Time of Day

by Nicole Pyland

  “We’re not getting back together, Margie,” she said.

  “Back together?” Margie’s eye got big.

  “She didn’t tell you?” Riley asked her.

  “Elena, what’s going on?” Margie asked her sister.

  Riley moved aside to give them the chance to look at one another.

  “Nothing.” Elena moved next to Riley and placed her hand on the small of her back. “We’re just going through some stuff right now, but we’ll be fine.”

  “We’re not–” Riley stopped herself, remembering they weren’t alone. “Margie, you don’t need this right now. Why don’t we go and let you get some rest?”

  “Riley, I’m calling you when I get out of this bed and they give me my phone back.”

  “And we can talk as long as you want,” Riley told her and kissed her forehead. “I’m flying right back home. Will you be okay?”

  “It’s just a broken leg with some cuts and bruises,” Margie said.

  “Is it?” Riley met Elena’s eyes. “Elena, can I talk to you in the hall?”

  “Of course,” the woman said and smiled.

  Riley smiled at Margie, left the hospital room, and stood in the hall, waiting for Elena to emerge. When she did, Riley thought about screaming at her in frustration, but when two doctors walked between them, she remembered her surroundings.

  “Are you fucking kidding me, Elena?” she asked softly.

  “Riley, I didn’t lie. She was in a car accident. When I called you, I didn’t know how bad it was. They told me she was in surgery. They were worried they’d be close to the femoral artery, with the break. I honestly thought my kid sister might die. I called you, and you came.” Elena moved toward Riley and placed her hands on Riley’s hips.

  “We’re in public, Elena,” Riley replied instinctively.

  “There’s no one watching us,” Elena said. “You came, Riley.”

  “I came here for Margie.” Riley moved away from the hands trying to touch her. It felt so wrong having Elena’s hands on her body. They’d spent three years together. But now, the idea of Elena touching her made her want to shower. “She’s okay. I’m glad she’s okay.”

  “She is, and now that you’re here, we can really talk. I’ve missed you, Riley. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make this work.”

  “There’s nothing to make work. God, Elena… You don’t get it, do you? We’re not together anymore. We broke up.”

  “What if I don’t run for office?”

  Riley stared into Elena’s eyes, trying to figure out if she was just saying that or if she actually meant it. She realized then how wrong she’d been. She’d never been able to read this woman. She’d fallen for her tricks time and again. This trip was one of the many times she’d ended up doing something she didn’t want to do because she’d given into Elena.

  “What are you even talking about? You are running.”

  “Not for long,” Elena said. “I’m giving it up for you.”

  “Don’t,” Riley shot back. “I need to move up my flight. You can tell Margie to call me whenever she wants.”

  “Riley, I love you. I’m giving up the governorship to be with you. I’ll move to Tahoe. We’ll buy that house.”

  Riley pulled her phone out of her purse to find the airline app. She ignored Elena for a moment until Elena’s hand moved to her cheek. She looked up at her and stepped away from her hand.

  “What really happened?” Riley asked her.

  “What?”

  “Elena, you wanted this for some reason. There’s no way you’ve just given it up for me.”

  “I just told you; I love you,” she replied.

  “Maybe you do, but not enough to give me everything I need.”

  “I’ll move to Tahoe,” Elena said.

  “I don’t love you, Elena. I’m not in love with you anymore.” She shrugged. “I thought you understood that.”

  “I thought you needed some time,” Elena replied defensively. “That you’d get on board with the campaign. It’s governor, Riley.”

  “I thought you weren’t running,” Riley fired back.

  “I’m not.” The woman lowered her head.

  “And I repeat, what happened?” Riley asked and lifted Elena’s head with a thumb and forefinger to her chin.

  “The party decided to go with someone else.”

  “Why?”

  “I told a couple of advisors about you. It didn’t go well.”

  “Why’d you do that? We’re not together. You could have married some rich white guy and completed the perfect picture.”

  “I don’t want some rich, white guy. I want you, Riley.” There were tears in her eyes. “I miss you. I didn’t mean to mislead you about Margie. I called you in panic. I know I messed up, but I’m ready now. Riley, I’m ready now.”

  CHAPTER 18

  “Thanks, Morgan.”

  “You’re welcome. Where’s your doctor? Has she made another house call?” Morgan asked as she laid Kinsley’s ankle back on the pillow before she moved to the chair in the living room. “Dr. Courtney Ash. It’s such a cool name.”

  “She’s not my doctor,” Kinsley replied.

  “She’s been by a couple of times, right?”

  “To talk about office buildings for her medical practice,” Kinsley explained.

  “And ask you out. Didn’t she do that, too?”

  “She did, yes. I told her no. I’m still trying to figure things out with Riley.”

  “What’s to figure out?” Morgan took a drink of her bottled water. “Riley’s in Dallas. You’re here. You told her you weren’t ready.”

  “And she ran back to her ex. Turns out, I was right to be concerned,” Kinsley said.

  “Her friend was in a car accident, James. Remy and I are friends outside of my past relationship with Reese. If something ever happened to her, I’d be at that hospital in a heartbeat. When you end a relationship, you don’t break up with the family, too.”

  “I don’t fault her for going to visit a friend, Morgan.”

  “You just fault her for having an ex; which all of us – including you – do have, by the way.”

  “It’s been two days. She hasn’t called. She’s sent one text message telling me Margie was doing well and was getting out of the hospital.”

  “Well, that’s good news,” Morgan said.

  “It is, but she’s not here. She’s still there. What am I supposed to think of that?”

  “You don’t really have the right to be jealous, James. You’re not together. Because you’re not together, you might have just driven her back into the arms of her weird, closeted ex-girlfriend.”

  “You are not cheering me up.” Kinsley pointed at her.

  “I came here for dinner and a movie. I didn’t come here to cheer you up.” Morgan pointed back at her. “And are you really not going to go out with the doctor?”

  “My ankle’s doing a lot better. I’m off the crutches. I just have to keep it bandaged for another day or two as a precaution. I told her I’d meet up with her to go see three of the properties she’s interested in.”

  “When?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “But you’re not going out with her?”

  “No, but she did mention lunch,” Kinsley informed. “She’s a client, though.”

  “Riley was a client. You still had a thing for her.”

  “I like Courtney. She’s great,” Kinsley said. “I don’t know what I’m doing, honestly.”

  “You’re attracted to her?”

  “A little.”

  “But you like Riley?”

  “Yes.”

  “But you’re not ready to date Riley?”

  “I’m not convinced Riley’s ready to date me.”

  “Bullshit, James.” Morgan stood abruptly. “You’re actually pissing me off now.”

  “What? Why?”

  “You have two women into you. One of them is a hot doctor. I know she’s hot; I looked her up online.”
She paused. “One of them is a hot lawyer. Yes, I think Riley’s hot. I thought that before you did, because I’ve known her forever. You have two women interested in you, and you can’t make a damn decision. Meanwhile, I’m over here single, waiting for just one woman to be interested in me enough to want all the things I want. I can’t find that, but you can find two, and you’re complaining about it.”

  “Morgan, this isn’t my fault.”

  “Oh, yes, it is,” Morgan replied with another finger-point. “Who do you want, James? If you want Courtney, go out with her. Give it a shot. If you want Riley, stop acting like you don’t. Take the leap and try, James.”

  ◆◆◆

  “I like the second place we saw the best,” Courtney said as she ate her salad. “I think I’d like the third one as well, but I am concerned that it would only have three exam rooms. The second place has enough room for six.”

  “That’s true,” Kinsley replied. “But how soon would you need six rooms? You could easily remodel the third space and include at least five rooms within the year. The good thing about that place is that it’s unattached, so you could always build out. The second place is sandwiched between two locations. You’d max out at six exam rooms.”

  “I’d like to bring on a partner soon. I love volunteering at the clinic.” Courtney smiled. “It has its benefits.”

  Kinsley smiled back at the obvious remark about meeting her at the said clinic.

  “Outside of meeting new, interesting people, I love the work. We get a lot of tourists, and I enjoy meeting them, finding out where they’re from, what brought them to Lake Tahoe. My practice is really locals only, and I love that, too. But if I expand, I’d need a partner. I can’t volunteer two days a week forever. Right now, I’m in the black financially, but if I keep doing this and not expand, I won’t be.”

  “So, the money to expand exists, but you would run out of it quickly after if you don’t have another doctor?” Kinsley asked and sipped her iced tea. “Let’s check out the third location, then. I think the first one’s out. We’ll compare the second and the third again after we’ve seen them both. The second one is $20,000 over the asking price. The third is, obviously, cheaper, but it would require work pretty immediately, it sounds,” she said. “You’ll have to weigh those options.”

  “I guess so,” the woman replied and lowered her fork. “Can we talk about that other thing?”

  “The roof on the second place? They said they would include a repair in the asking.”

  “No, Kinsley.” Courtney chuckled lightly. “That thing where I keep asking you out, and you say you’ll think about it. Then, you said no, but… I don’t know, it just feels like there might be something here. Am I completely misreading this? I’ve done that before.”

  “You’re not misreading it,” Kinsley admitted. “When I first saw you, I thought you were attractive.”

  “Attractive?” Courtney laughed. “Really?”

  “Beautiful. Is that better?” Kinsley laughed back. “You’re beautiful; you know that.” She paused. “And I’ve enjoyed spending time with you.”

  “But?”

  “But nothing,” she replied. “I have. I think you’re smart and funny. I know you’re a nice person, since you drove all the way to meet me in South Lake the other day, because of my ankle, which is healing well. So, I know you’re a good doctor, too.”

  “A sprain is pretty basic,” Courtney replied with a wide smile. “I can handle a lot more than that,” she added.

  Kinsley wasn’t sure if there was something more to that comment, but she decided to breeze right past it.

  “There’s someone else,” she said after a long moment.

  “Riley?”

  “How’d you know?” Kinsley asked.

  “Well, her face, when she picked you up at that bar, was a pretty big indicator. Her face again, when she saw me at your house, was another one.”

  “Her face?” Kinsley asked as she laughed.

  “She’s totally into you,” Courtney said. “That’s obvious. I just wasn’t sure if you were into her. You told me you were single. If you would have told me about her, I wouldn’t have asked you out. I definitely wouldn’t have asked you out three times.” She shrugged. “I’m not a masochist.”

  “I am single. The story between Riley and I is long,” she said.

  “We have all day,” Courtney replied as she picked her fork back up.

  “I don’t really think that’s fair to you.”

  “Because I like you?”

  “I wouldn’t have put it that way, but yes, I guess.” Kinsley picked up her own fork.

  “I do like you,” Courtney replied. “As soon as I saw you looking all adorable in the waiting room, with your hair pulled back and slightly messy, I thought you were cute.”

  “You thought me sitting there with a swollen ankle and bleeding from my leg was cute?” Kinsley asked.

  “Yes,” Courtney replied. “I still think you’re cute.”

  “But I’m all healed,” Kinsley said with a laugh. “You’re still interested?”

  “I am, but it appears you’re not,” the woman said and pushed her salad away. “Which is fine; I can move you into the friend zone.”

  “Wow. That didn’t take long,” Kinsley teased. “I guess you didn’t like me that much after all.”

  Courtney stared at her for a moment and replied, “I’m not great at relationships. Through college and med school, I had to be so focused on studying and preparing that I didn’t really do them. I had one-night stands, mostly, with a few, let’s call them, repeat sessions. Since I’ve been in my own practice, it’s been much of the same, if I’m being honest. Rarer, though.” She paused to take a drink. “I’m at a point in my life where I do want more. But I have to tell you that, right now, if you told me you didn’t want anything serious, you could just have some fun with me tonight. I’d absolutely be interested and would give you my address right now.”

  Kinsley swallowed hard at that, “Oh.”

  “You are totally sexy to me, Kinsley James. I would happily have one night of fun with you. And if it repeated, that would be great. If not, that would be fine, too.”

  “But you said you’re ready to–”

  “Settle down? I am. I do want to find someone to share my life with. But if you can’t give me that, I’d be fine with whatever else you could give me.” Her eyes darkened. Kinsley knew that look. Courtney’s eyes traveled down the part of Kinsley’s body she could see with the table between them. “But if that’s not for you, I can put you in the friend zone.” Then, she added, “For now.”

  ◆◆◆

  “Jesus, she said that?” Reese asked her.

  “She did.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?” Kinsley said as she helped Reese carry bowls to the dining room table for dinner. “She is hot, Reese.”

  “But you didn’t want to have sex with her?”

  “No, I did.” Kinsley sat at the table across from her. “I’m not blind.”

  “But you’re here.” Reese picked up her glass and took a drink. “Riley?”

  “I’m giving up the possibly hot sex for a woman that left for Dallas three days ago,” Kinsley said.

  “But Riley wants you, James. It’s obvious.”

  “I know that. I want her, too. I just also want her to want only me, and I don’t know if she’s there yet,” she replied.

  “You love her, don’t you?”

  “Did Morgan tell you that?” Kinsley shot back.

  “What? No. Morgan’s been super busy at work lately. I don’t think I’ve seen her since that night at the bar. Why?”

  “She thinks I’m in love with Riley,” Kinsley said.

  “She’s right, though.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because, you just gave up a night of potentially hot sex with a beautiful woman, and you can’t stop checking your phone for a text from Riley. I’m guessing at th
at last part, but you’ve looked at your phone ten times since you’ve been here.” She nodded toward Kinsley’s phone, which she’d placed on the table.

  “I just need to go out with her, don’t I?”

  “Who? Riley or Courtney?”

  CHAPTER 19

  Riley walked into the office, hearing the bell chime overhead, and looked at Kinsley, who sat behind her desk. She smiled wide. She couldn’t help it. She hadn’t seen Kinsley in five days. She held up the cardboard cup holder with two coffees and the white paper bag with two bagels. Kinsley’s eyes met her own, and she smiled softly.

  “Can you take a break?” Riley asked and moved toward her.

  “Yes,” Kinsley replied. “Have a seat.” She motioned to the chair in front of her desk. “How’s your friend?”

  Riley placed a cup of coffee on Kinsley’s desk, along with the bag of bagels, before she took her own from the holder and sat in the chair opposite her.

  “She’s good. She’s out of the hospital.”

  “That’s good,” Kinsley said.

  Something was off. Things felt different now. Awkward would be the word Riley would use to describe this exchange.

  “So, how have you been?”

  “How have I been?” Kinsley’s eyebrow lifted.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to do this. You seem weird.”

  “You left to spend time with your ex-girlfriend and her family. How am I supposed to seem?”

  “I left because Margie is a close friend. I stayed because even though her initial injury seemed fine after the surgery, she ended up with complications and an infection. They released her once they got that under control. I stayed to make sure she was going to be okay. Then, I caught the first flight back home.”

  “Did you see Elena?” Kinsley asked and lifted the coffee to her lips.

  “Yes.” Riley took a sip of her own scalding coffee and regretted it immediately. “Did you see Courtney?”

  “Yes,” Kinsley replied. “I helped her settle on an office.”

  “I helped Elena settle on something, too,” Riley said.

  Kinsley’s smile disappeared. She lowered her coffee cup to the desk.