Authors: Linda O'Connor
Chapter 33
happenstance horoscope
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Your ideas are solid — now all you have to do is make them work. It’s best to be honest to put an end to a difficult situation. Consider another person’s viewpoint. Love is yours.
By Thursday, Mikaela’s nerves were wrung so tight she was surprised her hair wasn’t curling spontaneously. She had dropped off the proposal on Monday and hadn’t yet heard back from the committee. She had operated all day Tuesday and had a fully booked clinic on Wednesday. She’d slept fitfully all week and missed the easy camaraderie she had had with Sam. He worked, swam, slept, and avoided her like the plague. Maybe he’d had a chance to think about how she treated him and decided she was as unlikable as she felt.
And worst of all, the Department of Surgery’s Christmas dinner and dance started in one hour. She dreaded it. They had hardly spoken to each other since Sunday, and tonight they would have to pretend they were a happily engaged couple.
Mikaela dragged herself into the shower and let the warm water soothe her tired muscles. She stood under the stream and wished her problems could be washed away. If only she could rewind the clock and start with the truth. The whole truth. It would be so simple. She could tell Sam she loved him. He would tell her . . . well, she wasn’t really sure what he would tell her. Mikaela sighed. She wanted to hear that she was the love of his life, and he couldn’t live without her. That he wanted to marry her and spend a lifetime of Christmases with her. And their children. Cute little Sams and Mikaelas.
She turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel. She rubbed her hair dry and combed it out. Or at least, she wished, they could go back to being friends. Eating together, spending the evenings together. She missed that. Since Sunday, they had barely seen each other. Sam suddenly got extremely busy.
Mikaela pulled the red velvet dress over her head and smoothed it over her hips. The material clung to her curves and draped softly to her thighs. She fastened a single teardrop necklace and pulled her hair up, leaving soft tendrils to hide the jewels that sparkled at her ears. She fussed with her make-up and took extra care to hide the dark circles under her eyes. Dabbing her favorite perfume behind her ears, she slipped into her heels and headed out to the living room.
They planned to drive together. Thankfully it wasn’t far because her nerves were already screaming and the butterflies in her stomach in overdrive.
Sam looked gorgeous. If the whole tall, dark, and handsome thing he had going didn’t make her heart stumble, then the addition of the brooding, sexy expression did. Worse, she knew what was under that perfectly tailored suit.
Mikaela plastered a fake smile on her face and stepped into the room. Sam looked up, and she faltered at the hunger that flashed in his eyes. He dropped his gaze and when he glanced at her again, it was with the disdain that had plagued her in the past week.
“Ready to go?”
“I am.”
He helped her with her coat, being careful not to touch her, and held the car door open. The ride to the banquet hall was thankfully short. There was only so much you could say about the weather without the air becoming tense and awkward.
Once they entered the hall, Sam held her hand and smiled naturally. He greeted others and introduced Mikaela warmly to those she hadn’t met. They sat beside each other at dinner and, despite the enormous effort it took to appear like a happy couple, they laughed and joked with the others at the table.
The tables were cleared and the music started. They continued to socialize with the couples around them until the others got up to dance, and they were the only ones left sitting at the table.
“Would you like to dance?” Sam asked.
Mikaela glanced over, but she couldn’t read his expression. “Sure.”
Sam stood and held out his hand to help her up. She could feel the pressure of his hand in the small of her back as he followed her to the dance floor.
Mikaela turned and held her arms out stiffly for the embrace, but he pulled her close and held her against him. She rested her arm across his shoulders and his soft hair brushed her hand. With her leg between his, she felt the ripple of his thigh as he glided her around the floor. Mikaela was caught up in the sensation of his body against hers and shivered without hearing what he whispered in her ear.
He pulled back slightly and smiling for the first time in a week, repeated what he said. “I hear I have you to thank for the extra OR time.”
She struggled to focus.
“Your proposal went through and I’ve been given an extra day of OR time.”
“Really? That’s great. I didn’t realize they’d made a decision.”
“Thank you.”
Guilt swamped her. “Please don’t thank me.”
“Why?” He drew back in surprise. “You gave up a chunk of time and because of your ideas, I gained a full day.”
“Well, I’m glad. Really I am. But my first instinct was to protect the department, and I’m not very proud of that,” she admitted.
“Why not? That’s what you’re supposed to do. That’s why you’re the department head.”
“But it was you. I knew it was you who needed the time.”
“Fair enough. But the responsibility didn’t, and shouldn’t, rest solely with you. Your responsibility should be to patient care and your department. That just makes sense.”
“Really? It doesn’t upset you that I didn’t put you first?”
“Of course not. Not for this. Now, if you considered a new job and picked a hospital that didn’t need an ophthalmologist, that,
that
might upset me.”
She stared at him. “That upset you?” she asked, unsure whether he was joking or not.
He didn’t answer as the music transitioned into another slow song.
“Sam? Did that upset you?”
“Yes, that did.”
“Why?”
Sam debated. He couldn’t go on like he had this past week. Living with her, but not living with her had killed him. Not living with her at all he couldn’t fathom. “I don’t want you to take another job and live in another city. Unless I’m with you.”
“You don’t?”
“No, I don’t.”
He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “I love you, Mikaela. I want to be with you wherever you are. I can leave the house and the job. I can’t live without you.”
“Really?” Mikaela beamed.
“Really.”
Mikaela hugged him close. “I love you. I didn’t want to leave you, but I couldn’t stay and watch you with someone else after the year was up.”
“I don’t want anyone else. Just you. I love you.”
Sam caught Mikaela in a passionate kiss. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Let’s go home.” They smiled at each other.
Epilogue
Written in the Stars by Esmeralda Garnet
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Keep moving in a direction that is sure to bring you pleasure and adventure. Don’t sweat the little things. Enjoy the moment. Embrace new people, places and situations. Be perfectly honest.
December twenty-fifth came with a new tradition. Make love before presents are unwrapped. Cook French toast together with a lot of French kisses. Then exchange gifts in front of a crackling fire and a tree sparkling with tinsel. Mikaela unwrapped a new peignoir.
“That’s actually for me,” Sam said with a laugh.
Then a stunning aquamarine and diamond ring.
“That’s for you. It matches your eyes,” Sam said.
Sam unwrapped a new tennis racket.
“It’s the same racket as mine. I thought you needed an upgrade. Otherwise I’ll have an unfair advantage during those strip tennis games.”
Sam laughed. “Thank you. It’s great.”
Mikaela handed Sam a tennis ball canister . . . filled with lacy underthings.
“This may set my game back.” He grinned. “But in a good way. I should thank you properly,” he said, reaching for her.
“You should,” Mikaela said, as she melted into his embrace.
On the way to airport later that afternoon, Mikaela looked over at Sam.
“So maybe now would be a good time to tell you a bit about my parents,” Mikaela ventured.
Sam glanced over at her in surprise. “I thought you said your dad was retired and your mom a busy matchmaker.”
“Well, that is true . . . sort of.”
Sam parked and they headed into the airport terminal. “Which airline?” he asked.
“Actually, that’s part of what I wanted to tell you.” She led him through the building, through private security, and out onto the tarmac.
Sam didn’t say anything, but glanced questioningly at Mikaela.
They were led to a small aircraft with a Palent Enterprises logo. An attendant greeted them at the door. “Welcome aboard, Dr. Finn, sir. Make yourselves comfortable. When you’re ready, we’ve been cleared for takeoff.”
“Thank you.” Mikaela grasped Sam’s hand and pulled him into the cabin. Luxurious seats surrounded a small table. Mikaela guided Sam to the seats and sat down.
“Would you like anything to drink before we take off?” the attendant asked.
“Sam?”
He shook his head, still speechless.
“No. We’re fine. Thanks. We’re just anxious to get underway.”
“Great. If you’ll fasten your seatbelts, we’ll be off.” She disappeared into the rear cabin.
Sam looked at Mikaela. “Something you’d like to tell me?” he asked mildly.
“Well, you know my last name is Finn. That’s actually my mother’s maiden name. It was easier and well, maybe safer, for me to use that. My dad’s surname is actually Palent.”
“Palent?”
“Yes, as in Palent Enterprises.”
“As in Palent Plastics and Palent Nanophysics and Palent Aeronautics?”
“Well, yes,” she admitted reluctantly.
“As in the international, multimillion dollar corporation?”
“It’s probably closer to a billion, but yes.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me the truth about this until now?”
“I told you the truth,” she said defensively. “Well, maybe not the whole truth,” she admitted sheepishly.
“Anything else you need to tell me?”
“No. That’s everything. Except . . . well, to be perfectly honest . . . I love you.”
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Laugh every day. Love every minute.
Linda O’Connor