Page 75 of Goalie Secrets
“Before I go, let’s decide where to have dinner.”
“I figured my place? I could grab something on the way home. You’re always cooking for me. Let me take care of dinner this time.”
“Or maybe I can take you to a nice place for dinner. There’s a fusion restaurant that—”
“Jeremy.” Her mouth is in a stern line, the kind that exaggerates her dimples. It broadcastsNoeven if she doesn’t say it out loud.
Vanya’s eyes look up at me pleadingly. She’s sorry that we can’t have more, that we can’t have anything that resembles a date in public. Nothing can link us to each other beyond our connection as doctor and patient. We’ve had this discussion before. It isn’t the first time I’ve wanted to treat her to a romantic dinner. Each time I’m shot down.
Apparently, my type is a brilliant doctor with curves for days and adorable dimples who refuses to be seen with me in public.
“That’s fine,” I say, though it costs me a chunk of pride. “Text me when you’re back, OK?”
She bites down on her lower lip. “You’re upset at me.”
“I’m not.” It’s a partial lie. I could never be mad at Vanya, because she’s always been up front about her conditions. No games, no stringing me along. Our fling is forbidden and temporary.
I’m upset at myself for wanting more.
“Jeremy, I’m asking too much of you.” She reaches over to graze my hair again.
You’re not asking enough of me, Vanya.
This woman could ask me anything, dare me to risk any fallout, as long as she understands how hard I’m falling for her. But I know, in my heart, that asking for more is only going to shut her down.
Closing my eyes, I focus on the aroma of her wrist and the gentleness of her fingers. I recall laying at her feet and resting my cheek on her thigh. Ironically, that feeling of contentment, ofpermanence, is exactly what won’t last. I get fleeting moments and nothing more.
Her phone buzzes on the floor near her desk. It must have dropped when I switched our places. She stares at it without moving, like the name MOM on the screen is radioactive.
“I’ll, um, call her back later,” she mutters, bending to scoop it up. As she picks it up, her finger grazes the screen. Unexpectedly, the call connects.
“Smooth move,” I tease.
Vanya isn’t smiling, though. A sharp voice cuts through the speaker. “Iknowyou’re there, Vanya. Don’t you dare hang up.”
She winces, holding the phone like it’s a bite of food she knows will make her puke.
“Mother,” she says finally, clipped and cold. She straightens, brushing imaginary dust off her blouse, trying to pull herself together. The shift in her mood isn’t subtle. The way her shoulders tighten, her jaw locks, and her brows crease, you’d think she’s preparing for a hostile ambush instead of a phone call.
I watch quietly, perched on the edge of her desk.
“Yes, I’m at work,” she says after a pause. “No, I, um, I have a patient with me right now.”
There’s another pause. “Yes, of course I have a few minutes for you,” Vanya says with a conciliatory tone. “What’s going on?”
There’s a long, insistent stream of words from the other end of the line. I can’t hear the speaker clearly, but I don’t need to because she sounds like she’s barking at the end of the line. The way Vanya slumps as if to make herself smaller tells me she’s received this one-sided scolding before.
“You’re visiting. Here?” She’s shrill, neck muscles strained. “Butwhy? I mean of course you can. But why wouldn’t you just tell me the big news now? What difference would it make to wait a few weeks?”
Her mother’s voice rises again, sharp enough that I catch the tail end of something along the lines of “not everything has to be convenient foryou.”
Vanya presses her lips together like she’s holding back a retort. Finally, she exhales through her nose and says, “Yes, Mother, of course I’ll be happy to see you. Please send me the travel details.”
She ends the call without waiting for a response, tossing the phone onto her desk with more force than necessary.
“Whoa,” I say, standing up. “What was that about?”
She exhales sharply, then crosses her arms over her chest. “It’s my mom. She says she has ‘big news’ and is coming to visit but wouldn’t tell me what it’s about.”