She grinned. “Well, you should take a look. Because I don’t think we’re going to need any more money for a looooong time.”
“Yes.” I fist-bumped the air before I grabbed the burger with one hand.
She chuckled. “Now all we need to do is prepare for the trip coming up. I got my first round of vaccinations, and then I’ll get the boosters soon. I have a few other things to go over with you, but I’ll let you eat your lunch. We can talk later.”
I finished chewing my bite and gave a nod. “Alright.”
She turned to walk out.
“Sic?”
“Hmm?” She turned back around, standing near the couch.
We didn’t talk about us at all while on the clock, so I made it quick. “You free tonight?”
She did her best to hide her smile, but a little bit of it came through. She forced herself to look practically bored. “Sure.” Then she let herself out like nothing happened.
The door was shut, and I went back to my lunch while I worked on my chart. It’d been a couple days since the charity dinner, and I wondered if she’d dumped Dom, but I refused to ask and just assumed she took care of it.
I had no idea how serious they were, if they’d slept together, if she really liked him or what, but I’d rather not know, so I didn’t ask.
It was clear she made her choice—and that choice was me.
Bye, Dom.
She changed out of her work outfit and wore something more casual to dinner, skintight jeans, heeled boots, and a long-sleeved olive-green sweater that had a deep vee in the front, showing off her glowing skin and a bit of those plump-ass tits.
She knew I liked ’em.
We went to a laid-back place and got a couple sandwiches and salads, sitting across from each other while we both enjoyed a glass of wine. I wasn’t a big fan of fancy places, so I hardly ever went to restaurants like that. I could have taken her to one to impress her, but she already liked me for me, so what was the point? She knew I was chill, would wear jeans and a hoodie to that charity dinner if I could.
She stabbed her fork into her salad and ate slowly, looking up and making eye contact with me sometimes, but quiet.
I was quiet too.
On a first date, you were supposed to talk and get to know each other, but I already knew everything about her—and she me.
We were already perfectly compatible.
And damn, we were physically compatible too…fucking gasoline to a lit match.
I discreetly adjusted my fly under the table.
She didn’t seem to notice. “So, what made you change your mind?” She took a bite of her food then chewed it, her eyes on me now, watching my reaction, practically studying it.
I took my time to find an answer, to reflect on my actions and thoughts to find the truth. “Because you already make me feel things.” That was the simplest answer I could give. “Daisy told me she saw you and that guy you were seeing out at dinner.” I refused to say his name, not when we were together now. “It bothered me. Made me uncomfortable. And lately, I …haven’t been going out the way I used to. I just…stopped having desires. I thought I was having a hormone imbalance, but then I realized the only person who made me feel that way was you. So, as much as I’d rather not feel anything for anyone…it’s out of my control, apparently.”
She moved her fork through her salad just to have something to do as she listened to me, her eyes soft. “That’s sweet.”
“I’ve never known anyone as passionate about what I do except you, aside from my family and my patients. Most women are just impressed by the occupation, by how smart I am and how much money I make, but you’re one of the few people who seem to care about everything else that goes with it, the heart of it.”
“I’m surprised more women don’t, Dex.”
“Yeah.” Our society cared more about money and capital gains, based on the kinds of conversations I listened to at parties with other professionals. Even other surgeons preferred to talk about the gains on their rental properties and their stocks more than the kinds of patients they had, the lives they saved. “I know that you’re one in a million, and if I don’t at least try, someone else will get you. I don’t want to live with that regret.”
She stared at me for a while, no longer touching her food. “I’m flattered that you feel that way, when I think the same things about you.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I didn’t say anything at all.
Silence passed for a long time, and we stared at each other, picked at our food because we didn’t know what else to do.