Page 53 of Bastard Bartender

Chapter Fourteen

Even though Nic’s appointment is at nine in the morning, he asked if I was able to take the entire day off of work. Of course, I agreed.

One great thing about my job is, I get to make my own hours. Since we have to work night events and weekends, they trust us to work when it’s needed as long as we get the job done. So, after a simple phone call to Tom, I’m taking the day off, and here I am, outside Nic’s place to pick him up.

“Well, aren’t we prompt this morning?” he greets as he strolls toward the car.

“Normally, by now, I’ve already been at work for a half hour, so I’ve just been twiddling my thumbs,” I say as he gets in the car.

I clear my throat as a reminder for him to put his seat belt on. He rolls his eyes and does so. Satisfied, I pull away from the curb.

“I brought a pair of sneakers, like you asked. Will you tell me what we’re doing after this?”

A shit-eating grin totally covers his face. “Not a chance.”

“One hike was enough, my friend.”

I pull onto the road, and we discuss how our week has been as we make the fifteen-minute drive to the doctor’s office.

When we get there though, it’s a different story. The carefree Nic seems to become a touch more serious as we enter the waiting room. He takes a seat, and his legs are spread wide as he reclines back. To an outsider, he appears like he doesn’t have a care in the world, but I can’t help but notice the way his thumb bounces on his thigh as he waits for his name to be called.

On instinct, I place my hand on his, and he stills. His deep gaze bores into mine as I give him a reassuring smile. He looks down at my hand and grins, slowly turning it over so our palms meet. I lace my fingers around his and squeeze.

“It’s going to be great. Like you said, no big deal. And if it is, you’ll just have to kick the ass of whatever it is.”

His lips are closed in a side smile as he looks up at me through his long lashes. Bringing my hand to his mouth, he places a long, warm kiss to my knuckles.

“Thank you for being here.” His deep voice sends a shiver down my spine.

“That’s what friends are for.”

“Mr. Santiago, the doctor will see you now,” a nurse says from the doorway.

Nic gets up. He’s a step away when he looks back at me with his brows raised. I point to myself, wondering if he wants me to come with.

He gives a shy smile. “If you’re going to play the role of Mrs. Santiago, you should probably come with me.”

I smile as I get up and follow him. I wait as he gets his vitals taken and then walk into the room.

“Sexy gown,” I tease as he sits on the table in a short robe.

“I like to show off a little leg every once in a while.”

His grin is steadfast, and his body is sitting up strong, but his foot is shaking—the only sign that he’s nervous.

There’s a chair in the corner, but I find myself standing next to Nic by the table. I reach for his hand again. “So, what kind of tests will they do?”

“Blood work, electrocardiogram, PET scan … pretty much anything they can get an image of. And then I’ll get the results.”

“You’re an old muscle car. A good tune-up will keep this engine purring for a long time.”

“Hang on. Everyone knows cars are women.”

“Smooth, hard, can go from zero to sixty in a flash, and fun to ride.” I raise my eyebrows to him.

“I feel objectified.”

“Well, you do have an impressive outer shell, but”—I sway my head and bite my lip—“turns out, you have some really impressive parts under that hood.”