“Okay.”
“And Yasmine?”
“She’s fine. Asleep for the night.”
“Yeah, I guess it is pretty late. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“No.”
“So, do you think we could talk?”
“I’d like that.”
“I’m outside of Chicago right now, but I’ll be back tomorrow night. Maybe I can come by Tuesday after you get off, if you’re up for it.”
“Tuesday is fine. I’ll come to your office, if you don’t mind.”
The first thing that crossed his mind was that she had something else to hide, but he dismissed it. “All right. I’ll see you then.”
“Okay. Donovan, I’m really sorry and...and I’ve missed you,” Simona added softly before disconnecting.
The sadness in her voice caused his chest to tighten. It dawned on him that he had been selfish and had never stopped to think about how hard it was, working and raising a daughter alone. Remorse filled his heart, and he promised himself that he would make it up to her.
Chapter 13
One hour to go. Simona had been doing a mental countdown since she received Donovan’s call two nights ago, and now that the time had come, she wasn’t sure she wanted to have the conversation. Several scenarios of what he might say cluttered her mind, making her borderline crazy. But at least she’d had the foresight to meet him at his office. That way, she could control the length of time she stayed and get out quickly if need be.
“Simona, are you applying for the job as board cleaner now?” a nurse asked as she passed, chuckling.
Simona stopped, looked up and realized that she had been erasing the same spot for the past two minutes. She jerked her hand down, replaced the eraser and shook her head. Putting Donovan out of her mind, Simona picked up the chart for her next patient and hurried off down the hallway. By the time she had a chance to breathe, her shift had ended and it was time to give the report to the incoming nursing staff.
Simona finished her report, showered and changed into a gold tank top, knee-length multicolored wrap skirt and gold wedge-heeled sandals. She slicked her lips with the MAC Oh Baby Lipglass that she wore only for special occasions, not stopping to evaluate why she was taking so much care with her appearance. At the last minute, she decided to remove the band holding her braids. She finger-combed them, surveyed her look one final time, then headed to her car.
“You look nice tonight, Simona. Going out?”
Simona froze with her hand on the car doorknob. The last person she wanted to see was Dr. Harris. She turned. “Something like that.”
“I guess the rumors were true.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “What rumors?”
“That you’re dating someone.”
“Hmm,” she replied noncommittally. What she did on her off-hours was none of his business.
His jaw tightened. “I’d be lying if I said I wish you the best, so I’ll just say good-night.” Dr. Harris spun on his heel and stalked toward the hospital entrance.
“Good night.” And good riddance. Simona shook her head, got into the car and drove off. Even if things didn’t work out with Donovan, at least she wouldn’t have to be bothered with the good doctor anymore.
The closer she got to Donovan’s office, the more nervous she became. Telling him about Yasmine’s birth was easy. Sharing her past relationship and her fear of the media...not so much. Although he worked primarily in the office, an integral part of his job entailed interacting with the public. If things didn’t work out between them, her greatest worry was that there would be a repeat of the harassment she’d suffered previously. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, go through that again. She parked in the underground garage, took a steadying breath and got out.
Simona took the elevator to the sixth floor and walked down the silent hallway. All the doors were locked except the one at the end. Light from the outer office spilled into the dim corridor. Simona placed a hand on her belly to still the fluttering and took a cautious step inside. The secretary’s desk sat empty, but she heard music coming from Donovan’s office. If she left now, he would never know that she had been there, but she couldn’t make her body obey. Before she lost her nerve, she crossed the floor and knocked on his open door.
He raised his head and slowly stood, his gaze taking a lingering tour up her body.
They stared at each other for a lengthy moment until she said, “Hi.”