Stripped(32)
“No, it was hot. I had to stop myself or I would have come, too. But I don’t have any other scrubs in my locker, so I couldn’t.”
“I owe you one,” she said.
“No, you don’t.”
“Do you need to get back to work?”
“I guess. Can you sleep here for a while and wait for me?”
“I would, but I need to be there in the morning for Audrey and Sara. My Mom’s been spending more and more time with Tim, and Justin and I make sure one of us is always there.”
“Does Justin know what happened to you?”
“Yes.”
“How can he stand to be around him?”
“Justin hates Tim. It’s been a long time since he’s come around, so we’re both having a hard time with it.”
“Do you think he’s back because of Audrey and Sara?”
Abby sighed, looking away uncomfortably.
“He’s back because my Mom is screwing him for drugs. It’s made things really tense at home, because I don’t want the kids around that crap.”
“Does your Mom know what he did to you?” he asked, watching as she pulled her dress back on.
“She knows.”
“And she lets him in the house? Around the girls?” he asked, incredulous.
“She blames me for it,” she said, shrugging.
“For what he did? Abby, you were a child.”
“It’s why she hates me. She thinks I seduced him because I wanted to steal her husband. I didn’t, but I’ll never convince her of that.”
“It’s not even possible that you seduced him. You were a child, and he was a predator. Have you ever talked to anyone about what happened?”
“What, like a counselor?”
“I know some psychiatrists. My friend Reed’s wife is a good one,” he said, reaching for her hand. “I’ll go with you if you want me to.”
“It was a long time ago, Chris. I just want to forget about it.”
He nodded, unconvinced, but Abby could see he didn’t want to press her.
“I’m off Monday night. Can we have dinner at my place?” he asked. “You can bring the girls if you need to.”
“Justin will be home.”
They had left the room and were headed past the long desk area of the emergency room, where Abby felt the stares of the doctors and nurses working at computers.
“Why do they look at me every time I’m here?” she murmured to Chris.
“They’re just nosy bastards,” he said, propping the door open with his arm so she could walk under it.
“I feel so much better,” she said as they walked into the brisk breeze outside. “I guess I just needed a dry fuck from a hot doctor.”
Chris laughed, looking at her with amusement.
“Glad I could help. Get some sleep and call me when you wake up,” he said as she got into her car. Abby looked up at him with a smile and he leaned into the car. She was expecting a kiss but was disappointed when he stopped a few inches from her mouth.
“You’ll need to quit using whatever makes your hair smell minty,” he said. “As a ground rule.”
Abby grinned foolishly, marveling at the turn her night had taken. It had been a long time since she’d felt as low or as high as she’d been brought in the past couple hours.
Charlotte’s office reminded Chris of her and Reed’s house. The walls were decorated just so, with photos of the tropical vacations she and Reed had taken. He had never thought much about things like that, but as he stared at a photo of a lush Hawaiian waterfall, he considered that Charlotte and Reed had been standing right there, together. It was a memory they would share forever.
“So, what happened then, Chris? You guys started to get intimate, and then … where did it lead?” Charlotte asked.
“I feel awkward talking about this with my best friend’s wife,” he admitted, sighing.
“Chris, I do this every day. Just relax and be honest. You’ll find it very liberating.”
“Bill me for this one. I’ll feel better if this is a professional visit.”
“Don’t be an asshole, Chris. You’re our friend, and I’m not billing you. Now talk.”
“Okay. So we messed around, and I ended up … well, you don’t need the full details. I got her off.”
“How did that make you feel?”
“Amazing. It was about the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, because … God, this is so strange, but I cared about making her feel good. Not just to know I’m good in bed, either. For her.”
“How did she react to what happened between you?”
“She was uncomfortable at first, before it happened. She doesn’t mind me seeing her naked or anything, but she doesn’t like the idea of her getting off when I don’t.”