This morning, for the first time in my New York tenure, I rode the subway without watching the people around me.
Normally, even when I was reading or pretending to sleep, I had one eye strategically sweeping the area around me. Call it paranoia. Or maybe it was the amount of time I’d spent during my residency suturing some kind of injury from a mugging on the platform or a crazy guy with a knife on one of the cars.
I mean, overall, riding the subway was just as safe as walking in Manhattan. Though, as a side note, I’d sewn up a pretty healthy number of wounds from mugging while walking as well.
But really, New York is lovely. You should visit.
Not to mention, since the first episode of the show had aired, I’d had to make a concerted effort to hide my face from gawking strangers as they snapped pictures with their iPhones.
But last night, with Melody, had been so much more than I’d expected. The conversation, the vibe, the overall easy flow of every single moment—all of it had been incredible. The best date of my life.
Also—side note again here—the sex.
To say I was off my game and just about tapped out for concern about keeping a semblance of personal privacy was an understatement. Luckily, the cloud of all of those things combined, and their power against my command of observation hadn’t resulted in a trip to the hospital in something other than a professional capacity. Though, it probably would mean a few more pictures of me floating around in the cybersphere.
I pushed through the door to St. Luke’s Obstetrics and Gynecology without hesitation for the first time in weeks, excited for the day, and immediately started scanning the space for her.
It was stupid, really. Mel was always fucking late. But rationality wasn’t an emotion, and frankly, it was no match for one either.
“Interesting night, huh, Dr. Cummings?” Marlene asked as I passed her.
Melody’s knees high and spread, her hands clenching my throat as I rode her hard and fast the second time. Her eyes blazing up at me like I might just be the best thing she’d ever felt. God, yes. Last night had been more than interesting. It’d been everything.
Smiling, I nodded my affirmation and continued down the hall, only turning back to look when I realized Marlene didn’t know anything about me and Melody, but she was already gone.
I wonder what she’s talking about.
Whatever it was, I didn’t feel like dealing with it right then.
I went straight to my office to drop off my briefcase, but I checked the inside of every exam room as I passed about as discreetly as I could, just in case Melody had chosen the night after we’d slept together to be prompt for the first time in her life.
She hadn’t, by the way.
God, I’m going crazy.
Things had ended well, far too late into the night to help Melody get up this morning, but there’d been kissing and general contentment on both sides.
But it’d been six hours since she’d climbed into the cab I’d called for her—after she refused to stay over and deal with explaining to Janet—and five since I’d felt any real sort of certainty about where we stood.
We’d slept together on the first date, and while I wasn’t even remotely complaining, I also couldn’t shake one nagging question. Does first-date fornication ever lead to a real relationship?
It sure as hell never had for me. Not with Lana or Megan or Seela…yeah, the number isn’t important here… It was the principle. Could sex—and significant but fairly superficial interest—ever be a good foundation for more?
I wasn’t convinced it could.
Though, to be fair, I’d never lasted more than four months in a relationship anyway. Georgia always told me it was because I chose the wrong women, but I don’t think that was it. I was pretty sure it had more to do with the fact that being with the same woman for the rest of my life sounded like just about the worst thing I’d ever heard…until recently.
And no, it wasn’t the moment I laid eyes on Melody.
It was just around the time I slid inside of her.
Kidding.
Sort of. It was really good.
Glancing up to look out in the hallway for her, I noticed the time on the clock above my door. 9:05 a.m.
Shit. I had better get busy seeing patients even if my nurse wasn’t here to help me. She was lucky last night had gone the way it had.
Ugh, Will. No. Thinking those kinds of things is the reason dating your subordinate isn’t a good idea.
In reality, part of me was just nervous she wouldn’t show up at all. Like somehow, I’d conjured the whole thing—even imagined her—in my mind. I smiled at quite possibly the most insecure conversation I’d ever had with myself and grabbed my coat to scoot up to the front and bring my own patient back. It’d be better if I at least multitasked—worked and talked myself off of the emotional ledge simultaneously.
“Did you see Dr. Obscene last night?” I heard Melissa say as I made it to the front.
Goddammit. Would there ever be a time I traveled to the front of my office and didn’t hear someone talking about me anymore?
Also, I’d completely forgotten that episode had even aired last night. I’d been busy.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Don’t call him that. I can’t work with a man named Dr. Obscene,” Marlene retorted.
“It’s not like it’s his actual name. Relax. It’s just fitting after he…well…he…”
“God, you’re blushing,” Beth commented on a whisper.
“Of course, I’m blushing! It looked like he was whacking his mole!”
“Oh my God!” Beth’s whisper was now more like a shriek. I couldn’t say I blamed her. I felt a little like screaming myself.
“Beating his meat. Slapping his stick. Stroking his ore.”
“We get it!” Marlene snapped, and for once, I agreed with her. My brain felt like it was on overload. Good God, did she mean what I thought she meant?
Fuck, I might come out of my skin.
“There’s no way he was doing that.”
“It really looked like he was.”
“I don’t know. They probably edited him. You remember the last time he caught us talking? Besides, have you ever seen him act like that around here?” Beth defended me. It wasn’t like she was a saint, but fuck, I guessed I couldn’t be choosy about my allies anymore.
“No. I can honestly say I’ve never seen him jerk off around here.”
“Melissa!”
“Well, that’s what it was. And I’d know if I’d seen it here. Trust me.”
“But I talked to him. Hinted about what an interesting night last night was. He didn’t object,” Marlene interjected again.
“Like he was gonna actually address it? He doesn’t like office gossip.”
Okay. Bad news… I apparently looked like I was fucking jerking off on the show last night? Jesus Christ!
My brain felt like it was bleeding, but I fought desperately against going full aneurysm.
Silver lining…think of the silver lining. Well, I guessed they didn’t know Mel and I had slept together last night.
Is that even really a positive? my brain questioned doubtfully. I didn’t know.
I did know, however, that I didn’t want the women I worked with on a daily basis thinking they’d seen me engaged in a little self-love and fucking blabbing about it!
Stepping forward and around the corner, I did my best not to speak with any of the actual rage I now felt. “He sure doesn’t.”
Especially not with a waiting room full of patients. Or ever.
“Crap,” Marlene huffed.
“You three,” I addressed them. “My office.”
They looked down at the carpet but pushed out of their chairs, and Marlene pushed away from her spot against the wall, to follow me, but none of us made it more than a foot before the door opened and Melody walked in.
She got one look at our faces, and her eyebrows pulled together.
And then, unfortunately, accusing eyes shot to me. Does she actually think I told them about us?
“Melody,” I snapped, far harsher than intended. She jumped at the sound of my voice, and she wasn’t the only one. I cleared my throat and worked to smooth out the line between my eyebrows. “Sorry,” I apologized. “Just…sorry. But as soon as you’re settled, bring back the first patient.”
“Sure, Dr. Cummings,” she said softly. She sounded fucking hurt, and I felt nearly helpless with the direction this day had taken. And I was in such a good mood when it started.
I looked back to Marlene, Beth, and Melissa, but all I could say was, “Later.” Even I couldn’t tell if it was a promise or a threat.
But just as before, none of us made it even a foot before the main office door opened again, and something we’d never seen before walked in.
A man.
Okay. Obviously excluding myself, the other male physicians in the practice, and the occasional husband. Otherwise, no men whatsoever.
Shut up. Obviously, lots of men walk through these doors, but that’s not the point, okay?
This one, I didn’t recognize.
Unfortunately, someone else knew him…and by the looks of it, she knew him well.