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He pressed one of those test tubes into the yellow thing, and I watched as my blood filled it. "For you, yes. For Cody, I'll also run a pregnancy test so that I can legally handle her birth control. I'll also need her to tell me which kind she prefers. I'm able to prescribe it, but I'm afraid I'm not up to date on all the latest stuff. I've been working with nothing but men for a few years now."
"And then?" I asked.
He switched out test tubes to fill a second. "What do you mean?"
"When we get the results," I said. "Won't someone wonder what's going on?"
Dr. Stephens pulled out the second tube, pressed a piece of cotton over my arm, and then removed the needle. "No, J.D., they won't. I send out drug tests, STI tests, and more all the time. You boys keep getting yourselves in shit, and I keep doing my best to patch you up." Then he dropped a band-aid over the cotton. "But I should let you know that if they come in to get tested, I'll know who all is involved in this mess you're making. I can already guess Cody and Tanner, just from the ordeal last weekend."
I nodded slowly. "And Ty McBride."
"Shit," he breathed. "Yeah. Send him here today."
All I could do was laugh, because it seemed Ty's reputation really had preceded him. "Promise, Doc." Then I yanked my shirt down. "Any advice for keeping this shit away from the rest of the tour?"
Dr. Stephens had already put the needle into a red box, and was now writing numbers on the test tubes. "J.D., there isn't a damned thing wrong with not being straight. You know that, right?"
"Yeah," I said softly. "Don't mean the sponsors will agree, though."
"Which means coming out isn't an option," he realized. "So, my next advice is to not do this. Cody Jennings made a splash when she showed up. A lot of people are watching her. That means someone will notice who she's spending time with, and questions will come up. Now, I'm not about to ask you which one of those guys might not be straight, but you need to think real hard before you put him in a position to choose between his career and getting laid."
"So your best advice is to not do this," I said.
The man put my tubes of blood to the side, then stepped over to clasp my shoulder. "No. It's to realize that some things hurt. I can only patch up so much. But, in my professional opinion, seeing you and Ty McBride stop fucking everything you see? That's the healthier option. What I would tell Cody would be different, though, so make sure you're not about to drag that girl down into the shit you always end up starting, ok?"
I nodded, making it clear I heard him. "But she's my rookie."
"And will this love of yours last more than a month?" he countered.
Yeah, I didn't like him throwing out that word like that. "She deserves what she wants, Doc. And if that means we three guys have to suck up our egos, and maybe a little pride? Yeah, I'd say that's the kind of thing that lasts a while. I'm also not gonna let anyone tell her that she can't do the same shit the rest of us have been for years."
He nodded, accepting that. "Ok. Just know that when she gets hurt, I'm not letting any of you in to bother her. My first responsibility is to my patient. Right now, that's you. But when it's her turn, Iwillhave Anthony haul your ass out of here. You hear me?"
"Yeah, Doc," I promised. "Just know that she's gonna replace me. Cody Jennings will be the best bull rider the PBR has ever seen, so we gotta make sure she has the chance to prove it. Everything else comes second."
"I'll take good care of her," he promised. "And I'll call you with those results, so don't come in here asking about them. It's all anonymous now."
I stood and offered the man my hand. "Thanks, Doc. We really don't deserve you."
"And yet I keep coming back," he joked as he accepted my hand and shook. "I want to see all of them before Friday night's over. I don't care how you make it happen, but do make it happen, J.D."
"Yes, sir."
Chapter10
Ty banged onthe door between our rooms, waking up Tanner and me. While I headed to the bathroom to get cleaned up, Tanner was talking to Ty. Evidently J.D. needed his keys, and I had to get my ass in gear for a meeting with Max and some sponsors. Thankfully, they'd given me enough time to actually get pretty.
Once I was clean, had my hair braided, my face painted, and a nice pair of Fierce Denim jeans on, I was ready to go. Tanner pulled me closer to steal one last kiss, then sent me towards the door with a swat on my ass. I snagged my hat, settling it onto my head as I headed for the elevator, but when I stepped into it, seeing where he'd stepped in to kiss me so hard last night, I realized something.
I liked the guy.
Yes, he was cute. Yes, I'd been horny last night. According to J.D. and Shelby, those two things were all the reasons I needed to fall into bed with someone, and I was doing my best to not feel guilty about it. But at the same time, Tanner made me smile. Ok, I could also feel a little ache in my core that proved last night has been real - and I liked it.
Yet my mind was stuck on the little moments of our date that had made it amazing. From Tanner saying he respected me to watching him ride the mechanical bull, he was just a nice guy. The kind of nice that I didn't think really existed, and I wanted more of it. Compared to J.D.'s bluntness and Ty's flirting, it was a damned good balance.
Because the truth was I wanted it all. I wanted to be the tough girl that could keep up with J.D. I wanted to have someone be a little over the top as he tried to impress me, and Ty had that down. I also wanted a guy that I could just rely on, and that was where Tanner fit in. Maybe the chemistry didn't sizzle between us like electricity, but I felt like this was something different. It was there, just starting slow and growing each time we were together, learning each other a little more.
Never mind that those three guys had just tripled my experience with men. Well, doubled. No, tripled, because while I hadn't slept with J.D., he'd still taught me a lot just by being honest when we talked. Mostly by encouraging me. Making me feel a bit less like an idiot for actually wanting to be wanted.
