Page 3 of What the Doctor Ordered

K iley

I started to wring my hands into the skirt of my dress, which probably placed a couple of extra wrinkles into the expensive material.

I couldn’t help the nerves very much, though.

I had found myself standing in front of an extravagant club.

When Kramer messaged me and asked if I wanted to meet him at a nightclub, I was expecting a normal dark building with neon lights and bass beats spilling out.

This was far fancier than that.

This building was all glass with a dome-shaped roof. There were snake-like curves undulating across the smooth surface of the geometric obsidian walls, concealing the interior of the club from view. It looked more like a palace from another dimension than a simple nightclub.

I was suddenly thankful that Lily helped me find an outfit. I was wearing a deep maroon dress that had a long slit up one side that stopped at my upper thigh. Crystal earrings, a matching necklace, and strappy heels that I borrowed from Lily completed my look.

My friend knew this particular club well and assured me that I wouldn’t be overdressed. I was finally starting to believe her. I was also starting to feel like, while my dress might match this place, I certainly didn’t.

I backed up a few steps, nearly running into a well-dressed couple on their way in. The man furrowed his eyebrows down at me while the woman sneered in distaste. It was like they could sense that I didn’t belong there.

“Sorry,” I muttered, ducking my head and hurrying past them back down the tree-lined path that I had just come from.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I realized this was probably a mistake. I ducked off the path and between two trees, trying not to look like I was hiding and probably failing miserably.

Pulling my phone out of my glittering clutch, I went to open a rideshare app to call for a ride home when I spotted a text from Lily.

“Don’t even think about trying to back out,” it read. “You can do this. I know things might seem intimidating but all you have to do is walk in there and find your date. He’ll take care of the rest.”

I shook my head in disbelief. Was I really so predictable that Lily already knew I was going to try to head back home?

“You can’t possibly know that,” I texted back.

It only took seconds for her reply to come in. “I do,” she said. “Guys who go to Onyx have a protocol they follow. They take care of their dates. Trust me. Just go in.”

I stood there for several minutes, weighing the options in my mind.

It took a while for the hammering in my chest to lighten up.

When it did, I was able to think more clearly.

Honestly, what did I have to lose? I spent the last few years focusing on my studies and to be honest, I was pretty burnt out.

I needed a little fun, a little adventure.

With that resolve in mind, I straightened my spine and strode up to the club. A burly bouncer met me at the door, looking down at me with clear suspicion on his angular face.

I cleared my throat to recite the line that Kramer told me to say when I got to the door: “I am here to meet with Kramer Bennett. I have his VIP number if needed.”

The stern man’s face immediately brightened, and he gave me a friendly smile. “There’s no need for that, Miss Hart,” he said. “Mr. Bennett informed me of your arrival. Would you like me to have you escorted to him?”

I almost visibly reeled at the man’s complete change in tone and overall countenance. I blinked a couple of times to clear my head. “No, thank you,” I said politely, offering him a modest smile back. “I’m sure I’ll manage on my own.”

“Of course,” he said, dipping his head before stepping aside so that I could pass. “Have a lovely night, Miss Hart.”

I was still recovering from that unexpected interaction as I stepped into the nightclub.

Onyx was a fitting name for the space. It was incredibly dark, with black furniture and what I suspected was black walls and ceilings as well.

Silver lights gave everything an otherworldly glowing effect.

My eyes had to adjust to the strangeness of it, but it was beautiful as well.

I had just started scanning the large space for my date when I spotted him coming toward me.

He was taller than I expected him to be. Those crystal-clear blue eyes that had immediately caught my interest on the app were trained directly on me, as was his bright white smile.

I’m sure my whole face was heating up.

“Good evening, Kiley,” he said, grinning widely at me. Those eyes studied me briefly. “You look lovely tonight. Your pictures really didn’t do you justice.”

I’m sure my cheeks darkened at his comment. I lowered my eyes shyly. “You look handsome as well,” I managed to stutter.

His smile widened and he offered me his arm, which I slipped my hand through as gracefully as I could so that he could lead me further into the club.

I still felt wildly out of place, but I was somehow able to relax as soon as I was with Kramer.

He truly looked like some kind of prince out of a fairytale.

I had to admit that he wasn’t really my type, with his honey blonde hair and princely looks, but I still felt myself blushing around him all the same.

His eyes were a cool blue, but they carried a heat in them that had me squirming.

Stepping a little closer to Kramer, we moved into what had to be the heart of the club. The upbeat dance music suddenly got louder and there were hundreds of people, all dressed in attire that was somehow fitting for both the nightclub and a night on the red carpet.

Several people glanced at Dr Kramer Bennett.

The way the women in particular eyed me as well made me think that he must be wildly popular in this club, which shouldn’t have been too surprising since I he was a VIP member.

Nerves struck me as I realized we were walking right down the middle of the dance floor.

I was not a dancer, not by any means. I could probably move my hips in a way that simulated dance moves, but it was clear that the majority of the club guests actually knew how to dance, and they did it well.

An audible sigh of relief escaped me when we continued past all the dancers and ended up toward the back of the club where an array of tables were set up.

Each table was separated by a lush wall made entirely of spring flowers.

I didn’t need to look too closely to realize that they were real flowers.

“Your table is ready, sir,” said a worker in a pencil skirt and frilly blouse. She nodded politely to me as Kramer gestured for me to take a seat. I felt like I was in a dream when he pulled my seat out for me and then pushed it back in once I was seated.

“This place is beautiful, and so unexpected,” I said conversationally.

“It’s one of my favorite spots,” Kramer said in agreement, sitting down across from me.

My shyness suddenly doubled now that the two of us were alone. “This is nice,” I said, gesturing vaguely around at the private table surrounded by flowers.

Kramer smiled. “I thought it would be nice to have some privacy so that we can get to know each other a little bit more,” he said, chuckling lightly. “I figured it would be hard to talk with all the craziness happening in the rest of the club.”

I laughed too, relaxing a bit at his lightness. “Thank you for inviting me out tonight,” I said. Smirking as I found myself quickly becoming comfortable., I added, “I have to admit, I was worried that you were going to ask me to dance when you led me through all those people.”

“Do you not like to dance?” Kramer asked, one corner of his lips twitching with amusement.

“I wouldn’t go so far to say that I don’t like it,” I replied. “It’s more that I am just unaccustomed to the practice. The circles that I was a part of didn’t partake.”

“I see,” Kramer said with a wry grin. He hummed thoughtfully. “I wonder if I can change your mind about the sport. I imagine you would be quite a fun dance partner.”

“Oh, no, not at all,” I said, waving my hands in front of my face. “Unless you enjoy getting your feet stomped on, of course.”

Kramer laughed and I found that I liked the way the action caused his eyes to light up. “I don’t think I would mind too much if it were your feet stepping on mine.”

I could feel my face heating up all the way to my hairline this time. “You’re awfully smooth,” I said teasingly. “I imagine this is how you talk to all the girls around here.”

Kramer’s eyes darkened slightly, and he leaned forward so that we were eye to eye. “Only the prettiest ones,” he said, and his voice was practically a purr.

I swallowed hard. “You shouldn’t say stuff like that,” I muttered.

Kramer looked genuinely bewildered by that statement. He blinked a couple of times. “Why not?” he asked.

I swallowed again and looked up at him from beneath my lashes. “Because then I might actually start to believe you.”

Kramer’s smirk widened. “And it is my deepest hope that you do believe me,” he said.

“I know it seems soon since we just met in person but when we matched and started talking, I felt like we connected right away. That has never happened to me before. And now that you’re here in front of me, I feel it even more. ”

“I think I know what you mean,” I said shyly.

It was difficult to explain, but I felt the connection with Kramer too.

He was very easy to talk to, and he had a charm that made me feel comfortable right away.

A small part of me wondered if it should be this easy.

We had just met after all, and while we covered a lot of ground during our conversations, I wondered if there should have taken a little more effort.

Then again, maybe this was how true love should be.

Kramer ordered a nice steak dinner for us, and we spent the next couple of hours just chatting and enjoying each other’s company.

Kramer was the eldest of four kids and had felt like he had to grow up fast to help take care of his siblings.

He loved them so much, though, he never resented his parents for it.

“That must have been hard though,” I said, my heart breaking a little as I imagined Kramer as a young boy having to grow up before he was ready to.

“At times it was,” he admitted. “But I am thankful for it as well. My siblings and I are very close because of how we were raised.”

By the end of the dinner, I felt like I knew this man surprisingly well, maybe better than I had known any other guy. It was a strange feeling. Maybe this had been a really good idea after all.

“What do you say we make our way out to the dance floor,” he said suddenly, standing and holding his hand out to me.

My jaw dropped and I just stared up at him. “I’m not a very good dancer, remember?”

Kramer’s gaze didn’t falter from mine. “Trust me,” he said. “It’s all in the leading.”

Maybe it was due to the bottle of champagne that we shared or maybe it was from the high of being on a date for the first time in years, but I stood up and took his hand.