by Eve Langlais
“I told you, baby. I’m going to. Later, I’m going to ‘get you’ until neither of us remains conscious.” He smiled, showing teeth. She was reminded of a shark who’d just figured out there’s blood in the water. With a shiver she stole out the door and walked back to her office, trying like hell to look casual and not like a woman who had just let a guy finger her to an orgasm. Luckily the hallway was deserted and she was able to duck into her own office and plop on the chair before her legs truly gave out.
*****
Nate massaged the back of his neck after Val walked away. Closing the door behind her, he skirted around his desk. Before he sat, he pushed on the base of his erection. It wasn’t getting relief anytime soon and if it didn’t go down his day was about to get a whole lot more uncomfortable. He didn’t regret what he’d just done, though. Val was like a drug to him, and Nate wasn’t at all sure what he’d do when it came time for him to return to his “normal” life.
With a sigh, he eased himself into his desk chair and called his assistant. After she gave him the particulars of the case he told her to call the actor back and refuse. Understandably, Lesli was surprised.
“Is it really that hard to work from up there?”
Nate blew out a breath. “I’m not sure. Val told me I could use any of the department’s resources, but I don’t feel right using a cancer hospital’s press release distribution system to send out a crock of shit about how this guy didn’t father the baby. You know what I mean?”
“Not really, no.” He heard the confusion in Lesli’s voice. “Are you all right, Nate?”
“I’m fine,” he bit out through clenched teeth. He knew he shouldn’t be taking his frustrations out on Lesli, so he said, “Truly, I’m fine. I didn’t mean to jump down your throat. It’s just that…I don’t know how to explain this…the hospital does amazing work, and they have these resources so they can tell people about it and get the attention they so richly deserve. It feels like it would sully that somehow to use their stuff for what we do.”
“Nate, I can send out a press release from here.” She still sounded confused and now a little annoyed too.
“That’s not the point.”
“What’s the point?”
“They do crucial work here and I spend my time doing shit like this actor wants. My work never made me feel dirty or cheap, but it does now. I get paid a ridiculous amount to spin tales of the rich and famous, while the people here work their asses off to try to cure a disease that kills millions of people and don’t get even five percent of what I make. It’s just wrong.”
“It’s the way the world works.”
“I know, I know. Anyway, call him back. I’m not taking on anything until I get back.”
“You’re the boss.”
After hanging up, he tossed his phone on the desk and leaned back in his chair, his gaze on the ceiling tiles above his head. He was starting to question not only his work, but everything else about himself, and the feeling was less than comfortable. The more he examined, the less he wanted to keep on as he was before that fateful night Doug had called him for help. Maybe the universe was trying to tell him something. Then he shook his head with a rueful smile. All this soul-searching was making him sentimental. Deciding to chuck everything for the moment, he rose to find Val.
They went to the employee cafeteria and it was nearly impossible, as well as incredibly frustrating, to not touch Val. But despite his recent indiscretion, there was a big difference between what they’d done behind his closed office door and making it obvious to the general public of the hospital that they were involved. He knew Val didn’t want anybody questioning her ethics; though really, why would they? Both of them were adults, and when it came down to it, they weren’t more than temporary co-workers. But the gossip engine at a place like this was no doubt brutal, and he didn’t want to do anything to set tongues wagging.
After eating a quick lunch, they began the walk back to her building. On the journey they talked of mundane things, and when they got back to the PR department she asked him if he had enough to do before disappearing into her office once again. A couple of hours had gone by, during which he practically vibrated with need for her, when he heard an ecstatic screech. Bolting out of his chair, he was out of his office in seconds. That had been Val’s voice, he was sure of it.
She was on the phone with a huge grin on her face, but motioned for him to come in and that she’d be a minute. All he heard was a series of yes’s and no’s from her side of the conversation and he nearly crawled out of his skin with curiosity. A couple of her co-workers were standing out in the hall, seemingly not wanting to invade her office while she talked.
Val hung up the phone. With a smile at her co-workers, she focused on him. “They found Dr. Godlowski.”
“Where was he?”
She rolled her eyes. “Vegas. Apparently when they find out a missing person has a gambling problem they alert the casinos and one of them contacted the FBI. He’d checked in under an assumed name and paid cash for the room, but some of the casino workers remembered seeing him. And after putting surveillance on him to make sure they’d ID’d him correctly, they swooped in and got him.” Her smile widened, if that was possible.
One of her co-workers piped up. “Was any of the money recovered?”
“They’re still counting it, but it looks like they’ve got in the neighborhood of four point three million.”
There was a murmur of general shock mixed with satisfaction. Nate looked at Val with a wink and said, “Congratulations.”
“Thank you. You have no idea the weight that’s just been lifted off my chest.”
Nate cocked his head. “I think I do.” She looked down at her blotter and he noticed a tear escaping, falling in a fat plop on her desk. He leaned forward, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder. “Hey, it’s all over.”
Her co-workers thankfully were already moving away, and he reached out blindly with one hand and closed her door.
“I know. They’re good tears. Well, mostly.”
“Mostly?”
She looked up at him. “I’m going to miss you.”
The thought of what this would mean to him hadn’t even occurred to him in that moment. He’d been so happy for Val that nothing else registered. Now Nate struggled to swallow around the lump in his throat.
Needing to make a connection with her, he planted his hands on her desk and leaned forward. “Back atcha.” With a quick kiss, he pulled away before he wasn’t able to force himself to. “Well, I’ll leave you to it.”
“Wait!” Nate raised one eyebrow. “I have no idea what to do. I mean, I know, but my brain is like mush. We should do a press release, and we’ll have to hold a press conference.”
“Might want to wait for the okay from the FBI before you do that.”
“Oh geez, of course. I need to talk to them. And to Richard. You need to call Doug!”
He couldn’t resist another quick peck. “Slow down, baby. I’ll help you through it if that’s what you want.”
“You weren’t just going to leave, were you?”
“Well, no,” he responded, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he straightened. “But I figured this is your time in the sun. You should take advantage and enjoy it.”
“How could I enjoy it without you? You were such a huge part of this.”
“You’re the star, baby. I just helped out a little. You kept this place going through its darkest days.”
Val blushed, ducking her head. “Can you craft the release while I get the ball rolling on the media alert?”
“Of course.”
“I mean, you don’t have to do anything. Technically your job is done here, but…”
“Would you stop babbling?”
She bit her lip. “Sorry.”
“It’s adorable, but entirely unnecessary. I’ll stay as long as you need me.”
“Okay, good. I’m not sure I could handle you leaving right now on top of everything else.�
�
He wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but didn’t want to hope she was referring to more than work. Nate knew damn well he was falling for her, but with the crisis wrapping up, he’d be going back to New York and she’d remain here in Buffalo. He hated long-distance relationships, having never seen one that worked, so their time was inevitably limited.
Chapter Sixteen
Nate moved back to his own office and began the press release. As he wrote, his own smile spread despite the less-than-happy thought of leaving here. The hospital would regain much of what it had lost, and Val’s stress load would go down considerably. Despite the time it would take for the hospital to regain its stellar reputation, Doug was the real casualty. The board would never hire him back on and Nate wondered if he’d stay in the area and try to find a similar position at one of the other hospitals, or if he’d be forced to move. That thought reminded him he hadn’t yet called Doug with the news. More than likely someone else had already gotten to him but, on the off chance no one had, Nate didn’t want him to hear it through the media.
Doug’s phone went to voicemail, and even though it had been a few days since his unceremonious firing, Nate figured he might still be licking his wounds. He left a message with the bare-bones information and urged Doug to call him, then went back to the press release. There wasn’t a lot of flash and hoopla you could add to a standard press release, but Nate was determined to put out a quality product, one that said in no uncertain terms the hospital was ready to put this behind them and show the world they were still one of the best.
When he printed out his draft and brought it to Val, he discovered he was actually nervous about what she thought of it. She finished reading and looked up at him with a frown. “You’re wasting your talent. You know that, right?”
He was surprised by her outburst. “What do you mean?”
“This press release,” she waved it in the air, “kicks ass. I know you enjoy what you do, but you should really consider doing something that makes more of a difference to the world.” He started to speak and she silenced him. “I don’t mean to be judgmental, but I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut.”
“I understand, but I do have my own life and run a very successful business. Not everything I do is superfluous.” Val was mostly right-on with her assessment, but Nate still found himself going on the defensive.
“I never said what you do is useless, it’s just—”
“No, I get it. Anyway, once you look at that I can send it out for you if you want. I’m sure you’re busy with the press conference.”
“Yeah, and we just sent out an all-employee memo.”
“Let me know what changes need to be made. I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Nate—”
“Seriously, Val. Don’t worry about it. Get your stuff done.” He turned and was out the door before she could say another word.
Once back in what would only be his office for another few hours, he called Lesli again. She was thrilled to hear he was coming home and asked him if she should call the actor back. He declined, making an excuse that he wanted a little time once he got back to re-acclimate and catch up. Lesli didn’t question him and he promised to call when he knew more.
Nate thought about going back to his hotel room and packing, but decided against it. If Val needed him he wanted to be available to her. So, instead, he went through everything he’d been doing for her and began to transfer all his files onto a flash drive. They’d never given him access to their internal servers, and there was too much to simply email. As the last file copied from his laptop to the flash drive, a strange, hollow feeling stole over him, but he willed it away.
There was no place for him here. Hell, there was no place for someone with his background in all of Buffalo. His job could only be done in New York or LA; and though he’d grown to love the warm people, unique architecture and fabulous restaurants in Buffalo, it was time to go. He had a job and a life to return to and, at this point, the sooner the better, before his heart was engaged any further than it already was.
The shrill ring of his cell phone pulled him out of his own thoughts and he answered without glancing at the caller ID.
“They got him?” It was Doug, but his voice sounded like he’d been chewing granite or something.
“Doug?”
“Yeah, it’s me. I, um, I’ve been having a little trouble the past couple of days.”
Nate’s ears perked up. “What kind of trouble?” It came out sharper than he’d intended.
“Nothing illegal or anything,” his friend answered. “I’ve just been using a little too much alcohol to console myself, I think.”
“Really…” Nate answered, clearing his throat. “And what does Marie think of that?”
“She’s sympathetic, but I think she’s about had enough.”
“Marie’s a great girl, and you’ve kids to consider, too, man.”
“I know. And now that they’ve caught him I’m sure things will get better.” There was a pause, and even across the phone lines Nate could tell Doug wanted to say more. “You’ve been unbelievable the past couple of weeks. I don’t know how to thank you.” His voice broke on the last word and Nate’s eyes closed.
“Hey, you saved me in college, bud. I was just returning the favor.”
Doug snorted. “What you did for me there was about a million times more than I ever did for you.”
“Not true and you know it. Anyway, I’m just glad I could help.”
“So I guess you’ll be going back to the city now, huh?”
“Yeah. I’m helping Val close out some stuff here and then I’ll get on the road.”
“I wish we would’ve had some time to talk; to have you over for dinner or something, but everything was so crazy—”
“Don’t worry about it. Maybe I’ll try to make it back up here sometime.”
“To see Val?”
“Um…”
“Even with how preoccupied I was, I knew you two had gotten involved. She’s a great girl.”
“Who you didn’t trust to handle the situation on her own.”
Doug groaned. “I know, I know. That was shitty of me. I’m sure she could’ve, but I’m still glad you were there.”
“Me too,” Nate whispered.
“Keep in touch.”
“I will. Same goes for you. Let’s not have another bunch of years go by before we talk again. Say hi to Marie and the kids for me.”
They hung up and Nate laced his hands behind his head, leaning back in his chair. Despite his being fired, Nate couldn’t help but be a little jealous of Doug. He’d met a woman while they’d been in college and had married her as soon as they’d graduated. Now he had her and two great kids. Probably a nice house with a big yard. Nate finally admitted to himself that he wanted a woman like Val, someone to come home to at night. As much as he loved his Porsche and his loft overlooking the Hudson, ultimately it wasn’t a fulfilling life and he knew it.
Val gave him the corrected press release and then he didn’t see her again for the rest of the day. The press conference was scheduled for tomorrow and she’d been holed up in meetings with Richard and the board of directors, as well as the FBI, for hours. He waited around the office until after seven that night, but when she still hadn’t returned he shuffled back to his hotel room, overwhelmed by exhaustion.
His phone woke him from the strange dream he’d been having, where he was trying to get to Val but could never catch her. It took several rings for him to come back to reality, and when he answered it, his voice was thick with sleep.
“Did I wake you? Oh my God, I’m sorry, Nate.”
He immediately recognized Val. “Don’t worry about it. What’s up?”
“I just called to tell you the press conference is all set up and if you need to get home I understand.”
“Do you need help?”
There was a pause and he held his breath. “No. I think I’m okay.” Another pause. “Will you leave tomorro
w then?”
“Probably.” He was waiting for her to say something meaningful.
I can’t do this without some sign from her. I can’t put myself out there… I’ll look like an idiot if she doesn’t want the same thing.
She cleared her throat and his heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. “You’ve been a tremendous help and there’s absolutely no way I can ever thank you; no way the hospital can ever thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me.”
I don’t want you to thank me.
“Yes, I do, and though words, despite being our chosen medium, are woefully inadequate, I’ll just say you’ll never know how much easier dealing with his crapfest was since I knew you were there to help.”
Apparently she was choosing not to remember the spats they’d had about how to handle the crisis, and that was fine with him. Nate licked his lips, trying to relieve their sudden dryness. “I’m happy I could help. Doug’s always been a good friend to me when I needed one.”
“Anyway, I’ll let you go. I’m sure you’ve got arrangements to make and all that.”
He wasn’t sure what else to say. Never in his life had he been faced with the prospect of losing something he actually cared about. “Okay. You take care of yourself.”
They ended the call and he lay back. That was the single most depressing phone call he’d ever had. With a start, Nate sat up. Even though he wasn’t about to chuck rocks at her balcony—if she’d had one—and declare his love, there was unfinished business between the two of them and he’d be damned if he left things like this.
Within minutes he was in the Porsche and speeding toward her house. She lived outside of Buffalo and as the minutes ticked by he became more and more impatient. By the time he reached her, Nate was tapping his fingers on the wheel and his left leg was bouncing.
Vaulting out of the car, he hurried up her porch steps and rang the doorbell. When she didn’t respond immediately, he started pounding on her door. He hammered away until the door flew open, and there was Val, her hair still wet from a shower, standing there looking so beautiful his breath seized.
