Page 54 of Perfect Chemistry

She giggled like a young girl. “You are shameless, Dr. Rayburn!”

I laughed with her and we continued her stretches before I set her up on the ice massage. “So which one has your eye? Do you need me to be your wingman, Grace?” I asked her as she was sitting with her head back in a chair.

She didn’t even open her eyes, and just smirked. “Young man, if I ever get to a point that I need a young man like you to help me, I have lost the game,” she confessed, chuckling.

I sat with my mouth agape.

Grace opened her eyes and looked at me, then started laughing. “Don’t look so offended. You have done enough. I have two dates this weekend thanks to you,” she admitted, wiggling her eyebrows.

My face actually flushed. “Holy sh-”

Grace’s eyebrows shot up. “Don’t you swear at me!” she scolded.

I could feel the heat in my cheeks. She actually made me blush! “Grace, you minx!” I whispered out.

She laughed. She had an infectious laugh that I enjoyed. She made me hope for my own future. “What’s your secret?” I asked her, smiling.

When she finally stopped laughing, she sat quietly for a moment with a gentle smile on her lips. “When I married Henry, I knew he wasn’t the love of my life. We met when I was 19, but I just knew. I met the love of my life when I was 15, but walked away from him. Henry was mine for thirty years, and filled my youth with so much joy and stability, I thought it was what I needed.”

She had never shared stories about her youth before. I couldn’t help but ask, “Did Henry pass away?”

Grace snorted, “Not then. The pig got caught cheating with his secretary and we divorced. Made me realize that one-sided love was not enough,” her smile was sad now.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized quietly. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

Grace shook her head. “Don’t apologize. I have spent the last forty years loving myself. It’s been the greatest romance story, filled with wild nights and passionate weekends,” she winked.

My face heated up again.

“When I learned to love myself, the love of my life walked through the door. Klaus and I were together for three decades before he passed two years ago. We never married, but I never doubted his devotion to me,” she smiled brightly.

“So don’t give up hope. She’s out there. The love of your life is waiting for you to get your shit together.”

My jaw dropped open. “Grace! Did you just curse?”

She laughed and her eyes danced with mischief. “Young man, I am a lady first. Never curse in front of a lady. And if you are lucky enough to get a lady’s attention, don’t muck it up!” she said seriously, patting my hand as I walked with her to the front door of the clinic.

As she was about to leave, I remembered that she never told me who she was going out with.

“Grace, you never told me who-”

She turned and winked at me before going out the door. “A lady never kisses and tells!”

For the fourth time today, Grace left me speechless. I chuckled and turned to head back into the clinic. Grace was my last patient of the day, and I needed to finish up my charts before heading home.

“Kai,” one of the other physios called as I walked by.

“What’s up, doc?” I asked, mimicking Bugs Bunny.

Doctor Jones shook his head. “I am going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”

I just chuckled and leaned against the door to his office. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. Did you need anything?” I asked.

Jones shook his head. “I was just wondering if you had heard anything back yet?”

This time I shook my head. “Not yet. Should be this week though,” I said, showing him my crossed fingers.

He smiled back at me. “You’ll get it. You’re too good to be bypassed,” he encouraged me.

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