Page 33 of Doctor Daddy

“That’s it,” she said.

That didn’t seem right. Karen would never have a dinner party with two eligible bachelors and not have one of her single friends over. She always called it balancing the sexes, but I knew what it really was. It was her little version of the dating game. For some reason, it really bothered her to see a single man.

“Is your mom expecting anyone else?”

“She was a little irked earlier when one of her friends canceled.”

I nodded, that was it.

Brooke looked over her shoulder. Where we were standing in the entry, no one in any of the other rooms could see us. She kissed her fingers and placed them on my lips. I grabbed her wrist and held her hand to my mouth a moment longer. I officially hated this.

I followed her into the rest of the house. She continued on toward the kitchen with the bottle of wine and I stopped in the living room to join Howard and Peyton. They paused in their discussion momentarily to acknowledge my arrival but were quick to return to the finer details of boat launches, or maybe it was floating docks. They both had houses up at Lake Lanier. I poured myself a drink and sat in one of the empty chairs.

Guilt nibbled at the corners of my mind. I couldn’t help but think at any moment Peyton would turn on me and demand an explanation as to why I was treating his daughter like some side piece when she deserved to be front and center in my life. She did. Only neither of us thought Peyton would readily accept our feelings for each other.

Unable to contribute to a conversation about lake homes, and boat docks, I was glad when talk turned to sports and how our local baseball team was looking for the current season.

“Okay, boys it’s time for dinner.” I think Karen enjoyed pretending we were just a bunch of kids that needed wrangling.

I had dinner over here so often that I had a usual seat. As I slid into it, I forgot that I typically sat across from Brooke. I knew we would be in close proximity, but I forgot I would be looking directly at her all evening. I didn’t mind looking at her. She was beautiful. She had large dark eyes framed in long dark lashes. Her cheeks were high and round and always kissed with a hint of pink. Her nose was delicate and straight above the perfect pouty cupid bow of her mouth. Her lips were perfect for kissing.

The problem with sitting across from her tonight was that I didn’t want to take my eyes from her.

Karen was a good cook, it was one of the reasons I never said no to one of her dinner invitations, even though I knew it frequently came with an attempt to set me up. I also came because Peyton was my friend, and as busy adults, there never seemed to be enough time to be with friends.

Over dinner, we talked about the unseasonably cool weather, Howard’s daughter’s quest for putting in a container garden, and how I spent the afternoon furniture shopping. This latter topic gave Brooke a coughing fit. I wasn’t about to tell everyone I spent the day at the museum, I didn’t know what Brooke had told her parents, and it never occurred to me that we would need to have our stories straight for such an occasion.

Every chance I got I would glance at Brooke and give her a wink when I thought everyone else wasn’t paying attention. I knew it was a dangerous game, but I couldn’t help myself. She looked bored. She had nothing to add to the conversation. Yet she was there because her mother insisted that she be there.

Brooke surreptitiously checked her phone. A stab of jealousy hit me in the chest. Who was she texting? It wasn’t me.

“Thanks for dinner Mom. I’m going to head out,” she announced as she stood up.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Karen asked.

“I’m going to meet Angela at the theater.”

“It’s kind of late, don’t you think?” Peyton asked.

“It is, that’s why we’re going to the late show. Angela wanted to see the new Jane Austen remake and Mom wanted me here for dinner.” She shrugged. “This way I can do both. You don’t need me here.”

“Well, have fun. Are you going to be late?”

“I’m going to spend the night, that way you don’t stay up trying to listen for the front door.”

“I don’t…”

“She’s right, you do that.”

“Fine. As long as you aren’t an imposition on Angela. Have fun.”

“Good night, Dr. Franks, it was good to see you again.” Brooke paused. Maybe it was just me, but it felt like she froze time. “I’ll see you later, Doctor Mark.”

My cock surged. Her voice was lower, seductive, a tease. Everyone at the table had to have heard the change in her voice.

“Yeah, I’ll see ya.” My own voice felt tight, guilty.

“Brooke works in the Medical Center building. You see Mark all the time. Don’t you honey?”

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