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It is an easy drive to the downtown office. I follow the same route that Claire did the first time she showed me the building. I park in the same lot. I take the same elevator up to the eleventh floor. And I am greeted by the same professionally dressed receptionist.
She escorts me back to Dominic’s office after first phoning him.
My mind is anxious thinking back to when I was here last and how I was treated by Graham Hoffman. While the man intrigues me, I do not have enough mental space to keep up with him and his changing moods.
Dominic is all smiles when I enter his office. I can’t imagine him ever having a bad day. He dismisses the receptionist politely and gestures for me to sit. It is now that I notice he likes his jewelry beyond the gold ring on his right hand. He has a sleek watch and a gold chain that peeks out of the top of his black collared dress shirt. His clean-shaven face shows no sign of razor burn. His skin is flawless.
“Angie?” he interrupts my thoughts.
“Hmm?” I cough, straightening my posture in my seat. “I’m sorry.”
He purses his lips and studies me carefully. “I was just saying that I’m glad you’re back. The wait was killing me. Up until a day ago, I thought I scared you off.”
“Thank you, Mr. Crawford. I—”
“Dominic,” he corrects abruptly, stopping me midsentence. His smile warms his sudden knee-jerk reaction. “Please,” his voice softens, “call me Dominic.”
“Okay. I, ah, signed the papers.” I hand him the file folder. “Except for the actual contract.”
“Good. You have to get the physical done first for it to be valid.”
Ugh. The physical…I forgot about that.
“Would you like to cash in on the benefit of the agency providing you with a doctor? It would cut down on the wait time drastically.”
“Please.” I clear the building panic out of my throat. “Um, Dominic?”
His eyes look at me expectantly.
I swallow hard and try to shove down the panic that rises. “Can I request a female doctor?”
His eyes squint ever so slightly, and the pulsing vein in his neck seems to twitch. “Of course.” His gentle tone hypnotizes the butterflies in my stomach into a slumber.
I watch as he picks up his desk phone and hits one button. “Call downstairs and set up an appointment,” he instructs with authority. “No.”
I shift in my seat, further wrinkling the fabric of my dress.
“Does it matter?” Dominic responds in a clipped tone. “Well, then page Dr. Lambert. Pay for the on-call fee.” He glances up at me with reassuring eyes and then continues. “Yes, of course. Thanks.”
Dominic cradles the phone against his neck. “She has me on hold,” he whispers.
I nod and cross and then uncross my ankles, unsure if I am to make small talk or sit quietly until the person is back on the line. I pick at my fingernails.
“Perfect,” he states into the phone and then puts it on the receiver. “Done. You have an appointment today in thirty minutes. The office is on the third floor of this building.”
Wow. That is fast. I find it a little weird that the doctor’s office would be in the same building, but I guess big companies can have lawyers and such on retainer. So, I suppose it isn’t that far-fetched.
“We have our shit together here.” His eyes twinkle, and a smirk lingers at the curl of his lips. He read my thoughts.
I laugh—probably awkwardly. I can’t tell.
“Okay. So, let’s assume you are perfectly healthy…”
Safe assumption. If he knew me.
He takes a sip of his coffee. Then he pulls out a laptop from one of his drawers and sets it up on the center of the desk. “Let’s start the profile now. You on board?”
I cross my legs at my knees. “Okay.”
