Dr. Tuscano continued answering my questions. My feelings went up and down on the matter. Just when I would conclude that the operation was the way to go, I’d look over at Damien and shudder at the thought of him having open-heart surgery. Even though the doctor had said dying during the procedure was rare, it has happened. I’d read a couple of stories online that terrified me. I would never be able to forgive myself if I encouraged him to do it and God forbid, he died on the operating table.
At the same time, what if we put it off out of fear and something happened to him that could have been prevented? It was impossible to feel comfortable with either scenario. The only thing I was sure of was that it needed to be his decision and that I would support him no matter what.
The Wednesday after Christmas, Damien left me a huge surprise on the kitchen counter.
Printed out were two e-tickets for direct flights from San Francisco to JFK.
“Damien? What are these?”
“It’s my apology for fucking up our first Christmas.”
“We’re going to New York?”
“Yes…for New Year’s Eve. You can see your sister. I know you said how much you missed her, since she couldn’t be here over Christmas.”
My eyeballs moved back and forth as I examined the details. “Okay…these are first class! During the holidays? These tickets cost a fortune.”
“We can afford it.”
“Are you serious?”
“We never go away, and we fucking deserve it. We need a change of scenery to try to forget about all of this depressing shit for a few days.”
Reaching on my tippy toes to embrace him, I cried, “I could hug you!”
“I hope I get a little more than that.”
“Oh, you’ll get a lot more than that.”
He lifted me into a kiss as I wrapped my legs around him. When he put me down, his expression turned serious. “I can tell you’ve been worried since the appointment yesterday. I just need a little more time living in denial with you, okay?”
“I can handle that.”
He put me down. “Let’s have some fun.”
New York City was a welcome change of pace.
We’d just gone to see Jade’s evening performance and were out to eat at a restaurant not far from the theater district. I’d gone to the bathroom when I heard two of Jade’s friends enter. One of them had apparently just arrived.
“Oh, my God, who is that guy out there sitting next to Jade?”
“That’s her sister’s boyfriend. His name is Damien.”
“Holy hell.”
“I know. He’s fucking hot. He’s visiting from California.”
“They grow them well in California, then.”
“Seriously. Makes me want to visit the West Coast. I’m sick of the guys here.”
When I emerged from the stall, the one I’d met previously bit her tongue.
“Oh, hey, Chelsea.” She turned to her friend to introduce me. “This is Jade’s sister.”
The other girl looked horrified. “You heard us.”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry. Your boyfriend is gorgeous. We were just admiring him and didn’t mean any harm.”
“Thank you. I know. None taken.”
Even though I couldn’t blame them, I still felt like strangling someone. As I washed my hands, I thought about the fact that I’d never felt this possessive over my former boyfriends. My feelings for Damien were at an entirely different level. The idea of someone trying to steal him—even just someone coveting him—made me crazy. Thankfully, he only ever seemed to have eyes for me.
When I returned to my table, I noticed he had moved seats and was talking to Jade. She smiled at me when I approached, and I suspected they were talking about me.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said, still flustered by the bathroom incident.
Sensing my mood, Damien placed his arm around me and gently scratched his fingertips along my back. When the two women from the bathroom returned to the table, I possessively took his hand and wrapped my fingers in his.
A few minutes later, Jade’s co-star, Craig, showed up. He was the ginger guy I’d hung out with during my last visit here—the one Damien had seen me photographed with on Facebook. Damien immediately gave me a look that signified he recognized him.
When Jade introduced them, Damien offered him a firm but reluctant handshake.
Craig looked over at me. “It’s so good to see you again, Chelsea. I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”
“I know. This was a surprise trip.” I smiled, squeezing Damien’s hand tighter.
Together, we were a lost cause.
After dinner, Damien whispered in my ear, “That guy keeps staring at you, even with me sitting right here.”