“Sorry I’m late, Misty; I stopped to have a drink with an old friend of mine and lost track of the time,” I say as I enter my house. Misty usually doesn’t mind staying a little later than usual to watch Maddix, but I hope she’s not too late for her appointment.
I round the corner to the living room and stop short. Kayla, not Misty, is sitting on the couch with Maddix, playing a board game.
“What the fuck are you doing in my house?” I shout. I’m infuriated. I don’t know how she got my address! What could have possessed her to think it was a good idea to come inside, uninvited, and without telling me she was coming over?
“I have to talk to you, and you’re avoiding me at the hospital, so I came here,” she calmly replies.
“How did you get my address?! That is confidential information!”
“I looked it up, okay? Like I said, I have to talk to you,” she remarks.
“Get out of my house! I don’t want to talk to you! This is extremely inappropriate!” I point toward the door, not bothering to keep my voice down. I’m so pissed off, I consider calling the cops. She rises, but crosses her arms defiantly and gives me a challenging look.
“I’ll leave after you tell me what happened. One minute you behave like we’re friends, then more than friends, then like I’m your enemy!” she shouts. I don’t want to discuss this in front of my son and worry he’ll figure out what happened with Kayla.
“Maddix, go to your room,” I snap.
“No! I want to stay with Kayla!” he argues.
“Maddix! This is not the time! Go to your room, now!” I bellow. He bursts into tears and clings to Kayla, then looks at me with streaks running down his face.
“I want Kayla to be my nanny! I don’t like Misty!” he cries.
“You were fine with Misty right up until today.” I try to make my voice gentle. “But I need you to go to your room so I can talk with Kayla. Okay?”
He continues to cry, but Kayla gently pulls him off her. “Listen, Maddix, I need to talk to your daddy about something. Be a good boy and go to your room like he says.”
“I want to stay with you!” Maddix cries.
She shakes her head. “You go to your room, and I’ll definitely say goodbye before I leave, okay?”
“Promise?” he asks.
“I promise.” Maddix reluctantly obeys, walking out of the room without looking either of us.
With him out of the way, I turn to her with the anger once again rising. “Where do you get the audacity to barge into my house like that? I have every right to call the cops and file charges against you for trespassing!”
“I want to talk to you, that’s all!” she says, her voice also rising with anger. “I deserve at least that!”
“You deserve nothing!” I argue. “You were just as eager to engage in that as I was!”
“I thought it was something more! I feel like you used me!” she snaps. Tears are filling her eyes. I feel like a jerk and sigh. Running my hand over the back of my neck, I’m trying to think of what to tell her. The best thing is to simply tell her the truth and now, as we’re alone, is the best time to do it.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t take advantage of you. Do you really want to know what’s going on?” I ask, maintaining a much calmer tone.
She relaxes and nods. “That’s all I want.”
“The fact is I’m intensely attracted to you, Kayla. From the day I saw you. You had this command over me. At first I hated it. With time, I grew to love it.” I’m reluctant, not sure how much to share with her.
She seems pleased with what she hears but there’s also hesitation in her face. “So what happened?”
“I hope you realize our relationship is not appropriate. You’re a brilliant young woman. You are at the beginning of a career, and I’m in the middle of mine. I can’t have that sort of relationship with you. Something like this could turn into a nationwide scandal. I don’t want that for either of us.”
She’s upset but takes a deep breath. “I don’t understand how this is a scandal. I am old enough to date who I want, and you are not my boss.”
“No, but you are an intern in my hospital. With the way the show is set up, I am your superior. If viewers see that we are intimate, they will assume you are sleeping your way to the top. You and I know that didn’t happen but once the rumor is out, it’ll be tough to beat. Especially with the gossip about the show anyway,” I say.
She gulps, taking a deep breath, clearly fighting all the emotion rising inside her. Finally, she nods and forces a smile. “I don’t like it, but I understand, and you are right.”
I want to sigh with relief but that’s not what she wants to see. This hurts me as much as her, but I’ve learned to handle my emotions even when I’m in a lot of pain.
“Thank you for taking the time to explain it,” she says. “I better move on.”
“Wait a second. At least stay for dinner,” I press. “Even if you and I can’t be romantic, I would prefer to be on good terms.”
She looks torn. It’s difficult for her; being attracted to me, yet unable to act on it. Perhaps dinner is a bad idea, but it’ll make me feel better. She needs to know I care. Even if it was a blunder for us to get together and it can’t happen again.
At last, she nods. “All right, but I need to leave shortly after.”
“I’ll call you a cab,” I say quickly. “You can’t possibly walk from here to your hotel.”
“I appreciate it,” she replies. “So, what’s for dinner?”
I smile. Misty usually cooks something but she’s gone. I grab my phone. “I think we better do takeout.”
“Wonderful,” she says as she sits down. “I could use a change from room service.”
I smile. Seeing Kayla outside the hospital is more strenuous than working with her, but I’m glad she decided to stay. It won’t be easy moving forward, but this is the closure we need. We’ll put this gaffe behind us and continue as friends.
I’ve been through tougher situations in my life and come out stronger on the other side. This will not be easy, but it’s the right thing to do.
Thank God she’s mature enough to understand. Kayla is even more perfect than I supposed.