I shrugged. “I feel a little guilty, being intimate with you when we can’t be with him. I mean, don’t get me wrong. We’re still going to have sex. I’m not willing to give that up. But now…”
“Someone feels like they’re missing.” Neil nodded in understanding. “I never thought that would be possible. I thought you were the only person I would ever need.”
“Me, too.” I chewed my bottom lip as I thought. “But, like, what if it doesn’t work out? The three of us, all together? Would you still feel like something was missing between us?”
“Absolutely not,” he stated without hesitation. “I’ve never felt as though anything was missing between us. And with everything… Well, I feel as though we’re stronger than we’ve ever been. I would be heartbroken if we lost El-Mudad. But I would never find you and me lacking.”
Maybe that was what I’d needed to hear, without realizing it.
“I feel exactly the same,” I promised. “You’re my true love. And he is, too. I think we can do this.”
“I think we can, as well,” he said, glancing up my still-nude body. “Aren’t you cold?”
An email notification chimed on my phone. I reached for it and slid my finger across the lock screen. “No. And it’s kind of nice, actually, to—”
His hands paused in their work, and he looked up. “Something wrong?”
I wasn’t sure. Because the email was from Susan, and the very first sentence my eyes skated over was, She’d like to meet you.
Chapter Fourteen
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
I looked up from the small plane window. Beneath us, the cars speeding around the highways of the Detroit Metro area glittered. We’d be landing, soon, and making the drive from DTW to Ann Arbor, where I’d meet my little sister for the first time.
With a heavy sigh, I leaned my head back on the seat. “I’m thinking that I’m going to meet this girl and not live up to whatever expectation she has of me. I’m thinking that we’re going to meet with the transplant surgeon tomorrow, and he’s going to tell me that I’ve let them turn me into a pincushion for nothing. I’m thinking that I’m going to let these people down, and they’re never going to want to see me, again.”
Neil kissed the top of my head and rested his cheek against it. “I wish there was something I could say to allay these worries. Some reassurance—”
“I know there isn’t.” And it didn’t help to talk about how futile my worries were. “Right now, I’m trying to think positive. I’m going to meet this girl, she’s going to love me, and I’m going to be able to give her my kidney.”
I kept repeating that mentally from the plane to the car to the hotel. We’d gotten suites for ourselves and for Molly and Susan and their mother at Weber’s Inn. Neil had suggested we pick two different hotels, in case the meeting didn’t go as smoothly as I’d hoped, but I’d shot that down. I didn’t want to seem like I wanted distance, or thought I was too good for them. When our hired car pulled up beneath the hotel’s ultra-modern awning, my guts churned.
“Are you ready?” Neil asked, pushing his door open.
I forced myself to calm down. I didn’t need a horrible bout of nervous diarrhea right before I met them. We’d made arrangements to meet in the Habitat Lounge, one of the hotel’s restaurants, for lunch. Neil generously tipped the bellman who met us beside the car and entrusted him with getting our luggage to our room, so we could go directly to our meeting.
“We’re late,” I mumbled under my breath as we crossed the stylish lobby. Everything was brand new, with just a pinch of retro-chic, from the hanging lights with cylindrical black shades above the sleek wood-paneled front desk to the messy looping brown, gold and creme pattern on the stiff armchairs beside the slim rectangular fireplace. A seating area faced huge windows with views of a meticulously landscaped outdoor space.
“We’re ten minutes late, dear. Considering air travel and a drive were involved, I’m sure they’ll understand.” Neil frowned and tugged at the sleeve of his blue linen sports coat. We’d changed on the jet, so we’d look more presentable. He’d paired the jacket with a salmon-colored plaid print button-down and jeans, and gorgeous brown leather loafers.
He really had marvelous taste in shoes.
I hadn’t taken the time to do my hair properly, opting to pull it back into a tight, high ponytail. My bright yellow sleeveless O-neck sundress was the perfect compromise between dressy and casual, and it went well with my very minimal makeup. I wanted to look like I cared about meeting them, but not like I was trying to be flashy.
The Habitat Lounge was a little more like a nightclub than I’d expected it to be. It had the same clash-of-the-time-periods feel that the lobby had and was far busier than I’d expected it to be. I told the hostess we were meeting someone, all while looking over her shoulder, trying to see Susan. Luckily, the hostess knew exactly who we were supposed to meet and led the way.