Chapter Fifteen #2
“It’s interesting running your own practice is seen as an easier option.
When in reality, you’re your own boss, you have to seek out business opportunities, manage staff, patients, invoicing, as well as everything else that comes with running a business.
It’s a skill set not everyone has. Which is a difficult part of the work, considering the main purpose is to ensure patients are well cared for and in a safe environment.
Creating that sense of comfort and safety for patients is a real art, and one that Dr. Adams does incredibly well,” Mia says with a smile before placing one hand on Dr. Lockwood’s arm, leaning in, as if to tell him a secret.
“If he makes it look easy, it’s because he’s brilliant at what he does. ”
She let go of his arm, looking up at me with the curve of a smile forming on her lips. She reaches up on her tiptoes, pressing a small kiss to my cheek.
“You’ve got a good one there, Alfie. Don’t let her go.” He laughs, his belly shaking as he pats Mia’s shoulder. “Professionally, however, I’d love to see if you’d be a good fit at the hospital. How do you feel about shadowing one of our on-call psychologists?”
“I would love that, Dr. Lockwood.”
“Please call me Terry.”
He hands her a card, and after saying goodbyes, I pull her toward the bar. I hand her another glass of champagne, pulling her in close to me as we watch the room.
Lottie’s stately home is grand in every sense of the word.
She is a Buckingham after all, something we teased her relentlessly about given the link to a certain European royal palace.
Her family was old money, something that she abhorred yet embraced when she realized she could use the money for good, on events like tonight that bolstered engagement with charities and donors.
Whilst a lot of money was spent for this event, I know it came out of Lottie’s own pocket.
We were in the ballroom tonight, and everything was the definition of decadent.
Three foot high flower arrangements adorned every other table; the wall sconces were shaped as shells, illuminating the room in a soft glow that worked to make the large room feel cozy and warm.
The ceiling, however, was the most impressive part of the room.
The parts that hugged the walls were painted with clouds, dark and moody until they filtered out to a rich purple wine color that was speckled with stars and at the center a silver solar system that had been engineered to move at the rate of our own.
If you hadn’t been here more than once, you wouldn’t notice the movement, but it was the most intricate design I’d ever seen.
“Mia.” Caleb saunters toward us, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. “Pleasure to see you again.”
“Hi Caleb.” She smiles warmly but studies him as he smirks toward me.
“Alf, twice in one month, you are becoming quite the social butterfly.”
“We can’t all be the bad boy of psychology, Caleb. I’ll leave that to you,” I joke, slapping my hand into his and shaking it.
“I hear you’re making quite the impression on my boss, Mia. We’ll have to arrange a date for you to shadow me.”
“Sounds good. Tonight has been great for meeting people, actually. I have a few things to set up on Monday morning.”
He leans in. “Well, don’t forget about me, will you?”
It’s borderline flirting, enough to make my fists clench, but as he twists his head and gives me a wink, I know I need to calm down.
“I’m gonna leave you to whatever this is.” Mia flits her finger between the two of us. “I'll be back in a minute.”
I hate to leave her, but what am I going to do? Stand outside the bathroom? I watch her walk away, briefly stopping to say hello to someone along the way.
“I never thought I’d see the day, Dr. Alfie Adams in love.”
“Shut up,” I say, throwing back the champagne and grabbing another flute.
“Oh my God,” he bumps his shoulder into mine, “you’re not even trying to deny it.”
I shrug my shoulders, but the pounding in my chest makes me slightly concerned that my feelings are free-diving where Mia is concerned. Turning back to the crowd, “I’ve been alone a long time. I’m not sure I have what it takes to give her what she deserves.”
“I wouldn’t wait too long to figure it out.
Or she’ll find someone that knows for sure.
” He stares out at the ballroom, and I try to work out if he’s thinking about someone in particular or watching them.
I follow his line of sight just as Lottie makes her way between the tables, laughing gracefully at a joke before reaching out to shake someone’s hand.
It’s the first time I've seen him look despondent. Caleb is an odd character. He’s full of charm, a complete ladies' man who bounces from woman to woman like there’s been a shortage of orgasms and he’s the only one that can provide them.
He grew up incredibly poor with a single mother who struggled to make ends meet.
I don’t know the full story of his childhood, but from what I do understand, it was filled with empty bellies and cold houses.
Despite this, he landed on his feet at the hospital.
He’s loyal to his friends, even if he flirts with their dates.
Of all of us, he and Lottie are closest, and I always got the sense they found a kindred spirit in each other.
Their upbringings couldn’t have been more polar opposites.
And yet they both had something to prove to themselves.
They want to be more than their family history.
Caleb sighs beside me, reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone.
“I’ve got to run. I’m on call. Say goodbye from me?”
“You could tell her yourself; she won’t mind being interrupted.”
“Nah, she’s doing her thing. Catch up soon? It’s been a while.”
“We have Dinner Club every month.” I laugh.
“You know what I mean.” Pocketing his phone, he slips out of the ballroom, shoulders slightly more hunched than before.
The music shifts into something a little slower, and a few people descend on the dance floor. Enough drinks have flowed that the awkwardness has lessened. People are jovial, happy and have given their pitch to whoever they needed to.
I watch Mia return from the bathroom, and she glides back to me with the elegance of a princess. I drop a kiss against her hair.
“Dance with me?” I ask.
“You want to dance?” her tone laced with a teasing undertone.
“Isn’t that what a normal couple would do?”
“Do you want to dance for the optics or because you want to dance?” she snips, her eyebrows knitting together for the first time tonight.
“Mia, I haven’t been able to keep my hands off you all night. I’ve been part boyfriend, part bodyguard, part unhinged seeing you in that dress. Now get your ass on the dancefloor.”
She smirks, all hints of her frown disappearing as her lips cock to one side. “Jeez, a simple I want to dance would have sufficed, Dr. Adams.”
She begins to saunter away, her hips emphasizing each step until I physically fight the urge to keep her plastered to my body so no one but me can see the perfect round of her ass.
I slip my hand into hers, her warm palm squeezing me until my rage at the male population in this room subsides. Hell, I’m even annoyed at some of the women.
I let my hand sit on the silky fabric covering her lower back, our cheeks settling against each other so I can whisper into the shell of her ear.
“Have you enjoyed yourself tonight?”
“Mmhmm,” is all she can muster up as I begin to trail my fingers up and down her spine.
“Every man in here can’t take their eyes off you.”
Her head rears back as she studies me.
I pull her back and begin to trail my fingertips again.
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“No, and you can’t control what others do, Mia.
But I wanted you to know, it’s not just this dress, which should be illegal by the way, it’s you.
Your magnetism, your charm, the way everyone in this room eats up every word you give them like they’re starving.
” She gasps a little, but I hold her tightly so she can’t look at me.
“What you said earlier, the way you defended me…”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t take the insinuation that you have an easy career.”
I smile again. “I know, love. I wanted to say thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever been defended so vehemently before.”
She huffs out a laugh, relaxing into my hold.
“You’re going to be an incredible psychologist. You know that, right? I’m so excited to see what you do next because I know it’s going to be amazing.”
I let her step back this time and notice the tears glistening in her eyes. Fuck, I didn’t want to upset her. The opposite, actually.
“Hey—"
She wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me into a tight squeeze.
“I’m still worried that pretending is going to blow up in my face.”
“I promise you I won’t let it.”
“Alfie, I know that this is not the same situation, but I’ve been promised things before by a man…
” she trails off but I don’t need to hear the rest. She knows that I know what she means.
That bastard who groomed her and fucked her over still lives in her head.
The hurt he caused still sits on her heart like an ugly scar, resurfacing every time she goes back home, or has to accept help from a man in a position of power. A man like me.
“I’m going to prove to you that I’m not that man.”
“I think we should just stay friends. Things have been getting a little blurred.”
My heart shunts against my ribs like a tiny car crash crumpling in my chest. Here I am, thinking that dress would end up on my bedroom floor tonight.
Well…carefully hung up in my closet at least. But still, Mia isn’t ready, and that’s fine.
I’ll take her home, and I’ll try to prove I’m worthy of her tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.
“For now.” I nod.
She huffs out an exasperated sigh, but her lips are twitching.
No way am I just staying friends with this woman.
“I don’t want you to wait around for me. If you’re ready to actually date and be in a relationship, you should do that,” she says with a level of sincerity that terrifies me. Does she not want this? Have I completely misread this situation?
“Mia…”
“Please, Alfie. I want you to be happy, and if that means finding someone else, then I think that’s a good idea.”
Doesn’t she understand that I don’t want a relationship? I want her. In whatever way she’ll let me have her.
The song finishes up and she heads toward the bar. I follow her, hoping that for my sake, she’ll change her mind. It’s then that I spot my father, and he’s heading straight for Mia.