40. A Surprise Visit
Chapter forty
A Surprise Visit
Stanley
A week later…
Just one more person to talk to. Then I can finally have my answers.
I can’t believe after months of all this back and forth, after weeks of pulling my hair out and not getting the answers I’ve been looking for, someone is finally taking me seriously and bringing my concerns to the top.
This is the moment I’ve been dreaming about for almost a year and it’s finally at my doorstep.
Click.
“Hello?” An unfamiliar voice says into the phone. It sounds older but powerful.
“Yes, this is Doctor Baker.” My heart feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest.
“Yes, Doctor Baker, I’ve been hearing good things about your work. I wish your concerns had been brought to my desk sooner.”
Why does it feel like there’s going to be a “but” afterward?
“I’ve been doing everything I can to move them up the chain. It’s not easy, trying to balance that and the care I need to give to my patients.”
Maybe if I’d had more people on my side helping to push them through, I could have achieved that balance.
“Well, I’m glad you did. Your efforts are commendable and I have no reason to deny any of the supplies and equipment you’ve been asking for.”
Wait. Is this real? Is this really happening?
“Hello? Are you there?”
“Y-yes. Sorry. I just didn’t expect...” I press a hand to my mouth. I can already feel the emotions swelling to the surface.
“Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me. What it means for my patients.”
“I think I have some idea. I’ll see when we can draft up a budget for you to work with.”
“I look forward to it. Again, thank you.”
The man hangs up without another word. I don’t think he even introduced himself, and if he did, I’ve already forgotten it.
I glance around at the empty office, not sure who I should tell first. I could run down the corridors, screaming it at the top of my lungs, but that would be very inconsiderate. Still, I can’t keep this inside any longer. I need to tell someone.
And just like that, my blessing in disguise is calling me on the phone.
“Hey, I thought you would be at home today.”
“No, I had to come into the office to receive a phone call.” I can barely hide the excitement in my voice.
“Oh? Something good, I take it, from the way you sound?”
“Can’t get anything past you, can I? They approved my requests for funding.”
The phone goes silent for a few seconds. I look down at the screen to make sure I haven’t lost the call.
“Oh my God, Stanley, that’s wonderful! What else did they tell you? Did they say how much? When you can get it?”
“No, they didn’t give me those details, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Hey, you wanna come to the office and celebrate with me?”
“Absolutely! You want Ed and Alex to come along?”
My mood sours slightly; I don’t want to share this moment with them.
“I’d like this just for myself if you don’t mind.” For once, I don’t feel like splitting up Maria’s time with the other guys. Call it being selfish, but I deserve some time alone with her too.
“Alright. How do you feel about cupcakes?”
“What about French macarons...?”
“Well, aren’t you feeling fancy?”
“Nothing wrong with once in a while. It’s not like I get them very often.” I perch myself on the edge of my desk, the excitement still buzzing through my veins.
“And coffee?” she asks.
“But of course. French vanilla syrup for me, one pump.”
Maria barks a laugh into the phone.
“And here I thought Drake made fun of me for my order. I won’t tell him.”
There’s a story there. Maybe she can share it when she gets here.
My chest grows tighter with each passing minute after we end our phone conversation.
The premise of her coming here, the opportunity to have her alone...
The electricity of anticipation courses through my veins and makes everything I touch feel electric.
Every sound in the hallway outside my office makes me jump: it could be her!
But my joy subsides when I realize it is not, and the cycle starts all over again.
I check my watch. It’s been fifteen minutes.
The pressure against my zipper doesn’t believe I can wait that long.
I try to busy myself with other things: the piles of paperwork I still have to sort through, checking over the roster rounds to ensure every patient is taken care of today, double-checking that the right prescriptions are being written up and that insurance is covering them.
For all the drive that it takes to help people, there sure is a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy involved.
A light knock on the door stills my thoughts and reminds me what I’ve been waiting for this whole time.
Easy, Stan. You don’t want to look desperate.
When desperate is exactly how I feel. I don’t need her taking pity on me either, just because I’ve become so smitten with her.
Just because I think I’ve fallen in love with her.
I didn’t share my thoughts with Drake when he admitted as such.
It was his moment and I didn’t want to bust his bubble.
Sharing women before was always a no-attachment affair; it was pure fun and nothing else.
What we have with Maria is something entirely different and I’m not sure the three of us are ready for it.
I wonder if Ed thinks the same way...
Another light knock jolts me from my thoughts again. I’ve drifted off instead of letting her in.
“Come in,” I say after clearing my throat.
In steps Maria, practically glowing in a lovely buttery-yellow blouse and black business pants. Her bright yellow heels click against the hard tiled floor until they find the carpet, their song muffled by the thick fabric.
“French macarons, as you ordered.” She presents a small pink box from her large purse. The top has a small cellophane window, revealing a myriad of colorful cookies. My mouth instantly waters at the sweet almond-y scent of them.
“And coffee.” The other hand carries a cardboard carrier with two small coffees in it. Ah, so she intends to stay a while.
“How many of these are for me?” I ask as I take the box from her hands, our fingers grazing each other.
“As many as you want. All of them, if you want to be selfish.”
“Oh, you know me. I’m hardly the type.” I flip the lid open and pluck two from the box: one looks like pistachio and the other red velvet.
When I turn around, my heart races at the sight of the alluring woman leaning casually against my desk. The pants are not skin tight, but they hug enough of her curves to show off those fabulous hips of hers.
“Oh? Is one of those for me?” Maria’s eyes glint with both mischief and delight as I draw nearer. Her gaze meeting mine sends shivers down my spine.
“Maybe,” I purr. “Which one would you like?”
Maria places the coffees behind me on the desk and looks the desserts over.
She takes hold of my right wrist and brings the pistachio one to her lips.
She takes the subtlest of bites, her lips grazing my fingertips in an accidental-but-not-totally-accidental way that makes it difficult for any further thoughts to surface in my mind.
“H-how is it?” I ask around the swell of lust caught in my throat.
“Delightful. You should try some.” She bites off a larger piece and offers it with her mouth, practically daring me to take it from her. Our lips meet for a brief second as my teeth pluck it from her lips. I relish the sweet flavor of them both.
“You’re right. It is pretty good.” The mild nutty taste and sweet filling dance across my tongue as I stare Maria down. She’s not backing down out of my space. Is this what she wanted all along, or could she smell the lust coming from me?
“How about the other one?” She wastes no time bringing the other macaron to her lips, though her bite isn’t so subtle this time.
She slowly covers my fingertips with her lips, her tongue darting around them to retrieve a morsel of the tasty treat I’m holding.
The air between us crackles with excitement as I watch the red cookie crumble between her teeth, leaving something of a red stain on her lips.
“Remind me how to lock your office door again...?” The question hangs in the air, sucking all of my common sense out of the room.
“Uh, you just turn the bolt vertical.” My resolve shatters as I watch her sway over to the door and follow through with her suggestion.
This is really happening, isn’t it?
I dump the remaining bites of macarons back into the box before she returns, eager to have my hands empty so that I can fill them with her instead. She presses herself so close to me that I have no choice but to lean against the desk.
“Drake told me what you said last week. About where all of this is going...” Her eyes drift down to my tie, which she slowly starts to unknot.
“And I don’t have an answer yet. I don’t want to repeat what happened last time, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy being with you. All of you. And you, sweet Stanley, have received the least of my attention. So it’s only fair I give you some one-on-one time.”
Before I can respond, she has the ends of my tie in her fists, gently pulling me down to her until we’re mere inches apart.
“What else did Drake tell you...?” I ask huskily. I need to know how much that idiot revealed to her.
“That he thinks he might be falling in love with me,” she whispers.
Why can Drake never keep his mouth shut?
“And what did you say?”
“I said that I was flattered. That I would have to think about it. Being thrown that kind of a curveball so soon after all of us getting together again... It’s a lot. Now, what I want to ask is, where do you stand?”
My throat is suddenly dry, and the heat is building between us.
“What would it help knowing, Maria? Is whatever I say going to change your mind?” I have to be realistic here.
“It would help me hold myself more accountable. That I’m not leading any of you on. And if you all do, then...” Her eyes dart down to my mouth.
“Then...?”