Page 46 of Cat's Outta the Bag

“Have they asked you yet? To be an attending in a few months.”

She shrugs again. "Not officially, but it's not surprising. I think they're waiting to see if I start looking for other positions before making any moves. I'm not overly worried. If they don't want me, plenty of other hospitals need a good ER doctor." Her confidence never ceases to amaze me.

Once we've inhaled our food, I send her to the bathroom to shower while I clean up the dishes. Usually, we split cooking and washing more equitably, but I can tell she's exhausted. She has about five hours off before she's officially on-call, and I want her to rest as much as possible.

We’re cuddling on the couch; Alexis is drifting when my phone dings.

Steven: Dude, you’ve dodged me long enough. I’ll be at Holden Forrest’s party tonight. You need to come so we can talk. This isn’t a request.

Fuck. Steven's a top agent and a busy man. Clearly, I've tested his patience to the breaking point. And while I would love to continue to ignore him, I know I need to grow up and face this head-on.

“Who was that?” Her voice is sleepy, rumbling through my chest, “I felt your whole body tense.”

"It was Steven. He wants me to find him at a party tonight and talk." I sigh, wishing I could skip.

“Have you decided what you want to do?” She rubs my chest, clearly trying to soothe my distress.

“Kind of. I think you’re right; I need to take a break. But it’s still scary to think about. I just know that I need to get him off my back for a while so I can get my head straight.”

She nods against my chest, then plants a kiss over my heart.

“Will you go with me tonight?”

"I'm on-call; I really shouldn't."

"I know, but I promise I won't drink, and I'll leave the second you get a call. Holden's place is actually pretty close to the hospital, so it won't take us long to get there if you're called in."

When she hesitates, I put on my best puppy dog eyes, not above begging. "Please? I really need you there with me; I don't think I'll have the courage to tell him without you."

She blows out a breath and stays silent for a moment, chewing on her lip. "Fine, but we're leaving the second I get a call. Even if you're in the middle of telling Steven where he can shove it."

I can’t help but chuckle, such a way with words. “Absolutely. Thank you.”

Chapter 33

Alexis

The bass is bumping when we arrive. In fact, the music is so loud, I’m not sure how Jason or Steven plan on talking to each other.

A wave of nerves rush down my spine. My volume on my on-call phone is all the way up, and I have the vibrations turned on. I should be fine, but I can't help but be anxious about missing a call. Normally, I just stay home and anxiously watch my phone. I know many doctors just go about their lives when on-call, but I've never been able to do that.

It takes us nearly two hours to find Steven. By the time we found him, my blood was boiling. Who tells a client to meet them at a party and then not make it super easy to find each other to chat? To make it worse, we found him on a couch with two women on his lap, petting his head. Pig.

When he sees Jason, he stands and gives us an oily smile. Maybe it’s because I know Jason doesn’t like him that much, but I instantly don’t like him.

"Jason!" He has to yell over the music. "It's been too long. What's up, man?"

They do a handshake-back slap combo, and I can't help but notice that Steven is ignoring me. Probably on purpose. I barely resist rolling my eyes.

"I've been ok, man. This is my girlfriend, Dr. Alexis Masters." He pulls me into his side, with a hard edge to his voice. I guess he noticed Steven purposefully not look my way too. The dick gives me a polite nod and then turns his attention back to Jason. Ass.

“So, you’ve been dodging my calls. We really need to get you signed for your next movie. Did you look at the one I sent you this afternoon? I really think Primogenesis Fallout is perfect for you. The perfect mix of action and feelings.” I almost snort. What kind of a movie title is that? Is primogenesis even a word?

“I don’t know, man; I don’t love the script. I actually—"

Steven immediately cuts him off. “Jason. As your agent, I gotta say, you’re taking too long to pick a project. So, what if the script isn’t perfect? You’re Jason Adams, have them change it. The director and producers really want you. They won’t take no for an answer.”

To my horror, I see Jason begin to waffle.

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