“And not knowing what she looks like doesn’t bother you? I mean, let’s be honest, attraction does matter, Elias. I’m not saying looks are everything. That’s not what I’m saying, but what about desire? Passion? Your sex life? It might be good now, but what if you meet and neither of you are attracted to the other?”
“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem, considering…”
“Considering…what?”
“You know. Considering,” I say in another tone, hoping he catches on.
“I don’t know. Considering what, Elias?”
I raise my brows. “Considering,” I bite out through tight teeth, the door swinging open to allow the chaotic noise of the hospital in.
We fall silent when Dr. Greene passes by our table.
“Doctors.” Even her usual unamused tone is somehow littered with exhaustion.
“Doctor,” Winston and I say in unison as she presses the button for coffee.
The machine groans again, and yet it somehow spits out another cup of coffee. Why the hell do we have vending machine coffee? We need an actual coffee maker. Sure, there’s the coffee shop at the other end of the hospital, but that takes time, and time is a luxury here.
“Doctors,” she repeats as she leaves.
“Doctor,” we say again, confused as to how one word ended up being an entire conversation.
When the door shuts, Winston whips his head around and stares at me. “Okay, back to the matter at hand. Considering, what?”
“Use that big doctor brain of yours, Winston. I’ll wait.” I lift my legs and stretch them out until my feet are resting on another chair.
Luckily, it doesn’t take long for Winston to finally put the pieces together. I grin when the lightbulb turns on and his brows rise again before a large knowing grin takes over his face.
“Naughty, Elias. I would have never thought you would do that.”
I pause bringing the cup to my lips. “Phone sex?”
“Yes. Phone sex. Especially with someone you barely know. For a guy who has trust issues, you seem to trust this person a lot. Who’s to say she isn’t uploading every single photo or video you’ve ever sent to her to the internet? What if she isn’t who she says she is? What if you meet her and it’s a middle-aged man?”
“The constant videos she sends of herself say otherwise.”
“Come on, Elias. Think about this. This person could have videos saved.”
“They don’t. The videos we send back and forth are…vocal.”
“Oh. Oh!” His eyes round.
“But I thought about that too. Listen, I know how it sounds, okay. I’ve thought about everything you’re thinking, but you’re wrong. She’s great. She’s funny and kind, sassy and unafraid. She’s bold, and I’m really enjoying what I’m learning about her while we talk.”
“Talk,” he says, lifting his fingers to show quotations.
I toss my empty cup from where I’m sitting into the trash can on the other side of the room, making it easily.
“As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters,” Winston adds on a more serious note. “Really. And whenever you two are ready to meet, I can’t wait to hear about it.”
“Thanks. And if you could keep this between us, and Dove, I would appreciate it.”
“Of course, Elias. I wouldn’t tell anyone about your business. You’re in control of that narrative. Again, my wife doesn’t count. I tell her everything.”
“I know. I know. That’s fine. How’s she doing with the pregnancy?”
He’s about to answer when a nurse bursts into the room, tugs her mask down to inhale a deep breath. “We’re running out of room,” she says, exhaustion riddled in her features. “But other hospitals are overrun too. They’re turning patients away andthey’re bringing them here. What do we do? We don’t have many beds left.”
