Page 119 of The Recovery Coach
The boy’s mom apologized over and over, silent tears rolling down her face.Roxie came around the desk and offered the woman more wet wipes and another puke bag.While the little boy took a breath, Olivia switched out the full one for the new one, handing the filled bag to Roxie for her to take care of.
Olivia, aware someone was waiting on her, asked, “Is Dr.Howard who they’re here to see?”
Roxie nodded.
“Can he take care of them first?”
Roxie nodded again and left with a gloved handful of dirty wipes and vomit.
The boy puked until there was nothing left in his stomach, and even then, he still heaved.
A nurse called the family’s name, and the mother stood.“Thank you so much, I’m so sorry,” she said again.
“No worries.You’ve got your hands full.”
Letting them go first pushed her interview another thirty minutes, and she used the time to clean the bodily fluids off her skin and chat with Roxie between her patient calls and check-ins.
The mother and her two kids came through the waiting room.The baby had quieted; the little boy was still pale and sweaty, but far less green; and the mom, while she still had puffy eyes and a red nose, seemed to have caught her breath and wiped her tears.
Someone called Olivia’s name, and she stood.When she passed the little family, the mother thanked her again.
“Feel better soon,” Olivia said, hoping they all would.
Olivia didn’t have to complete the interview.Dr.Howard said someone who was willing to rearrange their day for a stranger was the type of person he wanted working at his clinic.He just needed to verify her education and references.Olivia liked him.He seemed sincere in his care for the community.
On her way out the door Roxie gave her two thumbs up.
Connor took seven million years to get home.Olivia was bursting with anticipation, dying to tell him about her new job.She’d never been so excited about a career opportunity.When he got home, she yammered on about the role.He pulled her into his lap and listened.“You know you don’t have to work, right?”
She twisted in his lap to see his face.“Yes, I do.I can’t mooch off you forever.”
He wrapped his hand around her thigh, teasing her with light caresses above her knee.“You have a disgustingly wealthy boyfriend.You’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
“Boyfriend?That’s fast.We’re not even exclusive.”
“The hell we aren’t.”He sank his teeth into her shoulder.“You better be joking.”
She giggled.Baiting him never failed to amuse her.“I don’t really do the exclusive thing until like, at least the third date.I’m not going to call someone I haven’t slept with boyfriend.”
He growled in her ear and rolled over her, his hips nestled between her legs.“Well, that problem we can fix.”He licked the skin of her throat and placed little open-mouthed kisses on her jaw.
She rolled her lips between her teeth, knowing exactly how to press his buttons.She’d begged him to fuck her last night, which made her antics funnier.“Eh, I don’t put out until the third date.”
“That’s a made-up rule,” he said, rolling his hips.
She gasped.“Yeah,mymade-up rule.”
“God, you’re such a brat,” he complained.But he rolled off her.
“Hey!”she whined.“Where are you going?”She spread her knees wide, trying to tantalize him.
“Nope, I offered, and you said no.Not until the third date.”He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.“Go put on some pants.”
“Whyyy?”
“Because I said so.”
She huffed her bangs out of her eyes, disgruntled.But she followed his order.He’d slipped on his shoes and stuffed keys into his pocket by the time she was dressed.
