Page 12 of Must Be Love - Irresistible Bachelors

“He’s going to make a great doctor. Josh is so good with people and science.”

Nicole smiles proudly. “I know. I just can’t wait until he’s done with school and can start making a difference.”

She continues to gush about her perfect boyfriend. I’m happy that Nicole has found someone so amazing, but I can’t help the rush of jealousy I feel whenever we talk about Josh.

I want what they have. I’ve dreamed of having a husband and a family my whole life. Some psychologist would probably say it stems from growing up with shitty parents. I don’t care why I want it, just that I do.

As Nicole talks, my mind wanders back to Dr. Blake. I don’t even know his first name, but I’m already smitten with him. What is wrong with me?

I can’t help but think about what Nicole said before. Why did Dr. Blake give me the serum? Did it mean something, or was it just a random series of events like I keep telling Nicole?

A part of me realizes it was probably just convenience, but my heart wants to believe it was more. I want him to feel something for me. I definitely feel something for him.

I may not know much about Dr. Blake, but I could see myself falling for him. We were only together for twenty minutes today, but it was enough. There’s something about him that makes me feel more than I’ve ever felt for a guy before.

It’s a terrifying thought, that I could like Dr. Blake as more than just my doctor. That’s what he’s supposed to be. It’s not like he’s asked me on a date, despite Nicole’s insistence on calling our appointments that.

This train of thought isn’t helping anything, though. Yes, I like Dr. Blake. But he’s my doctor, and that’s it. I need to stop freaking out over something that might happen, especially because it probably won’t.

“Hey, where’s your head?”

I jump, startled.

“Oh crap. Sorry, Nic.”

She waves me off. “Don’t worry about it. Tell me what’s going on.”

“I was thinking about Dr. Blake,” I admit.

Nicole smirks. “I knew you liked him.”

“And like I told you, it doesn’t matter. At least, not while he’s treating me.”

“Okay, then don’t get ahead of yourself. Go to the appointments. Get to know him. See what happens. Let things progress naturally.”

That’s easy for Nicole to say. She never freezes up around people. Even before she had a steady boyfriend, Nicole was great at talking to attractive men. I’m the one who panics when I’m in the same room as them.

“I can see you freaking out. Take a breath. Que sera, sera. Remember?”

“Que sera, sera. You’re right. Whatever will be, will be.”

Nicole and I shared a dorm in college, and she put that quote on her door. I’d heard the phrase before but didn’t know what it meant. Nicole explained that it was her reminder to let life happen and not try to control things so much. That’s a lesson I definitely need to learn.

“Thanks, Nic. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Amber.”

We finish our fries as the waiter comes back to refill our glasses and take away the plates. As we chow down on bread, Nicole and I chat about various displays we saw at the convention. We were together the whole time, but we have different marketing styles. Some of the displays Nicole really liked, I wasn’t a big fan of.

“Why doesn’t Merhalle do big banner advertising at these events?” Nicole asks.

I finish my mouthful of bread before answering. “I have no idea. All the other big companies do. I mean, those banners are the first thing you see when you walk into the convention center. Maybe we should get our teams on board to design a banner next year.”

“I’d be in. I already have a bunch of ideas. We’re dropping a few new products next winter. Since the convention happens every fall, it would be the perfect time to advertise those.”

I agree. Merhalle would benefit from one of those signs or banners. There are even companies who pay to advertise on the stairs. It’s hard to tell when you’re walking up or down them, but when you stand at a distance and look at the stairs, the full picture is clear.

Our food arrives, and we’re mostly silent while we eat. My steak is cooked perfectly. The mashed potatoes that came with it are so good, I might have to come back to this restaurant just for them. Not that I can afford a fifteen-dollar side of mashed potatoes, but still. I can dream, right?

Nicole’s phone buzzes on the table. She glances at me, and I nod. We try not to use our phones when we’re at dinner, but I don’t think checking a text is a problem. We made that rule more to prevent us from not paying attention to each other while we talk. I’m too busy eating my steak to pay attention to anything else right now, anyway.

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