Amy watched Christian leave the room. She smiled to herself, her heart warming at his paternal gesture. Maybe things were going to be okay. If this man couldn't be her father, she'd settle for a dominant big brother in her life. She had always wanted one after all. The snide remark about his chair had caught her off guard, leaving her to believe that he'd gone back to his usual smug self, but his paternal gesture put her assumptions to rest, and provided her with the reassurance she needed. Her stomach knotted up as she continued to eat her fruit salad. Tonight was definitely going to be an interesting night. She just prayed that her mother wouldn't second guess her about where she was going.

Setting the plastic container down on her lap for a moment, she unzipped her purse stationed beside her, and took out a paperback novel by author, Dean Koontz. She figured she might as well find some way to entertain herself for the time being. At least she was smart enough to have brought the book with her. Once she opened up the book to the place where she'd wedged her bookmark, she shoved another piece of watermelon in her mouth, and focused her attention on the pages before her. She was so immersed in her book that she didn't even hear the door open.

"Christian?"

Amy looked up from her book to see a petite, trim and stunning blonde step into the room. Her large blue eyes scanned her surroundings with an intent eye. Her first reaction to this woman's appearance was, to put it simply: A Marilyn Monroe wannabe. Her short wavy blonde tresses were styled in the same coif as the memorable starlet. From her tiny waist down to her toned and tanned legs, she looked as though she could have any man she wanted. Probably within a snap of her perfectly manicured fingers. This woman was like a typical college bimbo. Amy could sense it. She was probably the type of person who prided herself on her body. From her skimpy clothes, she sure seemed to flaunt her chest clevage in whatever way possible. Her ample and rounded breasts peeked out from the white, low-cut, halter top she wore, and her silk white mini-skirt was shorter than most. The fact that this woman was looking for her father, didn't surprise her in the least bit. Was she another one of his one night stands? She shuddered to think.

The woman's eyes locked on her form, her angular brows furrowing inquisitively. "I'm sorry. I'm looking for Christian. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

Amy rolled her eyes, closed the novel and placed it beside her, wedging it between the arm of the chair and her leg. She looked over at the woman with a weary sigh. "It seems like everyone is looking for him. He told me he had a consultation right now."

"Oh." She nodded her head, looking down at the floor. Slowly, she lifted her eyes back up and fixed her gaze on Amy. That same questioning look was still plastered on her face. She tilted her head to one side. "Who are you?"

Oh no, was she going to assume the worst about her as Liz had? Was she going to assume that she was sleeping with her own father? She cringed, her stomach turning at the thought. She exhaled sharply. "I'm Amy. Look, before you say anything, the answer is no. I'm not sleeping with him. Trust me, he's all yours if you want him. I never slept with him and I never will. Who are you?"

The inquisitiveness vanished from her face as she sauntered towards Amy. "I'm Kimber. And if you're not one of Christian's many one night stands, who are you? A patient? I'll be honest, honey, you look a little too young to be getting plastic surgery."

Oh gimmie a break! She was nineteen years old and a sophomore in college. There were plenty of girls like her vying for cosmetic surgery. Their bodies were already in the midst of womanhood. They were developing rapidly, but most young women her age weren't blessed with a perfect set of breasts. Nor did all of them inherit model-like facial features. Sure, Amy wasn't satisfied with her body completely, but she wasn't about to make that known. Especially to a woman like Kimber. She would kill to have a body like hers. She gave the woman another roll of her eyes. "No, I'm not actually, and I'm sure there are girls younger than me who get plastic surgery...just so you know."

Kimber seemed a bit surprised by her spiteful tone. "I guess there are. If you're not a patient then who exactly are you? You don't have to lie to me, sweetie. If you and Christian are involved, just say it. Don't make me play guessing games."

Here we go again. Amy exhaled sharply. "I'm not lying to you, ok? I am not involved with Christian and I never will be!" She leaned forward in her chair, setting the plastic container down on the round table beside her. Looking back at Kimber, she noticed the determination on the woman's face. It was clear she didn't believe her. Who was she anyway? Her father's girlfriend? Did he even have one long term relationship? She brought one of her hands up to her temples, a migraine already taking form. "All right, I'm involved with Christian, but not in the way that you think."

Kimber narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. She nodded her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmm, and just what way would that be?"

She groaned. What was she going to get herself into? "It's complicated to say the least. You wouldn't believe me anyway. You'd probably be just like everyone else."

For a moment, all Kimber did was stare at her. A moment later, she sauntered over to the wing chair across from her and dropped her shapely figure into it, crossing her legs as she did so. She cocked her head to one side, her gaze remaining fixed on Amy. "Try me."

Amy sighed deeply, brushing a few loose strands of hair out of her face. Her father was going to get pissed at her. She knew it. However, there was no other way around this. She pivoted in her chair to where she was facing the woman. "All right...I'm his daughter."

Kimber's brows furrowed. A horrible silence passed between them. The same nerve-wracking silence that accumulated between two gunslingers in the old west. Kimber stared at Amy. Amy stared at Kimber. Both females sat there across from each other without a word. It was as if they were both having a staring contest, waiting intently for the other to blink. Amy wondered if this woman was trying to psych her out. The longer it went on, the more anxious she became.

Amy jumped the moment Kimber finally shifted in her seat. A weary sigh escaped the woman as she leaned towards her, resting her forearm on top of her knee, "mm-hmm, and just how much did he pay you to say that?"

What a bitch, Amy thought. This time it was her eyes that narrowed as she glared at Kimber. "He didn't pay me shit! It's true. I'm his daughter. You can even ask him yourself. No, wait." She recalled something she hadn't realized beforehand. Reaching over onto the round table, she grabbed her purse and unzipped it. She came out with her birth certificate and thrust it towards Kimber. "I have the proof. Read it and weep."

Kimber's gaze landed on the piece of paper, plucking it from her hand and looking it over intently. Amy sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an apology. She doubted it would come, especially from her, but she wasn't giving up hope. A moment later, Kimber lifted her eyes back up to Amy. She pursed her lips. Amy could have sworn she saw a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Maybe it was just her. The woman handed the piece of paper back to her and sat back in her seat. "I guess you are his daughter. It comes as a surprise to me. He never mentioned he had another baby."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. Her pessimistic nature getting the best of her. She was still oblivious to her father's past. He had told her moments ago that it was a complicated story, but he didn't have another child...anymore. There were still a million questions that she needed the answers to. She'd find out everything by tonight, but why should she have to wait? She could find out everything right now if she really wanted to.

"He never mentioned that to me either," she told her, not being able to hide the scowl that crossed her face.

"He's never told you?" Kimber's eyes narrowed in thought. Amy shook her head, chewing on her bottom lip anxiously. A soft sigh escaped Kimber, shifting in her seat. "Well honey, if you really want to know the truth. Your father--"

"Wait!" Amy held a hand up to silence the woman. "I don't want to know, as much of a surprise as that may be to you. Besides, he's going to tell me about all of this anyway. I'd rather just wait." Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. As much as she wanted to hear the woman out, her conscience wasn't in it. She could leave out parts or even lie about some things.

"I would think you'd want to know all this now. If he's kept this from you your whole life, why waste another minute knowing the truth?"

She sighed deeply. "I haven't known him my whole entire life. I was...I was adopted. I just found him a couple days ago. Of course I still have a lot to learn about him, and he has a lot to tell me, but he's my dad." He's my dad. The words sounded awkward the moment they left her mouth. Probably because this was the first time she had said them. At least outloud.

"There's a lot to learn about him, honey. Some of it isn't exactly worth hearing. I never saw him as a father, to tell you the truth. I don't think anyone did, but who knows? He seems to be full of surprises these days."

Amy uncrossed her arms and placed them on those of the chair. Her gaze dropped to the left arm of the chair, picking at an imaginary piece of lint. "If you're referring to the whole thing about him being a playboy, I already picked up on that. I also picked up on how arrogant he can be." Slowly, her eyes lifted to meet Kimber's, lowering her voice with her next words. "It's hard to believe, now that I've seen another side to him, but my first impression of him was that he was a total--"

"Asshole?"

A soft chuckle escaped her. It was a bit of a surprise that Kimber thought the same of him, but from what she'd heard, who wouldn't think of him as an asshole? That's exactly what he seemed like. At least up until the results of the paternity test. She nodded her head. "Yeah."

"It's not hard to believe at all. We all know how much of a prick he can be on occasion. Sorry sweetheart." Kimber's eyes dropped to her lap. "Despite his arrogant and cold-hearted nature, he can be awfully charming when he wants to be. There are so many sides to Christian. Softer sides, that I'm sure he rarely shows to anyone. Girls like you and I tend to get burned, but lucky for you," she lifted her eyes back up to Amy, "you're his daughter. There might be hope for you yet."

She didn't know why but her heart constricted in her chest. Perhaps it was mere heartache. Heartache for the father she had high hopes he could be. If this woman knew him better than she did--which she could see she did--maybe Amy could transform Christian Troy into a new person. A person everyone would be thankful to know. She gave her a gentle nod, forcing a small smile. "I hope so. I'm starting to see a different side to him anyway."

Kimber gave her a small smile. It seemed like she was trying mercifully to actually be friendly to her, which was mostly a relief to Amy. "He hasn't mentioned me to you yet, has he?"

Her brows furrowed, shaking her head. "No. Um, are you and him...? You know? Are you his girlfriend?"

Kimber brought one of her hands up to her head, tossing around her blonde locks with a weary sigh. "Use to be. We had a thing...for a while, but it never really worked out. It's actually kind of a long story."

She nodded her head. "Oh. So you guys aren't together right now?"

Kimber shook her head. "No. Not yet anyway."

A baffled expression appeared on Amy's face. Was this woman trying to get with her father...again? She couldn't imagine this Marilyn-Monroe-wannabe becoming her new mother. What kind of name was Kimber anyway? Was it short for Kimberly? Having Malibu Barbie dating her father was the last thing she wanted, but then, who was she to choose which bimbos he dated? She just hoped she wasn't vying to become Christian's new wife. Speaking of mothers, she wondered why Christian hadn't spoken of her birth mother, Danielle. Was he hiding something from her? Had he even bothered to talk to her since she had told him she was his daughter? It would make sense that he might not have had the time, but surely he'd want to know how this all happened. She made mental note to find out as soon as she could.

Kimber stole a glance at the clock on the wall. Her eyes traveled towards the closed door of Christian's office. "I guess he'll be awhile. I should probably go. It'll be at least an hour until he's finished."

Amy nodded with a woeful sigh. "Yeah, I guess he's pretty busy, for being one of the best plastic surgeon's in South Beach. At least from what I heard. I never thought my birth father would be a doctor."

Kimber smiled at her words, glancing down at her breasts. "He does pretty good work. If you can believe it, he was the one who gave me a boob job." She brought her finger up to her nose, "and a nose job."

She wasn't surprised that those weren't Kimber's real boobs, but she didn't stop to consider that her father had done them. He probably had. In more ways than one. Slowly, she nodded her head. "Oh," was all she could say. Even when she wanted to shell out a snide remark. Suddenly, she realized how much she and Christian shared the same personality traits. She could already see him coming out with a snide remark right about now.

"If you ever consider getting anything done, you could probably get it for free, considering you're his daughter."

She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "I don't think that's ever going to happen. I'm not exactly so fond of hospitals or anything inside them."

Kimber sent her a somewhat sympathetic smile. "To be honest, I don't think you'd need any work done anyway." Her eyes trailed over Amy's form, "you probably have boys lining up to date you as it is. Maybe even a boyfriend of your own." She smirked, "I'm right, aren't I?"

Was she paying her a compliment? Did her ears decieve her? Either way, it only succeeded in causing a scowl to cross her face. She shook her head. "No, I don't have a boyfriend, nor have I ever had one. The boys that I went to high school with weren't exactly lining up to date me, and neither are the ones at my college. Thanks for the compliment though."

Kimber pursed her lips, pushing up to her feet. "That's too bad. They don't know what their missing." She cocked her head to one side, studying Amy's facial features. "Have you ever considered going blonde?"

She blinked at those words. Was she kidding? Her? Blonde? She had considered it once in high school, but realized that she was happy with her auburn colored locks. "Uh...maybe once. A long time ago. Why?"

Kimber shook her head. "No reason. I'm going to get going. It was nice meeting you." She forced a small smile before sauntering towards the door. Opening the door, she called over her shoulder to Amy before walking out. "Oh, and good luck with Christian."

A smile played at the corners of Amy's mouth at her last words. Maybe Kimber wasn't such a conceited bimbo like she thought she was. Maybe she actually had a heart. Still, it didn't stop her from wondering what had happened between her and Christian. Could it be that she was trying to gain her father's affections again? If it were true, she didn't know if she'd be so comfortable with it. With a weary sigh, she reached over onto the table and picked up her fruit salad. She ate about half of the container, leaving nothing but the cantalope and pears. Placing the lid back on the container, she set it back on the table.

Sitting back in the chair, she exhaled sharply, wondering what on earth she could do while she waited for Christian. She glanced at her watch. It hadn't even been an hour yet. What was she going to do with the rest of the time she was in here? Christian had advised her--in as paternal a tone as he could have mustered--not to wander off. Her leg bobbed up and down restlessly. She hated not having anything to do, and she didn't feel like sitting there and reading anymore. She wasn't going to go home, but she couldn't stay in there any longer. Placing her paperback novel back into her purse, she zipped it up and slung it over her shoulder. She pushed herself up to her feet, her eyes scanning over the chair she had been sitting in, making sure there were no stains. The last thing she wanted was for Christian to have it out for her.

A sigh of relief escaped her when she realized there weren't any. Pivoting on her heels, she squared her shoulders and strode towards the door. Stepping out into the hallway, her eyes shifted in both directions. There was no sign of her father. Just a couple nurses in blue scrubs going about their business. She strolled towards the front of the building, her eyes scanning the doors for Sean McNamara's office. The door was closed when she came to it. She bit down on her her bottom lip, contemplating whether or not she should go inside. As much as she didn't want to be a snoop, she found herself placing her ear on the door. Christian and Sean's voices sounded from inside the room, along with a female voice she did not recognize.

She was hesitant to interrupt the consultation she knew was going on, but she didn't want to leave without her father knowing about it. She might break his heart. Taking in a deep calming breath of bravery, she lifted her hand up to softly rap on the door.

"Yes?" Sean's voice sounded.

Turning the knob, she slowly opened the door and peeked her head inside. Both Sean and Christian were sitting behind his desk, their hands folded before them. That same woman she had seen sitting out in the waiting area earlier, sat in one of the chairs before the desk. The two men turned their heads the moment the door opened. Meeting eyes with Christian, she saw his brows furrow inquisitively. She swallowed the lump in her throat before she spoke, "um, sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to my--to Christian." She cringed, almost having said the words, "my dad."

A weary sigh escaped Christian, turning his head to exchange a look with Sean.

"Go on. I can finish up Ms. Mara's consultation," Sean assured him with a nod.

Christian looked from Sean to Amy, and finally to the woman before them, sending her a tight smile. "Excuse me." Pushing up to his feet, he cleared his throat and shuffled towards the door. He shut the door behind him as he stepped out into the hallway with Amy. "What's the problem? Are you bored to tears already, sweetheart?"

She sighed deeply, her shoulders rising and falling in a shrug. "Sort of. I'm sorry that I interrupted your meeting, but I didn't want to leave without you knowing about it."

His brows arched in surprise. "You want to leave?"

She shrugged once again. "Well, there's nothing I can do here. I don't know how long you're going to be. Don't think that I don't appreciate you letting me come here. I'd rather be here than at home right now. I mean, I could go to the mall, but I don't have any money. You gotta have a job to have money. My mom never gives me any, and I don't have an allowance. It's no fun just to look around." Christian stared at her blankly. It was almost as if he were contemplating something to say. She continued as he brushed aside his lab coat and reached into his pocket. "I guess I could go to the library or something, but if I wanted to read, I could just..." Her voice trailed off, noticing Christian had opened up his wallet. Her eyes widened as she watched him slip out a few bills and thrust them her way. Looking closer, she noticed they were fifty dollar bills.

"Don't spend it all in one place," he smiled smugly.

Her brows furrowed in bafflement, looking from the bills in his hand to his face. "Are you serious? You want to give me money?"

"What does it look like? You're my daughter, and until you get a job of your own, I don't have any problem slipping you a few dollars every now and then. It's what a father does after all, isn't it?"

She exchanged a smile with him before taking the money. Her smile grew and her eyes widened, noticing the amount of money he had given her. They were fifty dollar bills, four of them. He was giving her two hundred dollars! A chuckle escaped her. "A few dollars? Yeah right. A few dollars is like five dollars. Not two hundred."

Christian stole a glance around the area for a moment. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close to his chest and kissing the top of her head. "I make thousands of dollars everyday, sweetheart. I'm doing you a favor. Besides, you can buy yourself something nice to wear to dinner tonight."

She giggled and nodded her head. "Yeah, I could. Well thank you so much. Seriously, you don't know how happy this makes me."

He gave her a loving squeeze, bringing her closer to him. "The pleasure is all mine. I can pick you up at your place tonight or we could meet at mine. We could even meet at the restaurant. Which do you prefer?" He looked down at her, his brows arching expectantly.

His gesture warmed her heart more so than before. Mainly because they were out in the open, not in the privacy of his office. There was no way she was going to have him pick her up. If her mother found out about him now, she wouldn't understand. In fact, she might even forbid her to see him again. However, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to pick him up. Shouldn't the man always pick up the lady? "Well, I'm not sure what restaurant we could go to, but if you could pick me up...I don't know." She looked down at her feet before stepping out of his embrace. She scowled at the baffled look on his face.

Lowering her tone of voice, she continued, sensing he'd want her to. "The thing is, I haven't told my mom about you yet or...any of this. I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to. I'd say we could meet at your place, but I wouldn't feel right picking you up. I don't know if you could maybe park like a couple houses down from my house. That way my mom wouldn't see you." She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Nevermind, I couldn't ask you to do that."

Christian stepped closer to her, setting his hands on her shoulders. He kept his tone of voice at the same level as hers. "Sweetheart, I don't have a problem changing my course of action. Not for you. If it helps to make the situation better, I'll do whatever I can. I'm not surprised that you haven't told your foster mother. In fact, if you never wanted to tell her, I wouldn't care. Whatever you're comfortable with. If you want me to park a couple houses down, I'll do it. If you want me to park two blocks away, I'll do that too. Whatever you want to do, it's up to you."

She smiled softly, wanting so badly to hug him right now in the middle of the hall, but not so sure how he'd react. Not caring what he or anyone else thought, she wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him in a loving embrace. Christian's arms willingly enclosed her petite frame, resting his chin on top of her head. "I'll probably never tell her, but if you could...park a couple houses down from mine, I'll let you pick me up."

"Will do. How does seven o' clock sound?"

Her brows furrowed in thought. "How bout seven thirty or eight?"

"Eight it is. Have you decided on the restaurant yet?"

She released him and took a step back, looking up at him. Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "I'm not sure. As hard as it is to believe, I still don't know my way around Florida. I mean, sure, I know a few places around my block, but I'm kind of in the mood for seafood. I'm a huge seafood fan. Do you happen to know if they have a Red Lobster around here by any chance?"

Christian snickered. "If you want seafood sweetheart, Red Lobster isn't the place. We're in South Beach, Florida. There are hundreds of seafood restaurants here. In fact, I know the perfect place where we can go. It's on Alton Road near the marina, and I can guarantee you, the food will be ten times better than a cheap, under cooked meal at Red Lobster."

Her brows arched in surprise. She didn't doubt that he knew where all the hot places were in South Beach. The four star restaurants and hotels, the hippest night clubs, and definitely the best beaches. Cocking her head to one side, she studied the smug look on his face. "Do they have crab legs and lobster?"

He smiled smugly. "All-you-can-eat. The lobster is so big, you'll need a bulldozer to roll you home."

A grin spread across her face, nodding her head. "Okay. We'll go there then."

"Great. I'll make the reservation for eight, and I'll be at your house by seven thirty. How's that sound?"

"It sounds good, but remember..."

He shook his head. "You don't need to keep reminding me, sweetheart. I know where I'm suppose to be." She laughed lightly and nodded her head. Leaning in, he placed a paternal kiss to her forehead. "Now go buy yourself something nice for tonight."

She smirked, loving him more as her father by each passing minute. "I will. See ya later." Turning on her heels, she started off towards the front of the building. Stealing a glance over her shoulder, she realized that he was still standing there, watching her walk off.

This was the way it should have been. Christian should have been her father. It mistified her how much he had changed the moment he realized the truth. He had transformed from a spiteful and flippant person, to an affectionate and attentive father. In just a matter of hours. She suddenly wondered why she had even been adopted at all. Why couldn't he have taken her under his wing a long time ago? Had that happened, she had a feeling her life would be a lot better than it was now. Regardless, the only thing that mattered now was that he was here. She found him. And she would not let him go.