Victoria
“Hello, Victoria. Do you have a few minutes?”
As if it mattered now. I glanced to where Phyllis stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed at Johnathan in blatant disapproval. I offered a soft smile, letting her know it was okay.
“I can spare a moment or two.”
I skimmed over Greg Andrews’s social media page one last time. I’d spent a little time each day trying to dig into the man’s life, seeing who he was friends with and what he liked. Though I’d learned a little about him while treating him, I was fascinated by some of his interests. I’d begun to follow some of his friends as well, trying to find any kind of connection to the recent murders or to myself. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been at all successful.
If I didn’t find anything relevant here soon, I was going to have to resort to desperate measures and invite the man back to counseling. I didn’t particularly want to see him again, especially if he was responsible for the recent upheaval, but I’d do anything necessary to put the killer behind bars. I closed the window on the browser with a dismayed sigh and swiveled my chair toward Johnathan. “How have you been?”
He lifted a brow. “I think the better question is, how have you been?”
“Fine, I suppose.” I’d told Johnathan about the break-in a couple days ago, and he’d been calling or stopping by my office each day. “I’ve had new locks installed on all of the doors and made a few enhancements to my security system.”
In all honesty, even though the new mattress had been delivered just yesterday, I wasn’t looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again. I’d spent the past three nights at Blake’s house, unable to fathom the idea of going home, knowing that the killer had been in there. I’d have to go back to my place soon. Just… not yet. Blake hadn’t pushed me, either. He’d taken the necessary precautions to ensure my safety, telling me he’d be right beside me when I did decide to go home.
I’d kind of lied to Blake about never having a man over, though it was more a lie of omission. Although I’d never had a boyfriend, Johnathan had stopped by frequently before Blake and I had started dating. Thank God he hadn’t shown up unexpectedly like he used to. It was bad enough that I had to worry about Blake seeing Johnathan show up here. I knew Blake was jealous of Johnathan, even though he had no reason to be. Although I had to admit, I’d feel the exact same way if Blake had female friends.
Licking my lips, I took a deep breath and decided to come clean. “I’ve decided to take your advice. About dating,” I clarified.
An expression of pure elation passed over his face before he could school his features, and guilt slammed into me. He really was such a nice guy, and I hated to have to hurt him. He spoke up before I had the chance to elaborate. “Is that so?”
“Yes.” I nodded slowly. “In fact, I’ve been talking with someone. Even been out on a couple dates.”
His face fell. “Well, that’s wonderful. How did you meet him?”
I fought the urge to fidget. “He actually works here, in the healthplex.”
“Another doctor, Victoria, really?” His face screwed up. “You know how badly those relationships turn out. Do you really want to date someone in the same profession?”
Ironic, coming from him.
“No, it’s not…” I took a deep breath. “After that poor woman was murdered a few weeks ago, you suggested we try to get some extra security around here. Remember?”
“Of course.” Disbelief colored his features as realization dawned. “You’re dating that… that cop downstairs?”
“Not a cop,” I corrected. “Personal security agent.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. “Isn’t that a bit of a conflict of interest?”
“Mr. Lawson was brought in as a precaution for the entire healthplex—not for me specifically. Blake has been wonderful enough to help me after hours.”
“I’m sure he has,” Johnathan muttered under his breath, and I shot him a glare.
“My house was broken into,” I snapped. “It’s nice to have someone there who actually cares about me and is willing to go out of his way to keep me safe.”
It was a cheap dig, and I almost—almost—felt guilty when Johnathan’s lips turned down in a frown.
“You seem to rely quite heavily on Mr. Lawson.”
I stiffened. “Isn’t that the point of a relationship? To give and take, to be able to trust your partner and accept their help?”
“Of course,” he soothed. “I just meant that you’ve only known him for a very short time. I would hate to see you get hurt.”
“I really like him.” I hadn’t admitted it aloud before, and I dropped my gaze to my lap.
Johnathan was quiet for a moment. “Are you happy?”
I nodded. “Yeah. He’s a good guy. He makes me feel safe.”
“After everything you’ve been through, you deserve to feel safe and cared for. Does he love you?”
“We’ve only known each other for a couple weeks. Who can tell?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Some people know right away.”
I shifted under the scrutiny. Was that true? All of my training told me no, it wasn’t possible. It took time to develop those kinds of feelings. “I don’t know. We’ll date for a while and see what happens.”
“When does his job end here?”
“He has about a week and a half left on the contract, I think. I haven’t heard anything about them extending it.”
“I’ll bet he’ll be busy soon,” he replied. “I heard one of his colleagues just took a security assignment for Gemma Malone.”
My gaze snapped to him. “The singer?”
A wry grin quirked his mouth. “America’s sweetheart.”
Oh, God. A sudden surge of jealousy twisted my stomach into a knot. Gemma Malone was incredibly talented—and incredibly gorgeous. The thought of Blake surrounded by women like her—blonde, beautiful, successful…
“I’m really sorry, Johnathan,” I managed to choke out. “My next patient will be here in just a few minutes and I have to get ready.”
“Of course, my apologies.” He stood and brushed a hand over his slacks. “Call me if you need anything.”
After Johnathan left I sat in my chair, twirling a pen and staring out the window as thoughts swirled through my mind. What would Blake do once he was done here? Was there already an expiration date on our relationship?