I'll Be Seeing You (8 page)

Just when we both turn to leave, but still holding hands, I pull her close to me. Bringing her into the folds of my arms, I taste her sweet lips. Her tongue barely grazes mine, and that one small act sends a charge clear through me. Lord knows what's going to happen once I make her mine completely. I nearly shudder at the thought.

"Bye," I whisper against her mouth.

"Bye," she whispers back. 

Thoughts of her immediately flood my mind when I wake up. This incessant need for her is getting ridiculous and out of control. I’m usually a morning person and have no problem getting my day started, but this last week, all I want to do is lay in bed and think of her. It’s almost juvenile. With this last thought, I drag myself out of bed. It doesn’t take me long to shower and dress before I’m out the door.

Stopping at a red light, my mind begins to scroll through my calendar for this week. Remembering the surgery I have scheduled for next Wednesday, I make a list of the doctors who will assist and mentally review the patient’s file. I’m deep in concentration when I step off the elevator and head toward my office. It isn’t long before Krista brings me out of my musings.

"Good morning, Doctor.”

"Good morning, Krista," I mutter, stopping at her desk to pick up my messages.

“I've updated your calendar for the next two weeks," she says, following me into my office. "It's filling up fast, and I'm having difficulty keeping your mornings open as you requested. Also, the planning committee is meeting tomorrow morning concerning the Ball. I can go in your place if you want to keep your morning free."

"No, I should go to this one. Will you send an email to Bertha and RSVP for two under my name?" Thumbing through my stack of mail, I quickly glance up to see Krista just standing there looking at me.

With my head still bent, sorting through my mail, I lift my eyes to her. "What?"

"You have a date?" she asks, stunned.

"Yes, and her name is Joy Johnson, so let Bertha know, all right?"

"Is that her name? Ms. Honeysuckle?" she jokes, eliciting a chuckle from me.

"Yes, clever girl. Now leave me to go through this pile of mail, please." I smirk, kicking her out of my office. As she leaves, Jessie chooses that same moment to pay me a visit.

"Hey, Matthew. How about lunch today?" he asks, dropping his large body onto my expensive leather couch.

"Sure," I answer, staring at him as he lays out. His expensive Italian-made shoes rest on the cushions and I feel myself cringe. My eyes quickly avert to an envelope on my desk. I open it, nearly tearing it half in the process.

"Julia's?"

"Um hm," I mumble as I read this letter from New York.

"One o’clock?"

"Um hm."

"Okay, I'll swing by and pick you up," he says on his way out the door.

“M’kay." I mumble reading the letter that gives the news I've been waiting to hear.

Dr. Davis:

Our office is in receipt of your correspondence and report. After an extensive review of your findings, we would like to invite you to our facility to discuss this matter further and give a full presentation to the board.

We are eager to learn more about your study, and anticipate favorable responses to your theories.

Please contact our office at the number indicated below to schedule your arrival. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss this matter in greater detail.

Regards,

Dr. Robert Fisher

Director of Research

Center for Global Research and Education

They want to meet with me?

I nearly jump out of my seat when Krista reminds me of my eleven-thirty meeting. I gather up my files and quickly run to the conference room to meet with the department heads for our monthly meeting.

My mind is still on the letter from Dr. Fisher and I’m finding it hard to concentrate on the long drawn-out meeting of updates and problem solving, so I am glad when it’s over. Back at my office, Jessie is waiting for me, rubbing his stomach, grumbling that I'm late and he's starving.

"Okay, let's go, I'm hungry too. I didn't take the time to eat breakfast," I say, removing my lab coat. "Where are we going?" I ask.

"Julia's, remember?" he replies.

"No. Did you tell me?" I look at him, wondering why we are going there if he just screwed the waitress in the parking lot.

"Yep, but you were engrossed in reading your mail," Jessie says as we walk through the lobby toward the street.

"Oh yeah, that was an invitation to visit the Center for Global Research and Education in New York." I say matter-of-factly playing it down. "They want me to present my research."

"Wow, Matthew. That's great, man! When are you going?"

I mentally scan my schedule for the next couple of weeks as we dart across the street. There are no surgeries coming up and there’s nothing that the other physicians on staff couldn’t cover.

"I'm going to call and set it up when we get back from lunch. You coming?" I ask, inviting him to hang out in New York for a couple of days.

"Hell yeah. The clubs there are awesome."

"Jessie, when are you going to grow the fuck up?" I laugh at him as I open the door to Julia's, allowing him to walk through first.

He turns around to walk backward into the restaurant. "Nev-ver," he says, giving a pretty good rendition of a Valley Girl. I laugh when he almost trips and falls.

Of course, Kathy's section would be the only one with an available table in the entire restaurant. As soon as we are seated, she eagerly scurries to our table. It feels a little strange knowing we’ve both had sex with her.

"Good afternoon, Matthew.” She smiles and then nods in Jessie’s direction,

“Jessie," she coos, looking at him with a blush.

"Hello there, Kathy. Thanks for the advice on the ceiling fan by the way. It's not so hot in my bed anymore," he blatantly flirts and teases her. She blushes again.

"That's good, Jessie. See anything you want to eat?" she asks him, the innuendo spoken loud and clear.

Jesus.

"Oh, hell yeah," he answers, staring at her breasts and actually licking his lips. Disgusting.

"Do I need to be here for this?" I ask angrily, looking back and forth between them.

"Um, sorry, Matthew," she says, ready to take our orders.

When she returns with our drinks, Jessie's flirtations pick up where he left off.

"Jessie, seriously, do I need to sit here during my entire lunch and listen to this shit?" I ask, butchering a piece of bread in an attempt to smear cold butter on it. I’ll never understand why they always give us cold butter to spread on cold bread.

"Naw, it's all in good fun. Laura's the only one that gets my dick now," he says, shocking the hell out of me.

"Really?" I nearly squeak like a girl. “You sure couldn’t tell with all that crap you and Kathy were just puking up.”

"No, seriously. She's got the goods going on, man. She's smart, funny, can talk like a truck driver to make a point, but can make me feel more like a man than anyone ever has," he confesses.

Once Kathy brings our lunch, Jessie's devotion to Laura is short-lived as he watches Kathy's ass depart when she moves to another table. He’s about to say something when his mouth drops open.

"Hey, Matthew. I thought Joy was your girl," he says, looking behind me. I turn around to look over my shoulder, and there she is with Scott Woods.

'Don't go there, Matthew', I say to myself. They’re just friends. When I look again, Scott gives me a snarky look that says 'yeah, she's here with me fucker'. I glare at him for a minute then give him a smirk, turning around to murder my salad by stabbing.

"What's going on?" Jessie asks, concern written all over his face.

"That's Scott Woods. They work together, and he wants her, I’m sure of it." I answer, stabbing my fork into my salad again.

Those panties are mine, fucker.

"You going to go over there?"

"No. She can see who she wants. We aren’t exclusive. Besides, she says they are only co-workers and friends," I say, more for myself than anyone else. “Plus, I feel that I don't have the right to claim her … yet. I've only had one date with her." I pretend it doesn’t affect me seeing her with him. "Let's change the subject."

Jessie shrugs as he watches me take out my frustration on my salad.

"Are you bringing Laura to the Ball?" I ask trying to ignore the razor-sharp stare I'm feeling in the back of my neck.

"I haven't invited her yet. How about you? Did you invite Joy?"

"Yes. Yesterday."

"Hey, they're getting up and heading this way," Jessie says, warning me before they walk past our table.

They don't stop. Looking up at them, she’s holding on to his arm like she does mine. When I look at him, he looks down his nose at me, but when I glance at the back of Joy's hair, she stops in her tracks. Willing her to turn around, she does … very slowly … and then drops his arm before walking back toward me. When she reaches my side, she extends her hand out. I take it and she gives me a bright smile. The connection with her at that moment is overwhelming and is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

"I knew it was you," she whispers, running her hand up my arm to my shoulder, ending on my face. She palms my jaw in both her hands and lowers her mouth to mine.

"Hi, beautiful," I say, just loud enough for Scott to hear.

"Hi, handsome," she returns. "I'd know your scent anywhere."

After she gives me a sweet kiss, she takes my hand again. "Can you come to my place for dinner tomorrow?"

I smirk at Scott, knowing he’s pissed. "It'll be just you and me, right?"

"Just you and me. Oh, and Conrad of course. He's a package deal. If you want me, you get Conrad," she giggles, sending a smile to my lips.

"I'll take you both," I say, openly flirting with her, still looking at Scott's forlorn face. "I'll call you tonight." I tug on her hand, bringing her in for another kiss, all the while keeping my eyes on Scott.

"Okay, looking forward to it," she says, loudly, then turning to Scott.

"Hi, Jessie," she says, touching his shoulder as she takes Scott's arm.

Scott offers me a smirk, then he mouths to me "game on". I grin and nod at the challenge.

"Fucker," Jessie growls, as we watch them walking out the door.

"Yeah, but it's me she wants," I say, grinning into my salad.

"Do you want me to see if Laura wants us to join you guys?"

"No, and I better not see your face at Joy's door, either. It's just us." I demand while pointing at him with my fork, ready to poke his eye out if I have to.

After returning to the office, I immediately sit down to call the Center in New York to schedule my trip.

By the time I get off the phone, I have my airline reservations made, hotel, and meeting itinerary. I email everything to Jessie, so he can make his own reservations. Although I’ve gone over my study with a very fine-toothed comb, I still want to review it again. It has to be perfect. After my afternoon rounds, I look at my schedule, so I can plan to leave early and work on my research from home.

Before I leave, I pick up my cell to call my dad to see if they can meet me for the few days while I’m in New York.

"Hi, Dad," I say when he answers.

"Hello, Son. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I'm going to be in New York in a couple of weeks, and I was wondering if there is a chance that you and mom might be able to meet me there for dinner," I explain.

"Why are you going to New York?"

"I got a call from the Center for Global Research and Education regarding my procedure. They want me to present it to the Board."

"Matthew, that's huge, son. I'm so proud of you. Of course we’ll meet you, even if it's just for dinner and a show. When are you going?" he asks with excitement clear in his voice.

"In three weeks. I’ll have Krista email you the information," I say. "How's Mom doing? You two slowing down at all?"

"Oh, hell no. Your mother would take every single child as a patient if there were enough hours in the day. You know how she has a soft spot for her babies," he chuckles, speaking affectionately of my mother.

"You two are coming for the Ball again this year, right? It's on the fifteenth. I really would like you to come this year in particular." I pause and say, "There's someone I want you to meet."

"Are you serious? You've met someone?" He sounds nearly as excited as I know my mother will be. "LILLIAN," he yells into the phone. "Matthew … he's met someone."

I laugh when I hear my mother's heals click on the tiles as she runs to the phone.

"Matthew?" Mom says, stealing the phone from Dad.

"Hi, Mom. Don't get excited, but yes. It's new, so don't be picking out china patterns or anything," I laugh.

"But you are bringing her to the Ball?"

"Yep. I asked her yesterday morning and she said yes."

"Yesterday morning?" she giggles at my dad, whispering that I spent the night with her.

"No, Mom. Now stop this," I laugh in between her conversation with dad and me. "We met for coffee. We have daily coffee dates."

"Oh. Well, we are excited to meet her. Here's your father. Love you."