Page 19 of Getting Off

Monday

“After this PR disaster,” Dr. Gibson said, his fingers steepled together as he stared at Brooklyn, “I think it’s best if we withdraw your candidacy to run NLVMC’s new traumatic brain injury center.”

Gibson was sitting behind his desk in his office. He watched her with those pitiless eyes. She knew he was judging her, seeing how she dealt with this blow.

“Sir,” she said. “I’m still the most dedicated and qualified candidate. I know this hospital. All the other candidates are from other parts of the country. I’ll help make our new center one of the leading ones in the nation. Imagine what that will do for our funding.”

She was playing her last card here. Trying to tempt Gibson into letting her have her shot at the top slot with the implied promise of better funding, bigger donors.

As final hopes went, it was pretty weak.

He had been against her from the beginning.

They had fundamentally different ideas of what was important in modern medical care.

She wanted to help and heal. Gibson paid more attention to bottom lines, profit margins, donors, fundraisers, and media events.

Dr. Gibson looked unimpressed by her plea.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think you are right for the position at this stage in your development, Dr. Foster.

That was shown very clearly when I viewed that video of your…

reckless joyride—” Dr. Gibson’s nostrils flared in outrage “—and your obscenity. I was forced to make a tough decision.”

“And you decided my private life, my personal fun , should disqualify me from consideration.” She was so angry she could barely talk. This was incredibly unfair.

“All factors of a candidate’s professional and personal life are evaluated when considering a candidate for promotion to this level.

Especially when it reflects upon the hospital.

This is part of your physician’s employment contract.

I’m sorry you are upset. You’re a valuable asset to this medical facility.

But for now, we will focus on what is best for the hospital. At this time, that is not you.”

She wanted to protest. To kick this up to the next level.

But she knew it would be impossible. Pushing it might make Dr. Gibson even more hostile toward her.

He could make her life and career difficult in a thousand different ways.

She didn’t want to lose her position here. It meant too much to her.

So that was it. Her brief fling with wild fun, getting dirty and having a dirty mouth, had ended her chance at the position she desperately wanted. It was so stupid she could hardly believe it was really happening to her.

Dr. Gibson leaned forward, his face earnest. “I find this whole thing regrettable, Dr. Foster. But I know there’s a path forward.

One where you continue to do what you do best—treat patients—and one where the hospital finds the perfectly rounded candidate we need to bring in donors and fundraising and keep North Las Vegas Medical Center untarnished in public opinion. That’s all. Thank you.”

Brooklyn nodded and left his office. Her legs felt numb. She had feared this since the call yesterday had interrupted their dinner. She had barely slept last night because she’d been so worried, and she’d done her best to hide that worry from Lucas and Dylan.

She desperately wanted to see them now, to talk with them, but she couldn’t. She had work to do and patients who were counting on her.

Brooklyn held her head high as she left the administration offices to get back to what she did best. Helping her patients, the people who needed her. With all the gossip that would be flying around the hospital after this, she knew she needed to focus on what really mattered.

She’d had her fun. Now she had to act like a professional again no matter what the cost.

* * *

Dylan wasn’t really a morning person, but this had to be the best morning ever.

He was standing in Lucas Fox’s swanky high-rise office, holding a check in his hands. A check for two hundred grand. It was a sponsorship for him to turn pro.

He’d never been this close to that much money. Dylan had been living hand to mouth for most of his life. But this? This was a game-changer. It was a chance for him to achieve his dream.

“Don’t usually see you speechless,” Lucas said.

He sounded so casual about this. Of course, Lucas probably wrote checks for a hundred grand every other day. But this meant the world to Dylan.

“Things don’t usually shock me like this,” he finally managed to say. “Man, I don’t even have any words.”

Lucas stood from behind his desk and moved closer to Dylan. “I don’t want this to be weird. You earned this. I don’t need thank yous.”

“To hell with that,” Dylan said. He reached out to pull Lucas into an embrace. “Thank you.”

Lucas laughed against him. “You don’t follow directions well, you know that?”

“True. But damn, this is way more money than I need.”

“It’s not.” Lucas seemed so off-hand and certain about this staggering amount of money. “You’ll probably need more. The cost of going pro is significant, but this will get you started. If you need more, we’ll sit down and talk about it.”

He shook his head slowly. “Crashing that fancy party was the best idea I ever had.”

Lucas gave him a huge grin. “We agree on that. But I have a lot of faith in you. You’re a great driver. You’ve got excellent instincts and work ethic. I admire that. This is a sound investment.”

“I can’t wait to tell Brooklyn. What are we doing tonight anyway?”

Lucas’s lips curved into a smile, and his dark eyes lit up with pleasure. “Brooklyn suggested we meet at my place this evening. I think she likes the view.”

“Who wouldn’t? You can see the whole damn strip.” He paused, frowning, his thoughts shifting to the three of them and what they shared. “I want to make this work, Lucas. You feel that way too?”

“Yeah. I want this, you crazy bastard. I want Brooklyn and I want you, and I think the three of us can somehow make this work. It blows my mind to even imagine it. But it’s going to be amazing.”

“Hell, yeah.” He was beaming. He couldn’t help it.

He knew he looked like someone had just handed him two million bucks instead of two hundred grand.

But damn…two hundred grand! “I’m heading back out to the club to talk to my managers.

We’ll be pushing forward with the pro tour.

I’ll send you a business plan and a schedule.

And we’ll need your company logo to add to the paint job too. ”

“Listen to you, sounding professional already,” Lucas said with obvious pleasure. “I can’t wait to see my name at the top of your sponsor list.”

Lucas’s smartphone began to chime. Dylan recognized the ringtone. It was the one Lucas used for Brooklyn’s calls.

“She has great timing,” Dylan said as Lucas pulled out his phone and answered.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Lucas’s eyes lit up with joy every time he was talking to Brooklyn. It always warmed Dylan’s heart to see it. “We were just talking about—”

He cut off and his expression darkened into a scowl.

Not good. Dylan’s stomach seemed to drop somewhere into his boots.

So much for this being the best morning ever.

Something told him the news from Brooklyn wasn’t good.

Last night, she’d been upset. Someone had videoed her driving Bubba.

He thought that was awesome—a sexy doctor who churned up dirt, racing in her free time?

Hell, yeah. But apparently one of her bosses or whatever had a stick shoved sideways up his ass about it.

“I see,” Lucas finally replied. If anything, his scowl had deepened. “I hope you know that’s complete bullshit.”

Dylan mouthed the words What happened? to Lucas when the man glanced his way, but Lucas only shook his head. He was focused on listening to her.

“Dylan’s here with me. You want us to come to see you? Moral support?”

From Lucas’s frustrated expression, she’d turned him down.

There was another long pause as he listened to her. Then he said, “We’ll see you tonight, Brooklyn.”

He disconnected and set the phone down in front of him.

“What happened?” Dylan asked quietly.

“That prick Gibson kicked her out of the running for the trauma center director because of that video of her racing around in Bubba.”

He ran a hand through his hair, feeling as if he’d been punched in the balls. “Shit. She’s losing her chance at her dream because of me.”

Lucas glanced at him, frowning. “Why do you say that?”

“It happened at my club. Those were racers at the place I work.”

“No one had any idea this would get back to some administrator with his tighty-whities in a twist. Gibson wants one of his cronies to have the job. He’s wanted it from the start. He was looking for a reason not to give it to her from the beginning.”

“I feel terrible for her. What the hell are we going to do? There has to be a way to help her.”

A look of grim determination showed on Lucas’s face. “There is. I’m going to call the board of directors. All of them. It’s time to put my money where my mouth is.”

Uh-oh. He didn’t like where this was going. “Brooklyn begged you not to get involved. You promised.”

“Brooklyn has pride. I get that. But she can’t stand against this kind of bullshit alone.

No one can. I’m not going to sit idly by and watch a woman I love be passed over for her dream because some lickspittle administrator thinks she doesn’t glad-hand donors well enough and wants his own buddy to have the job. ”

Dylan began to grin. “So. I’m learning two big things out of this. First, you’re going to go kick somebody’s ass with a bankroll smackdown. Second, you love Brooklyn.”

Lucas met his gaze, his handsome face dead serious. “I love her. I know myself well enough to understand the feeling, even if it hit me like tidal wave out of nowhere. And I’m going to do everything in my power for her.”

Dylan felt warm right in the center of his chest. Like he’d downed a hot chocolate on a cold day.

“Sounds like you and me are on the same track. Because I love her too.” He crossed his arms, grinning.

“And hell, it just so happens, I love you too. You know, since we’re blurting this kind of stuff out right now. ”

He threw that admission out there without fear. Life was wasted if you weren’t bold. If you didn’t pursue what you wanted. And Dylan knew exactly what he wanted.

Lucas stood from his chair and came around the big office desk. Dylan stood his ground, watching. Lucas slipped his arms around him and went in for the kiss. Dylan didn’t submit, but he didn’t dominate either, he simply kissed back with all he had. After all, they were equals.

As the kiss deepened, he could feel the other man’s passion for him too. When Lucas finally drew back, a gentle smile graced his lips. Dylan looked deep into his eyes.

“I love you, too,” Lucas said. “Now, let me fix this so the three of us can focus on what’s important. Us .”