We finished our lunch, silently agreeing to disagree about the whole etiology of desire debate, catching up with each other's careers, and finally, I stole a glance at my cell and saw that it was time to go back to the hospital.
"I have to run," I said. "I have a surgery and need to prep."
Lara was done as well and finished her espresso.
"So, I can tell this girl you'll do the interview?"
"Sure." I stood, finishing the last of the coffee in my cup. "You set up a meeting." I reached into my pocket and left a couple of dollars as a tip for the waitress. "Call me and I can slip out between surgeries. I usually have an hour off at three."
"Thanks," Lara said and smiled at me. "You won't regret it. She's really smart and will likely have some good questions. I sent her a link to your website so she could read your letters. That'll get her so worked up, you'll have no problem getting her to sign on the dotted line. You'll probably really enjoy it."
She stood and I walked out of the café with her, my arm at the small of her back. We stopped outside on the street and she eyed me up and down as if assessing me.
"I think she'd probably be right up your alley. You might end up with a new sub after all if you put in the effort, so try to seduce her a bit. "
"Try to stop me," I said and grinned. I leaned in to kiss her cheek and we parted ways.
Lara called to set up a meeting with the young woman who wanted to interview me about the lifestyle, but even the prospect of seducing someone new didn’t fill me with the usual excitement. After I finished my first afternoon surgery, I pulled my lab coat over my scrubs and left NYP to make the short walk to the café where Lara and I met.
I entered the café and saw Lara immediately – she was hard to miss, with her platinum blonde hair and expensive tailored business suit. I started towards the table, curious about the young woman, whose back I saw through the window.
Then, I realized who she was.
Katherine.
Katherine McDermott. The woman I’d been fantasizing about despite my best attempts to block her memory from my mind. When she turned to the door where I stood, I was struck once more by how pretty she was. She wore a creamy sweater that made her breasts look even more enticing – if that was even possible. Her hair was down and silky, falling around her shoulders, her features petite and pretty.
I stopped up short, frowning when I saw her with Lara, wondering if I had somehow got it wrong. I glanced around the deserted café in confusion, thinking that perhaps Lara knew Katherine and was meeting with her for coffee and that I had the date wrong.
Lara stood and waved me over to the table.
"You’re late," Lara said, air kissing my cheeks when I arrived as if she'd been expecting me.
Then it became obvious why Katherine was there, and the truth registered as a shock of adrenaline surging through my body.
Katherine was the researcher.
She was the young woman who wanted to interview me. To interview a Dom because, as Lara said, she was curious, but was too afraid to do it for real.
The young woman Lara thought I could love…
"Oh, God," Katherine said, glancing away for a moment, her face blanching. I stood there like a total zombie, confusion and elation battling inside of me. I didn’t know whether to laugh out loud with glee or act apologetic, still not entirely certain that I was right.
"I have to go." Katherine pulled on her coat, gathered up her bag and put on a pair of sunglasses. She walked away, her body stiff.
She was horrified that it was me she was supposed to meet.
"Kate!" Lara called out, but Katherine was out the door and on the street hailing a taxi before Lara could get to the door.
We stood at the open door and watched as Katherine entered a cab.
“You know each other, I take it?” Lara said to me, her arms crossed.
“Yes,” I said, my heart pounding. I was just about to go after her, but Lara grabbed my arm and stopped me.
"Let her go," she said, her grip firm. "She's obviously freaked out. I take it there's some reason she's upset that you're the one."
"I’m very close with her father," I said and shook my head in amazement. "He was my dad’s best friend. We finally met about a week ago.”
I watched as the taxi drove off. My instinct was to follow her, but I listened to Lara. This would only end well if I handled it – and Katherine – with utmost finesse.
Lara and I went back into the café and sat down once more at the table. The waitress brought me an espresso, and I shot it down, needing the buzz to calm me. Lara ordered another espresso and then we sat looking at each other.