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“Gallery openings…” she explains, and I am a little disappointed to find that we are not in sync. “Some people love them, some people don’t. Do you make a habit of it?”
“It’s my first time,” I confess. “What should I be doing?”
She shrugs one shoulder, reaching up to affectionately brush at my lapel with her fingertips.
“Just stand there and look gorgeous,” she sighs. “Just be who you are.”
People drift toward her, and she greets them and drifts away. The champagne is cool and wonderful, though I don’t normally drink. I watch her when she doesn’t notice, observing how she manages the crowd while directing Dusty and another woman who I think must’ve come from New York.
Eventually the event comes to a close, and she celebrates by taking her shoes off, groaning in relief.
“That was something!” she exclaims as she finally sinks into a chair. “Did you hate it?”
“No, I didn’t hate it,” I answer honestly. “I think I enjoyed every minute of it.”
She raises one eyebrow. “Really? I should keep you around. You definitely class up the joint.”
Dusty shoots me a look and I just shrug. She disappears into the back room to assist Holly with the cleanup.
“Sorry about that,” Joanna chuckles. “Those are my Manhattan manners coming out again, I guess. I just say what’s on my mind.”
“I hope you always will,” I answer.
“Careful what you wish for, Doctor.”
She crosses her legs, taking her foot in her fingertips and massaging the sole. I feel like I should offer to do that for her, but something tells me that’s too familiar, too far. After all, today’s the first time she ever used my first name in public. I guess we’re not quite as intimate as I had led myself to believe.
But I will have plenty of time to think about that in South America. Plenty of time to shed this temporary infatuation, or whatever this is. It’s just a risk of engaging in an unusual sort of client service, I think. I crossed several established boundaries with her, and so of course it has taken be some time to adjust. That’s all it is, and it will be over momentarily.
When she looks up at me, her turquoise-shaded eyes are bright with what genuinely looks like affection.
“So… I guess this is our last night together?”
I nod slowly. “You’re leaving in the morning. So am I.”
“Oh?” her eyebrows go up.
“Costa Rica,” I explain. “A classmate of mine runs a clinic to repair birth defects. He asked me to come and do some good work… It’s very rewarding.”
Her mouth opens and then closes. She seems startled.
“I see. That’s… great! I mean, great!”
“He does important work.”
“Totally great!”
Suddenly she stands, walking over to me and wrapping her arms around me. I embrace her automatically, dipping my chin to smell her hair before she pulls away, smiling tightly.
She sticks her hand out and I just look at it for a moment.
“Well… it’s been really great!” she says brightly, her voice thoroughly cheery.
After a hesitation, I take her hand and shake it, formally. Finally.
“You did a marvelous thing here,” I mumble, searching for appropriate things to say. She swivels her head, gazing around. “Oh, this? Well… I guess it did work out in the end. I guess it did.”
“It certainly did,” I reply nonsensically.
