Falling for Him 4 (Rachel and Peter in Love) (10 page)

“Skeptical?” Peter asked.

“A bit. I mean, it’s a lot to take in. She’s like a totally different person. Can someone change that much in only a few short weeks?”

“You know, I think with the right help, they can. It sounds like she got that help.
Anyway, enough about Lara. I want to talk about us.”

Rachel turned sideways in his arms, “That sounds promising. I like talking about us. But you know what I like better than that?” she asked with a slow grin.

Peter grinned back at her before rising with her in his arms, “I have a good idea. Why don’t we discuss it in bed?”

“Gosh, you got it in one. You’re really smart,” Rachel told him, squealing as he tickled her before tossing her on the unmade bed.

Coming down beside her, he smoothed her hair back from her forehead and whispered, “I always was the smart one. Now, let me show you what I like…”

Lara walked down to the corner of the street, a smile of satisfaction upon her face. She was so relieved to have that over with. It had gone much better than she could have ever imagined, and knowing that she had Peter’s forgiveness was liberating in a
big way.

The taxi arrived and she climbed in the back. When asked where she wanted to go, she paused for a moment. She had just done the hardest thing in her life and really wanted to share it with someone who would understand.

Her father would nod his head, but he wouldn’t really understand. Stephen Bishop didn’t make apologies; at least he’d never made one to his daughter’s knowledge. No, he definitely wouldn’t understand.

The only person who would truly understand was David.
God, I wish I could talk to him!

“Ma’am, I hate to pressure you, but we’re coming up on the main intersection, and I really need to know where to take you.”

Lara looked around her and then on a whim, told the driver, “
Sunset Malibu
, please. That is where I’d like to go.”

“Uh, ma’am. You realize that’s
a few hours away from here. I’m not authorized to drive you that far.”

Lara smiled at the taxi driver, “Sorry. How about the airport then?”

The taxi driver shook his head in the rearview mirror, “Now, the airport I can handle. Sit tight.”

Lara wasn’t one to normally be spontaneous, but that didn’t seem to matter at the moment. She arrived at the ai
rport and booked the first flight to Los Angeles, pleased when she was told there was a flight leaving within the hour.

She called her father and told him where she was headed, refusing the offer of his car and driver to take her there. She didn’t want to waste the rest of the day sitting in the back seat of a car. No, she’d fly down to the rehab center
and see David. Just the thought of seeing him again made her body tingle.

                                                                                    *****

Lara smiled at the taxi driver as he pulled away from the front of the rehab center. Now that she was finally here, she was nervous, yet excited.
What if he doesn’t want to see me?

She entered the facility, watching as
the receptionist Becky’s eyes widened in surprise. “I didn’t know you were coming back?”

“I’m not back to stay. I was actually hoping to speak with Dr. Richards, if I could. Do you know if he has any openings in his schedule this afternoon?”

Becky’s smile disappeared and she looked at the lovely young woman standing in front of her, “Lara, I’d love to help you out, but David doesn’t work here anymore. He renounced.”

Lara was shocked and tried her best to cover up her disappointment, “What
?! Renounced? I mean, I’ve only been gone a week…” Lara stopped speaking, as there was nothing left to say.

How could David up and quit his job? He loved his job and helping people?
Didn’t he?

Becky was looking at her in sympathy and Lara had a brainstorm. “Becky, I really need to talk to him. Do you happen to know where he went?” Lara remembered that he had been living in one of the bungalows on site, and was hoping he’d left a forwarding address.

The receptionist shook her head, “Lara, you know I can’t give out that kind of information. I’d lose my job if I started giving out our doctor’s private addresses.”

Lara nodded in understanding, “I’m sorry. Of course I know that. Do you know if he’s set up private practice
somewhere? Perhaps I could contact him there?”

“To my knowledge, he’s not practicing anywhere right now.”

“Do you mind telling me when he quit?” Lara asked.

“The same day you left. He walked in to the director’s office shortly before dinnertime and said he quit. He couldn’t play these games anymore and he was taking his two-weeks’ vacation as his notice.”

“Can he do that?” Lara asked, confused at why David had left so suddenly.

Becky shrugged, “He did it. Why do you need to see him?”

“Could one of our other doctors help you? I know you spent some time with Oscar. I could see if he’s available.”

Lara
appreciated Becky’s attempt to assist her, but she was at a loss for words. What could she say? She couldn’t tell her that she's in love with David and needed to apologize for her immature behavior, could she?

Her
mind quickly ran through several scenarios, finally settling on an excuse she hoped might work. “You know, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable with Oscar. David helped me so much, I was hoping we could continue my therapy outside the clinic. A few new things have come up in the last week and I wanted to discuss them with him.” Lara let her voice sound defeated, playing to the sympathy she could see on the receptionist’s face.
I’m sorry Becky, but I really need to talk to David!

Becky listened to Lara and
noticed her predicament. Lara had come to like Becky, who was a very warmhearted and romantic woman, who’d helped her quite a few times with some errands she needed. And she believed her to suspect that Lara and David had become very close during her stint at the center, fighting their attraction to one another on a daily basis. She’d seen it on her knowing face whenever she met them together, looking at each other.

It was her only chance, so Lara plunged at her intuition and said. “Becky, it’s very important for me
personally
that I talk to him…”

Becky reached
into her desk, pulled out the staff directory and opened it up to the page containing David’s address. She gave Lara a conspiring smile and said “I’m sorry, I can’t help. If  there isn’t anything else I can do for you, please excuse me, I need to take an urgent call.” She tapped the book lying open on her desk with her hands and stood up.

Lara
was almost beaming, “No, nothing else. Thank you anyways and have a wonderful day.”

Becky picked up her coffee cup, heading for the employee lounge for a refill.
“You too, Ms. Bishop!”

Lara
waited until Becky disappeared around the corner, her heart beating. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and quickly snapped a picture of the address book. David Richard’s address was clearly visible through the screen. Without pausing, she dialed the taxi, and headed outside to wait.

The same taxi that had brought her from the airport was only at the end of the street and quickly returned for her. Only after getting into the back of the vehicle was she able to finally
breathe easily.

She pulled up the screen, gave the driver the address, and then settled back in the seat for the thirty-minute drive. She would have to send Becky a token of her appreciation once she got home.
That woman was worth gold!

The taxi pulled away from the curb outside David’s new address, and Lara couldn’t help but
think that seeing the taillights of a taxi was becoming too common. She had started the day out that way, and here she was, in the middle of the afternoon doing the same thing.

The flight down
to  Los Angeles had only taken an hour, but the traffic from the airport to the clinic had been horrendously congested and taken almost an hour and a half by itself. Add in the thirty minute drive to her present location, and she was suddenly wondering if she should have thought her actions through a little more.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she opened the door of the fairly modern apartment building and scanned the last names on the apartments for Richards. Seeing it was located on the third floor, she entered the elevator and moments later found herself replaying another part of her day. Standing in front of a door and trying not to panic or run away.
Am I trapped in a time-loop or what?

As she made the comparison between Peter’s door and David’s door, she realized that this door was
much easier. Plunging ahead before she could talk herself out of it, she pushed the bell and waited.

David pulled the door open
and his eyes widened in surprise. God, he looked good! What she wouldn’t do to have the right to throw herself into his arms and greet him with a kiss!

“Hi,” she offered by way of greeting.

David looked at her, and then behind her and down the hallway; "What are you doing here?"

Lara
thought she could hear some joy in his voice, apart from the surprise, but she could be mistaken. She didn’t want to assume that he was happy to see her. "I came to see you."

Suddenly, she
felt stupid. Taking another leap of faith, she asked, "May I come in?"
What if he said “No?” What would she do?

"Sure
," David said, stepping back to allow her room to enter. “Come on in and have a seat.” David led the way to his couch and waited until she was seated before he sat down as well.

“How did you get here?” David asked.

“I went by the clinic to see you. You weren’t there,” she said, trying to keep her voice nice and even.

“No. I quit. I moved in here about a week ago.” David looked around his small apartment, “It’s not much, but…”

“It’s very nice.”

“So, you went to the clinic? Is everything okay?”
She noticed the concern in his voice.

“I realized after I’d been home for a few days, thinking about everything you’d said, that you were right about Peter and the accident. I guess I was holding out hopes that
you’d be wrong. Just thinking about confronting Peter with what I’d done was such a daunting task, and I was afraid of the consequences.

When I realized that his response wasn’t as important as my telling him, I decided to take your advice and go see him.”

David answered overjoyed, “Lara, I’m so proud of you.  It took a lot of bravery to come clean. You’ve shown a maturity you didn’t have when you first came to the center. Congratulations.”

Lara beamed beneath his praise, and while she was thrilled to hear him verbally acknowledge her good job, she’d been secretly hoping for a different reaction.
A much more physical reaction. She was so caught up in the daydream of what she was hoping would happen, she missed the telltale smirk on his face.

He
suddenly asked, “So you came all the way down here from Santa Clara to tell me that you met with your ex-boyfriend?”

Lara
looked at him incredulously.
What is he thinking?
She was about to ask him that, but his teasing smile gave him away. Lara shook her head, deciding to play along and see where it led. “Actually, no. I came here for another reason.”

David paused at the seriousness in her voice.
“And that is?”

Lara
saw he was tensely awaiting her answer and decided to string him along a little further. He had started to tease her, but she was an expert at this game, “Well….I needed to see my therapist.”

The
joy on his face suddenly vanished and he looked all business, somewhat disappointed. “I see.”

Ouch, that went wrong!
She hastily corrected herself, “David, I was joking.” She gave him a smile and then continued, “I wanted to see you.” She paused for effect and then told him, “I wanted to find out if our attraction could build into a relationship.”

David
was at a loss of words, and quickly changed the topic. “So, back up and tell me how you are now sitting in my living room. The center doesn’t give out private addresses.”

“No, but Becky likes me, and I
believe she suspects we were attracted to each other. She didn’t give me your address, but gave me enough time to find it out for myself.”

“I see.”

“Once I had come clean, I needed to tell someone. I was sitting in the back of a taxi, thinking about how well this morning had gone, and wishing I had someone to share it with. I couldn’t think of anyone but you.

I decided in the blink of an eye that I
’d fly down here to see you. I didn’t even go home and pack a bag, but asked the taxi driver to drive me straight to the airport.”