Forgot To Tell You Something: An Angsty, Later in Life Romance

“I know that look,” Dr. Jessop remarks as I stroll into his office. “That is the look of a man who got laid last night. Lucky dog.”

I chuckle, but I’m not denying a damn thing. I got more than laid. I tortured Tally’s exquisite body for hours until we both collapsed from exhaustion.

It’s pure heaven between her thighs.

“I’m glad things are better between you and Lu. I worried that Charlotte was going to screw up everything for you.”

You and me both, buddy.

“It’s not from lack of trying on Charlotte’s part.” My statement is accurate, although my ex-fiancée’s definition of rekindling a romance is colder than an iceberg in the Arctic. To her, love really is a series of business transactions.

“How is Lu feeling? How’s the baby?”

“Fantastic.”

I’m grateful to Jessop—in more ways than one. He’s one of Tally’s biggest fans, so he had no problem concocting a plan to make my tiny vixen spill the beans about our baby.

Yep, it was totally his idea to saddle her with a task in the cath lab that included about a million x-rays. It might not have been the most original concept, but hey, it worked.

And after last night, Tally and I are finally picking up the pieces of our relationship and getting back on track.

I sincerely hope Charlotte has learned the meaning of healthy boundaries, particularly where my relationship with Tally is concerned.

“Any last-minute details I need to know before we meet with Dragon Lady?”

Another reason I love Ken Jessop. He saw through Charlotte from the start. Oh, he admits that she’s beautiful, but he can smell her variety of bullshit from a mile away.

“It’s just another meet and greet, although this time, you’ll see the big man himself.” I cringe, knowing that I must spend time with Mr. Auerback. “I hate that we have to go away for a few days.”

“How’s Lu taking that news?”

I shrug, perching on the edge of the table. “Like a champ, as always, but I know it’s an act. How would you like it if your wife ran off with her ex, even under the guise of business? It looks bad. I wanted Tally to go with us, but the unit is short-staffed right now. Plus, she might kill Charlotte before the end of the trip, if she has to deal with her for more than an hour.”

“We all might kill Charlotte before the end of the trip. Here’s to alcohol and the beasts it soothes,” Jessop smirks, smiling over my shoulder. “Hey Lu, your ears must be burning. We were just talking about you.”

I turn to see the woman I ravished less than twelve hours ago, my dick hardening at her proximity. I’m worse than a dog in heat, but I can’t be held responsible. The woman’s pussy is magical. Fucking magical. “Hey, Darlin.” I pull her to me, tipping her chin back and claiming a leisurely kiss from that talented mouth.

I’m done pretending I’m anything but obsessed with this woman.

“Hey, yourself,” Tally chuckles, but I see the blush bloom over her cheeks.

I hate that there’s any hesitation on her part about our future, but like she’s told me before, sex won’t solve problems.

Even our amazing, mind-blowing sex.

Hopefully, today’s news will ease any lingering uncertainty.

“What can I do for you boys?”

The possibilities are endless, Darlin. “We’re just waiting on Charlotte.”

Tally’s face blanches. My ex-fiancée is still a sore subject, and one night of intensive lovemaking is not enough to heal the wound.

I grab her hand, giving it a squeeze. “It’s good news. Promise.”

She nods, but apprehension lines her face. She’s dismantled most of the emotional wall, but the bricks are still there, waiting, in case I screw up again.

No way in hell am I letting that happen.

Another knock sounds on Dr. Jessop’s door. The Dragon Lady has arrived.

Charlotte enters the room, a well-practiced smile decorating her mouth. Her eyes travel to mine and Tally’s conjoined hands, but her face gives away nothing. “Good morning, gentlemen. Tallulah.”

Tally jerks her hand from mine, but I’m not letting her put space between us. Not again, and certainly not for Charlotte.

 I run my fingers along the length of Tally’s spine, soothing her already frazzled nerves. My girl needs to know where my loyalties lie, plain and simple.

Besides, I’m done kowtowing to Charlotte’s demands. Thankfully, we’ve secured almost all the funding needed for the training center. Once the last dollar is donated, my ex can hop on her jet and scurry back to her opulent lifestyle, leaving me to my future with Tally.

Charlotte settles into one of the plush side chairs, smoothing her suit before meeting my gaze. “The flight is all set for tomorrow morning. We will be in San Francisco for three days, flying back late Thursday. The plan is to tour the existing facility and make final preparations for the grand opening of this training center. There will be dinners both nights, and a welcome party, so please pack accordingly.”

As Charlotte reads down the list of high dollar events, I feel Tally tense beside me. This is out of her element. To be honest, it’s out of mine.

“I hate to cut you off, but why did you need to see me?” Tally blurts, stopping Charlotte’s spiel midstream. “I have a very busy day.”

Code for she wants to get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

“I wasn’t the one who wanted to see you. You’re here at the behest of Dr. Stevens and Dr. Jessop,” Charlotte replies, her tone dripping with ice.

Tally’s gaze swings between me and Ken. “Well, you behested. What do you want?”

Jessop and I chuckle at Tally’s zinger in Charlotte’s direction. Charlotte, on the other hand, is less than amused. “There’s a position that we think will be a great fit for your talents.” I lean down, nuzzling her lobe with my nose. “Not all of them, of course.”

Charlotte clears her throat, and I meet her emerald gaze. If looks could kill, Tally and I would be writhing on the floor. “We need someone dependable and knowledgeable to oversee the training facility. Both Dr. Stevens and Dr. Jessop had one candidate in mind. You.”

“I’m sure you hate that idea.” God bless Tally’s brashness. Until now, she’s been on her best behavior. Glad to see my cheeky girl is making an encore appearance.

Tally’s direct statement flusters Charlotte, but only for a moment. “I don’t think it’s a good idea at all. You don’t possess a master’s degree, a requirement for the position in San Francisco. However, you are, per their accounts, knowledgeable in this field. I have another few candidates in mind, and for fairness, we need to interview them. But these two doctors have unequivocally voted for you.”

Tally crosses her arms across her chest, her baby bump evident under the scrub top. Fuck, but that’s hot. That’s my woman, carrying my child.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

“Does that mean I have the job or not?” Tally questions, her pupils dilating behind her glasses.

“You have the job,” I whisper, giving her hand a squeeze. “The interviews are just a formality.”

“Owen,” Charlotte warns, “we have a process.”

“Yes, Charlotte,” I respond, giving her my famous eye roll. I stand up, my hand still grasping Tally. “If you don’t need me, I’m going to head back to the unit, check on a few patients.”

Tally is silent as we walk out the door, making it to the end of the hallway before tugging me to her. “Are you serious? I have the job?”

I smile, stealing a kiss when no one is looking. “You have the job.”

“Owen, that’s more money than I’ve ever made in my life. I can do so many things for Nugget—”

“I’m here too, Darlin. Taking care of you two is my biggest priority.”

“I believe you. I think I always did, but there were so many times—”

“That I let you down. Never again, Tally.”

She stands on tiptoe, stealing another kiss. “I forgot to tell you something.”

“What’s that?”

“I love you.”

I don’t give a damn who’s watching. My girl finally took the wall down and I need her to know I feel the same way. I capture her face with my hands, my tongue sliding inside her mouth. But this time, it’s not urgent or forceful. It’s slow, delicious, and has my dick throbbing when we pull away.

“Does that mean you love me, too?” Tally murmurs, her breathing harried and shallow.

“I more than love you, Tally.”

God, her smile. It doesn’t hurt that I know how very talented that mouth is in other areas, either.

“I have to go, but I’ll see you at home?”

Home.

She finally said it.

“Absolutely, darling girl.”

 “You shouldn’t have assured Tallulah about the coordinator position,” Charlotte mutters, not bothering to glance up from her laptop.

“How nice of you to make yourself comfortable in my office.” I roll my eyes, sliding off my lab coat and settling behind the desk. “How long do you plan on camping out here?”

Those dark green eyes meet mine, but I see uncertainty behind her steely expression. “Should I go to the cafeteria? Is this too much impedance on your turf? Am I upsetting your beloved Tallulah again?”

“She’s not thrilled with the situation, but she’s trying to make the best of it. She’s been a hell of a lot more accommodating than I would have been in her situation.”

“Goes to show which of you is more dedicated in the relationship, or whatever it is that you two are doing.”

I crack my knuckles, a habit born of heightened aggravation, and one Charlotte knows well. “No, I’m just far more jealous. Another man comes into Tally’s personal space, and I’m all over it.”

“When did you become so possessive?”

“The moment I met Tally. It increased a thousand-fold when I learned that she is carrying my child.”

“She certainly looks pregnant.”

There she is, the bitch I spent so many years of my life beside. “She looks beautiful.”

“It all makes sense now.”

“What does?”

“Your insistence on staying with Tallulah; it’s your dedication to your child.” She taps her nails against the desk, glaring in my direction. “Are you so certain that you’re the father? You hardly know this woman.”

Hell, no. She is not pulling that card. “I know Tally intimately, in every sense of the word. She’s also not the type of woman to sleep around, unlike other people in my past.”

I try to rise above insolent arguments, but Charlotte is pushing every one of my buttons. If she wants to get dirty, I have buckets of mud to sling in her direction. After all, she’s the one who screwed at least one other person during our relationship, but I guarantee the list is far longer that she’s willing to admit.

“I’m only looking out for your best interests.”

What a load of garbage.

I push myself away from the desk. Much more of this discussion and I’ll personally escort Charlotte off hospital property. “I’m going to Jessop’s office. I have a few calls to make.”

Charlotte sighs, leaning back in the chair. “I’ll leave, Owen. But try to understand my side. Here we are, a few months separated, and you’re having a child with someone else. How do you think that makes me feel?”

“I have no idea, Charlotte, but I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

She picks at an imaginary thread on her skirt. “We never even discussed children in all our years together. I want a family, too.”

I hit the desk with such force that I make the pens and papers dance.

Wow. I can’t believe she’s going there. 

There are certain statements that people should never utter. Statements that open up wounds, often still festering beneath the layers of bandages applied to staunch the bleeding. Charlotte’s statement about wanting a family rips apart the last purulent boil I have from our time together. “Then I guess you shouldn’t have gotten an abortion, Charlotte.”

She blanches as white as the side chair. She didn’t realize that I knew, but I was friends with the doctor who performed the procedure. He let it slip one evening, after a few drinks and rounds of pool. He thought I was privy to the information.

He was wrong.

“Who told you?”

“It certainly wasn’t you.” I hold up my hand, halting her rebuttal. “It doesn’t matter who told me. What matters is that you terminated the pregnancy and never said a word to me. So, don’t sit there and proclaim your desire for us to have had a family. You passed on that opportunity when you aborted my child!”

A tear slip past her lids, but I feel no pity. Not for this act. Not for what she took from me without any discussion. “It…it…”

“What, Charlotte?” I snap, letting the months of anger flow from every pore.

She lifts her head, her eyes full of tears. “I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t your baby. It happened on my trip to Greece. The father—”

“It wasn’t my baby?” It might sound twisted, but the relief flowing through my veins is palpable. Charlotte has admitted to another tryst, but I couldn’t care less about her infidelities at this point. Now, I can move on from our relationship, leaving behind the intense anger that I carried with me from San Francisco.

“I wish it had been yours. I thought about keeping the baby, but I knew you’d leave when you discovered you weren’t the father.” She offers a mirthless chuckle. “But you left, anyway. So, I lost you both.”

I shake my head, walking around the desk and leaning against it, my expression stern. “You lost me because you lied and cheated for years. I don’t even want to know how many other men there were during our relationship. But I now know of two, one of which resulted in a pregnancy. That you failed to mention having unprotected sex with someone else also blows my mind. You could have picked up any number of diseases and passed them to me. But I’m sure that concept never crossed your mind as important. And you didn’t lose your baby, you terminated the pregnancy. Stop looking for sympathy in this situation. You were the one in the wrong. Not me.”

“I know, Owen! When you left, I did some soul searching. I knew my actions had caused the breakup, but I was so mixed up that I didn’t know if you leaving was a blessing or a curse.” She dabs at her eyes, in a futile attempt to keep her makeup from smearing down her face. “I realized how much I missed you, and made a beeline for Florida, intent on winning you back. Imagine my surprise when I discover that you’d already moved on. You want to talk about unprotected sex? Apparently you weren’t practicing it, either.”

I lean in closer, my anger near boiling point. “Don’t you ever intimate that my relationship with Tally is even remotely similar to your affairs. My life with Tally is none of your damn business. I assure you we’re both thrilled about this baby. I can’t wait to spend my life with them.”

“Are you trying to be cruel?”

“No, I’m trying to be honest.” I watch the tears slide down her cheeks and finally take some pity on her. Maybe she has a heart, after all. “Charlotte, if I was the right guy, you wouldn’t have cheated countless times. If you were the right woman, I wouldn’t have left San Francisco. We finally woke up to the fact that we don’t belong together. I found the woman I’m meant to be with, and I plan on keeping her happy for the rest of my life.”

“So that’s it, then?” Charlotte asks, blotting her eyes with the tissue I offer.

“You know the answer to that, Charlotte. There has been nothing real between us for a long time. Now, per your own words, it’s strictly business.”