Playing Doctor (20 page)

When Kim went home
for her grandma's birthday, the new couple enjoyed their second tourist weekend using Nikki's apartment as their base. The weekend flew by, but this time they didn't make it out of the apartment nearly as often as the first time they played New York tourists. Their “indoor sports” were just too much fun! Hunter expressed often how Nikki's relaxed boldness was a real turn-on. Nikki told him that was the “new” her, but Hunter didn't believe she could have been so very different in the past from the outgoing lover she was now. Nikki also appreciated that Hunter was always proactive about protection and never pushed her to do something she didn't want.

“I wish we could spend every night together. I hate that tonight you won't be lying next to me,” Hunter said as they lounged in bed on Sunday afternoon.

“Ha!” Reaching over, Nikki playfully swatted him on the ass. “You just want your sex toy available to you twenty-four seven, admit it!”

“Well, there is that,” he responded, leering playfully at her. “But really, I enjoy just being with you, just hanging out with you. What do you say, let's move in together.”

“You're serious, aren't you?”

“Yes, I am. I know we've only been going out for a short time, but why not?”

Nikki looked away from his intense gaze and considered his idea. Why not? She had never lived with a guy before, but why the hell not? Truth be told, Nikki would like having her sex god handy every night as well. However, the idea of the shared closeness of living together with Hunter was what really excited her. He had quickly become her most intimate friend in a way that even her longtime girlfriends could never be. The idea seemed more natural than the current trade-off sleepover arrangements, and it just felt right, Nikki realized.

She opened her mouth, ready to exclaim, “I would
love
that,” but paused to choose her words more carefully. Instead she said, “I would
like
that very much.”

Nikki was wary about letting the “L-bomb” drop too soon, knowing how most guys react to such declarations. But deep inside, she guessed that what she was feeling was probably love. She wondered if Hunter felt the same way. It certainly seemed that he did.

Hunter was clearly pleased with her affirmative answer, hugging her close and kissing her cheek tenderly. Their close proximity quickly led to less talking and more cuddling—
moreplay
as Kim called it—followed by some very energetic, loud “cuddling.”

Later, Nikki said she would inform Kim that she'd be moving out. Still lying in bed, the two of them started eagerly looking online for available apartments and planning their move. Before he left Sunday night, Hunter told her that they were holding a surprise party for Dave's birthday the next Friday night and Nikki and her three friends were invited.

After hugging Hunter good-bye and closing the door to the apartment, Nikki collapsed happily onto the couch. She could hardly believe all the changes in her life—a new wardrobe, a new live-in boyfriend, the chance for a promotion—and all because she decided to stop being a doormat and take charge of her life. With that mental pat on the back, Nikki smiled and went about the mundane tasks of life, such as the enormous pile of dirty laundry waiting for her.

By eleven, Dave's surprise
party was in full swing on Friday night, the two-bedroom apartment filled with people. Nikki enjoyed meeting more of Hunter's friends, and her girlfriends all came to the party. Free drinks and the promise of lots of single doctors were lure enough for them to bling up in their sexiest attire. The music was loud, and the furniture had been moved to allow dancing in one corner. Kim and Amy danced all evening with different guys and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Around midnight, when Hunter left the party briefly to buy more ice, Nikki grabbed a drink and went over to chat with Kim and Amy.

“Hi,” Nikki said, joining her two friends. “Where's Rachel? I haven't seen her all night.”

“Well, she was hanging with us for a while,” Kim responded. “But I haven't seen her in a couple hours. I can't imagine she would leave without telling us.”

“I'm off to see how long the bathroom line is,” said Amy. “I'll look around for her.”

Almost immediately, she returned with a surprised look on her face. “You won't believe it! I don't believe it either, and I saw them with my own eyes. Rachel and Rob are in the bedroom sucking face!”

Both girls turned to her in surprise, and Kim responded, “You're right, I don't believe it. I've got to see it for myself.”

Together they walked over and peered into Rob's bedroom. The lights were low, and this seemed to be the designated make-out room because several couples were spread around on chairs, the floor, and the bed. Everyone was fully dressed, but there was a lot of deep kissing and heavy groping going on, and each couple seemed oblivious to everyone else around them.

“See,” Amy whispered, pointing to a pair on the bed. “I almost didn't recognize her in the dark.”

Rachel sat on Rob's lap, straddling his thighs and kissing him full on. Just then, Rob broke the kiss and buried his face in her chest, and she threw her head back, moaning in obvious pleasure. Opening her eyes, Rachel noticed the three of them staring from the doorway and gave them a saucy smile and wink before kissing the top of Rob's head. Not wanting to be voyeurs, the girls turned away to go back to the living room.

Perplexed, Kim said, “I just don't get it. I thought Rachel hated Rob. She's always complaining about him.”

Looking thoughtful, Nikki said, “Well, I was beginning to think that there was something going on. Several times over the past month when Rachel and I were with Hunter, we've run into Rob. They're always a little nasty to each other, but sometimes their snippy exchanges seem more hot than angry.”

“What do you mean?” Kim asked, still not getting it.

“Well, for instance, Rachel and I ran into them at The Bean this week when we were getting coffee. She immediately launched into her standard attack about that old contest… She's always asking if Rob actually succeeded in boning any of them, her words not mine. But this time Rachel taunted him, saying something about how she didn't think he'd know the first thing about getting a woman off if he did manage to get any of them naked…that Rob was just all talk.”

“You're kidding.” Amy clearly couldn't fathom saying anything like that to a guy.

“No, she really said it, and Rob looked extremely angry—spitting, stomping angry. For a second I thought he was going to hit her or grab her…
something
…but then he just said, ‘Fuck you!' Oh, and something like, all he needed was thirty minutes with her naked and it would be the best sex she'd ever had. At that point, Hunter and I walked away. We didn't want to get in the middle of
that
conversation!”

“I can't believe you didn't tell us about this,” accused Kim.

“Yeah, sorry. As you know, other events took over this week and I totally forgot about it.”

“What other events?” asked Amy, who was starting to look put-out.

Turning to her, Nikki looked really excited. “Hunter asked me to move in with him. Can you believe it, after just five weeks? I just got the chance to tell Kim about it last night so she can start looking for a new roommate.”

“Hey, do you want to be my roomie?” Kim asked Amy.

“Really? I'd love to! You know I can't stand my current one, but I'll need to give a month's notice or I won't get my deposit back.”

Nikki jumped in. “That's okay. Hunter and I will need at least that long to find a place we can afford. We're looking for something near the hospital since he'll need to be there at all hours once he starts delivering babies.”

“It's settled then,” announced Kim, giving Amy a quick hug. “Nikki and Hunter will have their own little
love
nest
, and you and I will be roomies.”

“So back to the more important topic—what the heck is happening between those two people who hate each other?” asked Kim, gesturing toward the bedroom.

“Well, I think it's a case of two opposites attracting,” suggested Nikki.

“It makes total sense to me,” countered Amy. “'Cause they're not opposites at all. Both of them are inquisitive, strong-minded, and extremely extroverted people.”

Kim choked on a laugh and said, “Amy, you're so diplomatic. I'm sure I will learn a lot from you when we become roommates, because I would have called them both opinionated, noisy loudmouths. I love Rachel… Don't get me wrong, but…”

“I love Rachel too,” Nikki joined in. “But I don't give them more than a couple weeks before they kill each other.”

“I think you're right,” answered Kim. “However, I think their sex will be amazing, hot, and explosive, right up until their relationship implodes.”

Looking thoughtful, Amy murmured, “Mmm, I don't know. They may surprise you both, and anyway at least she'll be getting well boned and often… That's more than Kim and me!”

“Amy! Stop that right now. You've been listening to Rachel too much, picking up her bizarre slang. I want you to stay just the way you are so I can learn to be refined and demure like you,” said Kim, laughing as they started heading back toward the dance floor.

Later when Nikki slow-danced with Hunter, she happily told him the news—that Amy and Kim would be roomies, and who knows about Rob and Rachel. Hunter looked pleased that it was all working out for everyone, but he was most happy for himself. Soon he would have Nikki all to himself, and he was eager to explore her body all night long, every night.

Nikki was very happy
about everything in her life. Her personal goal of transforming herself in subtle ways had resulted in more responsibility at work, a terrific boyfriend who was also the best roommate
ever
, and possibly soon a promotion. If that did not happen, she would start job hunting in earnest as Hunter had suggested. In the meantime, Nikki could hardly believe they had been living together for four months already.

It had taken them a month to find a place that was not too expensive. Their new, tiny one-bedroom apartment in the East Village wasn't high luxury, but with their combined furniture and a few important acquisitions—a new queen mattress, a slightly used sofa that would double as a guest bed, and a new television—it was quite cozy
.
Nikki adored it. She had a little more in savings than Hunter—his massive med-school loans weighed heavily on his mind—but he had insisted on splitting the cost of everything, and again she appreciated the feeling of being cared for and protected, rather than taken advantage of, as in the past.

They both worked long hours at their jobs, and Hunter continued to spend one or sometimes two nights a week at the clinic studying by himself to enhance his knowledge of obstetrics. He would stay there after it closed and hit the books or take online seminars, often not coming home until late at night. Then he would slip quietly into bed next to Nikki, trying not to wake her up.

She once suggested that he study in their apartment after they had dinner, and she would hang out in the bedroom to give him peace and quiet, but Hunter said that he felt more motivated at the clinic surrounded by the equipment of his specialty. That, and the practice also had a small medical reference library he sometimes consulted. Nikki didn't really mind too much, and the free nights often provided the chance for a girls' night out.

So one Tuesday evening, Nikki, Rachel, Amy, and Kim got together at their favorite hangout, Pizza Villa. They shared a large pizza along with a carafe of wine and dished about boyfriends, jobs, and such.

“I'm so pleased that you two like being roommates. Then I don't have to feel guilty that I deserted Kim.” Nikki smiled at her friends, then looked at Rachel and added, “And speaking of roomies, I hear from Hunter that you are moving in with Rob. Is that right?”

“Are you serious?” Kim exclaimed. “We knew you had a fling with him, but really…
Rob
?”

Rachel smiled broadly as Amy joined the fray. “I told you they were like-minded people…two birds of a feather, if you ask me.”

“Okay, enough already! Rob and I get along great, and he found that he couldn't swing the rent alone after Hunter moved out, so he invited me to move in. No biggie.” Looking around at the skeptical faces of her friends, she became slightly annoyed.

“He's not that bad! He's actually a nice guy when you get to know him…and the boning is the best!” Rachel could never pass up a chance to shock her friends.

Addressing Nikki, she said, “Rob and I were thinking we should go on a double date sometime. Whaddya say? Rob suggested it to Hunter when he ran into him in Midtown last Tuesday evening. We were thinking maybe—”

“No, wait,” interrupted Nikki. “What did you say about running into Hunter? He was at the clinic Tuesday night all evening, studying. Where did Rob say he saw him? It must have been another day.”

“Umm.” Rachel paused to think a moment. “No, I'm sure it was Tuesday. Rob was in Midtown running an errand. I remember because that was the only evening we spent together all week. Rob came home around eight and had just seen Hunter with a…umm. Yeah, that's about it, I think.”

“What? What were you going to say?” Nikki was sure there was an explanation for why Hunter would lie about where he was, but suddenly she wondered if he really had been at the office all those nights as he'd said.

“It's nothing, I'm sure.” Rachel, whose whole personality had softened in response to her new relationship with Rob, tried ineffectually to change the subject. “Hey, does anyone want more wine? I think we should order some more, don't you?” She looked at Kim and Amy for agreement, but that only made Nikki more suspicious.

“Rachel Edelstein! You tell me right now what you know. I'm sure it's nothing too, but please don't keep secrets from me.”

“It's just that Rob said he ran into Hunter walking down Restaurant Row—you know, Forty-Sixth Street—with the receptionist from his clinic. Umm. I didn't really think anything about it at the time, but I didn't know he was supposed to be at work in the Village studying by himself, either.”

“Ohh! Well, I'm sure there is a very good explanation.”

Nikki tried to make light of it, but she felt sick inside. While she wanted to trust Hunter, Nikki had met the new receptionist and she was a total hottie. Nikki had even seen the young woman flirt with Hunter, which at the time she had ignored because all women everywhere—waitresses, sales clerks, everyone—smiled at him and flirted.

His Greek-god good looks were always a draw, and Nikki had gotten used to it. However, this was different. Hunter had lied to her about where he was, what he was doing, and worst of all, who he was with. Nikki wondered why she always seemed to attract guys who cheated. Was it some kind of deep-seated personality flaw?

The girlfriends jumped in to reassure Nikki. “I'm sure it's nothing,” said Rachel again, while Kim urged, “Just ask him about it.” Amy unthinkingly added, “The receptionist had probably just worked late too.” But the last pretext fell flat, and they fell silent. They all knew that receptionists only work during regular office hours, and anyway, Forty-Sixth Street was nearly five miles from the clinic so they weren't just walking home.

“Why don't you just flat-out ask him?” Kim urged again.

Nikki felt like crying. Was it really possible that Hunter was cheating? They had only been together six months! However, Nikki's past boyfriends had taught her not to expect too much from them, sometimes not even trust. Hunter was a healthy young man and, like any other horny American male, why wouldn't he jump at the chance for a quick fuck with a gorgeous, willing woman?

Nikki tried to rein in her fears and her emotions. Perhaps there was another explanation. Hunter had been wonderful so far, but then again, maybe she had been too trusting, never even calling the office to check up on him. Finally, she came to a decision.

“No, I'm not going to ask Hunter about it. I'm going to trust him. That's what you do in a loving relationship.”

But she also knew that Hunter had never said he loved her.

She revised her decision. “I'll give him through the weekend to tell me what's going on. Then I'll ask him point-blank.”

The girlfriends reached out and gave Nikki supportive pats and smiles. Although she had made up her mind, Nikki no longer felt like partying or even dishing the dish, so she said good-bye and went home.

Later, climbing into bed alone, it was all she could do not to call and check up on him at the clinic. Lying there unable to sleep, Nikki vacillated between feeling sure there was a logical explanation and thinking the worst—that Hunter was like every other guy she had dated, a cheater who would happily stick his dick in any willing girl. Here she was, thinking that Hunter wanted and cared for her, but maybe he just liked having a ready fuck available. Maybe he had never intended more than that.

Nikki didn't want to think such bad things about him. He really did seem nice, but maybe Hunter just thought they were friends with benefits. It was all her problem, Nikki realized, filled with self-doubt. With her history of finding loser boyfriends, why did she think it would be any different now just because of a new hairstyle and different clothes? Inside she was the same, old boring Nikki. The kind of girl who guys settled for until something better came along, and certainly not nearly hot enough to hold on to a gorgeous guy like Hunter, not for long anyway.

Rolling over and pounding on the pillow, trying to get comfortable, Nikki realized that she was being slightly melodramatic. She really didn't know what was going on and why Hunter had been on Forty-Sixth Street with the sexy receptionist when he had told her he was working. Well, there was one way to find out. Nikki reached over to the nightstand for her phone, but once she had it in her hand, she just stared at it. Earlier she had made the decision to trust him, to give Hunter time to explain, and that was the mature choice. She would stick to her plan for a few more days and see what happened. Nikki rolled over and shut her eyes, determined to stop thinking about it and get some rest.

Sleep was long in coming, but when she finally did fall asleep, it was deep and she never heard Hunter come home that evening.