“What about your clinicals?”
Jillian smiled. “I went to my professor and told her I desperately needed that weekend off. She agreed to work with me and arrange for me to do a makeup the following weekend.”
“That was nice of her.”
“Yes, it was. She said I was a good student, the first to volunteer for projects and my overall attendance is great. So now I’m set to go.”
Ivy grinned. “Did you tell Aidan?”
“No. I’m going to surprise him. He mentioned that since I wouldn’t be there to celebrate with him that he would sign up to work that day and then hang around his place, watch TV and go to bed early.”
“On his birthday? That’s a bummer.”
“Yes, and that’s why I plan to fly there to help him celebrate.”
“You’re doing the right thing by being there. I think it’s wonderful that you’re finally letting your sister know about you and Aidan. When she sees how much he adores you she will be happy for the two of you.”
A huge smile touched Jillian’s lips. “I believe so, too.”
* * *
Jillian stepped out on the balcony to look at the ocean as she recalled what happened after that. She had been excited when she’d boarded the plane for Portland, Maine. She couldn’t wait to tell Aidan of her decision to end the secrecy surrounding their affair and to celebrate his birthday with him.
Due to stormy weather in Atlanta, her connecting flight had been delayed five solid hours and she didn’t arrive in Portland until six that evening. It had been another hour before she’d arrived at his apartment complex, anxious to use the door key he’d given her a year ago for the first time.
The moment she’d stepped off the elevator onto his floor she knew a party was going on in one of the apartments. Loud music blasted and boisterous voices made her ears ache. She hadn’t known all the noise was coming from Aidan’s apartment until she’d reached the door, which she didn’t have to unlock since it was slightly ajar.
Jillian walked in and looked around. The place was crowded and there were more women in attendance than men. The women were wearing outfits that probably wouldn’t be allowed out on the streets.
Jillian wondered what had happened to Aidan’s decision to come home from work, watch TV and go to bed. It seemed he’d decided to throw a party instead and it was in full swing. In the center of the room Aidan sat in a recliner while some scantily dressed woman gave him a lap dance. And from the look on his face, he was enjoying every single minute of it. Some of the guys on the sidelines, who she figured must be Aidan’s friends, were egging on both him and the woman, which prompted the woman to make the dance even more erotic.
When the woman began stripping off her clothes, starting with the barely-there strap of material covering her breasts, Jillian was shocked. She knew she’d seen enough when the woman’s breasts all but smothered Aidan’s face while she wiggled out of her panties.
Not able to watch any longer, a shaken Jillian had left, grateful Aidan hadn’t even noticed her presence. What hurt more than anything was that he’d appeared to be enjoying every single minute of the dance. Aidan Westmoreland had seemed in his element. She couldn’t help wondering if they had stopped with the dance or if he and the woman had ended up doing other things later.
When he’d called her a few days later he hadn’t mentioned anything about the party at his apartment and she hadn’t said anything about being there to witness what had gone on. And when she asked how he’d spent his birthday, he angered her even more when he gave her a smart aleck answer, asking, “Why do you care when you didn’t care enough to spend it with me?”