Page 32 of My Heart's Doctor

“Yes, let’s go.”

After our dance, I hadn’t seen Cavaller again, so I assumed he had left the party.

“Thanks for the invitation,” I said, as I was saying goodbye to my friend who had driven me to my building in his car.

“Did you have a good time?”

“Yes, of course. The gathering was very fun, the food delicious, and the company unmatched.”

“Are you referring to me or to your patient’s dad?” he asked, giving me a wink.

“Stop with that. I’m leaving,” I said, opening the car door to get out.

“Promise me that if anything happens, you’ll tell me.”

“I promise, but don’t wait sitting down for something to happen because you’ll get tired.”

“We’ll see, beautiful, we’ll see.”

We said goodbye with a kiss on the cheek, and I headed up to my apartment. When I arrived, I took off my shoes, poured myself a glass of cold water, and sat down on the living room couch to think about what I had experienced with that man. I was in the darkness, the living room only illuminated by the moonlight coming through the large window, and that made me feel a great sense of peace.

The doorbell startled me. I stood up, convinced it was Orson, but I had no idea what would have made him come back.

Chapter 9

“The decision of the first kiss is the most crucial in any love story, because it contains within itself the surrender.”

—Emil Ludwig

William

Iwas furious and couldn’t control it, furious at seeing her with that guy and furious with myself for feeling this way. I had no right to feel like this, yet I couldn’t control it. The people accompanying me at my assigned table were talking about all sorts of things, but I couldn’t focus on anything, I could only look at her. When Devon and her companion moved away from the group and walked toward their table, I couldn’t help but look her over. That dress looked incredible on her and her beauty was so striking that it seemed almost unreal. I noticed how all the men looked at her with admiration and desire, and that pissed me off even more. I was sure she hadn’t seen me, and I was grateful for that, because it bothered me to have to greet her and be introduced to the idiot who was with her. After being there for a while, I saw them head to the dance floor and dance holding hands. I had never seen her laugh like that, so sincere and openly, it was obvious that the guy amused her and that she was happy. I was entranced by her smile, her beauty, and the light in her eyes.

“Beautiful woman, without a doubt,” said Ernesto, one of the businessmen sitting next to me, bringing me back to reality.

At that moment I realized I was so absorbed in watching her that I hadn’t paid attention to anything or anyone. They had probably spoken to me and I hadn’t responded.

“She is, but I was looking at her because she’s my daughter’s doctor,” I said, annoyed that he had caught me staring at her that way.

“And she’s a doctor! She’s the perfect woman,” he said, smiling, and I think if looks could kill, Ernesto would already be several feet underground, “but it seems there’s already a lucky man who has won her heart. Definitely a man with luck.”

“It seems so. Excuse me.”

Hearing him talk like that was the last straw for my patience, so I decided to stand up and go talk to a group of acquaintances who were standing a few feet from where I was.

I approached the group and found them talking about soccer, and since I was a fan of the sport, I joined the conversation and managed to calm down a bit. Several minutes had passed when I looked back at the dance floor, and at that moment I saw them heading toward a drink bar located very close to where I was. I followed her with my gaze and saw when she said something to the guy accompanying her, smiled, and continued on, I assumed she was heading to the restrooms, but if so, she would pass very close to me and it would be almost impossible for her not to see me. I didn’t take my eyes off her and I could see the exact moment when she saw me and... her smile vanished. Why did she always look at me so seriously? Why didn’t she greet me? Devon Dulcet had passed right in front of me as if I didn’t exist, but that wasn’t going to stand.

I followed her with my gaze and, when she entered the restroom, I headed there. To avoid looking like a stalker, though perhaps I was behaving like one, I stood next to the men’s restroom door waiting for her to come out.

I had to wait several minutes and see several women come out before I saw her walk through the door. She didn’t see me because she went in the opposite direction from where I was, so I took a few steps and grabbed her arm to prevent her from continuing on her way.

She immediately turned around and, when our eyes met again, I think the impact was mutual because we were both speechless. For a few seconds that seemed eternal, we just looked into each other’s eyes, until I decided to greet her to break the ice, though I preferred to return to formality.

“Dr. Dulcet.”

“Mr. Cavaller,” she responded.

“It seems that lately we’re destined to run into each other, but I never imagined finding you at an event like this,” I said, because that’s what I was thinking, but seeing her expression, it seemed that these weren’t the right words to start the conversation.