Kahana called her at two to tell her that he was going to be later than he thought, but no later than six.She was fine with that as she’d eaten an apple to tide her over and was doing well.As soon as he pulled into the parking lot, the two of them kissed, and it was perfect.Once she was in his car and they were on their way, all she could think about was how much she’d enjoyed it.It wasn’t as if she’d never been kissed before, but this one was special.It was their first of many, she hoped.
Dinner was fun, and she was careful to eat a salad before the pizza arrived.It tasted really salty to her, and she couldn’t believe it after it had only been a couple of weeks since she’d cut salt out of her diet.But she enjoyed the meal and the company, and that was the best part of it all.She was beginning to fall for the man, and she wondered what he’d do if he found out.More than likely, drop her like she was something out of a nightmare.
“There are two different places that I want to take you the next time we have dinner.One of them being seafood.Do you like it?It’s good for you, too.”She said that she loved seafood as it was one of her favorite meals.“Good.It’s one of my favorites as well.The other place is a steakhouse that serves chicken as well.I don’t know how you feel about red meat, but you shouldn’t eat too much of it.”
“I don’t anyway.I do like chicken that is grilled, but not fried.All that extra fat I know isn’t goodfor me, so I’ve been avoiding it since I got out of college.”She was happy when he took her hand from across the table.“You and I are beginning a relationship here.I’m not upset or sad about it, but I’d like to know what happens when I go out with your brother tomorrow night.I don’t want any ill feelings going on between the two of you.”
“I’ve spoken to Penrod about it.He said that he’d be on his best behavior.I’m not sure what that means, but I did tell him that you were beginning to mean something to me and that I wasn’t sure that dating him was going to be all right.”She said she could cancel.“No, don’t do that.I think he’s looking forward to it too much.But I’d like to ask you if, like me, you don’t date anyone else.I’ve fallen for you in a big way, and I don’t want to share.”
“I feel the same way.”The two of them finished their meal and were headed out before seven o’clock.By the time she got home, she was tired again and decided to tell Kahana that she was all for going to bed early.
She wasn’t as weak as she’d been just two weeks ago; her strength was getting better daily, but she did tire and didn’t want to get herself into something that would cause her to have another attack.That was why she was so glad that she was dating Kahana.He was forever asking her about her healthy habits, and she liked him for that.
Getting ready for bed, she did feel like she was sleeping a great deal; she turned off her phone and the alarm so that she could sleep through the night.If anyone wanted to get in touch with her, they could leave a message.She was too exhausted to bother with anyone tonight and was glad for the new place she was living.It afforded her a place to rest when she needed it without any stress.
She realized that she had not had to breathe through any kind of stress today.Good, she thought to herself, perhaps she was getting better at handling it.Pulling the blankets up and over her shoulders, she laid there thinking about the kisses that they’d shared tonight and couldn’t believe how much she was looking forward to seeing Kahana again.Rolling to her side, she closed her eyes and decided that if she kept this up, her feelings about him, she’d be in love with him in no time.If she wasn’t about there already.
Closing her eyes, she felt herself drifting off and still thought about Kahana.She didn’t know much about him, but the more time she spent with him, the more she fell in love with him.She did wonder what he’d say if she told him that.Would he tell her that he was falling for her too, or would he really run off and tell her to get a life?With a small giggle, she let her mind shut down while she slept.It was a good night for being inside, she thought.The rain was coming down hard.
Waking in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, she could hear the shower in the condo next to hers.She had to think about where Kahana lived and knew that it was him.She wondered why he was up so late when he said he needed to get into bed too, as he had rounds in the morning, and frowned.Whatever was going on, she hoped he’d be all right for the rest of the day.
Sleep took her under again when she closed her eyes.The rain had stopped at some point in the early hours of the morning, and she was glad.Rainy days would make the emergency room busy because of slick roads, and she didn’t want anyone, especially Kahana, overworked.
~*~
Kahana was in a terrible mood and knew he was taking it out on those around him.Twice he’d had to take several deep breaths before his mouth got the better of him, and once he’d had to leave the room or tell his patient off.He kept thinking about Penrod taking his girl out.
Not that they’d made any kind of commitment.She did tell him that she wasn’t going to date anyone else while they were seeing each other, and he’d told her the same thing.But he couldn’t help but think that Penrod wasn’t going to be as nice as he was to her, and that bothered him.Penrod was about the nicest person he knew.But he was taking Debra out, and he wanted it not to happen.
“Doctor Hathaway?You have a phone call on line four.I think it’s your brother, but he didn’t say.He also said if you were busy, you could call him back.”He went to the phone and pressed four to pick up the call.It was Penrod, and he felt his temper get the better of him.If not for his laughter, he might well have made an ass of himself in front of the staff.Instead, he waited for him to speak.
“I’ve just gotten off the phone with your girl.”He asked what that was about, not even denying that she was indeed his girl.“We’ve canceled our date for tonight.She told me that she didn’t think it was right with the feelings that she was having for you.I was going to call her anyway, but this way I’m not going to look like an ass and cancel on her myself.”All his anger in that moment was gone.
“I’m glad.I wanted to suggest it myself, but you did ask her first, and that’s the way it should have been.”He thought about what his brother said.“What do you mean when she said that she was having feelings for me?Did she say what they were?”
“No, only that you and she have been seeing each other a great deal and that she felt it was wrong for her to go out with me when she knew nothing was going to come of it.”He didn’t say anything to his brother, but he was about as happy as he’d ever been.“You still there?”
“Yes.I was thinking of my feelings for her.They’re big too.”He felt his face heat up when one of the nurses giggled at him.“I’ll talk to you later.I’ve some people that I have to apologize to that I’ve been snapping at all day.I’ll be honest with you when I tell you it’s been a rough day thinking about the two of you going out.”
“Like I said, had she not called, I was going to cancel on her.I’ve seen the two of you out together and wondered if it was bothering you that I was taking her out.I shouldn’t have done that.But it did have the desired effect.You realized that you like her.”He said that he was falling in love with her.“I figured that much out on my own.All right, Kahana, I’ll let you go and talk to you later.Since she had plans to go out anyway, where are the two of you going?You have to show her a good time.”
All he could think about was her and the bed he’d lent her.Kahana wanted to make love to her in the worst sort of way and to stop taking cold showers in the middle of the night.He was going to have a hell of a water bill when the statement came this month, and he wasn’t thrilled about paying it for cold, lonely showers.
For the rest of his day, things went smoothly.He did have some trouble with one of his patients wanting to leave the hospital, as they felt that they wanted to die at home.The person was nowhere near death, and he told them that.Still, he signed off on allowing them to leave as soon as possible to get home to their children.When he thought of Debra, heavy with his child, he nearly passed out in the hallway.
It had been a vision that was as clear as day when he closed his eyes.Not only was she going to have a baby, but there was one on her hip as well.Holding onto the desk that was nearby, he wanted to go home right then and start on the process.Having her have his child was the most beautiful thing that he could have imagined.That was when it occurred to him that he loved her.Not just a little either; he was madly and completely in love with her.
He knew that for the rest of the day, he had a sappy smile on his face.One of the nurses commented on it, and he told her that he was thinking wonderful thoughts.She told him that he looked like he was in love and wanted to hug her.He wondered if anyone else could see how much in love he was with Debra and didn’t care.
On his way home, he called Debra.She usually took her nap around this time, so he waited to talk to her when he got home.He didn’t bother with knocking on her door for fear of waking her up, but went home and took another shower and changed.Whatever she wanted to do, he was up for it because he was a man in love.Doing a little jig, he got himself dressed as he was thinking of when would be the best time to tell her how he felt.
At just after six, she knocked on his door.He told her that he’d been waiting for her to take her nap, and she told him that she had just woken up.She told him about her broken date tonight, and he told her how his brother had already called him.She looked relieved to him, and he was glad for that as well.
“I’ve been thinking about you all day.”He asked if he was in trouble.“No.Why would you be?”He told her he’d been thinking of her all day as well.“I’ve got some news for you, but I don’t know how you’re going to take it.”
“I love you.”She looked at him, surprised, and then she laughed.“I don’t think that me professingthat I love you is all that funny, my dear.What were you going to tell me?”
“That I’ve fallen in love with you as well.I know that it seems so soon, at least it does to me, but I can’t think of anyone else but you at any given time of the day.It’s like if I can’t be with you, then I’m going to be thinking of you.Do I make any sense?”For an answer, he kissed her.“I guess that’s a yes.”
