It did not escape Feyre's attention that the staff meeting was held in the reception area of the office and all of the psychiatrists were now seated on couches. The building was old and used to be divided into family apartments. Now, the clinic's office took up two of those apartments and the shared space between them. Each doctor had a room for their own, and the general living spaces had been made into the reception area and lobby. The set up was interesting but made things feel a little homier and comfortable.
She settled into an armchair, cupping her hands around her steaming tea mug. This meeting happened every week, and all of the psychiatrists presented their cases to the others to get feedback and input on things they might do to better help their patients. Tamlin conducted it all seamlessly, wielding his good looks and charm like a king presiding over his court. The staff obviously respected him, and more than one of the females eyed appreciatively when he talked.
Feyre sat back and watching the whole thing, listening to each of her colleagues and absorbing as much as she could. University prepared her for a lot - she was full of information and skills - but being in the midst of others who did this every day was the best kind of training she could ask for. She kept quiet for most of the meeting, talking only when it was her turn to share her cases. She was slightly embarrassed to admit how much she was struggling with some of her patients, but the others only nodded along as she spoke, looking as if they all knew patients like that and understood her frustration. They offered techniques to try and resources to check into, and she left the meeting feeling confident that she would be able to figure something out.
When it came time for her first appointment, Feyre was calm and ready. It was a much different feeling than her first few sessions. It felt good. It felt like she might actually be able to do well at this job and help others.
It also felt like she had been up all night long doing everything except sleeping. A few times she had to hide a smile when a particular memory invaded her thoughts at an inappropriate moment. It was probably wrong to be thinking about Rhys as her patients confessed their fears and struggles, but she couldn't seem to stop the thoughts from popping in her head.
Not for the first time she wondered what he was up to today and had to resist the urge to look toward her cell phone, which was kept in a drawer in her desk. She used all of her willpower and professionalism to keep focused on her job, giving her attention fully to her last patient so she could try and offer him some help and finish out the day.
~*~Later that Afternoon~*~
"Feyre, I hoped I would catch you before you left." Tamlin stood in the doorway of her office holding his coat and giving her an appraising look. "Are you heading out now?"
She closed the folder on her desk. "Yes, I just finished with my last set of notes. Is everything okay?"
He smiled and it softened his face. "Of course. I was actually wondering if you might like to get a drink with me. You did well for your first week with patients and I wanted to congratulate you."
Surprise shot through her. "Oh, well, that's kind of you." Her brain was spinning with questions. Could she turn down her boss? Would it be rude to run from the room like she wanted to? How do you decline politely without making it seem like a brush off?
He shifted on his feet just once, his whole posture changing when her answer hadn't come. "It's okay if you don't want to. I wanted to make the offer."
Feyre felt the need to explain. "I appreciate it very much. I'm just so tired. I didn't get much sleep last night and…" a blush tinted her cheeks and she trailed off before she could say something stupid.
His expression softened a little, "Worrying about today?"
To cover her relief, Feyre started to pack her things. "Yes, somewhat. I wasn't sure what to expect from our group meeting."
"You did just fine today." He held the door for her and they walked toward the front together. "I think you're going to be just what this office needs. You are a skilled professional, just give yourself some time to settle in."
Again, surprise and something else flitted through her. "Thank you. That's high praise."
When they reached they reached the front, Tamlin gently touched Feyre's arm and inclined his head in her direction. "Have a good night, Feyre. I hope you're able to get some sleep."
Of course, an image of Rhys between her legs and the memory of his tongue happened in her brain at that moment. To cover the sudden flush of her cheeks, she nodded back and waved a goodnight, hurrying out into the evening.
At home, there was a note stuck in the seam of her door when she reached her apartment. Her heart fluttered a little. Rhys's scrawl met her gaze.
There was an emergency at the office and I needed to go in. I'm not sure when I'll be back. You may want to get some rest, anyway, because the next time I see you I plan-
"Whatcha reading, Feyre?"
She jumped and let out a scream, clutching the note to her heart and turning to face her intruder. "Mother above, Cassian! You scared the shit out of me." When he laughed, she reached over and smacked his arm.
"Is that a love note from Rhys?" He tried to snatch the paper from her hands, but she crumpled it into her fist and backed away.
"It's none of your business, that's what it is." Of course her face radiated heat, which only made Cassian laugh louder.
"Why, Feyre, you're turning incredibly red for just a simple note."
She sent him a glare and flipped him off, turning to unlock her door. "If you ever want me to cook for you again, you'll stop right there." When she entered her apartment, Cassian followed, whistling when he took in the still decorated table.
"Damn," he said, scanning the room. "Rhys didn't hold anything back."
Another steamy image flitted through her brain. She hid her face in the fridge, grabbing a water.
"Did you need something, Cassian?"
He pretended to look wounded. "I can't stop by to check in on my friend?"
The look on her face was unamused. "What's the bet this time?"
"Bet? What kind of monster do you take me for?" He clutched a hand to his chest, leaning a hip against the counter. "I am just here to say hi to my neighbor and make sure she's doing okay."
Feyre waited, knowing that there was more.
"...and there were some very strange, loud noises coming from your apartment last night, I just wanted to-" he erupted in laughter as Feyre threw the bottle in her hands at him, drenching him with water.
"Out!" She yelled, pushing his hulking form back through the door and into the hallway. "Insufferable bastard," she seethed. "Go away. And tell Azriel that he's in the dog house, too. I know you're in on this bet!" She yelled the last part toward their apartment, giving Cassian a vulgar gesture and one last shove.
"Oh, Feyre," he chuckled, "welcome to the family."
Her answer was the slamming of her door.
Back inside her apartment, she finished reading the note Rhys left, still blushing profusely. He not only had a way with his hands and mouth, it seemed, he was also quite the writer. She tucked the note into her purse to keep.
With a sigh, she shuffled toward the bedroom to change into something more comfortable. Her week was done, since she had no patients on Fridays, and she was looking forward to some time for relaxing and regrouping from her first full week. Despite the hiccups with her first few patients, the end of the week had gone well. Feyre felt good about things, and it was a relief to get that first week under her belt.
And the incredible sex she'd had last night wasn't hurting things, either.
She grinned to herself, padding back into the kitchen to start cleaning up some of the mess from last night's dinner. On the table, though, was another note.
Don't even think about cleaning up. I will take care of everything when I get back from the office. There's a plate of leftovers in the fridge for you and eat as much cake as you want.
"Well, Cauldron boil me…" she mumbled, still smiling. She could absolutely get used to this.
Sure enough, there was a plate in the fridge ready and waiting. She popped into the microwave and took a fork to the cake while her meal heated. A few bites of chocolate wouldn't spoil her dinner, surely. Any anyway, Rhys had said to eat as much as she wanted.
She was about to take another fork-full when a knock sounded at the door. She smoothed her hair, thinking it must be Rhys getting back. Surprise sat on her face when she opened the door to find Cassian and Azriel standing in the hallway, looking quite pitiful.
Feyre crossed her arms.
"Feyre," Cassian started, trying his best to give her puppy-dog eyes. "Azriel and I are very sorry if we upset you."
Her gaze flitted between the two of them, sizing them up. "What do you want?"
The beeping of the microwave met their ears and Cassian looked over Feyre's shoulder. "Do you need any help with that food?" Feyre swore she saw him sniff the air.
Azriel decided to chime in, too. "We know that Rhys ordered from Rita's, and there's always so much.…" He trailed off. His puppy-dog look was a little more convincing than Cassian's.
Feyre looked them over again, her lips pressed into a thin line. "You tell me what the bet was, and I'll think about letting you in here."
Cassian sent Azriel a sidelong glance, hoping he would take the brunt of this question. "Bet?" The tone of his voice was innocent but the look on his face said otherwise. Feyre just stood there and waited, her eyes steely.
Azriel sighed. "I thought you would have figured it out by now, knowing Cassian." He gave Feyre a slightly apologetic look. "We were betting on how long it would take for you and Rhys to sleep together."
The microwave beeped again, reminding them that her food was ready. Feyre just leaned against the door, arms still crossed. "And?"
Another glance between the two men. Feyre had to hold back her grin at their nervousness. She liked making them sweat a little. Their betting was embarrassing, especially since it was about her sex life this time, but harmless. She just wanted to give back some of the grief they were constantly giving her.
Cassian cleared his throat. "Azriel won."
Her eyes narrowed at them both as she weighed her options. She had no idea when Rhys would be back, there was quite a bit of food in her fridge, and despite their being insufferable bastards…She opened the door wider and motioned for them to enter.
"No cake." She said sternly. "And the first time one of you buffoons makes some dirty comment about me or Rhys, I will kick your ass AND I will never cook for you again."
To their credit, they both offered her a small bow in acquiescence.
It was probably a good thing they had begged their way in, really. Her fridge was packed with the food from last night - chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken, Malai Kofta, naan bread, cabbage foogath and rice - a veritable Indian feast. As delicious as it all was, she knew she would never be able to finish it. Azriel and Cassian, however, had no such problems. Their plates were piled high, and the grins on their faces made them look like little boys. Hungry boys.
"So," Cassian said after inhaling half of his plate, "is it official now?"
Feyre chewed on some naan, contemplating how to answer. In the midst of all the sex last night, there hadn't really been time for discussion. She didn't think this was a casual thing for either of them, but she also wasn't really sure. Maybe it was just sex? Maybe there was something deeper?
Maybe it was all happening so fast and last night had been a mistake?
"Feyre," Azriel's dark, smooth voice broke through her racing thoughts. "Stop panicking." When her eyes met his, he smiled at her. "Rhys is crazy about you. I've never seen him like this before. Ever." His hazel eyes shifted to Cassian for a second, sending the man a dirty look, before settling back on her. "Don't let Cassian get in your head. He's just jealous and sexually frustrated."
She returned his smile, although it was obvious she was still lost in thought. Cassian nearly spit out his drink, coughing into his plate. He looked at Azriel and put a hand to his chest, wounded. "I would argue with you, but Feyre just fed me and I don't want to get my ass kicked."
"And I'm right."
Cassian flipped Azriel off and stuff another bite of food into his mouth.
Feyre kept replaying that question, though, suddenly uncertain and nervous. It was stupid, really, to worry about how Rhys was feeling. He had done so many things to show her that he cared about her. But still, it was difficult to drown out that worry. Even though Azriel assured her that Rhys was serious, Feyre still wanted him to get back so they could talk. She wasn't quite what she wanted from him, but she knew she at least wanted to know where they stood before anything else happened between them.
"Feyre," Azriel's voice, again, brought her attention back to the table. "We'll help you clean up this mess if you're done eating."
She mentally shook herself and let go of her worry for a moment. "Yes, I'm done. Help would be great."
As goofy and playful as they both could be, Feyre was really fond of the two men helping her. They were always looking out for her, and she was happy they had come into her life. She knew, no matter where she and Rhys stood, that she would treasure this friendship for as long as it lasted, and she hoped it was a long time.
"Thanks for feeding us. Again." Cassian wrapped Feyre in a big bear hug, lifting her feet off the ground as he squeezed. "You're our favorite neighbor."
This time, she let out a loud laugh. "I'm your only neighbor."
He set her down again, grinning madly. "Still. Favorite."
She was surprised when Azriel came over and gave her a hug, too, although he was much more gentle. "Thanks for the food. We'll be across the hall if you need anything."
They left a few moments later, sending the apartment into a sudden quiet. It has been a long week and she was ready to get some rest, but she really hoped that Rhys got home soon and decided to come over.
She sent him a text saying as much and poured herself a glass of wine as she waited for his response. She was overthinking things now, and maybe it would scare him off to have "the talk" so soon, but she needed to settle the anxiousness in her head.
She didn't have to wait long, though, because at the same time her phone buzzed in her hand there was a knock on the door. Rhys looked exhausted standing there, so she ushered him in and poured him his own glass of wine. "Rough night?"
He took a moment to kiss her cheek gently and then plopped himself down on the couch with a sigh. "The HVAC company that was supposed to help us finish the build at the university pulled out at the last minute, which set us back about a week. That means more money, and that means angry clients." He sent her a lazy, tired grin. "I had to sweet talk a few of the university board members tonight."
Feyre sat near him on the couch, tucking her feet underneath her. "Will you be able to keep the contract?"
"Yes, we will. It will cost us a little more on our end, but they wouldn't dare get rid of us at this stage in the construction. We're still the best there is." His violet eyes were bright as he looked at her over the edge of his glass. "How was your day?"
"Good, actually. We had a staff meeting this morning and it went really well. I'm feeling better out my patients, too, which is nice." She took a sip of wine. "I'm happy to have the next few days off, though."
Now his grin turned wicked. "Despite the damage control tonight, I'm still not back to work until Monday." His eyes licked up her legs and over her hips to her face. "That's plenty of time to get into trouble."
Heat rose in her, and she had to swallow another gulp of wine before she could meet his eyes. His intense gaze missed nothing, though, and he asked, "What's wrong?'
"Cassian and Azriel came over tonight, begging for food as usual." She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. "And Cassian asked if we'd made things official."
She watched him carefully, expecting anger or nervousness or some other emotion to cross his face. But his look was cooly blank as he asked, "Is that what you want?"
She couldn't quite meet his gaze. "Is that what you want?" It was probably wrong to put the question back on him, but she was too afraid of putting her foot in her mouth and getting completely embarrassed.
"I asked you first, Feyre darling." His voice was silky and low, causing another flush to creep up her cheeks. "What do you want?"
"I…" she hesitated, so afraid of what was happening at this moment. Rhys caught that hesitation and leaned forward to set his glass on the table. He set Feyre's aside too, and then grabbed her small hands in his, pushing into her space and locking eyes.
"Please don't tell me you regret last night already." When she shook her head a little, he let out the breath that he'd been holding. "Feyre, don't let those two get in your head. This is between you and me." He squeezed her hands, threading his fingers through hers. "What do you want this to be?"
"I don't know." She whispered, but she squeezed his hands back. "I...damnit, Rhys, I like you. I...you make me feel so alive. But…"
It took all of his self-control to wait for her to finish, and Rhys could feel his heart thundering in his chest.
"I don't want to move too fast, either. I don't want to scare you away or...or have you realize you don't feel the same or something." Her eyes were in her lap now, unable to meet Rhys's.
He huffed a laugh and she did look up him then. "You don't have to be worried about scaring me off, Feyre. I would hope that last night would be enough to show you just how I feel."
Although his hands were still in hers, it felt as if he'd just traced his fingers over the entire length of her and goosebumps peppered her skin. She didn't say anything else. She just closed the distance between them, using his hands to pull him closer, and she took his mouth in a kiss. It was a kiss meant to convey the things she couldn't quite find words for, and to see if he tasted as good as she remembered from last night.
He tasted even better.
After a slow exploration of mouths, Rhys pulled back, eyes smoldering. "Let's go to bed, Feyre."
"Bed bed, or bed?"
His chuckle sent a shiver down her spine. "I supposed we'll find out when we get there."
And before she could say anything else, he stood and lifted her up in his arms, carrying her down the hallway to her room.