Chapter 6

The weeks pass in a blur, and my mind is confused with a sexual haze that doesn"t die down as much as I try to dampen it. Noah seems capable of finding me all over the hospital and, each time, drags me into a room to "defile" me, as he puts it. Utility closets, supply rooms, and even patient rooms are marked now with our passion. What worries me is that is the extent of it. He doesn"t really talk to me. He only looks at me after we"re done, swears, and leaves me by myself.

I"m getting frustrated. This is not the kind of relationship I want. I don"t want to be some secret hook-up. There"s another thing. I"ve been dizzy and vomiting in the mornings. Doesn"t take a genius to figure out I"m pregnant. But it"s not my style to use that kind of information to push Noah into a relationship, or anyone for that matter.

I need to do something. I want the reins of my life back. So I went to Noah"s office and asked his assistant to let me through to see him.

"Oh, he"s already left. Some important business, he said."

"Is there a way I can reach him? It"s really important I talk to him."

"Your last name is Brooks, right?"

"Yes."

"I think he has a meeting with your father, Dr. Lee Brooks."

"Dr. Lee Brooks? Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"How long ago did he leave?"

"About half an hour ago."

I rush out without saying thank you to Noah"s assistant. I know it"s bad form but I need to intercept Noah at my parent"s house. It takes me two tries to get the rideshare app working properly and I request a ride. I bite my nails the whole trip. It"s a habit I used to have and only comes out when I"m extremely stressed. I tell the driver to go faster, but he just looks at me and mumbles.

Can nothing go right for me today? It takes forever to reach my parent"s house. I rush out of the car, but I don"t see Noah"s car anywhere. As a matter of fact, my father"s car isn"t here, either. Oh God, did I just assume they were here? My mother"s car was in the driveway, so I ran inside and went from room to room trying to locate her. I start yelling for her.

"What on earth is going on, Meghan? Why are you shouting?"

"Mom, where is Dad?"

"He went to meet with Noah at that steakhouse they like so much. What"s the problem?"

"Oh, Mom, I think he"s going to tell him we"re involved."

"Really…" Her eyebrows rose.

"Do you think Daddy will be very angry with us?"

"With you, no. With Noah, definitely. When did this start, Meghan?"

"About a month ago. Mom, I"ve got to go. Maybe I can intercept Noah before he says anything to Daddy."

"I think you should just let them hash it out between themselves. But if you have to go, I want to talk about this more later, young lady."

"Mom, I"m almost thirty. I"m not a young lady anymore."

"You"ll always be my little girl, Meg." She gives me a hug and a kiss, and I"m off.

The whiskey I"m drinking is not strong enough to give me the courage I need to confront Lee. He"s been talking nonstop about his idea for another of our patents, but I can"t concentrate on what he"s saying.

"Noah, what"s going on with you? I don"t think you"ve listened to a word I"ve said."

"No, I haven"t. I"m sorry, Lee. I"ve got something on my mind, and I need to talk to you about it. It"s not an easy conversation to have."

"We"ve been friends for over thirty years, Noah. Our friendship has always been strong. I value you as a friend and admire you as a colleague. You can tell me anything."

I put my drink down, determined to get this conversation started. I clear my throat, which has gotten clogged at the last minute.

"It"s about Meghan."

"Is she doing well in her internship? She"s had top grades throughout her career. She"s meant for medicine."

"It"s not that. We… I…" I cough to clear my throat. "We"re in a relationship."

At first, there is nothing, but then shock and anger show on Lee"s face. But most concerning is how red his face is getting. He says nothing. He just looks down and picks up his drink, swallowing it in a few gulps. Then he smashes the glass down on the table. It doesn"t break, but the sound echoes in the private room I requested when I made the reservations.

"You"re supposed to be my friend."

"I am…"

"Shut the fuck up. You"re in a relationship with a subordinate at work. Do you know how damaging that can be to Meghan"s career? Her reputation as a professional and as a woman? Not to mention the fact that you are old enough to be her father."

He"s squeezing the cloth napkin in his right hand. His fist is white with how tight his grip is.

"Lee, I…"

"Did you pursue her? Does she need to file sexual harassment charges?"

"No, it wasn"t like that." I rush out before he can stop me. "It"s mutual."

"It might seem like that to you, but your age and your position in the hospital make things pretty uneven to anyone who cares to look too closely."

"She won"t be affected by this. I"ll make sure of it. I can protect her."

"Meghan is an adult. She can make her own choices, but if you value our friendship, you"ll make sure her internship and position at the hospital are not affected by this "relationship.""

"I understand."

I take another sip of my drink when Meghan comes rushing into the room. She hurries over to her dad and stands in front of him, her back straight, her features serious.

"Daddy, don"t listen to anything he has to say. I kissed him first."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, Daddy. I"m sorry, but I"ve admired him from afar since he was assigned as my mentor at the hospital. Noah is special to me, and he makes me happy."

Lee gets up from his chair and takes Meghan into his arms. She hugs him and whispers something into his ear. He just nods and holds her tighter. Meanwhile, he"s giving me the stink eye, but I"ll take it if that"s all he will do. I thought he was going to pound me to the ground.

His words, however, resonated with me. I need to make things right at the hospital and it could end my career to do so.