Page 110 of Plaything

“I’ll be nicer,” he whispered against my mouth.

A gentle knock on the front door interrupted our kiss. Dominic looked over me twice, lingering on my thighs and lips before he reluctantly released my waist with a sigh. “He’s early,” he rasped, but he didn’t seem upset with the Doctor’s early arrival—just interrupted.

Trying to zone back into reality, I took a deep breath, pretending I wasn’t completely turned on. “What are the chances of you telling him to go away and come back later?” I joked.

Surprisingly, he laughed, the corners of his eyes wrinkled at the fullness of his smile, and I swooned. “Slim, but never zero,” he responded.

He quickly moved to the other side of the granite, washing his hands—or washing my saliva off his hands. It was probably a good idea; people liked to shake hands in business meetings. “You’re welcome to stay downstairs; you don’t have to hide,” he announced. “Although, the conversation probably won’t interest you.”

I smiled. I was just about to ask that. I wasn’t sure if the doctor would care or even think anything of my being present. He was only here to discuss his lecture tomorrow. “Okay.”

Once Dominic’s hands were clean and my blouse and skirt were straightened, leaving no evidence of our steamy make-out session, we hurried towards the front door.

Making sure not to intrude and give them space, I stood a few feet behind Dominic. He opened the door, revealing a handsome man—the doctor. He wore tan slacks and a white button-up. His clothes were steamed and pressed to perfection; not a single wrinkle was seen. His short brown hair perfectly complimented his striking brown eyes.

He was only an inch or two shorter than Dominic but somehow seemed to take up more space than him. Dominic took a step forward and shook the doctor’s hand. “Doctor Arwien, it’s great to see you. Thank you for coming,” he greeted. “Please, come in.”

“It’s my pleasure, Dominic. Speaking to your students is always something I look forward to,” the doctor grinned while stepping into the house. “And please, call me Dane. We’ve known each other for too long to bother with formalities.”

I couldn’t see out the door, but quick footsteps crunching on gravel reached my ears. The shuffling continued, and the doctor—Dane, smiled behind him at whoever was approaching.

“Dominic, this is my wife, doctor Elora Carmine. She works as my personal anesthesiologist and will join me in my lecture tomorrow,” Dane introduced before the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen appeared. She was short, with a head full of long blonde waves. Just like her husband’s eyes, hers were striking, seemingly reflecting the sunlight and shining back a bright blue or gray—I couldn’t quite tell. Her attire was professional yet tasteful, clad in a tan pencil skirt and a white flattering blouse. Her outfit would have gone well with heels, but she wore flats.

If I had said it aloud, I would have sounded snobbish. But wealth recognizes wealth. In the short minute I’d seen them, I recognized a dozen tiny details that signified that, like me, they came from old money. The easiest tell was that her shoes and mine were the exact same pair, priced around two thousand dollars.

My outfit would have been better with heels, too, but I was clumsy.

She gave Dominic a dazzling smile, but it was undisputable that she was nervous. Over the past few years attending the university, I’d seen countless women swoon over my professors. She didn’t swoon. She didn’t bat her eyelashes at him, nor did she pay any mind to his bulging biceps. “Hi, I’m Elora. It’s nice to meet you!” She chirped, but she didn’t shake his hand. She waved.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Dominic nodded at her. He smiled at Dane. “Congratulations.”

The newlyweds seemed incredibly young to be doctors. Then again, Dane was supposedly a world-renowned surgeon. I was sure he had all the connections and would appear youthful for a long time. Whoever their surgeon was, they were skilled. I saw no signs of surgery when it was obvious they’d both had to have work done.

Dominic gestured to me. “This is my girlfriend, Odette,” he introduced. There was the slightest hesitation before he said the word girlfriend, which I was beyond thankful for. We were both uncomfortable with labels, and his hesitation meant that he didn’t consider me his girlfriend—neither did I. The stupid endearment still made my heart hammer.

Stepping forward, I stood closer to Dominic. “Hi, it’s nice to meet both of you,” I said politely. I shook Dane’s hand, but Elora waved again, and I returned it.

“The pearls with the shoes,” Elora smiled at me approvingly. “You wore it better.”

“Are you kidding me? The gold, tan, and shoes tie in perfectly,” I returned her compliment.

She looked down at her shoes and twisted her ankle to emphasize the shoe. “You know what, I almost wore heels, but I’m so clumsy that I’d certainly trip over my own feet,” she laughed.

...

It was like looking in a disoriented mirror. She was the same—but opposite of me. If I was a short optimist with blonde hair and chipper attitude, we’d be the same person.

She had stacks of binders in her arms that her husband took from her. “Shall we?” Dane asked Dominic. The two men took off down the hall, and Elora lingered in the foyer with me.

She fidgeted for a moment, and so did I. I didn’t know her, and she didn’t know me. “This is my first business trip type thing with Dane,” she admitted. “He’s really excited to speak in Dominic’s class,” she made nervous conversation.

“Dominic was just telling me how lucky he and his class are to have someone as talented as him speak,” I nodded, feeling uncomfortable at the forced conversation. “How long have you been married?” I asked.

She smiled. “Almost two years. It was a long engagement,” she answered.

“Is it weird working with your husband?” I asked. I’d heard of spouses that work together, and it almost always sounds like a nightmare.

She shook her head. “Not at all! I love working with Dane. Honestly, we only work special cases, so we work a handful of times a month,” she explained. She gestured to the kitchen door. “I should probably go talk doctor stuff, huh?” She joked.

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