bradley

 

 

Bradley followed Victoria out of the office tower into the bustling, balmy evening. They jumped into a cab and he instructed the driver to drop them off at a little French restaurant close to her condo.

He was aware of how close they sat in the back, and reached his hand over to cover hers. He gave it a squeeze, and she squeezed back without looking at him.

Normally, he wouldn’t be caught dead holding hands with a girl he’d just bedded. Or a girl he’d fucked right up against a wall. But she was different. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they met, and no amount of cajoling by Cynthia or any other woman was enough to tempt him.

He was convinced she felt it too, so why was she holding back, he wondered. He thought for a minute about his own situation. He was trying to get back into the swing of things at med school and prepare for his exams. He was busy and preoccupied with his sister’s illness and trying to support their mother at the same time. It wasn’t the best time for pursuing a relationship, so why was he so hung up on her?

He didn’t know the answer, but as he looked at her profile and her thoughtful eyes as they looked out the window, he knew that he wanted to be near her all the time, and to feel her body against his as often as possible.

He sighed and forced himself to look away from her. They just had mind blowing sex. Sex that he planned to repeat again and again – with her – and he didn’t want to over think things.

They arrived at the restaurant and found a quiet table near the back. After their drinks arrived, he got down to business, thinking she’d probably want to get it over with.

“So, about the hospital project.”

“Right,” she said. “Last year we were able to raise an impressive amount of funds for a state-wide tutorial program, and we want to repeat that success for the children’s hospital.”

He didn’t want to think about it earlier, but now he wondered whether he should tell her that his sister was receiving her cancer treatment at that very hospital. They had had a great time earlier, and he didn’t want to ruin the mood. At the same time, something compelled him to open up and share with her. Besides, on second thought, he wasn’t quite yet in the mood to talk business.

“You know, I didn’t mention this earlier. Actually, I don’t even know how to bring it up. You told me we’ll be raising money primarily for the oncology department, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. The whole hospital will benefit, but the largest percentage of funds will go to the oncology unit. Why?”

He looked down at his plate, unsure of how to proceed. Finally, he decided to just spit it out.

“Remember that picture you saw in my room that first night you came over, with me and my sister?”

“Yeah…”

“She’s a patient at that hospital.”

“Really? Is she ok? Was there an accident?” Her eyes were full of concern, and his heart warmed at the sight of them.

“Well, there was no accident. And no, she’s not exactly ok. She’s a patient in the oncology unit.”

Victoria looked like a deer caught in headlights. She was computing and processing what he had just said.

“You mean, she has…”

“Cancer,” he finished for her. “Yes, she has cancer.”

Victoria’s eyes widened and she looked distressed.

“Oh my god, I had no idea. I’m so, so sorry.” She reached over and took one of his hands in hers. “She’s so young. I’m so sorry.”

He sighed. “Thanks. It’s been really hard, obviously. I don’t share this with a lot of people, actually. It’s painful to think about, let alone talk about.”

“Oh, well we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” She gave his hand a squeeze, and it looked like she was almost about to cry. She looked so sweet and kind at that moment. It took all his willpower not to take her in his arms then and there.

“No, it’s fine. With you, I don’t mind. I wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t want you to know. Somehow I feel I could trust you with these things.” He looked away, afraid he was being too soft. He had never opened up to a woman like this. He saved all the touchy-feely conversations for his mom, who was dealing with the same feelings day in and day out.

“Thanks, that really means a lot.,” she said.

There was a moment of silence. Bradley knew she must have a million questions, but figured she didn’t want to pry, so he started at the beginning and told her everything. The diagnosis, his mom’s reaction, her difficulties, the details of the treatments, everything. At the end, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. There was one more thing he had to tell her.

“My night job…I only started doing that to help my mom with the medical bills. They were adding up and she had lost one of her jobs. The coverage under her first job just wasn’t enough.” He saw her mouth drop open, and almost regretted telling her.

“Really? Wow… that’s such a selfless thing to do. You really are her hero.”

He blushed. He hated getting praise for doing what he felt was his duty. He figured anyone else would do the same thing.

“Thanks. I think anyone would do the same. My mom doesn’t know. She thinks I’m a waiter at a high-end restaurant, but sooner or later she might want to visit me at work. I’ve managed to keep her from trying, but she might start getting suspicious unless I do something soon.”

She suddenly saw him in a whole different light, he realized. It was as if she was relieved that he had a reason for doing what he did. Maybe it was good that he had told her, after all.

Something suddenly seemed to click in her mind.

“Wait a minute. My sister’s a doctor in that unit at the hospital. She’s been helping to organize the fundraising on the hospital side.”

“She’s not Dr. Connor, is she?”

“Yes! Is she your sister’s doctor?” Her eyes widened with excitement.

“Yes, that’s her doctor’s name. She’s simply amazing. I can’t believe that’s your sister.” He flashed a wide smile. He was genuinely surprised at the huge coincidence, and pleased at the same time. She really was a great doctor, always answering his and his mom’s questions, always being extra sweet to his sister, and had great bedside manners.

“Oh, wow! What a coincidence! I’m so glad that she’s treating you guys well. We have our differences, but I’ve always had great respect for her work. It must be so hard.” She quickly waved her hands around. “I mean, of course, it’s not as difficult for her as for the families of her patients, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that…”

He didn’t let her finish. “Don’t worry, I know what you mean. You didn’t say anything wrong. I can’t imagine how hard and emotionally taxing it would be to constantly deal with sick children. I bet it’s truly heartbreaking.”

“Well, yeah. She gets really attached to the kids and to their families. It’s especially hard when she loses a patient. She sees a therapist quite often.”

“Yeah, I get it. It’s got to be the hardest part of being a doctor. I don’t look forward to that part. When I become a doctor, I mean. I have no doubt – well, almost no doubt – that Emily will be fine. They seem to have it under control. She’s having some testing in a couple of weeks to see whether all the cancer’s gone.”

“Good luck, I’m sure everything will be fine. I have no doubts. It has to be all fine.” Her eyes glistened. He could swear she was about to tear up.

“Thanks, I hope so. Sorry for bringing up such a negative and depressing topic.” He looked into her eyes. The last thing he had wanted to do was upset her, and he felt he had done just that.

“No, don’t be silly. If this is important to you, it’s important to me.” She quickly looked down upon having said those words, and there was an awkward silence.

“Thanks. So…what are you doing after this? It’s getting pretty late. Are you sure you wanna make the trek all the way home?” His tone was light, but hopeful.

He could tell that she was tempted to go back to his place and have an encore.

“Yeah, unfortunately I have to go home. Richard’s expecting a memo in the morning for his new client, and he’s trying to make a good first impression. It won’t help if the very first assignment is late, know what I mean?”

He tried not to let his disappointment show.

“Ok, no problem. Do you need a ride?”

“No, I’ve got a taxi chit from the firm. I don’t want to take you out of your way.”

“It wouldn’t be any trouble, but ok. If you insist.” His eyes shone as he watched her nibble at her dessert. A warm feeling washed over him. He tried to shake it off and regain his composure.

After dinner, they walked around the city streets. Bradley didn’t want to let her go home, but he didn’t push her to stay. As they walked down the street, he grabbed her hand. It felt so small and fragile in his.

“We should get together again soon to actually discuss the project, I guess,” he said, chuckling.

“Yes, definitely. We got a little sidetracked,” she replied with a smile.

“Ok, how about my place on Friday evening, before I head out to work? You can join me at work too, afterwards.”

“I’ll come over, but I think I’ll skip the club this weekend,” she said, looking into his eyes.

He chuckled. “Fine, I can understand that.”

They stopped in front of a waiting cab and he turned to her. He took her face in his hands and ran a thumb down her jaw line, drinking in every nook and cranny of her face with his eyes.

“I had a great time tonight.”

“Me too,” she said, turning her face up towards him to meet his lips. They brushed hers and what started out as a light peck turned into a deep and passionate kiss. He couldn’t wait to see her again. The next few days would be pure torture. At least, now he knew: she was his, and she wasn’t going anywhere.