh, those pretty pink lips. I so remember what you did with those pretty pink lips. I smiled back for a completely different reason.
"I am not your average college girl. I am neither broke nor do I party all the time. Except for a handful of friends, and my sports club, I spend most of my time with my violin or studying. I have never been on an episode of Girls Gone Wild, well with the exception of that one night with you." I thought it was charming that she blushed. At least she can talk about it now.
I laughed at her comparison. "Have you ever seen an episode of Girls Gone Wild?"
"No, but I remember the late-night commercials that used to come on trying to sell them. They definitely featured girls and they definitely seemed wild."
"I can assure you that our night together was nothing like that. In case you can't remember, you were a perfect lady." Before she could respond, our server delivered the cheeseburgers and we got refills on our drinks. She left us and Lilly stared at me.
"I promise you I remember everything perfectly — and I was no lady." Her face flushed again. Parts of my body liked it. I leaned across the table and in a low whisper said, "I enjoyed every minute of our time together. I have no regrets and I don't judge you for anything. I wish that you didn't."
Lilly bobbed her head with an embarrassed smile. Don't push, Bullet. Leave it alone. I decided to change the subject. "Violin, that is interesting. Believe it or not, I played an instrument in high school, although that was a long time ago."
Her dimples appeared with her smile. "Let me guess — the tuba? No wait! The bass drum." We both laughed at that idea.
"Wrong on both! I played the saxophone for three years. Then I fell in love with football and that was that. I found that girls liked a sax player but they loved football players. Not an easy choice to make because I did enjoy playing. It's funny because I thought about picking it back up. I mean I still remember the keys, the notes, but I doubt that I have the embouchure that I used to." I took a bite of my burger.
"I can totally see you getting down on the saxophone. I love woodwinds. I can play the trumpet a little but the violin has always been my first love." The tavern started getting busy and I peeked at the clock- it was past 12. Time with Lilly was flying by.
"So who got you interested in playing the violin, maybe a parent or a family member?"
"My father. He was a violinist — he played all over the world in some of the most renowned orchestras. I think I got my first violin when I was six. I still have it somewhere. It was white, very small."
"He must be very proud of you." I took another bite of my burger, trying not to make a mess on my clothing. I had four more clients to see today. Lilly's gaze drifted away. Uh-oh, I touched on something.
"Yes, he was." Okay, leave that subject alone.
For the rest of our meal, we talked about harmless things like Riley Patterson, local football teams and just idle chitchat. It was almost time to leave. I tried not to make my clients wait although I dreaded seeing Carmen Fuentes who was my next appointment. I would much rather spend time with Lily eating a greasy burger.
"I enjoyed spending this time with you. Thank you for inviting me to lunch. Maybe, we can do it again sometime."
"Sure, Bullet. I think that would be nice. I'm not sure of your schedule, I
barely know mine, but maybe we can get together before you leave town?" Lilly tapped her lip nervously. If she knew how that drove me crazy, she would quit that immediately. Have I mentioned that I love her lips?
I reached across the table and touched her hand. "I would like that a lot. I think we will skip the tavern next time. I know a great place to have lunch, over by Cathedral Park. It is a sidewalk café with a great view and even better coffee. I will check my schedule and maybe text you later, if that is okay?"
Lilly squeezed my hand. "I would like that. Okay, I will wait for you to call me. If I don’t answer, just leave me a message. I have orchestra practice this afternoon so no cell phones. Our conductor is a bit of a pain when it comes to phones ringing. I hate being called out."
"I understand. Shall we?" We decided to go Dutch on the bill. It made her happy so I did not object. As we walked out the door, I heard a woman's voice. "Bullet? Is that you? It is you!" Of all the people on the planet it had to be Carmen Fuentes, my stalker and greatest fan. What were the odds of her showing up here?
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Fuentes. How are you?" She wrapped herself around me with a generous hug. I recognized her Amber perfume; she always wore way too much. "So much better now that I have seen you. We have an appointment in a few minutes." She looked down her long, cosmetically altered nose at Lilly. "You won't be long, will you?"
"As always, I will be on time, Mrs. Fuentes."
"Why the formality? I will always be Carmen to you, Bullet. See you soon." The older woman pressed out of the tavern in her leather high heels and ridiculously expensive designer clothing.
Lilly looked white as a ghost and I was beyond embarrassed. Of all the people on the planet Carmen was the last person I wanted to see, especially with Lily by my side. Here I was, trying to make myself out to be a decent guy and she appears. Put your game face on. You are not a fucking virgin for Pete's sake. Lilly couldn't even call this a date.
We stepped out into the bright sunshine and I saw Carmen sashay across the street into the clinic. Lilly was still beside me- she had not run away yet. That was a good thing. "One of your patients, Doctor?"
I sighed, "Sadly, yes and she is my next appointment. And technically, until I walk into the clinic, it is still Bullet."
She gave a sheepish smile and nodded. "You are right. Sorry, I wasn't trying to make fun of you. She's just — well she is..."
"She is jealous of seeing me with you. She has made a few plays for me before with no success but that comes with the job. Seeing you with me, reminds her of how old she really is. She is locked in an unhappy marriage and spends a lot of her time and her husband's money on minor surgeries. I try to talk her out of them but in the end, it is up to my client what they do with their bodies. All I can do is give my advice and hope that they listen. There is nothing between Mrs. Fuentes and myself, except in her own mind."
"It is really none of my business." Lilly raised her angled chin at me, her green eyes glistening. She said one thing but definitely meant another.
"If that were true, Lilly, you wouldn't have brought it up." I chuckled. "It is okay, you are bound to meet one or two of my clients on these lunch dates."
Lilly looked up at me. "So was this a date?"
"Well, you tell me. What do you think?"
She rubbed the toe of her shoe on the sidewalk, a move that made her look like a kid. I guess she was a kid; at least she was younger than I was. Perhaps I was more suited for someone like Carmen.
"Yeah, I guess this was a date." That seemed to make her happy. I hugged her goodbye, careful not to press my hard penis against her. This was going to be a delicate dance that she and I played.
I really didn’t know what I wanted from her — all I knew was that I wanted something from her. And until I figured that out, I was willing to play along with whatever game Lilly wanted to play. I did not try to kiss her although I think she wanted me to. Sometimes it is best to leave them wanting more. I strolled across the street and gave a quick glance back as I opened the door. She stood there, watching me. I knew that I would need a few minutes alone in my office before I met my next client.
Chapter Eleven
Lilly
I thought the "date" went well for an unplanned event. Bullet had been attentive, funny and relaxed — just what I needed. Getting to know him a little more took some of the "weird" out of our hook up — at least it felt that way to me. There were a few times where things got weird like when Carmen whatever her name was showed up. I thought she was going to gobble him up. She obviously felt comfortable enough to be familiar with him right in front of me. I wondered if he was telling me the truth about their relationship but hey, who was I to judge.
When I got home, I called his office as he suggested and booked my surgery. That was easy to do; I was scheduled for surgery in two weeks at Kansas City Memorial. We tidied the payment arrangements over the phone and then Bullet's assistant, Page, told me that she expected my call. "Dr. Steinmann says that you need available dates from his personal schedule too?"
"Yes, is he free tomorrow or the day after? Will he be in town?" I tried to get a read on the assistant who seemed friendly one minute and standoffish the next. Well, what did I care?
"Let me check...not tomorrow but he does have a lunch opening for the following day. That is Thursday at 12. Dr. Steinmann says you know where to meet him?"
"Yes, I remember where to meet him. Thank you, Page." I hung up the phone happy to be one-step closer to my surgery and a few days closer to seeing Bullet again. I answered a knock at my door; it was Kate and her friend Riley. Over the past few weeks, Kate had really warmed up to her musical boyfriend. For the first time in the four years that I knew her, Kate was involved in a monogamous relationship. I had no doubt that Riley was happy with the situation. He seemed sincerely interested in my friend. Riley brought his guitar with him- I supposed he wanted to jam. I was in such a good mood I was up for that.
Kate was all smiles and she retrieved three beers from my mini refrigerator. Popping the bottles open like a pro, she said, "Are you ready to be shocked?" Her big smile unsettled me. Riley was just happy to be there.
"Riley and I have something to ask you." I hoped Kate was not going where I thought she was going. She knew very well that I was not into the couples scene, nor did I want to be part of any ménage a trois. She read me like an open book and laughed. "No! Nothing like that. Besides, Riley is a one-woman guy, right babe?"
He hugged her and kissed her. "You know it. Nobody but you." He sat on the couch holding his guitar. He picked a few strings, tuning it as we talked.
"Besides, that is not very shocking. Now this is really shocking." I had heard shocking news before; most of the time it was not happy news. I sat down on the couch instinctively bracing myself for bad news. "Riley and I have decided to get married! Isn't that a hoot? And we would like you to be involved. I need a bridesmaid — and a witness, would you be willing to stand with me?" Kate’s big dark eyes sparkled with joy. I stared at her and Riley. Compared to some of the other men she dated, Riley was no big catch. A struggling musician, with nominal good looks and not much in the way of conversational skills, seemed hardly the perfect match for my effervescent friend. However, only Kate knew Kate's mind and when she made that mind up all bets were off. All you could do was go along for the ride and be there when and if she needed you. That was my number one job as friend.
"Of course I will be there! I am so happy for you two. What are the plans? When is this?" My ringing phone interrupted our conversation. It was from Bullet's office. "Hold on Kate. I have to take this."
"Hi!" I hoped this was Bullet and not his cold assistant. I wasn't disappointed but I could tell immediately that this was a business call.
"Good afternoon. I am sorry to call you at home. I was hoping to talk to you at our next lunch date but it looks like you have a surgery scheduled with me now, so I wanted to share the results of your blood work with you right away. Looking at your blood co
unt, I'm a little concerned."
I was glad I was sitting down.
"It looks like your platelets are off a bit. Have you ever had any problems with your white blood cell count?" Bullet’s voice seemed concerned and now I was too.
"Never. I am not even sure what that is. Am I sick?" I felt panic rising in my stomach. Kate's eyes widened and she stared, trying to listen in on the call.
"It's just that when your blood counts are off it makes healing more difficult. For example, when I do the surgery there will be stitches inside your body and outside your body. The ones inside your body will dissolve but it takes time and if you do not heal correctly, they can get infected. I need your blood counts to come up a bit before we book your surgery. I know that sounds bad but it isn't really as bad as it sounds. It happens, but you can change it. What I would like you to do is book an appointment with your regular MD. Ask him to run your blood counts. If you have any kind of family history with blood disease or anything like that you should let him know and send the information to me too, and soon. Anyway this is not to say we have to cancel the surgery, just postpone it for a little while."
I was stunned. Kate was asking me questions and I waved her into silence. Okay, don't panic. He says it is not serious. "Okay I will call my doctor tomorrow for an appointment. You say this is probably nothing to worry about?" I tapped my finger on my lip nervously.
"No, not at all. Just something you should ask your doctor to check. Don't worry. It is probably just a fluke with the blood work. Sometimes that happens. Make that appointment and let me know the results. I know I just gave you some disturbing information, but I wanted to confirm that we're having lunch on Thursday?"
"Um, yes. I just talked to Page a few minutes ago. I will meet you at Cathedral Square at 12. Thank you for calling." I hung up the phone. I told Kate everything and she looked as surprise as I did.