31
Elliot
As much as I didn’t want to, we had to tear ourselves away from each other and clean ourselves up to at least make an appearance at the conference before flying out tonight. The entire time I tried to steal glances at Emma. Anytime our eyes met it was like a shock straight down my spine to my cock.
I don’t know if anyone noticed, and frankly I don’t care. We made an appearance for two speakers and then rushed back to the hotel. I don’t remember the last time I wanted someone this badly. My hands want to be on her, I want to be near her all the time.
Emma’s in the shower, so I lie back in bed and pull out my phone to call Gracie.
“Hey, kiddo,” I say when she picks up. “How was school?”
“It was great. We rehearsed more for the play. I can’t wait to show you!”
“And I can’t wait to see it. I’m flying back tonight but I’ll be home late, so you have to stay at Nana’s again tonight, okay? And I’ll pick you up from her house tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, Dad. See you tomorrow, love you!”
“Love you too, Gracie.”
I hang up and put the phone down, sighing contentedly.
Emma comes out of the bathroom and steam billows out behind her. She’s drying her hair with a towel and smiles at me.
“Well, this isn’t how I thought a business trip in San Diego would end up,” she says with a laugh. “I thought I’d actually get to see the city, maybe even go to the beach.”
I grin. “All you got to see was the inside of a hotel room.”
She jumps on the bed and straddles my body with her legs, leaning down to kiss me. Her wet hair drapes down on either side like a curtain, tickling the sides of my face.
“I’d better go back to my own room to pack. I’ll see you downstairs in a half hour and we can head to the airport?”
For the next few hours, my whole body is buzzing. Just having her near me is a rush. Even waiting at the airport is fun–I haven’t laughed or smiled this much in years. I feel good.
We get on the plane and this time she’s seated next to me in business class. There’s a wide armrest between us, so I put my arm on top and open my hand toward her. She places her hand in mine and looks over at me, smiling.
This is happening so fast but I don’t want it to slow down.
I don’t want to think about it, and don’t want to ruin this moment with my doubts. I just want to enjoy this feeling and not worry about tomorrow. When the plane has taken off, I turn to Emma.
“Hey, so I’m not picking Gracie up until tomorrow. Do you want to stay at my place tonight? You know, save the cost of taking two taxis.”
“Oh yeah, I was worried about the taxi price, actually,” Emma says with a smirk. My cheeks flush and my lips crack into a smile. “I’d love to,” she adds with a wink.
I nod and turn back to the screen in my seat. Her hand is woven in mine and we sit there like that for the majority of the flight. I don’t remember the last time I’ve felt so calm. It’s like my brain finally stopped running around in circles. Her presence brings a lightness and a calmness to me that I didn’t know I could have.
Chloe’s face pops into my head and I feel a pang in my heart. I grip Emma’s hand a bit more tightly and she grips mine back in response. She looks over at me, brows furrowed slightly. I meet her gaze and take a deep breath. Is this wrong? I can’t replace Chloe. No one can replace her. I’ve only known this woman for two weeks. But surely it can’t be wrong to feel this good?
I lean back in my seat and close my eyes. My thoughts drift back to my life when Chloe and I were together. The joy when Gracie was born all the way to the complete destruction of my happiness when Chloe died. I don’t know if I’m tarnishing her memory by being with Emma, if this is a betrayal. Emma has the same spark, the same love of life that Chloe had. I shouldn’t compare them but how can I help myself?
Chloe was my everything, and then cancer took her away from me. I feel my eyes prickling with tears as my thoughts drift back to those weeks and months of seeing her slip away from me. Her body deteriorated long before her mind. I watched her waste away and then finally her light was extinguished. The pain is still real, but now it feels somehow more distant. As if she can sense something, Emma squeezes my hand again. Behind my closed eyelids, Chloe’s smiling face appears. She was so beautiful and I loved her so much. She nods and then her face fades from my mind.
I open my eyes and look over at Emma. She squeezes my hand again and nods her chin down slightly, and I feel a wave of peacefulness wash over me. I lean back again, closing my eyes without letting go of her hand.
32
Emma
“So yeah, I’m not really sure what’s going on,” I say to Valerie as we wait for our food to arrive. Saturday brunch has always been sacred for us.
“So, hold on. Back up.” She looks at me and takes a deep breath, holding her hands up in front of her as she tries to process everything I just told her. I shrug.
“Like I said, I don’t really know what’s going on.”
“Did you meet the kid?” she asks.
“No, I left this morning before he went to go get her. He talked about her a lot. He obviously loves her to pieces.”
“Wow, Em. Single dad. Hot doctor. Brooding and mysterious. You’re hitting a lot of categories here,” she says with a smirk. I laugh.
The waiter arrives and puts a big plate of pancakes down in front of me and eggs for Valerie.
“Is that like, a carb re-feed after your marathon sex session these past few days?” Val asks with a laugh.
“Something like that,” I respond before stuffing myself with a mouthful of syrupy pancake. It’s nice to be back in New York. Val and I have always been there for each other, and it’s feels good to tell her about the past few days with Elliot. I look at her, sitting across from me. She’s completely different from me. Thin and willowy with long blonde hair, nothing like the curves and curls that I have. She’s quiet and reserved where I’ll be the first one with a snarky comment. Somehow though, we get along and have always been there for each other.
I wonder how she’d react if I told her about my problem with the debts and with Victor. She’d probably tell me to go to the police. But I can’t do that, not without exposing my father’s past to all kinds of investigation. Plus, Victor was very clear that there would be consequences for me if the police found out.
No, for now it has to be my burden to bear and mine alone.
We finish our food and head out of the restaurant. Val gives me a big hug.
“It’s nice to see you laughing again, Em. I was worried for you after your dad passed away. You haven’t smiled this much in a long time.”
“Just needed some Dr. D,” I respond with a grin. She laughs and we say goodbye before heading off in different directions.
I wander through the streets slowly, deciding to walk back to my apartment. It’s nice to have a bit of time to clear my head. This thing with Elliot–whatever it is–it can’t distract me from my goal. I need to get a legitimate loan to pay off this debt to Victor and get him out of my life.
Step by step, I let my thoughts drift from Elliot to Victor. It was so nice and peaceful to be in San Diego without a worry in the world. Being with Elliot made me forget all my issues here. It was so natural to be with him. I want to keep seeing him, but I can’t let him know about this debt. Hopefully it’ll be paid off and Victor will be out of my life before I even have to bring it up.
He’s busy tomorrow with his daughter, so I won’t see him until work on Monday. We’ve obviously decided to keep it quiet, but still my heart skips a beat when I think about seeing him again. I can’t wait to see those eyes, to feel those hands on me again. I’m lost in thought, thinking about Elliot’s body and the way he touched me. The way his eyes looked bright every time he looked at me.
I’m so distracted that I nearly bump straight into Victor’s leather jacket-clad chest.
“B
etter watch where you’re going, girl. The streets aren’t as safe as people think,” he snarls. I can smell his putrid breath and notice his rotting teeth. His jagged scar gives his face an ugly, menacing look.
“What do you want, Victor.” I take a step back and cross my arms, determined not to let him see my fear.
“Word on the street was that you skipped town. I just wanted to come and make sure you hadn’t forgotten about your obligations.”
“I’ll have your money by the deadline. There’s no need to harass me outside my home.”
“Harass? I’m not doing anything like that. I’m just scoping out the neighborhood. I wouldn’t mind living in this neck of the woods. If you can’t come up with the money, that apartment of yours might just do instead.”
I bristle. I know he can’t take my house from me but I’m sick of feeling unsafe in my own apartment.
“Like I said, you’ll have your money.”
“See that’s the problem, I was feeling generous before, but now your time is running out. In case you’ve forgotten, you have until the end of the month or else that little blonde girlfriend of yours will be getting an unpleasant visit.”
My back arcs up. “Leave her out of this,” I say under my breath. My heart is hammering in my chest and my fear is making my throat close up. How does he know about her? Has he been following me?
“Or what?” His eyes are shooting flames at me. I say nothing. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’ll be here when the time comes. Have my money and you’ll never have to see me again.”
He stalks off down the street and turns the corner. I walk up my steps slowly, trying to regain control over my breath and my body. Fear and despair taste like bile in my mouth as the reality of my situation closes in around me.
San Diego seems like an eternity ago. My hopes of being happy before this debt is paid seem like a childish fantasy.
I’ll have to move quickly. I was hoping Dr. Yates would have more time to see me working but I’ll have to ask him for a reference for the bank this week. I’m running out of time.
33
Emma
Monday morning can’t come soon enough. I make it to the office early, hoping to continue with my filing project. I haven’t asked Elliot about the strange fees yet. I want to get a better idea of what it is and when it’s charged to clients before I bring it up. It’s not that I don’t trust him, just that I don’t want to stir the pot unless I have to.
I’m looking forward to burying myself in work. I haven’t been able to get my mind off Victor’s last visit. If he knows about Valerie, what else does he know about in my life? I need to get him off my back so he stops threatening me and leaves me alone forever.
Once I open the door to the office, I immediately notice the boxes of files behind the reception desk are gone. I frown, walking up to the shelf slowly. I drop my purse on the desk and look around the room. They’ve disappeared.
I’m still scanning the room when I hear a voice behind me. I jump in surprise.
“Morning, Emma,” Dr. Yates’ voice growls. “You wondering about those files of yours?”
I spin around and see him leaning against the walls, arms crossed over his chest. His grey hair is in a curly heap on his head, and his eyes are darker than I’ve ever seen them. They look almost menacing.
“Yeah, I was hoping to continue organizing them,” I respond slowly. Suddenly my palms are sweaty and I shift my weight from foot to foot. The way he’s looking at me is making me nervous.
“After all your hard work last week we were able to archive the files. They’re stored away securely now. So thank you for that.” His eyes narrow again and I shift my weight to the other foot.
“That’s... That’s great, Doctor. I’m glad I could help.” I speak slowly, evenly. He stares at me for a few seconds more and nods his head, then spins around and walks down the hallway to his office.
I flop down in my chair with a sigh, staring up at the empty shelves behind me. He obviously wasn’t happy with me, but why? He’d originally praised me for my initiative and seemed enthusiastic about me improving the practice’s filing system, and now he seems so angry with me.
What if sending me to San Diego was just an excuse to get me away from the files? What if he didn’t want to help me gain experience in the industry, but instead was just getting me out of his way so he could secure the files away from me? Where did he take them?
I shake my head. This is insane. I’m getting ahead of myself, and I’m being paranoid. All this stuff with Victor is getting to me, and I’m seeing evil everywhere I go. Even so, the way he was looking at me was different. He was gauging my reaction, sizing me up. Trying to read me.
Does he trust me? Obviously not. Maybe he knows I’m onto him, he knows I’ve noticed the doubling up of management fees.
My heart suddenly drops. I need a letter from my employer saying I’m in good standing at work, guaranteeing my employment for me to get this loan. I’d planned to ask Dr. Yates for it today. It’s the only way I have of paying Victor back. And now if Dr. Yates doesn’t trust me, if he thinks I’m out to get him, I’ve lost all hope of getting the money in time.
My heart beats faster and I feel the prickling of tears behind my eyes. I blink back the tears, not wanting to show my weakness at work and definitely not wanting to invite any questions. Why did I have to stick my nose where it didn’t belong? Why couldn’t I just mind my own business? Just come to work, answer the phone, book appointments. Work reception like I’m supposed to, and then ask for a letter after a couple weeks. Instead, I had to take on an extra project of my own, snooping through confidential files in my first week. Who do I think I am?
A tear rolls down my cheek and I brush it away angrily. It’s too late now. All I can do is ask Dr. Yates for a letter. I’ll pretend I know nothing. I’ll forget I ever saw anything suspicious. I’ll work reception and do nothing more. Answer the phone, book appointments, do what they tell me to do. No more projects of my own. There’s still hope that he’ll trust me.
I need him to trust me. It’s the only way to make sure I get the money and keep myself and my friends out of trouble.
34
Elliot
I walk into the office with a spring in my step. I can’t wait to see Emma’s smiling face at reception greeting me. For the first time in I don’t know how long, I’m actually looking forward to talking to a coworker.
I wonder what she’ll be wearing today. I hope it’s one of her dresses, the blue one she wore on her second day showed off her curvy figure to perfection. I push the door open with a smile on my face and look at the reception desk, at the woman I’ve had on my mind all weekend.
Instead of a smiling face I see her brushing a tear off her cheek. My heart drops and I rush forward.
“Emma, what’s wrong, are you okay?”
She looks up as if she’s surprised to see me. I see her take a deep breath and try to paint a neutral expression on her face, but I can tell that something is seriously wrong.
“Everything’s fine, thanks, Elliot.” She forces a smile. “How was the rest of your weekend, how’s Gracie?”
“Gracie’s good. Are you sure you’re okay?” I come around the desk and kneel down. Eye to eye with Emma, I see her blink back more tears.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she whispers. “Not right now.”
I nod. That’s something I understand. I stand up and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. She puts her hand on top of mine and we stay there for a second.
“I’ll get you a coffee,” I say, not knowing what to do. She looks up at me with a smile that looks more like a grimace.
“Thanks,” she croaks, and turns her head away from me. I look at her for a few seconds more before turning to the break room.
Is she upset at me? Did I do something wrong? Surely, she would have told me? I shake my head. There must be something else going on. I start making a coffee and hear Stuart Yates’ slimy voice behin
d me.
“Good time in San Diego?” he asks in a low voice. I turn my head and see his beady little eyes staring back at me. I know that look. My heart sinks and I know that he’s the one that’s made Emma feel this way.
“It was very good. The speech went over well, I think.” I keep my voice steady.
Stuart nods at me without breaking eye contact. There’s an underlying threat in his look and I’m scrambling to think of what it could be about. I’ve worked out my past issues with him. I don’t owe him anything anymore, so why is he looking at me like that?
“Good.” He turns around and walks out of the break room.
I stare after him as the coffee machine gurgles and splutters behind me. What the fuck was that about? Is there some sort of power play that I don’t know about going on right now? What did Emma and I miss when we were on the other side of the country?
I walk back out to reception and hand Emma the steaming mug of black coffee. She accepts it with a smile.
“Thanks,” she says before taking a sip. “Sorry about that, you caught me at a bad time.”
“What did he say to you?” I ask. Anger is flooding my veins. I can feel it clouding my brain, like a shroud of red over all my thoughts. Emma’s eyebrow’s shoot up.
“Who?” she asks in a low voice.
“You know who. Yates.” She nods.
“I… It’s nothing. I can’t talk about it. I’ll tell you later.” She looks away from me and puts the coffee down, turning to her computer. Her back is still, her eyes glued to the screen. Her shoulders look tense and there are lines on her forehead. Frustration builds inside me. I just want to help her. I hate seeing her like this, it’s like a dagger in my chest that keeps getting twisted back and forth inside me.
Doctor's Orders (Complete Series) Page 27