Page 9 of The Doctor

“It was the alcohol. I’m not sure he would have looked at me the same if he wasn’t drunk.”

“I don’t think he was drunk. When I saw him approach you, I kept my eye on you, and while you kept drinking, he only had two glasses of Champagne. A person his size might have possibly been buzzed, but his judgment wasn’t impaired.”

“Are you sure?” I could have sworn he kept drinking along with me. It does help to know he didn’t bring me back to his place with beer goggles on.

“I’m positive. I wasn’t about to let some creep bother you.” She bites the inside of her cheek, and I know she has more than she wants to say but is afraid to say it.

“Say it,” I sigh.

“What? I don’t have anything to say besides what I already said.” When I give her a look that says I know she’s lying, she rolls her lips and then spreads her hands out on the table. “It’s just too bad you didn’t get his number.”

Do I regret not getting his number now? Yes, of course, I do, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

“When I left his house, I went and got tested to see if he gave me an STD,” I confess.

“What?” Lexie’s blue eyes go wide. “Was his place that bad?”

I can’t help but laugh at her question.

“I’m pretty sure people who are rich and live in nice houses can also get STDs. But to answer your question, no, he had a really nice house. It was too nice. At first, when I saw it the next morning, I thought he had a girlfriend or a wife. No single man lives the way he does.”

“But how do you know he doesn’t have a girlfriend or wife?”

“I looked in the bathroom and didn’t see anything. I was on my way to find the closet when I remembered we had unprotected sex, and I freaked out.”

“Raine,” she looks at me with the saddest eyes. “Why didn’t you say something?”

I shrug as I say, “Embarrassment.”

Her nose scrunches up as she looks at me like I’m a crazy person. “What have you got to be embarrassed about?”

“The fact that the first night I let myself lose a little bit of control, I get drunk, go home with a guy, and have unprotected sex. Not my finest hour.”

“I’m not judging you, Raine. I’ve done the same thing. You know I have. Ryder and I slept together within hours of knowing each other, and look how that turned out.”

“Okay, well, we can’t all have the fairytale ending you two have. Most people, when they have a one-night stand or whatever you want to call it, never see the person again. That’s why it’s called one night.”

“But you’ll never know unless you open yourself up to the idea. I just want you to be happy, Rainy-Bear.”

“I know you do. Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to find what you and Ryder have, but I’m not sure it’s out there for me.” Not many find the kind of love they share.

Lexie sits up, and her mouth gets tight. “Now, I want you to listen to me. It’s out there. I promise you, and the one thing I know is that you deserve it, Raine. You are one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Don’t let being shy hold you back. If you never put yourself out there, you’ll never find what you want most.”

Lexie’s words resonate deep down inside of me. I know she’s right. If I’m always acting like I’m scared of men, I’m never going to find my Prince Charming.

“I’m worried about you,” she frowns.

“Why?”

“First, because you’ve let this man affect you so much this week, and second, you didn’t say if you got your results back yet?”

“I’m clean. They said I could come back in a month for a pregnancy test if I want, but I think I’m fine on that count.”

I watch as her entire body relaxes.

“Thank you for being worried about me. I know I shouldn’t let him get to me, but it’s kind of disappointing when you have the best night of your life with a stranger, and you know you’re never going to see him again.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way. I’m sure we can figure out who he is if we really want to.”

“I know, but it feels wrong. Maybe someday I’ll run into him on the street, and he’ll remember me.”

“Well,” she slaps the table and then laughs. “If you change your mind, let me know. I doubt there were many men there named Kade.”

“I will.”

Holding up her margarita, Lexie smiles over at me. “To the best damn assistant in the world.”

I clink my glass to hers. “To the best boss and friend a girl could ask for.”

Taking a drink, I wonder if I’m making the right decision not to pursue finding out who Kade is. The one thing I know is I can’t keep looking back at the past. I need to move on to bigger and better things, even if I’m not sure there’s anyone better than Kade.

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