Page 57 of Best Laid Plans
“Why’d you stop?” I have to ask because sex with Cole isn’t something you give up easily. Trust me, I would know. And I’ll likely be going through my own withdrawals soon enough.
“We wanted different things. Kara wanted to get more serious. She wanted to get married, start a family, and I didn’t. We stopped seeing each other. That was two years ago.”
I don’t know what stops me from asking any of the obvious follow-up questions. You didn’t want those things with her? Or at all? Do you want those things now? It’s likely because I don’t want to know the answers. Because suddenly, I feel like I could have it all with him. And that thought freaks me out.
I feel like I’m going to pass out and I’m not sure if Cole notices the sweat on my face but he quickly leads us to our table. He greets the people that are already there and makes introductions. There’s Jen, the newest OB at Cole’s practice and her partner, Corinne, Alex, who went to med school and started the practice with Cole, and his wife, Michelle, and their good friends, Rajesh and Amy. We sit down, a plated salad already in front of us. A server comes by offering red or white wine, and I choose white. Cole passes, he’s still got half his cocktail left. There’s light conversation around the table as everyone starts to eat their salad. It’s a pear, walnut, goat cheese salad, which normally I would find delicious, but my stomach is a wild tangle of knots.
We’re not the last people to our table, a few minutes into eating our salad, the empty seats to my left are filled by a couple in their mid-fifties. Cole stands to hug them both, then he introduces me to Mark, and his wife, Patricia.
We all sit back down to start eating, but then Cole is pulled away by a phone call.
Patricia turns to me.
“It’s nice to see Cole with a lady friend. How long have you two been together?”
Her smile is friendly. She has short, dark hair and the most gorgeous pale skin, both accentuated by her bright red lip color.
“It’s new. A month, maybe?”
“Well, it’s good to see Cole happy.”
“How do you know each other?”
“Mark,” she leans to her left to indicate the salt and pepper-haired man wearing dark-framed glasses, “was Cole’s mentor in the fellowship program when Cole first started at Rose Medical.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen Cole with anyone since Kara.” She leans closer like she’s telling me a secret. “I know she’s an excellent doctor, but between you and me, I never really cared for her.”
I like Patricia. She’s my kind of people. I want her to tell me more without seeming too eager.
“Oh, really?”
“She’s a bit pushy. It always felt like she had an agenda.”
I couldn’t agree with her more. That’s exactly the vibe I get from Kara. And it feels like her current agenda is to get Cole back. Patricia tells me about her work as the philanthropic chair for the hospital and I tell her about my job with Sue.
Cole returns from his call.
“Sorry about that. The on-call doctor wanted to consult with me about her patient.”
We finish our salads and the main course is served shortly after. I do my best to eat, my stomach feels unsettled, but nothing sounds appetizing. When the paddle raising starts for the fundraising part of the evening, our table becomes quite lively. I’m surprised when Cole is announced as the silent auction winner of the vacation for two to Hawaii. I didn’t even see him bid on it.
Patricia leans into me. “That’ll be a fun trip.”
She’s assuming I’m going to Hawaii. That the romantic getaway for two is for us. She has no idea that this, whatever this is between Cole and me, has an expiration date, and it will likely be before we’re sunning on a beach in Kauai.
I raise my eyebrows, but Cole just smiles. “Guess I’m just a lucky guy.”
“You didn’t win a raffle. It’s not luck. You are paying money for the trip.” I shake my head, but laugh when he winks at me.
He shrugs. “It’s for a good cause.” Then he leans in close so only I can hear. “And fucking you on a private beach in Hawaii will be worth every penny.”
Warmth creeps up my neck, then spreads to my cheeks and ears. Holy shit. I’ve created a monster. It’s not an official invitation but the idea that Cole is thinking about taking me on a trip that is months away makes me breathless. It’s unnerving how giddy that makes me feel. It also aids in putting manic jealous Brooke back in her box, or wherever she came from.
The announcements continue, as I excuse myself to use the restroom. I exit the ballroom and find the ladies’ room just off the main corridor where the cocktail hour was held. After I pee, I wash my hands, then pull my lipstick out of my clutch. The door swings open just as I start to reapply. My eyes shift toward the door, where they land on Kara. Our eyes meet in the mirror. She doesn’t move toward the stalls, but instead in my direction. I continue my application, trying to ignore her presence without being obvious.
“Brooke.”
