Chapter 33 – Grant
THIRTY-THREE
GRANT
He wanted to keep every memory sacred.
Tuesday Morning
“We’ve got a serious problem,” Flowers said, as she closed the door to my office.
I glanced up from my computer and noticed she had neither my coffee nor my newspapers.
Damn, I was afraid of this.
I’d purposely told her to stay home on Monday. Neither of us had slept much Sunday night, I knew she was…fatigued from our sexual activities. Not to mention, probably sore.
I would not let myself be aroused by that. About what I’d done to make her sore.
My hope was that after a day she would be able to put things in perspective and return to the office and her job as if nothing had changed.
Which was stupid. Of course everything had changed. We’d made love. Multiple times. We’d acknowledged that our sexual attraction had always been part of our relationship. But I was still hoping we could go back to some sort of normalcy just until I was ready to jettison her.
It would make both our lives easier. I was certain of it.
Except, she was standing in my office, her arms crossed over her chest, looking like something was seriously wrong.
For a second, the smallest second, I thought she was going to tell me she was pregnant. The blossom of fear that unleashed in my gut was nearly overwhelming. I could see dots in my vision and my mouth went dry.
It wasn’t possible. We’d used protection.
It wasn’t possible. A woman couldn’t know she was pregnant after two days.
It wasn’t possible because it would kill me.
“I think you gave me an STD,” she whispered, and pointed to my lap.
I had to blink a few times before rational thought returned. Pushing back against the fear, I considered what she said.
“An STD?” I repeated.
“Yeah, you know, Sexually Transmitted Disease.”
“I’m aware of the acronym. I’m asking why you think I gave you one. Which I didn’t, because I’m clean. I haven’t had sex in years. I told you that. I wasn’t lying.”
She glanced around as if to check if the coast was clear, when she knew we were the only two people in the office.
“Because this morning, it burned when I peed, okay? And there was…there was…blood,” she hissed.
Oh, shit. It was probably a UTI. Allison used to get them sometimes.
“I’ll make an appointment with a doctor,” I said.
“So, I’m right?” She looked panicked. “You despoiled me up.”
I glared at her. “I did not despoil you. And I don’t think you’re using that word correctly. . You most likely have a urinary tract infection, which I’m told can happen to women after sex. But I’m not a doctor, so we’ll make an appointment, go together and make sure.”
“You’re going to go with me?”
“I did this. Yes, I’m going to go with you. I know a practice that will get us in today.”
I didn’t want to see Allison’s doctor. I never wanted to see him again. But there was a woman in the practice. A Dr. Whitford. I would push some weight around and get Flowers in today.
“Okay?” I asked, picking up the phone.
She nodded.
Shit, I thought. She was upset. She was hurting.
“I don’t suppose there is any chance you can get my coffee while I make this call?”
Her eyes pinned me with the force of death lasers. “Blood in my pee.”
Right. That was a no.