Between The Sheets

by Parker, Weston

  Peter would help me sort through all of this. If I had to move hospitals, then so be it. And if I lost Elizabeth as a resident, it was a small price to pay to have her by my side through this life of ours.

  I would give up whatever it took to ensure I had more kisses like this one in my future.

  35

  Elizabeth

  One Week Later

  I poked my head out of Aiden’s bathroom door and watched as he pulled on a pair of slacks and slid his belt through the loops.

  “Are you almost ready?” I called.

  He looked up at me. He looked so handsome and sexy with his clean shave and his hair slicked back. His shirt lay on the bed, and I admired his chest and his abs and the muscles that flexed in his arms as he did up his belt.

  “Don’t rush me, woman.”

  I smiled. “My mom is expecting us in half an hour. We have to walk out the door in five.”

  “I’ll be ready. You on the other hand? I’m not so sure.”

  I stepped out of the bathroom, gesturing down at myself. “I’m already fully dressed, for your information. I’m just putting some last touches on my makeup, and I’m ready to go.”

  “Uh huh. I’ve heard that before.”

  I rolled my eyes at him before ducking back into the bathroom to sweep on a shimmery lip gloss on top of my dark pink lipstick. The color paired nicely with my casual floor-length dress that I’d paired with a loose cream cardigan.

  Ever since Aiden and I came out with our relationship at St. Mark’s, life had been a little chaotic. We’d been asked by Peter to not show any PDA, which was a fair request, until he sorted things out and some moves were made to accommodate us. Things were not going to be able to carry on the way they had been.

  It was a tough pill to swallow. All I wanted was to learn from Aiden. I wanted to spend all my time at work with him. But it didn’t look like that was going to happen. Either he was going to be transferred to another hospital or I was. Or if Peter could swing it, we could both remain at St. Mark’s, but I would be completing my residency under another doctor’s mentorship.

  I was doomed to be anxious about the whole situation until we arrived at a solution.

  But that anxiety wasn’t stopping me from enjoying every second I had with Aiden. Tonight, we had plans to have dinner with my mother. She’d invited me over the instant I told her about my relationship with Aiden over the phone at the end of last week. At first, she’d seemed a bit wary. I couldn’t blame her. All this hard work and time and energy that I’d put into my career could have been blown to smithereens by getting caught up in a man like him.

  I’d assured her he wasn’t going to ruin me. He’d already helped me immensely, and he was a good man. Then she’d insisted we come over for dinner so she could meet him.

  I didn’t like that she was spending money fixing a barbeque for us. Her funds were extremely tight, as I understood better than anyone, and dropping a bunch of money on steaks was reckless. After much insisting, she’d agreed to let us bring the wine.

  It still wasn’t easing my mind.

  Aiden had very graciously told me not to worry too much over my mother’s financial burdens. I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant yet, but I was willing to lean on his words and trust him.

  He hadn’t led me astray thus far.

  I marched out into the bedroom as Aiden shrugged into a suit jacket and fixed his cufflinks. He glanced up at me from beneath his brows, and his lips curled. “You look ravishing.”

  “Thank you.” I did a little curtsy for him.

  Aiden chuckled and came toward me to take my hand and lift my knuckles to his lips. “Are you ready?”

  “As ever.”

  “Don’t be nervous. I’m a perfect gentleman around parents.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  He laughed. “It’s going to be fine. Come on.”

  * * *

  We parked the Mercedes in my mother’s beat-up old driveway. It had long since cracked and lifted with the changing of seasons, and she didn’t have the money to fix it. The roots of the tree in the front yard had crept under the concrete and bubbled parts of it upward. Aiden didn’t say anything as he got out of the car, walked around to my door, and opened it for me. He offered me his hand and helped me out.

  Then he offered me his elbow. I threaded my arm through his, and we crossed the busted-up concrete and stopped at the screen door on the porch. It was tattered along the edges. Frayed from years and years of banging against the doorframe.

  I opened the screen door and knocked on the frame. “Hello? Mom? We’re here.”

  “Come in, baby! I’m in the kitchen.”

  I gave Aiden a look that I hoped looked more confident than I felt, and we plunged into the house. It smelled like it always did, like lavender candles and fresh laundry. I took Aiden down the narrow hall from the front door, which was lined in haphazardly hung old family photos.

  Aiden stopped in front of one to straighten it, and then gave me a cocky smile as he pressed his finger to my toothless smile. “You were a cute kid.”

  I swatted his hand off the glass and wished he hadn’t seen the picture of me in my pigtails with no teeth and chocolate syrup all over my face. “Of course I was.”

  We found my mother in the kitchen standing over three raw steaks. She sprinkled some salt and pepper on them before turning to face us. She spread her arms out wide and beamed at us as she came forward to give me a big bear hug.

  I patted her back. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hi, baby. You look great.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek before stepping back and fixing her attention on Aiden. “Aiden. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  “You too, Mrs. Jenkins. I’ve heard wonderful things about you and your cooking. I’m very excited to be here.” He rubbed his flat tummy in a slow circle as he held out a bottle of Merlot to my mother.

  She took it and brought it to the counter. “Thank you. I’ve heard a couple of things about you too.”

  I frowned. “Not from me.”

  Aiden arched an eyebrow.

  My mother chuckled as she pulled three wine glasses down from the cupboard. It creaked on its old brass hinges as she closed it. She pulled the cork out of the wine and poured us each a glass. As she handed them to us, she said, “Stephanie might have let something slip the other day when I ran into her in the grocery store.”

  I sighed. “Naturally.”

  My mother picked up the plate of steaks and carried them through the sliding screen doors off the dining room to the grill. She lifted the lid as Aiden and I stepped out onto the porch.

  “Yes. She was quite excited to tell me all about a smart, successful, handsome new man in my daughter’s life. So excited that she sort of spilled the beans.” She winked at Aiden.

  He cleared his throat. “I hope I live up to Stephanie’s praise.”

  My mother flashed him a smile. “My daughter has good taste. I’m sure you will.”

  I rubbed his shoulder affectionately. “I’ll have to tell Steph to mind her own business and stop stealing my thunder.”

  The steaks went on the barbeque, and my mother closed the lid. “Be real, baby. Stephanie will never change. She’s just happy for you is all. And apparently thrilled that some other doctor by the name of Parks is officially ‘on the market’. Her words, not mine.”

  Aiden and I exchanged a wary look.

  My mother slipped past us, and we followed her back into the kitchen, where Aiden offered to help mash the potatoes. I stepped in and kept an eye on some vegetables simmering away on the pan while my mother cooked the steaks to perfection.

  Soon after, the three of us were sitting down with our second glasses of wine and our plates in front of us on the patio set on the porch.

  My mother lifted her glass. “Here’s to a much anticipated evening.”

  “Cheers.” Aiden lifted his glass.

  I sipped my wine and watched my mother and Aiden hit it off over dinner
. It had been a long time since I felt this level of contentment in my life, and it made me reflect back on what my life had looked like just months ago.

  Back then, this would have been a different night entirely. I’d be sitting with Dex, who’d be prattling on about some customer who rubbed him the wrong way at work, some shitty driver who cut him off on his daily commute, or some upcoming action flick neither my mother or I had much interest in.

  I’d be trying to convince myself that we were right for each other with every bite I took. Trying to believe the lie I’d spun in my own head so that I would be more comfortable.

  And not alone.

  But now here I was, watching a man I admired more than anyone else in the world as he asked my mother questions about her day. Her morning. Her home. The photos in the hallway. She laughed as he asked to hear funny stories about me, and she was more than happy to oblige him despite my red cheeks and horrified protests.

  This was what had been missing from my life.

  Joy. Peace. Satisfaction.

  “There’s more food if you’d like seconds.” My mother nodded toward the kitchen.

  Aiden leaned back in his chair and dabbed at his mouth with his napkin. It was an old fabric napkin with a blue and yellow paisley print. My mother had owned them for as long as I remembered.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins, but I’m quite full. One more bite would push me over the edge.”

  “Please, call me Martha.”

  Aiden nudged me with his elbow. “See? I told you I’m good with parents.”

  My mother and I laughed, and it felt pretty damn good. There was still a lot of unknowns in my life. Still a lot of margin for things to take an unplanned turn.

  But I had everything I needed.

  I cleared the dinner table when we were done eating, and Aiden got a call from the hospital. He stepped outside to take it and answer some patient questions while me and my mom did a quick cleanup in the kitchen.

  My mom leaned one hip on the counter and nodded out the patio doors toward Aiden, whose back was to us as he bowed his head and listened to his patient. “He’s a babe.”

  “Mom,” I hissed.

  She shrugged. “What? It’s true. Look at him.”

  I smiled. “I look at him every day.”

  “Lucky girl.”

  I snickered. “Stop it.”

  “I can’t help it. You know I’m just happy for you, baby. Do you know how things are going to go for you two? Any word?”

  “Not yet. But we’ll know soon enough. And we’ll deal with whatever it is together.”

  “Stephanie is concerned that you’re going to move out of the apartment.”

  I blinked at her. “Sorry?”

  “You should talk to her just to clear things up. I think she feels like she’s stuck on the outside and she doesn’t know where she stands anymore. You know?”

  I licked my lips. “I think I can see why she might feel that way.”

  My mother put a hand on my shoulder. “Talk to her. Ease her mind. You’ll be glad you did. Falling head over heels for a man is an easy way to create space between your best friend. Don’t let that happen. She’s just as important as he is. And based on what I think I know about him, Aiden will think so too.”

  I gazed out the patio doors at my man. Warmth spread through my chest. “Yeah. He will.”

  36

  Aiden

  Two Weeks Later

  “Are you sure tonight is the right time to tell Peter?” Elizabeth asked as she chopped up fresh lettuce for the Caesar salad she was preparing.

  I nodded while I continued stirring a simmering pot of spaghetti sauce on the stove. “I’m sure. It’s the smartest move we can make. It’s proactive.”

  We’d spent the last few nights talking about how we should handle things. Peter still hadn’t gotten back to us on how he or the hospital wanted to handle our relationship, and the waiting was becoming a bit too much to bear. We needed to know where we stood.

  I turned to Elizabeth. “Don’t worry. Just because I’m resigning doesn’t mean things between us are going to change.”

  “No,” she said slowly. “But it means I won’t get to see you at work every day.”

  I pressed a hand to my chest just over my heart. “It is a catastrophe. I know.”

  She swatted at me.

  I chuckled and retreated back to the stove to resume stirring the sauce. My whole house smelled like tomatoes, onion, and garlic, and my mouth had been watering for the last four hours since I started preparing the meal.

  We were having a few people over from the hospital this evening. It was our first jointly hosted dinner party, and Elizabeth was incredibly nervous.

  We were expecting Stephanie, Parks, and Peter, as well as about a dozen other residents and doctors. I was on top of it, preparing a massive amount of food to make sure everyone was well fed. My coffee table was already overflowing with appetizer dishes: a baked brie and baguette plate, mini quiche, vegetables and dip, chips and salsa, and an assortment of other things.

  “We have enough food, right?” Elizabeth asked.

  I chuckled. “Yes. We have enough food. People are always more concerned with drinking wine at these kinds of things than sampling the spread. Trust me. These people don’t get breaks like this.”

  “Fair.”

  There was a knock on the front door, and then someone opened it, and a warm, feminine voice called into the house. “Elizabeth? Dr. Crawford? Where are you guys?”

  “In the kitchen, Steph!”

  Elizabeth’s best friend arrived looking like a beachy bronzed goddess. Her hair was down and loosely curled. She wore a cream dress and gold sandals that complemented her gold accessories.

  After she set a bottle of white wine on the counter, she gave Elizabeth a hug. “How are you?”

  My girl grinned at her. “I’m good. A little anxious. But good.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “Anxious? What on earth about?”

  Elizabeth nodded in my direction. “He’s going to tell Peter he’s resigning tonight.”

  Stephanie blinked at me. “What? At an event like this? Isn’t that the sort of conversation best saved for your office?”

  I shrugged. “Nah. Peter and I go way back. I’d rather just get it out of the way and be able to enjoy my evening.”

  Elizabeth drummed her fingers on the counter. “Annoying, isn’t he?”

  “Terribly,” Stephanie agreed. “But I have to admit, I see the reason to the madness. I think I’d want to get it off my chest.”

  “Don’t encourage him.” Elizabeth scowled.

  Stephanie waggled her bottle of white wine. “Where can I get my hands on a wine glass, Dr. Crawford?”

  I nodded across the kitchen to the cupboard. Stephanie padded over, offered me and Elizabeth a glass, and poured three. She handed them out to us and offered her help in the kitchen.

  “Honestly, we’ve got all our bases covered.” I covered the sauce with the lid. “Thank you though.”

  “Excellent. I didn’t want to do anything anyway. Long day.”

  I chuckled. Stephanie’s honesty was refreshing.

  The guests would be arriving any minute, so the three of us moved into the living room to get comfortable while we waited. Only a few minutes passed before there were more knocks on my door and the steady stream of doctors and residents began. Elizabeth and I took coats and hung them in the hallway closet before seeing everyone into the kitchen and making sure drinks were filled and plates and napkins were offered so they could make their way around and pick and choose from the assortment of appetizers.

  Parks and Peter arrived together, and as soon as they walked in the door, Stephanie was batting her lashes at Parks. He came over to me and nudged me in the shoulder in greeting. “You know, I’m starting to like the attention.”

  “Be careful,” I warned.

  “Why? I might fall in love with her like you did with Elizabeth?”

  I nodded. “Ye
s. It can happen faster than you think.”

  Parks laughed. “I’m not that kind of guy. Come on, man. You know that about me.”

  “I wasn’t that kind of guy either.”

  Parks frowned and glanced over his shoulder at Stephanie. “That’s true.”

  I nodded at the bottles of wine on the counter. “Make yourself useful and offer to refill everyone’s drinks for them? I need a minute with Peter.”

  “You got it, boss.”

  I wove through the doctors and residents milling about in my living room until I reached Peter, who was chatting with a young female resident with auburn hair and kind eyes. I politely stole him away and took him down the hall to my study, where I closed the door behind us to block out the noise of the party.

  Peter arched an eyebrow at me as I went to my desk. “Is something wrong, Aiden?”

  “No. Nothing at all. I just have something for you.”

  “A free dinner party and a gift? What did I do to deserve this?”

  “It’s not that kind of gift.” I opened the top drawer of my desk, grabbed a folded-up letter, and brought it to him. “I decided to take things into my own hands and make the first move. It isn’t fair to leave it in your hands to fix my mess.”

  Peter unfolded the paper and peered down at it. I watched his eyes flick back and forth across the page as he read my resignation letter. When he was done, his eyes slid up to me. “This is what you want?”

  “I want Elizabeth.”

  Peter looked back down. “Yes. I understand. But this seems extreme. Even for you.”

  “Has the hospital made a decision?”

  “Not yet. But I’m applying pressure. You know things don’t move quickly with the board.”

  “I do. Which is why I decided to hurry things along on my own.”

  “By quitting the hospital that has become your home? Where are you going to go? Who can afford you?”

  “I can drop my rates.”

  “Aiden. Your place is at St. Mark’s. You know that as well as I do. You don’t have to quit. We can find other resolutions. You just have to be patient.”