She pauses for a second to think, then shakes her head. “No, you can go there now, maybe soften the blow for us. I’ll be two minutes behind you.”
With my hand on the doorknob, I pause, turning around to stare down at her, my gaze lingering until she looks back up at me, smiling. “What?”
I love you, I almost tell her again.I’m so in love with you that I’m giddy inside.But I bite my tongue. I’ll tell her tonight, once we are alone. When our relationship is out in the open and she doesn’t have the gut-churning anxiety of wondering what her dad will think of us. I’ll tell her when I can then pull her into my bed and have her under me all night long.
“Nothing, just thinking how beautiful you are.” I lean down and kiss her forehead as she rolls her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, you go and I’ll meet you there.”
I open the door, ushering for her to go first. Once she reaches the corner of the hall, she spins around, mouthing the words “good luck” to me, and presses a kiss to her palm before waving to me as she disappears around the corner. With a heavy exhale, I turn in the opposite direction to head the few doors down to Richard’s office.
It’s only when his door is within sight that the nerves finally strike. I doubt he’s the type of man who would be excited with his daughter dating anyone. He likely has high expectations of the man she should marry, but Richard and I have a strong relationship.
Hell, he’s been the only real father figure in my life for the last fifteen years. He’s trusted me as a friend and a colleague. He’s confided in me about Annaliese, about his ex-wife, about the stressors he faces as Chief. He’s referred to me as his son, so I’d like to think that means he respects me as a man, and that he’ll accept the fact that I’ve fallen in love with his daughter. I can prove to him that I love her and that I respect her. That’s got to be enough for any father to hear.
I raise a shaking hand and knock twice on the door, pausing to hear his response before entering.
He smiles when he looks up to see me, closing the file folder on his desk and adding it to the stack on his left. “Colter.” He pauses to look at the clock. “What are you still doing here so late?”
“I could ask you the same thing, sir.” I drop my bag on the chair in front of me, opting to stand behind it. My hands come forward to grip the backrest, squeezing so hard my knuckles blanch.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this nervous. Not for my MCAT, not for boards, not for my first incision as a green resident. But in this moment, all of that seems superficial compared to what I have with Annie.
Richard pulls his glasses off, using his free hand to rub slow circles over his eyes. “A lot on my mind these days, I guess.”
“Care to share?”
He continues rubbing his eyes for a moment before he shakes his head and puts his glasses back on. “Bureaucratic bullshit, it’s fine. So what brings you in, son?”
I take a deep breath. “I wanted to talk to you about Annaliese.”
Richard’s face remains impassive, and I take that as my opportunity to continue.
“As I’m sure you know, she’s an incredible woman. I’ve been able to watch her grow as a person and surgeon over these last six months, and I admire her more each day.”
“I do know that,” he drawls. “She’smydaughter, remember.”
He says the last sentence slowly, methodically, as if he senses where this is going and is reminding me of my place.
I nod in agreement. “Let me just preface what I’m about to say with this—I have an incredible amount of respect for you, Richard. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you or anyone you care about, and that includes Annie.”
Her nickname slips out of my mouth, and I can see the moment realization crosses his face. He leans back, arms crossed over his chest, and the temperature in the room plummets at his stare.
I open my mouth to continue, but he raises a hand to silence me. “Let me stop you right there, Dr. Andrews.” My blood stills at his use of my professional name.
“I have a very specific plan in line for my Annaliese. It doesn’t include her going back overseas and wasting her time and energy on childish endeavors, but it also doesn’t include staying here and making surgery her entire life, both professionally and personally.” His eyes bore into me with every word, punctuating their meaning. “And I have ways of getting exactly what I want.”
I take a step back and cross my arms over my chest. His words begin to process in my mind. He doesn’t need to come out and directly tell me what he means. I’d be foolish to think his wishes have changed. Even with my recommendation, he still wants her to quit surgery and move back to the city permanently. He likely wants to see her settle down with someone who is the opposite of me. Someone who works a standard nine-to-five job, who will be home nights and weekends, and who wishes to live in a comfortable house in the suburbs. He wants someone who will bow down to him as a father-in-law. He may call me his son, and he may be considering me to be his replacement for Chief of Surgery. He’d trust me with his own life on the OR table, but his words are clear—he doesn’t see me fit to be with his daughter.
“As her father, I think you need to consider what she wants for her life. She’s an adult, Richard.” His eyes flare at my obvious defiance. “If she wants to finish her residency with Compassion Cruises, it’s her choice. She also has the freedom to be with whoever makes her happy. And,” I pause, adjusting my stance and placing my hands on my hips. “The man she wants to be with is a man that supports her decision to continue on with her previous residency, even if it means she’ll be overseas, away from us.”
I school my breathing, making sure to appear calm and confident in front of Richard now that it’s all out in the open. It may have been obvious these last few months that I’ve been changed from the asshole who was tasked to sabotage her career, to the man encouraging her to grow. Richard hadn’t outright seen it, but his questions had changed and his assessing glare became more prominent.
He leans back in his chair, pulling a silk square from his pocket and taking his glasses from his face. He rubs the lens of his glasses in painstakingly slow circles, the process taking so long the awkward silence grows in the room. Eventually, a nearly sinister smile crosses his face. He puts his glasses back on, and neatly folds the square before returning it to his pocket.
He scoots his chair back to bring his legs up to rest them on the top of his desk, the posture appearing relaxed, but unnerving me just the same.
He clasps his hands behind his head, and when his gaze finally meets mine, my body stills.
