“You said that last week when you came to visit me.” She picks up her pen and taps the desk.
“I just came from practice,” I tell her, even though the season is over, I practice year-round to make sure that I’m in tip-top shape. I do take two weeks off, sometimes more, but I always make sure to add a workout wherever I am. “I haven’t even eaten anything, so why don’t I go and visit with some of the kids and their families first.” I point over to the door. “Then I’ll take you for lunch.”
“Oh, that’s better than coffee.” She rocks on her elbows.
“Besides, I have to still convince you to come and work for my foundation.”
“You don’t even have a foundation,” she points out. “You have an idea to help people get on their feet after leaving abusive relationships.”
“Yes, and you have all the smarts to make it bigger than just my idea.” She rolls her eyes. “Kylie, no one knows what these people are going through more than you.”
“Stop bringing up my childhood trauma”—she holds up her hand—“and my high school trauma. You act like we didn’t both grow up in the same house, with the same stepfather.”
“May he be rotting in hell,” I add, smiling. “Actually, I think hell is a bit too good for the likes of him. What’s under hell?”
“I have no idea, but I’m sure he’s there.” She leans back. “Now, if you can get out of here so I can do my job.”
“Oh, by the way,” I say, getting up, “I have tickets for the fundraiser they are doing next month.”
“The bachelor auction?” she asks, her eyebrows push together and I nod.
“Dude, those tickets are a thousand dollars apiece,” she gasps. “They have invited only the richest of the rich.”
“Why do you act like you aren’t sitting on a multimillion-dollar inheritance that grew twice in the last five years since you got it?” I point at her. “I also just got talked into being one of the bachelors, so I get the perk of two tickets.”
“Oh.” She laughs. “I know a couple of friends who would love to get into your pants.”
“Eww.” I wince and she laughs. “The last time I met a friend of yours”—I use fingers to do quotation marks—“she tried to tell me she could tie a knot with the cherry stem and then spit in my face.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “It was a fifty-fifty chance. She’s gotten way better now.” She sighs deeply. “Besides, she can’t afford that price.” She points at me and winks. “But if you come on down to the local bowling alley, I’m sure someone would bet up to a hundred dollars for you.” I laugh at her and turn to walk out. “I might need a dress.”
“So go buy a fucking dress,” I bark. “You have a credit card I gave you to use.”
“I’m saving it for a rainy day,” she bites back at my retreating form.
“Well, it’s raining.” I look over my shoulder. “Go get a dress.”
I walk back to the elevator and head up to the pediatric floor. I pose for a couple of pictures as I meet with different families and talk about their struggles. I sit with a funny four-year-old who is battling stage 4 brain cancer, and my heart aches for her and her family.
My head is down when I walk out of the wing toward the elevators and I look up, seeing Cheryl and Lexi standing there, talking to a man with a white coat. A doctor for sure. “There he is, the star of the day.”
“Dr. Visabell”—she looks to the doctor—“this is Kirby Materson,” she says and I reach out my hand. “Dr. Visabell is the chief of surgery.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Materson,” he responds with a smile.
“The pleasure is all mine,” I reply, looking at him and then glancing at Lexi, who has the same fake smile plastered on her face that she had before.
“We were just going over a couple of things for the auction and we thought about the best idea,” Cheryl says. “Well, Lexi did.” She gives her the credit and Lexi looks down at the floor instead of taking the praise. “A choreographed dance. Something like the waltz.”
“Oh my.” I laugh. “You thought of that?” I ask Lexi, who looks up and laughs.
“I just thought it would be nice to have the winner dance with her date,” she explains and shrugs and then looks over my shoulder, and I can see right away that fear seeps into her. She quickly masks it and her smile fills her face. “Honey,” she says and I look over to see a man walking out of the swinging door. He’s wearing blue scrubs; his hair looks like he just styled it. He looks up, seeing Lexi, and I notice something in his face, but then he quickly looks at Dr. Visabell and his whole demeanor changes.
“I was just looking for you,” he says to Lexi, coming over and bending to kiss her lips, then looks up at Dr. Visabell. “George,” he greets, nodding at him, “nice to see you on my floor.”
“I had a meeting with these two lovely ladies to discuss the auction,” he replies.
I stand here waiting for him to look at me, and he finally does. “Hi, I’m Kirby.” I hold out my hand for his and he reluctantly takes it.
