She would have preferred Nick. But his company had some new business dealings in Hong Kong, one of their pilots had quit to go to Delta (of course!), and Nick had been stuck flying the leadership team to Asia.
Though he had been pleasant during their chats and video calls, she could see and hear his stress every time they connected, which wasn’t nearly as often as she wanted. And the damned devil on her shoulder whispered that he might just go to Sin City Dark, just to disconnect. Maybe to participate in … something.
He wouldn’t … would he?
He had no obligation to be faithful to her. They hadn’t discussed exclusivity. They hadn’t even discussed their relationship, and now she regretted not having done that in person before she’d left, because to bring it up over a device felt awkward. What if he needed to get off and—
“Jannie?”
“Oh! Sorry.”
“It’s OK.” A pause. “I’m worried about you, babe.”
Jannie tensed. “Don’t be. I’m fine.”
Sarah tilted her head. “Are you?”
“I’m not the one needing a doctor. Now, tell me what’s going on.”
“Maybe you do need a doctor. A different kind. Have you thought about talking to someone?”
“You meantherapy?” She hadn’t meant to sound put off. She knew Sarah saw her psychiatrist every week, rain or shine, no matter what was going on in her life. Jannie wouldn’t think to judge; everyone had their way of coping, but that wasn’t her, and it would never be. She could handle her problems on her own, thank you very much.
“Hey, don’t knock it.” Sarah reached into her bag, a gorgeous Bottega Veneta Cabat, and pulled out a card. “Here. Take this. When it gets bad enough, you’ll thank me.”
“I think I’d rather have your bag,” Jannie muttered. She took the card, not wanting to offend her friend.
Sarah hugged the beautiful gold-flecked woven creation. “She stays with me. I stalked eBay and Rebag for a year to find her.”
“I’m not surprised.” Jannie was glad for the change of subject. “It’s arare color. Looks brand-new, too. You did good.”
“I know, right? I got her at a good price, too.” Sarah leaned forward, her expression turning serious. “OK, about the pain. It starts right here and wraps around my back.”
“How would you describe it? Dull, sharp?”
A pause. “It’s achy.”
Jannie turned her attention to assessing her friend’s condition. Part of her was grateful for the distraction. The other part wanted to just go home to her dog.
And stay there.
Every day at the clinic was a chore, and it was only getting worse with every passing week. She thought about those blissful times with Nick. The flying, the camaraderie …the sex.
God, the sex…
More than anything else, she missed the feeling of contentment and peace she’d had when he was near. Paradoxical, because the man was fire, and somehow managed to excite her just by walking into a room.
“Jannie? Are you listening?”
Her gaze quickly shifted to Sarah’s face, now showing a hint of annoyance.
Crap.
Her distraction bordered on unprofessional. “Sorry about that.”
“Babe, if you love him, go get him,” her friend said with conviction. “Before someone else beats you to it.”
Jannie blinked. Did she love Nick Kent? After only spending a month with him? It was too soon to say, but she did care for him.
