Page 43 of What the Doctor Ordered
“I wouldn’t waste your breath, Kiley,” Theo said coldly, giving his friend another disdainful look up and down. “Simon clearly isn’t in a listening mood.”
Simon glowered at him and looked like he wanted to start yelling at us again, but instead, he just gave me another cold look before turning to go.
It felt like my heart turned to ash in my chest as he left Theo and I standing there. The last thing I wanted to do was let him go, and not just because I couldn’t breathe thinking I’d just lost him, but because I had seen the hurt in his eyes at the last second before he turned away from us.
I looked down at the ground, willing myself not to cry. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up at Theo, who suddenly looked murderous.
“Theo?” I asked, concerned at the sudden dark demeanor he took on.
“Sorry, Kiley,” he said, his voice tight. “I’d appreciate it if you’d go wait back at the cafe for a bit.”
I felt my eyebrows rise up toward my hairline. “Where are you going?”
He stepped past me and then looked over his shoulder. “To go beat some sense into that fiancé of yours. I should have done that a long time ago.”
Before I could protest, Theo was sprinting after Simon. I seriously considered going after them but decided I had already done more harm than good at this point. My feet felt like they were made of lead blocks as I dragged them back in the direction of the cafe. I tried not to think about how Simon would react when Theo intercepted him. He was already furious and not in the state of mind to listen to reason.
I came back to myself suddenly and looked around, searching the area and realizing we had run further than I realized. I wasn’t sure where the cafe was. I blinked, feeling disoriented as I turned down a street. The quiet road didn’t feel familiar. It looked a bit sketchier than the ones closer to the cafe. In my daze, I’d gotten myself lost.
Just as I was pulling my phone out of my pocket to use the navigation app, I felt someone approaching me. I turned, expecting it to be Simon or Theo. It was neither of them.
“Hello, Kiley,” Kramer’s voice was oily as he stepped out from against a building and beneath the nearby streetlight.
Uneasiness flooded me immediately and I stepped back. “Hi,” I said.
“What are you doing out here alone at this time of night?” Kramer asked, his golden eyebrows furrowing. He started to approach me, his expression light and casual.
I knew better though. He might have seemed harmless, but I knew better than to underestimate him now, especially after our little encounter back at the charity gala.
“I wasn’t alone,” I said. “I’m actually meeting a friend, so I’d better get going.”
Kramer stepped into my path, one arm outstretched to block my way. “Are you meeting Simon?” he asked, his voice dropping dangerously.
I straightened my spine. “Does it matter if I am?” I asked, stiffly.
Kramer’s face tightened, his blue eyes glinting. “It wouldn’t if I didn’t have feelings for you.”
For a long moment, I couldn’t respond. I swallowed over the tightness in my throat and looked away. “I’m sorry,” I said, my voice a little shaky with nerves. “But you know that I couldn’t possibly return your feelings.”
“I don’t, actually,” Kramer said. He stepped even closer to me. “I know that we would be good together, Kiley. I made a mistake when we first met, but I want to be the kind of man you deserve. I will treasure you. You have my word.”
“I’m sure you would treat me well,” I replied as calmly as I could, lying through my teeth. “But you’re missing a key point.”
“I’m not missing any point that can’t be easily remedied,” he rumbled, and his voice dropped lower, taking on a tone of warning.
“I think you’re forgetting the fact that I am engaged to Simon,” I retorted.
Kramer scoffed, shaking his head so some of his golden blonde hair brushed his forehead. “If only I could forget such a distasteful detail.” His eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened. “I never did hear how the two of you managed to get so close, so quickly. It all seems quite suspicious to me, I must admit.”
“Oh,” I said with a light laugh, cursing the fact that Simon and I hadn’t come up with any suitable story. I was going to have to make something up, and quick. “Well, that night at the club, Simon followed me out to make sure I was alright. We talked for a long time. He asked me out and things just kind of escalated quickly from there. We hit it off right away. It really feels like I’ve known him forever. It truly was love at first sight.”
The words flowed easily once I got going and I realized that it was likely because that last part was actually true. I blinked back some unexpected tears, shaking my head hard as it hit me just how much I cared about Simon.
“Bullshit!” Kramer spat so suddenly that I jumped a bit.
I stared at him in disbelief, growing more nervous as I realized his intensity had risen alarmingly.
Something struck me then and I felt myself reflecting his suspicious expression. “Why did you suddenly take an interestin me, Kramer?” I asked, quietly. “We went on one date together and it ended horribly. Surely, there are other women more closely suited to your tastes that you could be with.”
