Chapter 10 - Kristian Krengel
T wo days, that’s how long it’s been since I’d last seen or heard from her. Sebastian’s told me, more than once, she’s doing good. But I’d rather see it or at the very least hear it for myself.
Instead, it’s merely hours before my presentation and I’m just now putting the final touches on it. Worrying about her isn’t making it any easier.
“It's really not that bad,” Sebastian encourages, though he’s not very convincing.
Pushing the laptop screen closed, I sit back in the cheap hotel desk chair. “It is that bad. If I stand up in front of all our peers, plus those from other states and read through those slides, we might as well bring the toe tags ourselves because they’ll all be bored to death.
He chuckles. “Now that’s the kind of shit they’d love. Morbid doctor humor. But for sure, don’t use that.”
“I’m not. But what I have will not impress the head of plastic surgery. Dr. Dasher is one of the most talented surgeons I’ve ever had the honor of working under. He would want something detailed, factual, and shows my leadership skills, though I’ve no idea how you show leadership skills on a slide. Nor am I sure if doing this is even worth it.”
Sebastian sits on the sofa near the small desk and stretches his arms over the back. “What you’ve asked the conference center to do with the ballroom is genius. It may not be leading medical teams in surgeries but getting everyone to agree to your idea, that takes some hard skills, man. Plus, the fact that it benefits me is merely a bonus.” His smile is contagious.
“And you’re sure Bridgette’s on board with it?”
“She flew a fashion designer friend out to do last minute alterations on her dress.”
“It’s amazing the things you can get done when you know people,” I mutter, hoping Holly doesn’t get offended that we stepped in to help out. She will get to arrange things; we’re just making it a bit easier by putting everything she could ever need for a wedding in the unused ballroom adjacent to the one the conference and the wedding will be in.
“I’ve asked Bridgett the same thing.”
“And that is?” I ask, curious if he knows more than he’s letting on.
“If Holly will be okay with us doing this.”
When he doesn’t elaborate, I blow out a frustrated breath, and lean forward in the chair. “I’m not in the mood for dragging out the suspense, Sebastian. What did she say?”
He raises his hands in defense. “It wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Okay.”
“Okay,” he mimics, rising from the sofa and shaking my hand before disappearing out the door. “See you in an hour.”
The laptop taunts me from its place on the table. I know the presentation isn’t enough, but I don’t open it and try to add more, because, one; I don’t have the time. I still need to shower, get dressed, and make sure the hotel has my tux for later. And two; my concentration is shit right now.
Retrieving my phone, I tap out a quick text to my mother.
Doc: You have the food ready?
The dots appear and when her reply comes almost instantly, like she’s sitting by the phone, all I can do is shake my head.
Mom: Of course, sweetheart, we’ll be ready
My feet feel as though they have lead in them as I head for the shower. It’s a task I should’ve done in the morning but making arrangements with the hotel, and making sure I had buy-in from the organizers of the conference, had taken more time than I’d expected.
Mr. Hamilton was gracious enough to offer the space on Christmas Day, his reason was he wouldn’t be well enough to walk his daughter down the aisle by next week, to which I agreed.
I was a bit skeptical about how my mother would react. But once I’d filled her in on everything, she was ecstatic to help cater a wedding. Which is why she’d offered up hers, my siblings, and their families services for bringing in some home-cooked food. And the hotel has agreed to foot the rest, given the direction from Mr. Hamilton who has a considerable market share in a few of this chain's properties.
The hot water feels amazing, as I step under the spray and I consider just standing here until my skin wrinkles, but there are too many things still left to do, so I lather everything quickly and rinse off.
Once I’ve dried, I step into the hotel suite and search through my suitcase for some boxers and dress socks, then head to the closet for a pressed dress shirt, suit jacket, and slacks.
My lips lift at the corners when I see the Santa suit hanging toward the back. I almost considered putting it on but decided I’ll save it for Christmas, when Holly is a little tipsy from the open bar at the wedding and I take her back to my place afterward.
Feeling a little optimistic, aren’t you, Kristian?
I already know she’s coming for the conference. Bridgette has agreed to somehow keep her occupied until my presentation which, of course, is last and we plan on announcing the wedding then. It’s not like another two hundred guests will make much difference. I chuckle at the thought. Mom wanted a big family dinner. It doesn’t get much bigger than that.
After spritzing on a bit of cologne, I slip my laptop into a case, and pull open the door, stepping out into the hall. Across the way is the room she was in. Taking a moment, I let the memory of her lips on my cock filter into my mind. For someone who had some insecurities, I was surprised by how good she was at sucking dick. Next time, we’ll try it with the lights on.
If there is a next time, that is.
The stroll down memory lane and the thought of fucking her for the first time has my dick stirring to life. Unfortunately, these slacks aren’t as forgiving as the less expensive pair of slacks the hotel clothing store had when I’d arrived.
If I limit my thoughts about her now, then maybe it will have deflated by the time I find my way to the conference room.Shaking my head at the realization, that’s where we’d shared our first kiss, and our second in this same exact elevator.
At this rate, it’ll stay hard for the remainder of the day.
OUTSIDE OF THE ROOM , still stand our posters. They’re in order of presenter, which is why mine was the first I’d seen.
A considerable crowd has formed outside of the doors, and I shake hands with both those I know and some I don’t.It’s a mix of surgeons, family medicine, heart doctors... the list goes on. Even some emergency room nurses have made the trip.
Grabbing a catalog of the presenters, I tuck it under my arm, and head inside.
Toward the front are different department heads from Eastport General, and other local hospitals, even some from hospitals across the country.
I find my reserved seat behind Dr. Dasher and pat him on the back before lowering myself onto the chair.
“Hope you came prepared,” he says but doesn’t turn in his seat.
Biting back a sarcastic grumble, I lean forward. “As I’ll ever be.” Even though I’m not.
He nods, probably thinking the same thing. There’s not much I can do about it now.
Getting comfortable, I sit back as the coordinator reads through the agenda.After about five minutes of administrative stuff, they call the first presenter.
“Dr. Juliata Green, she’s a pediatrician whose topic today is on a chemical improvement to children’s vaccines.”
It’s an interesting one but not really my area, I do however give it my best effort to pay attention because I’d want the same courtesy.
Once she’s done, a few more presentations follow. Each unique in their own way. Some I found very interesting while others came across a bit dry. It’s the one bad thing about going last, sitting through each one.
By the fifth one, I can’t help but allow my mind to drift to Holly. What could she be doing this very minute? Is she taking care of herself? Is she eating? How will she react to the change in plans for Sebastian and Bridgett’s wedding?
I’ll try calling her when we have our next break. If she doesn’t answer then, I’ll throw in the towel on this conference and—as a result—the new job and show up at her place. I’m sure I’d have no problem convincing Bridgett to tell me where their place is.
Right now, though, the next speaker is an orthopedic doctor, and this one does pique my interest. “Dr. Martin is one of the top doctors in the musculoskeletal system field.” The majority of what’s covered in the musculoskeletal system is very important in plastic surgery. And understanding how these areas work, or if any new procedures have been introduced, is required for what I do.
The time goes by too quickly and soon the chatter in the room is rising as people leave their seats to either stretch their legs, pee, or get something from the snack table.
My destination though, a dark corner where I can talk to a certain individual, hopefully without any interruptions.
Swiping from screen to screen, I find her number and raise the phone to my ear. After the third ring, I swipe a hand through my hair and let out a frustrated breath as the robotic voice from her voicemail comes on.
Ending the call, I drop my phone back in my pocket, and glance toward the exit.
Ditching the conference is what I want to do. But what if this thing with Holly doesn’t work out, then I’m shit out of luck on moving my career along.
It’s only been two days. Are a few more hours going to make that much difference?
Forgoing any of the options, like snacks, drinks, or the restroom offered at the beginning, I head back inside and take my seat.
Although my mind is consumed by everything that is Holly Snow, I need to focus.
Flipping open my laptop, I go through the slides, making adjustments here and there until it’s my turn to speak.Before me there’s a nurse who’s speaking on their interactions with the doctors and what they need to make their jobs successful. It reminds me of Nurse Shelton.
Her don’t-fuck-with-me, but in a nice way, attitude—both with the doctors and patients—keeps everyone on their toes. I can’t wait to introduce her to Holly.
“And last, but certainly not least, is our very own Dr. Kristian Krengel. He’s coming to you as one of the top plastic surgeons in Rhode Island.”
Claps and whistles sound from the audience as I head to the podium. A lot of the attendees I’ve known for years, others I just met out in the open space on the other side of the doors.
The medical conference is a great idea for social networking but, honestly, I just want to get this over, then I’m heading straight to the woman who's currently avoiding me.
Adjusting the microphone, I clear my throat and look out over the audience. Suddenly finding all those curious faces a bit intimidating.
Swallowing back the nervous knot in my throat, I start and hope to hell I don’t fuck this whole thing up. “As the announcer said, I’m Dr. Krengel and I’m one of the plastic surgeons over at Eastport General.” Placing a hand on the laptop, I look out over the crowd, torn between opening it or not. I choose the latter and instead grab the microphone from its stand and walk to the end of the stage.
“I’d planned on going through some slides that I thought would really explain how we do things at the hospital. From the latest surgical tools we use, to the schedule, and even how we care for the patients, but then I thought, it’s probably the same where you’re all from. So instead, I want to tell you about a recent experience I had.”
I pace to the opposite side of the stage. “See, recently I ran into someone, not literally of course, but metaphorically.” A low rumble of laughs echoes throughout the room. Once it’s quiet again, I continue, “After talking with her briefly, I noticed something seemed familiar.”
The doors to the back of the room open and I pause my story as a woman enters. There’s a light behind her making it difficult to make out her features, but the silhouette of her curves is on full display. My attention on what I’m saying is a bit distracted, but I go on. “Later, I realized this woman had been a patient of mine. Now it’s a bit unusual that after treating someone we see them outside of the hospital, but in this story that’s exactly what happened.”
The stranger continues her stroll down the aisle and as she closes in on the stage my words slow.
“It had been a freak accident one Christmas Eve that had brought her to me...”
When she’s within a few feet of the stage, my words have stopped, because she fucking takes my breath away.
Gone is the timid, insecure person I’d met a few days ago. Holly is in a black strapless dress, showing off her smooth porcelain skin, that I’m tempted to jump off this stage and put my lips on but I don’t, because I’m frozen in place.
She has her hair tied up in a messy bun and faint wisps of strands framing either side of her face. You can see every inch of her scar, and it’s the most glorious fucking thing I’ve ever seen.
Making my way around to the stairs adjacent to the stage, I take the few steps until I’m standing before her. Leaning in so only she can hear, I whisper, “You look absolutely beautiful, Holly Snow.”
“Thank you,” she says shyly.
“Is it her?” someone shouts from the back. “Is she your patient?”
Giggling, she turns slightly, resting her hand on my bicep and tucking her face into my chest.
I place an arm around her waist protectively and answer the question, “Yes, this is her.”
They erupt in applause and catcall whistles.
“We want to hear the rest of the story,” another one says from the back.
“Yeah, come on, spill.”
Taking her chin in my hands, I turn her head so our eyes meet. “What do you think, shall we finish?”
She grins, nodding and my heart expands. Her courage is beyond believable. I don’t know what changed from the time she left me until now, but you can bet I’ll be asking her later. After I’ve fucked her until she can barely stand, of course.
I lead her up on stage so they too can relish in her beauty while I go on.
“We thought after the surgery she would return. Knowing it would have been more surgeries, and a lot of healing before she would have seen any results.”
She nods.
“What we sometimes don’t consider as doctors are a patient’s feelings. Sure, we deal with the pain, but I’m talking about the feelings here.” I place a hand on her heart. “Or here,” my lips connect with her forehead.
There’s a low rumble of acknowledgement throughout the room.
“A wise woman once told me; you can do everything within your power to fix an imperfection physically, but it doesn’t erase what they’ve been through mentally. Although...”
I kiss her neck, right on the biggest part of the scar, and she gasps. “Someone did an amazing job on you.”
Everyone is on their feet, applauding what was just a simple story, but one that carries so much meaning to everyone in this room.
Pulling her against me, I decide a true show is really what they want. I twist her around until her back is arched and a leg is in the air. She looks like a pinup model preparing to kiss her soldier after he’s come home from war.
And I take advantage, crashing my lips down on hers.