For The Love Of The Doctor (BWWM Romance) (4 page)

CHAPTER SEVEN

The restaurant he had chosen was a laid back, informal place and to his relief there was no awkwardness or tension and their conversation from the car continued to flow easily and pleasantly. After a glass of wine, Violet seemed even more at ease and she flowered before him into a fun, carefree woman having a good time.

“Have you never spontaneously done something utterly unsuitable just for the fun of it?” she asked him smiling impishly. 

Jeremy thought about the question and wracked his brain trying to think of a time when he had done something truly spontaneous, of a time when he had allowed his emotions to carry him away. He came up with a blank. “I can’t think of anything, does sneaking into the girls’ changing room in high school count?”

“Depends on why you did it.”

“I lost a bet.”

Violet shook her head, “Sadly, bets don’t count. Do you always play it safe, Jeremy?”

“Not always…” his mind was searching through its catalogue of memories, trying to dredge up at least one memory of him doing something unpredictable and totally out of character. A vague memory took form and he smiled at Violet triumphantly, “I don’t always play it safe but it’s not a memory I can share.”

Jet black eyebrows rose up in twin question marks, “That’s very convenient isn’t it, why can’t you share it?”

“It wouldn’t be right given our relationship…”

Violet grinned, “Is it an ex-girlfriend story?”

“Maybe.”

“An ex-girlfriend sex story?”

He looked away from her questioning eyes, “Maybe,” and then asked her the same thing, “Have you? Done something utterly spontaneous?”

She considered his question for a minute, “I guess deciding to have Tanya and getting married was an utterly irresponsible and spontaneous action.”

“Oh?” He was surprised.

“Yes, I wasn’t exactly ready for motherhood at twenty you know…”

“Were you happy?” Jeremy didn’t know what possessed him to ask such a question, Violet seemed equally surprised by such a direct and personal question.

She moved her fork away from her mouth and considered the question carefully before answering him, “I was happy enough, it wasn’t exactly the life I had dreamt of or planned out for myself, but I wasn’t unhappy either and I got Tanya out of it. Something I wouldn’t trade for anything else in the world. She has been a joy and a blessing to me every single day.”

“I’m glad you have no regrets.”

“No, no regrets. Life often doesn’t pan out the way you thought it would, but when you look back sometimes you realize it unfolded exactly the way it should have. Does that make sense?”

It was Jeremy’s turn to mull over her words as he thought of things in his own life. “I know what you mean, whenever I think about the past I feel very certain I dodged a major bullet. Even though at the time it hurt unbearably.”

“But having dodged that bullet, you’ve also closed yourself off to everything pleasurable in your life, focusing all your energies into work because you’re scared of hurting again. Aren’t you being unfair to yourself?”

Jeremy was surprised at how perceptive she was and how quickly she had read him, but instead of answering the question he asked one of his own, “Why did you never marry again? Didn’t you want to?”

Violet shrugged, “Not particularly.”

“Serious relationships?”

“None.”

“Why?”

“You’re full of questions tonight, aren’t you,” she teased him gently.

“Sorry,” he muttered, taking a sip of his wine, “you don’t have to answer anything.”

His contrite expression melted Violet’s heart and she answered him truthfully, “It’s okay, I’m just pulling your leg. I really don’t mind. After Alex passed away, it’s not something I thought about, it wasn’t a priority for me. I loved our little family of just her and me. I also didn’t want to bring another man into Tanya’s life, it was really important to me she have stability and not have to worry about too many changes in her life.”

Jeremy sensed there was more and he nudged her gently, “Was there any other reason?”

After a few moments of hesitation, Violet replied simply and honestly, “I also told myself the next time I get involved with anyone seriously or plan to get married, it will be for love and for nothing else.”

Jeremy couldn’t explain why the answer pleased him but it did. The waiter arrived with their food and their conversation moved on to Tanya. They didn’t linger over coffee or dessert because Violet wanted to be back to tuck Tanya into bed.

When he pulled up on her street, she thanked him and said goodnight. He stared at her intently for a few seconds and then whispered, “I’m about to do something impulsive now.”

Before she could utter a word, he leaned down towards her, his face so close she could feel his hot breath on her cheek then his mouth covered hers sending shockwaves down his spine. At first she held herself stiffly, taken aback by the kiss, but as his lips molded against hers softly, plying her lips open, she felt herself relaxing and giving into him. Her hands went up automatically and wrapped themselves around the curve of his neck, her fingers raked through his short hair. His hands slid from around her waist to just below, softly massaging her back with sensual strokes. She pulled herself away from him and whispered weakly, “Tanya’s waiting.”

Not trusting his voice, Jeremy nodded and drove off once she had gone inside.

Later that night as Jeremy documented some patient notes, he thought about the kiss he had shared with Violet and recalled a question she had asked him earlier during their date, “What makes you happy, Jeremy?”

He hadn’t been able to think of anything right then, but it was an interesting question, what did make him happy? He ticked off the things in his life, trying to find the one thing which filled his life with joy. 

His parents? He loved them certainly, he would do anything for them, well almost anything, but they didn’t bring him joy or happiness exactly. He had happy memories, he liked being around them and spending time with them like any other son, but they didn’t add sparkle to his life.

His material possessions? He drove a very nice car and lived in a large and tasteful home. He had a closet full of expensive suits and shirts for the rare times he attended a formal occasion. He had gadgets galore and the money to buy almost anything he wanted. His possessions brought him comfort and made his life easier, but that wasn’t really happiness, was it. He could easily give them up.

His job? That surely gave him happiness, but thinking deeply he realized that while he derived a lot of satisfaction and pride from his work, it could not be characterized as genuine happiness. When he cured a patient’s illness or saved their lives, he felt a rush and thrill at having solved a complex puzzle, but was that happiness?

Then his thoughts went to Violet, whenever she was around he felt a warmth within him, a sense of belonging. He loved hearing her joyful laughter, loved to watch her eyes shine and sparkle as she played with Tanya or gently teased him. To his great surprise, he realized happiness is what he felt whenever he was with Violet or whenever he thought about her. The next morning when he woke up, he called Violet and asked her if he could see her again. Hesitating briefly she said yes, she would like that very much.

Through the course of their next few dates, they came to know each other intimately, they talked every chance they got, he told her about his childhood, how hard his father worked to become so successful. She learned about his mother who sounded formidable but kind. She learned about his old love Julia who he had almost proposed to but he had discovered her cheating on him with his best friend. He learned about Alex, and her own childhood of growing up in the projects and how she dreamed of taking Tanya away from it.

In the meantime, the results of Tanya’s tests came back and Jeremy explained to Violet as gently as he could that Tanya would need to undergo surgery so he could fill the hole in her heart, otherwise she would face serious complications within a few short years. Violet cried that day and he held her for long moments while reassuring her that everything would be all right.

CHAPTER EIGHT:

The night before Tanya’s surgery, Violet came home from the hospital where Tanya had been admitted and spent the evening frantically cleaning the house. By the time she was done, she was exhausted and went to bed, hoping sleep would take away all her worries. She lay awake through the night, tossing and turning, her mind thinking over worst case scenarios and her stomach bubbling unpleasantly as she thought of her precious daughter’s chest being opened up. By 8:30a.m. the next morning, she was at the hospital. To her relief, Jeremy was already there as well, finalizing the preparations for Tanya’s surgery.

When Violet was allowed into Tanya’s room, she was sitting up in bed cheerful and happy, enjoying the novelty of being in a hospital and getting to eat bunny shaped jello. A few short hours later, she was wheeled into surgery. With a lump in her throat, Violet watched her being taken away, desperate prayers on her lips. She clung to the belief that no harm would come to Tanya while she was in Jeremy’s care.

Sitting in the little room decorated like a comfortable den, Violet watched the minutes tick away on the clock, thinking of all the times she had sat waiting with Tanya at a doctor’s office or in the hospital. Please God, after today, let her get better, let her life never be in danger again, she murmured over and over again. After what seemed like endless hours, she saw Jeremy coming walking towards her, a broad smile on his face. Jumping to her feet, she half ran to him, “Is she okay? Is she awake? Can I see her?”

Jeremy grabbed her outstretched hands and squeezed them gently, “Hey, hey,” he murmured in a soothing voice, “relax, don’t stress. She’s in tip top shape. The surgery went extremely well and now all she needs to do is rest and take things easy.”

“Can I go see her?” she asked him eagerly.

He shook his head, “Not right now. She’s very weak and tired and she’s sleeping right now. But you can look in on her through the window.”

Taking her hand in his, he led her down a long hallway and through a set of double doors and to the room where Tanya was sleeping. Through the large window, Violet could see that Tanya was fast asleep, her little chest softly rising and falling. Having made sure she was in fact okay, she followed Jeremy into his office so he could explain the procedure and the next steps.

***

Tanya spent the next four days at the hospital because Jeremy didn’t want to release her until he was certain she would be strong enough to go home. Over the course of the four days as Violet and Jeremy watched over Tanya, their relationship deepened and evolved into something more intimate. By the time her daughter was released and pronounced well enough to go home, Violet knew she was head over heels in love with Jeremy and she also realized in that moment that somehow, over the span of a few months, they had slowly become a family unit with Jeremy coming over often for suppers and lunches, taking them out for picnics, going to the zoo, movies and other fun stuff. The Violet who had made a habit of never depending on anyone had slowly become dependent on Jeremy’s love and the happiness he brought to their lives.

CHAPTER NINE:

A few weeks after the surgery with Tanya well on her way to being fully recovered, Jeremy called her one day to ask her out on a proper date.

“A proper date?” she asked him feeling amused.

“Yes, a proper one. I want to take you out on a date with all the bells and whistles.”

“Sounds complicated,” she teased.

“Don’t be difficult about this, is tomorrow night good for you?”

“Yes.”

“Great, I’ll pick you up at 7p.m.”

“See you then.”

The minute she hung up the phone, Violet was speed dialing Debra urgently. “Debra! I need help right away.”

“What’s wrong? Is Tanya okay?”

“Yes, sorry, it’s not Tanya. It’s Jeremy, we’re supposed to go on a ‘proper’ date tomorrow night with bells and whistles, I need to…”

“Be dolled up? Don’t worry babe, I’m coming right over and we’ll figure this out.”

An evening of trying on dresses and accessories with Tanya and Debra followed, full of laughter and silly jokes. They finally settled on a long-forgotten bridesmaid dress Debra pulled out from the closet. It was a one shouldered dress, gathered under the bust in a soft shade of green which complemented Violet’s dark skin tone and light brown eyes. Her lips pursed in a thin line, Debra considered the floor length dress for a few moments.

“We’ll have to shorten it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, honey, you can’t wear this dress as is, it’s too old fashioned. How attached are you to this dress?”

Violet shrugged, “Not much, it’s from ten years ago.”

“Excellent, okay you go and do your nails and other lady things while I take care of this dress.”

In Debra’s skillful and almost magical hands, the dress was transformed into a gorgeous one. She snipped and cut until the hem fell in a soft swirl above Violet’s knees, along the bodice she added a string of sparkly crystals, which she took off another old dress. The final result was a stunning masterpiece.

The next day, Debra came over once more to help Violet get ready and to look after Tanya. They worked tirelessly on Violet’s dark, curly hair until it lay in smooth, shiny waves around her shoulder. Her makeup was minimal and tasteful, the dress accentuated her round breasts and curvy figure and was set off brilliantly with a pair of faux diamanté earrings Debra produced from her own wardrobe. When Violet looked into the mirror that evening, she hardly recognized herself.

“Mommy, you’re so beautiful,” Tanya whispered in reverent awe.

Kneeling down to Tanya’s height, Violet gave her a big hug and kissed her forehead softly. “Thank you, honey,” she whispered back, “Now you be good tonight for Aunty Deb, okay?”

“Yes Mommy” Tanya replied obediently.

***

As Jeremy and Violet entered the restaurant, Violet couldn't have been happier. They were seated by their waiter and couldn't help but staring into each other's eyes, locked in a gaze that could last forever.

Just then the sound of a husky, seductive voice calling out Jeremy’s name made Violet look up and what she saw almost took her breath away. A tall, stunning woman with masses of tumbling blonde hair was hurrying over towards Jeremy. She gave him a hug and pressed a kiss on his cheek in a familiar manner, making Violet feel jealous. The blonde beauty turned her heavily made up eyes towards her, giving her a once over. Her eyes deliberately travelled down the length of Violet’s body from top to bottom before dismissing her entirely. Judging by the little smirk on her face and her casual attitude towards Violet, Violet had clearly been found wanting. The slight roll of Venetia’s eyes indicated she didn’t consider Violet the least bit of a threat.

In those few moments of perusal, Violet was painfully conscious of her inexpensive clothes, jewelry, shoes and haircut. Even her darker skin suddenly felt gauche and unstylish, which she knew was pure craziness but contrasted against Venetia’s, her silky hair, the custom tailored clothing and designer accessories, Violet looked like the hired help. She was suddenly acutely conscious of the vast difference of their classes. Venetia had money written all over her, no doubt she had attended private schools and finishing schools, she must be incredibly accomplished in any number of things, while Violet hadn’t even managed to finish college because she had been stupid enough to get knocked up and rush into a marriage. She was living, breathing proof that life really was that trashy in the projects.

Venetia spoke to Jeremy for a few minutes, standing closer than she needed to, her perfectly manicured hand pressed lightly on his arm, her head tilted in an intimate pose as she spoke to him in low murmurs. Feeling self-conscious and excluded from the conversation, Violet decided to sit back down and focus all her attention on the dessert menu. But she couldn’t help stealing quick glances in Jeremy and Venetia’s direction. They looked like the perfect couple, golden, polished, successful and carried an aura of power and wealth about them. She didn’t care about Venetia’s antics but what aggravated her the most was that Jeremy seemed to be enjoying the attention being lavished on him and seemed devoted to whatever nonsense she was spouting.

At last, to Violet’s immense relief, Venetia pulled herself away from him with great reluctance, “It’s been lovely meeting you, Violet, so refreshing to meet someone so…earthy.” Her tone of voice implied that being earthy was akin to being vulgar. She turned towards Jeremy and flashed him a sunny smile, “Jeremy darling, I do so love our chats, you’re such a naughty boy. I’ll see you soon and please say hello to your mother.” She pressed her glossy pink lips to his cheek and kissed him softly. Violet’s stomach churned in discomfort and she was almost tempted to pick up a fork and throw it in her face, but then she turned her attention back onto Violet again, “Such a wonderful woman, Grace, she’s raised quite a special son, we’re all very fond of him.”

With a last little wave of her hand, she was gone. Violet watched her walk away, her heels clicking smartly on the floor and she thought how nice it would be if she tripped on something.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “I didn’t want to be rude you know.”

Violet shrugged her shoulders in a devil-may-care attitude, “Don’t be silly, she was lovely.” She responded with a false smile, unconsciously using Venetia’s word. “She’s also very beautiful,” she added. They went back to their food and she tried to keep up with their conversation but her evening had been spoiled. She felt miserable in the knowledge she was all wrong for him. He had probably only started dating her because she was a novelty, or because he felt sorry for her. But when push came to shove, Venetia was obviously the type of woman he would be with.

“Hmmmm…yes she is.” Jeremy said without really paying attention to what Violet was asking or what he was saying. She didn’t know he was distracted by concerns of his own. “I think I'm falling for you,” he blurted out.

All of a sudden, Violet’s irritable mood melted away and all her dark thoughts about Venetia vanished, “You what?”

“I think I may be falling in love with you,” he repeated with infinite patience.

She gazed at him for a few moments, overcome with emotion, her eyes sparkling with surprise and joy and then she found her voice again, “I've already fallen for you.”

They rushed through dessert, both of them basking in this newfound joy in a hurry to go somewhere more private. Declining coffee, Jeremy asked for the check and hurriedly signed the slip before grabbing Violet’s hand and rushing out of the restaurant with her. They slipped into the waiting limo and began to tear at each other’s clothes.

They managed to cool their ardor until they arrived at Violet’s place. But they barely made it through the front door before they succumbed to their desires. Jeremy brought his lips to hers, snaking his tongue in and out of her mouth making her moan out loud. She wanted to tell him to take her to her bedroom down the hall, but her need for him was so great she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth. Instead she kissed him back with equal fervor licking his lips with her tongue, biting down on his lips. As they tumbled into the living room, they collapsed on the couch, his lips were on her chin sliding down the length of her throat and across her neck. He placed his tongue in the little hollow of her neck, she closed her eyes and moaned again as he began to run his hands down her body, massaging the soft curves of her breast. His fingers brushed over her nipples, she felt the heat of his thumb through the layers of clothing and she was filled with an uncontrollable desire to rip off everything from her body and display her nakedness to him.

“Take them off, please.” She half mumbled and half moaned out the words. “Take them all off.” Her fingers slid from around his neck, down his back to his belt. Fingers fumbling with haste, she tugged at the loops trying to get it to come off. He dropped his hands from her breasts and ended her frustrations by undoing his belt. With nimble fingers, she popped open the button, unzipped his pants and slid her warm hands inside and grabbed his rock hard penis.

A grunt escaped his lips as her fingers wrapped themselves around his shaft. In a sudden frenzy, he started to yank at her dress trying to pull it off.

“There’s a zipper, on the side,” she whispered.

Obediently he found the zipper and pulled it down; her dress slithered to the floor. With an eager cry he fell upon her, unhooking her bra, releasing her breasts from their confines. His mouth made their way down from her neck to her nipples. “Holy shit!” he said in awe, staring at her perky breasts with their very large nipples. His mouth closed over one dark, hot, swollen nipple while his hand travelled down her smooth belly and reached for the band of her panties.

Violet kept her eyes closed. Her hand still caressing his shaft, she sank into a pool of ecstasy which travelled through her body making her tingle and shiver with desire. He pulled down her panties and ran his hand between her legs. She was drenched with her need for him. Abandoning her nipples, his mouth travelled down her body and settled in the space between her legs. Violet thought she was going to explode as his tongue flicked out and teased her.

“Oh my God!” she screamed out. “Oh my god!” she repeated.

His tongue flicked in and out, in her hands his penis hardened even more. She arched her body and brushed her thumb over the head, it was sticky and wet. She pulled his head up and stared him deep in the eyes then with infinite slowness, she took her wet thumb and deliberately sucked on it. He groaned and his penis twitched in her hands, eager to penetrate her, bring her body to new heights of pleasure.

“I love you,” he cried, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

Violet parted her legs wide, he pressed himself closer to her body and pushed inward. She wrapped her arms around his body, clutching it dearly as their bodies moved as one. His lips peppered her face with kisses and she felt him hardening within her, preparing to come.

She pressed on, moving her body against his faster and faster, his fingers toying with her clit, she arched her body and almost convulsed with desire as her orgasm came swiftly. She felt his release and waves of passion engulfed them in a loving embrace. They stopped moving and lay still, their hearts beating as one, one on top of the other.

They made love at intervals throughout the night, discovering each other’s body while taking and giving pleasure. At last, spent and exhausted they fell into a contented sleep, their arms and legs entwined together.

When Violet woke up the next morning she was surprised to find herself tangled up in sheets and bedding in her living room floor. She momentarily felt confused about what she was doing there until her eyes landed on familiar clothing neatly folded on a large armchair. Her clothing. And then she remembered her very important date from the night before and that Jeremy had spent the night. Her eyes scanned the room quickly.

The sun was streaming into the room through the open windows, the floor length curtains swaying gently in the early morning breeze. Jeremy was nowhere to be found but that wasn’t surprising because she knew he had an early morning. A piece of paper with a smiley face stuck on the couch brought a smile to her face. A sense of peace and happiness settled within her as she sat up against the pillows and reached for the yellow post-it. She traced the childish drawing with a finger and wrapped her arms around herself replaying the events of the night before frame-by-frame, going over every little word and action like a giddy schoolgirl. She looked at the clock hanging on the opposite wall, it was only 7:30a.m., much too early to call Debra to check up on Tanya or to hash everything over.