8. Skylar
Skylar
D r. Arrogant: I’m not even going to try and figure out what you mean by that. Good night, Skylar.
Why could I hear his voice in my head when I read each line. Furthermore, why could I envision how his lips moved as he said Skylar? Why the fuck did that do things to my insides?
I wanted to have the last word and respond to his text message, but I could tell that his words were meant to end the exchange, and something in me wanted to let him have this round.
So far, he hadn’t been able to outsmart me.
So, I’d let him have this one. Not because I could read the authority through texts, but because I was in a conceding mood.
Whatever you need to tell yourself, my inner voice told me.
“Ugh!”
I tossed my phone onto my nightstand, trying to ignore the way my heart raced after that exchange with Aries. I had absolutely no business texting him outside of work hours, but I told myself it was just establishing a line of communication. Professional. Practical. Nothing more.
Except there was nothing professional about the way I'd been thinking about him.
Aries had been on my mind nonstop since I was assigned to his case.
Then, there was the dream from last night.
Good God! I wanted desperately to know how it ended.
I was begging my subconscious to pick up where we left off—yes we—as if Aries was really here with me.
It would not be fair for my dreams to leave us—again, yes us—hanging in that manner.
Unfortunately, I had several other cases that needed my attention, so instead of rushing sleep, I pulled out my files, opened my laptop, and worked the night away in my home office.
When I finally came up for air, I realized I hadn’t eaten dinner, and my stomach was punching me in the spine for not eating since earlier in the day.
This caused a new dilemma to rear. I desperately wanted sleep in hopes of my dreams picking up where they left off or fueling my body. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, effectively taking my mind off either decision.
I smiled at my buzzing phone and quickly swiped to answer. “Hi, Daddy. What are you doing up so late?”
“You know I work out better late at night. I hate going to the gym with all them young folk. They get on my nerves with their tight clothes, barely there clothes, and poor machine consideration habits. Tell me why the hell people think it is okay to sweat all over a machine and not wipe it down when they’re done? ”
I laughed at my dad; he was a trip. And he always talked about young people as if he was old or something. He was only fifty-eight years old but always liked to play like he was ancient.
"Daddy, you're not that old. You're barely pushing sixty," I reminded him.
"I know, baby girl, but these twenty-something-year-olds will make you feel ancient. Just wait until you hit my age."
"I've got a long way to go before then," I said, stretching my tired muscles. “However, I can attest that most people in their twenties are in fact annoying,” I added.
"So, what's keeping you up so late?" he asked.
I hesitated. I didn't usually lie to my dad. He was genuinely my best friend, apart from McKenzie—and I can’t forget Coffee Bean, but I drew the line at talking about anything related to sex with my dad.
I damn sure was not about to tell him I had an erotic dream about a doctor I was representing, and that I wanted to go back to sleep so it could pick back up.
So, instead, I told a half truth. "Just work. A new case that's keeping me on my toes."
"Ah, another doctor who thinks they're God's gift to medicine?"
"Something like that," I admitted. Pops was spot on. Aries Yerba one-hundred percent believed he was not only God’s gift to medicine, but also to Earth. He was talented, smart, and looked good… and he knew it.
"You'll handle it. You always do. Just don't let them work you too hard. You need to take care of yourself too, Skylar."
I wanted to be worked hard, but not in the way he was talking about. I wanted to be worked over like in my dream. If I could have that, being worked to the end of my rope at work probably wouldn’t be so bad.
“Thank’s, daddy. I have it handled, but I think a vacation is going to be needed once my current caseload is resolved.”
"That sounds like a good plan, baby girl. Where are you thinking of going?"
"I don't know yet. Maybe somewhere tropical. Somewhere I can just lie on a beach and not think about medical malpractice suits or arrogant doctors."
"Arrogant doctors, huh?" I could hear the amusement in his voice. "This one must really be getting under your skin."
I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see me. "He's just... challenging."
"Challenging how? Professionally or personally?"
Leave it to my dad to call me out on my bullshit.
He must have caught right onto my half truths.
Shepherd Wise was a lot of things, but stupid wasn’t one of them.
He also knew me like he knew the back of his hand.
So, I wasn’t about to play dumb and pretend I didn’t know what he meant.
So, I told him the truth—at least as much as I think he wouldn’t gag over.
"Both, I guess. He's brilliant, but he thinks he knows everything. And he's..." I trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence. My dad didn’t need to hear all of this.
"He's what?” he asked.
Well, I guess he did want to hear it , I thought.
“He’s infuriating. He’s smart. He’s good at his job, and I believe he did everything right in this suit. He’s just…”
“A good man?” finished.
“Why would you jump to that conclusion?” That was an odd way to end my statement.
“Because you sound like you respect him. I know you, baby girl. You are not impressed by much, and I’m not saying you’re impressed, but you’re feeling something,” he paused. “Wait, Skylar Wise, do you have a crush?”
My cheeks heated.
"Daddy, I do not have a crush," I lied, my voice going up an octave higher than normal. "I'm a grown woman. I don't get crushes."
"Uh-huh," he said, and I could practically hear him smirking through the phone. "So, what do grown women call it when they can't stop thinking about a man?"
"Annoyance," I replied quickly. "Pure, unadulterated annoyance."
My father's deep chuckle filled my ear. "Baby girl, I've been around long enough to know the difference between annoyance and attraction. Your mama used to say she was annoyed by me too, right up until our wedding day."
"This is completely different, Daddy. This is work. Professional. I have to keep this man's career intact, and he's making it difficult by being..." I struggled to find the right words that fit.
“Himself?” my dad added for me.
“Ugh!” I let out and rolled my eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes because I’m right.”
“We’re on the phone. You don’t know if I rolled my eyes.”
“That ugh is always followed with an eye roll. Did you forget I raised you?”
“Whatever,” I mumbled like I was a kid.
“Skylar, it’s okay to allow yourself to feel. You can have a life outside of work and Coffee Bean.”
“Hey! I have you!” I replied indignantly.
“Don’t be a smart ass, little girl.”
I chuckled. He was right. I was being obnoxious on purpose.
“I hear you, daddy. This is just so new to me. At my big age of thirty-five, I’m used to having my books, you, McKenzie, and my baby Coffee Bean. Yeah, I have needs that get met, but I have never had the need to be interested in someone beyond one or two meet-ups.”
“First of all, TMI. Save that talk for McKenzie. I do not want to think about my daughter having hookups.”
“Sorry, daddy. I forgot who I was talking to for a minute. I’ve just been so out of sorts lately.”
“That’s because you’re feeling things you’ve never felt. And I want to tell you that you should follow your heart. It’s okay to give your brain a break and let your heart guide you.”
That was sound advice, but I still wasn’t sure what to do with it.
I wasn’t even sure exactly what I was feeling when it came to Aries.
In one breath he annoyed me off with his arrogance.
Then he pissed me off, and hurt me in the next breath by not remembering me.
Finally, his smoldering eyes, and bright white smile and chiseled jawline turned me the hell on.
Frankly Aries caused an emotional tsunami within me, and the currents were taking over, not allowing me to catch my damn breath.
"I love you, daddy. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I don't know what to do with all these feelings, but I needed to get this all out."
"I love you too, baby girl. Now get some rest. And Skylar?"
"Yes?"
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You deserve happiness, even if it comes in the form of an arrogant doctor. Sometimes the most important things in life come when we least expect them. Don't dismiss something potentially good just because the timing isn't perfect."
I sighed, knowing he was right but still feeling overwhelmed. "What if I mess this up? What if I let my feelings cloud my judgment and I can't do my job properly?"
"Skylar Wise, you are one of the most capable, intelligent women I know. You've never let anything stop you from excelling at whatever you put your mind to. Trust yourself."
“Thanks again, daddy. Now go rest your muscles. Don’t forget recovery at your age is important.” I hung up the phone laughing before he had the chance to curse me the hell out.
After hanging up with my dad, I felt better—still hungry, but better.
Maybe he was right… I was being too hard on myself and too rigid in my thinking.
But the idea of letting my guard down, especially with someone like Aries, terrified me.
What had me questioning things even more was the fact that I may indeed have a crush on Aries, but it could be one-sided, and I had my stomach in knots over nothing.
Nope! We’re getting off the fucking carousel.
I dropped that thought before it had a chance to take root and dragged myself to the kitchen to grab something quick to eat before bed. As I stood at the counter eating leftover Chinese takeout straight from the container, my phone buzzed again.
My heart did a little skip when I saw Aries's name on the display. Was this the sign I was looking for? I unlocked my screen and pulled up his message.
Dr. Arrogant: Before I confirm my O.R. schedule for tomorrow, can I assume because tomorrow is a Saturday that there will be no abrupt changes to my schedule? The legal offices are closed on weekends, right?
Asshole! Even though that was the thought going through my head, I couldn’t contain the smile on my face.
Me: Attorneys work all year round, day and night. Unlike surgeons, we can do our job anywhere. We’re not relegated to specific rooms to succeed.
Dr. Arrogant: So, you want me to start cutting people open on the side of the road? I can turn this shit into some Grey’s Anatomy shit if you want.
I let out a loud laugh.
Me: Please don’t. You’re keeping me busy enough. Please don’t rope me up in anymore of your surgical shenanigans.
Dr. Arrogant: Maybe not surgical things, but I wouldn’t mind roping you up into other things.
Oh, my! I thought. Well, his response was a possible answer to my earlier thought of him possibly not even being into me. But he was a smart ass at heart, so he could very well just be fucking with me,
Me: I don’t think ropes are my thing.
Dr. Arrogant: Have you tried it? If you haven’t don’t knock it until you try it.
Me : I’ll try anything at least once. As previously promised, I will try my best to not interrupt your surgical schedule. Good night.
I locked my phone and put it on do not disturb.
I wasn’t sure what would have come next from Aries, but I knew whatever it was, I wasn’t ready for.
I needed to get a good night sleep. I needed some rest to accept whatever the hell was swirling between Aries and I.
I had a feeling that it would be life-changing.