happened – she’d have been drooling over Chris if she’d met him. She was damaged; she wasn’t blind. And he was, frankly, hot . Like, scorching hot. His body was amazing, he was handsome, he was kind, he made her laugh. Even from the very beginning, she’d been able to see him through her fear, and she’d been very aware of Chris’ physical attributes without once being attracted to them. But today… something had changed today.
Maybe it’s because you know that you can touch that body, if you want to; you can kiss those lips, if you want to. That body could make you feel good. You could make Chris feel good, too.
The idea of doing those things terrified her, but conversely, knowing that it was within her control if those things happened or not made her feel safe. There was power and security in knowing that he wouldn’t do anything to her without her saying that it was OK. All she had to do was ask, and he’d hold her, kiss her. Or not, if she didn’t ask.
This is what choice with a man is all about, Jenny. Doing what feels good, when you’re ready to do it. You’ve forgotten this ability to choose; you had yours taken away, but it wasn’t taken away forever. You have it back now .
Now she just had to decide what the hell she was going to do with it.
**
Helen Carrow glanced up as Emma entered her office. Helen blinked at the short hair – Emma had always had the thickest, most gorgeous dark curls – and then she sat back in her chair and braced herself. If Emma was here in person, it was bound to be bad news. It would also involve more work for Helen, she was sure.
Goddammit. I just can’t deal with any of this woman’s drama today.
Emma smiled at Helen, determined to be polite. The woman was a grade-A bitch almost all of the time, to almost everyone, but she was an HR wiz, and she knew the ins and outs of the healthcare system better than anyone. If Emma wanted to have a prayer of successfully navigating the bewildering world of medical insurance, she’d do well to have Helen on her side.
OK, be nice, now. Even if it kills you.
“Hi, Helen,” she said. “How are you?”
“Fine.”
Emma paused. Yeah, I’m fine too, thanks for asking . “Have you got a moment? I’d like to ask for your help with something.”
Helen nodded stiffly. “Of course.”
Emma sat down, looked at Helen’s body language. Closed, tight. As always. She looked at the woman’s face, and she wondered how it would look if Helen produced a genuine smile, one that reached those cold blue eyes. Emma had seen Helen turn up the corners of her mouth, but she’d never seen the woman smile .
Emma reached in to her purse. “I got this bill from the hospital yesterday.” She handed it over to Helen. “And I was wondering if it was accurate.”
Helen glanced over the itemized list of services, her face impassive, almost disinterested. “Did you have all these procedures and treatments?”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s the issue?” Helen set down the papers on her immaculate desk.
“I’m just wondering if any of them are covered by my insurance here at work.”
Helen raised her almost non-existent eyebrows. “Why would we cover them?”
That stopped Emma. “Well, when I first told Ned about being sick, he told me to take as much time as I needed, and he said I shouldn’t worry anything… that I have amazing medical insurance here.”
“Doctor Granger was correct.” Helen had worked for Ned Granger for seven years, and she had yet to call him by his first name. “You do have amazing insurance. If you didn’t, I can tell you that this bill would be easily double what it is.”
Emma stared at her. “But… so… this is the correct amount due?”
Helen shrugged. “I’ll call and ask for you. But I can tell you that for what you’ve received in terms of treatment, five hundred thousand dollars looks conservative to me. That tells me that a large portion of your treatment over the past eight months has
Maybe it’s because you know that you can touch that body, if you want to; you can kiss those lips, if you want to. That body could make you feel good. You could make Chris feel good, too.
The idea of doing those things terrified her, but conversely, knowing that it was within her control if those things happened or not made her feel safe. There was power and security in knowing that he wouldn’t do anything to her without her saying that it was OK. All she had to do was ask, and he’d hold her, kiss her. Or not, if she didn’t ask.
This is what choice with a man is all about, Jenny. Doing what feels good, when you’re ready to do it. You’ve forgotten this ability to choose; you had yours taken away, but it wasn’t taken away forever. You have it back now .
Now she just had to decide what the hell she was going to do with it.
**
Helen Carrow glanced up as Emma entered her office. Helen blinked at the short hair – Emma had always had the thickest, most gorgeous dark curls – and then she sat back in her chair and braced herself. If Emma was here in person, it was bound to be bad news. It would also involve more work for Helen, she was sure.
Goddammit. I just can’t deal with any of this woman’s drama today.
Emma smiled at Helen, determined to be polite. The woman was a grade-A bitch almost all of the time, to almost everyone, but she was an HR wiz, and she knew the ins and outs of the healthcare system better than anyone. If Emma wanted to have a prayer of successfully navigating the bewildering world of medical insurance, she’d do well to have Helen on her side.
OK, be nice, now. Even if it kills you.
“Hi, Helen,” she said. “How are you?”
“Fine.”
Emma paused. Yeah, I’m fine too, thanks for asking . “Have you got a moment? I’d like to ask for your help with something.”
Helen nodded stiffly. “Of course.”
Emma sat down, looked at Helen’s body language. Closed, tight. As always. She looked at the woman’s face, and she wondered how it would look if Helen produced a genuine smile, one that reached those cold blue eyes. Emma had seen Helen turn up the corners of her mouth, but she’d never seen the woman smile .
Emma reached in to her purse. “I got this bill from the hospital yesterday.” She handed it over to Helen. “And I was wondering if it was accurate.”
Helen glanced over the itemized list of services, her face impassive, almost disinterested. “Did you have all these procedures and treatments?”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s the issue?” Helen set down the papers on her immaculate desk.
“I’m just wondering if any of them are covered by my insurance here at work.”
Helen raised her almost non-existent eyebrows. “Why would we cover them?”
That stopped Emma. “Well, when I first told Ned about being sick, he told me to take as much time as I needed, and he said I shouldn’t worry anything… that I have amazing medical insurance here.”
“Doctor Granger was correct.” Helen had worked for Ned Granger for seven years, and she had yet to call him by his first name. “You do have amazing insurance. If you didn’t, I can tell you that this bill would be easily double what it is.”
Emma stared at her. “But… so… this is the correct amount due?”
Helen shrugged. “I’ll call and ask for you. But I can tell you that for what you’ve received in terms of treatment, five hundred thousand dollars looks conservative to me. That tells me that a large portion of your treatment over the past eight months has
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