10. Nick
10
NICK
I stood on the welcome mat with a picture of a mug of coffee and a donut outside Scarlett's door and knocked. It made me smile and think of her bakery and the night we reconnected after so long. I'd had that gut feeling and I'd been right. Now, here I stood at her door, ready for our first real date. Not that coffee at the Christmas market wasn't a date, but tonight felt more official, like we were starting something good.
The door swung open and a cheery-eyed boy smiled up at me. He shoved a few curls off his forehead and stepped back as he opened the door wider, shouting, "Mom! Dr. Edwards is here!"
I smiled at him and stepped over the threshold as he backed up farther. "She's wearing a dress. She never wears dresses."
Kids were so honest. I loved that. But what I loved more was that Ethan seemed totally comfortable with me, not just as a doctor, but as a human. That made me more at ease, because I knew Scarlett and Ethan were a package deal. If she was allowing me into her home and her life, it meant she was placing a great deal of trust in me as a man. No single mother ever just opened her heart and home to a man without fully trusting he was good for her child.
"Does she look pretty in it?" I asked him as he shut the door softly and he lifted one shoulder in response.
"Girls are gross, and she's my mom, but I guess." He ran toward the couch and bounced on it and my eyes grazed over the small but clean space. I noticed a teenager standing in the kitchen with her back toward me. It looked like she was preparing a snack. The chunky furniture seemed large in the room, but it had a homey feel. Scarlett had hung family pictures on the walls, and though I didn't recognize anyone but her and Ethan, I saw the love there.
"Mom!" Ethan shouted again and I spun around with my hands in my pockets toward the sound of his voice.
As I did, Scarlett emerged from what I could only assume was her bedroom. She was stunning. It made my breath catch in my throat. The form-fitting mermaid gown I'd selected fit her perfectly, hugging every curve in the best way possible, and my God did she have curves. The faux mink stole I'd purchased for her was wrapped around her beautiful shoulders and the crystal broach I'd selected pinned it together in front.
"Wow," I breathed, and her cheeks flushed. She smiled and bit her lower lip.
"Ethan, did you say hello to Nick?" Scarlett tried to direct my attention away from her, but my gaze was firmly fixed on her, and a dozen horses couldn't pull my attention away.
"Hi, Nick…Wait…Does that mean you're Dr. Nick?" Ethan asked and I heard Scarlett and her teenage babysitter snicker.
"No, honey. He's Dr. Edwards. Nick is his first name." Scarlett bent down and offered him a hug, and me a direct line of sight to her full cleavage that peeked out from under the stole and the dress. When she straightened she looked at the babysitter and said, "I'll be back just after midnight. Make sure he's in bed no later than ten."
"Sure, Mrs. Moore." The girl carried her bowl of popcorn and M&M's over to where Ethan sat on the couch while Scarlett joined me at the door. I took her heavy coat, draped it around her shoulders, and opened the door as she glanced back at the kids on the couch one last time as we walked out the door.
"My God, woman. You make me want to take you back to my house and do outrageously bad things to you instead of going to the fundraiser." My hand slid to the small of her back as we walked out of the building and down to my car.
"What's stopping you?" she asked in a cheeky tone and I snickered.
We bantered as I drove into the city and found a parking spot. I escorted her in and through the coat check. Everywhere we went eyes were on us, and for the first time in a very long time I knew it wasn't because of the scandal. People were staring at Scarlett and how beautiful she looked. Most of the folks here at the fundraiser didn't even know me. They came from the entire medical system spread over four states and dozens of hospitals. It felt good to be garnering the good kind of attention.
My arm was around her, and her body was pressed against mine. The music and wine were flowing as we took to the dance floor for a few slow dances. She felt good in my arms and against me. I was tempted to whisk her away like I threatened before, but being out with her in public without harsh looks or whispers was too special of a moment for me.
"I'm having a wonderful time with you this evening," I told her in a low tone right into her ear. She shuddered and leaned her head toward me.
"I'm having a wonderful time with you too, Nick." Scarlett pressed a kiss to my cheek and I felt her smile. When she pulled away, I saw the smile reached her eyes.
"I never thought I'd meet someone who would capture my attention the way you have. Do you know that?" The music continued and I turned us around in beat to the song.
"And honestly, I was giving up hope that I'd really find someone I clicked with. Most of the women my age that I know are already married and settled down. I think having a child has scared away a lot of potential…" Her voice trailed off and I detected a tinge of sadness. My heart wrenched at the idea of her being upset or discouraged so I cracked a joke.
"You mean you don't mind that I'm an old man now?" I grinned at her and nudged the side of her face with my stubbled jaw. When I pulled back she was smiling again.
"You're barely eleven years older than me." Her tinkling chuckle made me laugh too.
"That means when you were seven, I was eighteen. That doesn't bother you?" It didn't bother me one bit. We were now both consenting adults and I was very much ready to make her mine.
"Well when you put it that way." The wry smirk she gave me dissolved all of her sadness, banishing it from her eyes and her expression.
"What do you say we get out of here? I heard the roads are getting slick. I was in the men's room and you know how men talk." I turned the stereotype of women traveling in herds and talking while toileting around on myself and it made her laugh harder.
"Sure … My feet are sore."
The hungry expression she had didn't say "my feet are sore." It said, "Take me home, Mr. Edwards." And that was a sentiment I could get behind.
"Think we have time to stop by my house?" I asked her and she pulled away, leaving her hand connected to mine, and lilted a shoulder with a seductive expression.
We found our coats and when I glanced at the time it was still only just after eleven. The night was young. We had all the time in the world…
Until we stepped out the door and Scarlett almost took a tumble. A sheen of ice covered everything, including the sidewalks. I steadied her and we moved very slowly toward my car. The weather was expected, but not this early, and I was glad we'd ditched the fundraiser in lieu of more exciting activities. The drive home would be very dicey.
I shut Scarlett into the car and walked around the front. I had to hold onto the hood of the car in order to stay upright, and when I pulled out onto the road it wasn't any better.
"Wow, Nick, the roads are really bad." Scarlett shivered as we waited for the car to heat up enough to produce warm air. I had to drive less than twenty miles per hour.
"Yeah, this isn't good. I hope people didn't drink too much. Drunk drivers on these roads will mean horrible accidents." I took a second to thank God I wasn't a trauma or ER doctor. Then I slowed the car even further and sighed.
"This is really bad…" I said, even as I was beginning to slide through an intersection. My house was twenty minutes from here, but Scarlett's apartment was less than five now. I glanced at her. "I might have to crash over at your place."
"Yes, please just go there. It's not worth risking your safety or mine." I saw the grimace on her face and knew she was feeling disappointed we wouldn't have alone time.
"Hey, it's okay."
"It's Ethan…What will he say if you are sleeping over?" I didn't have to see her face to know the worry. Her son and his safety and emotional well-being came first.
"I'll take you home and then go home. It's really okay." I didn't want to make anything difficult for her. It wasn't worth it. We could have sex anytime.
"Nonsense…" She sighed again. "Take me home, and you're staying. And that's final." She sat back with her arms stretched toward the heater vents and I couldn't help but feel another sense of satisfaction and hope rise up. I was definitely growing on her and she was growing on me too.
Even if all we did was watch a movie and I slept on the couch, it was a step the right direction.