“It’s too bad.”
“Yeah.” This conversation was awkward. I felt like we’d just taken a huge step back in our relationship.
He gave me a quick run-down of the rest of the patients and confirmed that I would do afternoon rounds and take the on-call night shift.
“I’ll be there.” I decided to go ahead and get this out in the open. “Brad, I wanted to talk to you about this morning. You know, when you came by the house.”
“It’s nothing, Hope. I don’t need to know your personal business.” His voice sounded hurt.
“I want to explain. Frederick is …”
“Sorry, I have to go. I’ve got brunch reservations.” I thought I heard Olivia’s voice in the background. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow at the office.” Brad hung up.
Great. I guess we weren’t going to have dinner after all. Had I screwed up a potentially great relationship with the man I was just beginning to fall head over heels for?
Afternoon rounds went by quickly. Janessa was faring pretty well – her blood pressure had stabilized and she was no longer bleeding heavily. I decided to release her. Apollo had planned to take her to Santa Barbara for a week of rest and relaxation, which I agreed would be the best thing for her.
I also released Kasey and the twins. They were doing wonderfully and the moms were still over the moon with their sweet babies. I think Kasey’s mom was still in shock that she had one white and one black grandchild, but she had a big smile on her face when she held the babies.
The hospital was quiet that night with no deliveries or emergencies. I got a few hours of sleep and did the morning rounds before heading to the office, still in my green scrubs and tennis shoes.
I was the first one there. I made a carafe of fresh coffee and went into my office to check messages and look over the projected budget for the fertility clinic. I’d shown the figures that Brad had worked up to my dad, and he gave me the green light to go forward with the lease. When Brad got in, I could give him the good news about the lease and discuss hiring a new physician assistant. My parents planned on coming down this week for a long visit now that my dad was feeling better, and he planned to discuss everything with us then.
The alarm chimed, letting me know that someone had just come through the back door. Probably Heather, I thought, as I resumed looking over the numbers and making a list of what we needed to do to get this clinic started.
“Good morning.” Brad walked into my office. “Coffee’s ready.” He handed me my favorite Betty Boop mug.
“Thanks. I was just going over the numbers for the clinic.” I slid over the paperwork. “And I spoke to Frank. He gave the go-ahead to sign the lease next door. I was thinking we could…” I stopped when I saw his expression. He looked like someone just stole his puppy. “What is it?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this. I wanted to wait till Frank arrived so I could tell you both at the same time.”
A lump formed in my throat. What now? I motioned for him to continue.
“I have to leave the practice. I know we just signed a contract...”
“What? Why? I thought this was what you wanted.” My voice was full of hurt and frustration. All Brad had talked about the last few months was how he wanted to build the fertility practice.
“When I came to your house the other morning…and met your boyfriend, I was hurt. I didn’t realize until then how strongly I felt about you.”
I put out a hand to stop him. “Brad, that wasn’t my boyfriend. Frederick is my housekeeper.”
“But he came to the door and it looked like I interrupted something....”
“I know. He’s living with me temporarily. His boyfriend threw him out and I offered to let him stay with me until he could find someplace else. He cooks and cleans for me. That’s it.”
Brad let that sink in for a moment. “Frederick is gay?”
I slowly nodded my head.
“Now I feel foolish.”
Smiling, I reached over for his hand. “Does this change your mind?”
“Yes, I believe it does.”
“What about you and Olivia?”
“I told you the night of the Heart Ball, we’re just friends. That’s all. Olivia and I had breakfast yesterday and I told her there was no chance of us reconciling.”
“So she does still have the hots for you?”
Brad shrugged. “I guess so. But I made it clear that I didn’t feel the same way.”
“Wait, you told her this after you thought Frederick and I were an item?”
“Yeah. I knew I could never feel the same way about her as I did with you.” Brad smiled. “Or as I do.”
“Do you think we have a chance?” I asked.
Brad got up and came around the desk. He held out his hand and helped me out of the chair. Putting his arms around me, he kissed me gently on the lips. “I’d like to try. Take it one day at a time.”
I kissed him back. “Me too.”
One year later
“Sorry, this is a bit chilly.” The ultrasound tech, Kendra, said as she squirted some gel on my skin. She put the transponder on my belly and then turned the monitor around so we could both see.
Brad threaded his fingers into mine as we expectantly stared at the screen.
“Are you sure?” Kendra asked nervously for the third time.
“Yes, we’re sure.” Brad answered her.
“Okay, here we go.” The picture came into focus and we peered at the monitor.
“It’s a boy,” Brad said cheerfully. He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “It’s a boy.” He repeated like the happy father-to-be would.
Fingering the heart-shaped diamond locket around my neck, I counted my blessings. I had a wonderful husband, a successful practice, and awesome family and friends.
After a three-month courtship, Brad had proposed to me one weekend while we were visiting my parents in Palm Springs. Much to my mom’s dismay, we eloped a few weeks later to Antigua. I got pregnant sometime during our wedding/honeymoon trip. Now here I was, almost six months pregnant and expecting our first child. A son. Of course, we were over the moon.
The fertility clinic was doing well. We officially opened a couple of months ago, and it worked out better than expected. Brad ran the clinic next door while I managed our busier-than-ever OB/GYN practice. Brad was in his element treating women who had trouble conceiving. I still handled all the high-profile OB clients.
The spring issue of
LA Style
came out, and I was teased mercilessly by my staff and friends. The spread had turned out well, and that’s what sealed the deal for Brad. At least that’s what he tells me. He thought I’d have men knocking down my door to ask out one of LA’s most eligible doctors. The funny thing was that four out of the eight people featured were no longer single by the time the article made its debut.
Frederick
found a place to live. After Brad moved in, we built a guest cottage on my lot for Frederick. He met a nice guy and they’re dating. He still cleans and cooks for us and is like an addition to our growing family.
Venus got her divorce from Mr. Vanderbilt. And she got the house, the furnishings, the cars, and the additional property they owned as per their pre-nup. He denied being involved with another man, although Venus suspects they live together. Venus’s lastest novel is being made into a major motion picture. She and the film’s producer are now seeing each other.
Hilary Jackson finished her last round of radiation. I’m happy to say that she is cancer free. She’s still in charge of the annual Heart Ball.
Janessa and Apollo got married and they are also expecting a boy.
Kasey and Sherry made the talk show circuit with their special twins. They run a non-profit organization that helps other lesbian couples conceive through IVF. Brad serves on their board.
And lastly, my father recovered nicely from his heart surgery. He still plays golf a couple times a week and my mom is tickled pink about the pregnancy. I think she may have even forgiven us for eloping.
Read an excerpt of the next book in the Hollywood Hills series,
Split Decision
, featuring Ava Spivey, Hope’s friend and Hollywood’s hottest divorce attorney to the stars. Coming soon in February 2012!
“I want my damn dog back! You have to get her for me.” The Prada-clad woman slammed a tiny rhinestone collar on my desk.
“Please, Mrs. Coulter, have a seat.” I gestured to one of the two empty chairs in front of me.
“I don’t want to sit down. I want Ginger back. That no-good son of a bitch husband of mine hates my dog, and he stole her just to spite me. And I’m pissed off and I’m not agreeing to his piddly settlement. Fifteen million! He cleared that much on his last movie.” She took a deep breath and sat down. “I just want Ginger back,” she repeated.
I called my assistant, Meghan, on the intercom.
“Get Dalton Balzer on the phone, please. And bring Mrs. Coulter some tea.”
“Yes, Mrs. Spivey,” Meghan replied.
Dalton Balzer was the attorney for Mrs. Coulter’s husband. He was the other big divorce attorney in this dog-eat-dog town (no pun intended), and we often went toe-to-toe in court over divorce proceedings. But he was no match for me. Ava Spivey – divorce attorney to who’s who in Hollywood.
Mrs. Blaine Coulter was a twenty-nine-year-old former beauty queen and Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. She also had the pleasure of being Mr. Stephen Coulter’s fourth wife – soon to be ex-wife. Their marriage had lasted only ten months. A first for Stephen. His former wives had lasted much longer. At least more than two years.
Stephen Coulter was one of the biggest television producers in Hollywood. His claim to fame was reality shows. His latest,
The Love Bug
, put a bachelor or bachelorette who was looking for love, in a mansion with twenty other single people. The last girl or guy standing won the bachelor/bachelorette’s heart and a marriage proposal. Maybe. Unfortunately for Blaine Coulter, Stephen liked to sample the goods. Blaine had caught him in a compromising position with one of the contestants.
Meghan’s voice rang in over the phone’s intercom system. “I have Mr. Balzer on line one.”
I picked up the phone and exchanged pleasantries with Dalton Balzer. After explaining the situation about Ginger, the missing pooch, he promised to talk to Stephen and call me back.
I smiled at Blaine. “Mr. Balzer assured me he would speak with Stephen and get Ginger back to you.”
Blaine
seemed to relax a little. While she inspected her well-manicured fingernails, I noticed she was still wearing her five-carat, princess cut, diamond wedding ring. The sunlight cast thousands of sparkles off the ring and tossed them around the room when she moved her hand.
“Thank you, Ava. All I want is the dog back.” She smoothed her long, bleached-blonde hair. “And my twenty-four million dollars. I think that’s a fair amount for all the bullshit I’ve put up with for over a year.”
“You’ve only been married for ten months.” I reminded her.
“Yeah. But we dated for two before we got married in Vegas.” Blaine stood up to leave. “Two million for every month we were together is not much to ask. Especially since Stephen just signed a thirty-million dollar agreement with one of the big networks to move
The Love Bug
to their station.”