Chapter Sixteen

Gray

My job was flexible in ways that a dentist's would not be. It involved going from one railroad location to another over quite the large area, and while the town where he would be moving was not as conveniently located for me, I could certainly get there.

"I think this is it." London unfastened his seat belt as I parked in front of the big white building. "I am a little nervous but I suppose bringing my daddy to a meeting about a new position at this level would look odd."

I shrugged. "I don't care how it looks, but I think you'll be fine without me. It's associated with the university, huh?" He had only mentioned the name of the place, but there was a logo next to the name over the door.

"Yeah, I didn't mention that? It's not on campus, obviously, but it's part of an outreach they have been working on and they weren't happy with their director." He opened the door. "Wish me luck."

"Always. I'm going to find a place to sit and have a cold drink, and you can just call me when you're ready to be picked up, okay?"

"Thanks for coming. Even if you're not in the room, I am glad you're close by."

"And that's what my daddy heart loves to hear. You've got this, London. They would be incredibly lucky to get you." I tugged him close for a kiss and then gave him a wink. "Go get 'em, my little conductor!"

"Thanks." I watched him walk into the building, wishing I could be with him, but he was a professional who would totally rock the interview. All I could do was be a cheerleader from a distance.

I drove a couple of blocks before I found a cafe with outdoor seating and ordered an iced tea. It was a beautiful day and the busy sidewalks perfect for people watching. From where I sat, the campus entrance was in sight, and that probably explained all the young, energetic walkers passing by. Quite the vibrant town, and I could imagine living here. Not that we'd talked about it, but if he decided to move, it would have to come up for discussion for sure.

Since it was part of a big institution, it might be months before they decided on their new director, so no point in worrying yet about what might happen. Our relationship would be older and more established by then, hopefully, but we would see what the future brought. I was deeply in love with both the man and the boy.

A couple of hours had passed, and I'd ordered a pastry for me and one to go and another drink in a to-go cup just because I was taking up table space, and I still hadn't heard from London. My fingers twitched to text him, but that would not be the right thing to do. Asking how he was doing would not be a way to express my confidence in him. I needed to practice my patience, something that had come up time and again in this relationship. A daddy was supposed to help their boy grow and be their best self, but sometimes in the process, we learned where our weak spots were. And I'd found one of mine. Fortunately, before I talked myself into driving back and waiting in the loading zone in front or, worse, going inside to check on him, my phone buzzed.

All done. I'm waiting out front.

I threw some bills on the table to cover my drinks and snack and bolted for where the car was parked at a meter nearby. Of course I had to navigate some one-way streets to get back to where I left him, but it only felt like an hour. It was probably more like five minutes.

When I pulled up, he was standing right by the curb and hopped in the car. Pulling the seat belt across his chest and lap, he let out a deep sigh. "Sorry to make you wait so long. I thought they'd never stop asking me questions."

"Yeah? Sounds like they were interested if they did that."

"Or trying to find out how I made my clinic work, but really it was because they were interested." He leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "What do you think of the town?"

"It's nice. At least in this section it's very student oriented. Businesses that cater to the younger crowd. But clean and friendly enough. The server at the cafe where I waited said she grew up here and she loves it."

"Yeah, that's the same general impression I got from the panel. Big guns. The university chancellor was there. Apparently it wasn't just that the previous director didn't do a great job. There was some sort of scandal. They didn't go into it, but we can probably find out the details online. They want someone with a squeaky-clean professional background and experience in both private practice and community health."

"Which you've got." I pulled out into traffic. "Do you want to go to the motel or for something to eat?"

"Honestly? I'd kind of like a nap. Are you starving?"

"I had a pastry and I got you one." I pointed to the paper bag on the floor by his feet. "The iced tea is yours, too. Hopefully it's not too watered down."

"As long as it's wet." He picked it up and took a deep drink. "Ahhh. Nice and cold. Still has ice. I talked so much in there, my throat is dry. And this was after I'd answered all their questions on the application they sent me. It was about a hundred pages long."

"That many?"

"Well, a lot." He drank some more tea and reached for the pastry. Opening the bag, he grinned. "Strawberry scone. Score!"

It wasn't far to the motel we'd made a reservation at, but while he rode, he drank and nibbled and told me about the interview. "They almost seemed more interested in my lack of a criminal history than my dental or administrative skills."

"How long before you find out what they've decided?" I parked in front of the motel office for check-in.

"A half hour ago."

"What?" I didn't see that coming. "Already?"

"Seems they did all the background work as soon as I signed the application that gave them the authority to do so. Which makes all their are you a criminal questions odd, right?"

"Yeah. Is it a good job for you?"

"I am the perfect fit for them." Which was not the same thing. But he looked so tired, I wanted to wait a bit before we delved any deeper into the whole thing.

"I'll go check us in and maybe we can sit out by the pool and relax while we talk?"

His smile was faint, but he nodded. "I wouldn't mind a dip."

I went inside, got our key cards, and carried our bags to the pool-front room. Five minutes later, we were in our trunks and sitting outside with the ice bucket filled, plastic cups, and some drinks from the machine outside our door. There was nobody else using the pool just now, but it was plenty warm, so we had a short swim before returning to the lounge chairs. I unscrewed the cap on a bottle of fizzy water and filled both our glasses. "We can maybe have a nap and then go out for an early dinner?" A pastry did not a solid lunch make and while I had some cheese and crackers in my bag for emergencies, they weren't a meal either.

"That sounds great." To my relief, his voice was stronger, and he looked much more relaxed now. "I never want to have an interview like that again. I've worked too long and hard to be treated like someone desperate for a job. I only filled out the application because they asked me to and wouldn't talk to me without it."

"So the job? Do you want it?"

"I should. It pays really well and instead of running back and forth from my practice to the clinic, I'd be in one place, most of the time at least. I would be an administrator."

"No touching teeth?"

"Probably not, unless we had a weird shorthanded day and nobody there had the skill to do a particular emergency procedure."

"Wouldn't you miss that?"

"I do a lot of admin at the clinic, and that's fine, but I am all hands-on in my practice. And I've spent years building both of those things." He sipped his water. "Yes, I would miss doing what I consider my real job. I like making people stop hurting. Dentists are among the few who can fix something that's really causing someone agony in one or two sessions. Not always, and at the clinic, we see people who have never had dental care. So, it takes more. But think about it. They may have been in pain every day for years before they found us."

"Would the clinic go on if you left?"

"Yes, someone else would step up, I think. And I'd sell my practice, so another doctor would be making everyone feel better."

"London, you're not sounding like you want this job."

"I don't, do I? But it's very prestigious. Do you know how many people have approached them for it?"

"How many?"

He chuckled. "I don't have an exact number, but a lot. It was all the talk at the conference. That's where they found me, you know? Someone from the outreach was in the audience when I spoke."

"All your reasons for not wanting the job are valid, but is part of it not wanting to leave me? I know we haven't talked about moving in together, at least not much, but remember, I'd come with you if you asked me to."

"Thank you for saying that. It makes me very happy that you value what we have that much. But I love all the aspects of my life and our life. I love my practice and my patients there. I like going into the clinic and helping to make a difference without the weight of a whole university hanging over every decision. I love going to Chained where we have many friends, and I love you, Daddy. And how we do things. But maybe we need to talk about moving in together."

"What's to talk about? I love you too. And our life together, but it could only get better." I'd never felt joy like I did with this man, all the time, but especially now. I'd have followed him across the country and dumped my own business if he asked. "Another swim or ready for a nap?"

"I am feeling so good now. Let's swim then take one of those naps where nobody sleeps."

"The very best kind."