“Oh, of course they would use the fifteen-year-old to dig up dirt,” Taylor said. She looked up from her phone and explained, “My entire family knows that Freddie can ask me for anything and I’ll never deny her, so my sister has recruited my brother Darwin’s daughter to get the details. They’re so transparent.”
Taylor sent Freddie a quick text, letting her know that she’d explain later, then set the phone facedown on the coffee table. “I should have been better prepared. I knew I couldn’t keep this thing between me and Jamar from my family for long.”
“Were youtryingto keep it from them?” London asked.
“Not really. I just . . . I don’t know . . . thought if I didn’t mention it, they possibly wouldn’t find out? I know, I know,” she admitted before either could say anything. “I should know better after that whole viral video thing with Craig.” Taylor hunched her shoulders. “I’m not good when it comes to lying to my family, okay? Especially when it comes to my mom and dad. Back when I was a teenager, I used to tell them beforehand that I was going to sneak out of the house, because I knew they would find out anyway.”
Samiah and London burst out laughing.
“It’s true,” Taylor said. “Most of the time they stopped me, but after a while they just told me to be careful and lock my window when I snuck back in.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure Dad would be so understanding about me willfully deceiving the public. He’s like . . . frighteningly honest. Like, if McDonald’s puts an extra McNugget in his six-piece, he’ll drive back and give them fifty cents to cover the cost.”
“Damn, that’s hard-core.” London chuckled as she tore off a piece of the spongy flatbread and used it to soak up some curry. “Do you think Jamar would have a problem with you telling your family the truth?” she asked before popping the food in her mouth.
“It wouldn’t be fair of me to even ask,” Taylor said. “I’m the reason we have to go through with this whole fake dating nonsense in the first place. The fewer people who know this thing between us isn’t real, the better.”
Maybe she should remind herself of that every once in a while. Maybe then she wouldn’t allow him to feel her up in the rain while kissing the ever living fuck out of her.
Taylor seesawed between being completely vexed with her raging horniness and being upset that she’d put an end to their kiss. She should have followed his lead—no, screw that!Sheshould have been the one leadinghim. She should have dragged him to the car and finally satisfied her curiosity about how those powerful thighs of his felt against her hands. And against other parts of her.
Kissing him had been a monumental lapse in judgment, but if she was going to feelthisguilty, she should have at least gotten an orgasm or five for her trouble. Instead, she’d stayed awake nearly all night stressing about what would happen when she walked into his home gym this morning.
In the end, nothing had happened.
After a brief awkwardness Taylor had plowed ahead with their workout, deciding it was best to ignore what happened up on Mount Bonnell. Jamar’s barely concealed frustration signaled that he wasn’t fully on board with her plan to forget it, but he kept his objections to himself.
Taylor picked up her phone again and put it on silent. Then she placed it facedown so that she wouldn’t be tempted to answer any further texts from her niece. “I’ll figure out what to do about my folks,” she said. “I’ve taken enough of our time tonight. What’s going on with you two? Is Daniel still out of town?” she asked Samiah.
“He was home for one day before flying off again. Thankfully he’ll be in Virginia only a few days, and when he gets back, he’ll work out of the San Antonio office for the next six months. At least that’s what we’re hoping.” She picked at the himbasha, the Ethiopian sweet flatbread they’d ordered for dessert. “It’s true what they say—absence really does make the sexsomuch better. I may send Daniel away every now and then just so we can have return-home sex.”
“I can’t stand you right now,” London said.
Samiah laughed, but Taylor wasn’t so certain London was joking.
“What’s the deal with the hospital?” Samiah asked her.
“Yeah,” Taylor said. “You never finished telling us about the drama happening there. Why are you ready to strangle everyone in the administration office?”
London rolled her eyes. “Wait.” She reached for the pinot noir. She refilled her wineglass, then took a healthy sip before continuing. “I need fortification before talking about it.”
“Damn, is it that bad?”
“It’s that bad.” She nodded. “The hospital is being sold.”
Taylor was openly dumbfounded. “I . . . I didn’t know someone could buy a hospital. Is it like buying a house?”
“Believe it or not, there isn’t much difference. And the problem with privately owned hospitals is that all too often the priority shifts to shareholder profits instead of patient care.”
“That’s gross,” Samiah said. She brought her own glass to her lips. “Don’t get me wrong, capitalism is my jam. It’s the reason I’m able to afford this condo. But no one should profit off sick people. Especially sick children.”
“Yeah, that’s some comic book villain–level shit right there,” Taylor said.
“I’m willing to fight for my patients,” London said. “Literally. I will bitch-slap the first slick-tongued, suit-wearing asshole who comes into my operating room and tries to spew bullshit about cost-cutting measures.” She took another gulp of wine before gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows. When she spoke again, her voice was tight with anger. “Hedge fund managers and shareholders don’t have to look a parent in the eyes and tell them that their eight-year-old’s brain tumor is inoperable. Until one of them has to go throughthatparticular hell, they can’t tell me a damn thing.”
London’s distress was palpable, unlike anything Taylor had ever witnessed from her. It was a stark reminder of the burden her friend shouldered. Sure, Taylor had her own troubles—shehadbeen days away from possibly having to sleep in her car at one point—but it was nothing compared to the pressures London had to contend with. Sick kids trumped everything.
“If anyone can win this fight, it’s you.” Samiah leaned over and clinked London’s wineglass with her own. “Give them hell, my friend. Based on everything you’ve told us, they deserve it.”
“Yeah, lady. Give ’em hell.”
