I nod, trying to take my eyes off of her mouth.
“If I’d known your plans had changed, I could have skipped tonight and given you some time with your friends,” I tell her softly. Olive branch extended.
She shakes her head. “It’s fine. This isn’t a custody battle. We can coexist. Besides, you woulda missed all the fun.” She points to the napkin that still lies on the floor between us.
“It is fun. You are fun.”
She narrows her eyes at me, suspicion radiating off of her in waves, but I hold my ground. I refuse to look away. I’m gonna push my luck.
“You know,” I start, “I noticed that your rule specifically said nodatingdoctors.”
Keep pushing. No whammy. No whammy.
“Yeah. Let’s not have this conversation. I’m feeling too good for a limp down memory lane?—”
“No. I’m not asking why. I’m sure you’ll tell me your reasoning when you’re ready,” I say and she swirls her glass and looks down at the tequila cyclone she’s created. There’s something in the line of her mouth that tells me she might never be ready to tell me. I forge ahead, “It’s more the wording I’m interested in. Specifically the verb part of the rule.”
“Mmmhmmm. What’s your point?”
She lifts her glass to her lips and I wait until she has a mouthful of tequila.
“Well, you never said anything about any of the other verbs you might do with a doctor.”
“Like sledding? Or playing tennis?”
I lift a brow.
“Considering my condition,” she points to the boot, “I think those verbs are out.”
“Those weren’t the verbs I had in mind,” I say.
She narrows her eyes at me and takes a sip of her tequila, then swallows slowly before asking, “Are you propositioning me?”
“It’s only fair. Since you started it.”
“I was on—I don’t even know what I was on!” Her voice hits a pitch I’ve never heard before.
“Is that a no then? Should I change the wording on the official document?” I reach for the napkin and she bites her lip. She’s fighting a smile and this somehow makes me feel something. Pride, maybe?
“No need to amend the document,” she says softly. Her eyes widen. She wraps a piece of hair around her finger and goes to cross her legs, but can’t lift her boot off the floor. She gives up with a frustrated growl and crosses her good leg over the bad. I realize my hand is frozen in midair.
“I’ll allow sex with doctors,” she tells me, her voice low. I swallow hard. “Just not with you.”
“Ooof.”
She nods excitedly. “Burn, right?”
Victory shines in the neat line of white teeth gleaming my way.
“That’s a shame because I brought that feather duster.”
Her smile slips into an annoyed frown.
“Meredith!” she yells loudly, keeping her glare trained on me.
Meredith appears, winded, and looks around the room for the emergency.
“What the hell, Dev? Why’d you yell like that?” she asks.
