“I don’t.”
“You pretend there’s nothing going on between us. You act like we’re just friends.” He used air quotes on the last word. “But I know you want me.”
She laughed. “I love your sense of humor.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
All laughter vanished, and she nodded. “You’re right. I’ve been fighting my attraction to you since the day we met. I swore I’d stick to my rules when you walked into my practice. I also knew right away that I was going to break every single one of them.”
“You’re treading in dangerous territory.” Hope glared at Amber, complete with balled fists on her hips and a disapproving scowl. “What happened to your oath?”
“It’s my oath. I wrote it. I can break it.” Amber knew her best friend took the oath seriously. That’s why she tasked Hope with making sure she always adhered to it. Before today, she never really knew if Hope would come through, because Hope never needed to exercise her power before.
“You’ve worked so hard to keep your reputation spotless. Why are you jeopardizing it for a fling?” Hope questioned.
Because it’s not just a fling.“I’ve successfully kept my personal life separate from my professional one. That’s what I plan to do with Robert.”
“Why? What’s so special about him that you’re willing to break a rule you’ve stuck to for 12 years? A rule you made me promise to make you keep.”
There were so many things that made Robert special. She couldn’t even begin to list them all. “We just click. I think this could turn into something. When was the last time you heard me say that?”
Hope paused to contemplate her answer, then shook her head. “College? Maybe.”
“See? It’s different with Robert. I really feel something for him.” A smile brightened her face as glimpses of some of their time together flashed in her head. “He’s persistent. In a good way.” A cluster of happy bubbles tickled her belly. “I think he’s crazy about me. And I feel the same way.”
“Why wouldn’t you be crazy about him? He’s the all-American athlete.”
“It’s more than just a physical attraction. He gets me. Both sides of me. I’ve never had a guy relate to both my conservative, professional side and my relaxed side. It was always one or the other. Doctors and white-collar workers I’ve dated were always put off by the real me. They thought I was immature because I like to have fun and kid around. And the fun-loving, crazy guys I’ve dated couldn’t relate to my career-oriented side. I could never bring them to a professional event.” She grunted a laugh. “Can you imagine if I brought Freddy or Mark to a medical conference or cocktail reception? Or Wayne to a bar to see a band or to a party?”
“And you’re telling me that Robert wouldn’t find one of those conferences a snoozefest?”
“Ifind some of those conferences a snoozefest. But I could definitely bring him without worrying he’d embarrass me. He’d fit in.”
Hope’s eyes brightened, and her scowl finally turned into a smile. “He sounds like a catch. I’m happy for you. You’re radiating. Glowing.”
“He’s perfect. He’s charming, funny, sexy, and smart. He has manners. Not just like saying please and thank you. He has old school manners. Like opening doors and walking on the outside when we’re walking down the block. Who knew that was even a thing?”
“Not me,” Hope answered.
“Me either. And he’s close with his family. His parents support him. And he has no daddy issues.”
The smile fell off Hope’s face, and a worried frown took its place. “But you do.”
A familiar ball of nerves filled Amber with lingering insecurity. She couldn’t believe, that at her age, her father still made her feel inadequate. Everyone else in her life built her up, yet her father still made her doubt her achievements. She couldn’t let go of the never-ending need to live up to his expectations. “I don’t care what he thinks.”
“Since when?”
“I don’t know. If things get serious with me and Robert, then I’ll tell him. And I don’t care if he doesn’t approve.”
“So, in the meantime, you’re just going to sneak around? At you’re age? Isn’t that a little ridiculous?”
“It’s a lot ridiculous. But I don’t know what else to do. I’m so tired of arguing with him.” Again, the need to appease her father made Amber feel like a child. And she hated it. She used to resent him because of the pressure he put on her, but therapy made her realize that she gave him the power to control her choices. A lot of good that revelation did. Maybe she needed to see her shrink again. Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose. She wasn’t going down that road again and re-hash the dysfunctional dynamic of her family.
Robert surprised Amber outside her building again the day after he returned from New Hampshire, this time in the middle of the day.
“Can I take a beautiful lady to lunch?” He extended his elbow like a gentleman from a past era.
She took it without hesitation, and they began walking down the street. “I thought we had plans on Thursday. It’s only Tuesday.”
