Goodbye to You (15 page)

“Wait, Miguel wants to sleep with you? I thought . . .”

“Thea, I’m shocked. Not all male hairdressers are gay.”

“I didn’t mean that. I thought he wanted to sleep with
me.
”

We both chuckle.

It’s fantastic to laugh again.

Like a weight lifted from my shoulders.

Like Shay had pulled it off.

My ability to end things at supper is slipping away by the second, but I don’t want to catch it and reel it back in.

I’m in deep trouble.

And I’ll drag that boy along with me.

Fate.

No other word could describe our encounter.

What else could put her in the hospital, near the elevator, at the exact moment I walked by?

The campus is massive, and we could have gone the next several years without finding one another. She’s not enrolled in classes and was only there today for lunch with her friend.

Waiting for her friend at the same elevator I needed to take for my appointment.

Fate.

Fred is floored by the news but doesn’t believe in fate. We’re men of science, he argues, and unless we can prove something, it doesn’t exist.

Thea exists though. All soft hair and smooth skin and delicious curves. She’s real, and I need to prove to her we should not stop after tonight. When I asked her out, she’d started shaking her head, but something happened, and she changed her mind.

I’m glad she did.

This day was shaping up to be spectacular. My informal interview with Dr. Sykes—more of a conversation—went well. We’d been acquainted through one of my instructors at Miami, and she’s familiar with my work and interests.

They’re doing a medication study investigating the impact of ADHD medicines on kids with autism, and Dr. Sykes needs assistance with data input. Nothing hands-on, at least not yet, but I must start somewhere.

Now dinner. I’m clueless about where to take her since I’m new to town and still unfamiliar with the decent eateries.

The threatening storm has passed, and the late afternoon sun warms my face as I sit on the balcony with my laptop to find a place to eat. An inexpensive place since my savings need to hold until after my loan disbursements.

I’d go broke to make Thea smile though.

Mexican is good. It’s not expensive, and she’d ordered nachos at Paddy’s. The time in Key West seems like a lifetime ago though it hasn’t been two months yet. I’ve missed her every day since the morning we said goodbye, and she turned away from me. The goodbye kiss splintered my heart, and all I wanted to do was run back to her and ask her to take me wherever she was going.

I’d slogged through high school and undergrad to get into medical school, and as fate—yes, Fred, fate—would have it, she’s within my reach again. This is meant to be, but I must convince her.

I jump up and go inside to scan my closet, happy I’d listened to Mom and bought pants to replace the shorts I wore year-round in Florida.

Since I bought several pairs of khakis and other casual pants, I’ll at least be presentable while tripping over my tongue, and hopefully falling into her.

I’d be satisfied, though, with a long, slow kiss good night on her doorstep.

I do know, though, I’ll never give her another goodbye kiss ever again.

She’s stuck with me whether she wants to be or not.

I hope she doesn’t take much convincing.

“I admit, Leesh, this is outstanding.” I twirl in front of the full-length mirror attached to the back of my bedroom door. The black-and-white patterned wrap dress accentuates my nipped-in waist, and while the dress doesn’t minimize my chest, it doesn’t call undue attention to it, either. Which is fine because the only person I want looking is Shay.

The teardrop earrings highlight my face, and Miguel worked miracles taming my hair with his multitude of sprays, brushes, and the flat iron.

I hardly ever take the time the time to straighten my hair. While I like my natural curls, I’m crushing on this sleek style, pulled back on one side, and falling across the other shoulder.

As soon as I wash my hair, the curls will bounce back, but I’ll enjoy this while I can.

Leesh beams, proud of her handiwork.

I sweep on mascara and lipstick. A sharp rap at the door startles me, and I have to wipe off the lipstick smudged by my jerking hand.

6:55 p.m.

Of course, he’s early.

“I got this!” Leesh calls back as she walks to the door. “You make an entrance when I call you.”

I sigh. I hate doing this, but she took two hours of her time to help me get ready, even though I would never have taken two hours on my own.

“Thea, honey! Yoo-hooo! Your date’s here.”

Must she be so embarrassing?

I slide on my dressy flats and glide—at least I try to glide—to the living room.

Shay stands in the entry hall, and my breath catches. He’s not as dressed up as earlier, when he was dead sexy in his suit and tie, but tonight he’s . . . wow. He’s wearing a dark green shirt, and khaki pants hug the solid muscles of his legs.

I swallow, remembering what’s underneath the clothes, and a wave of electric desire surges through me, urging me forward.

Makes me want to kick my friends out so I can rip Shay’s clothes off.

I take a breath to soothe my overwrought libido.

“Hi.” His smile is shy like the first night we met. Funny, since we’ve seen each other naked from different angles, and he looked fantastic from all of them.

My face heats at my thoughts, and from his attention.

If we don’t get out soon, his clothes will still look good.

In a pile on my bedroom floor.

“Shall we?” I usher Leesh and Miguel out the door. Shay and I follow, and I lock the door behind us.

I spot his hybrid in the drive, and he opens the door for me. Chivalry is not dead.

The radio’s tuned to a classic rock station, but he offers me control of the music.
That
song starts playing again. I change the station.

I got this, Mama
.

I can handle my dates on my own. Especially this one. I handled him exceptionally in Key West.

Except for the ending part. I’m no good at endings.

I think I shouldn’t try to end this. This could be the chance for a fresh beginning.

Which means being honest with him about everything. Not tonight though. Tomorrow or Sunday.

Honesty could result in loss, and I’m not prepared to lose him yet.

He puts the car in gear and flashes his stunning grin.

I like the view from the front too much to watch him walk away.

She’s so beautiful she makes my heart hurt. I never thought I’d connect with anyone this way. After high school, I’d kind of sworn off serious stuff, spurred by my growing knowledge about the genetic links in mood disorders. Would I develop depression as severe as Rose’s someday? Would I pass the disposition to my children?

I don’t want to hurt anyone to the same degree. Rose had broken everyone’s hearts, but she shattered Da’s soul, and I never wanted to give anyone the ability to hurt me like that. Or hurt anyone like that myself.

It must’ve sucked for him to discover the woman he’d trusted with his heart was such a monster.

Not a monster, I remind myself. Sick.

She’s the reason I got into medicine.

That, and the time when Mac “forgot” how to swim and almost drowned. He was ten, but the signs of depression had been creeping up on him for a couple years. Some of his autistic behaviors masked the mood disorder, and it was life-changing when Mac got a correct diagnosis.