The Love Doctor

by S. W. Andersen

  "I swear this day was like five days long," she called out from her room. "It's been quite the challenge mingling with the suits. It's such a boy's club. I want them to see me for what I do and not how I look or that I'm a woman, you know?" With one last perusal in the mirror, she was ready to roll.

  "I hear ya, Al, but I know you're gonna kill it. Just be patient. You're the best financial advisor they have and those stuffy pricks are just jealous."

  "Yeah, you're right." Allie stepped back into the living room and Kat's jaw dropped.

  "Speaking of jealous...damn! You sure can turn casual into unbelievably delicious. You can get anyone you want tonight."

  "I can get anyone any night." The power of the burgundy blouse was working. Allie's swagger was in full effect as she threw a wink at her sister and then sashayed toward the door.

  "That's the Allie I know and love. Let's hit the road before all the good ones are gone. At least for me. You have twice the selection," Kat bemoaned, her face scrunching slightly.

  Allie laughed. Kat could be so expressive. She couldn't control who she was attracted to and she had long since given up trying to "pick a side," as her late father had kept urging her to do. "Where're we headed?"

  Kat sidled up alongside Allie. Her five-foot-eight frame, elevated slightly more by her boots, towered over her five-foot-four older sister, even in heels. Allie had missed the height gene, but she had scored big in the female form department—curves for days, Kat had always said, or rather, complained. Her little sister had as many curves as a pencil. They were so opposite in so many ways, but instead of it causing friction, like for so many other siblings, their relationship had always been solid.

  A lanky arm draped around Allie's shoulders. Kat's deep brown eyes, ones that matched her own, sparkled with excitement as she replied, "Gonna spread our wings and try some place new."

  "Uh oh," Allie groaned.

  Kat pulled her in for a tight shoulder squeeze as she said with complete confidence, "Relax, it'll be great."

  CHAPTER THREE

  Stepping through the door of Rafael's, Sofia stopped and took in the vibe of the room. It wasn't stuffy, but it wasn't laid back either. Just a different crowd. A trendy Latin American theme with bright colors, lots of character, and as upscale as advertised, but basically, a higher end hunting ground for single white-collar types. At least the music wasn't annoyingly loud. There was nothing worse than having to shout out a conversation in an establishment meant for conversing. "This place is packed."

  Bobbing her head to the bubbly music, Reyna nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and the hot scale is off the charts. Definitely a great place to find a hook up. Maybe even a sugar daddy…or momma," she said, straight-faced.

  Sofia rolled her eyes, but decided not to comment. "Mhm, and definitely not the place for a quiet date." Not in the mood to be squished into a crowd, she surveyed the room for a table. "There's a spot on the far side." The pair maneuvered quick as they could through the swarm of bodies, lucky to get a seat at all.

  "I'm ready to drink and it could take forever to get a server," Reyna whined. A pouty frown settled upon her lips.

  Sofia pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and handed it over. "Here. I'll take a vodka martini."

  "Excellent. Be back in a few. Keep an eye out for my 'one in a million,' okay?"

  "Sure thing." She laughed as her eyes scanned the bodies in the room.

  Handsome guys. Beautiful girls. Twenties, thirties, even forties. It was a nice mix of professional people drinking and having a good time. Off to the left, a young man engaged in a poor attempt at picking up a much older woman. The dye-job blonde with far too much plastic surgery accepted the drink and then shooed him away like hired help. Along the back wall, two women were making out hard and heavy. A gaggle of men hung on every grope as if it were the game winning drive in the Super Bowl.

  No wonder their business was so good. These places weren't where you went to find love. No, these were all about lust and the search for the instant gratification of a primal need. Sofia shook her head. This had never been her scene. She had always preferred more natural meetings and a connection without alcohol and forced expectations. It was too hard to get an honest impression with all the false personas people wore to bars and clubs.

  She continued her visual trip around the room, skipping from patron to patron, many of whom reeked of either too much make-up or too much testosterone. Then, her gaze landed on a sight from the heavens. Unable to look away, unable to breathe. No sound reached her ears. No other person existed. Heat welled deep in her belly. There, amid a pile of cubic zirconias, stood a diamond shining bright. The beautiful, brown-haired, girl-next-door who dared to tempt with just the right touch of sexy had a cute little slope to her nose, a smile that beamed, and the kindest dark eyes. What shade were they? Chestnut? Chocolate? Would they have golden flecks or dark ones?

  Sofia's gaze finally traveled lower. The tight-fitting burgundy dress shirt with several buttons undone at the top showed off some enticing cleavage. Sofia licked her lips. Her heart pounded with more force against her ribcage, stumbling over a beat or two. She rubbed her hands together nervously, only to find them damp from a thin sheen of sweat. Talk about lust…Sofia's primal need surged to the surface like a tiger after its prey. Suddenly, she was just like everyone else in the bar. She'd believed herself to be above their behavior, but here she was, drooling like every other desire-filled fool that had laid eyes on Her. In Sofia's defense, however, the magnetism was impossible to ignore.

  For a moment, she considered approaching the woman. She was capable of flirting when she wanted, though that desire had been dormant for quite some time. This woman though… She had definitely struck a chord. A very deep one. It had been a long time since Sofia's heart had actually fluttered.

  That thought sobered her on the spot. She ripped her eyes away, focusing instead on the older, fake blonde who had scored yet another free drink. Loud music and annoying chatter once again filled her ears, quick and harsh. The abrupt change left her cold. Sofia swallowed hard and prayed for her drink to arrive to soothe her parched throat.

  No sooner had she asked than her prayer had been answered as Reyna slid into the other chair, unaware of Sofia's crisis. She set the drinks down and went on and on about the two hotties she had chatted up at the bar, neither of which had been the subject of Sofia's intense inspection. Sofia downed half of her drink in a flash and when her eyes returned to find the woman, she was gone.

  The pounding of her heart skidded to a stop. A heaviness settled in her chest, feeling as if she had just lost something big. It made no sense. They hadn't even met, yet the moment seemed monumental. She had missed her chance at whatever it was and for whatever reason, it cut deep. She closed her eyes and sighed, suppressing a tear from the memory of the last time she had lost something dear to her. Without conscious thought, her fingers moved to her pendant.

  "Hey, Sof. You okay? What's wrong?" Reyna reached over and placed a comforting hand on her forearm.

  Sofia shook her head and tried to regain her composure. "Nothing," she sniffled. "Nothing. I'm fine," she repeated, stronger than before.

  "You don't look fine. You thinking about-"

  "I'm fine. I think I'm going to head home though. I want to be on top of my game for our new client tomorrow." She handed Reyna another fifty and gave her a hug.

  "You sure? I can go with you."

  "No, really. I'm fine. It's over now." Lies. She avoided eye contact. "Have a good night and be careful. See you tomorrow."

  "Bright and early, boss." With concern heavy in her eyes, Reyna turned her lips into some semblance of a smile.

  Sofia forced a smile of her own, left her half-finished drink on the table, and hurried toward the exit. There would be little rest for her tonight.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  "Kat," Allie ground out through an irritated sigh. "We just got here." It had only been twenty minutes. She'd been enjoying the vibe of Rafael's, even with
the gaggle of gawking patrons dressed like bankers. Pretty much like being at work. But her vodka mule was good. Too bad I can't have a bar at the office. She smiled at the thought and drank in the leggy red head at the end of the bar.

  "Nah, too crowded and too stuck up. Let's go meet Runa at Yahtzee."

  "I don't know. I kind of had something else in mind," Allie whined as her sister took her by the hand and dragged her out the door.

  "Like what? A threesome with the old plastic blonde and the drooling guy that kept staring at your tits?"

  "No. Definitely not that." When they reached the street, Allie pulled Kat to a stop. "Something like...I don't know." She shrugged. What do I really want? Not a hookup. "I'm feeling like it might be time to settle down. There's no serious relationship material at Yahtzee and I want more. Sorry."

  "First off," Kat jutted out her hip and thrust her index finger into the air, "that's why I go there. I just want to blow off a little steam and hang with my best friend and I'd really like it if my sister came along. Secondly," a second finger joined the first, "bo-ring! Who is this woman wearing my sister's clothes? What happened to miss 'I can get anyone I want?' You get a promotion and now you're all stick in the mud, get a husband or wife, and reproduce or whatever? Gross. If I ever get like that, just shoot me."

  Allie's brows furrowed, confused about her own shift in feelings and not particularly enjoying her sister's rant. "Oh-kay. Look, you know I still like to have a good time, but you're twenty-two and I'm almost thirty and flings just aren't as much fun anymore. I want someone to come home to. Someone to take to stuffy work functions. Someone to laugh with. Someone who sees me and not just my boobs."

  Kat muttered, "That'll be a tough one."

  Unamused, Allie ignored her sister's sarcasm and drove home her point. "Someone who looks at me like I'm the only girl on the planet. Someone who gets me."

  Kat turned both thumbs on herself as she said, "I get you, sis. We're Allie-Kat, remember?"

  "I know you do." One consistent truth was her sister was always there for her, no questions asked, even when she protested—like now. "But I also want that person to rock my world like no one else ever has."

  "Umm...yeah, I'm out on the incestuous banging, but I wish you luck. That's a tall order. I mean, people suck way more than they used to, and Al, your boobs are hot. They're hard to ignore. Like Aunt Helen's."

  Allie laughed and flung an arm around her younger sister. "Weird, but thanks."

  "Anytime. So, what will you do tonight, then?"

  Allie shrugged. An almost painful grimace slid into place. She had no idea, but it wouldn't be another one-night stand. There had to be more to life than drinking, sex, and clubs…and work. "But you go have fun. Be safe."

  "I will. Love ya."

  "Love ya back, K."

  Allie considered returning to Rafael's, but the mood had been lost. Being alone sounded more appealing. Even better, she could be outdoors for a change. With perfect weather and a full moon, a walk on the beach was just what the doctor ordered. The sand between her toes had always soothed her soul, so she slipped off her red heels and sunk her bare feet into the cool crushed shell beach. She rolled up her pant legs as best as her skinny jeans would allow and then started walking.

  The silence between the crunch of her steps and the break of the waves allowed time for introspect. Lately, she'd been floundering through life. Sure, she had finally gotten the job of her dreams, but nothing else. Worse yet, she couldn't even pinpoint the problem. Her youth had been the opposite, filled with fun and flings and no worries about the future. While she definitely didn't want that life anymore, there had to be a comfortable balance. It wasn't that she was unhappy with her current situation, not in the least, just…hmm…what exactly?

  Unfulfilled. Yes, that was the word. She finally had work settled, but her personal life lacked, well, everything. She didn't even have hobbies anymore.

  The thought filled her with an unexpected sense of loneliness, something she'd never experienced before. Like she'd told Kat, she didn't just want something to do, she wanted someone to do them with. Allie longed for the same intimacy as the couples walking the beach around her. They held hands and strolled shoulder to shoulder, bare feet in the waves. That possibility seemed like a fruitless wish. Besides her high school love, no one had ever seriously held her attention beyond the admiration of a nice body. Maybe she was too shallow. Maybe she needed to look within first and go from there. Maybe the single life was where she was supposed to be, for now.

  As she continued to walk, she was drawn to a single silhouette in the distance staring into the night sky. Was that person in the same boat? If so, would either of them ever find that grand dream of true love? Did such a thing even really exist?

  She sighed and turned to face the waves. Only time would tell.

  ♥♥♥

  Inside Yahtzee, people were shoulder to shoulder on the dance floor and strobe lights flickered at a dizzying pace. Runa stood at the end of the bar and nervously scanned the crowd, then checked her watch. It was ten seconds later than the last time she had looked. When she glanced back up, Kat was headed right for her—alone. Yet another crack weakened the foundation of her heart. I can't take much more. A pained frown refused to be denied, but by the time Kat had reached her side, she'd successfully hid her ache behind a smile.

  "About damned time, Kat," Runa yelled over the bass of the techno. "Where's Allie?"

  "She bailed. Something about getting old and boring."

  She's neither, Runa thought. For the last ten years she'd pined over Allie, looking for one chance to show her she wasn't that thirteen-year-old girl anymore. She'd have to wait at least one more day. Good thing I have a plan set in motion. Very soon Allie would finally see her for the woman she had become and she just knew her long time crush would become her forever love.

  Unfortunately, not tonight.

  With a shrug and a smile, she brushed her melancholy aside and motioned to the packed floor. "Let's dance."

  "See? That's what I'm talking about."

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Sofia walked along the beach hoping nature's calm could ease her troubled mind. She had zero explanations for her reaction at the bar and the struggle to formulate an answer was frustrating the hell out of her. She wasn't a prude. The woman was certainly a beauty like none other, but she'd been with beautiful women since Kylar and had worked with many more, so why had this stranger felt so different? Why had her body gone into overdrive like a hormone driven teen? Why now, after all these years of nothing?

  Moonlight flickered off the waves and happy couples walked by hand in hand, stealing kisses as they went. The sight delivered a piercing stab to her heart. She'd had that once—an eternity ago. No, it had only been seven years, but it may as well have been an eternity. One, great, forever kind of love. She had been one of the lucky ones, however brief, and no one gets that lucky twice.

  Coming to a stop, she turned and faced the waves, her fingers immediately finding the pendant resting against her chest. A deep breath helped to calm the rising tide of tears. She rarely allowed herself a moment of true reflection anymore, but when she did, it was usually overwhelming and unexpected. Sofia closed her eyes and tipped her head to the sky as if all life's answers were hidden in the stars—something Kylar had always done when they'd walked the shore.

  The salty breeze caressed her skin. Standing there, taking in the beauty of the moment, her eyes were suddenly pulled, as if by magnetic force, to a figure fifty yards north. In the backdrop of Miami's city lights shone the silhouette of a woman with long hair blowing in the wind. An unexpected rush of warmth filled her body. What is wrong with me today?

  She chanced one last glance at the faceless stranger. What had brought her to the beach alone that night? Sofia couldn't resist a smile. She had no earthly idea why, but she liked it. With an incredulous shake of her head, she turned for home, feeling lighter than she had in a long time.

  ♥♥�
��

  Warm lips on skin scattered soft kisses across the expanse of her stomach. Sofia arched up, her body aching for so much more. "I've missed you so much," she whispered, then followed with a moan that rippled of pleasure.

  "I've been right here. I will always be right here."

  A wet tongue traced slow circles around her hardened nipple, setting every cell on fire. "Please stay with me, Kylar. Don't leave me again."

  "I promised you forever and then some."

  Mouths melded. Tongues danced. Delicate fingers found their way to a familiar place, one that lit Sofia up like an inferno and warmed her from head to toe, swirling in her belly and filling her soul with unimaginable love and happiness. They belonged together. Even after so long apart, nothing felt more right. But Sofia would have to wait before she could truly hold her wife again.

  Her breath fell hostage to the onslaught of emotions. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. A stray broke free. Sofia bolted upright in bed, ripped from sleep by the pain of a love lost. Dark bangs fell across her eyes, doing nothing to corral the tears stampeding down flushed cheeks. Heavy sobs struck like earthquakes, rendering her powerless to do anything besides let them run their course.

  It had all felt so real. The scorching trail of Kylar's fingers continued to heat her skin even as the dream faded. That fruity taste of the Napa blush her wife had sipped each night still lingered on her lips. Her smell, so sweet with hints of vanilla and honey, tickled her nose and sent her heart to the races. She dared to glance at the picture on her nightstand of their wedding day—perfect blushing brides. The picture of happiness and vitality. Then one day, it was all gone.

  Sofia fell back. The softness of her mattress clung to her body like a comforting hug. She rolled onto her side and pulled her extra pillow over her head to shut out the rest of the world. Her fingers searched, then found her pendant lying limp against the sheets. They traced a slow path along its golden form. Sofia struggled to recall the last time she'd had a dream so intense it rocked her to her core. Had it been months? Years?