Chapter 11
eleven
QUYNH
T he rest of the day passed by in a blur. Griffin offered to take her to see her father again after lunch. She texted Ruth to let her know of her plans. Cindy let her in as soon as Griffin put the car in park. She surprised Quynh by giving her a large hug and said she was excited to see her again.
Even though she did not have much of a relationship with her father, she would not waste what little time they had left. She wanted to get to know him as much as possible. Quynh would deal with the consequences later.
She didn’t see the harm in appeasing a dying man’s wishes. He seemed just as eager to see her, though they were careful to avoid any conversation that might involve her mother or her childhood.
It was a pleasant visit, and when he started to wilt, Quynh made her exit. She asked Griffin to drop her off this time so he could get some work done. She waited in the sitting room while Cindy chittered on about the weather this time of year.
At the rumble of Griffin’s truck approaching, Cindy escorted Quynh through the lobby to the front door. This time, when Cindy gave Quynh a hug, she was prepared for it and returned the gesture. When she turned away, she could have sworn she saw tears in the elderly woman’s eyes.
By the time Quynh made it to the porch, Griffin was already standing by the passenger door, waiting for her.
As she approached, he opened the door for her and helped her climb into the truck with a firm grip on her hand.
He waited until she was settled into the seat before shutting the door and rounding the hood of the truck.
In the short time she sat alone in the truck, she tried to hold her breath to avoid breathing in his intoxicating scent.
It was a pathetic effort since she’d obviously need to breathe at some point or pass out from sheer stubbornness.
As soon as he settled into the driver’s seat, she could have sworn the heat inside the otherwise chilled cabin of the truck ratcheted up.
Or maybe it was just her heart rate at the close proximity of someone she clearly found attractive.
Not just physically attractive, because any woman with good eyesight could tell Griffin was a handsome man.
His chiseled jawline underneath his neatly trimmed beard was enough to melt many panties.
Coupled with his piercing green gaze and soft, kissable lips, she didn’t know why there wasn’t a line of women banging on his door.
Or, she supposed, it was possible it was happening. She had only been in town for a short time. He hadn’t mentioned anything about having a girlfriend or a lover, but she never asked either.
The questions were bubbling up inside her, making her feel like she would burst.
“Griffin?”
“Hmm?” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye briefly.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“You just did.”
She huffed. “I mean, can I ask you a personal question?”
He paused before answering.
“Sure.”
“Are you…Are you seeing anyone else?”
The silence stretched between them as she waited anxiously for an answer.
This couldn’t be a good thing, right?
It wasn’t a complicated question. A simple yes or no answer would suffice.
God, she wished she could take back the last thirty seconds. This was humiliating. Maybe she was better off just jumping out of the truck now.
“No.”
“No?”
“No. There’s no one else.”
No one else? Does that mean I was someone to him?
Probably just wishful thinking. They hardly knew each other, though one thing was for certain.
There was an undeniable attraction between them.
Her body never felt so alive until she met him. Now, she was uncomfortably hyper-aware of the way her skin was stretched too tight. Or how empty her core was, desperate to be filled. Never mind how she suddenly became unnervingly aroused in close proximity to him.
His scent was intoxicating.
She wondered if he smelled better up close. Suddenly, she had an urge to shove her face into the meaty crook of his neck and take a big whiff.
Yeah, totally normal.
Snap out of it, you hussy!
“ That’s good.”
The sounds of the passing highway settled in around them.
She relaxed against the seat. The truck coming to a stop jarred her awake. She hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep.
Oh, god, was that drool on my chin? Just kill me now .
Can the universe stop fucking with my life, please?
“I’m making dinner. I always make too much. Come over in an hour.”
Before she could make sense of his words, Griffin was already out of the truck.
He came around to open the door for her.
She unbuckled her seatbelt and took his hand.
She loved that he always helped her get in and out of his truck.
The rough touch of his hand on hers was something she could get used to.
His grip was always steady and firm. It was a sense of safety she hadn’t known she was missing.
They stood in the open doorway of the truck, toe to toe, so close only a hand span separated their bodies. The heat emanating from his body sent a delicious shiver down her spine, causing goosebumps to erupt across her arms.
Staring up at him, she had a reckless thought.
What would happen if I kissed him right now?
The idea of a hot and torrid affair seemed extremely tempting. No strings attached sex.
“See you in an hour.”
Griffin pivoted on his heel and stomped across the street. She watched him as he entered his house. He never seemed to lock the door.
Quynh dropped her head back with a frustrated groan.
Well, that was embar r assing .
She hoped he hadn’t been able to read where her thoughts led her. He saw so much and said so little. She’d never been more exposed in all of her life.
It was embarrassing enough that she couldn’t seem to control her reactions around him.
He disrupted her equilibrium yet, paradoxically, kept her grounded in the present moment.
His penetrating gaze made time seem to slow down, like a bunny caught in the sight of a menacing wolf, completely at the mercy of the predator.
Shutting the truck door, she made her way slowly into her temporary home.
What started as a matter of convenience turned into a place of comfort for her.
The small but functional apartment was a safe haven she didn’t know she needed.
Distance separated her from her past. The added benefit of being so close to her father during his last days made her even more grateful for the space.
She’d have to figure out a better way to repay Griffin for his generosity.
Sure, she was helping out at the office, but he never once asked for money.
And, if she were being honest, she actually didn’t mind working for him.
It was actually a nice reprieve from the backbreaking work of her bedside nursing days.
When she moved to outpatient as a nurse practitioner, the volume of patients she needed to see was wild.
She often took her work home with her. At first, it didn’t bother her since she didn’t have much of a social life.
Over the months and, now, five years into her job, it grew tiresome.
Is this what burnout feels like?
Very likely.
The hours were unsustainable. She saw patients all day without stopping for any lunch breaks. It was exhausting work, and she liked to think it was rewarding. Some of her patients were loyal to her. It wasn’t something she ever took for granted.
So, working for Griffin around the office was a welcome reprieve.
Quynh undressed and hopped in the shower. She was nervous about dinner with Griffin.
It wasn’t dinner with Griffin, like a date or anything.
No, he just invited her over for dinner because he’s a nice guy.
Griffin seemed the type to help people around him, though he’d deny it if confronted.
She didn’t mind. It wasn’t like she had much of an appetite lately.
Besides, most nights, she’d order dinner to be delivered or pick up fast food on her way home from work.
She often worked well into the evening, so there was little time to cook.
It was a terrible habit, but she didn’t know where she could find the time. She spent the weekends resting or recuperating from the work week, only to repeat the same routine the following week.
She rarely took time off for vacations and had a good chunk of time off saved.
Thankfully, as part of her unexpected termination, she would be given her paid time off, paid in a lump sum, which would allow her the luxury of buying time.
It would be at least a few months before she needed to find a new job.
The prospect of finding another job was daunting.
A problem for another day.