Page 44 of Degrees of Innocence
He looks up, surprised. “That Jenny,” he says, with raised eyebrows. “I guess I didn’t put two and two together. So, it’s not okay to date someone you work with, but it is okay that your best friend is your boss? I don’t know if I can follow the logic.”
I can’t help the blush that creeps slowly along my cheeks. “So, tell me, how did it happen you are best friends with your boss? I’m intrigued by this, given the resistance you’ve shown me.”
“She hired me right out of high school. I needed employment while I was attending college and she let me work flexible hours to accommodate my school schedule and gave me assignments that fit with my interests and career plan. I use to go straight from school to Torzial and Jenny was always in the office late into the night. I guess our friendship just developed over time.
He takes my hand from across the table. “So you avoided dating altogether and focused on your work,” he says quietly.
“I definitely wasn’t looking to repeat the past experiences. I guess it was a way for me to avoid dating. Well, that and pay the rent and trivial things such as food,” I say.
“I love the way your eyes light up when you’re being playful, but it saddens me that you thought you were lacking in any way,” he says as his finger circles the top of my hand.
I shrug. “Mom’s experience, my own, you know, it sort of leaves its mark,” I say.
“Your friendship with Jenny is the reason you stayed at Torzial instead of signing on with some of the larger architectural firms?”
“Not entirely, those companies were interested in creating facility designs that could be reproduced, at least in part. Torzial provided me with a way to help the firms integrate the philosophy of getting the experience right for the customer and then designing the facility around that. I enjoy what I do and Jenny gives me free reign to take the assignments that make a difference. It’s worth much more than money to me. She was actually the one who encouraged me to take this project,” I say.
“I see. Remind me to thank her,” he says.
“You may not mean that when we get back to the states and start changing the processes that everyone is accustomed to.”
“Yes, I will. It’s exactly what we need,” he states.
The waiter arrives and Chase orders dinner for both of us. “It’s a traditional meal in Aruba called Pastechi. Many times it is served as a breakfast food, but I particularly like it filled with marinated beef and goat cheese for dinner,” he explains before ordering.
“Why do you have such an interest in funding a healthcare facility of this magnitude?” I ask.
“You heard the patient stories and the tragic failures happening in healthcare. Changing the model and building a new infrastructure to support it is expensive and it needs to be funded and driven by the private sector. If government cuts continue as a way to force reform, hospitals will be unable to sustain their existence. I recall sitting in a waiting room one day years ago with my mother. One of the women going through chemo with her could not afford a wig, another had to choose between meds and food. Fortunately, my father was in a position to provide anyone in my mom’s support group with whatever was needed, but most people aren’t that fortunate. Once a model is developed that can demonstrate increased quality and service with reduced overall costs it won’t take long before others get on board,” Chase says.
The waiter arrives with the Pastechi, which smells deliciously of cumin and nutmeg as he places the meal in front of us.
“The combination of marinated meat, raisins, and goat cheese are delicious,” I say to Chase surprised at the flavor of the pastry.
“I’m glad you like it. It’s one of my favorites,” he says.
“I’m not sure if you saw the results of the original patient interviews, yet. We held a lot of patient forums that included many of our elderly populations. I was shocked at the number of patients who are choosing between buying meds or more food.”
“I did see them, Katarina. Brian sent them to me and they were alarming. If our reimbursement and care models were aligned the cost of the drugs would be included in the overall expense just like other supplies. People like my mother’s friends would not have to choose between meds and food and from an employer’s standpoint the cost of coverage would not be cost prohibitive. It’s not going to be easy to change the status quo. The pharmaceutical companies rely heavily on the revenue to pay for research and continued testing. We’re anticipating significant pushback in this area, which is why we’re keeping the project so quiet at this point. We need to provide a way to care for patients that they can afford, but that aligns with other long-term goals and needs.”
The waiter has cleared the table and arrives with dessert. “It’s called banana na binja. The plantains are grilled and then glazed with a port wine and brown sugar mixture,” Chase says. I taste a bite and can see why it’s considered the island specialty. When we finish with our meal, he guides me down a set of stairs that leads to the private beach area where we leave our sandals. We walk hand in hand for a while enjoying the feel of the water and sand underneath our feet, the scent of sea salt, and the warm breeze on our skin. It is our last night together on the island and I can’t help feeling a little sad as we head back to the resort.
I organize my belongings for the next day before showering and get into bed for the night. Chase pulls me into his arms and his fingers caress the side of my neck.
“Katarina, I’m curious to know what you liked in the past few days. You’ve told me some things, but I want to know more. You said you loved it when I spanked you. What else did you like or not like?” he asks.
I’m thankful the room is relatively dark. “I see we’re going to jump right into the uncomfortable conversation,” I say, trying to control my blush.
He laughs out loud, obviously enjoying the conversation immensely. “What about when we were in the shower and I had my way between your legs?” he asks.
“I loved that,” I respond.
He kisses the top of my head. “And when I was fucking you in the ass with my finger?”
“Maybe a little nervous about how you are going to fit, but I trust you and it felt great,” I say.
“When we used the vibrator?” he asks.
“Honey, you can do that to me anytime. Especially when I see the look in your eyes watching it,” I say.
