Tess #2
“There is one small catch,” Scott said, and I felt my breath slow as I braced myself for the worst. “Since all of this is PR related—sorry, I know that’s gross, but it is what it is—we want to film a documentary following a handful of people that are helped with the funds.
Brings awareness as well as makes us look good.
We’d love for Teyana to be one of those people. ”
That explained the film crew. The woman they’d been interviewing must have been another one of the people chosen for the documentary.
And whoa. A documentary was huge. It would bring so much attention to the disease. This was exactly the kind of project that the foundation had wanted to pursue if they got the money.
But how the heck had Scott done all of this? Without my knowledge and with the contracts not even signed. “You’ve talked to DRF about all of this?”
“We had some exploratory discussions about it yesterday,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure there was something to tell. The rest we pulled together today. And in case you were wondering, no, Kendra doesn’t know yet. I thought it would be more fun if you told her.”
I was floored. About all of it, including leaving Kendra out of it. Mostly I was shocked about the speed at which he’d thrown this together. I knew money made people jump, but this? “You’re fast.”
“I’m fast.”
I blushed at the hidden innuendo. “Wow. Thank you. I don’t know what to say.”
“Ditto that,” Tey chimed in.
“Hey, you’re the one who put this together in the first place. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t put Sebastian Industrial together with the DRF.”
Scott’s refusal to take credit put things in a different perspective. I’d done this. I’d put all this in motion. I’d done it for Tey, of course, but I hadn’t thought it would directly affect her like this.
From here on out, whatever happened between me and Kendra because of my deceit, I couldn’t say it wasn’t worth it.
My job wasn’t over yet, though. The papers still had to be signed, which was likely just a formality at this point, but still necessary.
Conscience Connect had to be paid. The partnership had to be made official.
Kendra would want to move forward as soon as possible.
“I guess that means there will be a coordination meeting this week.”
Teyana’s grin faded. “Tess, your time off.”
Scott rose a quizzical brow.
“Kendra gave me a vacation until the next coordination meeting,” I explained.
“She deserves the time off.” Teyana was emphatic. “If I have to postpone this so that she can get it—”
Scott cut her off. “No need to postpone anything. There are still details to be worked out with the lawyers. I can’t see us scheduling to sign any earlier than next Monday.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Is that real, or are you just saying that?”
“Does it matter? It’s done.”
I wanted to jump into his arms, but now that I’d realized we were here in a somewhat official capacity, it seemed even more important to refrain.
Somehow that recognition made the desire to touch him even stronger, the tension even thicker between us.
I wondered if he could see all that in my eyes, which were locked on his.
“Yoohoo? Lovebirds? I’m still here, you know.”
I could feel myself blushing as I broke from Scott’s gaze to give Teyana my attention.
“And in answer to your question, yes. I’m still fucking interested. Camera me up all you want. Which do you think is my better side?” She turned her face one way, then the other. “Maybe straight on is best.”
Just then a technician stepped out from the back offices. “Teyana Lewis?”
“That’s me!” Tey said, and the two of us crossed to the technician.
Simultaneously, Scott gestured to the camera crew and followed us over. “The staff has already been informed about the filming. We’ve got the necessary release forms signed from everyone except you, Teyana. We can get that when we get in the back room.”
The technician frowned, as she seemed to be counting all of us. “Not enough room in the back for everyone. We can take the patient and the crew. You two will have to stay out here. It should be about ninety minutes for the full workup.”
“Is that cool with you?” I asked Tey. I didn’t know why I was concerned. She’d been to plenty of doctors without me in the past.
“I got this,” she assured me.
Scott turned to one of the crew. “RJ, can you take care of the paperwork?”
“Under control,” he said.
“Then let’s get on back there.” The tech opened the door to the back and led them all.
I faced the solid wood of the door for a beat after it had closed, feeling slightly disappointed that I wouldn’t get to be with Teyana during her workup.
On the other hand, that left me alone with Scott. And being alone with Scott was always exciting and dangerous. Good thing we weren’t alone alone.
Except he had other plans for us. “Come on. We have somewhere else to be.”
A shock of pleasure jolted through my body as he took my hand in his and tugged me out the clinic doors.
As soon as we were in the hall, we were in each other’s arms, all the awkwardness between us completely gone.
“I missed you,” I said against his lips in between kisses. “And thank you. For Tey, you can’t—”
My gratitude was cut short by the intensity of his next kiss. Then the kiss was cut short by the clearing of a throat. We broke apart to realize we were standing in the way of a teenage boy and his mother who were trying to get into the clinic.
“Excuse us. Sorry,” I said.
Scott moved to open the door for them, and I tried not to giggle. When they were once again out of sight, he reached again for my hand. “This way.”
Yeah, good idea. Maybe we could find a quiet stairway. Somewhere less public.
With my fingers laced in his, I let him lead me down the hall since he seemed to have an idea in mind.
Now that my mouth was off his, I remembered the other reason I was eager to see him. “Hey, what happened with your parents?”
“Eh, they weren’t happy.”
A much shorter explanation than I’d been hoping for. Maybe he just wasn’t used to sharing his life with a woman. I was his first girlfriend after all.
I took it upon myself to prod for more. “You knew they wouldn’t be. But there wasn’t any drama? They accepted it?”
“I don’t know if accepted is the right word, but I’m a grown man. It’s not like they can force me to do anything.”