Gone - Anna Brooks Page 0,38
laid eyes on each other. “I’m glad to hear you say I wasn’t the only one falling so fast.”
“I couldn’t get you out of my head since the moment I first saw you, so it honestly feels like you’ve been with me that entire time. Sitting shotgun, in bed, at work, on assignment, you were always just there, right at my side.”
I bite my lip and slowly release it, my smile pulling the skin away from my teeth because it was the same for me. “I’ll keep Judy with me while you’re on your trip.”
“And you’ll start packing your stuff while I’m away so when I get back, we can move you in with me. I’ll get the guys at work to help me with the big stuff.” His eyes flash with excitement, and he leans in toward me.
I hold a hand up before he distracts me. “One condition, though.”
“Anything.”
“You have to meet my family before I officially move in.”
“Deal.” He puts a hand on his hip. “We done with all this shit so I can kiss my woman before I have to leave?”
“I didn’t think you were the kind of man who had to ask permission to kiss your wo—”
I squeal when he lifts me off my feet. “I’m not.”
* * *
“So… tell me about him,” Jesse asks me when we have a lull. Our schedules haven’t lined up until today, so I haven’t seen her in a while.
I feel my neck flushing. “You already know.”
“Psh. I know nothing. Give me details.”
“He’s perfect, and if he asked me to marry him right now, I’d walk to Vegas if I had to.” Being without him for the past couple of days has been hell. I miss him so much.
She just stares at me, blinking a couple of times. “I don’t blame you. I’d want to tie him to me too. I can’t believe he wasn’t already taken.”
It’s not her business what I know about Damien’s past, but it does explain the answer to her question, although she’ll never understand the real reason. “I suppose we all have some kind of past, right?”
“Yeah. True. I’m happy for you. You seem happy.”
“I am. He’s truly wonderful. I’ve never felt this way about anybody before. I didn’t even know it was possible, to be honest.”
The door dings, and we both welcome the well-dressed man coming in. “Hi, there.” I greet the rep who walks into the clinic, and he smiles back.
“Hey, Isabel. How are you?”
“Good. What’d you bring us?” I hold my hands out like a kid receiving a gift on Christmas morning, and Jesse laughs as she answers the phone. I can’t help it. I love this stuff.
Grant drops a few pens and some pads of sticky notes with the pharmaceutical company’s logo in my palm. “Not much today. I need to restock.”
“These are great.” I set everything on the counter except for one pen, and then hold it up and rock it back and forth as I watch the fake ticks float through the barrel. “We can never have enough pens.”
“I’m almost out of these, but I’ll be sure to put some aside for you guys. You’re my favorite receptionists, after all.”
I tap my fingernail on my lip. “I’m sure you say that to all the girls.”
He shrugs and holds his hands up with a smirk. “I plead the fifth.”
“Does he know you’re coming in?” I ask, referring to Dr. Rickman.
“No, I was just driving by and wanted to drop off some samples he requested. I can leave them with you if you want.”
“Let me just go see if he’s available. I’ll be right back.”
Grant checks his phone, and I walk through the swinging door and the treatment area. When I reach Dr. Rickman’s office, the door is closed. He’s given explicit instructions that if a drug rep is here, he always wants to be notified, so I knock. A mere second later, he calls for me to come in. I push the knob down, and when I’m able to peek inside, my lunch bubbles in my stomach.
“Yes, Isabel?” Dr. Rickman saying my name snaps me out of the fear trance, and I look away from Danny Dakota and try to form a sentence, but there isn’t a word that forms. How did he get here without me seeing him come in the building? “What do you want?” Rickman snaps at me.
Danny tilts his head, and his sudden anger becomes palpable in the small room. “No.” It’s only one word, but