Deal Takers (Dealing with Love 2)

I finally get my head out of my ass and jump up. “Wait a minute...we were just getting started. Why are you leaving so early?”

“I’m going to call it a night. We both got off. What’s the big deal?”

I take three long strides until I’m right in front of her. “I’m pretty sure I was right in the middle of getting you off again. What’s the hurry?”

Rainey’s mouth twitches to the side as she shrugs. “I don’t want to blur any lines. It’s easier this way.”

I frown. “Easier how?”

“I’m on day shifts right now which means I wake up before dawn. If I stay any longer, or have any more orgasms, I’ll be too spent to go home.”

“I’m still not seeing the problem, babe.”

She sighs. “That’s not what this is. Sleepovers muddy things up.” She leans over and kisses my cheek. “Look, I had a good time—great actually—I’d love to continue this later.”

I stand there speechless as she leaves my apartment without another word. Did she just use me for sex? Damn, it’s not so fun being on this side of it.

Chapter Thirty-Four

RAINEY

“One more push should do it, Jacinda,” Dr. Thomas says.

Yes, that Dr. Thomas. Jerkin-a-Gherkin Thomas. Talk about an uncomfortable situation at work.

“Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggghh!” our patient screams. “You’re never touching me again, you stupid piece of shit!”

This was directed at the woman’s husband—not her obstetrician. The poor guy glances across the bed at me with wide eyes.

I shrug. “They always say that during natural childbirth.”

“Here she comes!” Dr. Thomas announces.

I take my place beside him on the business end of the delivery, with my blanket ready to go. Once the baby’s shoulders pass, she slips out lightning fast into the doctor’s waiting hands. I scoop her up as he clamps and cuts the cord before setting her on mom’s stomach and suctioning some leftover fluid out of her nose and mouth. No matter how many times I’ve seen this part, I always have to fight back tears when I see the parents looking at their new child for the first time. It doesn’t matter if it’s their first kid or their tenth; that look of pure awe and elation is always the same.

After mama and daddy have a few moments with their new daughter, I go through my usual routine of doing an Apgar assessment, securing their ID bands, weighing and measuring, administering eye drops, and giving a vitamin K shot. I’ve done this so many times by now that it’s almost second nature. At Memorial, we encourage skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth whenever possible before moving on to the baby’s first bath and footprints. Usually that first hour or so after the delivery, I hang out in the background, staying far enough away so the family can have bonding time but close enough should they need anything. This is usually the time when I remember how badly I want a child of my own. The older I get, the more it bothers me. I know people give birth well into their forties these days but I want to be young enough while my child grows to be active with them.

The door cracks open and Dr. Thomas peeks his head back in. “Rainey, can I borrow you for a few minutes?”

“Uh...sure.”

He smiles at me as I join him outside the patient’s room. “How’ve you been?”

“Okay...how about you?”

“Disappointed, actually. I was expecting to hear back from you after you started feeling better so we could reschedule our date.”

Yep, I faked being sick to gracefully escape the tiny dick situation. Rather ironic considering how my first night with Brody ended, huh? In my defense, I thought avoiding his calls for a while was nicer than telling him the truth. No man wants to hear that they don’t measure up below the belt.

I start fidgeting. “Oh...well, sorry about that, Chris. I’ve been busy.”

“That’s okay. I have you here now. So...when can I take you out again?”

I bite the inside of my cheek. “Actually, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

He frowns. “May I ask why? I thought we were getting along well.”

“Um...I actually started seeing someone else. Exclusively.”