Stitch by Jaime Lewis (ebook reader online .txt) 📗

She noticed he looked at his watch again.  It was the third time in the last couple of minutes.

Elijah glanced at his watch again.

“Is there somewhere you need to be?” She asked, hoping to change the atmosphere surrounding them.

His lips twitched. “I do need to head out. I have a client meeting me at the office.”

She nodded her head, but then his words registered.

“You’re meeting a client this late?” She asked him, now rather curious who he was seeing at this time of the night.

“He’s been a client since I opened the practice and has a new litter of puppies that were born prematurely. Two of the pups have some issues, and I’d feel better if it were me who saw them instead of the emergency clinic.

She immediately became concerned for the pups. “Do you need any help?” She asked, setting the champagne glass down on the table next to her.

He smiled down at her. “This is why you are my favorite. So eager to lend a hand. Thank you for the offer, but I can handle this one alone. I’d rather you stay and enjoy yourself.”

If he was leaving, she wasn’t going to be too far behind. She shrugged her shoulders. If he wanted to go into work this late, more power to him.  She should be thankful he said no.

“Just remember I offered.” She told him in a teasing way.

He reached out and took her hand, pulling her closer to him.  The move caught her off guard, causing her to fall against his chest. He kept one hand on her waist while the other hand slowly slid down her bare back, stopping just above her ass. She swallowed hard, and her breathing increased. Her face was against his chest. He pulled back slightly, and when she looked up, his dark eyes were focused on her. Slowly he lowered his head and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger against her skin. She was stunned by his actions and afraid to move as one slight shift to the right, and his lips would meet hers.

“I wish I didn’t have to leave,” He whispered, but she didn’t know how to respond. Before she could think of a reply, he gave her hip one last squeeze and stepped back. “As soon as I get to the office, I’ll send the car back to take you home.”

She took a step backward, putting more distance between them. She felt frazzled.

“Don’t worry about the car. I don’t mind catching a cab.”

“Nonsense.  I brought you tonight, and I have to see that you make it home safely. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the office.”

She nodded her head, and he smiled again before turning and walking toward the exit. As soon as he was out of sight, she let out a big gasp of air.  What in the hell just happened?  She was trying to process everything when someone behind her spoke.

“Mia?”

When she turned, she smiled from ear-to-ear. She needed to see a friendly face right now.

“Dr. Vineberg.  I was wondering if I was going to see you this evening.”  Mia looked toward his wife standing next to him, and she stepped forward to hug her. “Mrs. Vineberg, it’s so nice to see you. How have you been?”

The grey-haired lady gave her a warm smile. “Mia, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Estelle?” Estelle leaned in and hugged her. “How have you been, dear?”

Mia adored the Vinebergs. She had done an internship in Dr. Vineberg’s clinic during her last year in school. Dr. Vineberg had offered her a position at his clinic, but it was too far of a commute. She had heard a rumor that he was looking at retirement and considering selling his clinic. It was a shame because he was a rare breed of veterinarians. He was old school going so far as to do house calls still. That was precisely what she wanted to be.  She wanted to be that doctor who everyone trusted their animal with. In the few months she’d been working for Elijah, she had already made a name for herself. But she didn’t see herself there long-term. She wanted to work alongside and learn from someone who was hands-on and a team player. That was definitely not Elijah. He was a nice guy, treated his staff well, but his work ethic sucked. He was either late or never even made it into the office, which was why she’d seen an uptick in her workload.

“I’ve been okay. Just trying to get through tonight.”

Dr. Vineberg furrowed his eyebrows, and a disappointed expression crossed his face. “Where is Dr. Walters? I heard he was going to be attending this evening.”

“Oh, he was here. He left just a few minutes ago.”

“Well, I’m glad I got to see your smiling face. So, tell me, how is everything at the clinic?  Are you happy?  He’s not working you too hard, is he?” Oh, if he only knew. But she wasn’t going to throw Elijah under the bus.

“I’m making do. Still learning the ropes some, but overall I’m enjoying it.”  She hoped her slight fib didn’t show in her expression.

“Are you here alone, dear?”  Estelle asked, changing the subject.

“Yes, ma’am. I came with Dr. Walters.” When she looked at Dr. Vineberg, he raised an eyebrow as if indicating she was on a date with Elijah.  She quickly followed up that statement. “I just found out yesterday that I was coming. Dr. Walters was given an extra ticket, and he thought it would be beneficial if I attended and did some networking.”

Dr. Vineberg nodded his head in acceptance. “Well, this is definitely the event to be seen at, especially in our field of work.”

“I’m glad that I got to see you. I was considering sneaking out and heading home.”

“Well, we’re getting ready to head out ourselves. Would you like to walk out with us?” Dr. Vineberg asked her.

She was about to answer yes and call it a night