Love, Doctor (Inner Harbor 1)

She pinches my nipple twisting and I grab her hand to stop.

“Is that off the table?” Her coy smile is something to behold, eyes sparkling and mischief making.

“For me, yes.” I refer to the nipple twisting, not the baby making and reach out for her but she skirts around the counter and

runs toward the bedroom. I give chase to her giggles and realize she’s completely sidestepped the conversation about kids.

Maybe I really am crazy to think this could be anything more than temporary.

5

Piper

Because this entire week hasn’t been weird enough, getting to day twenty-eight has been nothing but trials and tribulations of details, packing, dress buying, and other sundries. Tonight’s date will consist of calling my parents later who are currently vacationing in the Grand Canyon. That follows dinner with Jax, my best friend and Baltimore business partner, and Johanna my younger sister, neither of whom are happy with me right now since the cat is officially out of the bag.

I’m getting married.

My life will be so different in less than a week.

Weirdness abounds.

I’m getting ready slipping my heels on when the doorbell rings to my parents’ house.

“Coming!” I call out and jog down the hall to the door. Peeking out the peephole I see Milo standing in the doorway. He’s handsome with his suite jacket on, hands in pockets scanning the street while I watch him like a voyeur. I don’t think I’ve seen him wear anything else outside the hospital. T-shirts and lounge pants during sleepovers don’t count, nor do track pants when I learned he’s an avid swimmer who goes to a pool near the hospital five days a week. He’d probably get along better with Will since Jax is more into weightlifting but there’s nothing to do about that now.

I crack the door open.

“Hello Piper.”

“Hi.” I feel strangely nervous. It’s not as if I haven’t dated or had boyfriends before, but this time I was marrying one. My parents would be appalled if they knew the truth about our arrangement but even Natalie agrees this is the best option. The better for when we have the interview with the Immigration office.

“Can I come in?”

“Oh sure.” I step back into the hall letting Milo pass inside shutting the door behind him.

“Nice house. Good neighborhood.”

“My parents have lived here since they were married.”

“I can tell.” Milo passes by me, his face studies the walls lined with pictures of my sister and I growing up doing goofy things captured for all time. He takes in the knick-knacks my mother has collected from their various trips to Maine and Arizona.

“Your mother likes a lot of turquoise.” He says gently running a finger down a statue they picked up in Mesa last year. He’s been in the house two minutes and that’s what he’s gotten out of all this.

I laugh anxiously, “Yeah. We must have a whole attic filled with Native American artifacts.”

“It’s nice.” And I follow him walking deeper into the house. I feel like he’s inspecting it more than I’m actually giving him a tour and I wonder if we’ve passed, if I’ve passed some test he’s created.

“I’ve only ever lived here and in Austin for a brief time.”

“Diana mentioned that. The brothers who own gyms.”

“Yes, my friends Will and Jax. You’ll meet Jax tonight. I run the women’s program and half the gym space.”

“Where’s your bedroom?” He turns eyebrow raised in a challenge.

“My what?”

“Bedroom Piper. I want to see where you’ve been sleeping since childhood.”