“You can pack a case and bring some clothes here. There’s plenty of space in my wardrobe for your things.”
I stare back at him wondering if he knows what he’s saying to me. He does. He full well does.
Knowing him the way I’ve come to know this man over this time we’ve spent together, I know he doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do, and he doesn’t say things he doesn’t mean either.
“James… what are we doing? What… part of the game is this?” Now I search his eyes.
“What part of the game do you want this to be?”
It’s such an open question. One that requires a direct answer. He’s asking me what I want, and I’m too scared to tell him because what I want so badly it hurts is him. My lips part, but I can’t find the words to say it.
He tilts his head to the side and regards me with keen eyes. His stare intensifies, and I get the feeling he’s about to point out the obvious obstacles that have been looming over us, over me.
“I see you. I see it, Paige. I see what you want even if you can’t say it. I want you too, and if you feel anything close to what I feel for you, then I think I finally have the right to ask you to stop working at the club. I think it’s understandable that I don’t want my girl working somewhere like that.”
His words freeze me in place, and I swallow hard.
His girl…
Did I hear him right?
He called me his girl.
Wasn’t this what I wanted more than anything? I can admit it now, I’ve been in love with this man from the first time I saw him. Now I’m standing before him and he’s calling me his. James is looking at me like I belong to him.
He’s right about the club. I shouldn’t go back there to do anything that’s not with him. I love him too much to even contemplate it.
But what about the money for Mom?
My request to have my contract amended was approved. The salary dropped by five grand but it still works out find because of the money James made for the booking. Next week I’ll have over thirty seven thousand dollars paid to me. I’d just need to do another two months to meet the goal.
Looking at the stern expression on James’ face now tells me I shouldn’t even do that. I was a fool to think I could.
If I tell him why I need the money he’d want to help me.
Would it be so bad though if he did?
Now that nearly six weeks have passed the thought doesn’t seem so bad. We’ve grown so close. I’ve done things with him I’ve never imagined and there’s a bond between us I’d never want to break.
Things are different now because we’re different.
Now I stand to lose more than money if I don’t speak up because this is the kind of conversation that could go wrong if I don’t say the right things.
The buzzing of my phone steals my next thoughts.
The phone rings and vibrates in my bag by the sofa. Anyone who’s calling me at this hour has to be calling about something important. I rush to answer it, my thoughts going straight to Mom.
“Miss St. Claire. This is Dr. Mulligan…” comes a voice that makes my blood run cold and fear spike my nerves.
“Is my mother okay?” I babble. I can’t get the words out quick enough. My stomach wrenches and twists into knots when I think back to when Mom got the call about Dad.
“No. I’m so sorry, she had a heart attack. We need to get her into surgery now.”
“Oh my God,” I cry. My mouth opens and tears flow down my cheeks. I want to scream. I want to shout. This can’t be happening. It’s the very thing Dr. Mulligan warned us about.
“Paige, I need to ask you some difficult questions. I know money was the main object. I’ve done my best to see what sort of funding we could ascertain, but I haven’t been able to secure anything. We won’t be able to do this type of surgery unless I secure the funds. It’s going to cost close to eighty thousand dollars now because of what we have to do, the situation has gotten worse than what we originally anticipated.”
My head feels light.