Sean sat in the booth across from me, smelling soft and warm. He was wearing glasses that perfectly accented his handsome face. I’d give anything to crawl into bed with the man for a nap, but that would be inappropriate—though very appealing.
“I can get food delivered to the front desk and have someone bring it up. How long do you think you’ll be gone?” His voice was unsteady. Was he scared to be alone for a little while?
“I’m not sure yet. I got a message from Schatz. I need a security license to show up with you at The Hill. They’re going to quick-walk it through, I suspect. Let me call him and I’ll tell you more. Order your breakfast, and I’ll go pick it up for you.”
Standing from the booth, I headed out of the kitchen. “Oh!” The gasp had me stopping in the doorway.
I turned to face Sean. “Something wrong?”
His gaze was fixed on my prosthetic. I’d slept in basketball shorts and a T-shirt, and I hadn’t thought about whether Sean knew I wasn’t one hundred percent. I was guessing it was a surprise.
“Sean, it’s just a prosthetic. I lost my foot in the Army and was medically discharged.” I was prepared to grab my shit and go if it bothered him too much. Schatz or Wallis should have told him.
“I’m so sorry.” His guilt dripped off him like flop sweat.
I shook my head. “Sean, you don’t have to be sorry. You were miles from where I was when it happened. Will this bother you? I can call Schatz and tell him to find someone else.”
“No, no. I’m sorry. Ugh. I was just surprised. Nobody said anything about you being…” I could see he had no idea what to say.
I, however, did. “Less than perfect? A cripple? Disabled? Sorry if I don’t fit into your world.”
Yeah, I sounded a little bitter, but I’d seen this bullshit too many times. I decided to go ahead and rip off the Band-Aid. “Oh, I’m a recovering alcoholic, too.”
I didn’t wait for him to respond. I went back to the second bedroom, grabbed some clean jeans, a shirt, underclothes, and my Dopp kit before closing myself in the hall bathroom.
I sat on the closed commode, taking off my foot before looking in the mirror. “Just like you expected.”
I turned on the shower and hopped inside, washing myself as quickly as possible so I could get the fuck out of Bethesda. The money would have been nice, but I wasn’t willing to be humiliated and treated like I was worthless because I’d lost my foot.
I wasn’t crippled or disabled, and even though I was missing a foot, it didn’t mean I wasn’t a man… one with pride and self-confidence. I wouldn’t let one stuck-up asshole take that away from me.
After I brushed my teeth, shaved, and combed my hair, I strapped my foot on and proceeded to get dressed. Once I had my clothes on, I straightened the bathroom, hung the towel on the hook to dry, and hurried to the room across the hall. I pulled on my socks—I still used one on my prosthetic foot so my boot wore evenly—and then my boots.
I packed my shit and dragged my suitcase with me out of the bedroom, settling it by the front door. My phone was still on the kitchen table, so I picked it up and called Lawry Schatz, putting it on speaker.
“Golden Elite Associates-America. Schatz speaking.”
“It’s me, Jericho Hess. I can’t believe you didn’t tell him I’m an amputee.”
My voice was harsh, but come the fuck on! The guy freaked out, and it could have been avoided if he’d only known.
“I’m sorry, Jericho, but I didn’t think it mattered. I didn’t consider that Sean might be judgmental in that way. Give me a couple of days to free up one of my guys, and I’ll send him down to DC. Can you stick around for a few days? Say until Friday?”
“Please don’t go,” Sean said quietly. “I’m terribly embarrassed about my reaction. I had no idea you’d been injured at all, much less so severely. I don’t judge you in any way, Jeri. I’m sorry if you thought I did. I appreciate your sacrifice for our country. I also don’t judge you for the other thing you told me. We’re only human.” I glanced up to see Sean standing at the end of the kitchen booth, his expression showing tremendous guilt.
I nodded. I didn’t want to shame him for his initial reaction to seeing my prosthetic. “It’s okay. I’m sorry you weren’t informed that I’m missing a foot before I arrived. I mean, someone as perfect as you shouldn’t be saddled with someone asimperfectas me.”
“Hello?” It was Schatz, whom I’d forgotten about. Much to my surprise, Sean picked up my phone.
“Mr. Schatz, it’s Sean Fitzpatrick. Please don’t send anyone else. I’m perfectly safe with Jericho. I don’t want another bodyguard.” He ended the call and handed me the phone.
I gazed into Sean’s beautiful green eyes. “You’re not afraid of me? You don’t doubt that I’ll be able to protect you because I’m missing a body part?” I put the phone on the table in front of me.
He shook his head. “I’ve never felt safer in my life. Please don’t go.”
After an exhale, I sat in the booth across from him and slid off my boot and sock, showing Sean the prosthetic. “This is part of me. Touch it. It’s just fiberglass, plastic, a little metal, and screws. The other one has a weird synthetic covering that someone thought looked like skin, but I don’t wear it often because I’m not really a sandal guy. This one is easier for me towalk and run with. I even ride horses with it. The other one I have mostly for a backup.”
Sean lifted my foot—my prosthetic—to rest on his left thigh. He gently turned it from left to right before he touched my calf. “Does it hurt?”
