I See You (Seeing You #2)

by A. P. Hallmark

  "Hey girls, what's up?" Jessie says loudly, rustling my hair as he walks past me.

  "We're talking about the dinner party and other girly stuff," Laura says before Matthew cups my chin from behind me, pulling my face up to his.

  "Hey, baby," he says against my lips. I find it incredibly sexy when he does that.

  "Hey, you," I return. "I missed you."

  "Me too. Now, what about this dinner party? Who are you inviting from the hospital?" he asks Laura.

  "I have no idea. Do you have any suggestions?"

  "Well, I would suggest you invite someone who wasn't at the dinner I had when the group was here from New York. You don't want it to appear that we are showing favoritism. Jessie, it's yours and Laura's party, who do you want to be there?"

  “Hey, Laura,” Jessie says, “I was thinking. Since we’re asking Mom and Leland to come, why don't we just turn it into sort of a 'welcome party'? You know, as a way of introducing them as department heads of the cardiac department of the hospital?" Everyone in the room was silent at Jessie's suggestion. I was waiting to hear Laura's response to this monumental task.

  "I guess it can be done. The dining table can be expanded, right?" she asks.

  "Yes. Mom gave me that entire dining room set when I bought my first house years ago. Do you remember that, Matthew?" I hear Matthew chuckle.

  "Yeah, it took all of us and two hired guys to get it moved. That furniture is heavy."

  I listen to them talk about who to invite, space issues, menu selection and I know that Jessie's dining room isn't big enough. When they talk about not inviting some people, it hits me.

  "Matthew, your dining room is big enough. Laura, you can still make it your dinner party but only at Matthew's house. I will help if you want." Again, the room goes quiet.

  "That's a great idea, Joy," Matthew says. "You are more than welcome to use my place … as long as you two are the hosts."

  "Are you sure, Matthew?" Laura asks excitedly.

  "Absolutely. I'll plan to go into the office that day and get some work done while you two do your thing," Matthew says, his fingers combing through my hair.

  "Me too," Jessie pipes in. "Hey, Matt, maybe we can go to the gym."

  "Sounds good," Matthew says, getting up from his seat. "Well, I'm taking my girl home. See you tomorrow, Jess. Laura, a pleasure as always." He tugs on my hand to help me stand, and I feel Laura pull me in for a hug.

  "If you need me during these tests, Joy, you know I'm there, right?" Laura says quietly.

  "I know. I'll let you know. Matthew says it’ll take three to four days to harvest and will last several hours a day, so some company might be good. Maybe you and Maddie can come one day?"

  "Just let me know when they start, and we'll be there." She hugs me again before turning me toward the direction of the door.

  ~.~

  Over the past two weeks, I've met with Dr. Becker four times. I really like her and feel comfortable around her, which makes it easier for me. I don't generally like to discuss my personal life with anyone other than Laura, but I find myself talking freely and openly with her. When she asks me about my job and if I intend to go back to it, I explain to her that, with my equipment destroyed, I really don't have a job right now. I also know that after the surgery, I'll have to re-train on new equipment anyway since I'll be able to see then. Besides, I've been toying with a career change. I think I need to discuss this with Matthew first though.

  She also wanted to discuss my abandonment issues. That, too, is a difficult subject for me but, in the end, she suggests that perhaps it comes from losing my parents at such a young age and then my grandmother passing away. I told her that I don't have any family other than Laura and Brian. We discuss when Matthew gets upset with me that he has a tendency to either leave the house or hide in another room and I fear that he will run away from me, leaving me alone. We both agree that we need to spend more time discussing and analyzing this behavior.

  ~.~

  I help Laura with the dinner party as much as I can but fear that I’m only getting in the way. She says she has some phone calls to make, so I offer to help with that as well as the invitations. There's really not much more I can help with.

  On my last appointment with Dr. Becker, Krista and I meet for lunch and although she remains a loyal confidant to Matthew, she did share some comical stories about him. Most of which involved most of the nursing staff attempting to pursue him. She said it used to be a full-time job just answering the phone and making up excuses about where he was, but not half as creative as the excuses they had for calling him.

  After dinner, I begin reading a new book when Matthew suddenly announces that he’s ready to start the stem cell harvesting.

  "I would like to start Monday, if that's okay with you," he says, placing a glass of wine in my hand.

  "Um … okay," I mutter and nervously nod my head. My mind searches for any excuse not to start on Monday but can’t find any. It's so soon and that only gives me the weekend to prepare mentally.

  "Joy?" Matthew asks, hearing the apprehension in my voice.

  "Yes. Yes, it's okay. I'm just a little nervous, that's all. Not knowing what to expect," I say, shifting in my seat, crossing my legs.

  "What do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything you want."

  "You say they’ll put a catheter right here," I say, pointing at my upper chest. "How deep will it go? Will it be painful?"

  "About that … I was reading my Medical Journal. There is a new method of harvesting that's recently been developed, and I've opted to use that instead. Rather than using a catheter, we will place an IV in each of your arms. One will extract your blood, which is sent to a machine that separates the stem cells, and then your remaining blood will be returned to you through the other arm," he explains. "I thought this way would be less frightening for you.”

  "The medicine you started taking last week is to draw the stem cells out of your bone marrow, so we get a good collection. One of the side effects of this is that your calcium levels will get out of balance, and you may experience some tingling, particularly in your lips." I smile when he takes his thumb and runs it along my bottom lip, and then rewards me with a kiss. "Let the technician know if you feel any numbing or tingling in your lips, and he will supplement your returning blood with calcium."

  "You'll be in a comfortable recliner during all of this, and I'll make sure someone is with you, so you aren't alone. I'll be with you as much as I can, but I may need to leave periodically to check on my patients. "Once your stem cells are extracted, they are immediately frozen for safe keeping," he explains.

  "What are stem cells?" I ask, curious as to what they actually are.

  "Stem cells are mother cells that have the potential to become any type of cell in the body. They multiply by cell division to replenish the dying ones. That’s a very generic explanation. I'm afraid you wouldn't understand it if I gave it to you in doctor speak." I feel my nervousness lighten a bit.

  "I thought they were taken from embryos or something like that," I add. "Isn't there controversy surrounding that?"

  "There are fetal stem cells and adult stem cells. We harvest these through embryo, placenta, lungs, bone marrow, umbilical cords and blood. Bone marrow is typically for cancer patients. Your need, thankfully, isn't as severe as that, so we can use your own blood. You are one of the more fortunate." I think about that for a moment. I am very fortunate indeed.

  "Thank you for explaining it to me, Doctor.” I wink at him, “it doesn't sound as scary as all that, does it?"

  "No, not really. But no one likes going to the hospital for anything, no matter how minor the procedure," he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me in closer to him.

  "Are you taking me into the office with you?"

  "Yeah. They'll be expecting you at nine o'clock, so we will need to leave at eight thirty, okay?"

  "Okay," I answer. "So, are you ready for the party tomorrow? The chef gets here at
three o'clock, and Laura’s hired a cleaning crew to come in the morning to clean the downstairs, so Rebecca doesn't have to. The cooking staff will clean up after the party as well."

  "That's good. I'm going to the office tomorrow to check on my little patient. Her name is Chloe, and she's the sweetest little thing, Joy." It breaks my heart to hear that someone so small and young needs to have their brain operated on.

  "You aren't going to leave me for a younger woman, are you?" I jest, laying my head on his shoulder.

  "I'd never leave you for anyone, my love," he declares with true sincerity. He strokes his cheek against mine, then holds me against him. I love the way he loves me.

  "What an incredibly sweet thing to say."

  "It's the truth, baby. I love you to distraction. Do you know what pleasure I received from watching you in the café every day?"

  "About as much as I did waiting for you to walk through the door each day. You have a very distinct way of opening it. I always knew it was you."

  "Really?" he asks, cupping my jaw with his hand.

  "Yes and I would wait about ten seconds, before I could inhale your scent."

  "So that's what you were doing. I would see you take a deep breath, and I always thought you were sighing out of boredom or something but all along, you were smelling me. Go figure," he mumbles.

  "I would never have spoken to you, you know? I didn't have the guts to approach you," I confess shyly, playing with the buttons on his shirt.

  "It took me the longest time to get up the nerve myself. I would never think me capable of falling for a girl that sat across the room from me every day, but I did. I fell hard," he confesses, holding me tight against his chest.

  "I need to ask you a favor, Joy."

  "Sure, anything," I easily agree. He never asks for anything, so I can hardly deny him. For a moment, I didn't think he was going to ask his question because he says nothing and nervously plays with my fingertips.

  "Joy, will you … I think … um … oh, hell, will you marry me?"

  I'm so stunned I don't know if I’ve heard him right, but he just sits there. A million thoughts run through my mind; the first is should I, then what if, and then maybe.

  "Breathe, baby."

  "Matthew?"

  "Marry me? Please. You love me. You know you do, so don't overthink it. Just … say yes," he says, repeating himself.

  "Okay," I say in a giggle.

  "That's it? ‘Okay?'" he laughs, sounding sort of flummoxed. "No 'I would love to marry you, you handsome stud'?"

  "Yeah, no. I don't do that," I say, frowning and shaking my head. I bring my face to his and stroke his strong jaw. "But I will say that I love you with everything in me and think I loved you even before we spoke. I don't ever want to be without you. So, yes, Matthew, I will marry you." I think he likes that answer better because he kisses me. Boy, does he kiss me. Drawing me into his arms, he cradles me and kisses me with tender passion … all the way up the stairs.

  Oh, yes. I will marry this man.

  ~.~

  "Joy, I'm leaving," he shouts from downstairs while I put away the laundry Rebecca left for us last night. I stop what I'm doing and walk to the landing at the top of the stairs.

  "Okay, what time will you be home?" I ask, feeling my watch to see what time it is.

  "What time do you need me home?"

  "Can you be home by six? That will give you an hour before the guests arrive."

  "What time are you going to start getting ready?" That's a random and odd question, I thought as I hear him climbing the stairs.

  "I was going to take a bath around five, why?"

  When he gets to the landing where I'm standing, he places his hands on my upper arms and whispers in my ear, "Then I'll be home at five." He takes my breath away when he lowers his warm lips to mine. It’s so sweet — so gentle. God, I hope the desire I feel for him never ends.

  "Good-bye, Mrs. Davis," he whispers while his lips lightly touch the shell of my ear. "We'll get you a ring as soon as you open your eyes and look at me." He kisses me one last time before he turns away, running down the stairs.

  Matthew must have run into Laura outside because she calls for me from the kitchen rather than the front door.

  "I'm up here," I call back.

  "Come on, let's go shopping. Chef Luca is coming at three o'clock, and I want to be back before she gets here. I still need to get a few centerpieces for the table, some candles and a few other things. "

  "Okay, let me change,” I say as we run up the stairs. “What did you and the chef decide for dinner?" I ask as I hurry into my closet while she waits in the bedroom.

  "Grilled hors d'oeuvres before dinner, strawberry spinach salad, spiced lamb chops with red wine sauce, grilled and sautéed vegetables along with herbed mashed sweet potatoes, a rice dish for the main course, and some dessert I can't pronounce." I giggle at that, because I know exactly what she means. "I think it's French or Greek or something."

  "That sounds really good," I say as we make our way down the stairs.

  After a hurried afternoon of shopping for everything Laura needs, we finally get back home, and I tell her I want to lie down and take a bath before I get ready for the party.

  "I think you’ll find everything you need for the buffet in the dining room. Matthew has all the dinnerware you need in there, feel free!" I yell to her as I head for my room. A nap is going to feel so good about now.

  Stretching, I wake to the faint beeping of my alarm and feel better after having had a short nap. I place phone in its dock and select my Loving Joy play list that Matthew made for me. Turning on the faucet, I wait for the hot water to arrive, adjust the temperature, and gasp when I feel two large hands on my breasts.

  "Don't move," he says low and raspy into my ear. "Don't make a sound." Doing as I’m told, he straightens me, placing his hand over my mouth. Guiding me across the bathroom, he bends me over the counter.

  "Spread your legs," he demands in a whisper from behind me, kicking my legs out with his foot.

  I shiver when his fingers touch my exposed body while his hard erection stabs upward between my legs.

  "You’re wet, baby,” he pants. “You want it, don’t you?”

  I nod, waiting with anticipation of what’s coming next.

  “Say it.”

  “I … I want it,” I say, shivering at how demanding he is.

  "Hold on to the counter. You're in for the ride of your life," he growls, thrusting into me. I can't help but cry out as he roughly circles my sex with his fingers and pummels me with his cock.

  "Don't scream," he instructs.

  "Oh, god," I cry as he pounds into me.

  "That's right, come for me, baby," he moans. "Do it, now."

  "Oh, god … you feel so good." I feel myself tighten around him, and I know he's not far behind me.

  With each powerful thrust, my hips hit the edge of the counter and my hand instinctively reaches for the wall for support.

  "Ah, fffuck," he growls against my back as he pushes into me with one last powerful thrust. Feeling him release inside me, his body quivers with the force. Lying me flat on the counter, he covers my back with his chest. With him still planted inside me, he slowly moves his hips while his fingers touch where we’re joined, covering me with his seed.

  "How did you know it was me?" he asks before we both burst out laughing. When he slowly pulls out of me, he lifts me and places my feet in the water.

  "I didn't, I was just hoping it was." I squeal when his hand comes down hard on my ass.

  Two hours later, Matthew and I make our way downstairs, where Laura and Jessie are waiting for their guests to arrive.

  "Oh, Joy, you look stunning in that dress," Laura says.

  "Thanks. Maddie picked it out for me. She said the color looks good on me."

  "It does, babe, and Laura’s right about you looking stunning. In fact, that doesn’t even cover it. You look absolutely beautiful. Right now, you have a womanly glow about you
." I feel the blush hit my cheeks immediately and smack his chest in embarrassment.

  "Did someone get a little something?" Laura teases me.

  "Maybe," I tease back, feeling Conrad nudge my hand. "Hey, buddy. Do you need to go out?"

  "I'll take him," Matthew volunteers. "Come on, buddy, let's go outside." Just as he opens the back door, the doorbell rings, signaling the arrival of Laura and Jessie's first guests.

  "Hey, Mom," Jessie says, loudly kissing her cheek. "Don't you look pretty, but then again, you always do. How does this guy manage to keep you from being swept away?" I shake my head at Jessie's sad attempt at flattery.

  "Hello, Jessie. No, I will not leave Leland for you, so quit trying." I have to stifle a giggle at that one. "Hello, Laura. Thank you for doing this for us. We are honored," Lillian says, placing a loud kiss on her cheek.

  “You’re welcome, Lillian. It’s a pleasure,” Laura replies. I know she’s nervous and wants to impress Lillian and Leland. Personally, I think they love her already and just the way she is. She has Jessie’s heart and that’s all that matters to them.

  "Hi, Joy, dear," Lillian says, taking my hand and pulling me into a hug.

  "Hello, Lillian," I return. "Hi, Leland." I offer to take their coats, but Jessie beats me to it.

  "Good evening, Joy. You look very pretty tonight," he answers, and I nervously smooth the front of my dress, blushing.

  "Thank you. Your daughter helped me. For some reason, I think she likes to shop whether it's for herself or for others. It's an addiction of sorts and she needs an intervention."

  "I agree with you one hundred percent. Where's Matthew?" he inquires.

  "I'm right here, Dad," he calls from the back door. "Go upstairs, Conrad." I smile when I hear his paws on the stairs.

  "Hi, Mom … Dad. Let’s get a drink. Do you girls want anything?" I shake my head and Lillian asks for a glass of white wine. Laura calls for a martini just as the doorbell rings again.

  "I'll be right back, baby," he says, running his palm over my bottom, kissing my cheek. When he makes a second pass, he whispers in my ear. "Do you have anything on under that dress?" I grin. I just shrug my shoulders and turn toward Lillian to ask her how the office renovations are coming along. Matthew walks away but not before he gives me a light rub of my bottom again, feeling for panty lines. I grin when I hear him hiss.