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"He does not look good," Ethan said.
"You're telling me? I can see it too," Ian agreed.
Ethan and Ian Sullivan, my younger brothers, were better known as the Sullivan twins. They both had their hospitals and were billionaires, but both their personalities were way different. Ethan was an outstanding surgeon, a social butterfly and had the highest success rates among all of us, but he was extremely careless, needing Ian and me to bail him out.
Ian, the youngest of us, was more cool and collected; his quietness made him seem alienated from the rest of society. But he was a kind man, and Chloe once said he was her favorite uncle… removing Ethan who used to be her favorite, after Ethan damaged her birthday cake by accident.
There was no discord between the three of us, and whenever there was a crisis in one of our lives, the rest of us would turn up. I was still going through a crisis of my own.
"Are you sure you don't want Chloe to have a mother figure?" Ethan asked. "I know some of female friends who have been wanting to meet with you."
"No thank you," I replied. "They'll all be the same way. I don't…"
"Feel anything for women like I used to," Ian completed my statement. "While I understand your doubts and all, it's still a fact that you're doing a terrible job as a father."
"There you go being all harsh again; that is why nobody likes you," Ethan hissed at him then turned to me. "The brooding man is right Ben, you can't keep neglecting Chloe. Even when Dad was alive, he still looked out for us."
"Dad wasn't a billionaire with multiple medical centers under his command was he?" I asked, rhetorically.
"No… but, never mind," Ethan powered down.
I understood what he meant, but I couldn't afford to lose my company standing.
"Look, we can help you run things, take a month off and look after Chloe, properly, or get a new wife," Ian said.
"Get a new wife? Like is there a market out there where I could just buy one with a widower's discount?" I smiled wryly and Ethan snickered at my statement.
"Very funny, but at this rate Chloe is going to see Mom as more of a parent figure than her own dad," Ian said as he reached for the pack of mints I kept on my table. "Are you still going for the conference?"
"I have to, and maybe something interesting might happen," I replied as I opened the brochure for the event.
"I don't want to sound like Ian here, but don't you think maybe after the event, you should slow down on operations?" Ethan asked. "You have the most talented staff compared to the rest of us, so I'm sure they can handle themselves if you were to take some days off."
"Both of us aren't fathers, but we want what's best for you and our niece," Ian said.
"Thank you. You're both right. After this conference and I settle things down next month, I'll get more breaks because of Chloe," I concluded.
"I'd love to help with management, but I'm planning to do a special program involving fly-in nurses sometime soon, so I might be occupied with that; but I promise to help out in whatever way I can," Ethan offered.
"No problem, then."
****
My brothers were right. To be honest, I had already considered most of what they advised. For instance, I tried finding a new wife, but none of the women I encountered ever felt right. I knew that whomever I would feel a connection with in my heart would also make a perfect mother for Chloe. The problem was that none of them were causing the effect I desired.
The trip to London wasn't one I was really excited about. The first two days were educational and informative. I got to learn from other doctors and so on and so forth, but I just wanted to go back to Richmond and talk to Chloe.
On the third day, as I made my way to my seat, I noticed a lady dressed in navy blue dress. Her eyes were closed but she wasn't asleep. I could tell because she would occasionally touch her hair. I was drawn to her just by looking at her. I made my way to the seat next to her and sat down. When she opened her eyes and started to look at me in the manner she did, I felt moved.
It was the first time in how many years that my heart pounded in the company of a woman who wasn't my late wife. It was her voice and the naughty nature she did poorly at hiding. And just like mine, her eyes were tired. The difference was that I felt she had gone through so much and was trying her best to live positively.
I wanted her; in fact, I desired her so badly. We had just met, and I knew nothing about her; she could have been a criminal, a murderer, or someone sent to assassinate me, but I didn't care. When I touched her face, how she fit so perfectly against my palm, or when she asked me to gaze at her just the way she did to me, it all felt too good to be true.
I started to be grateful that I actually came to London. As I had her in my hotel room, under the mercy of my fingers, there was nothing better I could ask for.
"We're just getting started," I said to her as I licked off the honey she had drenched my fingers with.
"That's what I like to hear," she said as she pulled the gown off her body.
