A Wifey for the Bad Boy(46)
Melissa pressed the inside of her wrist, where a bruise was just healing up. The little throb when she pressed inward reminded her of how much her Dom cherished her, and that was something to be celebrated.
“What’s new, Chicken?” Cathy asked one afternoon when Glenn was off and it was just the two of them. They’d lost an office manager to an interstate move and the billing person, a nerdy college guy named Frank, wouldn’t be in until the weekend.
“Not much,” Melissa replied. “What about with you?”
“I’m seeing this guy. Ray, he plays rugby on the weekends. He’s English. You know how that is.”
Did she? How could she? Melissa had never dated anyone English.
“How is it?” she asked.
“Oh, he’s a little aggressive, a little too caveman for me. Every guy seems to think he needs to prove something because of the book and movie thing. You know the one I mean?”
Melissa nodded. So, this wasn’t a British thing, was it? Then how could Melissa know? She yanked her sleeve down, covering her wrist, and Cathy’s eyes knowingly tracked her movements. Shit. This wasn’t good at all.
“Who is he?” Cathy asked, looking concerned, motherly almost.
“Who?”
“The man who hurts you.”
“I’m not hurt. We just like it a little rough sometimes.” What else could she say? “It is totally consensual.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Melissa bit her lip. “It’s a guy I’ve been seeing. My friends and I ran into him at a club. He works downtown.”
“And yet he never picks you up or visits you here.”
“He’s busy,” Melissa replied, knowing how lame that sounded. “I promise, he’s okay. And hey, if it all works out, I’ll bring him to the Christmas party.”
“I’d like that,” Cathy replied.
“So what is it about Ray,” Melissa pressed. “Do you not like what he does, or is he going too far, or what exactly.”
“He’s just a little too rough. He thinks I like it harder than I do.” She gave Melissa a thin smile, and Melissa realized she’d have to proceed with caution. “I’m not being hurt, I’m just uncomfortable after sex because he goes so hard and fast.”
“You should tell him.”
“Maybe I will.” Cathy pulled in a deep breath and Melissa sensed that the conversation was done for now. “You know, I think Doctor Glenn is seeing someone pretty seriously.”
“You do?” Melissa asked, watching her friend’s face for any confirmation that she knew who he was seeing. “Why do you say that?”
“He looks happy,” Cathy explained, motioning toward the back of the building, where Glenn’s office was. “And he’s humming. I think he’s seeing someone and that person, whoever she is, is a pretty lucky lady. A doctor and a gorgeous one to boot. You know, in the movies and on TV there are always guys like McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy, and not Doctor Neil with his thinning hair and very unfortunate nose.”
“Doctor Neil is a dentist.”
“Close cousin to a doctor,” Cathy said with a shrug and a laugh. “Look at this, we’re all seeing people. It’s like an office first, isn’t it?”
“Frank’s seeing someone?” Melissa asked.
“A little nerdy girl, just like him. See, there’s someone for everybody. What do you think Doc’s lady is like. And where did he meet her. Think maybe she’s one of our patients?” Cathy drummed her fingernails on the desk, and Melissa had the sense that if she could, she’d start running down the list of potential patient booty calls for Glenn. Which was not good. At all.
“That would be unethical, and Doctor Glenn is anything but.” God, did Melissa have to sound so uppity. She would have rolled her eyes at herself, but Cathy was doing the same.
“Some day, Doc is going to come off the pedestal you have him on,” Cathy said gently. “I hope it isn’t a hard or a painful fall from grace.”
“Me too.”
Glenn looked at the text message, and couldn’t stop the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. It was from Melissa and had come in two hours after he’d arrived home after a visit to his family. He’d wanted to bring her along, but they couldn’t let the office be understaffed.
He’d have to make some arrangements soon, because he and Melissa were here to stay, and he had no intention of changing that. She was a hell of a woman, tolerant of his moods, gentle with him when she needed to be and firm when she needed to be. They’d found a happy balance of leaving their lifestyle at the club, while being equals on their other off work hours. It was the best way for them to have a healthy relationship. Glenn wanted to take it to the next level, to bring her into the family scene, to see if she could manage to get along with his three kid brothers and their wives, to see how she treated his parents.