Page 85 of Taste of Addiction

I can tell he is absorbing everything I am saying, genuinely interested. “Why did you struggle coming up with ideas?”

“Because everything I want doesn’t have a price tag.”

Graham gives me a lopsided smile and nods. “The things in life that mean the most do not cost money.”

“Exactly.”

“You helped me realize that, Angie.”

His confession catches my attention. “What? Really?”

“Before you, I would throw my money around to get my way. I still do, of course. It is a great bargaining chip. But, you were the first person I have dated who didn’t want me for my money or to improve their social status. You also were the first person who could not be bought.”

“Ironic, huh? Considering you did buy me when I was still working that job.”

“Any sensible woman would have taken the damn money and run.”

I bite my bottom lip, letting it pop from my teeth. “Pretty certain by now you should have concluded that there’s nothing sensible about me.”

I am careful not to reveal too much in a public place, but based on the realization passing over Graham’s facial features, I know he is catching what I’m saying.

“Frustrating as hell.”

“Poor you. Must be so difficult walking through life and not being able to buy all the things.”

He nods exaggeratedly. “See, you get me.”

I giggle at him.

“Angela McFee,” a nurse calls.

I stand up and bend down to give Graham a kiss, while he squeezes my hand.

“You okay going back by yourself?” he asks hesitantly.

I look from him to the nurse and then back again. “I think so.”

“If you need me, just tell the doctor. I’ll be here waiting for you, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Thank you.” I slowly walk toward the nurse but turn back around to flutter my hand to Graham for one last goodbye.

“Hi. Hope the wait wasn’t too long.” She opens the door and moves her hand in the direction she wants me to go. “Right this way.”

I walk down the hallway and into a small room where she takes my temperature, blood pressure, weight, and pulse. I am instructed to give a urine sample in the attached restroom and then come back to wait for the blood draw.

“Why do I need more blood taken if I just had this done by Dr. Saber?” I ask.

“This is just our protocol. It’s a good baseline to have as well,” she explains. “It helps the doctors to know how your body rids itself of chemicals by comparing the results.”

“Okay.”

It only takes a few minutes between when I get out of the restroom to when the medical lab technician arrives to draw my blood. I close my eyes the entire time and listen to the elevator style music being broadcast through the speakers. I open them again when the Band-Aid is in place.

Dr. Kim Lucian arrives with a cheerful smile. She is a kind middle-aged general physician who provides me with a thorough physical examination, checking for any signs of organ distress from my concoction of medication I was taking. Her silence while looking over my chart and then taking her own notes is unnerving.

“Angie, before we really get started in the session, I thought it would be helpful to provide some information about opioids to you that many people do not realize. This is not meant to sound patronizing. It is simply meant to educate.”

“Okay.”

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