Page 85 of Security and Submission
Yasmine
Everything to do with Hope’s surgery went about as well as could be expected, which was a huge relief. Sitting next to Zeus in the waiting room was more comforting than she’d thought it would be. When she started to get antsy, and he reached out to take her hand in his, she didn’t protest.
Because it wasn’t a romance thing; it was a support thing.
When they were allowed back to see Hope, he kept his hand on the small of her back, ushering her through the vet’s office. The vet tech, Taylor, smiled as she let them into the recovery room where the surgeon was waiting.
“She did amazing,” Dr. Sunny said, living up to her last name with a sunny smile. She was wearing mint-green scrubs, just like a hospital surgeon, and her long grey hair was pulled back into a neat bun.
“She’s got a good long life ahead of her now,” Taylor agreed enthusiastically, giving Hope’s head a gentle scratch. The dog’s tail twitched but didn’t do the full wag Yasmine was used to seeing. “She’s lucky to have such good friends.”
“Well, she’s a very good doggo,” Yasmine said, coming to stand by Hope’s head where she was laid out on the table, petting her gently. She didn’t think it was her imagination that Hope looked happy to see her. “So, what next?”
“We’ll keep her overnight, just to keep an eye on her, and you can pick her up in the morning.” Dr. Sunny gave them a quick rundown of the aftercare, as well as a folder full of printed instructions for them to take to Sarah and refer to. “And, of course, you can call me at any time.”
“Thank you so much, Dr. Sunny,” Zeus said, holding out his hand for the vet to take. When she did, he put his free hand atop both of theirs, holding them in place. “It is so appreciated. Hope is very special to all of us.”
“Yes, well.” Dr. Sunny cleared her throat. Her cheeks had gone a little pink. So had Taylor’s, and she was looking at Zeus with a dreamy gaze that made Yasmine want to put her own hands on Zeus to make sure the young vet tech knew he wasn’t on the market.
Except that he was on the market, wasn’t he?
Jealousy wasn’t good.
They hadn’t agreed to exclusivity or anything. And it wasn’t like Taylor was making a move on him. Not that Yasmine would have any right to say anything if she did. After all, she’d given Payam her number on Monday. Reluctantly. Because he’d asked in front of her parents, and she hadn’t wanted to tell him no with her mom standing there, beaming approvingly.
Even though she hadn’t wanted to exchange numbers.
And not just because of the curse.
He was perfect on paper and exactly the type of guy she usually went for and might have even been willing to risk the curse for in the past, but… Zeus had kept popping up in her head. Which made sense, since Payam and Zeus were so different. Where Payam was smooth and elegant, Zeus was rough around the edges and a little crude.
She couldn’t imagine Payam appreciating her in a tattered t-shirt and sweats, with no makeup. Or agreeing to let her put a face mask on him. Especially not if it got in his perfectly styled hair. Which, maybe, wasn’t fair since she knew they both gave off similar vibes, but…
Zeus’ fingers pressed against her lower back, jolting her back to the present.
“Time to go,” he said gently. “Hope needs to rest.”
As if agreeing with him, Hope gave a shuddering sigh and closed her eyes. She was so still, it looked almost unnatural. Some of her worry must have shown on her face, because Dr. Sunny quickly reassured her.
“Don’t worry, she’s just going to sleep very deeply for a bit. She’s on a lot of pain medication. That’s why we’re going to keep her here, to make sure that she comes off the anesthesia without any difficulties.”
“Okay.” Yasmine gave Hope one last pat, even though she appeared to be asleep, spreading her fingers through the dog’s silky fur before reluctantly letting go. She stepped away and smiled up at Zeus, whose gaze softened as he looked back at her.
“We’ll see her tomorrow,” he said.
Off to the side, Taylor sighed and put her hands over her heart, watching Yasmine and Zeus, before giving herself a little shake and turning around to pick something up from the counter.
Pressing her lips together, Yasmine let Zeus usher her out of the room. She didn’t know whether or not to be pleased that Taylor obviously thought Zeus and Yasmine were a couple.
Part of her liked that it meant Taylor wasn’t going to hit on Zeus… while another part of her felt like this was creeping into dangerous territory.
Would it be so bad to date him, for real? Even with the curse? At least it would be fun for a while…
Maybe.
On the other hand, did she need to date him? Maybe he’d be okay with the idea of being exclusive fuck buddies. That was a thing, right? Not a thing she’d done before, but this was all new to her. The only question was how to bring it up to him. That was something she wasn’t sure how to do.
“Do you want to help me pick Hope up tomorrow?” Zeus asked as they walked through the lobby and out to the parking lot.
