Page 27 of Faking It with the Off-Limits Doctor

11

Alex

When I returned home yesterday evening, I was excited. Most of my surgeries are not as nerve-wracking as that experience was, and Dara nearly choking in the middle of it all had hardly helped. At least there was a doctor in the house. A doctor who had caused the incident in the first place, ironically.

It was an accident. A stupid accident, but an accident all the same.

And yes, I did dabble with the idea that to even conceive such a suggestion, I might have entirely lost my mind. But when I finally explained it to her, me being the selfish billionaire that I am, she seemed to change her mind rather swiftly after that.

Clearly, Mark has kept his word and never mentioned my involvement to his sister, or anyone else for that matter. And I did feel a little guilty when I could see she felt bad about making huge assumptions on how I spend my money.

But only a little.

That’s the funny thing about people and money. I’ve worked darned hard to get where I am. Between training for years to acquire my qualifications, to working behind the scenes with investments and making my money work for me, I feel my wealth is deserved. But if I had a dollar for every person who has judged me for accumulating it, even when I spend it on altruistic pursuits, I’d be far richer.

It wasn’t something I would have ordinarily disclosed, but she forced my hand. If where my money went was going to be the deal breaker for her accepting my proposal or not, I didn’t really have any choice, did I?

But it worked. She didn’t exactly say yes, but even her thinking about it is a win in my mind.

That’s probably the reason I had just a little bit more of a spring in my step when I went out for my run this morning. It’s also probably the reason that, after my shower and getting dressed, I’m sitting here at 7:45 a.m., watching my phone and willing it to ring.

It can still go either way. Dara, saying she needed time to think about it, wasn’t a full-on yes for either proposal, but the former was always going to be an easier sell than the latter. Only time will tell. Time that seems to be ticking by at an incredibly slow pace. It feels like ten minutes has passed since I last glanced at the phone, but it’s now only 7:47.

When the screen does light up, just a few minutes before eight, I snatch the phone up quicker than The Flash, and without hesitation, I swipe the green button and say hello

“I’ll do it,” she says, omitting the greeting entirely.

I bite my lip to stop myself yelling out in delight, though I do silently punch the air. If she could see my face, she’d know how happy I was. Good thing we’re not Facetiming.

“That’s great news,” I say, my tone steady, like I’m having an ordinary conversation rather than feeling like I’ve just won the lottery. And then I catch myself, fearing I might be celebrating too soon. “Is that to both proposals?”

I’m still trying to keep calm, but my heart is thumping just a little bit harder in anticipation of her answer.

“Yes. Though I won’t be able to start as your personal chef straight away. I’ll have to give the diner at least a week’s notice.”

The delight returns, and I stifle a breath of relief. “Of course. That’s totally understandable.”

“What happens now?” she asks.

It’s a good question, and in my excitement last night, I hadn’t been able to help myself thinking about what we would do if she said yes. So, at least I have an answer.

“I think it would be prudent to lay down some ground rules for both of us. We could do with discussing it, given I’ve never done this before.”

“Good to know.”

I smile, and then say, “Why don’t you come over this evening, if you’re free. Say eight?”

“Okay.”

I’ll admit it, I am surprised she seems so calm about the whole thing. I mean, I am asking her to live a lie for a probably a whole month, and I’ve already deduced that Dara Gilbert is a woman who likes to speak the truth, as harsh as it might be.

“Perfect. See you then.”

When I hang up the phone, I jump from my chair, and practically do a jig at my desk. “Yes!”

Honestly, I can’t believe it worked. It was a crazy idea, even for me, but it worked. I’m both delighted and a little stunned but the feeling of elation is definitely taking over. When this deal is done and things go back to normal, I’ll have to send a case of something special to my brother for putting the seed in my head to begin with.

The city traffic is busy as I head into the clinic, but this morning, I don’t care. Nothing can take this feeling away. I’m high on life, and the buzz feels fantastic as it races through my body.

---