probably cause an accident if I tried to get behind the wheel of a car right now.
Jason’s car is parked outside, and he ushers me toward it when I pause and shiver in the fresh air. The weather app on my phone told me that it isn’t too cold today, but, against my heated skin, it almost feels like it’s winter.
“Where is your doctor?” I ask as I slide gratefully into the car, feeling better once I’m inside and sitting again.
“Pretty close to my place,” Jason says.
I blink. Jason’s home? I wonder what it’s like. As rich as he is, I wouldn’t be surprised if he lives in a sweeping mansion with hired help coming in every day to look after the place for him while he’s at work.
I shake the thought away. It doesn’t matter where Jason lives. It’s not like I want to see the place. There is no need to mix the personal and business sides of our relationship any more than it already is mixed.
Though, that doesn’t completely explain why I was so pleased to see him when he showed up at my apartment…
“Are you okay?” Jason asks as he starts the car. “You look like you were a million miles away.”
“Just zoning out,” I lie with a small smile at him. “I’ve been really tired since I got sick. Another symptom, I guess.”
“Right,” Jason says with a frown. “Have you taken anything today?”
“I took some medicine this morning, but I’ve slept since then,” I say, thinking back. “It isn’t working.”
“I can see,” Jason says quietly. “Which is why we need to get answers as quickly as possible.”
Yes, I would really like that, too. Why is it, just when things seem to be going well, something like this happens to throw a spanner in the works? I’ve been happy at work and with my life…so let’s just toss a problem at me and see what happens.
“The world sucks,” I say aloud.
Jason glances at me with mild amusement.
“It really can,” he agrees. “Don’t worry so much, okay? Doctor Lovett is a great doctor. She’ll figure it out and we’ll get you feeling better in no time.”
“Yeah,” I say softly.
His faith is warming. I hope it's as simple as he thinks it is, but I’m still a little worried. After all, I’m the one who’s been so sick the last few days. I’ve barely been able to get up, and it feels like my symptoms are worse than they were a few days ago.
But maybe I’m just overthinking it. I’ve been sleeping a lot, but I’ve barely been eating. So, the fact that I haven’t exactly been looking after myself through the illness probably hasn’t helped matters much. I just need to stay calm, tell the doctor what’s going on, and wait for her prognosis.
Then another thought occurs to me. I probably should have thought about it the moment Jason said the doctor was both private and exclusive, but my mind is a little slow at the moment, with good reason.
“Wait…I can’t pay for a private doctor,” I say sharply.
Jason glances at me out of the corner of his eye as he carefully navigates the car into traffic. “It’s taken care of.”
I know what that means; Jason is paying for it.
“The hell it is!” I say, outraged. “I can’t ask you to pay my medical bills!”
“You’re not asking,” he says with a shrug. “I’m telling you what I’m doing.” He glances at me again and rolls his eyes. “Look, you need to get to a doctor yesterday by the look of you. On top of that, I have more money than I know what to do with it. I can afford to pay your medical bill.”
That pulls me up short. He isn’t wrong. He isn’t bragging, it’s just a fact. He is far more capable of paying for the doctor than I am, which is one of the reasons I waited so long to make an appointment.
“I don’t like feeling indebted to anyone,” I grumble.
“Alright, think of it as…a gift,” Jason bargains. “To say thank you for all the help you’ve given me so far.”
“You’re giving me the gift of going to the doctor?” I ask dryly.
“Fine, it’s insurance,” he says with a huff. “I need you well and back in the office to keep working with me. Otherwise, we’re not getting anywhere.”
That sounds better. And it makes me feel good, like I’m needed. I can’t help but smile.
“I can work with that,” I say with a nod.