Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“So, it’s like a high?” I ask. It sounds like he’s a drug addict chasing his next fix.
“I’ve never done drugs—got no interest in drugs doing anything other than healing and preventing pain.”
I feel my shoulders relax, even though I didn’t consciously tense. I never considered Beau could potentially be one of those hangers-on I’ve seen around bands, just in it for the hand-me-down freebies. The alcohol, the drugs, the sex.
“I’ve said this before, but it’s more that I don’t want to miss out. It’s a short time we’re here.”
They bring our food and Beau reveals he ordered everything to share. “This way neither of us has to miss out.”
I laugh. “Oh, so the FOMO extends to food too. Do you think having so many brothers makes you covet things that others have?” I ask, popping an olive from the sharing platter into my mouth.
“Are you trying to solve me? Work me out?” He doesn’t wait for a response, like it doesn’t bother him whether that’s the case or not. “I don’t think so. I’m four of five. My cousin Vincent is older, too. He used to spend summers with us. Of course Zach, Nathan and Jacob could do things before I could—go off to football camp, have sleepovers. But I was young at the time. It wasn’t until I had the accident that this desire not to leave anything on the field kicked in. At that point, my older brothers were going off to medical school one after another.”
“And you chose medicine because they did, and you didn’t want to get left out?”
“Fair assumption, but no. I love and admire my parents utterly. I saw what a difference they made to people’s lives. I wanted to do that too.”
“And you still like medicine?”
He nods. “I really do. But unlike my parents, it’s not my entire life, you know?”
“Because you like experiencing the variety life has to offer you.”
“Exactly.”
“And I bet that applies to women as well.”
He’s taking a sip of his drink, and he has to pause to make sure he remembers to swallow before he laughs.
I shrug as if to absolve myself from responsibility for the statement.
“It’s not exactly the same. I don’t seek out variety…” He pauses. “I enjoy flirting with women.” I shoot him a look that says duh. “But I’m not out to add to a list of conquests. I enjoy female company, but I’m never in one place for any length of time. I do six months in London and then I fly to wherever. Then I’m back and… My lifestyle is not conducive to anything long-term.”
“What about the woman who gave you the dislocated shoulder?”
He sighs and puts a forkful of food in his mouth, possibly buying time to answer the question.
“For legal reasons, I need to be clear that she didn’t give me the dislocated shoulder. I don’t want to misrepresent her.” He shoots me a grin. “I was a little taken aback by her response—literally taken aback. I toppled over backwards, down a drop. I was lucky it wasn’t a bigger fall.”
“You said you were taken aback by her response. Her response to what? Did you propose or something?”
He hits his chest with his fist, like he’s trying to prevent himself from choking, then grins at me. “Absolutely not.” He laughs. “I think I was just looking for something more…not necessarily from her, but from life. She had a job where she got a lot of free time, so we’d traveled together a few times. I’d just suggested she base herself in London at my place for a bit so we could get to know each other better.”
“Right.” I understand. My life is similar, which is one of the reasons Matt had been on my payroll for about five years before he went back to practicing law. We didn’t want to be apart during my first world tour. “And she said no?”
“From what I remember, she laughed in my face and then said no.”
I wince, a little taken aback that he so openly confessed having his ass handed to him. But that’s also one of the things I like about Beau—his confidence means he has no need for ego or pride. He’s unashamedly who he is.
“But thank god,” he continues. “Like I said, I was looking for something. Coral saying no has set me on the right path.”
Our entrees arrive and it’s another sharing platter. “We came to the perfect place for you when it comes to this food. You can eat what you like and skirt over the stuff you don’t.”
“It’s the opposite actually—it’s the worst possible place because I like it all, which means I’ll eat too much and have to get a treadmill brought up to my suite tomorrow.”
“It’s worth it. I’ll come and work out with you in the hotel gym, if you like?” he asks.