Page 77 of Doc Showmance
“Ian, calm down,” his father said. “Stop being dramatic.”
“I’m not the one who lied to get me here or treated me and the woman I brought with me like crap. I don’t need you or any of this. This kind of life was never the way for me. I’m going to be fine without any of you. On my own.” His chair scraped the floor as he shoved it back farther. Without another word, he helped me out of my chair.
I whispered as we left, “Did Martin get all that on camera? Guaranteed none of those people want that to air on TV.”
“They should’ve thought about that before they invited us up here with a cameraman and signed the release papers.”
29
Ian
“Your parents are…” Amber broke off as we rode the elevator back up the hotel room.
Selfish? Prejudiced? Entitled?
“Yeah.” So many more words to describe them came to my head. “Money helps them get away with their behaviors. I questioned their attitudes in high school when they weren’t accepting of Nabi or other friends of mine who didn’t have all we did.”
“But I thought Nabi’s parents hung out with yours.”
“They do, but my parents don’t see them as useful for me. I’d been told association with those friends held no long-term benefit. What about simple friendship? That wasn’t enough. It was Nabi who showed me good could come from having money. Her family isn’t perfect, but they work hard for their foundation that supports struggling single parents.”
“Do we have to see your family again before we leave tomorrow?” She’d shifted around to pierce me with those huge brown eyes before we stepped off the elevator. Her gaze didn’t look judgmental, only reluctant.
“I hope not.” I didn’t experience the usual sense of guilt for rebelling against my parents followed by the anxious need to apologize. This time, I felt only an emotional numbness at the thought of what happened. But it wasn’t apathy. More like acceptance, tinged with disappointment in them.
“Looks like we’re back in time to catch the newest episode of my show, if they released one today. Want me to check?” She already had the remote in her hand pointed at the TV.
“Sure.” Nothing good would come from whatever spin they took on what they got of us on camera. It was bound to be crafted into fiction.
We both watched in stunned silence as the episode opened with the moment of confrontation between us in the exam room about a boyfriend when I thought we weren’t on camera. Damn them for putting a camera in the corner. Only, they reorganized our words such that it played as me quizzing her on if she was seeing anyone and ended it with her wrapping my hand. It was poignant and almost sweet. It had nothing to do with what actually happened in that room. There was no hint of Bruno in the episode.
Shortly after, they showed us sniping at each other, the rabbit surgery, and the episode ended with us in the car sharing a meal, although they had no sound.
As the final credits rolled, I cleared my throat. “Well, that was something. Wasn’t how I remembered any of that going.”
Her phone dinged. As she picked it up, it dinged a few more times with incoming texts. “People at work… Susan is still worried I’ll get fired for breaking the no-relationships-at-work rule. Two of the other techs are crowing about how they knew there was something going on. And, oh no, Dr. Carmac is taking credit for planting the idea you’re hot in my head.”
“She thinks I’m hot?” A laugh escaped me. “I like her. She’s a lot like you, only with kids and no tattoos.”
“She’s amazing. Who says she doesn’t have tattoos?” Amber shook her phone and pointed at the screen. “This is my work life going to hell in a hand basket.” She typed a few replies. “I’ve got to survive to the other side of this, whereas you get to leave in a few months or so.”
“I’m sorry. We did break a few rules at work.” I reached over to where she sat on the bed and cupped the side of her cheek. “Not all of them.”
She leaned into my hand. “I’m not sure how to handle this at work. Or outside of work.”
The fear scattering through her eyes was my undoing. I pulled her onto my lap and pulled her long hair out of its ponytail.
“I don’t want this to hurt you long-term at work. You’re too good at what you do to lose everything over this bullshit. If you’re worried about all the insanity that comes with fandom and recognition, call my agent. He or someone in his group can handle all the people asking for you to do events, interviews, and whatever. I already mentioned you might call him.”
“Thanks.” She leaned in to rest her head on my chest. I continued to stroke her hair. “Two months ago, I never would’ve believed I’d be here in a hotel room with you.”
“Me either. Do you still want to put on the brakes?” I closed my eyelids, which was a mistake. The sweet seductive scent of her, her warmth—everything about her rose to overwhelm my senses and increase my urge to connect with her naked and on a soul deep level as I suspected we could.
“After what happened earlier? You think I’d be satisfied with only a preview? I want to experience the whole show.” She sat up and off me, rolling her teeth over her bottom lip as a mischievous smile tweaked her lips upward. My body jolted to have confirmation she, too, might be experiencing this crazy sensation, more of an all-consuming need, to touch, to be close, to be naked. “Are you saying you don’t ever want to feel me clenching around you while you tease my nipples until I come so hard you can’t even breathe?”
My pants grew tight, and my upper lip started sweating from the thought of having her like that.
Her gaze dropped to my pants and back to my eyes. “I’m guessing you want that.”
