You'll Think of Me

by Franco, Lucia

  “Mr.—”

  “I said, Nate,” he reminded her in a deep, authoritative voice. He popped off the exam table and took a step toward her. The room suddenly felt very small as she backed up and hit the closed door.

  “Nate, please sit down and we’ll discuss why you’re here,” Olivia said as calmly, trying to hide the nervousness in her. She’d never been in a situation like this before. Just from the two times she had been in Nate’s presence, he hadn’t taken the word ‘no’ very well. Nate’s presence was strong, and she had found herself bending and agreeing both times.

  It’s in the eyes, she thought. It had to be. Those sexy damn eyes were draped by his silky kohl lashes. They were a striking yellowish-brown color that reminded her of a lion, slowly calculating when to pounce and mark his claim.

  “Nate, please sit back down and we’ll discuss why you’re here, and two weeks early at that,” Olivia requested again, but this time it came out in a throaty whisper. She threw a hand up in the air in an effort to stop him. He had taken three steps and was standing directly in front of her now. She craned her neck to look up at him and her brows angled toward each other, pleading her request.

  “No,” he defied. “You know, I’ve been thinking of you since I last saw you. You took off that night before I had a chance to get your number.”

  “I had a friend in town visiting. We’d been out for hours and wanted to go home.”

  A fine mixture of insult and challenge clouded Nate’s eyes. “Feisty little thing aren’t you,” he drawled quietly. “I’d like to see you again. I want to take you out to dinner.”

  Huffing loudly, Olivia shook her head and blinked her eyes, shutting them longer than usual. How many times had she said no?

  “That’s not a good idea. I’m sorry but it’s just not going to happen.”

  “Oh, I think it’s a great idea, actually,” he countered, leaning over her. There was something very appealing about Nate that she found hard to resist.

  “See,” he drew closer. “I think it’s a perfect idea. We do drinks and dinner, or whatever you’d like. I’m pretty laid back. I just want to see you.”

  Olivia was rendered speechless. She couldn’t find her voice with him standing so close to her. Think. Think. Think.

  “Nate,” she said softly, but he placed his index finger on her lips to quiet her.

  “Shhh, just say yes.”

  Olivia shook her head. Her heart was racing a mile a minute and she could feel little beads of sweat forming on the back of her neck. Between the closeness of Nate, his cologne that was pouring off of him and his alluring eyes, Olivia was a wreck. Not to mention that someone could walk in at any given moment and see the predicament she was in.

  Nate glided his finger back and forth over her bottom lip, never losing eye contact. His finger was warm to the touch. Inch by inch, he drew closer until she could smell his cinnamon breath. Figures, she thought. He’s hot as sin and tastes like the devil. He angled his head slightly to the right and inhaled, breathing her in as his eyes drifted shut. Olivia released a heavy breath and a moment later he opened his eyes.

  Shit. She knew what those eyes said.

  Enunciating each word, he demanded, “What. Do. You. Say? Hmm?”

  Panic started to set in, pushing out any thrill she felt earlier. In her haste to get him to back off, she agreed.

  “Okay,” she breathed against his finger that was still pressed on her lips.

  A wicked grin slowly crept across Nate’s face, and all she could think of was the proverbial cat eating the canary. Speckles of triumph danced in his eyes. Before Olivia could react, Nate leaned in quickly and snagged a kiss. He grabbed her nape, crushing her lips to his then pulled away.

  “Are you fucking crazy?!”

  “I’m sorry, but I had to,” Nate spoke up before she could even blink.

  Flustered, Olivia tried to regain her composure. “You need to leave now. I have patients that actually need me.”

  “I need you.”

  “No you don’t. What could you possibly need from me?”

  Nate deadpanned. “Liv.”

  “What?” she snapped.

  “I need your number to call you for our date,” he stated in an obvious tone.

  Olivia bit her tongue and took out her prescription pad. Tearing a sheet in half, she wrote her phone number on the back and handed it to him.

  A shit-eating grin tipped the sides of his mouth as if he’d just won the battle and war. “Thanks, Doc. Now don’t try and ignore my calls, or else I’ll have to come back here.” He winked at her then stepped back.

  Olivia sighed loudly. She threw the pad on the exam table and crossed her arms, frustrated that she let her guard down. Her eyes were sharp as knives as they locked with his and didn’t move. She was fuming and he needed to see it.

  Olivia hadn’t wavered for a man like this in some time, and certainly never for a patient. It had been so long, no one affected her like this. Sweet Jesus, she barely knew the man but Olivia was physically attracted to Nate, there was no question about it. One dinner and that was it. She couldn’t allow any more than that.

  “So I take it nothing is new with your migraines and the medication is working just fine then?”

  “Yup. Working great, like a charm. I’ll be calling you later, darlin’.” He smiled and left the room, saluting her with a two-finger goodbye.

  Later that evening, a rainstorm had Olivia stuck in her car outside of her house. What started as a sun shower, ultimately turned into a torrential downpour to the point that she could barely see anything in front of her.

  As Olivia looked out her car window, she watched as the reddish-brown dirt formed giant terracotta colored puddles around her walkway from what seemed to equate to cannon-ball sized raindrops.

  Realizing the rain wasn't going to let up anytime soon, Olivia removed her heels. She slipped her purse over her shoulder and gathered her charts and take-out dinner. She could smell the aroma of barbecued ribs slathered in homemade sauce wafting from the carryout bag. It made her mouth water and stomach growl.

  Opening up her car door, Olivia got out and slammed it shut with her hip. The rain soaked her immediately. Thunder boomed across the humid sky making her pump her legs faster. As she made it onto the large wraparound porch, Olivia heard the phone ringing from inside the house while she slid the key into the door to unlock it.

  “Hang on, buddy, give me one second,” Olivia said to her dog.

  “Hang on, hang on, hang on, I'm coming don't hang up,” she mumbled, dropping her stuff onto the kitchen table with a clunk while reaching for the phone.

  “Hello,” she answered breathlessly not bothering to check the caller ID.

  “Hey, honey.”

  “Hi, Mom.”

  Olivia turned and leaned against the sink, watching heavy droplets of water slide down her dark hair and drip onto her chest.

  “How's work been going for you? Finally settled in the office?”

  “Actually, it's great. I want to talk more but can I call you back in a few? I just walked in.”

  “Sure thing, sweetie. Call when you can, but not too late because your father likes to go to bed early you know.”

  “Right... I'll get back to you soon. Bye, Mom.” Olivia hung up before her mom could respond. She was chilled to the bone and needed to get the wet clothes off fast. Before she could reach her bedroom, the phone rang again.

  “Did you forget to tell me something? I'm still soaking wet and my clothes are clinging to me. Is everything okay?” She was breathless from sprinting back to the phone.

  “Well, are you now. Tell me, why are you so wet?”

  Olivia stopped walking, wondering who the mysterious caller with the deep voice was.

  “I'm sorry, but who is this?”

  “Who do you want me to be?”

  Not in the mood for games, Olivia got right to the point.

  “Listen, I think you have the wrong number. I’m hanging up—�
�

  “Hang on, It's...Nate.”

  Oh.

  “Oh… Hi... I didn’t recognize your voice. How are you?” She was completely caught off guard and hadn't expected him to call so soon.

  “Well, well, darlin’. You finally greeted me the right way. I'm doing just fine but I take it you're not?”

  “I just ran into the house and its pouring outside.”

  “That it is... So what are you doing?”

  Sighing inwardly, she said, “As you heard, my clothes are soaking wet and I need to get changed so I need to hang up.”

  “Can't do two things at once? Or are you trying to get rid of me? Just change with me on the phone. I'll wait.”

  Nate had to be the most exasperating man alive!

  “You know, I hardly even know you and I find you to be very demanding, pushy and quite frustrating all at the same time. Anyone ever tell you that?” Olivia flicked the light on in her room, walked to her dresser and rummaged through her drawers.

  “Yeah, and those are just my good traits.” A deep rumble of laughter flowed through the line that made her warm up a little. She kind of liked the sound of his laugh.

  “Oh, great... I can only imagine,” Olivia said as a small, half-smile formed on her face. “I need to put the phone down. Hang on.”

  “Go on, princess. I can wait as long as you need me to. I've got time.”

  My God. Olivia rolled her eyes. The guy was seriously laying it on thick.

  “Is this how you talk to all the women in your life?”

  “Nope. Just the ones I want.”

  Olivia shook her head. This guy was unbelievable. Arrogant, cocky and stubborn, and yet there she was talking to him. She put the phone down and peeled the sopping wet clothes off. She then quickly pulled on some lounge pants and a shirt, tied up her frizzy, wet waves in a messy ballet bun and picked up the phone.

  “Alright, I'm done,” she said, breathing into the phone.

  “If you have such a hard time taking your clothes off, you could've just asked for me to stop by and help. I work with my hands, you know.”

  Olivia couldn’t stop the smile that involuntarily spread across her face. Nate was enjoying this conversation a little too much, but in an odd way, so was she.

  “Will you just stop with all your smooth one liners already? You got me on the phone. What more do you want?”

  She bristled with agitation and her stomach rumbled as hunger set in. She was starting to get moody and wanted to eat. It had been a long day at the office and she was ready to cut back and relax.

  “Alright, alright. I wanted to call to set up our date, obviously. What? Didn't think I'd call so soon?”

  “Honestly, no. Men don't usually call so soon. Or ever,” she said as she opened the crinkled bag of steaming ribs. Thankfully they were still hot. She inhaled. Delicious.

  “Really?” Nate said. He almost sounded surprised. “How could they not call you? You're beautiful.”

  Olivia paused. She hadn't been called beautiful in... Well, she couldn’t remember. She knew she was pretty, but having lived in New York City around so many women who looked like they were fresh off the runway, it felt hard to compete. It wasn't in her nature for her hair to be perfectly styled, her makeup caked on, or eat an orange a day to be a size zero, or size six for that matter. She had an hour glass figure; wide, full hips and an ass. She was considered hefty by New York City standards. Skinny girls could go starve themselves on lettuce while she ate her ribs and sweet rolls for all she cared.

  “Is that all you see when you look at me? My looks? I guess so since we've hardly had an actual conversation.”

  “No. I noticed your eyes the moment I met you,” he refuted in a serious tone. “They’re full of passion, and not the passion that I'm sure you're thinking I’m thinking of, either,” he said with a good natured laugh. “Passion, as in you care about your job, your patients. Like you truly love what you do. It’s a rare thing. So many people work because of the money aspect, but it didn’t feel like that with you. I also saw a hint of something else in your eyes… I’m not sure what, but I intend to find out. Your eyes have a lot to say. They make me want to know more about you.”

  The honesty in Nate’s voice rendered her momentarily speechless. He managed to peel back a layer of the thick skin she grew while living in New York with just a matter of a few words.

  “Hello?”

  Clearing her throat, Olivia answered, “Yes?”

  “Thought I lost you there for a minute.”

  “No…I just wasn’t expecting that, is all,” Olivia replied truthfully then took a bite of her bread. She kind of felt bad for giving him a hard time now. Maybe she needed to ease off him a little and not jump down his throat so fast.

  “So you free on Friday night? I told you I’d like to get to know you better.”

  There was an underlying magnetism to Nate she would bet women hardly fought. He was uncharted waters for her, ones she wanted to take a dive into. Olivia couldn’t figure him out, yet she was intrigued by Nate’s relentless nature. Her head was having a tug of war contest with her body, contradicting each other every chance they could. She couldn’t quite grasp it all.

  “Yes, Friday is good with me. I’m warning you now, I like to eat. I’m no salad girl. That’s for the birds.”

  “Well, don’t you know the way to a man’s heart?” Nate busted out the first real laugh she’d heard from him yet. It was a full-bodied laugh that went right through her, almost relaxing her tense muscles and her mood. She couldn’t stop the smile that lit up her face. Dare she say she actually looked forward to the end of the week?

  “Where are we going so I know how to dress?”

  “Baby, you can wear whatever you want. But you better have on some high heels.”

  Each day quickly turned from dawn to dusk and before she could blink, her Friday night date with Nate was set to start in just an hour.

  Olivia's stomach was doing flips as she turned off the shower and stepped out. She was wound tight as a coil, but actually looked forward to going out with Nate. It had been months since she’d been on a date and she couldn't remember a time she had been this anxious.

  She did not know Nate very well, though she could tell he was the kind to always have his way. She was sure of that. None of the men in New York had such a demanding personality as Nate did.

  Drying off, Olivia decided a glass of wine would help calm her nerves or she’d be a ball of stress the whole night. She padded across the plush carpet until she reached the kitchen where she grabbed the white wine from the fridge and poured herself a glass. Taking a sip while walking back down the hallway and into her bedroom, Olivia went straight into her closet and pulled out a black pair of heels. They were special ones she’d spent a small fortune on when she lived in New York, and because of that she hardly wore them. She treasured them. Sexy high heels, but surprisingly comfortable.

  Olivia pulled out a little black dress from her closet, one that she was dying to wear again. The dress clung to her body's every curve, making her feel extremely sexy. She placed her wine glass down on the dresser and moved on to fixing her hair. Olivia defused her waves to tame them and then applied her makeup; just some black liquid liner, light pink blush, and lots of mascara coating her lashes. Finally, she slipped on her dress and she was done.

  Closing her eyes, Olivia grimaced. She couldn't believe she was doing this. It was going to be a one-time deal. In fact, she planned to tell Nathaniel she agreed with him; he needed to find a new doctor. That would be for the best.

  She took the last sip of her wine and opened up her jewelry box. She pushed the accessories around looking for something simple, then stopped.

  Lying underneath a pile of jewelry was the heart shaped necklace Luke had given her all those years ago. A slow ache crept through her bones just looking at the diamonds as she remembered when he’d given it to her, under the stars, that one summer night. Even though she and Luke hadn’t parted ways o
n the best of terms, she couldn’t stand to part with either the necklace or the Care Bear he had given her. It was a time in her life she never wanted to forget, not that she ever could. She loved the necklace and wore it long after she left Georgia, but eventually took it off when she finally accepted that Luke wanted nothing more to do with her. She hated that day and cried while doing so; hated removing a heart that was no longer hers to hold. She ached inside, even though she was forced to accept it. Removing it was like ripping out her own heart with her bare hands.

  And now she was treating his mother. It was probably just a matter of time before she would come face to face with him again. That thought alone made her more nervous than anything.

  Pushing away her trip down memory lane, Olivia pulled out a pair of long turquoise and silver earrings, found a matching silver necklace with an anchor charm and a few silver bangles. She liked the way the jewelry downplayed the outfit so she wasn't too dressed up.

  The doorbell chimed and Olivia felt a set of weights drop into her gut. Tom’s bark echoed loudly throughout the house as she made her way down the hall and to the door.

  “Hang on!”

  Olivia reached down and grabbed Tom’s collar to hold him back as she opened the door.

  “Hey,” Olivia said softly as she wrestled with Tom. “Come on in.”

  She moved out of the way as Nate walked in while Tom jumped in her grip. Tom was a huge, harmless dog. But his wild wiggling over Nate caused Olivia to put her free hand over the top of the dress, hoping nothing would fall out.

  “Back down, boy,” she ordered. “Why are you going so crazy?”

  “Hey buddy, what are you doing to your little lady here?” Nate squatted in an effort to calm her dog.

  “There you go. You like that, buddy, don't you?” Nate said in a tone like he was speaking to a child. Olivia’s dog wagged his tail rapidly while Nate scratched the top of his head.

  “I'm sorry about that,” Olivia said apologetically.

  Nate’s lips cracked into a lopsided grin. “It's fine. I love dogs and I’m used to it.”