Chapter 36.

The restaurant was small, tastefully decorated. I hoped the food lived up to the ambiance. Jess and I were seated after ten minutes, and given ice water, bread and menus. The list of offerings wasn't long, but everything sounded good.

"I think I'll have the grilled shrimp," Jess said, looking over the top of her menu at me. "With a Caesar salad and baked potato."

"Just make sure you leave room for dessert," I told her, since I'd looked at those first, and each one sounded fantastic.

"I always have room for dessert," she said, laughter in her voice.

Our waiter took our drink orders and returned soon with Jess' white wine and my bourbon. We told him what we wanted to eat. I'd opted for a T-bone steak. And then I wasn't sure what to say to Jess.

"Nice place," she said, looking around the room and fidgeting with her napkin. "Is this your first time here?"

"It's a new restaurant," I replied, taking a piece of bread and buttering it. I didn't add that there hadn't been anyone I'd wanted to bring here.

The waiter brought our salads, and we began to eat, delaying the need for any further discussion, but after a while Jess said, "Nina called before. I think my father told her to convince me to come back to Dorsey."

"What did she say?"

"That she needed me as much as he did. I told her to find herself a new accountant."

"You're that determined not to go back? You were a big fish in that little pond. Here, you're just another pretty face with some skills."

She smiled at that. "I've realized that I felt stuck there. Maybe even stifled."

"But you had your family and friends."

"They were really Nina's friends, and I was getting bored with them. They always talked about the same things, none of them of any consequence. Here, maybe I can find some meaning for my life."

The echo of my own thoughts lately made me realize that's what we're all after, to know we made a difference during our time here on earth.

"What made you decide to become a doctor?" she asked.

I hadn't told the story in a while, but she seemed to be a willing listener. So I related the experience in Japan that inspired me. It was true, more or less, although I'd embellished it over the years.

"You traveled a lot as a kid, didn't you?" she asked when I'd finished.

"Yes."

I was afraid she'd want to know about my parents and my life with them, but instead she asked, "What was your favorite place?"

I'd never thought about it before, and I just picked one rather than thinking now. "Egypt." It was true I'd had some good times there, and my father had been too busy to cause me much grief.

"Tell me about it," she urged just as our entrees arrived.

So while we ate I told her one amusing story after another. At least, she seemed to find them amusing. She laughed and her eyes sparkled, making me wonder what I'd ever seen in her sister.

By the time we got to dessert, crème brulee for her and Black Forest cake for me, we were both in a very good mood. I tried not to think that I hadn't had such a good time in ages, but it was true. I was sorry to have the evening come to an end, but eventually I had to pay the bill and take Jess back to the motel.

"I'll see you in the morning," she promised.

I hesitated briefly, but then took the plunge and kissed her lightly on the lips. Just that touch was electrifying. I backed off quickly and, without another word, made a beeline for my car. What the hell was I getting myself into this time?

–

By the time I reached my apartment, I'd caught my breath. I should never have asked her to work with my team, and I definitely shouldn't have taken her to dinner. Before I even took off my jacket, I filled a glass with more bourbon and collapsed on my couch, shaking my head to clear it so I could think straight.

I hadn't allowed anyone to get so close to me in a long time and, knowing what would happen, how it was bound to turn out, I should never have done so this time. I fell asleep on the couch, still in my clothes and jacket, trying to decide what I should do about it.

When I woke in the morning, there was a foul taste in my mouth, not that that was so unusual, but it bothered me this time. I finally removed the jacket and headed for the bathroom, rinsing my mouth out before I even brushed my teeth.

I peed and finally went to the bedroom to strip off my clothes and crawl under the blanket and sheet.

The next thing I knew, my phone was ringing. I tried to ignore it as usual, but I knew it must be pretty late, even later than I usually got into the hospital. I opened one eye and looked at the clock. Ten thirty. That couldn't be right, could it? I groaned but got up and returned to the bathroom, took a shower in the hopes it would revive me, and, after dressing, followed it up with about a gallon of coffee.

When I reached my office, it was empty and so was the conference room. I knew I couldn't pretend to have been at my desk all along. Someone must have looked for me. So I headed for Chris' room, not sure what I'd find.

Ellie was the only one there with the baby. I slid the door open and entered. "Where's your sister?" I asked.

"She left," Ellie replied. "She got a call about an audition for something or other and rushed back to New York."

I nodded once. "And everyone else?"

"Chase said he had to do some other kind of test on Petey. I thought you'd turned him over to that ear doctor."

"We think he's pre-diabetic and need to confirm that. It might affect how he's treated for his hyperacuity."

She nodded but I was sure she neither understood why nor cared.

"And the rest of my team?"

"Hadley and Foreman are working on something with Jess. Do you know what that's about?"

"We think we know what the genetic factor is that predisposes some people to the hearing problem that Christopher and Petey have, but we have to confirm that by testing other people with the same problem."

"But Jess isn't a doctor."

"We need someone to organize the study, keep records, that sort of things. It's something I think she's good at." I didn't really want to talk about Jess any more, so I went over to check on the baby. He was wide awake and smiling. When I stuck my tongue out at him, he seemed to smile and he reached out a pudgy hand to me. No whimpering, no wavering eye contact, we were making progress with the kid.

I heard the door slide open behind me and Jess' voice say, "You finally made it in."

I took a deep breath and turned to face her. I couldn't trust myself to answer. She was wearing an ordinary pair of slacks and a simple blouse, yet she looked fresh and pretty. I stared at those lips that I'd kissed the night before and had all I could do to stay right where I was. This was going to be a very long day.