Private Partners

by Gina Wilkins

  She tried not to blame her group’s problems solely on Ron and Haley—after all, they had all snarled occasionally—but she had to admit that Ron and Haley, in particular, were taking out their anxiety on each other. She still didn’t quite understand their relationship—was there an attraction, did they just rub each other the wrong way or did they simply not like each other? Whatever the issue, she wished they could set their differences aside long enough to get through the rest of the semester. She depended so much on the encouragement and support of this group; it already made her sad to think they’d be splitting up next year and going into separate rotations.

  Thursday evening, the night before the test, was particularly distressing. None of them—with the possible exception of James—felt completely ready for the exam and they had several differences of opinion about what facts they should be focusing on in their studies that evening. Each had a different idea of what topics would be covered most heavily on the exam. They ended up splitting up early for the evening, each going to their individual homes to study on their own.

  Sensing that Anne was upset, Liam was particularly supportive that evening. He kept fresh tea in her cup, saw that she had fruit to munch on for quick energy, even quizzed her on some practice questions. He didn’t even nag her—much—to get some sleep when he finally turned in after midnight, leaving her still awake, promising him she just wanted to look over “a few more things” before she joined him. It was after one when she finally gave up and succumbed to sleep.

  As was her custom after an exam, she returned to her apartment drained and bone-tired, heading straight for her bed for a nap.

  She woke to the scent of roses. Before she even opened her eyes, she inhaled deeply, letting the soothing fragrance waft through her. When she finally blinked and pushed herself upright, she was greeted with the sight of a dozen gorgeous orange roses in a crystal vase on the nightstand.

  Delighted, she buried her nose in the cheery bouquet and inhaled deeply. Only then did she see the new dress she hadn’t yet had a chance to wear draped over the chair in the corner of the bedroom. A note lay on top of the draped skirt. A fancy night out or a casual night at home? Your choice.

  She had to smile at his wording. He’d obviously made plans for the evening, but he wasn’t entirely sure she would be in the mood to go out. She picked up the dress and slipped into the bathroom.

  Fifteen minutes later, she had freshened her makeup, pinned up her hair and donned the dress, accessorizing it with her grandmother’s diamond necklace. She wondered what Liam had in mind for the evening.

  He waited for her in the living room. Dressed in a dark suit with a crisp white shirt and a deep red tie, he held a white rose in his hand. Her heart nearly stopped at the sight of him looking so very handsome.

  He presented the rose with a little bow that made her come very close to a girlish giggle. “You’re wearing the dress. Does that mean you’re in the mood to go out?”

  “I would love to get out,” she assured him. She assumed he would take the usual precautions about not being recognized. She thought the short hair, glasses and conservative suit would go a long way toward that end. He hardly resembled the wild-haired adventurer who was most often seen tramping through jungles and wading through muck.

  She couldn’t decide at the moment which side of Liam she preferred.

  He had made reservations at an exclusive and expensive Little Rock restaurant. They dined in a secluded, romantically dim corner lit only by the table’s candles and one ruby-shaded sconce light. Soft music filled the room, underscoring the suitably restrained conversations around them, making the dining experience even more intimate. This, he told her when she expressed her pleasure at this nice surprise, was the dinner he had planned to share with her on Valentine’s Day. She felt as though that holiday had been held over just for the two of them this year; she couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to celebrate.

  Liam advised her not to order dessert at the restaurant, giving her a hint that there was more in store for her. Rather than taking her straight home after dinner, he drove across the Arkansas River into the city of North Little Rock, where he parked in the lot of a traditional Irish pub she had always wanted to visit, but had never found the time.

  Stepping into the pub, which had been built in Scotand and imported to Arkansas, was like going back in time to their summer abroad. The gleaming woods, the amber pendant lights, the smells of stout and stew. The sound of Celtic music being played by a quartet in one corner, and of darts hitting boards in a back room. The conversation here was louder, more raucous than at the restaurant. The accents were more Southern than Gaelic, but Anne could still pretend they were back in Scotland.

  She felt herself going rather misty and she blinked rapidly a couple of times before turning to Liam with a smile. “Let me guess. You want a Guinness.”

  He grinned. “Of course.”

  They jostled through a rather tipsy group to find a table near the window where they could watch pedestrians, cars and trolley cars pass outside. Liam ordered a pint of Guinness and chocolate mousse cake; Anne requested half a pint and bread pudding. They lingered over their desserts, laughing and talking and reminiscing, never once mentioning her classes or her squabbling friends or her family or their own uncertainties. Anne thought she knew now why she’d always found an excuse not to visit this particularly local establishment. She couldn’t imagine being there without Liam.

  Their desserts were down to crumbs in the bottom of the serving dishes when she excused herself to visit the ladies’ room. She wasn’t gone long, but by the time she returned, some other woman had already invaded her territory.

  Pausing across the room, she watched with narrowed eyes as an attractive young blonde with well-displayed assets flirted with Liam. Did the woman recognize him? Or was she simply making a move on a strikingly handsome male sitting alone in a booth—and not wearing a wedding ring on his left hand?

  She slid into her seat with a brilliant smile for Liam. “Did you want coffee before we go?”

  The blonde drifted off with a sigh of resignation. Liam chuckled and tossed some cash on the table. “No, I’m ready to leave if you are.”

  Anne glanced sideways. “A fan?”

  “No. Just a friendly local.”

  “Mmm.” A little too friendly in Anne’s opinion, but since Liam was already grinning at her, she said no more about the incident.

  By the time they finally arrived home, she was pleasantly tired and utterly relaxed. “That was such a beautiful evening out,” she said to Liam when he closed and locked the front door behind them. “How did you know it was exactly what I needed tonight?”

  He smiled and walked across the room to turn on the MP3 player she kept in a speaker dock. Even that move had been planned, apparently. The music that drifted from the speakers wasn’t from her usual playlists; Liam must have loaded some romantic instrumental numbers just for tonight.

  He took her into his arms in the middle of the living room, swinging her into a slow, sensual dance. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she followed easily, her hips moving with his. “Why, Mr. McCright—I do believe you’re trying to seduce me.”

  His teeth flashed in a smile. “Is it working?”

  Pressing her breasts against his chest, she almost purred against his throat, “I believe it is.”

  She loosened and removed his tie as they danced. He let down her hair. Still swaying to the music, she slid his jacket from his shoulders and tossed it aside. He unzipped her dress.

  The music seemed to follow them as they drifted toward the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothing behind them. Liam didn’t bother turning on the light. Falling onto the bed with him, Anne wished very hard that she could make this perfect night last for a very long time, keeping all the problems of daylight far away from them.

  Anne was already at her books when Liam came out of the shower late the next morning. Rather than sitting at the table, she had spread out on the couch
this time, her computer in her lap, her bare feet propped on the table in front of her.

  He leaned over the back of the couch to brush a kiss against her cheek. “You look exceptionally beautiful today. Just as you do every day.”

  Tilting her clean-scrubbed face toward him, she motioned toward her ultracasual T-shirt and jeans. “You must have spent too much time in the Irish pub last night. You’re full of blarney this morning.”

  He laughed and circled the couch to sit on one arm to chat with her for a minute before he tried to get back to his own work. “I don’t think I asked before—are you meeting with your group today?”

  “No, we’re taking the weekend off. We’re all studying on our own this weekend. We need the break from each other.”

  “I can see why you would. Do you get a spring break this semester?”

  She made a face. “Yes, in mid-March. And we have an exam the day we return, followed immediately by a practice Step 1 exam that we have to do well on or be forced to sign up for a review class this summer. Then in April, we start ‘shelf exams’—end of the semester tests for each subject. So, basically, we spend all of spring break cramming for regular exams and shelf exams and trying to find time to prepare for the Step 1 exam. It isn’t exactly a vacation.”

  So much for his vague plan to whisk her away somewhere, just the two of them, for the week off from classes. “And when do you start your third-year rotations?”

  “The beginning of July. I’ll have maybe two weeks off after Step 1.”

  “July.” He nodded, making a mental note to clear his calendar for those two weeks. “Okay, maybe we can plan something for then. Think you can slip away to join me somewhere exotic and romantic—and private? You could tell everyone you need a vacation, and surely they will understand that. They wouldn’t have to know you won’t be spending that vacation alone.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” After a moment, she set her computer aside and turned on the couch to face him more fully. “You know, I’ve been thinking.”

  Something about her tone warned him that he might not be quite comfortable with what she was going to say. “Thinking about what?”

  She moistened her lips and twisted her hands in her lap. “I think maybe we should start thinking about ending this silly charade of ours.”

  His first, instinctive reaction was that she was suggesting they end their marriage, and that was like a hard punch to his stomach. She had told him how perfect last night had been, and she had certainly shown her appreciation—twice—afterward. Why would she want to end things now?

  Which left only one explanation. “Um—charade?” he asked nervously.

  “You know what I mean,” she said, her expression impatient now. “All this sneaking around. Hiding behind doors and under the brim of baseball caps, jumping every time the doorbell chimes. We never intended to keep our marriage a secret for this long. I think we should start discussing how and when we should make the announcement.”

  “You’re ready to tell your family the truth?” he asked, startled.

  He could see the nerves in her darkened eyes, in the lines around her mouth, in the taut set of her shoulders, but she gave a little nod. “I’m getting there. Not immediately, of course. I still think it would be best to wait until after Step 1. But maybe before that July vacation together. What do you think?”

  His stomach clenched again and his skin felt clammy. His physical reaction was a bit stronger than he might have expected, but he tried to keep his expression composed when he asked, “I’ll be filming then, but I can probably take a little time to join you here if you think the time is right to break the news to your parents. But are you really sure you’ll be ready for that right before you begin your third-year rotations?”

  Though she looked nervous at the prospect, she gave a little shrug. “I could deal with it. Probably. I’d just tell my parents that I don’t have time for family drama. If I tell them they’re interfering with my studies, I’m sure they’d back off. Their biggest fear is that I’ll wash out of medical school, so they wouldn’t do anything to upset me overly much. Probably.”

  Which all sounded well and good, but he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Besides, she wasn’t the only one who would have to deal with her family once their marriage was no longer a private one.

  “I’m pleased that you want everyone to know about us,” he assured her, though a tiny, accusing voice inside him whispered that he lied, making him feel like a jerk. “But we shouldn’t make any rash decisions. We need to think this through before we do anything we can’t take back. You know, make sure it’s the right time, and that we’re both ready to go public.”

  Her eyes darkened. “I’m tired of the lies, Liam. It just gets so frustrating.”

  “I know, babe. But the main problem is, you’re just tired. You’re running on fumes, and this is totally the wrong time to set yourself up for more problems. Let’s just wait until summer, okay? It’s not that much longer.”

  She studied his face with narrowed eyes. “You make it sound as if you aren’t in any hurry at all to tell anyone. Is it because of your career? Or are you actually content to go on the way we have been?”

  Good questions, he acknowledged. And he had no real answers for her. Because he hadn’t been expecting her to suddenly suggest they announce their marriage, he hadn’t really thought about when they would get around to making their announcement. “I just think it’s a bad time for you, Annie. Focus on your studying for now, and we’ll deal with everything else when you’re got the worst part behind you.”

  She shrugged. “Fine. If that’s what you prefer.”

  She picked up her computer again and settled it in her lap. “I guess I should get back to my studies.”

  “Anything I can do to help? Want me to quiz you?”

  “No, thanks. I have a lot of reading to do today.”

  He nodded and pushed himself off the arm of the couch.

  He hadn’t handled that very well, he thought as he moved slowly toward the office. It seemed to him as though a light had gone out in Anne’s eyes that had been there when they’d awakened this morning. Maybe it was just the reminder of all she had to do within the next few months.

  Or maybe, he thought with a hard knot in his chest to match the one in his stomach, she had been hoping for something from him that he hadn’t quite known how to offer her.

  “I never had a chance to ask—how was your weekend?” Haley asked when she and Anne finally had a chance to speak in private Monday. It had been a very busy morning filled with classes and other obligations and neither of them had even had time for a lunch break. Anne had offered Haley a lift home because Haley had taken the bus to the campus that morning. Haley had eagerly agreed, giving them an opportunity for a brief chat session during the short drive to Haley’s apartment.

  “It was fine,” Anne replied, keeping her eyes on the traffic ahead of her. “I got a lot of reading done for this week’s classes. How was yours?”

  “Not bad. Kris and I went out Saturday night. We saw a movie, had a few drinks. It was fun.”

  Anne glanced sideways toward her passenger. “You really do like him, don’t you?”

  Haley shrugged. “Like I said, he’s a nice guy and he makes me laugh. If you’re asking if I’ve started falling for him yet, the answer is no, not really. If he never called again, I wouldn’t stew about it. As busy as we stay, I’m not sure I’d notice for a few weeks.”

  Anne wondered if Kris was as casual about the relationship as Haley. He seemed to be awfully patient and persistent for a man who was only an occasional companion.

  “What about you?” Haley asked. “Did you and Liam do anything interesting?”

  Anne thought she should probably be amused by the exaggerated stealth of Haley’s tone—as if anyone else could hear them in her car. Yet, she found little to laugh about in the situation. “We went out Friday night, after the exam. We had a very nice dinner, then went to that Irish pub in North Li
ttle Rock for drinks and dessert afterward.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  “You needed that. Just like I needed to go out Saturday night.”

  Anne nodded. “I wore my new dress. The one I bought when you and I went shopping.”

  “Oh, the coral one. It looked great on you. Did Liam like it?”

  “I believe he did.” Even though he had been eager to peel her out of it once they’d returned home, she thought with a ripple of remembered heat. She didn’t bother mentioning that part to her friend.

  “I bet he enjoyed going out with you. He’s been spending a lot of time cooped up alone in your apartment.”

  “Yes, he has.” Which had been his own choice, Anne reminded herself when guilt threatened to nibble at her. “And he did seem to have a good time.”

  “How’s he doing with his writing? He’s been here—what? Three weeks?”

  “Well, he arrived three weeks ago, but he spent almost a week in Ireland when his father died.”

  Haley nodded somberly, having been filled in on that sad detail. “Is he doing okay with that?”

  “He doesn’t talk about it.” It was one of several topics Liam seemed to be avoiding. Like his writing. And their future.

  She braked for a red light, then glanced toward Haley. “I, um, suggested to Liam that we tell my parents the truth as soon as I’ve taken the Step 1 exam,” she said, feeling a need to confide in her closest female friend. “I think maybe the time will be right by then.”

  Haley’s eyes went wide. “Wow. You’re really ready to tell everyone?”

  Anne nodded rather glumly. “Almost. We had such a beautiful night Friday, and I woke Saturday morning not wanting that feeling to end. I guess I just wanted everyone to know that Liam and I are together.”

  Especially pretty blondes in random bars, she thought grimly, then winced. She really hoped there was more to her wish to finally take that big step than simple jealousy. It wasn’t as if she wanted to take an ad out in the next day’s paper; she just thought it was time she and Liam began to discuss going public.