My Forbidden Doctor - Stephanie Brother Page 0,28

overly excited.

"You're such a trooper, Mel! I knew you could do it, you teetotaler."

I didn't even know what 'teetotaler' meant, but I couldn't question it when I inhaled a deep, hot breath. The bar we were in wasn't all that busy considering it was Tuesday night, and I sniffled a little as I reached to rub my watering eyes. There's so much tequila in there.

"So, tell me about your hot doctor friend and what happened on Thursday. I'm so mad I missed it. Sometimes, having to travel for work sucks."

"I mean..." Rasping slightly, I grabbed my napkin off the table to wipe my eyes and nose, and Terry leaned in with a ravenous glint in his eye. I was most definitely not going to tell him that I was glad he was gone over the weekend. I needed that time to really process what had happened and figure out what I wanted to do. "He said he'd refer me out so we could go on a date. That's all. Every time I see him, I want to see him again more, and obviously he wants to, too. He shouldn't have to risk his whole life for a date, though."

Guilt stained my tongue, and Terry reached over to squeeze my forearm. "Some women are worth it, and you are someone worth breaking the rules for, Mel. I mean, look at you! You're so beautiful, and you have a wonderful, carefree personality, and you're super adventurous."

Flames licked up my neck, as much from Terry's compliments as the alcohol swimming to my brain. I didn't think I was any of those things, but I still basked in Terry's praises. If my lungs weren't so bad, I would hike, maybe. If my dad weren't looming over me all the time, I wouldn't be so stressed out, and Terry didn't really know how much work went into looking the way I did.

Thank God for the internet. Otherwise, my hair would still be coarse and curly instead of smooth and glossy. Reaching to twirl a stray lock around my finger, I stared into the deep, orange color that swirled in the giant glass.

We were celebrating Terry closing his deal and my getting a date with Carl, but was what really worth cheering about? He could seriously impact his career negatively if our behavior ever got out.

Guiding the straw to my lips, I took a few more gulps before the cold shocked my brain again, but that's what I wanted. I didn't want to think about the consequences, worry about what might happen, and Terry flashed me a quizzical look. Leaning back with a hot sigh, I ran my hand through my hair and shivered as the alcohol spread across my chest.

"What about you, huh! You finally closed that deal after five months over the deadline! Congratulations!" I wasn't exactly sure what Terry did for a living, but I knew he sold computers to huge corporations. He was really smart, and I nudged his arm over the table as he took his turn to blush furiously. "Yay! You're the greatest, you know that?"

"I've been told, yeah." Giggling at his bashful reply, I watched through heated eyes as Terry took a huge gulp of his own margarita and rolled his eyes. "It was such a hassle. If they weren't such an important client, none of their shit would've flied with me. How can you want to do something so intensive and procedural when you haven't worked through basic problems?"

I only nodded; even when Terry dumbed it down for me, I didn't know what he was talking about. But that was okay. Everything was okay. That tequila is really smackin' me. Maybe it's because I never really drink.

Of course, I did drink sometimes, but only a little, and only if I had to. If I went to a party, I made a glass a wine last me the whole time. I had never been blackout drunk, and I wasn't planning on that tonight.

Terry smiled broadly at me, his little chuckle dragging another laugh from me, and I reached to cover my mouth. Glancing around the quiet bar, I propped my elbow on the table to hold my cheek in my palm. This wasn't one of those bars where people went to get absolutely trashed, but they also had something of a dance floor toward the back. Rolling my lips between my teeth as I eyeballed the jukebox, I bopped my head before the door leading to the bathrooms swung