I take three shaky breaths and fan under my arms as I glance back at KC. “Why am I so sweaty? It's just Dr. Mayson. I see him every day at work. I spend countless hours standing across from him in the OR and working in his office. It’s not like I’ve never met the guy before.”
“You’ll be fine. You’re overthinking it, but a serious question,” KC says, her pause making me whip my gaze back to her with nervous anticipation. “Are you actually going to call him Dr. Mayson all night? Because well, wouldn’t that be weird? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call him by his first name.”
My eyes bug out of my head. “Holy shit. You’re right,” I breathe. “I can’t call him Dr. Mayson on our date, but I’d feel weird calling him by his first name. What am I supposed to do? I’ve always been taught to call a doctor by his title.”
“Well, you could always stick with Dr. Dick,” she says, snorting a laugh. “Though I’m sure when you’re riding him, screaming out his name will come as natural as waking up in the morning.”
I grab my cushion off my bed and launch it at my phone, knocking it over so all that KC sees is my ceiling fan going round and round in circles. “Very mature,” she grumbles.
“Look who’s talking.”
I roll my eyes and move in closer to the mirror, trying to decide if I should go all out and add a bit of lipstick or keep it all-natural. The rest of my makeup is on point, but lipstick has always thrown me. I’ve never really been one to wear it but tonight is a special occasion.
I umm and ahh over it for far too long, and before I know it, a knock sounds at my door. My eyes bug out as I seem to start sweating even more. “Oh, shit,” I panic, rushing over to my phone and scooping it up. “He’s here.”
“You’re going to be fine. Stop worrying and let it come naturally.”
“Easy for you to say. You married the first guy you met in high-school. You don’t even know what it’s like to date as an adult.”
“Shut up and answer your stupid door,” she tells me. “Love you.”
With that, my screen goes black and I take another shaky breath before grabbing my purse and realizing that there’s nothing else I can do to be any more ready for tonight. I’ve got this. KC is right; I should just let it come naturally.
I make my way over to the door, and the second my hand touches the handle, a strange calmness takes over me as a smile spreads across my face. I’ve never been so nervous in my life, but I’m also ridiculously excited to be spending time with him tonight. The three hours in the OR standing by his side today don’t exactly count. This is different—so much different.
The door pulls open between us, and the second I see him, everything twists inside of me.
My, oh my. Dr. Thorne Mayson in a suit. If I don’t die from nerves, it’ll be from embarrassment when I inevitably start drooling.
“Wow,” he breathes, taking me in as I do the same to him. “You look incredible.”
A shy smile creeps across my face as I feel my cheeks begin to flush. I don’t need to be shy in front of this man. He’s already seen me at my worst, so I don’t understand my reaction, but it’s just something about him that makes me feel like a little girl about to be swept away for the first time.
“You’re one to talk,” I tell him. “You need to warn a girl before you show up at her door in a suit.”
He winks and it sends me into overdrive. “I’ll remember that for next time.”
Oh, my.
The butterflies swarm inside my stomach, and as he holds his hand out to me, I instantly raise my own and place it gently in his. He pulls me in, wrapping his strong arm around my waist, and as my hands fall to his strong chest, he presses a kiss to my cheek. “Are you ready to go?”
“I’ve never been so ready.”
Dr. Mayson pulls back and offers me the most dazzling smile, and for a moment, I’m completely lost for words, and judging by the way his eyes sparkle with laughter, he damn well knows it. “Good,” he tells me, moving back into the hallway and giving me space to lock up my apartment.
I find my keys and lock and bolt the door before looking back at him. “Let’s go.”
He nods toward my door. “Is this place safe?” he questions, his brows furrowed as he glances at my neighbor’s door. “I’ve never really spent much time in this part of town. You don’t get any dickheads trying to follow you back from that bar across the street, do you?”
I roll my eyes and fall into his side as his hand drops to my lower back, instantly sending my world into blissful happiness. “Apart from Breaker, you’re the only dickhead who’s ever followed me back from the bar.”
“Good,” he murmurs, quickly glancing down at me. “I’d hate to find that you weren’t safe here.”
“I’m all good,” I tell him. “But if I wasn’t, I have about twelve locks on my door, and if all else fails, a baseball bat hiding behind it.”
He narrows his eyes. “Have you ever taken self-defense classes?”
“Seriously,” I laugh. “I’m fine. I’ve got it covered, but it’s not like there’s anything valuable in my apartment. No one is coming here looking for anything.”
“Trust me,” he says. “You’re in the apartment, and that makes it the most valuable apartment I’ve seen.”
My cheeks flush again and I have to force myself to look down at where I’m going. If I keep staring at those dreamy sky-blue eyes, I’m going to trip and no doubt break my nose on the pavement. Though, I guess I’ll be lucky to have an award-winning doctor at my disposal.
Thorne leads me out to the street and as the fresh air hits my face and the breeze rushes through my hair, I glance up and come to an immediate standstill. “What the hell is that?” I ask, scanning over the cherry red Ferrari that’s parked right outside my apartment building.
“What does it look like?” he laughs. “It’s a car. What were you expecting? I was hardly going to take you by public transport or wait for an Uber. You deserve the best.”
“Yeah, but a Ferrari? What’s wrong with the standard-issue Corolla?”
He glances at me as though he’s never been so offended in his life. “A Corolla?” he says bluntly, struggling and failing to keep the amused smirk off his handsome face. “Tell me, have you ever met another surgeon who’s getting around in a fucking Corolla?”
“I guess not, Your Excellence,” I say in a bullshit British accent. “Had I known that I was going to be dining with royalty, I would have broken out my diamonds.”
Thorne scoffs and leads me toward his car. “Really?” he laughs. “You have diamonds just sitting around, waiting for the off chance that you’ll be dining with royalty?”
I shrug my shoulders and allow him to open the car door for me. “Sure do,” I grin proudly. “At least, the lady who sold them to me for twenty dollars in Bali promised they were real.”