I had meant to find someone new to hook up with. Perhaps sheisthe right woman for the evening. Certainly attractive enough, with full lips and a soft jaw.
But she’s not Sage.
“Well,” she continues with a small smile, “since you’re already here, you might as well join us.”
“How can I say no?” I wish I knew. But I take the empty chair beside the table out of courtesy and sit for a moment, exchanging names and making the sort of polite conversation one makes with strangers in bars.
She works in marketing for a tech company. Her friend is visiting from Chicago. They ask about my profession, and I give the brief version that usually satisfies people.
“I’m a physician.”
The reaction is predictable enough. A touch of intrigue, a few questions about hospital life, a comment about how difficult the profession must be. I answer politely, keeping the tone light without offering too many personal details.
The woman—Ivonne, as she introduced herself—leans forward slightly as we speak. Her interest becomes more obvious with each passing minute. She laughs easily, touches my arm once during the conversation, and holds my gaze in a way that makes her intentions quite clear.
Under other circumstances, I would likely respond in kind.
“You seem distracted,” she says with a teasing smile. “Am I boring you already?”
“Not at all. It’s been a long day.”
She laughs again and suggests another round of drinks. I accept out of civility, though the conversation never quite gains the momentum she clearly hopes for.
After another ten minutes or so, I glance discreetly at my watch. “I’m afraid I should be heading home,” I say, standing from the table. “Early surgery tomorrow.”
Claire looks mildly disappointed, though she recovers quickly enough. “Well,” she says with a playful smile, “if you change your mind about calling it a night, I’ll be here for a while longer.”
I thank her for the drink and wish both women a pleasant evening before making my way toward the door. The cool Boston air greets me the moment I step outside, clearing my head far more effectively than the whiskey ever could.
As I walk toward my car, the realization settles in with quiet certainty. The entire purpose of the evening had been to forget Sage. I failed.
But when I think of her, the way she tasted… the way she worked herself on my cock… I don’t feel much like a failure at all.
I only wish I had her number.
7
SAGE
The only personwho knows I’m pregnant is Leigh.
Which feels appropriate, because Leigh knows everything else about my life anyway. She’s my best friend, my neighbor, and the person most likely to show up at my door with snacks and unsolicited advice when things get weird. Right now, both of those things are happening while she sits at her kitchen table with her laptop open like she’s about to launch a startup instead of helping me quietly panic.
The truth is, it’s a little of both. “I still think you should tell Connor,” she says, not looking up from the screen.
I stare at the wall behind her head instead of answering. Leigh assumes the baby is Connor’s. While it’s not true, I have not bothered to correct her.
The thing is, when I first told her I was pregnant a couple of weeks ago, the conversation moved very quickly. There was shock, and a lot of questions, and then she immediately said something about Connor stepping up. And instead of explainingthat Connor and I broke up before the pregnancy, I just… let it go.
I’m not trying to be sneaky. It’s just that I can’t take someone else’s judgment on top of judging myself for this.
Getting pregnant accidentally is humiliating in a way that sneaks up on you. You think you’re a responsible adult with a functioning brain, and then suddenly you’re the cautionary tale people talk about in sex ed classes.
“It’s not like I’m hiding it forever. Obviously, I can’t,” I say finally, trying to sound casual. “I just… haven’t figured out the right way to say it yet.”
Leigh makes a skeptical noise but lets it go, which I appreciate more than she probably realizes. Instead, she turns the laptop around so the screen faces me. “I finished the homepage.”
SAGE HENLEY FITNESS.
