Alan: You got time for a coffee today?
I glance up to see Brant rounding the corner before he slips out of view. That’s another partner gone; another chapter of my life that is over.
Sebastian: You doing ok?
I stare at the screen waiting for his response.
Alan: Nah, man. It’s been a rough one. Today kicked my ass.
Sebastian: I’ll be at diner around the corner from your place in twenty minutes.
His reply comes through almost immediately.
Alan: You’re the best. Seriously.
I slide my phone into the pocket of my suit jacket and head out the door.
I’m not the best. I’m trying to do my best.
I don’t know if it’s enough.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Tilly
“I needto take you out for lunch one day this week as a huge thank you, Tilly.” Carolyn sits in the chair next to me in the breakroom.
“It’s my job to go over post-operative care with the clients.” I push the small fruit salad I brought with me for lunch toward her. “Feel free to indulge. I packed way too much food for myself.”
She pops a green grape into her mouth and chews. “I was talking about the set-up with Darrell. He’s a great guy.”
I gave her his number two days ago. I’m a little surprised that she’s called him and gone on a first date within the past forty-eight hours. “I don’t know him all that well, but I get a sense that he’s one of the good ones.”
“He is.” She picks up a piece of apple and takes a small bite. “He had a lot of complimentary things to say about both you and Sebastian.”
I’m sure that everything positive Darrell said about me was limited to how well I cared for his dog. Sebastian is another story.
It would take one phone call to Julian for me to find out everything I could possibly want to know about the man I’m crazy about. The problem is that Sebastian and I haven’t discussed when we’ll tell Maya and her fiancé about us, or what we’ll tell them about us.
We haven’t defined our relationship at all, beyond roommates and friends.
“The last time I saw Darrell we talked about Sebastian too.” I shift in my seat.
“Cooper even talks about Sebastian with me. The man has quite the fan club.” She laughs as she slides the plastic container of fruit across the table toward me.
I snap the lid back on. “They had a great time together the night we watched Coop.”
“Sebastian stopped by here yesterday when you were in with a patient.” She eyes the clock on the wall. “He had a solar system book in his hands. He wanted me to give it to Coop. We must have read that thing ten times last night before bed.”
I’m both shocked and surprised by the gesture. “I didn’t know that.”
“He was here to see you.” She turns her head to look back at the break room door. “You didn’t catch up with him after work?”
I shake my head. “Our schedules haven’t matched up this week.”
“If I were the one in charge here, I’d give you a day off just to spend with him.”
I wring my hands together. “I can’t tell you how much I wish you could make that happen.”
