Page 28 of Deeply Examined

Jessica

Dr. West leads me to his sports car, which is sleek and black, so shiny it reflects the full moon high above us. His head swivels side to side. “Where’s your car? You can follow me. I have an extra parking spot you can use.”

“Don’t have one. I had to sell mine years ago to cover my parents’ medical expenses. They died within the same year, so it was a lot all at once.”

Dr. West’s head snaps up. His eyes widen with shock. “They’redead? Both of them?” He seems truly shaken, which is sweet considering he didn’t even know them.

“I told you earlier they were gone.” I shift my purse higher on my shoulder, unable to believe how this night has turned out.

“I thought you meant on vacation. I didn’t think you meant they weregone.”

“Well, they are.” My shoulders sink as the memory of those dark days takes over. “My mom had breast cancer, and shortly after she passed my dad had a massive stroke. He never woke up from it. Eventually, I had to stop life support.”

“That’s terrible.” Dr. West halts by the front of his car, his brows pinch together. “I had no idea.”

I quirk my head, confused by his reaction. “How would you?”

He sticks his hands in his pockets and rocks on the heels of his feet. “Oh…er…Were you close?”

I let out a sad sigh. “Very. I’m an only child, an oops baby. My parents were in their late forties when they had me. They’d been told they could never have children. To say they spoiled me, doted on me, is an understatement. I was their entire world, and they were mine.”

His voice is low when he says, “It sounds like you had a good childhood.”

“We didn’t have much, but we had each other and that was enough.”

The air is heavy with sadness. My tears were used up by Brad—otherwise, I’d probably be crying again. I miss my parentssomuch. Miss being part of a family.

Before grief can overwhelm me, I return to the topic that started this conversation. “That’s why I use the bus. The reason why I picked this apartment.” I wave back toward the concrete three-story building. “It’s on the direct line to school.”

My answer makes him frown, deepening the well-worn grooves in the middle of his forehead.

“Oh!” I clamp my hand over my mouth. “How will I get to work if I’m with you? Is there a bus stop near you?”

The frown turns into a glower. “You’re not taking a fucking bus. I’ll drive you or get you an Uber.” He opens my car door so hard it bounces back and he has to shove it open a second time. Then he stalks over to his side and does the same thing with his door.

I raise my eyebrows, wondering what I did to piss him off.

It’s quiet in the car as we wind through the streets, which are nearly deserted this late at night. As traumatized as I am by everything that’s happened, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was also a little bit excited to be going home with Dr. West. What will his place be like? Fancy? Or mundane? Does he live in a mansion? Or a bat cave?

By the time we pull off the street, I’m dying of curiosity. So much that I press my face to the cold glass window of the car and stare out, not wanting to miss anything.

He guides the car onto a ramp that leads to the underground parking for a tall condo building downtown. The building has to be at least thirty stories high, with dark tinted windows and thick external steel beams that make a repeating X pattern across the sides.

From the garage, we take an elevator to the top floor. The penthouse. The elevator doors slide open and Dr. West murmurs, “After you.” Carrying my bags, he ushers me down a short hallway to a door. A silver plaque next to it reads “3512-P.”

He doesn’t use a key to get access but rather his thumbprint pressed to a small black pad located under the plaque.

My mouth drops open. “Wow. That’s high-tech. I didn’t know they had fingerprint door locks.”

“It’s a prototype. I invested in the company a couple of years ago. They should go public soon,” he responds absently. He’s got his cell phone out and is punching something into it.

“Put your thumb on it now.”

“Me? Why?” I do as he says, pressing my thumb on the cool glass surface.

“I’m programming you into the system. Now you can use it too.”

I’m oddly flattered to have such intimate access to his home. “Thanks. That’s so kind of you.”

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