18. Rob

18

ROB

R ob peeked over the rim of his laptop screen, watching as another group of well-wishers left the clinic, their animated chatter carrying across the village square. The celebration for Jasmine's transition had drawn a small crowd, but things were settling back to normal, and it was time for his daily lunch date with Gertrude.

Well, it was more like a lunch delivery than a date, but it was just as sweet.

As usual, he'd ordered two cappuccinos and two turkey club sandwiches with pickles and mayo but no mustard, which was exactly how she liked them.

It was such a simple thing, bringing lunch to someone you cared about, but it meant so much to Gertrude. The way her face lit up when she saw him walk in every day at noon made his heart swell anew with emotion each time.

The thought triggered an unwelcome comparison to Lynda, and he tried to push it away, but memories had a way of intruding when least wanted, and suddenly he was back in their house, watching Lynda sprawled on the couch, phone pressed to her ear, jabbering with one of her countless vacuous friends and ignoring him.

And that was when she had been at home.

Most of the time, he'd returned to an empty house, and if he cared to be honest with himself, he had been relieved because he hadn't needed to deal with her and had a few moments of peace and quiet for himself.

Even though she didn't work, dinner had never been ready for him, not even takeout or delivery. Lynda only ordered food when she was in the mood for something, and since she was constantly dieting, that hadn't happened often either.

He'd rationalized it then, made excuses for her. She was busy with an active social life, and he had no right to make demands. Now, with distance and perspective, he could see how stupid he had been. How he'd settled for scraps of affection because Lynda was hot, and she'd convinced him that he was so damn lucky to score a woman like her.

The fault was his for having believed her, for thinking he wouldn't find anyone better, for buying into the notion she was the best he could ever hope for.

Stupid .

How could a smart guy like him be so stupid?

Gertrude was nothing like Lynda. She looked at him like he mattered, listened when he talked about his work and shared with him her own stories and dreams. She made him feel valued just for being himself.

He was falling in love with her.

The realization wasn't new, but it still scared him. The words sat heavily on his tongue sometimes when they were together, wanting to spill out, but fear held them back. Fear of being wrong again and misreading signals.

After all, he'd thought that Lynda loved him in her own way.

He gathered up the tray and the bag of sandwiches and carefully arranged his features into an easygoing smile. He crossed the few feet that separated the café from the clinic.

Gertrude deserved his best self, not the brooding version that appeared when he felt weighed down by past hurts.

Using his hip to push open the clinic's glass door, he entered the space that had become one of his favorite places in the village.

"Rob!" Gertrude's face lit up with that smile he'd come to live for. "Can you give me a minute? I need to finish something for Jasmine."

"Sure." He set down the tray and bag on the side table, settling into one of the waiting room chairs. "Don't take too long. The coffee is getting cold."

"I won't." She blew him an air kiss before disappearing into Jasmine's room, her blue scrubs making a soft swishing sound as she walked.

Rob watched her go, marveling at how something as simple as an air kiss could make him feel more cared for than all of Lynda's grand gestures ever had. Because Lynda's gestures had always come with strings attached, with expectations and subtle manipulations he'd been too blind to see at the time.

Shaking off those thoughts again, he focused instead on his plans for the near future. He'd finished his final project for his old company, tying up all loose ends neatly. He could start his work in William's tech heaven, but he wasn't sure whether it was prudent to start a new job before his transition.

Maybe he and Gertrude could spend a few days together and go on some real dates or even a mini vacation.

The thought made him smile.

Between her work at the clinic and his need to finish his old project, they hadn't had as much time together as he would have liked.

"Okay, I'm back." Gertrude sat down beside him, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "Jasmine is getting discharged today, but since she was in a coma for so long, Bridget wants her to come in for a few Pilates sessions to strengthen her muscles."

Rob couldn't quite hide his disappointment. "I was hoping you could take some time off now that the clinic is empty of patients. I'm done with the project I needed to finish for my previous job, and I thought I would take a mini vacation before starting my induction process, transition, and work for William."

Her answering grin was mischievous. "How about a vacation right here in the village? Hildy is spending the night with the humans who were implanted with the gods' trackers, making sure that they are okay, so she's only coming back tomorrow."

Rob loved the sound of that.

He'd spent a couple of nights with Gertrude, and they had been the best sex he'd ever had, but the idea that Hildegard was sleeping in the next room over had bothered him even though the houses in the village were built with the best soundproofing money could buy.

"So, we have the house to ourselves?"

"Yup." Gertrude's eyes sparkled. "And I'm cooking dinner."

"Oh, sweetheart, you say the nicest things." He leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss that held all the words he couldn't quite say yet.

When they parted, they were both slightly breathless. "The coffee's getting cold."

"Don't care," he murmured but reached for the cups anyway.

As he handed her one, their fingers brushed, sending little sparks of electricity through him. Everything with Gertrude felt like this—natural and exciting at the same time, comfortable yet thrilling.

"So," she said, taking a sip of her coffee. "About a vacation. What did you have in mind?"

"Honestly? I just want to spend time with you. No interruptions, no work obligations, just us. But I'm open to suggestions. We can do anything you like."

She smiled sheepishly. "Do you like gardening?"

"Never tried it. Why?"

"My herb garden has been neglected while I was in the keep, and it needs work. I was planning to take care of it now that I have more time, but perhaps we could do it together. I can teach you."

Of all the things she could have suggested, that was probably the one he liked the least, but did it really matter what they did as long as they did it together?

All he wanted was more time with her.

"I'd love to work in your herb garden."

"Awesome. We could also go on hikes. There are several beautiful hiking trails in these mountains."

That was also not one of his favorite things to do, but then Rob didn't really have favorites. He liked his work, and he liked reading. He didn't even play video games like most of his coworkers.

"It all sounds great, but right now, I'm most interested in tonight's dinner plans."