(The Next Day)
Amy strode across the parking lot of the shopping center, her hands shoved into her dark denim flared jeans. The bright afternoon sunlight glared down on her as she headed towards her car. She sighed woefully, wishing that she had money to spend. She had seen so many things she wished she could own, but without a current job, the only thing she could do was look. She was lucky she even had a car. It had been a graduation gift from her mom when she graduated high school. That was the only sentimental thing she could thank the woman for, along with paying the insurance for the last six months. The time would come when she would have to pay for the insurance herself, but as the days went by and the more she argued with her mother, she was dreading it.
Fishing her keys out of her pink lightweight jacket, she unlocked the door on her vehicle and slipped behind the wheel. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a folded up piece of paper. She fixed her eyes on the numbers scrawled on it, chewing on her bottom lip apprehensively. Taking in a deep calming breath, she pulled out her celluar and slowly dialed the number. Her heart pounded in her chest much in the same way it had when she first called the man. It rang once. Twice. A third time. She was ready to hang up when an answering machine picked up.
"Hi, you've reached Christian Troy. I'm not in right now, but if you leave your name, number, and a brief message, I'll get back to you as soon as possible. If it's that important, you can reach me at the offices of McNamara/Troy. The number is, eight-five-four, two-four-two-four. You know what to do."
She ended the call before the beep could sound, her brows furrowing in thought. McNamara? Why did that name sound familiar to her? Her jaw dropped as a memory clicked in her mind. Of course! Matt! Matt McNamara. She met him yesterday. Could it be possible that his father was working with her father? There was only one way to find out. Dialing the familiar number of her best friend, she put the celluar back up to her ear. She turned the key into the ignition and started her car as she waited patiently for her friend to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Court! It's me." She looked over her shoulder as she backed out of the parking space and drove out of the lot. "Before you say anything, I need to know one thing."
"Oh-kay. What's that?"
"What do you know about Matt's father?"
"What do you mean? I haven't even met the guy."
"He's never mentioned him to you? Like what the guy does or anything?"
"No. Why?"
"Because I just got up the courage to call that Christian guy again, and apparently, he works at some office with someone with the last name 'McNamara.' Could this be a coincidence or do you think his father is in someway related to...my father?" She bit down on her bottom lip, considering the possibilities.
"Oh my God. I don't know. That's really strange, but it's possible. He could be. Damn, if only he would have invited me over to his house, I wouldn't have had to bring him back to mine last night. I'm just glad my dad wasn't home or he would have killed me."
Her brows furrowed in bewilderment, blinking back her astoundment. "Oh God. Court, please don't tell me you slept with ALREADY. You guys barely started dating! You couldn't have. Please tell me you didn't!"
"So what if I did? What's so wrong with that? We've been going out a week. Ok?"
"A week! You've been going out for a WEEK and you SLEPT WITH HIM LAST NIGHT! Oh God."
"I'm sorry. It just sorta happened. We started making out and things got pretty heated. I couldn't help myself, but if it's any consolation...it wasn't as good as I thought it would be."
Amy cringed as she stopped at a red light. A scoff escaped her. "I can't believe you. Are you really going to end any chance that you and Matt have because he was lousy in bed? You're not a virgin, but you can't just ruin it like that."
"Hey, hey, hey! I didn't say I was ending anything. Matt is a sweetheart. I mean, come on, I'm not that much of a bitch to do that to him. Besides, he makes me smile. If this doesn't end up working out, we could always be friends. So he's not the best in bed. He's only seventeen. Luckily, he's got me around to teach him a thing or two. If you ask me though, there has to be other guys around this city who know how to please a girl."
"Ok, I don't want to hear anymore about it. I have a dillema of my own. What am I going to do about this whole 'McNamara/Troy' thing? Should I try and find out where it is? I mean, if I found out the address, I could go and...oh God! What if he's there? What if this man that's suppose to be my dad is there?" The car behind her honked its horn. She turned her head back to the stop light to see that it had already changed, feeling like a total idiot for not paying attention. Putting her foot to the gas pedal, she drove on.
"Maybe it's time. Maybe you should meet him. You said you called him last night, right?"
"Yeah, but I didn't have the courage to actually say but like seven words to him. I panicked. Can you imagine what would happen if I went over there now? I'm not prepared. I could be catching him at a bad time. He's probably working. Whatever it is he does, I'm sure I'll just be in the way. In more ways than one." She sighed woefully, not wanting to actually admit to herself that she wanted so badly to see him.
"Ok, but if you don't do it now, what makes you think you'll have the courage to do it later? It's going to keep driving you crazy until you confront it. And really, how much longer can you deal with living there with your bitch of a mother and her loser ass boyfriend? If I were in your position, I'd want to get this over with once and for all. Come on, what's the worst that could happen? So he turns out to be a major asshole and turns you away. You would never have to go back and see him again. Hey, you know what you could do?"
She chewed on the inside of her cheek anxiously. "What?"
"Show up, but say you're there to see that McNamara guy. If he's in anyway related to Matt, at least you could say that you're a friend of his. Then you won't have to feel so uncomfortable. And, if by chance this Christian Troy shows himself while you're there...you could at least get an image in your head of what he looks like. You don't actually have to talk to him. Why not do that?"
Amy nodded her head, even though her friend could not see it. "Ok. That sounds like an idea." She exhaled sharply, her heart beginning to pound in her chest. "I'm going to have to come up with an excuse as to why I'm there to see this McNamara guy. Shit. How did I ever get myself into this?"
"Look, just tell him that you're a friend of his and he talks so much about him that you wanted to meet him for yourself. Just a friendly meet-and-greet, no harm done. Do you have your birth certificate with you?"
"Of course I do. I'm not going to leave it at home. If my mom finds it, I can tell she's going to have a nervous breakdown and then probably kick me out of the house or something." She swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes shifting back and forth between streets and wondering where in the world she was going. They'd only been living in Miami a month and she still couldn't drive around this city without getting lost...frequently. Sighing in frustration, she decided to pull into the parking lot of a Denny's restaurant until she knew where she was going.
"So, what are you going to do?"
She pulled into a vacant parking space just outside the main entrance, put the car in park, and turned off the engine. Exhaling deeply, she propped her elbow up on her door and leaned her cheek on her hand. "I don't know. I guess I'm going to do it. It's better than sitting at home all day and wasting my time on the computer talking to all those internet dickheads."
"Good point. Well, whatever happens, you have to call me and give me a heads up when you get back."
"You know I will."
"Good luck girl, and just remember, if this guy doesn't want to see you or have anything to do with you, you didn't do a damn thing wrong. He's a prick. You don't need to deal with him if he's like that. Just walk out. I'm just saying...if you decide to talk to him."
A pang shot through her heart at the thought. "Thanks Court. I'll keep that in mind."
"All right. Love you girl."
"You too. Bye." Amy ended the call, took a deep calming breath, grabbed her purse and exited the vehicle. She figured that this business of her father's should be listed in the phone book. It was worth a shot. Stepping up onto the curb, she strode towards the pay phone sitting outside the entrance. The cool afternoon breeze blew a few strands of hair across her face as she reached down and grabbed the phone book. She brushed away the loose strands of hair before opening the thick binder. Flipping the pages rapidly, she stopped on the letter "M" and proceeded to locate the business given to her from Christian's answering machine. Her index finger moved along the column of "Mc" names until her eyes locked on the listing for "McNamara/Troy."
Unzipping her purse, she took out a pad of paper and a pen, and took down the address and phone number with a slightly shaky hand. Exuding a deep sigh, she returned the items to her purse and returned the phone book to where it was. She was ready to get back in her car, but decided she'd try her hand at asking someone who worked in the restaurant. Perhaps they'd know where the place was and make things a little clearer for her.
She stepped inside the crowded and noisy restaurant and up to the front counter. "Excuse me, do you know where I could find the McNamara/Troy business building? Is it close by any chance?"
The lanky and big breasted middle-aged woman behind the counter turned her head in the direction of her voice. Her piercing green eyes fixated on her inqusitively. Her long brown hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. A sheepish smile crept across her thin cherry lips, "McNamara/Troy? Oh yeah. Everyone knows where that place is. The two men that own the business are only the best plastic surgeons in the city."
Her jaw hung open. So her father was a plastic surgeon. Well, she didn't see that coming. The thought excited her that she could have been born into a wealthy family had she been raised by the man. She'd always dreamed of living a life of luxury. Whether it was from her own musical talent or through her parents. She just hoped that this man wouldn't be so self-centered as most rich people were. It took her a moment to find her voice. "Um...is it nearby?"
"Yeah, its not too far from here. Maybe about ten minutes." The woman started to give her directions, but she knew that she would not remember them unless they were written down. She reached into her purse and pulled out the pad of paper and a pen, and asked the woman if she could write them down for her. The woman was nice enough to do it, and after thanking her, she walked out.
Stepping off the curb, she unlocked the driver's side door and slipped back behind the wheel. She chewed on her bottom lip, staring down at the piece of paper in her hand. "Ugh, I hate having to read directions," she muttered to herself. Placing the piece of paper down above the stick shift, she turned the key into the ignition and started the car. She exhaled sharply, "God, what am I getting myself into?"
Turning to look over her shoulder, she backed out of the parking space and drove out of the diminutive lot. She followed the directions as carefully as she could, praying she would know exactly where she was going. Her eyes shifted from right to left as she turned right on north east 38th street, "how are you suppose to know which is west and which is east?" She grumbled.
She jumped on the freeway and got off on the right exit, at least she hoped it was. In only a matter of minutes, she was turning left on South Miami Ave., and a majestic building came into view. A sign sat outside of the building reading: "McNAMARA/TROY." Swallowing the lump in her throat, she pulled into the parking structure beside the building and searched for a parking as close to the building as she could get. There were many vacant spaces so she took the empty space near a black Porsche. Shutting of the engine, she took her purse and set it on her lap, looking over at the building. Her heart pounded anxiously. She unzipped her purse and dropped her keys inside. Her fingers closed around the birth certficate tucked between her make-up and her wallet.
"Ok, I can do this. I'm just there to see this McNamara guy. Not him. That's all." She took in a deep calming breath to ease her heart rate before stealing a quick glance in the mirror. Fishing out her brush from her purse, she began brushing through her soft locks in an attempt to make herself look presentable. She took a few more deep breaths before she got up the courage to exit the vehicle. When she planted her feet on solid ground, she found herself wavering on her heels. A sudden feeling of light headedness passed over her. It had to be an effect from all the oxygen rushing to her brain. Shrugging it off, she squared her shoulders and said a silent prayer in her head before heading up to the building.
Her stomach was in knots. She was already dreading that she would become sick. There was no telling what would happen the minute she saw the man. Even though she was set on making an excuse to see the other doctor, she still could not resist the urge to ask for him. She had to come up with a game plan before she stepped inside that office. Her hand closed on the handle of the black door, but she couldn't bring herself to open it.
Oh, just get a hold of yourself and go in! Exhaling sharply, she pulled the door open and stepped inside. Taking a moment to survey her surroundings, she saw the same "McNAMARA/TROY" sign on the wall behind the front desk. A few people, both male and female, were strolling back and forth down the narrow corridor that seperated the offices, all of them clad in medical-type garments. Her heart raced, consideration that any of those men could be her father. She shuffled towards the front desk where a short and trim young woman stood. She couldn't have been more than twenty five years old with straight, shoulder length blonde hair, wide blue eyes, and full lips. The woman looked up from her desk expectantly, "can I help you?"
"Um..." She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to formulate a sentence. "I'm here to see doctor..." Her voice trailed off when a familiar deep voice caught her ears. Her breath caught in her throat as she slowly turned her head in the direction of the voice. A tall, ruggedly handsome man with brown, almost jet black hair, and piercing green eyes stood at the end of the hall. He was bickering rather animatedly with a curly brown haired and full figured woman in royal blue hospital scrubs.
The curly haired woman advanced on the man. "Frankly, the next patient that waltzes into your office might as well be wearing a sign on their back with the words: SEX not SURGERY. Tell me Christian, just how many patients do you have to sleep with until one of them hits you with a lawsuit?"
Her eyes widened in astonishment. It was him. It was her real birth father, Christian Troy. She had to admit, she never thought he would be as handsome as he appeared to be. She scolded herself immediately when feelings of attraction rose up inside her. No! What the hell was she thinking? This man was her father! She couldn't have feelings for her father. That was not only gross, but it was illegal. Even so, she still couldn't shake the attraction she felt. Another thought occured to her. If she didn't think of herself as beautiful, she certainly didn't inherit his good looks. She had no idea what her mother looked like, but it was possible that she could pass for a younger version of the woman.
The woman called to her from behind the desk, but she was not paying any attention. She couldn't take her eyes off of the scene unfolding before her. What on earth was this woman was talking about? The horror of her father sleeping with his own patients was not a pretty picture. Either the woman was exaggerating or...it was really the truth.
Christian shifted his weight from one foot to the other, all the while remaining steadfast. "Just how many women do you have to sleep with before one of them realizes you're just a bitter lipstick lesbian?"
"Keep talking, Christian. You'll find another one of your precious cars vandalized."
He chuckled in amusement, brushing his royal blue lab coat aside to place his hands on his hips. "You don't have the balls to do something like that."
Amy's eyes grew wider at the new information she was obtaining about him and his fellow co-workers.
"Just keep pushing me. Your patients aren't the only ones who can file a complaint, and if need be, I'll go all the way to the AMA." The woman brushed past Christian and disappeared into a back room.
Christian watched her walk away, an irritable sigh escaping his lips. He turned back around to head into his office when he locked eyes with Amy. His brows furrowed when he saw the astonished and alarmed look on her face. A smug smile crossed his face as his eyes trailed over her figure, from head to toe. His smile grew into a full fledged grin. In the next second, he disappeared into his office and shut the door behind him.
"Excuse me? Hello? Can I actually HELP you?"
Amy brows furrowed inquisitively, wondering if her father had actually been checking her out. That was wrong on so many levels now that she thought about it. She turned her head to see the peevish young woman still standing behind the desk, waiting for her to say something or walk out. "Um..." She swallowed the lump in her throat, still anxious about this whole thing. Now that she had seen the man, she could simply walk out of there...that is, if she really wanted to. However, she knew that there was no turning back now. After all, the man had already seen her. "I'm here to see doctor...Dr. Troy."
"Do you have an appointment?"
She chewed on the inside of her cheek. What was she suppose to say? She couldn't lie and tell them she did. That would only lead to her getting thrown out without a moments notice. "Well, no, but it's really important that I see him. I'm...it's urgent."
The young woman picked up a pad of paper and a pen. "Well, if it's that urgent, you can leave a message for him. Would you like to do that?"
Her brows furrowed in thought, "but he's here! I just saw him! It'll only take a minute. I just need to tell him something."
Setting the clipboard down, the girl crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, we get people in here all time who actually have appointments. We've had our share of problems in the past. People who have barged in here without appointments, without consultation, and have endangered not only our physicians, but the patients as well. May I ask what this is about?"
Amy felt a mixture of fury and emotion. She wanted to bitch this girl out, but at the same time, she wanted to cry. Matching the receptionist's posture, she crossed her arms firmly over her chest. "I'm not going to be a problem! I just need to see him. Please!"
"Audrey..."
Her breath caught in her throat at the voice. She turned her head to see Christian sauntering over. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest when he stepped up beside her and flashed her a warm smile.
He turned to the woman behind the desk, "there's no need to be suspicious of this young woman. I hardly doubt she's going to be a problem." His eyes roamed from Audrey to Amy, giving her a second once over for good measure. He smiled smugly at her before turning back to the young woman behind the desk. "I'll handle her myself."
Amy flinched at his words, suddenly becoming more uncomfortable by the minute. Her heart pounded in her chest the moment the sleeve of his lab coat brushed against her arm. This was going to be harder to break the news to him than she thought. If he was sizing her up now, how was he going to react when she told him he was her daughter? This didn't look promising.
Audrey shook her head, averting her eyes to the work before her. "Whatever you say, Dr. Troy."
Christian turned towards Amy, wrapped an arm around her waist, and lead her in the direction of his office. "Right this way, sweetheart." She swallowed the lump in her throat, allowing him to do so.
He held the door open for her to step into the spacious room. Her stomach knotted up as she entered, wondering what she was in for. Taking a moment, she asessed her surroundings. From the looks of his office, he certainly had fine taste. For a man with such a high paying salary, he sure squandered it on material things. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the door shut behind her. Hastily, she turned around to see him shuffling towards his desk. Or...what could be considered a desk. She waited until he was seated before inching towards him cautiously.
"So, what can I do for you, Miss..." He arched his brows expectantly.
A shaky hand rose up to brush a few loose strands of hair out of her face. "Gellar. A-Amy Gellar."
He smiled delightfully at her. "Ms. Gellar," he started, setting a clipboard down before him. The board held an evaluation sheet on it. He took a red marker from the breast pocket of his lab coat and looked up at her, "are you here for a consultation or..." His eyes fixated on her figure as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "something else? Either way, I think you will be very satisfied with the outcome."
She blinked back her surprise. Was he actually referring to what she thought he was? She slowly shook her head. "Um...no. N-neither. I'm here because..." Her eyes averted to her feet, swallowing another lump in her throat. She chewed on her lip apprehensively.
He dipped his chin to study her face more closely. "Because...what? I can't help you sweetheart unless you tell me exactly what the problem is." He gestured to one of the chairs sitting before the desk. "Please, have a seat."
She was hesitant but did as he insisted and shuffled towards the chairs. She dropped down onto one of them and set her purse on the other. Her heart thundered in her chest, but she refused to look up at him. "I'm here because...I need to tell you something. There's something...you should know."
He sat back in his chair with a smirk. "Really. And what might that be?"
"I'm..." She pursed her lips, holding her emotions at bay. Shfiting uncomfortably in her seat, she gradually lifted her eyes to his. "I'm your..." Tell him! Just tell him! You'll feel better once you do! She took in a breath before the words left her mouth. "I'm your daughter."