Chapter 29
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
TESS
T eyana stared at the lobby directory. “You’re sure he said the ninth floor?”
“I’m sure.” She knew as well as I did. She’d been standing right there when the driver Scott had sent had dropped us off and instructed us where to go next.
But I knew why she wanted reassurance. Because according to the directory, the Dysautonomia Center was located on the ninth floor, and though we hadn’t been told specifically to go there, it had to be where we were supposed to end up.
A tentative excitement bubbled up inside of me as we climbed into the elevator. What on earth are you up to, Scott Sebastian?
I pressed the nine button on the console, and as the doors closed, I hoped he’d be there to clear everything up when they opened again.
I didn’t just want answers about the strange mission he’d sent us on this afternoon. I hadn’t really talked to him since before his meeting with his parents the night before, and I was dying to know what happened. When I’d messaged him at midnight, desperate for intel, he’d sent back a short text.
Everything’s good. Will talk tomorrow. Sleep well, baby.
I responded passive-aggressively, giving him a thumbs up and a sleepy face emoji. I didn’t know what else to say when his message had been an obvious dismissal, and though his tone was meant to be uplifting, it had sent me into an anxious fit that had me tossing and turning all night. Why did he want me to wait to hear more? Why had he waited until I’d nudged him to reach out at all? Why did he feel like it was necessary to say that everything was good? Was there a reason I would have thought otherwise?
They were stupid anxieties based on nothing, but I couldn’t help the niggling feeling that there was some reason he wasn’t saying more.
I’d finally fallen asleep around five in the morning. When I woke up a handful of hours later, I’d reached for my phone, determined to ask for some reassurance, but as soon as I’d checked the screen, I’d found another text from him.
Clear your afternoon. You and Tey. I’m sending a driver to pick you up at 2.
It occurred to me then that Scott wasn’t saying more because he was planning something good, not because he was avoiding telling me something bad. I’d started to have my doubts when the driver had taken us toward Kip’s Bay because what on earth was on the East Side? Now that I realized where he was sending us, I was more convinced he had a surprise up his sleeve.
“Your man is up to something,” Tey said, voicing my exact thoughts. I could hear the hopefulness behind her words, and part of me wanted to tell her to not get too excited. Just because Scott had sent us to a premier dysautonomia clinic, not just in Manhattan but in the whole country, it didn’t mean that he’d somehow gotten her an appointment. There could be a dozen other reasons why he wanted us to meet him there.
Not that I could think of any of them at the moment.
“I’m just glad I had the time off so I could do this with you.” Kendra called it time off after I’d put in so much extra work while she’d been gone, but I knew it was really about giving us both space, which was fine by me. It was understandable that she needed to sort through her feelings about my betrayal without me around. I had my own feelings of betrayal to deal with, feelings that I’d buried for a long time while she’d made sure to keep me on the sidelines. Though I’d been disloyal by going behind her back, I was more and more convinced it had not only been the right thing to do, but also the only thing I could do if I had any hope of one day breaking free of her hold and having my own meaningful career. An impromptu vacation gave me time to put those feelings in perspective.
Best part, it was paid time off.
“You fucking deserve it,” Teyana said, not for the first time, as the doors opened on our floor.
All thoughts of Kendra were abandoned as I scanned the area for Scott, not finding him anywhere.
“He’s probably waiting for us in the clinic.” Tey had forgotten her cane, but I had a feeling the reason she grabbed onto me was as much about her nervous anticipation as it was about her POTS. “Come on. Let’s go.”
There were only a few other offices on the ninth floor besides the clinic, so it only took us a minute to find the correct suite. I pushed open the heavy wood door and scanned the waiting room, seeing a couple with a teenage daughter, an elderly gentleman snoozing by himself, a camera crew filming a man in a lab coat speaking with a woman in a wheelchair (NYC, man—there was always something), and finally, standing in front of the reception desk with his eyes trained on me, Scott.
A smile broke across his face. “That’s her,” he said to the receptionist, then strode over to us.
With the way he looked at me as he approached, I thought he would pull me in his arms, but he stopped suddenly when he got to us and put his hands on his hips, a curious awkwardness settling between us.
“Hi.” His eyes flicked from mine to my lips, and I could feel him thinking the same thing I was. Do we kiss, do we…what?
Whatever we were supposed to do, I couldn’t stop grinning. “Hi.”
I was suddenly worried about how I looked. Was I having a good hair day? Did my lip gloss need refreshening? Why hadn’t I worn something more flattering?
The way Scott looked at me, though, I got the feeling my appearance was just fine. He looked at me like a man who’d seen me naked. Like a man who wanted to see me naked again. Like a man who wanted to look at me period.
Teyana, who’d been standing patiently to the side like a third wheel while Scott and I ogled each other, cleared her throat.
His gaze shifted toward her, and his posture changed, as though he’d just remembered she was there. “Teyana, thanks for coming out on such short notice. I’m sure you’re wondering what this is all about. How are you feeling, anyway?”
She started to nod, then shook her head. “That can wait. Let’s address this first.” She moved a finger rapidly in the air between me and Scott. “She likes you.”
“I...like her too,” he said, and my heart did a little flip.
“You’d better not hurt her.”
“I have no intention of doing any such thing.”
“Uh-uh. Not good enough.” She stood to her full height, and though that was still several inches shorter than Scott, she gave the effect of looking down on him. “You’ve got to actively not hurt her. You get me?”
I wanted to die.
Scott hesitated, and who wouldn’t? Whatever he had planned for today, he certainly hadn’t expected a full-on interrogation.
Of course, after all the shit I’d had to go through with him and Kendra, a few moments of unease wouldn’t kill the man.
After a brief pause, he pinned his eyes on me and raised his hand as if taking an oath. “I solemnly swear to do everything in my power to actively not hurt Terese Turani, so help me God.”
Tey considered. “Okay. I’ll buy it. But I’m watching you.” She relaxed her posture. “Now, let’s talk about me. I’m feeling tired after being trekked across the city but better than I did a couple of days ago. I’m guessing you didn’t bring me out here just to let me know this clinic exists.”
He chuckled. “No. I would never attempt to educate you on any aspect of your condition. I am, however, a man with certain connections, and full disclosure—this is as much about working to actively not hurt Tess as it is about you. I know she cares deeply about you and wants you to have every advantage you can, so I’ve gotten you an appointment with Dr. Steenburgen.”
I gasped. Dr. Steenburgen was a world-renowned dysautonomia specialist. Even when dreaming of who Tey could maybe see one day, he wasn’t on the list. “I didn’t think he took new patients anymore.”
“He doesn’t,” Scott confirmed. “He’s too busy heading up the Tisch Dysautonomia Research Department to add to his current patient load, but he’s agreed to make an exception.” He looked toward Tey. “If you’re interested.”
Tey and I exchanged a glance. I could sense her reining in her excitement. “There’s no way my insurance would cover this. The whole clinic is out-of-network.”
He swatted his hand in the air, as if her comment was an insignificant fly. “Cost is not your concern. Whatever you need for treatment will be covered as well.”
It was my turn to be cautious. “Um, I don’t know if I can let you pay for this, Scott. It’s impressive, and I appreciate the gesture...” But it was too much. Way too much.
Teyana crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. “Is this really where your morality line is going to get crossed?”
Considering I’d spent the weekend sleeping with an engaged man, she had a point, and I really didn’t want to be the one who snatched this opportunity away from her. But it wasn’t just the ethics of it all. It could take years to get a working treatment plan for a POTS patient. What happened if we broke up? When we broke up, because odds were it would happen eventually. Where would Tey be then? Surely he wouldn’t continue to pay indefinitely.
Turned out my concerns were moot. “I’m not paying for this,” Scott said. “The DRF is.”
Well, that was more palatable.
Except, the DRF couldn’t afford…
“SIC is going to sponsor them?!” It was the only possibility. The foundation was struggling right now as it was. They needed the sponsorship to make a commitment this grand.
Scott nodded. “Yep. And we’re writing into the contract a stipend that is specifically to be used for Tey’s treatment.” He shifted to her. “Again, if you’re interested.”
“Of course, I’m fucking interested.”
I hadn’t seen a grin that wide on Teyana’s face since before she’d been diagnosed. Hell, I hadn’t seen her smile that wide ever. I was grinning right along with her.
“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.”
So then they’d put up a fight. The confirmation made me tense up, which was silly. Like he’d said, he was a grown man. They could be unhappy all they wanted. It didn’t mean that Scott had to listen to them. And from what he’d just said, he wasn’t going to. I hoped it hadn’t been an ugly fight.
Maybe it had been and that was why he didn’t want to talk about it. Still, I wished he would trust me though to tell me. Wished he would let me all the way in.
There is time , I reminded myself. This was still new between us. Instead, I focused on the most important outstanding detail. “Are they going to talk to Kendra?”
“Yes, but…” He stopped so he could turn to me. “They want to wait until the DRF thing is all wrapped up. So that she can’t fuck it up.”
The thought hadn’t occurred to me that she might. I considered it for a few seconds. “She wouldn’t. I know Kendra, and she might be self-absorbed, but she’s not malicious.”
“It never hurts to be cautious.” Once again he was towing me down the hall, as if he had a specific destination in mind. “In the meantime, you have time off? I was planning to steal you for a weekend getaway, but now I’m thinking we’ll make it a long weekend.”
It seemed like a swift change of subject, one that should have made me cautious, but Scott knew the way to distract a woman, and it worked. Worry about Kendra and his parents dissolved into giddiness. “Is that your way of asking me if I want to go away with you for a long weekend?”
“I thought you liked it better when you weren’t asked.”
I did find a bit of being bossed about a real turn-on. The fact that Scott knew what kinds of things I wanted to be bossed on was a real plus. “Okay. I’m game. So where are we going?”
He pulled me around a corner and then stopped abruptly in front of a closed door. “Uh-uh. Not ruining the surprise. We’ll leave tomorrow. Pack warm. Bikinis if you have them. I’d be fine if that’s all you wore. The skimpier, the better.”
“I’ll see what I can come up with.” Now that I couldn’t raid my wardrobe from Kendra, I’d have to be creative. Luckily Teyana had some swimsuits I could borrow. I glanced at the sign on the door we’d stopped in front of. “And why are we at a walk-in lab?”
Looking around first to make sure we were alone, he backed me up until I was against the wall adjacent to the door. With one hand braced above me, he leaned his head so his mouth was close to my ear. “Because there is no way I’m spending four days and nights with you and not fucking you bare.”
A delicious shiver ran through me, and I had to press my thighs together and swallow hard. “So...STD tests.”
“Yep. You said you’re on birth control, right?”
“Yep.” Why was this so oddly romantic? There’d been men who’d wanted to fuck without a condom before. None had ever been willing to prove they were free of infection first, though. None had even bothered to try to assure me they were clean, which was why I’d been a faithful condom user despite being on birth control.
The gesture alone was enough to make me want to climb him like a tree and let him fuck me bare right then and there. “You know, you could just tell me you’re clean, and I’d believe you.”
He leaned back so he could look me in the face. “That’s very dumb of you, Tess, and you are not a dumb woman.”
I’d never been so moved by a put-down. “It is dumb of me, but it’s the truth. I trust you.” Something flickered in his expression. Something I couldn’t quite read. “Unless... Are you worried your test results will come back positive?”
“Not in the least.”
“You’re so sure.”
“One hundred percent. I haven’t been raw with a woman in years.”
And again I was swooning. Because this made me special, didn’t it? I was sure he hadn’t lacked for sex before me. He’d hinted at it enough. Of all those women, I was the one he wanted to be that intimate with. Me.
But then I realized if he wasn’t worried about the health risk that I faced by sex sans condom, then he was worried about his. “So it’s me you’re concerned about. What I might give you.”
He gave me an oh, please look. “We’re both getting tested, Tessa, because it’s what responsible adults do. And because I very much like the idea of responsible adulting with you.”
“I like that idea too,” I said, the words coming out quiet since my throat was suddenly tight. I liked it a lot. I liked him a lot. Liked the way it felt like we were making a commitment to each other by this simple act. Liked the way it felt like it was about something bigger than sex, like it was about something more real and special and intimate.
And if there was a hint of trepidation underneath those feelings, I told myself it was me. I told myself it was because it was so new. Scott had gone above and beyond proving himself. With Tey. With this test. With altering the course of his future plans. Ever since he came clean about his engagement, he’d been nothing but transparent.
So why, then, did it feel like there was still something he was hiding?